"...Where in the world am I?"
I was in the middle of some trail, not actually a path. Surrounded by bushes, and trees.
Bushes and trees. Everywhere.
Straight path.
"Okay, let's not panic. You have been alone a few times already, and you've already gone camping on occasion, Clara. Basic survival skills should be a given, and panicking in this type of situation would only lead to misfortune, no matter how ridiculous it seemed to be."
...HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO NOT PANIC?! I'm in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere, and I have no idea where I am! I don't even have any gear on me!
My brain is probably going to short-circuit at any moment now. This isn't just a "oh damn, I'm lost in the woods" kind of situation. No, this was some deep, existential "what the absolute hell is happening to my life?" type of crisis!
I held my head and shook it around, exasperated. Arghh!!! I was a city girl, for crying out loud!
What am I supposed to do, start a fire with sticks? Where am I going to find food and water that's safe and clean to drink? To top it off, there's no one around!
Man, screw it all. I'll have to get up and find sustenance. You either move or you just suffer later.
At least I seemed to be full, and my eyes weren't tired. My body was slowly regaining strength as well.
After flailing my limbs around for a while, they felt comfortable enough to move, and not that stiff anymore. I stretched my arms above me with a groan, and helped myself get up by pushing against the ground.
I swayed a little trying to find my balance, but I managed. Taking a glance around the whole place, there was just even more trees.
Trees.
And in the distance, nothing so far. Just the trail that kept extending further and further.
"Is anyone there?!" I shouted, trying to see if there was at least one person or an animal.
...
No response, huh?
Expected, I suppose. Whatever, I don't want my hand to be held either way. First things first...
"Fruit. I have to find fruit, or mushrooms. Or whatever there is that is safe to eat."
Talking seemed pointless, but it helped. Talking made me feel like I wasn't crazy while looking around.
I had to find something, anything that looked even remotely edible. Camping and watching videos on social media gave me some experience with foraging, so I could at least identify and recognize the basic stuff, like berries and safe mushrooms. Mushrooms that wouldn't make me high or give me some kind of disease.
I kept walking through the trail, looking at every bush and tree I could, while also looking out for water bodies.
"Fruit, fruit, fruit..."
Repeating those words felt like some really weird chant, but I did it anyway. It helped me with every step I gave, and ignoring my internal existential crisis.
No berries in sight, only empty bushes and trees with no fruit. Isn't there supposed to be at least some apple trees? I would definitely take an apple over anything right now.
"Fruitfruitfruitfruitfruitfruitfruitfru-"
Finally, I noticed a bush which had some kind of red berries, kind of looking like raspberries.
"Fruit."
I smiled, feeling a small sense of accomplishment and victory. Were those safe to eat, though? They looked red and shiny, but there was no guarantee they weren't poisonous.
Was this even a normal world? Or is it a magical world like I expected?
If I died just to get reincarnated in a boring, dull ass world, then I'd rather just die again. I'm supposed to be out there being badass and cutting up goblins, and instead I'm over here fighting for my life.
I stared at the raspberry-like fruit in my hand.
"Whatever, no time like the present. Bottoms up!"
Humph. I popped it directly into my mouth, and right after crushing it with my teeth, I felt its juices being released. Not too sweet, tangy. I could probably eat this entire bush's supply by myself.
That said, it didn't feel poisonous. At least not yet, I hope. I pray.
Kind of refreshing, to be frank.
After spending a while plucking off around half of the fruit available on the bush and eating it, I felt ready to continue. Should contain enough fiber and water to keep me full and hydrated for a while.
And so, I kept walking. The trail seemed endless, and no water was in sight yet. I believe I have been walking for around one hour and a half now?
Then, something appeared in my vision.
I narrowed my eyes to get a clearer view of the structure—it's a really big stone wall, forming a circle like some kind of barrier. I could see some gates.
An entrance. Civilization, at last!
The more I walked, the more plain the area seemed, and the closer I got towards the gates.
One thing was off, though.
There's exactly one guard. No more, no less. To top it off, he was taking a nap in the middle of his shift. The place looks like an actual city, so why is there only one singular guard that isn't even taking his job seriously?
No, is this perhaps a trap? Do they allow immigrants in here?
Only one way to find out, I guess.
I took a couple of careful steps, the structures becoming clearer as I got closer to the gates.
And there he was. Still snoring.
"Sir?" I tapped his shoulder.
He didn't even shoot up in panic, he just slowly lifted his chin and looked at me with groggy, half-lidded eyes. Took him a solid 3 seconds to notice that I was here.
"...Hm?" he muttered, still sleepy.
I waited. For him to ask for some kind of identification, demand a reason for my visit, some kind of payment in order to enter, like one of those cliché fantasy stories. Apparently that was not the case.
"...Do you need something, missy?"
Missy. What a charmer.
"I was wondering if there was any sort of requirement to trespass into this town?"
He took a glance at me for a second.
"You have a really unusual attire, missy."
Thanks, sherlock. I wouldn't have known if you didn't point it out for me.
"To answer your question, you're good. As long as you don't cause trouble or anything in Axel, you're free to enter."
"Ah? Is that... it?"
That was really it? No questions, no paperwork or anything? No "State your business!" or "Are you a dangerous criminal?!" like in those stories? Just... "Yeah sure, go ahead," like I was just asking for the Wi-Fi password.
"Yup, you're good. Now, get moving and let me go back to my hourly nap. Can't miss any sleep."
He leaned back against the gate once more, adjusting his posture as if he had done this a hundred times before.
"Aren't... aren't you too relaxed for a guard?" I muttered in disbelief.
"Eh, not much happens in Axel," he said with a yawn, "It's just a town full of newbie adventurers and weirdos. If anyone causes trouble, they usually get their asses kicked before we even have to step in. Rarely do we ever have to get involved."
That wasn't very reassuring. If something did happen, they'd just rely on these adventurers? Rookies, from what I'd gathered during this conversation. What kind of security system was that?
More importantly, this town's name is Axel?
I feel like I've heard that name somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I need to get a move on already.
"Alright, well… enjoy your nap, I guess?"
The guard gave me a lazy wave before leaning back and closing his eyes, already halfway to falling asleep again.
I walked through the gate, and the sight that greeted me was interesting, to say the least. It was full of medieval-European houses, and the deeper I got into the town, the more merchants and people settled into my view.
All dressed in all sorts of weird clothes, along with... weapons. Is it legal to carry weapons around here? They looked like adventurers you'd see on one of these fantasy stories.
"Buy your cabbages and carrots, buy your cabbages and carrots! 20% off, just for today!"
Sorry, old man. Not only am I completely clueless, but I am also broke beyond compare!
That said, I need to find a job. Fast.
With no money, you can't do anything. Food, water, shelter, all of that is out of reach if you don't have the money for it.
So... yeah. I'm pretty much done for if I don't find a job, and quick.
I scanned the busy market street, my stomach growling in protest. People were haggling, selling goods, shouting prices. If there's anything I should look for first, in any kind of fantasy-themed world... it's the Adventurer's Guild.
There's a guild for adventurers, right?
One has got to be around here.
I should start asking people for directions, shouldn't I?
Definitely.
With that, I began approaching and talking to several people, including the ones that looked like adventurers.
"Excuse me," I called out, trying to sound casual. "Could you point me to the Adventurer's Guild?"
The blue-eyed young man with loose blonde hair, clad in a full set of blue plate armor with golden edges, turned to me. He seemed to size me up for a moment before offering a polite smile.
"The Adventurer's Guild?" he asked, sounding confident. "You're in luck, miss. It's just down the street a bit, and you cannot miss it. Are you planning to become an adventurer?"
"Yeah, I am." I nodded, grateful for the directions. "Just looking to find some work."
"I see... What is your name, miss?"
I paused for a moment, thinking it over for a second.
Ah, screw it.
"My name's Clara, just Clara," I said, deciding to keep it simple. "Thank you for helping me, uh..."
"Kyouya. The name's Mitsurugi Kyouya," he replied, his smile still in place. "It's no trouble at all."
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Kyouya." I waved at him, "Thank you once again, I'll be on my way now."
Having said that, I was off on my own.
Current objective; find an actual job and not starve to death.
Let's see what this town has to offer, shall we?