Morning greeted the Kingdom of Falheim not as a blessing, but as a strange light creeping into every corner of Goumn City—like a giant eye watching life from afar. Shadows stretched along the narrow streets, clinging to the dull walls like silent living creatures.
Joseph woke beneath that gaze of light. His eyes stung, and his head throbbed rhythmically as though something were knocking from inside his skull. For a moment, the world seemed blurred—like a dream refusing to truly end. He could not immediately feel and play his role as Ciel Grand. From the very beginning, he was Joseph, Joseph Augustus.
When he got up, the upper bunk was already empty. Arianna had already left—just as Ciel's remaining memories suggested, she was probably preparing breakfast. Somehow, that simple reality forced him back into a role that was not entirely his own.
He hesitantly stepped toward the dining table, but a voice stopped him.
"Ciel."
A name that was not his... yet one he had to answer.
Joseph smiled—a smile that felt stiff and unnatural. "Yeah? What is it?"
Arianna looked calm, though there was a trace of exhaustion in her eyes. "Grandpa didn't come home last night. Breakfast will be a bit late too. Could you line up for water at the town hall? And if you run into him... tell him to come home."
His smile softened as the pressure in his chest gradually faded. "Alright, I'll go now."
With a jerrycan in hand, Joseph stepped outside. The Grand family's life depended heavily on the government's free water distribution. For bathing, they used a public bathhouse provided by the boarding house across from their home, costing 2 norz per bath. Cheap, yet still expensive for those living on the edge of poverty.
Too expensive... If 1 pirch equals 10 skotl, and 1 skotl equals 22 norz, then even 1 norz could still be divided into 1/2 norz and 1/4 norz. Paying 2 norz just to clean oneself sounded capitalist. It should be worth no more than 1/2 norz. Perhaps clean water was simply that scarce. Grandpa's wage was around 2 pirch a week, far below the supposed minimum wage of 4 pirch a week. Yet Ciel and Arianna's lives had never truly reached rock bottom... Joseph thought.
No one knew what Michelle's job was, not even his own grandchildren. Yet somehow, the Grand family's life remained stable, as though there was always a helping hand reaching out to support them.
He walked toward the center of Goumn, passing through Domer Market. The smell of the marketplace, the cries of merchants, and whispers of despair formed the symphony of a poor city. In the dark corners of the market, frail bodies lay scattered about. Flies swarmed shamelessly around them. Street children sat hugging their knees, their gazes empty, as though their souls had long since departed. It was almost like London.
Darkness had always been the inheritance of every generation. If they were given a chance... would things still remain like this?
His gaze shifted back to the road ahead as he tried to preserve his own memories so that Joseph's identity would not truly disappear. He still wanted to return to London, and he did not want to lose himself.
A while later, Joseph recalled what had happened before he was transported. He clearly remembered seeing a cross—a cross engraved with intricate carvings and three gemstones set at each of its corners!
That's right. If I want to return to London, then I need to find something similar to the cross in that book! he muttered.
Now that he had discovered a possible path home, Joseph finally found his current purpose: to search for that cross.
Along the way, Joseph exchanged a few words with some of his neighbors before eventually arriving at the town hall.
The building towered above the city with its bluish dome. The vast grounds were crowded with people from the lower classes. A long line stretched as far as the eye could see. Since the reign of the 17th King of Falheim, this had become one of the most appreciated policies among the lower class. The free clean water distribution program had been initiated by the People's Council member, Simon Smith. Even so, the massive wall separating the lower and upper classes remained as high as ever.
"With strict supervision, the program quickly achieved its goals and has even lasted for seven years. A policy that truly helps."
"The water distribution has saved many lives, but most of Falheim's population still lives in poverty... and 15% of them are in this city. Even though aid is heavily focused here, not everyone gets their turn."
As a political science graduate, Ciel knew some of the nation's political situation through newspapers. The People's Council genuinely seemed to care about the people and act as their representative. Several policies were still awaiting approval and would likely face difficulties in passing, such as the Factory Maintenance Act, the Vacant Land Act, and the Military Conscription Policy. Although international tensions had recently been escalating and war could break out at any time, domestic affairs remained relatively stable, with no significant changes.
After pondering those matters, his turn finally arrived. One jerrycan per person. This single container had to be enough for drinking and cooking for three days. Clean water supplies were transported using specially designed steam wagons, making the supply limited.
"Come on! I've been waiting forever for this water!"
As he walked away, cries of desperation erupted behind him. The water had run out. Starving people shouted in frustration, some collapsing onto the ground immediately afterward... Perhaps they had gone too long without proper drinking water. A mother held her emaciated child close, so weak that death seemed only a breath away.
Joseph paused for a moment. He sighed. Then continued walking without the slightest trace of pity. Before thinking about others, Joseph would always look at himself first—a man sharing the same fate as them.
The walk back through the market felt tedious. In the middle of the crowd, rough laughter echoed. Joseph turned and saw an old man with a gray beard, dressed in strange clothing like a street magician, playing poker with three townsfolk.
According to Ciel's memories, that was Michelle Grand, the grandfather of Ciel and Arianna. Joseph walked over and looked at them. There were also four other men there, likely laborers from the market.
"Grandpa, you do know you're supposed to have come home last night, right?" Joseph said flatly, though his voice trembled slightly as he spoke to someone he did not truly know.
Michelle turned around. His old eyes sparkled mischievously when he saw Ciel's face. "Aha! Royal Flush!"
He shouted, tossing his cards onto the table while laughing lightly.
Michelle was known for his love of poker and card games, which was why he was often nowhere to be found after work. And although no one ever knew what his actual job was—only that his weekly wage was 2 pirch—Ciel sometimes wondered how all their needs were always met.
The old man stood up and patted Joseph on the shoulder before immediately heading home. They chatted casually along the road and occasionally greeted neighbors. Michelle kept telling stories about how he had won bets against the market workers.
"...then I bluffed that damned Welt, and he folded! Hahahah! So I won 3 pirch with that trash hand."
"Grandpa, you really need to stop that gambling habit of yours. If you're doing it just to earn a little extra money, then don't worry. I'll be looking for work soon. Johan said there's an opening that suits me," Joseph replied while looking at Michelle.
Joseph felt a bond between himself and Michelle. A bond between grandfather and grandson. He looked at Michelle and realized the old man kept glancing toward a certain place, though he had no idea why.
"Ciel, I just remembered something. I need to pick something up."
His tone was light. Too light.
"Why did you only remember it now? We're almost home."
"I'm old. Sometimes... my mind wanders all over the place. Tell Arianna not to wait for me."
He smiled. A smile that felt... wrong.
Michelle turned away. Disappearing into the crowd.
A sense of unease crept up Joseph's spine.
Strange... Joseph felt that something was wrong. Although his grandfather was eccentric, he was not forgetful. In fact, he was sharp, quick, and meticulous. Ciel's memories still remained vivid. His grandfather's personality and characteristics were the complete opposite of careless and absent-minded.
Joseph followed him, slipping through the crowd and muddy streets.
He quickly reached the end of an alley. His vision was not very clear, but he thought he saw his grandfather. Michelle was talking to someone wearing a blue M21 uniform. At one moment, Joseph caught a flash of light as the M21 soldier grabbed Michelle's wrist while the old man struggled against him.
The next second, the scene changed. The M21 soldier and his grandfather vanished. No trace remained. Only dust drifted through the air.
"What happened? A supernatural incident?"
Joseph's face froze, sweat pouring down as a chill crawled across his back. He took a step backward before quickly breaking into a run.
After witnessing the strange event involving his grandfather, Joseph returned home. He found Arianna sitting silently at the dining table. There was dry bread and a simple soup.
Arianna turned toward Joseph and offered a faint smile to welcome her brother home.
"Took you a while. Where's Grandpa?"
"He's picking something up. Looks like he'll be late," Joseph replied.
Joseph did not know what he should tell Arianna. Besides, he could not stop thinking about his grandfather's strange words.
Although his grandfather always wore old-fashioned clothes, he claimed it was merely one of his hobbies. He believed they improved his luck. Strange as it was, he never said things without reason.
Without waiting any longer, the two merely exchanged a brief glance before having breakfast together.
.....
The next day.
In the Falheim News Report, an unusual headline appeared. The entire region was shaken—especially the people of Goumn.
A retired military officer. A hero who had once protected the Kingdom of Falheim, Michelle Grand. Killed in a terrorist attack.