The forest had grown darker as they walked, the strange auto-tuned birds replaced by the distant howling of creatures Rick definitely did not want to meet. He kept glancing over his shoulder, half expecting a Nightstalker to drop from the trees and introduce itself to his brain.
"So, Ace," Rick said, trying to distract himself from the creepy atmosphere. "I've been thinking."
"That's a dangerous hobby for you, Master Rick."
"Ha ha, very funny. But seriously, I've read enough manga and light novels to know how this works. Guy gets transported to fantasy world, gets cool powers, and then boom. Harem route unlocked."
Ace stopped floating for a moment, hovering at eye level with what Rick could only interpret as digital confusion. "You want to build a harem?"
"Not want. It's basically tradition at this point. Every isekai protagonist gets one. It's like an unwritten rule."
"There's always the childhood friend type, the tsundere, the mysterious dark-haired beauty, maybe a catgirl or two." Rick counted on his fingers. "Oh, and there's usually a princess who's way too interested in the protagonist for no logical reason."
"Master Rick, you do realize that real relationships are more complicated than anime tropes, right?"
"Sure, sure. But hear me out. I'm immortal, I've got a unique power system, and I'm on a quest to get the ultimate magical artifact."
"That's literally the perfect setup. Women love mysterious guys with tragic backstories and incredible power."
"Your tragic backstory is dying to a banana peel."
"They don't need to know that part."
Ace sighed in a way that seemed impossible for a card without lungs. "You know what? Fine."
"Go ahead and try. I'm sure watching you fumble through romantic interactions will be hilarious."
"Just remember that actual people have personalities and agency beyond being collected like your cards."
"Obviously. I'm not a complete idiot."
"Your title says otherwise."
Before Rick could come up with a witty retort, the trees began to thin out. Through the gaps in the foliage, he could see lights. Warm, flickering lights that meant civilization. His pace quickened, and within minutes, they emerged from the forest onto a dirt road.
And there it was. His first fantasy town. Rick stopped in his tracks, taking it all in.
The town was surrounded by wooden walls that looked sturdy enough to keep out casual monsters but probably wouldn't do much against anything serious. Guard towers stood at regular intervals, torches burning brightly in the evening gloom. Beyond the walls, he could see the peaked roofs of buildings, smoke rising from chimneys, and the general bustle of people going about their lives.
"Whoa," Rick breathed. "It's actually real. Like, really real."
"What did you expect? Cardboard cutouts?"
"I don't know. Part of me still thought I'd wake up in a hospital or something. But this is incredible." Rick started walking toward the main gate, where two guards stood with spears and expressions of professional boredom. "Okay, so what do I say?"
"Do I need papers? A passport? How does this work?"
"Just walk up and talk to them. Most towns are pretty welcoming to travelers, especially adventurers who might help with local monster problems."
Rick approached the guards with what he hoped was a confident smile. One of them, a burly man with a magnificent beard, looked him up and down with mild interest.
"Greetings," Rick said clearly. "I seek entry to your fine town for rest and supplies."
The guard stared at him blankly. Then he said something that sounded like a weird mix of German and Latin had a baby and that baby was raised by angry geese.
Rick blinked. "Uh, what?"
The guard repeated himself, slower this time, adding what might have been a question at the end. His partner joined in, saying something equally incomprehensible while gesturing at Rick's clothes.
"Ace," Rick said through gritted teeth, maintaining his smile. "Why can't I understand them?"
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention that. You're speaking English. They're speaking Eternian Common. Different languages. Classic communication barrier."
"You forgot to mention? How do you forget to mention that?"
"It slipped my mind! I've been busy helping you not die every five minutes!"
The guards were looking increasingly suspicious now. One of them gripped his spear tighter, and Rick really didn't want to know what "death by medieval security" would feel like.
"Okay, okay, fix it! Do something!" Rick said urgently.
"I can't just magically grant you language skills! That's not how the system works!"
"Then how am I supposed to communicate?"
The guard was now definitely reaching for his spear with intent. His partner had taken a step forward, blocking the gate. Someone inside the town had noticed the commotion and was pointing at Rick while talking to another person.
"Think, think, think," Ace muttered. "Okay, I have an idea, but you're not going to like it."
"I like it even less than getting arrested for being a suspicious foreigner?"
"Probably yes. You need to die by language barrier."
Rick's eyes widened. "What?"
"If you die from communication failure, maybe from starvation or exposure because you can't ask for help, the system might generate a translation card! It's a bit of a stretch, but it could work!"
"That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard, and I once tried to microwave metal just to see what would happen."
The guards were now actively pointing their spears at him. One of them was shouting what was probably the medieval equivalent of "Get down on the ground!"
"Wait!" Ace suddenly chimed up. "Actually, there's a better option. Check your card collection. Look at the Reflection of Idiocy card."
Rick quickly pulled up his mental card inventory while backing away from the increasingly aggressive guards. The Reflection of Idiocy card appeared in his vision. "What about it? It just gives me resistance to my own attacks."
"Read the flavor text. The little description at the bottom."
Rick squinted at the card. There, in tiny letters he'd completely missed before, was additional text: "Sometimes understanding your own stupidity helps you understand others."
"That's the most cryptic garbage I've ever read. What does that mean?"
"It means the card has a secondary ability! It's rare, but some cards have hidden effects. Try activating it while focusing on wanting to understand the guards."
With the guards now within poking distance, Rick didn't have many options. He grabbed the Reflection of Idiocy card, channeled mana into it, and thought very hard about understanding what these increasingly angry men were saying.
The card glowed faintly, then dissolved into sparkles that swirled around his head. Suddenly, the angry shouting from the guards transformed into words he could understand.
"I said, state your business or we'll assume you're a threat!"
"Oh thank god!" Rick said, relief flooding through him. "I can understand you!"
"Sorry about that, I'm new to this region and I didn't realize the language difference. I'm just a traveler looking for a place to stay and maybe some work."
The guards exchanged glances, their aggression fading into confusion. "You're a foreigner? Why didn't you just say so?" the bearded one asked.
"I literally tried to, but there was a whole thing with languages." Rick gestured vaguely. "Look, can I please just come in?"
"I've had a really long day involving acid slimes and my own incompetence."
The second guard lowered his spear slightly. "You got attacked by acid slimes and survived? You must be an adventurer then."
"Alright, you can enter, but you'll need to register at the Adventurer's Guild if you plan to stay more than a night."
"Register? Sure, no problem. Where is the guild?"
"Main square, big building, can't miss it. That'll be five copper for the entry tax."
Rick's hand instinctively went to his pocket. Then his other pocket. Then he patted himself down like he was being searched at an airport. He had exactly zero money.
"Ace," Rick said quietly. "I don't have any money."
"Yes, that is indeed a problem."
"Why didn't you mention I'd need money?"
"Again, I've been busy! Also, you died in the middle of a street. It's not like you had time to grab your wallet."
The guard was now looking at Rick with the expression of someone who'd dealt with this exact situation too many times. "No coin, huh? Typical rookie adventurer."
"Alright, here's the deal. You can work off the entrance fee by doing a job for the guild."
"They're always looking for people to handle small monster problems. Kill some rats in someone's basement, gather some herbs, that sort of thing."
"I can do that!" Rick said quickly. "Absolutely. Rat murder is my specialty."
The guard waved him through. "Welcome to Millbrook, foreigner. Try not to cause too much trouble."
"And for the love of the gods, get some proper clothes. You look like you raided a dead man's laundry."
Rick looked down at his outfit, which had been restored by his respawn but was definitely not medieval fantasy appropriate. "Yeah, that's on the list."
As he walked through the gate into Millbrook, Rick couldn't help but grin despite the awkward entrance. The streets were bustling with people in various states of medieval dress.
Market stalls sold everything from fresh bread to what looked like actual magic potions. Children ran past, laughing and playing with wooden swords. Somewhere, a blacksmith's hammer rang against an anvil.
This was it. This was really happening.
"Okay, Ace," Rick said as they made their way toward the main square. "First things first. We need money. Then supplies. Then we can start working toward that dungeon."
"And your harem?"
"That's a long-term goal. Let's focus on not being homeless first."
"Look at you, actually having priorities. I'm so proud."
Rick smiled as they walked deeper into town, the sounds and smells of fantasy civilization washing over him. Sure, he was broke, foreign, and had just been nearly arrested for suspicious behavior.
But he was also immortal, had magic cards, and was about to start his real adventure. Things were definitely looking up.