After managing to convince Lai to spare his neck, Kaito glanced up and realized the sky was beginning to darken. He hadn't eaten since arriving in this strange world, and his stomach was growling with hunger. The logical thing to do, he thought, was to ask Lai for some food. He hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Hey, do you have any food on you?"
Lai shot him a disgusted look, her eyes narrowing. "Even if I did have food, why would I give it to you? Just look at yourself! You're covered in blood from head to toe!"
Kaito froze as he looked down at his clothes. Only then did he realize how disgusting he must look, covered in blood from the recent battle. He felt a wave of discomfort and disgust. Trying to change the subject, he asked, "Okay, then... do you have any water? I need to wash myself off."
Lai raised an eyebrow and snapped, "Just use some water magic and clean yourself. Why do you need my help—?" Then it clicked for her. "Wait... you don't know how to use water magic, do you?"
Kaito sighed, a frown spreading across his face. "Congratulations, you've figured it out."
Lai sighed heavily, her gaze showing clear annoyance. "Don't move an inch," she ordered, before leaping away with such speed that the force sent leaves flying in all directions. Kaito, now alone, sat down next to a large uprooted tree and decided to check his status. "Gai system, open status," he muttered, and immediately, a series of floating screens appeared before him. Kaito jumped back in surprise as he scanned each one. When he came to his newly acquired skills, he read them aloud. "Martial Arts—simple enough. Determination—increases my strength and speed by 5 points for 10 minutes. Not bad. Stunned Growth—I gain experience slower, but skills come faster. That's good. Invincibility—protects me from attacks for 1 second. Seems useful..."
Before he could finish, a voice cut him off. "Who are you talking to, little brat?"
Startled, Kaito fell back, his heart racing as Lai had snuck up on him without making a sound.
Kaito shot a look at Lai, his voice sharp, "When did you get back here?! You came back so quickly, and can you not see these screens in front of me right now?" Lai replied nonchalantly, "Well of course I can, every mercenary can. Did you hit your head or something? You seem off. But I can't see what's inside those screens because I don't have the skill to see other people's status." Kaito was in complete shock, struggling to grasp what Lai had just said. He suddenly rushed up to her, getting uncomfortably close. "You can see these?! I thought I was the only one who could see them, like those fantasy novels!" Lai, unfazed by his closeness, simply shrugged him off and replied, "Well, that's what everyone thinks when they first see it. I had the same reaction when I saw it," handing him a piece of cooked wolf meat. "Let's leave this place as quickly as possible, and then we can go our separate ways. If I disappear for too long, people will start to worry about me." Kaito, still in disbelief, ate the meat while barely processing her words. He asked, "When are we heading out? I want to get out of these woods as fast as possible." Lai responded, "We'll leave at dawn. Let's rest for now." Both of them quickly fell asleep, exhaustion taking over. The next morning, a splash of water hit Lai's face, making her leap up like a startled bug, ready to fight, though she didn't seem all that threatening.
"Wake up, sleepyhead. It's morning—aren't your people waiting for you by now?!" Kaito called out, clearly irritated. Lai groaned, water dripping from her face. "You could've just said my name! Splashing water was unnecessary!" Kaito frowned. "I tried that. You didn't even twitch. Now let's move—I feel disgusting and I'm tired of this creepy forest." With a sigh, Lai composed herself and handed Kaito some spare rations. After cooking a bit more food, they began their journey. The forest was dense and dangerous, taking nearly half a day to cross. They had to fight through countless monsters along the way—though really, it was mostly Lai doing the fighting. Kaito stayed back, hiding behind trees, still too weak to help. When they finally neared the forest's edge, Kaito slumped down. "We've been walking for hours. You must be tired after all that fighting. I know I am just from walking." Lai shot him a deadpan look. "Of course I'm tired. I did everything. And a heads-up—don't come back here. This forest will soon belong to me." Kaito raised his hands in surrender and started setting up camp. He even cooked dinner. By morning, he had to splash water on Lai again to wake her, which earned another glare. Once they packed up and stood ready to part, Lai gave him a rare smile. "May we meet again, brat." Kaito smirked. "It's Kaito, not brat. And yeah—hope we do." With that, they went their separate ways, neither of them aware how soon destiny would reunite them again.
As they went their separate ways, Kaito found himself alone again, uncertain of where he was even headed. Looking at the empty road ahead, he muttered to himself, "In situations like this, I should probably just follow the path and hope it leads to a town—or something close enough." He took a moment to recall his skills and thought, "Let's see if I've got anything that makes me faster… hmm… Aha! 'Sprint'—increases my running speed, but burns through stamina quicker than usual. Still, it's better than walking for hours. No choice here." Taking a breath, he clenched his fists. "Alright then… Skill activate: Sprint!" Instantly, a surge of energy hit his legs and, within seconds, he was dashing down the path at a speed he never thought possible for himself. The wind rushed past his ears, and for once, he felt like he had momentum—like he was actually getting somewhere.
He had been running for nearly an hour when his body finally gave in, and he collapsed face-first onto the road. Exhausted and drenched in sweat, Kaito stayed there motionless for a full five minutes, barely able to move. Just then, a passing wagon came to a slow stop beside him, and a merchant inside called out, "Umm… sir, would you like a ride to the Capital City of Lasmonia?" Still catching his breath, Kaito replied, "No thank you, I've got no money to pay you. You'll have to go ahead without me." Struggling to get up, he winced as his legs trembled. The merchant simply laughed and said, "You don't need to pay me anything, sir. I'd be glad to give you a ride. I'm Uas Gath, a traveling merchant—it's no trouble at all, trust me." Kaito eyed him carefully, unsure whether to believe him, but eventually gave in. With a tired sigh, he climbed into the back of the wagon, and together they began the journey toward the capital.
"Say, why did you help me, Uas? You don't see many people like you these days," Kaito asked in a drowsy tone, his eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. "I am Kaito, by the way—you may call me Kai for short, if you would like, that is." Uas let out another warm chuckle and replied, "Mister Kai, you are safe in my wagon. I shall explain everything once we reach the city. For now, just rest—you look like someone who has been running for a full hour." Kaito tried to protest, slurring through his fatigue, "Whatever could you mean, Uas? You might be cra—" But he did not finish. Mid-sentence, his body gave out, and he slumped over fast asleep. It appeared that Kai had a peculiar habit of dozing off just before finishing.
"Mister Kai? Hello? Mister Kai, are you still with me? We have reached our location, Sir. You will have to get off now—I still need to earn a living, Mister," said Uas, gently waking Kai. Slowly, Kai sat up and looked outside, where a massive gate stood tall with two imposing guards. He realized they had arrived at the Capital. Rubbing his eyes, Kai asked, "Where are we again? I forgot.""We are in the Capital City of Lasmonia. It was a pleasure escorting you this far, Kai," said Uas with a smile. Kai stepped off the wagon slowly, thanking Uas for all the help. As he wandered through the Capital, it struck him—he knew no one here except for Lai and Uas. That was it.Then a thought surfaced. "Didn't Lai mention something about being the heir of some country?" Suddenly, it all clicked. He had just entered the Capital of the very nation Lai would soon rule. The realization made him nervous. Without hesitation, he turned around, determined to leave. He didn't want to be at the mercy of, as he called her, "The Befallen Witch."But as he turned, a sharp voice rang out, too familiar to mistake."Who are you calling a witch, you insolent rascal? Now that you're in my city, you're under my mercy. I can do whatever I want with you. Best of luck surviving, Kai."It was Lai. She had arrived in the Capital mere moments before he did and somehow already found him. Trouble had arrived, and Kai knew it. No one knew better than he did just how infuriating she could be. His final hope was to flee—but before he could make his escape, he was stopped.The two large guards at the gate crossed their spears in front of him and said, "Lady Lai has instructed us not to let you leave the Capital until she gives permission."Kai knew better than to fight them. With a heavy sigh, he walked to a nearby bench and collapsed onto it, thinking, Damn you, Lai. Now I have no choice but to stay here. I will get my revenge!Tears welled in his eyes, but he knew it was useless. There was nothing he could do against the so-called 'Lady of the Capital.' He gave up on revenge just as fast as he had thought of it. His only option now was to become a mercenary and work for coin.