FANTASIA

“AH HA HA.” Weary sighs escaped my lips as I leaned against the wall of an old alleyway; my body, withered from hunger, staggered as I sank heavily to the ground.

My name is Fred Rum Vasir. I’m an E-rank adventurer, the second-lowest rank in the guild.

Although calling me an adventurer might be a bit misleading, since, right now, I look more like a street sweeper than an adventurer.

I turned to look at the shovel and the various maintenance tools that lay faithfully by my side.

Like so many other days, I reflected on how my life had led me to this place.

Today I live in the United Kingdom of León, but I’m not originally from here. I was born and raised in the small principality of Rum—a tiny territory that had once been a powerful regional power. Until I was 13, I lived with my father, a minor rural baron… although my family was part of the nobility, we were closer to being commoners than to some grand, elegant, and powerful noble. Despite its glorious past, the principality in those days survived on the basis of a precarious political balance with its two neighboring kingdoms, functioning as a buffer state. The Kingdom of Lutheria and the Qu’rrya Empire would subjugate the small principality whenever they had the chance, supporting political factions or military movements. This precarious balance allowed the principality to survive despite the great political instability it faced internally. We, the rural nobles, had little or no interest in these palace intrigues. However, all nobles—whether great or small—had to align themselves with a faction if they wanted to avoid being destroyed by the great political instability and volatility plaguing the principality.

One day, the crown prince of the principality, with the support of the Kingdom of Lutheria, launched a coup against his father, assassinating him and usurping the throne. It had happened so many times in our history that it surprised no one. The old powers would be purged and the prince’s relatives murdered… or so it should have been. The third princess, who was the clear loser in the affair, called upon the Qu’rrya Empire to intervene directly in the principality’s affairs. On the day the Qu’rrya Empire attacked, my father—who had been part of the first prince’s faction—was called to arms. We, a few impoverished nobles, could do little to oppose that order. Within a matter of a few weeks, the Qu’rrya Empire annexed the small principality, leaving the Kingdom of Lutheria—which had done little for its allies—with no time to respond.

My baronial family, fallen from grace,

now without my father, who died in vain on the battlefield. We were forced to flee as refugees to the Kingdom of León to escape that cruel fate.

Although all of this was bad enough, the situation did not improve in the Kingdom of León. Once in the capital, Vam, we were confined to a refugee camp for a couple of years. Life was truly hard.

My mother passed away when I was 15. She died of an illness, though I still suspect it wasn’t quite that simple. I couldn’t find work in the Kingdom of León because of my refugee status, and without finishing my education, I was barely better off than any illiterate person.

I thought that would be the end of me, but a ray of hope illuminated my young mind. The Adventurers’ Guild was an organization that didn’t discriminate against anyone, regardless of race or age.

It was a place where anyone with enough skill could become rich. Moreover, it was the only place where a refugee could work, since it wasn’t under the control of any kingdom.

With no other option or support, I started out as an F-rank adventurer, thinking I’d rise quickly and become a rich and famous adventurer.

However, reality is always cruel to a child’s dreams. As the son of a poor baron, my military and martial arts training was lacking, and with no knowledge of the world, I was relegated to low-risk tasks such as cleaning and gathering magical herbs.

Since it was low-risk work, the pay was low, but at the time I didn’t care much. My young mind thought that, as I grew up, my strength would improve and I could achieve my dream.

I worked hard for three years to earn my promotion to Class E. I was so excited the day before that I could barely sleep in the small, ramshackle house I’d been living in.

It would be the gateway to a better future… or so I thought.

Reality is always cruel. The day arrived, and the test was simple: go into the sewer and kill an F-rank rat king—a monster that was nothing more than a slightly mutated rat.

For this test, the union would form pairs and send us down into the sewers. I thought it would be a piece of cake until… until I saw the rat king standing right in front of me.

His grotesque red eyes gave off a murderous aura that made my blood run cold… To be honest, I was paralyzed in the presence of the rat king.

But my partner—assigned by the guild—took charge of the situation, and I was promoted to Category F…

What was supposed to be my springboard to success turned into an insurmountable obstacle. I couldn’t bear the fear of facing such a monster again, so I kept cleaning and looking for odd jobs.

And that’s how I spent the last 7 years of my life… as I sank into my thoughts, I fumbled for the small wooden jar where I kept my chewing tobacco. It was the only thing that helped me stave off hunger.

As I chewed my tobacco, I looked around at the cold alleyway where I stood. In the distance, I heard a voice I recognized.

Outside the alley, a group of four women in armor was walking toward the adventurers’ guild as they chatted.

It was the Iron Sword Group. One of the five SS-ranked groups in Vam, and the strongest of them all.

The group consisted of Eliza, the elven mage with her platinum-blonde hair hidden under a large hat; Yao Lan Fang, the martial artist from the Great Eastern Kingdom with her distinctive buns; and Nubian, the vanguard from the Southern Dunes, whose dark skin was adorned with tattoos characteristic of the region. All were imposing figures, but the most striking of all was their leader, Eleanor, the warrior “Valkyrie.” A radiant figure in every sense. Her long red hair radiated strength and ferocity like that of a lion, yet she possessed a gentle demeanor that contrasted with her lush mane.

With a slender yet voluptuous figure that no man could resist—that was Eleanor.

As I watched the iron sword pass by, a dark feeling washed over me. No one in these distant lands knew it, but I did. Eleanor was the second princess of Rum. I had seen her at a noble banquet to which we had been invited.

A deep hatred gnawed at me every time the Iron Sword and I crossed paths.

But my hatred was directed especially at Eleanor—my life in Rum had been destroyed by the princely family. Everything I had was destroyed by their power struggles, by their failure to maintain a strong kingdom...

Eleanor was almost my age, but her destiny was completely different from mine. In the guild, she rose like a shooting star.

She became the rookie who reached Category A the fastest.

While I remained in Rank F, cleaning streets, Eleanor had become a key figure in the guild and in the Kingdom of León.

But that wasn’t what fueled my hatred the most. What I hated about Eleanor was her courage and her sense of duty—you hypocritical princess!

I still remember her figure—the figure that reminded me of the stories my mother used to read to me in Rum.

Eleanor was a constant reminder of everything I’d lost.

The dark emotions I harbored in my heart were reflected on my face. I shot her a glance tinged with hatred. As if Eleanor could sense my animosity, she flinched slightly and began searching for its source.

She started to look at me, but I quickly pretended to be working and slowly moved out of her line of sight.

In the distance, I could hear Eliza ask Eleanor, “What’s wrong, Eleanor? What’s going on?”

“…It’s nothing. Let’s check the back.”

As I heard the sound of the iron sword fading in the distance, I decided it was time for me to leave, too. Oh, that’s what I wanted to do.

…In an alley a little further down, my body collapsed; the hunger I’d been trying to ignore had simply come to claim what was due.

My expression grew somber.

— “So this is as far as I’ve come, huh?”

As I felt my body stop responding to my commands, I sensed someone’s presence approaching. “Some thug, for sure,” I thought; he’d rob this dying man of his belongings.

With what little strength I had left, I turned to see who it was—because it would probably be the last person I’d ever see...

It was a hooded woman staring intently at me, as if she were examining me. At a glance, I could see the large breasts she was hiding under her cloak, but her violet eyes caught my attention... a mystical glow emanated from them. She was looking at me, searching for something.

Her beautiful, hidden features gave me a sense of distance.

Although I had a bad feeling about that woman, I decided to ignore it—I was already at my limit anyway...

The woman looked at me even more intently than before, and spoke for the first time.

“Tell me... poor soul... do you want to live?”

Why was that strange woman asking me that question? Since when, in this crazy world, did anyone care about a dying man on the street?

I tried to answer... but all that came out of my mouth was a sound like a groan of pain

“…Oh, don’t strain yourself so much… your life force is draining away quickly when you try to speak,” she said so calmly that it sounded unnatural. A strange violet glow emanated from her eyes and entered mine. Magic…

“I see… you want revenge, don’t you?” said the stranger.

There was a subtle change in her expression. With a gentle smile, the woman spoke to me.

“You’re exactly who I was looking for, Fred Rum Vasir. Listen carefully. I can grant you your wish, if that’s what you want.”

…How the hell does this woman know my name? And more importantly, what kind of nonsense is she telling this dying man?

“It’s not nonsense, Fred… if you make a contract with me, I’ll give you the means for your revenge… but there’s one condition…”

Fighting to keep from passing out, I listened carefully…

“Entertain me,” she said curtly and continued.

When she finished speaking, the woman stood motionless with a serene smile.

Her words echoed in my mind. Though vague, they possessed an aura that seemed to speak the truth.

... Hunger clouded my judgment, and before I passed out, I simply agreed... As I lost consciousness, my body began to levitate.

The woman turned and began to walk with a gentle stride. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said. “My name is

Morgan.”