I walked out of the village and into the meadow.

A cool breeze blew, lifting my spirits, and the scenery was beautiful.

How nice would it be if this was the real world?

Living in a place like this, I wouldn’t have any worries.

Reality is a mess, but here, it’s different.

Here, romance and adventure await.

"First, I should start hunting."

I almost wasted more time daydreaming.

I remembered how the village guards had warned me to return before it got dark since monsters grow stronger at night.

'Are they really NPCs and not actual people?'

Following the path marked on my map, I soon spotted a group of rabbits in the distance.

[Wild Rabbit]

Level 1.

They were the weakest monsters in Arcana Online.

But they were so cute.

Rabbits don’t attack unless the player strikes first.

They were known as the easiest monsters to hunt in the game.

As I approached the rabbits, they suddenly rushed at me!?

W-wait, aren’t they supposed to be non-aggressive monsters!?

Panicking, I squeezed my eyes shut and prepared to swing my staff. But just then—

"Squeak!"
"Squeak?"

I opened my eyes and saw the rabbits acting... affectionate?

No, rather than being affectionate, they were... taking care of me?

Several of the rabbits brought carrots from somewhere and offered them to me.

[Carrot Carrot]
Highly nutritious and great for children.

"Uh, thank you?"

"Squeak! Squeak!"

As I placed the carrots into my inventory, the rabbits waved their little paws in joy.

Wait a minute... how can I hunt them now?

I have a conscience. How could I hunt rabbits that are so kind to me?

There was no other choice but to pass by the rabbits and head to the next hunting ground.

[Slime]

A Level 5 monster.

Luckily, slimes have squishy bodies and no intelligence.

Plus, they’re aggressive monsters.

One of them slowly approached me, trying to attack, but I took it down with a single strike from my staff.

A leveling-up sound rang, and I leveled up for the first time.

Wait, did I just one-shot a level 5 slime?

Maybe they made it weak on purpose?

Well, it makes sense.

I continued hunting slimes until I reached level 7.

"That should be enough for today."

Stretching as I looked up at the sky, I saw the sun setting.

'Monsters get stronger at night, so I should head back to the village.'

I needed to check out the system settings and read the guidebook when I got back.

More importantly, when will I finally be able to summon a creature?
I didn’t want to be alone.

I felt lonely.
Empty.
Scared.

Before my mind filled with more bad thoughts, I shook my head vigorously and made my way back to the village.

When I approached the village gates, I noticed the guards looking anxious.

As soon as they saw me, they visibly relaxed and waved me over.

I waved back and told them I had returned, and they looked at me with such pride, handing me another pouch.

"We scraped this together from our soldiers. Take it."

"What!? No, it’s okay! You’ve already given me so much!"

"Young one, when an adult offers you something, it’s polite to accept it with gratitude."

"Th-thank you."

I reluctantly took the pouch after thanking them. Only then did they smile with satisfaction and wave me off with a cheerful goodbye.

Was this game always this full of warmth?

Now, where was I supposed to stay again?

Oh, right. Captain Charles had recommended an inn.

I checked the signposts and walked toward the Moonlight Inn, which he had mentioned.

I spotted an inn in the distance with a large moon painted on it. That must be the place.

I opened the door and walked in, greeted by the lively chatter of many people eating together.

It felt a bit awkward, but not in a bad way.

I felt like I was part of a group, part of something.

I approached the counter, where a beautiful woman stood.

She had golden hair, gentle eyes, and a warm presence.

"Oh my, what brings such a little miss here?"

"Captain Charles recommended this place. I’d like to stay for a few nights."

"A little miss like you...?"

Her sudden tears caught me off guard as she motioned for me to follow her.

We went upstairs, and she unlocked the door to a room at the very end.

"This is the best room, with the finest view and the cleanest space. Here’s the key. Always keep it locked, and if anything happens, see this bell? Ring it loudly, and I’ll come right away."

"Thank you."

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Then come back downstairs with me."

We headed back to the first floor, and after sitting at a table near the counter, food quickly began to arrive.

But... there was so much food!?

"This is too much."

"It’s fine! You can eat it all!"

"That’s too much pressure!"

As I started eating what I could, the woman returned to taking orders from other tables.

Come to think of it, I didn’t even ask for her name.

Taking a sip of the steaming soup, I found it soft and delicious.

I tore off a piece of bread and dipped it into the soup, and it melted in my mouth.

"It’s so good."

Before I knew it, I had finished all the food on the table. I thought I couldn’t eat it all, but I did.

As I patted my now-full belly, I heard her laughing.

"See? I told you you could finish it all!"

"Y-yes, you were right."

Blushing slightly, I nodded in agreement, and she smiled, gently patting my head.

How long had it been since I felt such warmth from another person?

"Oh, by the way, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Belle. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Yuna. Nice to meet you, Belle."

"Belle? You called me ‘sister’ earlier, didn’t you?"

Oh no, I slipped up. I was a guy until recently, so calling her "sister" wasn’t something I would have done naturally.

"Uh, well, that’s because..."

"I understand... you must have gone through something difficult."

Tears welled up in Belle’s eyes as she wiped them away with a handkerchief, assuring me that it was okay.

She told me to let her know if I ever needed anything and waved me goodbye as I headed back upstairs.

What was that about? I didn’t even say anything, and people in this world just seem to understand on their own.

It’s convenient, but... it also leaves me with an uneasy feeling.

I don’t know.

I opened the door to my room, closed it, locked it, and threw myself onto the bed.

The softness felt so real.

But... it was time to go back.

"Logout."

New guests entered the bustling inn.

It was Captain Charles, the one who keeps our village safe.

"Welcome!"

"Has the little miss I told you about arrived?"

"Yes, she’s upstairs sleeping now."

"Good."

After setting up his usual beer and snacks, Charles thanked me and took a seat to enjoy his drink.

"That child seems to have a complicated story. Where did she come from?"

"She’s a traveler."

"A traveler, and so young..."

Travelers—beings known to journey across many worlds.

They weren’t born in this world but come from distant realms, outsiders here.

In the past, travelers caused many problems, but that’s rare nowadays.

If a traveler does cause trouble, they’re immediately banished from every village, no longer allowed to remain in this world.

"I’ve met many travelers in my time, but something feels different about her. She seems like someone I want to protect. She seems to have been through so much. And... she called me ‘sister.’"

"Could it be... that she’s hiding her gender because of something bad that happened?"

"Either way, I feel like I should help her. Isn’t there anything we can do?"

"I’ll think about it. But it will be tough. Travelers rarely stay in one place. Eventually, she’ll leave this village and venture into the wider world."

Travelers almost never settle down in a village.

Even if they do, they typically live in big cities, not in remote places like this.

"Why do they live such difficult lives? It’d be much easier to stay in a village like ours."

"It’s just the way it is. That’s the fate of a traveler."

As we clinked our glasses together and finished our drinks, a good idea popped into my head.

"Judging by her aura, she seems to be a summoner. I think I’ve got a plan."

"I’ll help however I can."

Of course, I regretted drinking so much the next day, suffering through a terrible hangover.