The First Party

The mood inside the guild began to shift.

After the tension of earlier, someone raised a mug high and shouted, “To the guy who tanked a goblin blade and lived!”

A wave of laughter followed.

More mugs clinked. Cheers echoed across the wooden hall. Just like that, the atmosphere lightened—rowdy and warm, the way a proper guild should feel.

Ren sat at the same table, the half-empty mug still in his hands. It tasted strong and slightly bitter—some kind of local alcohol, definitely not fruit juice—but it was oddly comforting. Around him, voices buzzed, jokes flew, and adventurers eased into their seats again.

But his mind was elsewhere.

Where even am I...?

This clearly wasn’t Earth. Nothing about this place felt remotely normal. Monsters were real. That girl had wielded a sword like a pro. And just minutes ago, someone accused him of being from a land of immortals.

None of it made sense.

And ... they understand me.

Everyone here spoke his language. Or maybe... he was speaking theirs?

How is that possible?

He took another sip from the mug.

At least... it’s better than my old life.

The thought came with a strange sort of peace. The pain in his back had dulled. The warmth of the drink and the chatter around him helped him feel—just a little—less lost.

A small, dry smile formed on his face.

“You smilin’ to yourself now?” a voice said.

He turned.

The girl with short green hair and a curious smirk plopped down across from him. She was clearly from the same guild as the black-haired girl—Rachel, who had saved him earlier.

“It’s nothing,” Ren said with a shrug.

Another guy from the guild leaned over. “So... where are you from, anyway? Never seen clothes like that.”

“Yeah, you look like a noble's servant who got lost in a library,” someone joked from another table.

A few others chuckled. Ren glanced down at himself. His wrinkled button-up shirt and tattered slacks stood out even more in this setting—surrounded by people in cloaks, leather, tunics, and belts full of potions or pouches.

He could’ve said the truth.

That he was from another world. That he died—or came close to it—and ended up here.

But who would believe him?

“I’m... from another country,” he said instead.

It wasn’t exactly a lie. Just easier than explaining something even he hadn’t fully grasped yet.

“Figures,” the girl said, raising her mug. “Must be some strange country"

Ren laughed softly. “You could say that.”

The others returned to their drinks and conversations, but a few still shot glances his way—curious, not unkind, just... puzzled. Like they weren’t sure what box to put him in.

Neither was he.
“So... where did you say people like me were from?” Ren asked the guildmate who brought up the Immortals.

The man chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “Why, you planning to go there, tough guy?”

“Maybe,” Ren said, voice quieter now. "If that place holds the answers... then I want to find them."

“You’re not even healed properly, and you’re already thinking of chasing legends?” a familiar voice cut in.

The black-haired girl—Rachel from earlier had returned, arms crossed and clearly annoyed.

“I’m fine,” Ren replied. “I can take care of myself.”

“Really?” she said, frowning. “You just got stabbed by a goblin. A weak one. And now you want to march off to gods-know-where like it’s nothing?”

He didn’t answer. She sighed and threw her hands up.

"Fine. If you’re going, then I’m going with you."

Ren blinked. "What? Why?"

"Because clearly, you’re not in your right mind," she said. "And I just saved your sorry life. You think you’ll last out there on your own? This continent isn’t all goblins and pretty fields. There are monsters, bandits, dragons... and worse. You wouldn’t survive a week."

She crossed her arms. "Besides... I was planning to go there anyway."

"And trust me..." she added, voice lower now. "You don’t even know how dangerous humans can be."

Ren exhaled. “So... what do you suggest?”

She glanced toward the quest board across the guild hall. “There’ve been job requests from the Northern Continent. Not many take them, but some do. If we join a party headed that way, we’ll have backup—and fewer chances of dying.”

She looked him up and down. “But if you’re going to join, you need to pull your weight.”

“Meaning...?”

“What can you do?” she asked bluntly. “Are you a mage? Can you heal? Fight with weapons? Anything?”

Ren paused, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I... can't do any of that."

The words hung heavy in the air.

Magic? Swords? Healing spells? These were things he’d only seen in anime and games. Not real life. Not something he ever thought he’d need to do himself.
As Rachel stood there, quietly thinking to herself, a new voice broke in.

“Mind if I tag along on this death mission?”

A tall, broad-shouldered guy stepped forward with a grin. Late twenties, messy red hair, sword on his back, light armor on his chest — he looked like the kind of guy who picked fights just to see how strong the other side was.

Rachel blinked. “Kazuma? You want in?”

“Of course,” he said, cracking his knuckles. “I’ve been itching for something new anyway. It’s been forever since anything fun happened around here.”

"Count me in too," called out a voice from the side.

Ren turned. It was the green-haired girl with the curious smirk who had spoken to him earlier.

She gave a quick wave. "Name’s Melissa, by the way. And you’re not going on some legendary death quest without me. I’m a mage—I know healing magic. And judging by your record of getting stabbed, you’re definitely going to need a healer," she teased, glancing at Ren.

Before Ren could respond, another voice chimed in from behind.

"Don’t forget the guy who told you about the legend in the first place," said the brown-haired man who had sparked the whole Immortals discussion. "Name’s Alex. I specialize in offensive magic. Might as well see where this crazy story goes."

Rachel sighed, rubbing her forehead. “So that’s our team? The most reckless bunch in the entire guild? This quest really is a death wish.”

Everyone laughed.

The air felt warm again—like a campfire shared between old friends. Even though Ren had just met them, something about the moment felt… right.

He smiled softly. “Nice to meet you all. I’m not great at anything, honestly... but I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure with people like you."

Kazuma gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Hey hey, save the sentimental crap for after we don’t die.”

More laughter. Melissa giggled. Alex raised his mug.

Rachel folded her arms, her expression relaxed now. “Alright. It’s decided then. We’re taking a job bound for the Northern Continent.”

She looked around the table.

“We leave tomorrow at first light. Whoever shows up late buys everyone lunch.”

Cheers followed again, louder this time.

Ren stayed quiet, watching them all joke and talk like it was the most natural thing in the world. Something inside him stirred. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t doubt. It was… something else.

Excitement.

Hope.

Belonging.

So this is what it feels like…

He’d spent years behind screens, watching anime about adventurers, heroes, guilds, and faraway lands. And now, somehow—some way—he was here. Sitting in a real guild, surrounded by real companions, about to go on a real quest.

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.

But for the first time in his life—

He wanted to find out.

To be continued...