A river running alongside the road that was close to the village, just after leaving the forest.
I pulled a girl with blue hair out of that river who was drowning.
“Thank you. You saved me.”
“You’re welcome… But why are you still in that position?”
Despite being brought to solid ground, the girl did not move an inch from the position she was in when she was drowning.
In fact, her immobility was a bit unsettling.
Without being phased by my slight recoil, the girl replied.
“This is due to magic fixation.”
“Magic fixation?”
Tilting my head at the unfamiliar word, the girl nodded.
“Yes. By doing this, the body’s resistance is increased several times. If you remember this, you can protect yourself from attacks by powerful enemies, and it is very useful. But as a trade-off, there is the disadvantage of not being able to change position for a while.”
“I see… So, does this mean you have experienced something similar to being attacked by a formidable enemy?”
“Yes. A moment ago, I was hit with full force by a dragon.”
“A dragon?!”
Upon hearing the word that came out of the girl’s mouth, I involuntarily repeated it aloud.
Dragons, in the world of fantasy, are considered one of the most powerful and classic creatures.
Compared to the simple bird I had just defeated, this dragon would be no match.
Thinking about this, I asked the girl, and she told me how she ended up in this situation.
She was fighting against the dragon with her group when she became the main target and was incapacitated.
Unfortunately, she fell into the river by bad luck and, due to the compensation of magic fixation, she couldn’t move her body.
And so, somehow, she managed to stay alive using her magic until I passed by.
“Yes, I can finally move again.”
After explaining for a few minutes, the girl murmured this and got up calmly.
It seems that the time for compensation has ended.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I was saved. Really, thank you very much.”
“I’m glad you’re okay. But despite being attacked by a dragon, you’re quite calm. Shouldn’t you go back to your party?”
“Everything is fine in that regard. A moment ago, the dragon’s presence disappeared. There is no need to hurry back.”
This means that surely this girl’s companions have defeated the dragon.
Her group seems to be quite strong.
“So, it seems like your companions are okay, that’s great.”
“Monica.”
“Huh?”
“My name is Monica, so please call me that. And also, I would like you to tell me your name.”
Although it was a sudden proposal, could this also be a fated encounter?
I decided to sincerely accept.
“My name is Yuri.”
“So, Yuri, it will be a pleasure to work together.”
“Yes, a pleasure, Monica.”
And so, that was how I had my first interaction with another person in this different world.
After that, Monica told me she was going to meet up with her companions, so we had to say goodbye at that moment.
After exchanging farewells and heading towards the village, Monica suddenly grabbed my sleeve.
“Wait. There’s something I want to give you, Yuri.”
Saying this, she handed me a pendant with a rather impressive emblem.
“What is this?”
“This is… More than anything, it’s a symbol of friendship from my group that I belong to. A token of gratitude for what you did. Keep it with you until I return to the village and can thank you properly.”
“Ah, I see.”
Although I didn’t think I had done anything significant enough to be thanked again…
I felt it would be rude to refuse, so I decided to accept it sincerely.
But now that I’ve been given only this pendant, what should I do with it?
It would be better to at least agree on a meeting place or something…
“Well, see you later.”
“Ah!”
While thinking about all this, Monica rose into the air and flew towards the forest.
Could that also be some form of magic?
Although we were both flying in the same sky, the elegance with which she moved through the air, effortlessly gliding, greatly contrasts with my rough style of pushing and moving through the atmosphere.
It’s enviable.
In the end, I couldn’t ask all the questions I wanted to…
“Well, I suppose everything will work out in the end.”
Monica, being a resident of this world, surely knows more details about this place than I do. Surely everything will be sorted out without me having to worry too much.
While thinking about this new friend I made in this world, I finally headed towards the village.
***
A few minutes later.
At the gate of the city’s castle where I had arrived…
“What?! You don’t have any identification documents or an adventurer’s card, and you don’t have a security deposit either? There’s no way to let someone like that enter the city! It’s unacceptable, so get out of here immediately!”
(Oh, wow!)
Having arrived in this world with nothing but my sword, the gate guard showed no mercy and greeted me with an immediate rejection.
