Somewhere in the city, a young man was walking calmly, with a subtle tired look and a merely ordinary appearance.
He seemed to be wearing jeans, a blue hoodie, and black shoes. Truly something common.
This boy was immersed in what seemed to be melancholy, as if life had not been kind enough to him.
???: "Come on, come on!! We have to get there on time, why so sad today, huh?"
Young man: "Ah… please, going to university is really boring. We're not even in a hurry to arrive."
The boy said, keeping his back curved with an expression that only showed laziness.
She was a lovely girl with fine features, black hair with blue streaks, and braids arching from her forehead to the lower nape.
She wore a conventional outfit: a black skirt with silver trim and black tights underneath to protect herself from the cold in the city.
???: "Come on, don't be like that. You always have that bored expression, but… what if I tickle you?"
Young man: "Hey!!! 「Je- jajah」"
???: "See? Why do you always hide your cute smile!?"
The girl proceeded to make him laugh by lightly touching his ribs; the boy couldn't hold back his laughter and released it as if he hadn't laughed in years.
Young man: "Come on, Isa! That's not comfortable for anyone, you know? And… do you really think I have a cute smile?"
The young man said, now standing more upright with one hand on the back of his neck while expressing a slight smile.
Isabella: "Well… maybe, but… for now, let's leave that conversation aside."
They seemed to get along very well, almost as if they had known each other for decades.
Arriving at the university, the young man noticed two figures nearby.
They seemed to be his parents: a lady with brown hair and noticeable wrinkles. She wore a brown coat and, underneath, a floral dress. Beside her was his father, with gray hair and formal attire, a suit.
As he approached, the mother inevitably spoke to her son, who tried to avoid her.
Mother: "Hello, son. It's a miracle to see you here. After failing so much [jah], they should have kicked you out of a prestigious university like this. Anyway, we came to enroll our real son; maybe you should try harder to be like him."
Young man: ---
Her words, though hurtful to anyone else, were routine for him, so he simply kept an expressionless face, tired eyes, and a drooping mouth. Expressionlessness at its maximum.
In his life, everything was always about his younger brother, a 「Prodigy」on Earth, so his lack of expression made sense. Was he really calm about this, or just too scared to say what he felt?
Despite this, he had always loved his parents. Perhaps they didn't deserve such affection. But probably, he would always love them.
Isabella: "Listen, ma'am, maybe you should observe your son more instead of criticizing without even trying to know him! Maybe you gave him life, but… it doesn't seem like you care how he lives!"
Mother: ---
Isabella spoke up for Alcor (the young man) and opposed his mother's insensitive words, a mother who clearly didn't care about being reproached. Did she really deserve the title of "Mother"?
Mother: "Well… we have to go. The line for enrollment is really long."
Alcor: ---
So, he simply left. No apologies, no "goodbye, see you soon," nothing. If his own mother despised him and his father showed no opposition, then who was supposed to care about him?
This thought invaded Alcor's mind every night, and today it remained. However, he was interrupted by an "adorable" figure in front of him.
Isabella: "Hey, why so quiet, huh? Your own mother belittles you; it's just horrible!"
Alcor: "Sorry, I couldn't say anything; I looked bad in front of you and everyone else."
Isabella: "You know, you should thank me. If I hadn't said anything, she would have humiliated you in front of everyone, and yet you apologize. No, I can't allow you to do that. But… I think we should leave here."
She didn't mention leaving out of hurry or to avoid the conversation; the surroundings had simply turned against them, with judging stares.
Such a situation was extremely uncomfortable, so they proceeded to leave at a brisk pace while Isabella gently pushed Alcor forward.
They entered the building, a building surrounded by windows and a central wall with spiral stairs. Normally, it would be noticeable, but this was not the moment.
Bell: "Ding"
Isabella: "Well… I guess we should go to our classes now. Please, don't be stubborn, take care, see you in a bit."
Alcor: Jeh…」
Isabella said these words in a soft voice, lightly brushing her hand over Alcor's. After finishing, she turned around in a way that could only be described as very beautiful and feminine, raised her right hand in farewell, and walked toward her class.
Alcor also proceeded to leave. Although Isabella's words were comforting, Alcor remained blinded; his sense of misfortune persisted, and his expressionless gaze stayed.
His mind could only be empty, only avoiding overthinking. Otherwise, he couldn't endure this routine, this boring routine. With this in mind, he headed toward his class without thinking, speaking, or enjoying the surroundings—just walking.
Finally, he reached the entrance to his class, entered slowly, ignored his teacher's words, and laid back on his seat to try to relieve the fatigue that only he could understand.
Every word, action, and movement annoyed him; it had been so constant that he simply ignored it. Why pay attention to trivial things? he said, yet this was nothing but a lie.
Hours passed, and the teacher continued repeating things about science and mathematics. Alcor really mastered this, but that's precisely why it was boring.
Teacher: "Hey!! Are you even paying attention, Alcor?"
Alcor: --- "Of course…"
Teacher: "Oooh, good. Of course, you learned something lying down doing nothing. Kindly leave my class if you're not interested."
In response to his teacher's absurd words, he simply nodded and left, hearing his teacher muttering things but paying no attention.
Outside, his tired eyes remained raised, walking forward without noticing the windows, the people, or the fact he was walking. This… this was too monotonous.
Monotony in life is truly exhausting, isn't it? A pattern, a routine, constant stress—it generates fatigue. I wish I could escape this, thought Alcor…
But while he was lost in his thoughts, his gaze was caught by a garden, a beautiful garden full of lilies, sunflowers, tulips, roses, among other plants. For a few moments, Alcor was impressed. Why had he only noticed such beauty now?
More likely, it wasn't there before. It was as if someone had placed it there, for him, for that very moment.
Without resistance, Alcor took a seat on a bench and stared intently at the flowers.
Alcor: 「This… this is really beautiful」
For a moment, Alcor could enjoy the surroundings; his tired eyes opened to the beauty in front of him. For a few instants, he could feel some peace. This fact undoubtedly increased his love for flowers to an immeasurable level.
However… his peaceful moment with the flowers was interrupted by an incident in the main area of the school, the same area where his parents were trying to enroll his brother.
PA System: "Due to a fire in the main hall, all students must immediately evacuate the premises."
Alcor: 「The main hall? That's where my parents are registering my brother; they must be there.」
Doubt invaded the startled Alcor. Why now, just as he was enjoying a peaceful moment?
However, he had to clarify. He loved his parents too much, so if they were still there, he had to help them. No, "had" wasn't the word; the right word would be "should." He should do it, he was their son, wasn't he?
Alcor: 「Damn it, if I go and they're not there, it will be in vain. If I don't go and they are there, the guilt would consume me. This… well, I'd rather go; I have to go.」
Convinced it was better to go and check than risk regret, he ran toward the prominent fire, passing two hallways still unaffected. However, at the end of the second hallway, he saw a familiar figure.
???: "Hey!! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you already be outside the university?"
Alcor: Isabella? What are you doing here?
Isabella: ---
Isabella paused, with an expression that seemed to hide something. Though Alcor was noticeably worried, he couldn't do anything; he had to think fast. The fire wouldn't wait for his response.
Alcor: "Well, are you okay? You should leave now; I have to go look for my parents and my brother."
Isabella: "Are you going directly into the fire?!!! No, please don't risk yourself like that. Rather… I could only let you go if I go with you! Please, if you go, let me go with you. I know I verbally attacked your mother, but they are your parents and I understand your concern."
Alcor: --- "I don't agree that you risk yourself, please, you must leave, and please, let me go."
Isabella: "Well, if we both have similar ideas about each other, then let's go together."
While their discussion continued, the fire kept advancing toward them, taking away the possibility of going beyond it. Noticing this, Alcor leaped into the flames, using his hoodie to shield himself from the smoke, and Isabella followed.
This worried and frustrated Alcor—concern for what could happen and frustration at not convincing her.
However, after running, their faces froze. Disgust invaded their faces, and fear gripped their bodies. In front of them was an extremely unpleasant scene.
One… two… three… no! Eight bodies were scattered around, consumed by flames; their heads detached but the spine still connected.
The abdomen of each was open from top to bottom, and lungs, pancreas, and stomachs were strewn about.
Alcor: 「Uaggh」 W- what the hell is this!
Isabella: ---
Alcor couldn't help but collapse, and Isabella, still stunned, placed her soft hand on him trying to comfort him.
However, from the depths of darkness surrounded by flames, a figure rose—a shadow, a shadow that only expressed pain and suffering.
In an instant, the hand Isabella used to comfort Alcor was ripped from her body.
Alcor: "I- Isabella! Are you okay?? What happened? What is that!!"
Isabella: "「Aaaahh」"
Isabella couldn't scream or cry at the situation. She stood, using her left arm to try to stop the blood from her right stump. Alcor, trembling, watched Isabella in fear. He couldn't do anything.
In the next instant, not only was her hand torn off, but also her leg.
Isabella, losing balance from the missing leg, fell on Alcor, who was still stunned and couldn't support her body. His tired, tearful, stunned, and pained expression was a whirlpool of negative emotions.
Isabella: 「Alcor… 」
She could only utter these last words before her head flew into the air in front of Alcor's face, but he couldn't do anything. He was just an ordinary man.
He remained kneeling, defeated, unable to protect the person who trusted him.
Alcor: 「Euhhh ahhh uahh!!」
Alcor pressed both arms over his head and knelt, screaming endlessly—screams of madness, pain, and helplessness.
???: ----
However, the figure attacked Alcor's hands indifferently, seemingly targeting his only support, as if wanting to destroy him piece by piece.
Alcor's eyes filled with rage as he focused more on Isabella's body. He… he thought she was just hurt, but she wasn't. He lied to himself to avoid facing the pain, but was bombarded with more pain, impossible to ignore.
His mind filled with thoughts; probably his parents were among those burned bodies. The only person he trusted was dead, the campus burned, and no one in this world cared for him. He had lost everything because of this being.
Alcor: "I will kill you!!!! In this life or the next, no matter where you are, what you do, or where you go, I swear I will kill you!!"
???: ---
Alcor screamed with something more than rage, an indescribable feeling emerging from him. As the surrounding flames began to engulf him, the shadow approached slowly, with pressure so immense it broke Alcor's ribs in an instant.
Alcor began vomiting blood mixed with gastric juice, trying to support himself on the floor, but he had no hands. The exposed parts burned desperately.
Alcor couldn't help but scream in terror, pressing his stumps to his face as if using hands for pressure, while tears streamed down his bloodied cheeks.
The figure remained indifferent, and subsequently, Alcor's entire spine was torn from his body, exposing dangling organs, from upper to lower abdomen, with viscera descending alongside a thick yellow substance. His stomach was perforated, yet he remained conscious, feeling each part of his body being destroyed.
After all this, when the figure finally approached Alcor, it whispered in his ear, almost penetrating his mind.
???: 「You must suffer, you must die…」
Immediately after, the upper part of the figure expanded, showing fine teeth. Upon closing its jaws again, everything from the neck upward was crushed; Alcor's head was swallowed, and his body fell lifeless onto a burning floor that would eventually consume it to ashes.
Yet Alcor remained conscious. Why? Shouldn't he be dead?
He wasn't. Alcor was alive somewhere else, as if all of that had been a vile nightmare.
Alcor: 「Why? Why? Why, why, why!!」
Alcor screamed over and over, "why," why now? Why just after enjoying the beauty of the flowers?
Alcor: 「Why, why, why, why?!!」
Unable to overcome the trauma, Alcor eventually exhausted the saliva in his throat, screamed kneeling, striking the ground until his mouth ran with blood, until his knuckles broke, until he could do no more, finally collapsing unconscious from mental weakness.
After a few hours, he finally got up, suffering mild amnesia, so for some time he wouldn't remember exactly how he died or arrived here. However, he recognized that this place was not his world.
Alcor: 「Eh? Do- where am I? This place is strange. There's nothing around.」
As Alcor said, there was no one around. Walking a bit further, he saw a path leading to a rectangular structure with a semi-oval on top and a cross above.
It seemed to be a church. In front of it were two large gardens and some houses. At the corners were two wooden towers at least 10 meters tall. Yet all this was severely burned or in ruins.
With no one around, Alcor avoided yelling or speaking, just walked for hours observing the destruction, seeing bodies—people who once smiled, cried, and lived just like him.
These bodies were already burned, destroyed, lifeless. They signified a bloody and terrible war. Yet… why? What was this place, and why was he here?
Alcor: 「Why am I here? Why am I here? "(Grrmm!!)" Ah, my stomach. I'm starving!!」
Despite his recent arrival and hysteria, Alcor regained composure due to amnesia.
Alcor: 「Wh- what is this place? I've walked at least four hours but haven't seen anyone, no food, no intact houses, only ruins, ruins as if there had been a war before my arrival.」
Alcor realized that this was the result of a previous conflict, and, sinking into starvation as if he had gone weeks without food, he continued delving into the disasters of death, hunger, rage, and impotence—reflected in his vision, unable to comprehend why this happened or where he was.
He continued walking, with a desolate expression, slow and tired, until finally reaching the city wall, painted in blood, with a destroyed entrance and a burned forest around.
Nothing remained of what was once life and happiness, families and friends, pleasure, or tranquility.
All of this was taken from that place, wrapped in melancholy and indifference. Ironically, this could perfectly reflect what Alcor's life had been, or rather, what his life was now.
Alcor, with a consequent desolate expression, was truly astonished. His lack of despair wasn't courage or optimism—it was the shock of what he had forgotten.
Alcor: ---- 「I must, I must eat something. Whatever it is, or I won't get far」 Oh! That's it, yes!! That's food, I must eat something [guarmm guarmm]
Alcor rushed to the food with uncontrollable hunger, knelt, and began eating this strange bread. It seemed very soft and had a grainy texture but tasted delicious to Alcor after all.
Alcor: 「How lucky, I was starving, and this is really delicious.」
Alcor paused to express his gratitude to fate for bringing him such a meal.
Alcor: 「Ha, this tastes better than I expected」 It's… really delicious!! Eh… [uargh, uargh] wh- what is this!
But for some strange reason, he regurgitated what he had eaten as a thick black mass.
Instantly, his vision updated—this soft "bread" wasn't bread; it was the remains of a human being…
This left him in shock, but his body no longer felt hunger. He had finally satisfied the relentless hunger, and so, full of satisfaction, Alcor proceeded to stand up, placed his upper arm over his mouth, and wiped himself while maintaining a faint smile.
Alcor: 「after all, it wasn't so bad…」
He then proceeded to venture deep into that forest to continue his adventure.
Hours later, after at least 5 hours of walking without rest, the night swallowed the land, but finally he managed to see lights in the distance. They seemed to be lanterns, so he ran toward the source of what could be signs of life.
Alcor: 「wuah, lights. I must hurry and see if they are people, maybe they can get me out of this dreadful place」
Alcor: Yes! They are people, Hey!!! You there!
Strangers: uh???
Those people could not understand him...
Alcor: Can you hear me? I'm talking to you!
Strangers: ----
The strangers only looked at each other, and this made Alcor start to be invaded by despair.
Stranger 1: [BFFLEIATNOPTRRARGFUMM]
Note: (this is a way of representing the sound of an unknown language. Since no real characters exist to portray a nonexistent language, I chose to use random letters to simulate sounds)
Alcor: 「This… This can't be possible! They can't understand me, and it seems they speak another language. Is this really another world? Well, I can still use drawings or some kind of signal, like cavemen once did」
Alcor proceeded to point at a tree leaf and then his mouth, hoping they would understand his intentions to communicate through drawings like paper.
Stranger 2: [UFFIARPMM-IOASK?]
However, those five strangers only showed an expression of confusion. They didn't seem to understand Alcor's intention. Still, seeing him covered in blood, filth, and with a deplorable appearance, they spoke among themselves and then pointed at one of their wagons, followed by another signal toward the north—the opposite direction of the abandoned city Alcor had left behind.
Alcor: 「It seems they're inviting me to get in, maybe they plan to give me some kind of "raid" to a city. It's dangerous, but I have no choice…」
(Note: For those who don't know, "raid" is a Mexican or maybe Latin American expression that refers to helping someone reach a place without expecting payment in return. For example: "Do you want a raid?" means "Do you need a free ride to somewhere?")
Just as he thought, their intention was to give him a free ride to the nearest city. After a while, another stranger approached with a piece of meat.
Stranger 3: [ARMMIPFORMPLIP-KLOUPARM]
Alcor: "Oh! You're offering me meat! Thank you, really thank you! I was starving!."
Stranger 3: ----?
That stranger couldn't help but look confused at Alcor's words, but then he laughed and returned to his group. Alcor ate, watching them from afar in the darkness of his loneliness, observing their unity. "I wish I could be like them," he thought.
The next morning, they departed for the city. Since Alcor couldn't communicate, he simply stayed in the corner of that wagon, which was pulled not by horses, but by creatures that resembled them—smaller and longer, with flat heads. They could be compared to velociraptors in size, but these walked on four legs, carrying a long tail and bearing two horns on their heads, which seemed to be used for guidance.
Alcor: 「What is that creature? Everything here is strange… Where am I supposed to be? Why am I here? I really can't get it out of my head.」
As Alcor was consumed by such thoughts, the wagon passed by a beautiful lake that left him fascinated. His eyes lit up at the sight of that great lake where the sunlight reflected so clearly, turning the water into a nearly white color.
Alcor: ----
But soon the scenery changed. The wagon crossed under a wooden arch marking the beginning of a city, and it stopped right at the entrance.
Stranger 2: 「Brisdeab-hquira」
The stranger said this while pointing at the ground for Alcor, who was sitting on the wagon floor. Alcor instantly understood that his ride had ended there.
From then, Alcor set out to walk forward. He walked along a brown stone path flanked by a river on each side. At last, as he reached what looked like a cliff, a beautiful city rose before him.
Warm, with tall buildings. On each side stood two towers positioned like watchtowers. Large stairs before him led toward a great beauty.
Yet, despite such dazzling beauty, he couldn't truly appreciate it. To him, this was only a decayed town, overshadowed by his own darkness. This city had lost its shine, enveloped instead in the darkness produced by Alcor himself.
It was a beautiful city, dimmed by Alcor's darkness.
(Note 3: There should be a drawing here, but I couldn't add it hehe) :)
Upon seeing this city, Alcor decided to descend the great stairs, walked along the grass that marked the beginning of the city, and ventured beyond the castle.
As he walked a little further, he found himself surrounded by aligned houses, a large number of shops, and small lakes that enhanced the beauty of the surroundings. The houses were pale in color, like snow.
But Alcor noticed something—the people's gazes pierced into him, judging his appearance. He hadn't realized it, but he still looked disordered, covered in blood, filth, and reeking of rotten meat, not to mention his torn clothing. This gave him a terrible aspect.
Yet, Alcor didn't care. He thought that with gestures he could negotiate for some clothes. He didn't have much, but at least he had a perfectly fine watch under his sweater.
As expected, when entering a shop to try to negotiate for clothes, nobody understood him, and due to his strange actions and ragged appearance, he was mistaken for a thief. Thus, everyone there beat him harshly until Alcor was unable to do anything more than crawl on the ground like a worm.
When he left the place, everyone turned their eyes toward him lying on the floor.
Alcor: 「grgh, damn it, why did they do that?! Bastards」
Alcor thought to himself, slamming the ground with rage. But even after being humiliated and coughing blood, he did not give up. He stood up determinedly and went to other establishments.
However, the same treatment repeated itself—beatings were all he received.
He walked a while through the contrasting brightness of the streets, until something fell on him from a rooftop.
Alcor: 「what the hell?」
It was nothing but food waste and garbage. He tried to ignore it, but in the next houses, it happened again. This was clearly on purpose.
Alcor: "Shit, do they see me as their damn trash can? To hell with all of you!"
Thus, enraged, he kicked the waste on the ground, but accidentally slipped on it, making himself look even more ridiculous. Unfortunately, this cost him the temporary ability to move his left hand.
Alcor: 「aggh damn it, to hell with all of you」
Everyone around began to laugh at his pitiful figure. After all, no one understood what he was saying.
This, without a doubt, shattered the last remnants of Alcor's spirit…
Alcor: "Damn it! Why me, why does this have to happen to me? Why can't anyone understand me!! No one can understand me! Why did this have to happen to me?..."
Regardless, he simply stood up and left. He could do nothing to change the situation, he couldn't communicate, and he couldn't defend himself either. Thus, the cycle of misfortune repeated.
Day after day, Alcor continued eating garbage, sleeping under a bridge, discriminated against, beaten over and over. Weeks passed, then months. Months under the rain, under loneliness, under helplessness. But… as expected, Alcor finally grew tired of it, remembering his past life.
He thought that being in another world, he should not repeat the mistakes of the past one.
Alcor: "Fine! If no one is going to help me, then I'll rise on my own! Why the hell should I eat garbage and live under this horrible bridge?? No! I must not. I'll rise from this place, I must move forward, or else I'll just die here… Alone, like a stray dog."
Tired of his current life, Alcor lifted his face to the sky. His hair was disheveled, his clothes dirty and torn, but his spirit was finally freed from that darkness. He raised his right hand to the sky. With firmness, he declared those words, which, though no one heard, would probably be the most important ones ever spoken in that world.
Alcor: 「Alright, reorganizing my goals: first, I must learn this damn language. I've been through horrible things because of it. Then I must get clothes—these are awful. And only after that, I'll be able to think about how to move forward in this world」
Thus, Alcor returned to the city, sneaking into the back of a café, peeking through a window.
Unknown person in the café 1: "Jojojo, kios naup kis bliario"
That stranger said this while raising a sweet bread, so Alcor thought to himself:
Alcor: "I see, then naup must be something referring to bread, or maybe to that bread specifically. And kios must be a way of saying this/this one. Well, I should keep observing."
After drawing his conclusions from what he had heard, he proceeded to continue walking. Of course, this time he couldn't go unnoticed, and some people began shouting random things at him with looks of disgust.
Strangers: "Jiaghoush" "reidinop" "irat ornit mrik"
But this was far from offending Alcor, who now kept a firmer character.
Alcor: 「oh, then those must be the curse words of this language. Maybe one of those means idiot or stupid, or maybe "go to hell." It's good to know」
Alcor: "Reidinops!!"
Strangers: -----
Alcor: 「eh? They suddenly froze. Well, this is the moment where I run away」
After deliberately shouting "Reidinops," the people said nothing. Maybe it wasn't an insult after all. Alcor thought that the plural, like in Spanish or English, was formed by adding an "s." He was probably wrong.
After this event, Alcor continued day after day spying on people's conversations. Sometimes he was discovered and beaten, but even so, he didn't falter and continued with his objective.
After several months, walking through the meadows around the city, Alcor thought maybe he could finally hold a conversation. After all, he had been there for at least 10 months, 4 of which were spent studying the language.
Alcor: 「I think I'm ready. I should try to start a simple conversation. I'll go to the city and look for someone kind」
However, on his way to the city, he noticed two men beating up a young girl. He saw that these two men were completely unarmed and not very muscular.
Alcor: 「Maybe, maybe I should gain someone's trust in this world. If I can defend her, surely I'll have her trust. Yes, that's what I'll do!」
Thinking this, he firmly approached the thugs.
Thug 1: "What, are you a [housh]? Get lost unless you want to trimit!"
Thug 2: "Heheh, this [housh] is definitely that person, right? The madman of the city, the laughingstock of the town. Don't expect him to speak."
Alcor: "For your information, I studied very hard your stupid language. And by the way, what does housh and trimit mean?"
Thug 1: "Don't mess with us and get out of here already!"
Alcor: 「wuah! They really understand me. So my studies did pay off after all」
Unknown girl: "Please, leave this place. This has nothing to do with you."
The thugs spoke with cynical smiles, and the girl showed concern for Alcor, but he didn't waver. At that, "thug 1" landed a left punch to Alcor's face, knocking him to the ground.
Thug 1: See? You're mirt weak. Hahaha! You're nothing but trash.
Girl: Please, leave him alone. He has nothing to do with this.
Thug 2: Really? A pretty girl like you worried about this housh?
Alcor: 「Fine, you asked for it」
Alcor quickly stood up and landed a spinning kick on the face of the cynical "thug 2"—a skinny man with a grim appearance, a cynical smile, wearing an old leather shirt and torn pants, his black hair covering one eye.
Then he launched blows at "thug 1," who wore the same outfit as "thug 2" but with long slicked-back hair exposing his forehead.
Standing tall, Alcor mockingly said:
Alcor: "Hah, are you brothers or something? You share the same level of stupidity and weakness."
Thug 2: "Don't get cocky, housh. Next time we'll come armed."
Alcor: "I'm sick of that word already. What the hell does housh mean?? Wait, don't leave!"
Girl: "Thank you so much for helping me, I honestly thought they'd beat you to death as soon as you approached."
Alcor: "It was a pleasure. But hey, I don't look that weak…"
Girl: "About that, do you need help? You're full of blood, wounds, filth, and your clothes are completely destroyed."
Alcor: "No, no, no, don't worry. This place is too dangerous for a lovely lady like you. Could you tell me your name?"
Girl: Very well, my name is Mizard Glaciard. But please, you must refrain from addressing me with such familiarity.
At such rejection, Alcor felt a bit sad but also completely happy. He had gained Mizard's trust.
Alcor: 「wait, that sounds like a man's name… Well, no matter」
Alcor: "Mizard, nice to meet you. I must go now. I hope to see you again. Goodbye."
Alcor: 「I hope I sounded polite」
Mizard: "Very well, I hope I can thank you properly next time. Goodbye."
With this farewell, Alcor left, raising his right arm in a gesture of goodbye. Mizard, on her part, couldn't help but wonder who he was.
Mizard: 「Seems they spoke badly of him. His appearance is awful, but he is a well-mannered person. Next time, I'll definitely give him a reward.」
She thought this while smiling faintly with a grateful expression.
Alcor: 「Wow, that was pretty timely. I should go to my "home" under that bridge. I should rest a bit from the "fight." Hah, fight, it wasn't even a fight.」
Alcor said proudly of his achievement. Upon reaching under the bridge, he could appreciate the beautiful lake in front of him. Maybe he had never noticed it due to the darkness within him, but today he felt comforted—he had finally been understood in words by someone. Finally, someone was grateful to him.
(Note 4: You probably realized this already, but in case you didn't—the whole conversation with the thugs and the girl was in the "unknown language," which Alcor could understand after studying it.)