It has now been nearly seven years since my awakening—or rather, my rebirth—in this strange world. To this day, I have not understood how or why I came into this world, or why I was reborn. Nor do I know why the memories of my past life have stayed with me. How does it work? Despite my appearance, which resembles that of a small child, I am a university student. Perhaps one day I will solve this mystery. Of course, that old man never revealed his face during this period; if I encounter him this time, I will beat him up.
After all, he was the one responsible for transferring me to this world in the first place.
This situation reminded me of a story I read after Owen insisted I listen. He had said, "It's a good story; it will improve the way you treat others." Later, I noticed how much that story resembled my current situation.
Such circumstances only occur in fairy tales or novels about someone being transferred to another world by a priest or a person with supernatural powers to help rid him of a demon king or something similar. This is why my mind almost exploded from all that Owen kept repeating—I even memorized it, cover to cover. But in such cases, shouldn't the person who usually summons someone be the first to greet them in the new world?
When I asked myself that question, I remembered that the old man was the first person I met. Yet he gave me no instructions about this world to which I have been transported, nor any explanation as to why he brought me here in the first place.
I could not find answers to these questions or many others. Of course, I tried to consider every possibility that might have led to my being brought here, but I couldn't confirm which one was correct and which was not.
Moreover, he didn't even bother to tell me his name, the name of this region, or how I died in the first place.
In any case, I can't wait for him to show his arrogant face and tell me anything; I am sure that even if he appears, he won't say anything, so there's no point in waiting.
If you don't try and make mistakes, you won't learn, right? Regardless, I am eager to know more about this new world I now inhabit. It has sparked my curiosity, for this is a world you only hear about in fairy tales or video games. As a former gamer, I had to understand it so I could devise a plan to live here without the hardships of my previous life.
I have come to regard this world as a second chance, one I must seize fully.
In this world, my name is Edward Fallow, son of Rick and Evelyn Fallow, and I come from a humble family. My father works as an adventurer for the Adventurers' Guild called Omegadust in the city of Whiteviolet, while my mother works as a healer in the same guild's hospital where my father is employed.
Usually, my father is away from home for several days—he is always on the move. This is because the guild suffers from a shortage of high-level adventurers, despite having many low-level ones, according to my father.
While searching the house for any book that might provide me with some information, I found this book—or journal—and also discovered another book that looked similar to this one. I couldn't tell them apart because they were both handwritten. Don't people here use printing? And why are there only these two books?
After opening the journal to the first page and reading its contents, I deduced that I live in the Kingdom of Kerrac, located in the southern part of the continent of Orbel.
"Continent?" I thought. If the Kingdom of Kerrac is part of this continent, what about the rest of it? I decided to search deeper in the book. Ah, I found it—all these pages! I will try to summarize as much as possible, as there are ten pages, as you know.
The continent of Orbell consists of five kingdoms:
• Brilard – Located at the very center of the continent, it is the largest kingdom and is known as the Commercial Kingdom. Its capital, Gold Apple—as the name suggests—is famous for its superb architecture and golden-painted houses in the area of the ruling family and nobility. It is also known for its ethnic diversity, with no disparity among nationalities.
• Laroren – Known as the Scientific Kingdom, it dominates all other kingdoms in the field of science and prioritizes it above all else. Its famous motto is, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Its capital is Aedon.
• Haelith – Known as the Green Kingdom, it focuses on agriculture. It is the leader in agricultural production, which is the primary source of food for Brilard alongside Kerrac. Its capital is called Greenhill.
• Wildkassel – Known as the Military Kingdom, it has the strongest army on the continent and had some issues with Brilard in the past. Its capital is Breuce.
• Kerrac – This kingdom consists of four main cities. Among these, I live in the city of Whiteviolet—a medium-sized city. The largest city by area is Greyheart, followed by the capital Thelari, then Whiteviolet, and finally Crystalcrest.
The city of Whiteviolet is located in the southern part of the Kingdom of Kerrac, bordered to the south by the frozen ocean known as Coldledge. I have yet to learn the reason for its name, as the author did not mention it—only noting that it is home to all kinds of giant sea monsters. No one has ever dared to enter it.
According to the journal, although the author did not rule out the possibility that someone might have ventured there—"Perhaps someone has gone there, but they never returned to tell their story."
Because of its proximity to the ocean and the existence of connecting channels, Whiteviolet is the primary source of fish in the kingdom, despite some competition from the city of Crystalcrest located to the east, which is also bordered by the frozen ocean to the south. A mountain range called Backton separates the two cities.
There is a small note stating:
Whiteviolet is located near the highest mountain of the Backton range. If you leave the city, you will notice that the mountains stretch out like a vast screen, evoking both a sense of freedom and anxiety. This enormous range, which soars up to 10,000 meters above sea level, even prevents the passage of the atmosphere, resulting in completely different weather on each side.
I have never seen the mountain range myself, but that is what the journal says.
To the west, Whiteviolet is bordered by the city of Greyheart, famous for producing the rare Barkthorn flower, which can only be found in this region, and it is also bordered by the frozen ocean Coldledge to the south and west.
The Barkthorn flower is renowned for its amazing healing properties, making it one of the most important economic assets in the Kingdom of Kerrac. The author attempted to illustrate it, but the drawing was poor. From what I gathered, it resembles a black tulip, though the flower is blue. What intrigues me even more is how this flower grows in such a climate? It seems the author anticipated my question, as he wrote:
This, in turn, aroused the curiosity of the Kingdom of Laroren, known for its scientific advancement—yet they failed to cultivate it anywhere except in Greyheart, making that experiment a disgrace in the history of the Scientific Kingdom.
To the north lies the second-largest city and the capital of Kerrac, called Thelari, which is indisputably known as the "Ice Icon" for its design. It rivals the royal capital of Brilard in terms of stunning design and ornamentation. Thelari is distinguished by its skilled sculptors—a fact that is clear given that the ruler has dedicated a special curriculum to sculpture at the Vigorous Academy and even hosts competitions with enticing prizes.
Thelari is considered the lifeblood of Kerrac, as it is where food supplies from other kingdoms are exchanged and exports from Kerrac's cities are managed. It is essentially the land port that connects the frozen kingdom with the other kingdoms.
In addition to exporting fish, the city of Whiteviolet also exports fur due to its location at the base of the Backton mountain range, where the homes of the Biron animals are abundant.
There is a drawing of these creatures as well; it is unclear, but externally they resemble polar bears. They stand about one and a half meters tall and two meters long, with huge, very strong paws capable of piercing a stone wall with a single strike. They are considered troublesome creatures, and a warning has been issued not to approach their habitats without permission from the Adventurers' Guild—whether for hunting them or for retrieving elements that can only be found atop the mountains.
The greater the risk, the greater the reward; indeed, something makes these fearsome creatures worth hunting. Ah, I have found it.
The fur of the Biron has unique properties: it can withstand extremely cold temperatures, is used in making armor, and the fat of the Biron is used in ointments to treat burns.
That is a lot! For that reason, there are quests to hunt them. However, if I were assigned one of these quests, I would not undertake it—I do not wish to die.
Biron creatures spend most of their time in hibernation, with the longest period lasting up to eight months. Afterward, they awaken and enter a phase of frenzy, searching for food for three months, followed by a month-long mating season during which they reach peak frenzy, so much so that the guild forbids adventurers from entering their territory during that period.
What kind of adventurers would venture into their area? The most daring fools, perhaps? They would undoubtedly become their prey. Speaking of food, what do they eat? Although the answer is known, let's examine it further.
The Biron's favorite foods are:
1. Huge Fish
Found in Deathly Lagoon, named for the abundance of Biron there and also home to some deadly fish that devour anything caught in their jaws. The lake is teeming with fish, earning it the nickname "Deadly Trap" or "Lake of Death."
2. Nero Animals
There is also a drawing depicting their appearance—don't they resemble seals? Although the drawing is poor, at least I could identify their shape.
On the back of a Nero is a row of spines running along its spine, and its flippers have small claws at their ends to help it grip the ice. Nero are very intelligent creatures; they dig holes in the ice that extend to Deathly Lagoon, and others form pouches in which they live.
Their meat is highly prized for its protein and other nutrients, making them the second most valuable export after fish.
There are also other animals that can live in this frozen region, which are more in demand than the Biron due to their lesser danger—namely, the Orp foxes.
Foxes? Let's see their picture. Why are all the drawings so poor? Isn't there a single accurate depiction showing the details? Well, I will try to discern their appearance. From what I see, they resemble arctic foxes.
What distinguishes the Orp is a black stripe running along their back from their head to the end of their fluffy white tail. It is believed that this stripe gives them the ability to resist the freezing winds, although this has not yet been proven.
Ah, this is too much. I think that is enough for now.
I closed the book and lay down on my bed, rereading it each time. It seems there are many astonishing creatures—perhaps I can attempt to hunt them.
Now, let's see what the other book contains.