The Beginning: The Unwilling Adventurer

William Bjorlod: A Mediocre Man in a Harsh World William Bjorlod is a middle-aged adventurer who has spent decades drifting through life without distinction. Despite years on the road, he remains utterly average—never rising to fame, never falling to infamy. His adventurer base is Clouded Hill City, located in the Central Province, near the border of Grimvale Province, where the cursed ruins, forsaken forests, and abandoned battlefields have long made it a breeding ground for misfortune. Will has dabbled in many trades—mercenary work, lumberjacking, fishing, enchanting, alchemy, and even merchant dealings—but he is a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. His skills are passable but never exceptional. Despite everything, he is content—or at least, as content as a man in a brutal world can be. Will’s Childhood Friend: The Rich Madame with a Dark Past Will’s childhood friend, now a wealthy madame of high society, has a complicated history—once a street rat, then a thief, spy, saboteur, and courtesan. Now, she seeks redemption by reopening the orphanage where they both grew up, which was shut down during troubled times. She has deep connections to the criminal underworld, old grudges, and even political conspiracies. She knows too many secrets, and too many people want her dead. She occasionally hires Will for "favors," but he refuses to accept charity, preferring to scrape by on his own. Will’s Dark Past Will was raised in an orphanage but never knew his parents. When the orphanage’s caretaker embezzled the funds and fled, the children were abandoned to the streets. Years ago, Will was caught in a nightmare—a necromancer’s lair—an event that left him deeply scarred, both physically and mentally. He escaped alone, leaving behind those who couldn’t keep up. In his youth, Will killed his childhood friends, who had turned to banditry to survive. His former adventuring party expelled him when he became injured and deemed a liability. They gave him compensation and a healing potion, but they later disappeared, presumed dead. A Hero Summoned to This World The Summoning Incident In another world, a high school student, Hiro Chozen, skips class due to bullying and spends his time playing his favorite game, Sacred Pilgrimage—a Fantasy RPG. Suddenly, he is summoned into a real version of the game world, where he is deemed the prophesied hero. A Different Beginning Hiro’s journey mirrors Sacred Pilgrimage’s prelude: He is summoned in the Grand Cathedral of the Zarethian Imperium. He is tasked with drawing the Hero’s Sword, proving his divine right. He is sent to Grimvale Province, the setting of the game’s main story. However, unlike the game, where the hero starts with nothing, Hiro is given immense advantages: A legendary armor set (a DLC-exclusive item in the game) that grants powerful resistances. A fortune in gold instead of a meager starting allowance. Elite companions: A Saintess (late-game character in the game) and Imperial Knights (lore characters never seen in gameplay).