"How did you come back to life, Alan?" Evelyn asked, walking backward in front of me, her hands clasped behind her back.
We were on our way back to Lily Town after what could only be described as a very tiring, and let's be honest, kind of tragic event.
"Err... I don't really know," I said, scratching the back of my head. "It felt like I was asleep for a long time. Then I just... woke up. And boom, new power."
I gave her the ultra-simplified version. No way was I going to mention the old man or how I actually got the power. If I did, Evelyn would throw a million questions at me before we even reached the town.
As I walked, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me. My steps wobbled to the side of the road before I even realized it. William quickly grabbed my shoulder, steadying me.
"Dude, are you okay?" Bob asked, eyebrows raised.
I held my head as the spinning sensation slowly faded. "Just a little dizzy," I muttered.
"That's probably symptom of mana deficiency," Evelyn chimed in, arms crossed.
Maya stepped closer, her expression filled with concern. "Alan, this must be from using too much mana to heal me. We should stop and rest for a bit."
I glanced at Bob, who looked just as confused as I felt, silently mouthing what's happening?
Ever since the battle, Maya had been… surprisingly kind. Like, shockingly kind.
"I'm fine," I said, waving them off with the weakest hand gesture known to mankind. "Really, it's getting better. Let's just head back before it gets dark."
After several minutes, we finally arrived at the inn in Lily Town. The sky was now blanketed in the darkness of night. Crimson light flickered from the distant mountains, and warm glows from flames inside homes peeked through windows. You could hear parents calling their children back inside, wrapping up the day with gentle scoldings and soft laughter.
By the time we stood in front of the inn, the dizziness in my head had completely faded.
"Thank you, Bob and Alan, for your help," William said, turning toward us with a bow. "You both have great potential as adventurers."
"Yeah, seriously! If not for you two, we'd probably be rotting in that forest by now," Evelyn added with her usual cheerful grin.
"It's no big deal," Bob replied, puffing up a little. "Honestly, we should be the ones thanking you for letting us join your party. It's been a real eye-opener. We've got a lot of training to do before we can call ourselves real adventurers."
"Yeah, and because of you guys… I got this power," I added, bowing slightly. "So I want to thank you too."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes with a smirk. "Remember, Alan, next time we meet, you better tell me how actually you got that power."
Ah. She still hadn't dropped it. I now officially had a storytelling debt.
"I'll tell you later," I replied, giving her the most awkward smile I could muster. Meanwhile, my brain was already scrambling to make up a believable fake story later.
"I-I…" Maya muttered.
Everyone's gaze shifted to her.
"I'm sorry… for all the harsh things I said today. I didn't really mean them," she said, gripping her orcane staff tightly. It looked like she had to wrestle every word out of her throat.
"Huh?! I didn't catch that!" Bob said, placing his hand over his right ear. "What did you say?"
"I said I'm sorry for everything," Maya repeated, a bit louder.
"Haaaah?" Bob leaned in, getting way too close.
"I SAID… I'M SORRY!" Maya shouted directly into Bob's ear.
Bob immediately stiffened like he'd been hit by lightning and dropped onto his butt.
"ARGHH! My eardrum!" he cried, rolling on the floor in exaggerated agony.
"Serves you right! Hahaha!" Evelyn laughed, clutching her stomach and doubling over with tears in her eyes.
"Haha… that's the Maya we know," I said, smiling at her.
Maya glanced at me, blushed, then suddenly turned and dashed into the inn.
"Hey, Maya…!" Evelyn called out, then quickly followed her. "Bye-bye, guys!" she waved at me and Bob before disappearing inside.
William shook his head with a faint smile, then turned to me and Bob, who had finally stopped flailing on the ground.
"Tomorrow, we'll report to the mayor and collect the reward. Do you two want to come along? We'll share it with you."
Bob and I looked at each other, then smiled.
"It's okay, Will. We're not official party members, just guests. So we're not really eligible," I said.
"Yeah… plus, the reward's not huge. If we split it even more, it's barely anything," Bob added.
"You guys…" William looked at us like we were some rare, endangered species. "If that's the case, then… thank you again." He gave us another deep bow.
Bob and I both awkwardly extended our hands in panic, as if trying to stop the bow with invisible force fields.
After standing up straight again, William added, "Once we report the quest, we'll head back to the capital."
"To Rose City?" I asked.
"Yes. Do you two want to ride with us?"
"I think we'll stay here for a while," Bob said, surprisingly serious. "We want to help this town deal with its monster problems and use the opportunity to train ourselves."
"I see. Well then, excuse me. I'll head to my room. Have a good rest, both of you." William gave a polite nod and disappeared into the inn.
We then made our way into the inn. Bob greeted Tanya at the counter, and as usual, Tanya gave her signature awkward smile.
"Are you seriously planning to help this town?" I asked Bob while pushing open the door to our room.
"Of course!" Bob declared. "That way, Tanya will fall in love with me, and my glorious harem journey will finally set sail! Although… you technically boarded the ship first."
"Wh-what do you mean?" I stammered.
"Hehe… don't play innocent," Bob said, grinning. "Your heroic stunt totally tamed the heart of that lioness. Looks like she's head over heels for you now." He continued teasing me, pointing both index fingers and doing a poking motion with narrowed eyes.
"That's impossible," I denied, shaking my head. "Why would someone like her fall for someone like me? I just tried to save her as a friend, no hidden intentions."
"But this is your chance, dude. Maya and Evelyn are both cute, even if they're not quite my type. You're already 30, man. How long are you planning to stay single?" Bob said, giving me a sideways glance. "I'll help you out if you want. After all, I am a certified love doctor."
He proudly pulled a card from his wallet that read: "Dr. Bob – Specialist in Love, Lies, and Laughs."
"No, thank you," I said flatly. "Even if I did want to be in a relationship, I definitely wouldn't ask you for help."
I turned away, determined to shut that door. There was no way I'd let Bob mess with my personal life.
"Tch... you're really missing out on a golden opportunity. People pay for my advice, you know," Bob said as he slid the card back into his wallet. "Most of my clients end up marrying, and they even send me gifts every anniversary."
Is he really that good?
So that's why I always see cake in the fridge...
Still, as tempting as a relationship sounds in this world, I can't let myself get too involved. This isn't our real world. No matter how comfortable things seem, one day, both of us will return home.
I'm sure of it.
After taking a shower and relieving myself, I changed into a new set of clothes prepared by Tanya. This time, it was a full set that reminded me of pajamas from my world, striped with soft blue lines and incredibly comfortable, I had to admit.
When i want to take a rest, Bob already lying on my bed, grinning.
"What are you grinning about? Go sleep on your bed, shoo shoo" i shooing him.
Bob sat on the edge of my bed, his expression suddenly serious. "Alan, tell me exactly what you experienced when you... you know, died," he asked, curiosity burning in his eyes. He was wearing the same striped pajamas as me, though on him, they were clearly too tight, his buttons looked like they might burst at any moment.
"So, you want to hear the truth?"
"Yeah, yeah!" he nodded eagerly.
I then sat beside him, the mattress creaking slightly under our weight.
"It all started with darkness."