Chapter 2 – The Elf, the Rock, and My Very First Case

One hour. That’s how long I’ve been walking across endless grass. No food, no water, no GPS, no vending machines. Just me, my grumbling stomach, and the vague hope that this “girl west of here” isn’t a scam made by my system to troll me. Sadly I didn’t see isekai animes much so I have not much idea about it. Anyway I am curious too about this girl. So let’s go

And then—there she is.

Except… she isn’t human.

Pointy ears. Long hair like golden threads. Slim figure. And she’s wearing this outfit that looks like someone tried to mash a dress and pants together in a washing machine and then decided, “Yeah, this works.” Works like magic my friend.

An elf.

I freeze. My brain screams: Okay, Erik, calm down. Don’t panic. Don’t shout “It’s an elf!” like some anime nerd at his first comic convention.

My friend Alfred did once. He was hardcore otaku. Now he got scammed by his wife and selling fish rolls in the marks. Sometimes I deliver them too.

But wait.…Does this mean there are no humans here? Am I the weird species now? What if they see me as exotic? Are they going to toss me in some magical zoo next to griffins and ogres? The start research on me? Eat my kidney? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I whisper to myself: “Okay, breathe. Play it cool. Act normal.”

The elf girl looks at me. Just looks. No screaming. No “Oh my God, a human!” She doesn’t faint. She doesn’t even blink. Like her usual business. Little tension and kind girl it seems.

Wait.

…So humans are normal here? Thank God. Yes. God is great again! Praise be!

I cough awkwardly and step forward. “Uh, hey. I’m Erik. Totally not suspicious. Do you, uh, need help with… anything?”

Smooth. Absolutely smooth. James Bond would be proud.

The elf tilts her head. She looks about twenty-three, twenty-five max, but come on, she’s an elf. She could be 2,500 and still look like a model. My brain immediately betrays me: What if I flirt by accident with someone older than human civilization itself?

Focus, Erik. Focus.

She finally speaks. “If you came to ask for payment, I have no money.”

I blink in lost. “Payment? For what?”

She narrows her eyes, suspicious. “You humans… always charging something.”

“No, no, no,” I wave my hands so fast I nearly slap myself. “I’m not here to rob you, I swear. I’ll help for free.”

Her face hardens. “Free? Sounds like a scam. Or flirting.”

Ouch. That hits deep. I’m not even trusted enough to be considered a scammer. Straight to creepy flirter.

“Look, I’m serious.” I scratch my head. “I’ll find your thing. No charge.”

Her brows furrow, and she studies me. My eyes wander while she stares—green dress, simple but elegant. And those pants… or skirt… no, wait, pantskirt? Skirpants? Whatever it is, it’s cute. She looks like she just stepped out of a fantasy RPG loading screen.

She said “I lost my Gum stone, it’s really really very important”.

Meanwhile, I’m still stuck in my cheap, grease-stained delivery uniform. She keeps glancing at it too, and I feel my face burn. “Yeah, don’t mind the outfit. It’s, uh… traditional clothing from my village.”

Anyway, focus. The rock. “So, details? Where did you lose it?”

Her lips press together. She hesitates. Like she’s afraid if she explains too much, I’ll run off with it.

I sigh. Idea time. “Alright, listen. I’m starting an agency. Hmmm agency mean you know right?”

She titles her head, “hmm..My sister and cousin brother has one too in royal palace”.

What? ROYAL PALACE? SHE IS ROYAL? Ahh calm down myself.

I puff my chest like it’s an actual business. “I find lost things. Usually for money. But since you’re my very first customer, today’s service is free. Free, free, free.”

She stares at me. Then, slowly, she smiles. “An agency?”

“Yes. Agency.”

Finally, she relaxes a little. And then she drops the bomb. “It’s not just a stone. It can create a golem.”

…

I freeze.

Not a pebble. Not a shiny trinket. A freaking golem-creating magical stone.

I slap my forehead. “System! Take your house back. I’m not dying on day one over a legendary rock!”

But the elf just keeps watching me like she’s testing my reaction. What the heck I am gonna do? I am not sherlock Holmes. My deduction and observation skill is ZERO.

Great. Here I am, starving, broke, and on the verge of fainting from low blood sugar, and now I’m treasure hunting for fantasy nuclear weapons. Perfect.

We start searching. I crouch through grass, poke under bushes, and pretend I know what I’m doing while my stomach cries louder than me. Someone give me chilly chicken please. I mutter under my breath: “Why, Erik? Why did you agree? You could’ve said no. But noooo, you had to play hero. Otherwise NO HOUSE. Now you’re basically auditioning for world’s dumbest detective.”

And then it happens.

DING.

A message pops up in my head.

“Time spent with Elf: 1 hour completed. Bonus skill unlocked: Array Eyes. Duration: 10 minutes.”

Suddenly, my eyes burn. But not in a bad way. In a… wow-I-can-see-through-stuff way.

I blink. And suddenly the world looks different. Layers peel away. Grass disappears, stones shimmer, the ground lights up with invisible patterns.

Then my gaze drifts to the elf. And—uh—apparently clothes also vanish from view.

My nose explodes. Literal nosebleed. I jerk my head away so fast I nearly snap my neck.

She looks at me, “you okay sir?”
“yeah yeah!”

“Great,” I mutter, wiping blood. “System, you pervert.”

“I’m sorry sir, I was going to give it to my sister but I was lost due to yesterday magic rain and now my beast horse and cart both ran away. Still stone was with me but then suddenly a Monster Snake attacked me so I had to run but I am sure it did fall somewhere here”!

I am shocked..magic rain? Beast horse? Monster Snake? ..I am not surprised anymore. It’s isekai Afterall…let’s find the stone first.

Thank god the power works. Mean few min remains. I scan the area, and bam—there it is. The stone. Small, glowing faintly, wedged between two crooked little trees above a hole.

I yank it out, triumphant. “Found it!”

The elf’s eyes widen. She snatches the stone, then stares at me in disbelief.

“You… actually found it.”

“Yup. Detective Thermos, at your service. First case solved.” I bow dramatically, then wobble because I’m still dizzy from blood loss.

She stares. And then—miracle of miracles—she actually smiles. “Thank you.” She drops two copper coins into my palm. “It’s not much, but… I owe you.”

I stare at the coins. They clink sadly in my hand, not even enough to buy a stick of gum. But hey. Not tsundere. No “It’s not like I wanted your help.” Just honest gratitude. I’ll take it. But how you will go home now?”

“Don’t worry I know where to go, here has Beast Horse cart rental place. I have to hurry now, bye Erik and thank you”.

She leaves, clutching the stone. I wave weakly after her.

And then, the sky turns orange. Sun setting. Me still broke. Hungry. Homeless. “Okay,” I groan. “Now what? Do I… camp out with wolves? Please don’t tell me wolves are carnivores here too.”

DING.

The system pops up.

Reward Delivered: House.
Item: Ownership Agreement (Non-Transferable).

I nearly scream with joy. “YES! HOUSE! Oh my God, I’m a homeowner!”

The paper glows in my hand, my name scribbled across it. No scams. No loans. Actual ownership.

I follow the map, and there it is—my house. And when I say house, I mean… mansion-lite. Not a castle, but bigger than anything I’ve ever lived in.

Inside? Forget medieval. It’s fully modern. Fridge. Stove. Microwave. Heater. Even solar panels humming away like this is some eco-friendly fantasy startup.

I flop onto the couch, spread my arms wide, and whisper: “System… marry me. If you’re a girl, I’ll put a ring on it right now.”

For the first time in forever, I relax. Food in the fridge. Bed upstairs. Safe roof over my head. This is heaven.

DING.

The screen pops up again.

Notice: Tomorrow a client will arrive. Refusal to accept cases will result in all rewards being revoked.

I sit up. “…Wait. What?!”

So I don’t just get a house? I have to keep working? I’m trapped in an eternal part-time job?!

I bury my face in the couch cushions. “This system’s worse than my old boss.”

Meanwhile, somewhere far away in the kingdom’s capital…

Two figures argue in a grand chamber.

A young knight, armored and stern, paces back and forth. His sister—a lady knight with sharp eyes—stands firm.

“The potion is missing,” she says. “The miracle medicine from the witch. Without it, the queen won’t last two days.”

Her brother clenches his fists. “Impossible. Security is airtight. Only someone inside the palace could’ve stolen it.”

“I’ve hired spies, assassins, magicians—no one can find it.” The lady knight shakes her head. “But… I’ve heard something. From my cousin, in a far village.”

The brother frowns. “What rumor?”

She smirks. “That a strange man has opened an ‘agency.’ Claims he can find anything lost.”

Silence.

The brother pinches the bridge of his nose. “…Are you joking? Some random peasant? This is your plan?”

The sister’s eyes gleam. “If everyone else failed… maybe it’s worth trying.”

And somewhere in my brand-new house, I sneeze violently, spilling instant noodles all over my new carpet.

“ahh my noodles”!....