Dark.
Silent.
And cold.
I opened my eyes, but all I could see was endless pitch-black darkness.
No ceiling, no floor, just emptiness.
Slowly, I felt my consciousness starting to float to the surface, like rising from the bottom of a deep pool.
But something was wrong.
I couldn't feel the warmth of Goddess Hestia's lap anymore.
Instead, there was the softness of fabric beneath my body, different from the bed I usually slept on.
My vision was blurry, as if a thin fog was covering my sight. The sounds around me were muffled, like they were coming from far away.
I tried to move my hand, but my body didn't respond at all.
Even lifting a finger felt impossible.
I felt so small.
Helpless.
'Who am I?'
'Where is this?'
'Why can't I move?'
'Am I dead?'
'Or... reincarnated again?'
'No, wait... if that's the case, whose body am I using now?'
Those panicked thoughts immediately rushed through my mind.
But wait... my consciousness as an adult adventurer was still intact.
Memories about the dungeon, about Ukyo, about Hestia—everything was still there.
This couldn't be reincarnation.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.
'This is a dream. Must be a lucid dream.'
After realizing that, the tension inside me eased a little.
But still, the sensation of being helpless in this small body felt so real.
From above, someone's figure leaned toward me. The face of an extraordinarily beautiful woman with long, jet-black hair came into my view.
Her eyes radiated incredible warmth, like a campfire welcoming you on a cold night.
"Ara, is the little one awake?" her voice sounded gentle like a soothing melody.
In this baby form, I could only stare at her in awe.
There was something about this woman that made me feel... safe.
So strange...
With careful movements, she lifted me from—is this a baby's bed?
Yeah, no doubt about it. I was dreaming of being a baby!
As my small body was lifted, I felt warmth and comfort that was hard to explain.
This was different from the warmth I felt when I was with Hestia.
I didn't know what was different...
Could it be that every woman's embrace felt different?
As I was lost in my thoughts, she carried me to a bright wooden work table.
Sunlight from the window illuminated the table's surface, and on it lay a katana sword that should have just been finished forging.
The sword looked perfect, without a single flaw, its gleam reflecting light beautifully.
That sword sheath...
I felt incredibly familiar with it.
Where had I seen it before?
A strong feeling of déjà vu immediately hit me, making me realize...
Wait.
This... this was the same sword sheath that Ukyo always carried!
Realizing that I was dreaming about someone else's sword, I stared at it with overflowing curiosity. Why was I dreaming about his weapon?
When the room's light hit the unsheathed blade, my eyes widened.
The sword's blade was jet black, as if it absorbed all the light around it instead of reflecting it.
A color so deep it felt like staring into the darkness of a void.
I had never seen Ukyo's sword unsheathed.
During the few hours we spent together, that sword was always kept in its sheath.
But in this dream, I could see it clearly... a sword with a terrifying black blade.
'Why am I dreaming about a weapon belonging to someone I just met this afternoon? Am I so obsessed with Ukyo that he's entered my dreams?'
"This sword is a sixth birthday gift for my little brother," the woman said while smiling fondly, as if remembering sweet memories.
"Ukyo, he always says he wants to become a 'star of the world'. Every day he runs around with a wooden sword, practicing alone in the backyard. That's why I'm making him a real one."
Ukyo?
Her little brother?
My heart started beating faster. This woman was Ukyo's sister?
Wait... Wait!!
Why am I dreaming about someone else's family!
We're not even that close!
I even wanted to wake up and replace all this nonsense with some other beautiful dream.
But... even though I tried to wake up, I still couldn't do it.
Realizing all my efforts were in vain, I could only swallow my dissatisfaction and continue observing this dream.
I stared at the woman who seemed to be Ukyo's sister... She picked up a small, sharp carving tool from the table.
"So this sword becomes his forever, I'll carve our family name near the handle," she whispered as she began bringing the tool closer to the metal surface.
With careful and attentive movements, she began carving letter by letter:
The first name appeared... Ukyo Tachibana
Her hand moved with the skill of an experienced blacksmith.
Each stroke produced smooth and neat lines.
The second name appeared... Airi Tachibana
Her own name. Airi Tachibana. So that was Ukyo's sister's name.
But the third...
The third made my heart feel like it stopped beating: Kaen Virelios
A first name the same as mine.
Kaen.
'Impossible. This is just a coincidence. Or maybe because I was too focused on my own name that my subconscious projected it into the dream?'
'Yeah, that must be it...'
But... why was the last name Virelios?
Not Tachibana like the others?
Airi stopped for a moment and looked at me—the baby version... with a gaze full of sadness. Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes, even though she tried to smile.
"Your father... he didn't want to give you a name when you were born," she murmured with a trembling voice.
"He said... he said it wasn't right to give a name to a child who might not survive long. So, I'll be the one to give it to you."
She wiped away the tears that were about to fall with the back of her hand.
"You'll use his family name. Your father is stubborn, but I know he loves you. He's just... afraid of losing you."
"But you have to have a name..." Then Airi raised the carving tool again, ready to carve the last name.
Which would become my full name.
"Your name is—"
NGGHAAAHHHH!
...and that's when a sharp, piercing pain attacked my head from within.
It felt like thousands of ice needles being stabbed directly into my brain.
Pain so intense it made me want to scream, but no sound came from this baby's mouth.
The world around me began to crack like a mirror hit by a hammer.
Crack lines spread across the entire scene... Airi's face, the wooden table, the black sword—everything started shattering into thousands of glittering fragments.
Airi's voice became distorted, becoming an echo rolling through the collapsing room.
"Ka—... Your... na—me... is—..."
Her face broke into thousands of pieces like glass, each reflecting different memories...
her warm smile, her loving gaze, the tears of worry in her eyes.
Darkness swallowed everything at a terrifying speed.
I felt the sensation of falling into a bottomless void, my body spinning and tumbling in space that had no up or down direction.
And in that darkness, the last echo of Airi's voice could be heard faintly:
"I hope... you grow up healthy and can live happily."
Then, total silence.
Only that voice kept echoing, hanging somewhere... between dream and reality.
As the silence swallowed me, light suddenly burst through, and my eyes opened.
I woke up gasping.
Cold sweat drenched my forehead, and my head felt throbbing like it had just been hit by a hammer.
My breathing was choppy, heart beating fast as if I'd just been attacked by something.
Reflexively, I immediately sat up in bed, trying to calm myself by regulating my breathing.
Take a deep breath, exhale slowly.
Repeat.
After my heartbeat started to normalize, I tried to remember what had just happened.
But what came to mind was just strange imagery that didn't match my body's reaction at all.
Green grass fields, chickens crowing lazily, and my hands busy pulling grass from loose soil in the field.
"That's it?" I thought to myself, my brow furrowing deeply.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Why was I so scared?
Why did my heart feel like it would jump out of my ribcage?
There was nothing scary about farming or taking care of livestock.
I tried again, digging deeper into my mind, searching for horror fragments that made me wake up so violently.
But the result was the same.
Chickens... Fields... And blue sky. The memory felt flat and harmless.
I sighed, this time more from frustration than fear.
I wiped my face wet with sweat and tried to calm my heartbeat.
"Whatever it was, it was just a dream," I muttered to myself.
"Don't think about it." Maybe the fatigue from yesterday's fight made my nervous system a little messed up.
Yeah, that must be it...
After convincing myself nothing was wrong...
I looked at the old wall clock in the corner of the room.
The short hand pointed to 2, while the long hand was right at 12.
2 AM.
So I'd been asleep since this afternoon when it was still light.
No wonder I woke up in the middle of the night like this.
My body had rested enough.
But I was still sleepy. Maybe I could sleep again until morning.
I turned to the side, and my eyes immediately caught a sight that made me sigh in resignation.
Goddess Hestia was sleeping in a position that was completely indecent for a goddess.
The blanket had been thrown who knows where, her short white dress was hiked up showing her white thighs, and her sideways body position made her already large chest even more prominent.
I shook my head while picking up the blanket that had fallen on the floor.
"Goddess... even when sleeping you can't maintain your image as a goddess," I muttered softly while pulling the blanket to cover her body.
After making sure Hestia was properly covered with the blanket, I lay back down beside her.
Without realizing it, my hand hugged her small body from behind, pulling her closer.
The warmth of her body and the faint floral scent that always clung to her made me feel calm.
The strange dream from earlier slowly faded from my memory.
I closed my eyes, ready to sleep again until morning.
Just like that, I fell asleep again...
•••
The Next Morning
The wall clock showed 07:45. A few more minutes before 8 o'clock, the time I'd agreed to meet Ukyo.
I was ready with my simple equipment—spear and short sword, worn leather bag, and a few water bottles.
No armor.
My body felt fresh after enough sleep.
However, for a moment, a strange feeling crossed my mind. A sense of sadness and loss so deep, coming from who knows where.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the remnants of last night's strange dream.
Today I planned to buy light armor with the money I got yesterday, plus the small savings I'd accumulated.
It should be enough to get decent chest protection.
"Goddess, I'm leaving," I said while walking toward the stairs.
"Kaen-kun..." Hestia's voice sounded hesitant from behind.
I turned around. "What's wrong, Goddess?"
Hestia stood near the bed, both hands nervously wringing together.
Her eyes didn't look directly at me, as if there was something she wanted to say but was hard to voice.
"That... ehm... u-um..."
"Goddess?"
Suddenly she hurriedly said with a slightly reddened face, "D-don't forget you're meeting Syr tonight!"
I paused for a moment, then the memory of the contract came back.
Ah, right. Today was indeed the promised day to meet Syr.
"Yeah, I won't forget," I answered while smiling.
"By the way, Goddess, no need to worry..."
I turned around and started walking toward the stairs.
However, before actually leaving, I glanced back once more with a mischievous smile.
"Goddess... you don't need to be jealous, because my heart belongs only to you."
"EH?!" Hestia's face immediately turned completely red like a tomato.
"S-STOP TALKING NONSENSE!"
"N-nobody said I was jealous!" she screamed while throwing a pillow at me.
I laughed softly while dodging the pillow that missed, then went upstairs leaving Goddess Hestia who was still rolling around on the bed while screaming in embarrassment.
And like every day, after seeing her red face that morning, I felt more ready to go to the dungeon.
Just like that, I started my journey to the dungeon.
It didn't take long for me to arrive in front of Babel Tower a few minutes before 8.
From a distance, I could see a figure I already knew. Black hair, upright posture, and a cold aura that seemed to keep distance from the morning crowd despite looking relaxed.
Ukyo Tachibana. He was already there, leaning near a pillar with a big bag that looked ridiculous on his back.
When my eyes focused on him, the strange feeling I felt this morning...
that piercing sense of sadness and loss... returned, this time much stronger.
My heart felt a little painful, a sensation that made absolutely no sense.
Why?
Why did seeing him make me feel like this?
My gaze unconsciously fell on the black sword hanging at his waist.
For some reason, that sword sheath felt so familiar, as if I'd seen it somewhere very important but now forgotten.
A vague but suffocating feeling of déjà vu.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the strange fog in my mind.
This wasn't the time to daydream.
Maybe I just wasn't fully awake yet.
Taking a breath, I put on my usual relaxed expression and began walking toward him.
.
.
.
— Ukyo Tachibana's POV —
This morning in Orario felt different.
For some reason, I found myself standing in front of Babel Tower since 7:30 AM with an elephant-sized bag hanging on my back.
What a perfect way to start a day that was definitely going to suck.
Kaen said 8 o'clock. The problem is, in the East when you say 8 o'clock, it means you have to arrive at 7:30.
Unfortunately, Orario people don't seem to understand basic etiquette like that.
So annoying.
While I was still busy cursing the bad habits of people here, a gentle voice interrupted my musings.
"Ehm... excuse me?"
I turned and saw a small girl with brown hair and big eyes looking at me with a curious expression.
She wore supporter clothes that looked worn but still clean and well-maintained.
"What?" I asked with my usual flat tone when meeting strangers.
"Is big brother also a supporter?" she asked while glancing at my big bag with enthusiastic, sparkling eyes.
"Lili rarely sees handsome male supporters!"
Big brother?
Handsome guy?
Ugh. Little kids always like to get friendly with strangers right away.
Such an annoying habit.
"Yeah," I answered briefly, hoping she'd go away soon and find someone else to bother.
My hope was crushed when she became even more excited.
"Wow! Lili's name is Lili Arde!" she said with enthusiasm that was really annoying in the morning.
"What's big brother's name?"
Why does she keep calling me big brother? And more importantly, why does she look so energetic?
"Ukyo," I answered while yawning widely.
"Ukyo-nii!" without hesitation, she immediately changed the way she addressed me with an even wider smile.
"Lili can give tips if Ukyo-nii wants! Lili has been a supporter for a while!"
Even though I wasn't interested, I looked at her with a curious expression.
"What tips?"
"First... don't take a bag that's too big! You'll get tired—"
"Too late," I cut her off while patting the bag on my back that felt increasingly heavy.
"Already attached."
"Second, if you meet bad adventurers, Ukyo-nii should—"
"Run," I answered lazily. "Obvious."
"Eh... yeah..." Lili looked a little disappointed because of my unenthusiastic response, but still persistently continued.
"Then third—"
Unfortunately, my attention was already diverted. My eyes began exploring the surrounding area, looking for a familiar figure who should have appeared by now.
Where was that Kaen guy?
Don't tell me he forgot and was coming at 9 instead.
If so, that means I'd have to listen to this little girl's chatter even longer.
His frustrated thoughts were cut off when Lili's voice penetrated his consciousness again.
"Is Ukyo-nii listening to Lili or not?"
"Yeah, yeah," I answered without really listening, still busy with my observation.
"Good tips."
Apparently, my restless eye movements didn't escape the little girl's attention.
"Who is Ukyo-nii waiting for?"
"Work partner," I answered briefly, hoping the question wouldn't continue.
My hope was crushed again.
"Ooooh, Lili thought that was big brother's girlfriend!" Lili's eyes immediately looked disappointed like she'd lost interesting gossip.
I almost choked on my own saliva.
"It's not!"
For some reason, after I emphasized that I wasn't waiting for a girlfriend, this girl named Lili became even more enthusiastic about talking.
But I ignored her again because finally my eyes caught a familiar figure walking closer.
His body wasn't too tall, with a spear tied neatly on his back and a short sword hanging casually at his waist.
Finally, that damn guy showed up!
Yesterday, because his body was covered in blood and dust after the fight, I couldn't see his face clearly.
But now the situation was different.
Kaen walked casually toward me with his characteristic style.
His brown hair was slightly messy from the morning breeze, his eyes sharp but not as cold as an experienced killer's eyes.
His body posture was compact but looked strong and trained.
Too bad he was kind of short...
And just when the morning sunlight fell slanted across his face, something strange happened.
My heart stopped for a moment.
The silhouette of a woman's face suddenly appeared in my mind.
A warm smile I hadn't felt in a long time, eyes full of affection...
"Big brother..."
Lili's voice immediately broke that strange reverie like scissors cutting thread.
"What did Ukyo-nii say?"
I shook my head hard and slapped my forehead in frustration.
"Nothing, it's nothing."
What the hell was that?
Why did I suddenly remember my sister?
Must be because I didn't get enough sleep from fighting with old man Eldrin last night. That damn old man accused me of stealing when I was just taking a few bottles as... compensation for his bad service.
And because I was annoyed, I also took his big potion bag. Not stealing, of course.
Just borrowing.
While I was still busy convincing myself, Kaen finally reached me.
His eyes were a little surprised to see me waiting earlier than scheduled.
"I didn't expect you to come early," he said with a genuinely surprised expression.
"Turns out even though your personality is weird, you keep promises."
My mood immediately dropped hearing his comment.
"Weird how?" I replied with an annoyed tone I couldn't hide.
"I've been waiting for half an hour! Don't you Orario people understand time etiquette? It's so different from the East!"
Instead of being offended, Kaen asked with a curious tone.
"How is it in the East?"
"In the East," I began explaining while pretending to be proud even though I was actually too lazy to talk long, "if you have an appointment at 8, you have to arrive at 7:30. It's called respecting other people's time."
Kaen was silent for a moment, as if digesting my explanation, then nodded as if understanding.
"Okay, next time I'll come earlier."
Huh. This guy... so easy to advise.
I thought he'd respond with annoyance like most people.
His character was a bit different from what I expected.
However, then I noticed his eyes change. He looked at Lili who was still standing next to me with an expression that was hard for me to read...
His expression was hard to read... was it surprise, or something closer to recognition?
Interesting... Was there something between the two of them?
However, he was the hero Kaen who saved beauty. People like that are usually full of drama.
"You know her?" I asked while pointing at Lili with my chin.
"Nope," Kaen answered while waving casually. But was I that easily lied to?
I narrowed my eyes, trying to read his expression.
"But your face clearly looks like you know her."
"Don't know her," Kaen still insisted with a slightly forced tone.
I stared at him for a long time... After not finding anything wrong.
For some reason, it made me annoyed. I thought there was something interesting to see.
Turns out there wasn't...
"Tsk... boring." I muttered in a low voice.
Oh well. Maybe he'd seen Lili before somewhere. Supporters are easy to recognize because they often hang around this area.
That awkward situation was broken when Lili suddenly spoke up.
"Ukyo-nii, Lili is leaving first!"
For some reason, I reflexively tried to stop her.
"Huh, why?"
But Lili was already shaking her head with a sweet smile.
"There's other business! See you later, Ukyo-nii!"
She ran off leaving the two of us.
Too bad. That kid was pretty entertaining even though a bit noisy for morning hours.
After Lili disappeared into the crowd, Kaen suddenly spoke up with that familiar mocking tone.
"What was that? 'Ukyo-nii'? You tricking little kids?"
I felt offended. What did he mean by tricking?
"Hah?" I protested defensively.
"I didn't know why she called me that either! She's the one who started talking first!"
Kaen looked at me with an expression that clearly didn't believe me, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, I see."
His sarcastic tone was very clear, but then his gaze shifted and changed again.
This time he stared at my sword with a shocked expression he couldn't hide.
"Maybe your sword is good enough that she was interested," Kaen said casually while still staring at Kurobara.
"Who knows, you could lend it to her."
I became more curious about his strange reaction. "Why do you look shocked? Haven't you seen my sword before?"
"Yesterday I didn't see the snake emblem on the sheath," Kaen said with genuinely confused tone.
Oh, that. No wonder his reaction was like that.
"This emblem is special," I answered while deliberately showing off a little.
"It only appears when hit by sunlight. If there's no light, you can't see it."
"I see..." his response sounded thoughtful.
His attention then shifted to the big bag on my back, and his expression changed to a mixture of confusion and... amusement?
"By the way, that bag is too big for your body. And... it looks expensive."
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, knowing where this question was heading.
"This... I borrowed it from someone."
"Took it?" Kaen's guess hit the mark.
"Didn't steal it!" I quickly clarified seeing his increasingly intense suspicious gaze.
"A kind old man who owns a potion shop where I stayed... he accused me of stealing when I just took a little as... compensation for his bad service."
Kaen looked at me with an expression that was hard to read.
"So you got angry and took his bag?"
"Didn't take it! This is clearly borrowing!" I emphasized again defensively.
"Besides, he once said I could take anything from his shop!"
"When?" A simple question that immediately made my argument shaky.
"Eh... a few years ago..."
Kaen was silent for quite a while, and I could guess he was judging my personality... maybe thinking I was someone serious on the outside but with mysterious and questionable behavior.
"You're..."
"The important thing," I cut him off before he finished his sentence, "this bag is useful for storing magic stones. That's what supporters need, right?"
Kaen still seemed to want to comment, but finally nodded because he felt my argument made enough sense.
"Is that so... I won't ask again," he said with a resigned tone.
"Let's enter the dungeon. It's not good to waste a lot of time." Without waiting for a response, he turned around and started walking.
I held back my displeasure with his attitude that was always like that... immediately leaving when he wanted to leave, without pleasantries.
But what else could I do, we'd already agreed to work together.
I held back my annoyance.
With mixed feelings, we began walking toward the entrance.
Kaen in front with casual but still alert steps, while I followed behind while holding the big bag that kept swaying with every step.