Fantasy 101

Two teenagers walked through the streets of the border city of Dastion, looking very much out of place. The boy wore a blazer, shirt, and tie, while the girl had on a pleated miniskirt, stockings, and a blouse matching his in style. In other words, they were wearing school uniforms.

"Leon... people are staring, and it hurts," the girl complained, hugging herself tightly.

"Relax. The princess told us, remember? Our uniforms look like the ones worn at the academies in the Republic of the Free Cities, the kind only nobles or geniuses get into," the boy replied with a reassuring smile. "They’re not staring at us, they’re staring at our clothes."

"I don’t really see the difference... Wouldn’t it be better to change into something more local?"

"On the contrary, Jeanne!" Leon exclaimed, raising his fist with enthusiasm. "This is a world where magic exists!"

"And what does that have to do with not changing clothes?" Jeanne asked, genuinely confused.

"It has everything to do with it. Thanks to magic, this place isn’t like the Middle Ages back home. They’ve got better ways to identify criminals. That’s why wearing something that makes us stand out can actually help keep us safe, since they wouldn’t dare mess with us so easily if they think we’re important."

"The third prince said something similar too, now that I think about it..." the girl added quietly.

"Exactly. Or would you rather dress like those adventurers we’ve seen? Most of them wear what looks like leotards or bikinis, with bits of metal over vital spots... Pretty much what you'd expect from magical gear in a world that admires the beauty of the human body."

"There were full-body outfits too!" Jeanne protested, blushing. "But yeah... magic really can do everything."

"Right?! I still can’t believe other worlds actually exist, and with magic too!"

"You’ve always loved those comics and books about this kind of thing," the girl said, smiling faintly, though her eyes slowly clouded. "As for me... I can’t stop thinking about my mother, Lily and Amy. They must be so worried."

"Manga and light novels," Leon corrected her. "But don’t worry. Once things calm down, they’ll call us back to the capital and we’ll start looking for a way to return to our world. For now, we should make the most of the experience!"

"But will it really calm down? The second prince summoned us as 'heroes from another world' just to strengthen his political faction. Now that he’s been exiled, I feel like we’ve been left to our fate..."

"We used to rely entirely on the second prince. Now they’ve transferred the kingdom’s language to us through magic so we can talk to anyone, and they gave us enough funds to live comfortably," Leon explained, arms crossed. "Doesn’t that sound like a pretty generous deal for people you supposedly want to get rid of?"

"It sounds exactly like the kind of deal you give to people you want to get rid of..." Jeanne replied with a sigh. "Anyway, worst case, we go back to the capital and complain directly. How much farther is that inn they recommended at the baron’s mansion?"

"Well, at least to me, the third prince and the princess seemed like good people," Leon said, tilting his head. "Ah! Speaking of the inn, that must be the sign."

They had just arrived in front of a building with a large wooden sign that read "God’s Slumber Inn" in bold letters.

"I still think that’s a bit of a pretentious name for an inn," Jeanne said, as she read it.

"Come in, come in!"

Just then, a woman who looked somewhat older than the two, though still radiating youthful energy, opened the door to welcome them. She had a broom in one hand, so she had probably been on her way to sweep the entrance.

"Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to say this was a bad inn," Jeanne said quickly. "It’s just that the name is... a little unusual."

"Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m guessing you’re not from around here," the innkeeper said with a smile, motioning for them to come inside.

Before stepping in, Jeanne elbowed Leon in the ribs. He had gotten a little too distracted staring at the innkeeper’s... assets.

"Guh!... Ugh... Would we have guessed something about the name if we were from around here?" Leon muttered as he followed Jeanne and the innkeeper inside, rubbing his side.

"Well, not just from around here, but yes. Not many travelers realize that this region is said to be the site of a legendary lost city, once considered the center of the known world," the innkeeper said proudly.

"Something like Atlantis?!" Jeanne asked, eyes shining. She loved those kinds of stories.

"Atlan... ti... what? No, no. I mean Endalor, of course! The mythical capital of the first empire!"

"So the myths say it was an empire of gods?" Leon asked. "Is that why the inn has that name?"

"Not exactly," the innkeeper replied with a smile. It was clear she enjoyed telling local legends to travelers. "Though it’s curious... I thought at least you'd know about the first empire. The whole continent of Ameritia takes its name from it, after all."

"We didn’t have much time for studying when we were younger! Please forgive our ignorance," Jeanne said quickly. Leon nodded beside her.

"Don’t worry. I didn’t do much studying either," the innkeeper said, laughing. "That kind of thing is for nobles and scholars."

Leon, who had once again been caught staring at the hypnotic sway of a certain generous feature as she laughed, got another well-placed elbow, this time to the stomach.

The name of the inn honors a legendary emperor said to have lived even before the elves began keeping records. They say he vanished along with his city, Endalor. My father loved those stories, and like many kids around here, he told them to me at bedtime.

"I’m surprised the stories have lasted that long..." Leon said, catching his breath. "But I’m a little confused. Are we talking about emperors or gods?"

"Almost the same thing," the innkeeper answered proudly. "His deeds weren’t those of an ordinary mortal."

"Many dynasties on Earth also trace their origins to legendary figures who claimed to be children of the gods," said Jeanne, who was such a history nerd she’d seriously considered becoming an archaeologist. "Some historical figures were even deified after death, like Guan Yu in China. It was the same with the pharaohs in Egypt, and—"

"Alright, that’s enough, Jeanne," Leon cut in, nodding subtly toward the innkeeper.

"Earth? Pharaohs? Guan...?"

"Don’t mind her," Leon said with an awkward smile, scratching his head. "She’s a bit weird sometimes..."

"Sorry..." Jeanne muttered, lowering her head.

"I see... Well, anyway, I’m glad you got the idea!" the innkeeper said with a cheerful grin. "Name’s Rosse. And no, no gods sleep in my inn, but we’re the best in Dastion. I guarantee that! So, how long are you planning to stay? And will you be needing just one room?"

"Two!" Jeanne exclaimed, blushing as she shoved her hand into Leon’s face before he could say a word.

"Ungh!... Yeah, two..."

"And for how long?" Rosse asked, laughing.

"Indefinitely," Jeanne replied. "But for now, we’ll go ahead and pay for one month."

"Luckily, the seasons in this world are similar to the ones back home, and so is the calendar. That saved us from a whole lot of confusion..."

"For two rooms, that’ll be six delines a month. Is that alright?"

"We had a rough idea already," said Jeanne, pulling out a small leather pouch and taking out six silver coins stamped with the royal crest of Rindel.

If they had been gold, they would have shown the face of the current king, or one of his predecessors.

"It’s actually quite a bit cheaper than in the capital..." Leon remarked.

"Of course. It would’ve been a different story long ago, but we’re out in the sticks now," Rosse laughed. "And I don’t just mean back in the days of the lost city, though that’s a story for another time... But boy, don’t go saying things like that in front of merchants. One of these days they’ll take advantage of you."

"You’re totally right..."

"And sorry to ask, but what do you plan to do during your stay? It’d be good to know where to find you in case someone comes asking or there’s an emergency."

"That’s the problem..." Jeanne sighed, resting her head on her hand.

"What do you mean, problem?"

"We’re going to join a guild and become adventurers! A classic otherw— I mean, a classic!"

"You sure you can handle it, boy?" Rosse asked, her expression turning concerned. "The monsters around the frontier are a lot more dangerous than in other regions. They act like natural barriers, and hardly any nation bothers to deal with them..."

"Don’t worry, Rosse. We didn’t come to this world empty-handed!"

"Were you born with some kind of gift?" Rosse asked, tilting her head.

"Something like that," Leon replied with an awkward chuckle, under Jeanne’s scolding gaze. "More importantly, Rosse... are you married?"

"It’s just me and my little one, Lise. It’s been that way for years... Why do you ask?"

"Rosse, you don’t need to answer nonsense like that," Jeanne said, trying to smack her companion again, but he had already darted a few steps away.

"By the way, my name’s Jeanne. The pervert is Leon. We’ll be in your care for a while," she added with a smile, offering her hand.

"Of course. You’re in good hands," Rosse replied, smiling back and shaking hers.