Shortly afterward, I suddenly felt a powerful earthquake. I didn't know what was happening. I immediately closed my eyes. I was terrified because this was my first time experiencing an earthquake this powerful. However, I tried to stay positive. I slowly opened my eyes.
"Ugh, where is this?" I asked.
Two people came from opposite directions. They both approached me. Their hair was a whitish silver, and their skin was very fair and smooth. I didn't know who they were.
"Are you okay?" a woman asked.
"You should have let her sit down first. Look what you've done," a man replied.
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry."
"Um, what happened?" I asked.
A man named Natori and a woman named Kali. They both explained what had happened. Natori and Kali were training together. Kali didn't take Natori's taunts that she was weaker than him because she was a woman. As a result, Kali became angry and smashed a large rock. Large pieces of rock were thrown everywhere, one of which was where they found me. They seemed to think I'd fainted from being hit by a shard of rock.
"I guess you two misunderstood. I didn't faint from being hit by a shard of rock," I said with a small laugh.
"Ah, I see," Kali replied.
"Then, how did you get here? This is the royal palace grounds, not just anyone can enter," Natori said.
How should I explain it to them? I'm also confused about how I ended up here. As I recall, I was reading a book, then suddenly there was a terrible earthquake, and after that I don't remember anything.
"Sorry, I don't know," I replied.
"Okay, okay, what's your name?" Kali asked.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Arunika Wijaya. I'm a—"
Wait a minute, I shouldn't act rashly. At a time like this, I don't need to explain myself further, because they'll surely suspect me.
"Arunika? That's an unfamiliar name," Natori said.
"Okay, okay. She's probably a little shocked. We should take her to the treatment room," Kali replied.
Finally, Natori and Kali escorted me to the treatment room. Throughout the journey, I couldn't stop looking away. This place was like something out of a fairy tale. Especially seeing the medieval-style palace, which made me pause for a moment.
"Kali, if I may ask, where is this?" I asked.
"Ah, you're currently in the Periodic Kingdom. I forgot to tell you, Natori and I are the successors of the Alkali family.
Huh? What? This must be a dream, right? Seriously, I'm not trapped in the story I'm reading. But, Kali doesn't seem to be lying. If I'm really trapped in the story I'm reading, I might as well enjoy it while I find a way out."
"I know you're probably not injured, but you should get checked out first," Kali said.
"Okay," I replied.
I was examined by some kind of medical professional in the infirmary. Apparently, the term "doctor" hadn't been invented here yet. After the examination, my body was fine. However, the person who examined me said I needed to rest. After that, I was directed to the rest room with Kali. On the way, we met two people with the same hair color as Kali and Natori, only their skin was darker.
"Hey, there's Kali. What are you doing?" asked a white-haired man.
"I'm escorting someone I just met," Kali replied.
"That's unusual. Usually you're so indifferent," said a white-haired woman.
"Shut up, Magnesi. If you talk any more, we'll have a showdown," Kali said in an annoyed tone.
The white-haired man and woman with slightly darker skin were named Kalusi and Magnesi. They were both heirs of the Elkali family. It seemed Kali and Magnesi weren't on good terms. I thought for a moment. Earlier, Kali was angry that Natori underestimated her because she was a woman, so she didn't have much power. After analyzing it, Natori's name was similar to Natrium, then Kali to Kalium or Potassium, plus Magnesi, which was very similar to Magnesium, and Kalusi, which was similar to Calcium.
It turns out the author of this story really did take the characters' names from chemistry. But for now, I have to focus on how to survive in this world. If my thoughts are the same as the author's, maybe I can become a trainer for them.
Finally, we both arrived at the break room. Since there was no one around, I tried to ask Kali something.
"Kali, is there a royal family that masters magic?" I asked.
"Yes. The family of Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Halogen, and Noas. What's wrong with that?" Kali asked curiously.
"Ah, no problem. Can I meet them?" I said.
"Hmm, I don't know. It's because you're a foreigner, so there might be orders to keep an eye on you for a few days," Kali replied.
What Kali said was true. It seemed, for now, I had to prove to them that I wasn't a bad person. I had to revisit my material on the periodic table. That way, maybe I could figure out the author's plot.
It was getting late. By order of the king, I am not allowed to leave the palace for three days. The king's envoy will investigate what really happened to me. However, not being allowed to leave the palace for three days, plus not having a smartphone or other sophisticated devices, is making me bored to death. Tomorrow I have to find a way to keep myself from getting bored. I'll try to write down the relationship between electron configuration and the periodic table of elements. After that, I'm going to sleep.