It's been a month since the first training session.
My eyes still avert, but this world no longer feels as cold.
I've slowly started to get used to it.
The walls have no voice, yet they seem to be trying to tell me something.
Even though I'm stuck between the training grounds and my room, this world no longer feels foreign to me.
Magic, armor, swords, and the grand kingdom I live in…
They've somehow become a part of my life.
And yet… I still don't feel like I belong in this world.
Training gets more painful every day, but I no longer have the strength to scream. My muscles have adapted—my bones haven't. My heart has adjusted, but my eyes still turn away.
There was one person who tethered me to this world… Elara.
She's one of the rare people who still treats me like a human. I feel a little less alien when I'm around her.
Every day after training, she heals my wounds and prepares hot meals.
She's incredibly smart.
She constantly tells stories about heroes who were summoned before me.
Even if many weren't officially recorded, she would describe them as if she were living in those moments herself.
Miyu, on the other hand, is just the same. Cheerful and mischievous like a child.
The grace and nobility I expected from an elf? You won't find even a trace of that in Miyu. She's… a complete little disaster.
Seraphina is the exact opposite.
Even after a month, we haven't formed any real bond.
The only things between us are… sweat. Sword strikes. Silence.
I'm not sure if that even counts as progress.
We go out every morning to spar with swords.
I haven't beaten her once so far. She overwhelms me every time with an incredible gap in skill. She's on another level entirely.
Every time I grip my sword, I feel the coldness in her gaze.
No matter what I do, it feels like I'll never earn her trust...
Miyu's been trying to teach me magic too, but her attention span is horrible.
She's powerful enough to cast even the most complex spells, but when it comes to teaching? Total failure.
Then there's Luxanna.
But it's been a month since I last spoke to her.
I haven't seen her since.
Until today.
As usual, I woke up early.
Elara was already up before everyone and had made a new dish she claimed was healthy: menemen.
I had no idea what it was or how it was made.
"This is the first time I've seen this dish."
"Yes, it's a new recipe. Tomatoes, eggs, peppers—lots of vegetables. It's really healthy. I hope you like it."
Her eyes sparkled as she explained, her hands fidgeting with excitement.
Then she whispered, "I made it for you."
"Huh?" I stared at her, confused. She had spoken so softly I couldn't hear her clearly.
But the shyness in her expression gave something away.
"I didn't catch that. Can you say it louder?"
"It's nothing… Come on, let's wake Miyu and Seraphina and start breakfast."
There was a brief silence. She looked away.
I thought I heard her say, I made it for you.
A strange tug pulled at my chest.
But maybe I misheard.
Her behavior felt strange, but I didn't dwell on it.
I had to wake the others, so I left the kitchen.
I went to Seraphina's room and entered without knocking.
She suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Shouldn't you knock before entering a girl's room?"
"You're right. I'm sorry. Your door is usually locked, so I assumed it still was."
It was incredibly embarrassing.
"Apology accepted."
Without another word, she marched to the kitchen like a robot.
Sometimes I genuinely wondered if she was even human.
"Anyway, let's wake Miyu up. A few jokes from her might lift the mood," I thought to myself.
I knocked on her door.
No answer.
I knocked again. Still nothing.
"Miyu, are you in there? I'm coming in."
No response.
When I opened the door, I was met with a messy bed and a half-naked elf sprawled out.
I'd seen Miyu in these kinds of states so many times that I'd lost my ability to be surprised.
"Get up, you silly sleepyhead. You're an elf—act like it. Aren't you supposed to be one of the most noble creatures in the world?"
"Cael… five more minutes… lemme sleep…" she mumbled as drool dripped from her mouth.
"Breakfast is ready. We have training. If you don't get up, you'll go hungry."
"Okay, you guys eat first. I'll come later."
"Come on… waking you up is pure torture."
She had a mischievous grin. "But I enjoy it sooo much."
She reached out to hug me around the neck, but I pulled back and pushed her hand away.
She laughed, like always.
But in her eyes... there was a glint.
As if behind that laughter, there was a hidden loneliness no one had noticed.
"If you get up now and train magic with me, I'll agree to your request from yesterday about going to the forest."
Her eyes widened like saucers. She jumped out of bed.
"What! Really? You promise?! We can collect all kinds of magical stones together… Who knows what kinds of plants are there? Maybe we'll discover new species! If I find a new creature, I'm naming it after me! THE GREAT EXPLORER MIYU'S DISCOVERY: MIYUZOR! ISN'T THAT SO COOL, CAEL?!"
"Okay, okay. Enough daydreaming. Isn't that forest dangerous? What did you call it, the Bottomless Forest?"
"Yep! The Bottomless Forest. It's one of the areas that doesn't belong to any of the four kingdoms.
There are lots of places like that in this world. Actually, the Four Kingdoms own very little land.
Most of the world is still unexplored—because it's too dangerous. You can get attacked at any moment.
The kingdom sends out Pioneer Squads to explore and gather resources, but very few ever return."
If she knows how dangerous the forest is, why is she so eager to go?
"If it's so dangerous, why do you want to go there so badly?"
Her eyes sparkled again and she bounced around her room, shouting with excitement:
"BECAUSE IT'S SO EXCITING!"
"That's it?"
"I've been stuck in this room for a month and I've never wanted to see the outside world more.
I haven't had the chance to see much of anything since I was born.
Being an elf in the Human Kingdom isn't exactly easy.
But you're different. You don't treat me like the others do. You don't look at me like I'm strange.
THAT'S WHY I NOW DECLARE YOU MY SERVANT, AND TOGETHER, WE SHALL CONQUER THE BOTTOMLESS FOREST!"
I was about to feel sorry for her. She caught me off guard.
I grabbed her by the waist and legs, threw her over my shoulder, and carried her to the kitchen.
Elara had already set the table by the time we arrived.
"Now that our last member is here, we can finally have a proper breakfast."
Seraphina looked displeased.
"You kept us waiting."
"Yeah, waking Miyu is the hardest job in the world."
Miyu turned her head like she was sulking and refused to look at me.
She might act like a useless idiot sometimes—and be really annoying—but without her, this house would be unbearably boring.
Still… I had a strange feeling.
A morning that starts out this peaceful… usually ends in a storm.
And I've learned that… the hard way.
I just hope… this won't be our last warm breakfast.