404: Hero Not Found?

As I stared blankly at the clouds where Silvestine and her dragon disappeared to, I couldn’t help but fall into a daze again.

…For the longest time, I’d been living a normal life, a nobody with a boring background.

I was, and always had been, a passive member of society. If I minded my own business and followed the rules, then trouble wouldn’t find me, and life would be easy. That was how I lived such an uneventful life in the old world, including my years of working at a game company. If I continued to follow orders, I wouldn’t get demoted, or worse, fired.

It was only when I was watching the familiar yet new sunset that I finally understood this world was no longer the game I knew.

This was a whole new world, with new laws, environments, economies, and cultures. I was at least equipped with plenty of important information before I’d been summoned, but diverging from the story pretty much flushed a huge portion of my knowledge down the drain. 

“Uhm, young lad…?”

Now that I’d strayed onto a different route, what was I supposed to do now? What was the right choice anymore? How the hell could I even fix these glitches? Was it even possible? Was I stuck with this for the rest of my life?

For the first time in years, I'd never felt so incredibly lost, scared, alone, and... alien.

“Hello? Are you listening?”

Maybe I wasn’t cut out to be the protagonist after all. I should’ve realized it when the summoning screwed me up so horribly. It was as if the world itself rejected the idea that I could ever be the main character.

I was an idiot for thinking I was any special.

“Hey!”

“Uwah?!” I jumped and spun around, facing the old caravan driver whom I totally not did not forget about. Nope, not at all. “Oh, s-sorry, sir. Did you say something?”

“Seriously? I just gave you a heartfelt speech of gratitude, and you didn’t hear any of that?”

“Oh, you did? Sorry, my bad…”

He sighed and shook his head. “Ugh, forget it,” he grumbled, turning around and stepping away. “Hmph, youngsters these days…”

He rummaged through his pockets, pulled out a small whistle with a little horse icon, and loudly blew on it, the noise echoing over the horizon. Seconds later, the old man’s horse showed up out of nowhere and galloped back toward us.

After reuniting with his horse and confirming it was unscathed, he turned to the pile of wooden scraps next and knelt before it. I also stepped closer and scanned the remains of the caravan, and a pit grew in my stomach. “Wait a minute, those clean cuts… Did I…?”

“Yeah, your sword sliced and diced it up like an onion,” he said. “I’m honestly impressed you can do that.”

“...I am so, so sorry,” I said, deeply bowing. “Uh, I’ll give you some extra silver to pay for the repairs.”

“There’s no need for that.” He took out a small amulet from his coat and raised it. “Nothing like a little magic should do the trick.”

Flickers of light emitted from the amulet, and I widened my eyes as the wooden pieces floated and reconnected with each other, slowly reconstructing themselves.

“Wow,” I whispered. “That’s so cool…”

“Hm?” The old man glanced at me. “This is just common magic.”

“Eh? O-oh, yes, I know. It’s just… uh, I’m… not from around here. I came from a place that never uses magic, so this is my first time seeing it.”

“Oh? Then what about that swordplay earlier?”

“I… genuinely have no idea what's going on with me. I just woke up with this without any explanations.”

“Hm, how odd. Then why are you heading to Cindespoir City?”

“Because…” I thought I was supposed to follow the storyline. “I thought I could find answers over there.”

“Ah, I see. That place certainly has plenty of resourceful folks and organizations, but I wouldn’t recommend staying there for too long. Have you heard about the rumors going around lately?”

I think I know what he’s talking about. “You mean… the ones about Queen Verisette sacrificing people for power?”

“So you’ve heard. Yes, there were stories of strong warriors going missing after being taken to the queen, and no one knows what happened to them.”

Oh, but I do. Believe me, you really don’t want to know. “So you’re saying that I might find out?” I asked, still feigning ignorance.

“Hah, who can say? You seem like a good lad, but your clothes can catch a few unwanted eyes.”

“Yeah, I’ll just be careful and find something new to wear.”

“Sounds like you’re prepared for it then.”

Silence briefly hung over us until the caravan was fully repaired. Again, I gazed at it in awe like a kid would at a magic show.

“Haha, if you’re already amazed at this, you’ll be in for a treat once you're in the city,” said the old man.

I cleared my throat and looked away. “I'll look forward to it.”

He chuckled and hopped back onto the caravan. “Well? Are you planning to go on with your own two feet or what? Hop in, lad.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks,” I said, swiftly boarding it. “How long will the ride be?”

“If no more demons will stop us again, then I’d say before midnight.”

“That long, huh?”

“Heheh, if you’re impatient, then what say I share some tales to pass the time? I have plenty to tell you.”

“Sure.” I don’t feel like sleeping anymore anyway. “I don’t mind.”

“Splendid. By the way, my name’s Charon.”

“I’m… Haruma.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Haruma.”

“Yeah, likewise.”

Charon went on to tell countless adventure stories he’d been through and heard of from his previous passengers. Some were stories I could vaguely remember being tied to side quests, but most were tales I’d never heard of before. This new world really was a vast place after all.

Before I knew it, my shoulders relaxed, my smile came back, and I ended up chatting and laughing with him during the remainder of the trip. By the time we’d finally arrive at the gates of Cindespoir City, the caravan stopped, and I hopped off.

“Thanks a lot for the ride, sir,” I said.

“The pleasure is all mine. Also…” He briefly rummaged through a bag and pulled out a plain, blue cloak. “Here, take this. This should let you blend in better.”

“Huh? For me? Really?”

“Yes, really. Consider it my thanks for saving me earlier today and listening to my stories, lad. Besides, I was planning to get rid of it anyway, haha.”

“Heh, alright, thanks!” I graciously accepted his gift, and after bidding each other farewell, we parted ways. Charon turned his caravan around and left the scene through another road, and I strode toward the stone gates with my new cloak on. After a brief inspection from a stationary guard, I’d finally stepped inside Cindespoir City.

Barely a few steps in, and a wave of anticipation swept over me like a tsunami. I lost my breath at the sight of the cobblestone streets and wooden buildings basking in moonlight.

Sure enough, it truly was the capital city, but I’d be damned. It looked even more detailed in real life. The 2D pixel graphics of the RPG didn’t give this place enough justice.

I paused as another wave hit me, one filled with intense anxiety.

Speaking of justice, I could never overlook what was brewing behind the scenes here. As the developer, I already knew what would happen to this city in a few days. I collaborated with the game writers and created the battles, cutscenes, and everything, after all.

But even after all this time, I could never agree with the writers for coming up with such a tragic prologue and the higher-ups for giving the green light. Now that I'd arrived here, I’d never wanted to punch their faces so damn badly, including myself.

I wasn’t the protagonist, but I also pretty much erased their existence by replacing them. In other words, there was no one stopping Queen Verisette and her four demon ambassadors, and no one would know but an alien with a broken, glitched-out class.

I was nothing special, hell, I would most likely make things worse, but still. As the only one who knew everything, I had the moral obligation to do something.

After all, if… I just let things be, then everyone here, every single citizen in Cindespoir City, would lose their lives to The Falling Ash Calamity.