Part 3
Akira walked through the halls of the abandoned castle, guided by Cecilia. Her warm smile, though subtle, made the place feel less eerie.
Behind him, walking slowly but with purpose, came Sir Rigoberto and Don Eustacio, while Minu fluttered beside him with flickering energy.
"This is the main dining hall," said the tiny fairy, pointing to a half-open door.
Akira peeked inside. It was a vast dining room, now layered with dust and cobwebs. Some tables still had broken dishes on them, as if time had frozen in the middle of a forgotten dinner.
"Do we have any food reserves?"
Cecilia shook her head.
"All right… then food comes first. We'll worry about fixing this place up afterward," Akira decided, moving on.
They continued on to the royal chamber.
An old bed, its frame rotting and the mattress suspiciously lumpy, sat in the center of the room. Tall, curtainless windows let in a melancholic light that didn't help the atmosphere one bit.
"Is there anything we can actually sleep on?"
"I'm afraid not," replied Eustacio formally. "But we could head to the nearby forest, gather some supplies, and build a makeshift bed. Wouldn't be the first time."
Next, they checked the bathroom. More cobwebs, more decay… but to their surprise, when one of the faucets was turned, a thin stream of water trickled out.
"How do you heat the water? And where does it come from?"
"We have a boiler room and a magical flow control chamber," Cecilia explained. "Everything runs on runic energy. Would you like to see it?"
"Yes, please," Akira replied, intrigued.
They guided him down a side corridor, descending creaky wooden stairs. At the bottom, they found a damp but functional room.
Two stones glowed faintly at the center of the system: one red, emitting a gentle heat, and the other blue, bubbling with water like a contained spring.
"That's an Ignisite," Minu explained, floating to the front. "It generates a constant flame, as long as the rune stays active."
"And that one's an Aqualite. Produces pure water—but its output depends on the lunar phase. Totally impractical, if you ask me."
Akira crouched in front of the stones. It was his first time seeing magic so up close.
"And… can these things be turned off? Or explode?"
"Yes and yes," Minu replied. "But only if someone makes an incredibly avoidable mistake."
"Great. That's very reassuring," Akira muttered with resigned irony.
They climbed back up, and after a few turns down rusted corridors—plus one tense moment where they nearly fell into a hole in the floor—they finally arrived at the castle's main gate.
They descended a wide staircase, flanked by broken columns and dusty old suits of armor.
Akira pushed open the massive wooden door. It groaned like it was protesting after decades without use.
And for the first time that day… he saw the light.
The outside.
The city beyond wasn't in any better shape. Collapsed houses, broken rooftops, structures sagging with age. What once might have been a port, a bell tower, a church… all abandoned. Silent. No signs of life.
"Is… anyone still alive here?"
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No answer—just the wind and a lone tumbleweed drifting by.
Akira slowly stepped down the stairs and sat. He stared at the desolate landscape and let out a sigh.
"…I feel like the protagonist of a post-apocalyptic story."
Don Eustacio floated up beside him, his expression solemn.
"Faraluz was once a bright and thriving kingdom… until fifty years ago. We were attacked.
The people fled. Order… was lost."
"Our king didn't fall in battle," Rigoberto said, lowering his gaze. "The hero before you… took all the gold, the riches, and the best soldiers. He left to join another kingdom. It was a disgrace for all of us."
"When I woke up, I was already here," Cecilia added quietly. "Rigoberto and Eustacio are like parents to me. I've never known anyone else."
Minu floated up until she was eye-level with him. Her usually lively expression had turned somber.
"You're the fourth hero they've summoned this year. The other three quit. Didn't even think twice about it."
Akira didn't respond right away.
He looked back out at the ruined city.
The wind dragged dry leaves across the empty streets.
The castle behind him creaked with every gust.
And yet… here they were. Waiting.
He didn't know if he was the hero this kingdom needed—but they clearly believed there was still something worth saving.
For the first time since he arrived… Akira felt like this wasn't a joke.
"Cecilia…" he said at last. "Can you fight? I mean… you're a vampire, right?"
She crossed her arms, thoughtful.
"I've never been in a real fight. But I suppose I can."
Akira's eyes shifted to his katana. The light blue hilt shimmered with fine, intricate details. As he stared at it, a floating interface appeared in front of him—like something straight out of an RPG.
Divine Weapon: Takao
Quality: Legendary
Attributes: Magic Slash, Infinite Durability, Hero-Bound
Passive Skill: Defeating an enemy grants bonus Gold
Akira raised an eyebrow, muttering to himself…
"Now I get why Uzaki gave me this sword… only he would come up with something like this."
He stood up slowly, fastening the sheath to his waist. The weapon clicked into place like it belonged there.
"You two stay here at the castle," he ordered, looking at Don Eustacio and Sir Rigoberto. "We're going to scout the forest nearby. You might not need to eat, but I do."
"We?" Minu asked, floating cautiously.
"Cecilia's coming with me. I want to find supplies, hunt something to eat… and check out the area. This place isn't going to fix itself, and I don't plan on starving while I wait."
Cecilia nodded with a slight smile, while Rigoberto and Eustacio gave a respectful bow.
Without another word, Akira set off.
The path leading down from the castle was overgrown, winding through weeds and exposed roots. On one side, a few collapsed houses revealed what must've once been a thriving village. In the distance, past the barren fields, stood the shadowy outline of a forest.
Akira quickened his pace.
No map. No rations. No idea what lay ahead.
But for the first time since arriving—he was moving by his own will.
"That's Belier Forest," said Minu, hovering at his side. "According to my records, it's a level one zone… with a high chance of unexpected errors."
"Perfect," Akira grunted. "Just like everything else that's happened so far."
Right then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
A virtual screen popped up before him, like a quest log in a video game.
SPN: New Quest Activated
Objective: Defeat 5 goblins… or ask your maid to let you smell her panties.
Reward: +50 EXP / Unlock "Ridiculous Achievement #1"
"…What?" Akira blinked, confused.
He looked again. The message was still there—blinking like a birthday notification.
"I don't know if this is a joke, an actual challenge, or a server glitch."
He didn't have time to figure it out.
From the bushes, small figures began to emerge. One… two… five… ten… and before he could finish counting—twenty goblins had surrounded him.
Each one carried rusty spears, poorly forged swords, and armor cobbled together from junk.
Behind them, a larger goblin appeared—wearing a helmet, a red cape, and holding a staff adorned with tiny skulls. It advanced with heavy, deliberate steps.
"What the hell…?!"
"This is bad, Master…" Cecilia said, frowning, a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek. "I didn't know this forest was this dangerous…"
Akira drew his katana with a grimace.
"Level one, huh? All right, SPN. Let's play your game."
And so, the two braced for their first real battle.
A battle that would alter the fate of a guy with zero ambition, the deep misfortune of catching the attention of morally dubious gods… and support staff of equally questionable quality.
"Wait a sec… is the idiot narrator making fun of me?" Akira snapped—just as a bird flew overhead and dropped a very strategically placed gift on him.
What Akira didn't know was that the limited budget of this story doesn't allow us to hire impartial narrators… like him.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
And thus, he learned a valuable lesson:
Never, ever provoke the narrator of your own story.
[SPN: Achievement Unlocked—"Narratively Aware Protagonist"]