“Goat. You smell like an actual goat, Krov.”

  Krovane felt his body being shaken again and again, and slowly, with great effort, he opened his eyes.

  He paused for a moment. His eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and his body felt strange… wait. For a second, it felt like he had lost control of it.

  He quickly opened his eyes wider and saw two familiar faces. Hugo was sitting right beside him, while Emily was standing a short distance away.

  Panic rushed through him, and Krovane immediately checked his body. No, he was fine. He could feel his arms, and everything still worked properly.

  “You smell really bad,” Hugo said.

  Krovane fully woke up then, feeling how stiff his body was. His bones ached all over. His right arm still felt numb, and there was a dull pain in his wrist.

  “Where were you last night? We were looking for you,” Hugo continued, sitting right in front of him.

  Krovane realized he was back in their inn room. He could not clearly remember what happened last night.

  The last thing he remembered was finishing the challenge at the smithy. They had told him he passed and could start working there. A smile slowly formed on his face.

  “Your clothes are burned. You are not looking for trouble, are you?” Hugo continued.

  “I got a job,” Krovane said.

  “At the smithy?” Emily followed up.

  Krovane looked stunned and a little annoyed. Emily always seemed to know everything before he could say it.

  “Could you hold back your knowing everything for once, Emily, so I could surprise you?”

  “I am not surprised when your clothes are burned, your body smells like smoke, and your hands are injured. The marks from holding tongs and a hammer are very clear on your palms.”

  “Wow!” Hugo reacted loudly, making both of them pause. “You really got a job? Hahaha, nice!”

  Hugo immediately slapped Krovane’s right shoulder hard. The impact nearly knocked Krovane sideways, forcing him to brace himself with his left hand.

  It was a very strong slap, almost like Hugo was trying to knock him out.

  “Are you joking, Hugo? Hold back your strength a little.”

  “Do not be that weak, Krov. But congrats, you finally got a job. And a blacksmith? Are you going to make us weapons? Swords? Spears? Heavy armor? That actually sounds exciting.”

  “Keep your expectations low. I was only doing refining, hammering molten metal a thousand times, and even that took me hours,” he said with a small smile.

  “What do you even get from hammering nonstop? Sounds like a waste of time.”

  “You think a sword just appears on its own if you only stare at it?”

  Krovane straightened his body again, still rubbing his shoulder where Hugo had hit him.

  Hugo had a signature ability that boosted his physical strength, so sometimes he could not control it very well. It was not even the first time he had slammed a door too hard and broken it.

  Krovane took a deep breath, steadying himself. A moment later, a rumbling sound came from his stomach, and he instinctively held it with his right hand.

  “Oh, I hear it. The big eater is hungry again,” Hugo said. “You should take a bath and clean yourself up. Today, I am treating you both.”

  Krovane nodded, suddenly feeling like he really needed water poured over his body.

  “There is something I want to show you as well,” Emily added. “So, let us meet again downstairs in a few minutes.”

  **

  Krovane stepped out of the inn room feeling clean and refreshed. He was wearing fully local clothes, a simple white shirt that was easy to move in for training, along with pants, proper shoes, and gloves.

  Even so, when the three of them were together, it was still obvious that they were different from the local residents. At least, it should not have been because of Krovane. Luckily, he rarely talked, so he was probably the least noticeable one.

  Emily, on the other hand, talked a lot and always showed that she knew more than everyone else. Sometimes Krovane wondered if Davon really paid her because she always provided exactly the help he needed, or because he had simply given up on listening to the girl’s long, know it all explanations.

  And then there was Hugo. Everyone could tell right away that he did everything without thinking. His mouth always moved faster than his brain. Naturally, he was the one who drew the most attention out of the three of them.

  That morning, they were back at the nearest restaurant again, already eating. As usual, Hugo kept finding random topics to talk about, even while his mouth was still full of food.

  “I am telling you, later I want to try running to the forest nearby,” Hugo said excitedly. “Maybe I will find a monster and race it. I am pretty sure I am faster.”

  Emily continued eating calmly and elegantly, not responding at all. Krovane, as usual, just watched this overly talkative guy with a small grin and nodded.

  At least he could do that, since today’s meal was sponsored by Hugo.

  “And then there is the weapon thing,” Hugo continued without stopping. “I was thinking about using a spear, but then again, my strength might be better for something heavier. Maybe a massive hammer? Haha. Or a greatsword. Or should I just use martial arts? Or a shield build? What do you think, huh?”

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  Krovane nodded. He grinned. Then nodded again and grinned again.

  “Yes, that is cool.”

  “Sure.”

  “Sure, sure.”

  He repeated those words again and again, using them as his standard replies.

  After finishing their meal, they continued walking around together. By chance, it was a rest day from training, so they had plenty of time to explore the city.

  Krovane still could not satisfy his curiosity, simply because he had not explored much yet. The city was truly massive, and there were many places he had already heard about but had never actually seen.

  Not far ahead of them, Hugo pointed with a grin at a massive ferris wheel in the distance. He gestured toward it as if telling Krovane that this was where they were going.

  “A ferris wheel?” Krovane thought, a small grin forming on his face.

  So they were looking for entertainment today? Even in another world filled with monsters and danger, people could still ride a ferris wheel.

  Then why, in his old world, had Krovane only ever been able to see things like this from afar, even though that world was supposed to be safe?

  They walked closer and lined up to buy entrance tickets.

  Inside the area, they strolled slowly past rows of merchants selling food, along with various small stalls offering strange and amusing services. There were fortune tellers reading palms and cards, booths that promised lucky charms, small games of chance, and other odd little attractions that made the place feel lively.

  Emily took the lead, guiding them through the crowd. Eventually, they lined up again to get their seats, and soon after, they stepped into one of the ferris wheel cabins. They looked excited as the ride began to move.

  Until… the wind started to blow stronger and stronger, accompanied by a deep, heavy thud coming from the massive clock tower nearby, its huge clock hands moving with a powerful sound.

  Krovane could only stare in awe, a wide smile stretching from ear to ear as the ferris wheel began to move and slowly lifted their cabin higher into the air.

  Hugo looked extremely excited, shaking around and punching the air, which only made Emily scowl as she stomped her foot against the floor. “Can you control yourself, Hugo?”

  “No, I cannot! Hahaha,” he replied cheerfully.

  Krovane just smiled as he watched them. Then, little by little, their cabin kept rising, higher and higher, until it truly felt high above the ground. From this height, they could see almost the entire city spread out below them.

  “I want to show you something,” Emily said.

  “There,” Emily continued, pointing toward a building that stood out above all the others. It looked like a grand castle, with tall towers and white gold domes shining proudly on one side, surrounded by high walls that separated it from the outer area.

  “That is where the Baron lives,” Emily added. “They are the rulers of this city.”

  From what Krovane had learned about the government structure in this world, they were currently within a kingdom known as Aurelion. The kingdom was divided into seven regions, each ruled by a major city like the one they were staying in now.

  This city was called Solmire, the southernmost city of the kingdom. It stood open to the vast desert to the south, where the sands stretched endlessly until they met the sea.

  Emily then gestured toward the other side of the tower and pointed at another structure. It looked like a complex of elegant buildings, with several beautiful towers painted in red, yellow, and green.

  “That is the Elaris Academy,” she said. “That is where the children of important families and nobles study.”

  “Well, that is good then. Only rich people should go to school,” Hugo replied casually.

  Emily kicked Hugo in the knee. “Idiot.”

  “I know you are smart, but you do not have to call me an idiot!” Hugo shot back, grinning.

  “If people without privilege cannot enter the academy, it means they will stay poor forever. You know that, right?” Emily continued.

  “But in a world where magic rules everything, do we really still need school, Emily? Like… we do not need math to fight against monsters.”

  “You are wrong, Hugo!” Emily replied, clearly annoyed. “Listen to me carefully.”

  Krovane nodded and focused his attention on what Emily was about to explain.

  “Academies in this world are not just about teaching math or the kind of classes we knew back in our world,” she said with a very serious expression. “They have libraries, resources, facilities, and incredible mentors. We can deepen our magic, gain access to important information, and even get opportunities to work in elite places within the city or the kingdom itself.”

  She took a short breath, still looking serious. “Just imagine it. We were sent to this world to do something important. If we stay on the outside without access to knowledge and key resources, do you really think we will ever be able to solve whatever problem brought us here?”

  Hugo fell silent, though it was clear that Emily’s explanation had not fully convinced him yet.

  “You plan to enter that academy, Emily?” Krovane asked.

  “I do,” Emily replied.

  Krovane simply nodded at her answer.

  Emily then folded her arms, her expression still extremely serious.

  “Elaris is an elite academy. It only opens its doors to those with noble bloodlines or those who hold special status and value to the kingdom. People like us would never be able to enter normally. First, we do not have clear identities. Second, we do not have the money.”

  Krovane listened carefully.

  “But there is one more path for us to enter,” she continued. “Through contribution.”

  “Contribution?” Krovane repeated.

  “If we can accomplish something significant for this city or the kingdom, that contribution can be used to obtain a special privilege. With that, entering Elaris Academy will no longer be difficult for us.”

  “That…” Krovane said quietly. “Sounds very far away.”

  Yes. Very far. How long would it take before they could ever reach that point? Even getting close to an academy that was supposed to be a gateway for them still felt impossibly distant.

  Emily then smiled with confidence. “For now, we focus on training ourselves and obtaining our Adventurer IDs. From there, we begin. Two months. No, one month. We will finish our preparations to register at the adventurers’ guild within one month.”

  One month?

  “Are you not being a bit too optimistic? For me, one month is really just one month. You have already been here for two months, Emily,” Krovane protested.

  “Unless you want to be trapped in this world forever,” Emily said next. Her voice sounded slightly… Sad?

  Of course she wanted to return to the outside world. She had parents who should be waiting for her.

  “Whatever it takes, we need broader and higher access, even to the royal family if necessary,” she continued. “We were not sent here for something trivial. Unless we have something that makes people notice us, we will never be able to complete this mission, let alone finish it quickly.”

  Krovane nodded slowly. “I agree with you, Emily,” he said.

  Not because he was being lazy. He had been working hard, following Rogan’s training, and now he was even learning blacksmithing.

  Emily had already stood up, turned around, and stepped out of the ferris wheel cabin. Their short ride, viewing the city from above, had come to an end.

  Hugo followed after her, laughing as he grabbed Krovane’s left shoulder.

  “Do not be weak! You just need to work hard until your body feels like it is about to fall apart. You should copy how hard I work too, Krovane. Do not be lazy!”

  “Yes, I am not being lazy! Never!” Krovane replied.

  “Davon wants to show us something interesting,” Emily said as they continued walking. “Our next stop is Davon’s residence.”

  This would be the first time Krovane would truly visit Davon’s house, not just train on the property he owned.

  But… something interesting? What could it be?