Aoto first went to the kingdom's official teleportation center—one of the biggest and most secure places for long-distance travel. Only people with clean records could use it, and it definitely wasn't cheap. This service was made for nobles, high-class merchants, and other important people—not for average commoners.
But for Aoto, that wasn't a problem.
He had money.
And he had no criminal record.
So after showing his official ID and paying the fee without blinking, he was teleported straight to Tengen Village.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a wave of soft wind brushed past him. The air was cleaner here, and the scent of trees and soil filled his nose.
He remembered coming here a few months ago. It was quiet then, and it was still quiet now.
Pulling the hood of his robe closer to his face, he walked slowly down the narrow street. He didn't want anyone to recognize him. His face stayed hidden in shadows, and his footsteps were light.
But even with his face hidden, people noticed something strange.
A wooden stick was tied to his right arm.
It looked odd.
Some villagers whispered as he walked by. A few gave him side glances. Some kids even pointed at him and laughed quietly.
"Is he crazy?"
"Why is he tying a stick like that? Is he hurt or just weird?"
Aoto kept walking, pretending not to hear anything.
But in his mind… he was laughing.
"Hehe… how could these idiots understand?",he smirked in his thoughts.
Floating in front of his eyes was a glowing blue hologram screen—his status window. It was something only he could see. And his eyes were locked on the one thing that made him different from everyone else.
< Unique Skill: Reality Warping >
It was the same skill he got when he was first summoned into this world : "Creation". At first, he had no idea how to use it. He even thought it was a trigger-type skill, where certain actions made certain effects.
Like blinking his eyes three times. He thought doing that would activate Appraisal, letting him inspect someone's strength or magical items, It was a trigger.
For a while, that's how he used it.
But then… everything changed when he used a Rune Stone.
The name of the skill, "Creation" Changed To "Reality Warping"
That RUNE stone helped him understand his ability better.
He wasn't just activating skills…
He was changing reality itself.
"So I was actually turning my eyes into Appraisal Eyes by warping reality itself… and I thought it was just some kind of hidden trigger..." Aoto sighed as he looked at his palm.
He slowly raised his right arm, the same one with the wooden stick tied to it.
"But there's a big limitation", he thought, clenching his fist gently. I can only change things I'm holding... or wearing. I can't change the world around me!",
Even so, it was powerful.
"I can also copy characteristics of diffrent skills with my overpowered unique skill," Aoto whispered to himself with a proud smile. "But the best use of this skill is... this."
With a smooth and dramatic motion, he threw off his robe in the middle of the street, revealing his well-shaped body and charming looks.
The wooden stick tied to his arm was still there. His golden blonde hair glowed under the sunlight as he ran his fingers through it and struck a confident, manly pose.
It was a trigger he had set himself—for activating a "Charm Effect."
The moment he did that, the effect kicked in.
All at once, many ladies and girls nearby stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him. Their eyes sparkled, and some even blushed. Aoto was already very handsome on his own, but the charm effect made him look like a shining prince straight out of a fairy tale.
"Look at that blonde guy... is he a foreigner? Why is my heart beating so fast?" one lady whispered, her cheeks turning red.
"He's so cool! Should I talk to him? I've got nothing to do today anyway," another girl said, already adjusting her hair.
Aoto laughed quietly to himself, feeling like a god among mortals. "Hehehe… this is the power of the divine," he thought proudly.
But then he let out a small sigh and relaxed his pose. The charm effect faded as quickly as it came.
"Well, it's cool, but charming everyone like this is boring. It doesn't feel real," he muttered, picking up his robe and putting it back on.
He started walking again with calm steps. His next stop was the Tengen Village guild—a place that not only gave out missions but also helped travelers find places to stay or gave directions to important areas.
But as he walked toward the guild, something caught his eye.
Not far away, in a quiet corner of the street, three rough-looking men were surrounding a young woman.
They looked like thugs—mean faces, dirty clothes, and wicked smiles. And the woman they were surrounding looked like a delicate angel.
She had long, soft green hair and gentle blue eyes. Her face was sweet and innocent, but her body was mature, with a graceful figure and a chest slightly bigger than average. She wore a white robe that looked like something a saint or nun would wear. She seemed too kind and pure to be alone in a place like this.
Aoto's eyes widened.
"Is this one of those side quests where the hero rescues a beautiful girl?" he thought, getting excited. Without making a sound, he stepped back behind a wall and watched the scene closely, waiting for the perfect moment to jump in.
One of the thugs, a middle-aged man with a creepy smile, stepped close and leaned his hand against the wall, trapping the girl.
"Audrey, was it? You're looking for the Freysac Church? Of course, we can take you there," he said with a fake kind voice, but his eyes were clearly full of bad intentions.
"Yeah! How about we take you there… personally?" the second man said, chuckling darkly as his tall shadow loomed over her.
The third guy laughed with an evil grin. "We can also teach you a few… special things along the way."
Aoto's eyes gleamed with excitement as he clenched his fists. "Yes! Here it is! She'll scream and cry for help, and then I'll make my grand hero entrance!" he imagined himself appearing with a burst of wind and saving her like a cool main character.
He was already imagining her falling into his arms with tears of gratitude…
But then—
"Really?" Audrey's voice rang out, soft and cheerful. Her blue eyes sparkled with pure happiness. "You're such kind gentlemen! I was so lost and worried. Thank you so much!"
"...Huh?" all three thugs blinked and looked at each other, completely confused.
Even Aoto froze in place, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.
"...What?" he whispered. "Is she... clueless? Or... were they not bad guys at all? Did I just imagine the whole thing?"
He slowly lowered his fists and stared, speechless. The fantasy he had built in his head had shattered like glass.
The three thugs looked at each other again. They didn't say anything, but in that silent moment, it was like they shared the same thought. They all gave a small nod.
"Well then, follow us!" the leader said with a smile that looked kind on the outside.
Audrey happily followed them, still smiling and unaware of the danger.
They led her through quiet backstreets until they reached a small, dark wooden warehouse. The inside was dim, with only a few beams of sunlight peeking through cracks in the walls. It was silent, too silent.
Even though it was clearly a shady place, Audrey still walked in without hesitation. But as soon as she looked around and realized there was no back door, she turned around.
"I think this might be the wrong—"
Before she could finish her sentence, all three men grabbed her at once. One grabbed her arms, the other her waist, and the third one blocked the entrance. Her feet lifted slightly off the ground.
"Hahaha! What a dumb girl! You really believed us? You've got a few screws loose in that head of yours!" the leader laughed loudly.
"Don't even bother taking off her clothes ! It's better that way" the second one said with a wicked grin as he moved closer.
Audrey's eyes filled with fear. She tightly closed them, her body shaking.
But just then— CRACK!
A loud sound echoed from above.
KWACK!
The wooden ceiling broke apart, and someone dropped down swiftly from above.
The dust cleared, and standing there was a boy with shiny blonde hair and clean, noble-looking clothes. It was Aoto.
All three thugs instinctively took a few steps back, surprised and confused.
"Fear not! The hero is here!" Aoto declared with pride, pointing his shiny sword at them.
He still has his wooden stick tied to his right arm but for some reason he didn't use it.
He gently ran his fingers through his golden hair and gave a confident smile. "Taking advantage of an innocent girl… absolutely unforgivable!"
He opened his eyes with a dramatic flair, expecting a fight—but instead…
All three thugs turned around and ran as fast as they could.
"He looks like a noble! And that sword looks really expensive, Better not mess with him. Let's just get out of here!" one of them shouted while fleeing.
Aoto blinked in surprise. Then he gave a dry, awkward laugh. "Well, I guess I'm just too powerful. My presence alone scares them away," he mumbled with a shy smirk.
He turned toward Audrey and held out his hand.
"I'm Aoto, a student from the Hero Academy," he said calmly. He didn't mention anything about being the summoned hero or the king's chosen one. He was still unsure if he could trust her.
Audrey gently took his hand and stood up, brushing the dust off her white robe.
"I'm Audrey. I came from a nearby village. My dream is to become a proper nun."
"A nun?" Aoto asked curiously.
"Yes! No, wait—actually, I want to become a saintess. Or maybe even a bishop one day!" Audrey said with bright eyes. "I heard Freysac Village has a church and is looking for a nun, so I thought this was my chance to start!"
She smiled sweetly, but then sighed and looked around the dusty warehouse.
"I don't know why those men wanted to kidnap me. I don't have much money, and I couldn't understand what they were saying either…" she said softly, her expression full of innocent confusion.
Aoto followed her out of the warehouse, still a little stunned.
"What? Is she really that clueless? Or is she secretly messing with me?", he wondered, walking beside her.
"Umm… do you really have no idea why those guys tried to kidnap you?" Aoto asked in a puzzled voice.
"Nope!" Audrey said, shaking her head honestly.
"I mean… do you even know about things like, uh… 'wee-woo'? Or 'dwing-dwing'?" Aoto asked, moving his hands around in silly gestures, trying to explain danger signs.
Audrey tilted her head. "Huh? Do you work in a coal factory or something?"
Aoto sighed and gave up. "She's from the countryside… Maybe she's never seen real evil before," he thought.
But as he looked at her kind, cheerful face, something changed inside him. He smiled softly and made a decision.
"Alright. You want to go to Freysac Village, right? Let's go to the Adventurer's Guild first. They can give you a map, or even arrange a carriage—if you have money, of course."
Audrey's face lit up with joy. "Really? Thank you so much, Aoto!"
"No problem," Aoto replied, scratching the back of his head. "I guess being a hero means helping people like this too."