Warmth.
That was the first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes.
The ground beneath me was no longer cold or hard like the forest.
Instead, I felt soft hay beneath my body, and the faint smell of animals filled the air.
"...Where am I?"
My head throbbed as I slowly sat up.
The room was small, built from rough wooden walls. A dim lantern hung from a wooden beam, gently lighting the interior of what looked like a simple stable.
Beside me stood a brown horse, quietly chewing on a pile of hay.
So I was inside a stable.
Before I could process everything, a voice suddenly came from the doorway.
"Oh? You're finally awake."
I quickly turned my head.
A tall man stood there, leaning against the wooden frame. He looked to be around his late thirties. His brown beard was messy, and he wore simple farmer clothes.
He smiled slightly.
"Good. I thought you were going to die."
I stared at him cautiously.
"Who... are you?"
The man walked closer and sat down on a wooden crate.
"First of all, let me introduce myself."
He crossed his arms casually.
"My name is Robert. I'm the owner of this place… and the one who brought you here."
So this man saved me.
My throat felt dry as I tried to speak.
"Then… it's my turn, right?"
Robert nodded.
I hesitated for a moment before answering.
"My name is Kazu Asamura."
The name felt strangely distant now.
"I'm from Yokohama. I'm fifteen years old… and I'm a middle school student."
Robert frowned slightly.
"Yoko... what?"
"...Never mind."
I let out a small sigh.
It was pointless trying to explain Earth to someone from another world.
Instead, I asked the question that had been bothering me the most.
"If you don't mind… where exactly am I?"
Robert rubbed his beard for a moment.
"You're currently in the western villages outside the Kingdom of Valtheria."
"The Kingdom of… Valtheria?"
"That's right."
He leaned back casually.
"It's one of the largest kingdoms on this continent."
"This continent is known as the Kuroshin Continent."
The name sounded strange… but at the same time, it confirmed something important.
This really was another world.
"So who rules this kingdom?" I asked.
Robert chuckled.
"You really don't know anything, huh?"
He scratched the back of his head.
"The kingdom is ruled by King Aldric Valtherion."
His voice carried a hint of admiration.
"He is a very charismatic king. Before becoming king, he was actually an S-class adventurer."
"...Seriously?"
Robert nodded proudly.
"Not just that. He once fought against the demon forces directly."
My eyes widened slightly.
"Demon forces?"
"Yeah."
Robert leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly.
"Years ago, the king and his four party members fought against one of the Demon King's strongest generals."
"The general's name was Malzareth."
Even the way Robert said the name sounded heavy.
"They fought him alongside three S-class heroes and three A-class adventurer parties."
"And even then… they still couldn't defeat him."
"...Wait."
I blinked.
"You mean that many people fought one enemy?"
Robert nodded.
"Exactly."
"And even then, they barely survived."
"But as proof of their battle, King Aldric managed to cut off one of Malzareth's arms and take his weapon."
He pointed his finger upward proudly.
"That achievement made him famous across the entire continent."
I stayed silent, trying to imagine it.
A battle between heroes and demons.
It sounded exactly like something from a fantasy novel.
Robert continued.
"After that war, he received countless honors."
"And eventually… he married the princess of the kingdom."
"So he became king?"
"Yeah."
Robert sighed slightly.
"The previous king died from illness not long after."
"So Aldric took the throne."
He stretched his arms lazily.
"And now he rules the Kingdom of Valtheria."
The stable fell silent for a moment.
I slowly looked down at my bandaged body.
"...Robert."
"Hm?"
"How did you find me?"
Robert scratched his beard again.
"I was passing through the forest with my cart."
"You were lying there next to a dead tiger."
I froze.
"The tiger…?"
"Yeah."
He looked at me with a strange expression.
"You killed it, didn't you?"
I didn't answer.
Robert let out a low whistle.
"Kid… you must be tougher than you look."
I forced a weak smile.
If only he knew the truth.
I almost died.
And I still might.
Robert stood up and stretched.
"Anyway, you should rest for now."
"Your wounds were pretty bad."
He turned toward the door.
"Oh, and Kazu."
I looked up.
Robert smiled slightly.
"You were lucky I found you first."
Something about the way he said that made me uneasy.
"Because if someone else found you first…"
He paused.
"You might have been sold already."
Sold?
My stomach sank.
For some reason, I had a very bad feeling about what kind of world I had just entered.