The forest is boring, stifling, and uncomfortable.
This is the word of a human who has lived in the forest for twelve years, so it’s hard to counterargue that.
Yor’s various strange hobbies like sewing, tanning leather, and polishing were all created to shake off the boredom.
Of course, the scenery is nice, but seeing it for twelve years was a bit much.
Although he could eat meat often, there are limits to cooking as well.
There’s nothing enjoyable in this forest.
It’s only natural he feels suffocated.
“What?”
Initially, Haneul expressed her concern.
“Is it okay to go outside? It could be a big deal if we get caught.”
While the visual illusion can deceive, it’s not invincible.
There’s the risk of getting caught, and the repercussions if found are way too high.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be as careful as I can.”
Of course, Yor wasn’t naive about this either.
Going outside the forest is like taking unnecessary risks.
But hey, can a person always live rationally?
He wanted to go on an adventure at least once.
And he wanted to see how the world had changed over the past few years.
Sure, Chaerin brought back information periodically, but… there’s a difference between hearing and seeing.
To be honest, beyond all that, Yor just wanted to get out.
After being in the forest for twelve years, wouldn’t it be nice to go sightseeing in the city?
He wanted to see people, eat some bread, and just, you know, enjoy life.
Fortunately, Haneul didn’t strongly oppose.
She was a bit worried, but changing his appearance using visual illusion wasn’t too difficult.
“Wait a minute. Let me expand the skill range a bit.”
She said that and began to summon more mana.
Not only would the markings change, but of course, she intended to alter his appearance a bit too.
Despite how he looks, Yor was somewhat of a celebrity, after all.
Considering the photos that circulated in the community, everyone would surely recognize his face. It was natural that he would get into trouble with a crowd.
As the magic began, Yor’s form gradually transformed.
His black hair turned into common brown, and his shining amber eyes subtly shifted to an inconspicuous blue.
In this Western-themed world, blue eyes were quite common.
He also gradually adjusted the proportions of his nose and face.
He aimed to lower them as much as possible.
Hiding his handsome features felt a bit regrettable, but… it should be enough if only he knew.
“Oh.”
With the change in appearance, Yor’s true self was almost entirely erased.
Though thanks to his basic physique, he couldn’t become a completely different person, at least no one would guess who he was by just looking at him.
Seeing his transformed image, Yor smiled with satisfaction and said, “Alright. Let’s go.”
With that, they stepped out of the forest.
*
Since they visited early in the morning, the sun was still shining brightly when they exited the forest.
The weather was stunning. Clouds beautifully scattered across the sky enhanced the atmosphere.
Yor had changed his outfit to go outside.
There was no way he could just walk around the bustling district wearing nothing but a sleeveless shirt.
In the medieval era, he could get arrested for such indecency.
Hence, to avoid drawing attention, he wore long pants, a short-sleeve shirt, and topped it off with a brown cloak.
It might be slightly hot, but he wouldn’t stand out.
As they left the forest, the first thing they saw was the vast plain stretching to the horizon.
Although a big city was nearby, it would take at least an hour to get there on foot.
For Haneul, it was a somewhat pleasant yet awkward time.
While Chaerin could chat happily for an hour, it was quite a burden for socially awkward her to engage in conversation. In fact, even Yor was a loner who barely met anyone for the past 12 years. It was like a chaotic party of socially awkward nerds.
Still, she mustered some energy and continued with small talk.
‘…Wait a minute.’
As she walked for a while, a tremendous realization struck her.
‘Isn’t this a date…?’
Going somewhere together as a man and woman. At least in her book, this qualified as a date. Moreover, the one who initiated it was the ‘man’—Yor. For her, being a Confucian girl, it was a radically new situation.
Goodness, she had never even properly gone on a blind date in reality, and suddenly here she was, on a date with a guy!
‘Calm down. He’s just an NPC… This is virtual reality….’
First of all, she tried to calm herself to regain her composure.
No matter what, it felt a bit sad to be thrilled about virtual reality…
Oh dear, it was her who told Chaerin to keep her emotions at bay.
At this rate, she could end up being the modern-day Pygmalion.
“Hmm? Are you hot? Your face is a bit red.”
“No? Uh, no….”
Anyway, they managed to walk to the city.
“Alright. Passed!”
Creak!
With a light inspection, the guard opened the gate for them.
Indeed, thanks to the visual illusion, they encountered no big hurdles.
As they entered the city, Yor looked around and exclaimed, “Wow, it’s the first time since I was 10 that I’ve entered through the main gate.”
“……”
At his pitiful remark, Haneul was at a loss whether to laugh or feel sad.
*
To be honest, I didn’t have many good memories of the city.
I had lived in a small orphanage located on the outskirts, and being an orphan, life hadn’t been particularly abundant.
Still, by observing the young slaves in the back alleys, I thought my situation was way better than theirs.
Ironically, such a life was completely destroyed when my Demon’s Blood manifested at the age of 10.
To be a major criminal at 10 years old—now that was quite an achievement.
Anyway, because of that, the city was bound to have painful memories for me.
However, visiting the city after a long time made me acknowledge one thing.
The truth is, places with civilization are overflowing with entertainment.
“Wow….”
Everywhere I looked, there were people everywhere.
Otherworlders and Gaia folks strolled along the streets harmoniously.
Perhaps influenced by the Otherworlders, some buildings appeared to be constructed in a modern style.
Moreover, beside me was a busty sister.
Thanks to that, I wandered the streets with Haneul in an excited mood.
“Hold on, is that… pizza bread?!”
While wandering, I was shocked to find something amazing. Pizza bread existed in this medieval era!
I vaguely remembered having it a few times in my previous life; I never thought I’d see it again in this world.
As I was staring with astonishment, Haneul provided an answer.
“Oh, this? It just started being sold. I guess some of the Otherworlders shared the recipe… but how did you know it was pizza bread?”
“Uh, um… Chaerin told me.”
I gave a pretty lame excuse and continued to express my amazement.
It really was fantastic progress. Is this the benevolent influence of Otherworlders?
At this rate, someday I might get to eat chicken pizza here.
I sincerely hoped that day would come soon. And while I was at it, I wished I could return to civilization too.
I naturally purchased the pizza bread. Though the price had become a bit exorbitant compared to my previous life, I couldn’t miss out on such a great opportunity.
Whether it was freshly baked or not, its warm and chewy texture welcomed me. The taste was undeniably passable.
With just this, I could confidently say my city adventure was worth it.
As I was happily walking down the street, suddenly…
“Stop! Please halt for a moment.”
Someone blocked our way.
With thin chain armor and a spear in hand, it was a city guard.
At that moment, my heart sank. Guards had never been good news for me, whether in the past or present.
‘What if they found out?’
Feeling a twinge of anxiety, I fiddled with the dagger behind me. If anything went wrong, I planned to cause a scene to escape.
“What’s going on?”
Before I could respond, Haneul asked.
With her wary reaction, the guard chuckled.
“Haha, no need to be so defensive. This is just a routine check-up. They say the Lemegaton is making waves these days.”
“Ah, I see….”
Phew, I released a sigh of relief inwardly.
So that’s what it was. Naturally, the kingdom would be eager to catch those guys. Strengthening security made sense.
It just so happened that I came to play while they were active.
Still, I pretended to be calm and asked them, “… So what kind of investigation will you be conducting?”
“Wow, sir, you’ve got a really nice voice. It’s simple. Just show us your identification tag.”
“Ah, right….”
An identification tag. It should be simple enough.
Ordinary humans living in the city would naturally possess one. They could show anything from an adventurer’s tag to a merchant’s tag or whatever.
‘But I don’t have any of those, do I?’
However, the problem was that I was a total financial delinquent.
Did someone like me, who was treated worse than the street thugs, have anything like that?
‘Oh crap.’
It was a bit amusing that they hadn’t checked for anything when we passed through the gate, but now they were suddenly checking. Were these guys really doing their job properly?
Should I just run now?
After all, my face was hidden, so escaping wouldn’t hit me too hard. Sure, Haneul might be in a bit of a bind, but… she had a solid identity, so couldn’t she also escape?
As I pondered how to get away, I heard a voice beside me.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and pull it out!”
It was Haneul, not the guard.
I looked at her with my eyes. How could I possibly pull it out when I don’t have one?
“What do you mean? Didn’t you bring it when we left? Isn’t it in your back pocket?”
“Hmm?”
It was only then that I realized she was planning something.
“Oh right. I did, didn’t I?”
So, I decided to play along with her little act.
I started rummaging through my pockets, feigning to look for the tag.
Of course, there wouldn’t be a non-existent identification tag, even if I searched.
“Ugh, dang, can’t find it anywhere! Where is it?”
Just as I continued this clumsy performance, Haneul, looking rather frustrated, started to move.
“… Wait, I’ll look for it.”
Her expression was filled with determination.
Swish!
Then her hand suddenly slipped into my pocket.
