Volume 1. Chapter 13: After Dinner

After a hearty dinner, during which Lily had her first taste of chocolate and biscuits, the evening settled into a peaceful calm. They sat together in a modest but cozy room, lit by the soft glow of a lamp. Lily, still impressed by the taste of the sweets, stared thoughtfully at a small fruit vase as if she couldn’t quite believe that such extraordinary discoveries could be hidden among such ordinary things.

Ken sat across from her, smiling to himself. Suddenly, he remembered that besides the sweets, there were still a few curious items from his world tucked away in his backpack - things he figured might intrigue Lily. He thought of his phone and power bank, which he had packed with him, intending to use them during his trip.

“Lily, you know,” he said with a light smile, catching her attention, “I’ve still got a few things in my bag. Want to see?”

Her eyes lit up with curiosity as she nodded.
“Of course! If it’s anything as amazing as those sweets, I definitely want to see it.”

Ken pulled out his phone, which looked completely out of place in this world of swords and magic. Carefully, he took out the power bank and plugged it into the phone, knowing it had long since run out of battery.

“This is… kind of a device for communication and… entertainment,” Ken said, choosing his words carefully to explain what a phone was without diving into complex technical details. “In our world, people use these to talk over long distances, take recordings, listen to music, and even watch videos.”

Lily watched his movements with undisguised fascination, letting out a soft gasp.
“You… mean you can talk to someone far away using just that little thing?” She couldn’t hide her amazement - her voice was almost reverent.

Ken laughed, realizing how strange and magical it must seem from her perspective.
“Yep, that’s exactly right. In our world, it’s so common that we forget how incredible it really is. But now, seeing it through your eyes, I get it - it’s like a real miracle.”

“What else can it do?” Lily asked, gently touching the phone like it might break or lose its magic if she wasn’t careful.

“Well, for example, I can take pictures,” Ken said, turning on the camera. He aimed it at her and took a quick photo, capturing her surprised expression. Lily blushed when she saw her image on the screen, her face turning a soft shade of pink.

“That’s me?” she asked in awe, staring at the screen. “How… how is that possible?”

“That’s you,” he confirmed, smiling. “You can think of it like a little magical mirror that keeps reflections.”

Lily froze, staring in wonder at the screen, unable to believe what she was seeing.
“There are so many strange and amazing things in your world,” she whispered. “It feels like every day must be filled with magic. Not even our mages can do things like this.”

Ken chuckled and shook his head slightly.
“There’s no magic in our world. This is all just technology.”

Lily furrowed her brow in thought.
“Technology… That’s what lets you live the way you described, with hot water and lights?”

“Exactly,” Ken nodded. “Technology’s made life a lot more convenient. But sometimes, I think we’re missing something simple - like what you have here. Everything feels… closer to nature.”

Lily thought for a moment.
“Maybe every world is unique because people value different things. In our world, people try to stay connected to nature. In yours… they try to change it.”

Ken smiled, impressed by her insight.
“That’s a great way to put it. I like how you see things.”

She looked down, blushing a little.
“I’m just curious, Ken. You probably don’t think much of it, but to me, your world seems so mysterious.”

Ken glanced back at his phone and, after a moment’s thought, decided to show her one more thing.
“Want to hear some music? I’ve got a few tracks saved from before… the trip.”

Lily’s eyes widened in surprise, and she nodded eagerly.