The Capital

The capital of Iria was enormous.

That was the first thing I remembered.

The second was that the game had never done it justice.

I'd seen the capital hundreds of times through a screen, but standing inside it was different.

Buildings towered over the streets. Shops remained open despite the fading sunlight. Magic lamps flickered to life one after another, illuminating roads crowded with merchants, adventurers, soldiers and ordinary citizens.

Iria wasn't merely powerful.

It was a superpower in this world, and one of the reasons the Hero was summoned here. I walked deeper into the city.

For a brief moment, I relaxed.

Maybe public exile wasn't as bad as I'd thought. "Wait, is public exile just being released? Something like 'Go fend for yourself?'"

If so, I wouldn't have any problem thriving by myself. 

People looked at me. Others immediately looked away when our eyes met. A woman pulled her child closer as I passed.

I frowned.

'What's their problem?'

I glanced down at my clothes.

Nothing strange.

I checked my face.

Still bruised, obviously, but I didn't look completely monstrous.

My broken sword hung by my waist, maybe it was because of that.

I kept walking.

The sun was almost gone.

I needed somewhere to sleep.

Tomorrow, I'd figure out the rest.

Find a job.

Earn money.

Buy proper equipment.

Get stronger.

Then I'd find out what the hell was happening with Benige.

I stopped beside a man standing outside a shop.

"Excuse me."

He didn't answer.

I tried again.

"Sorry, could you tell me where I can find an inn?"

The man looked at me.

His expression changed.

Then he turned away.

I blinked.

"Uh..."

I stared after him.

"Okay."

Maybe he hadn't heard me.

I continued walking.

Eventually, I found an inn.

A rather nice-looking one.

Warm light spilled through the windows, and I could hear people laughing inside.

I pushed open the door.

Several conversations immediately became quieter. I walked toward the counter.

"Excuse me."

The woman behind it looked at me.

Her smile disappeared.

"Do you have a room available?"

"No."

She answered immediately.

I frowned.

"You didn't even check."

"We're full."

I looked around.

"Right." I forced a smile. "Of course."

I turned around.

Maybe they really were full.

I tried another inn.

Then another.

Then another.

Every single one was full.

Some didn't even let me finish asking.

One innkeeper simply took one look at me and said, "No."

"But I haven't even asked yet."

"No."

I stared at him.

"What?"

He pointed toward the door.

"Leave."

I left.

By then, the sky was completely dark.

My stomach growled.

I sighed. "Fine. Food first."

I entered a small restaurant.

This time, I approached the counter cautiously.

"Can I get something to eat?"

The woman behind the counter stared at me.

"No."

I blinked.

"Why?"

"We don't serve....you."

I stared at her.

"What?"

She folded her arms.

"You heard me."

I looked around.

Nobody seemed particularly surprised. A few people were watching me. Some were whispering.

I slowly backed away. "Okay..."

I stepped outside.

The cold night air hit my face.

I stood on the street.

My stomach growled again.

I rubbed it.

"What the hell is going on? Am i missing something"

I had no idea. I hadn't done anything. Nobody had told me anything. I hadn't even known the capital would react like this. Part of me thought maybe they could tell i wasn't one of them.

I started walking.

Then I heard footsteps.

Several.

I stopped.

Men emerged from the alley behind me.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Maybe six.

They spread across the street.

I looked around. "Can I help you?"

One of them laughed.

"Hand over your shoes."

'What?'

I stared at him.

"My... shoes?"

"And the coin."

My hand instinctively moved toward my pocket.

The Qeen.

The one Benige had given me.

I stepped backward.

"No."

The man's smile disappeared.

"You don't seem to understand."

"I understand perfectly."

I looked around.

There were people everywhere.

Someone was walking past.

Another person stood outside a shop.

A couple was talking near a lamp.

I raised my voice.

"Help!"

Nobody stopped.

"Someone help me!"

A woman glanced at me.

Then kept walking.

"Please!"

The men laughed.

One grabbed my shoulder.

I shoved him away.

"Don't touch me."

He punched me.

I stumbled. 'Level fifteen sucks.'

My cheek burned.

"Give us the Qeen."

I clenched my fists.

"No."

Another man grabbed the front of my shirt.

"You really think anyone's coming?"

I looked around.

Nobody moved.

Nobody cared.

My heart sank.

"Help!"

A man walking past looked directly at me.

For one second, our eyes met.

He looked away.

The next punch knocked me to the ground.

My hands scraped against the stone. "Get his shoes."

I kicked wildly. "Get off me!"

Someone grabbed my ankle.

I held onto the ground.

"No!"

They dragged me several feet.

I shouted until my throat hurt.

Nobody came.

Eventually, one of the men crouched beside me.

"Where's the Qeen?"

I stared at him.

"Go die."

He smiled.

Then reached into my pocket.

I tried to stop him.

He twisted my wrist.

Pain shot through my arm.

The Qeen disappeared from my pocket.

He held it up.

"Got it."

I stared at the coin. The only money I had.

"Give it back."

He laughed.

"You're lucky we're leaving you the clothes."

The men began laughing. One grabbed my boot, but I kicked him then he stumbled backward. "Still got some fight in you."

He kicked me in the ribs.

I curled up.

They took my shoes. Then they walked away.

And just like that, literally, robbed in daylight. 

I remained on the street.

Barefoot.

Bruised.

Hungry.

Alone.

Nobody came to help.

Nobody even stopped.

I slowly pushed myself upright.

My eyes burned.

"What..."

My voice trembled.

"What did I do?"

I looked around. People continued walking like nothing even happened. I lowered my head.

Then I noticed someone standing nearby.

A little girl.

She couldn't have been more than seven or eight. She was staring at me. Unlike everyone else, she wasn't looking at me with disgust.

She looked worried.

I wiped my face quickly.

"Go home."

She didn't move.

Instead, she approached me, she held something in both hands.

A small bun.

She stopped a few steps away.

"Are you hungry?"

I stared at her.

My throat tightened.

I nodded.

She held it out.

I hesitated. "My mum says you're not supposed to give food to strangers."

I almost laughed.

"But you look hungry."

I stared at the bun.

Something inside my chest hurt.

I took it.

"Thank you."

I sat there on the cold street and I took a bite. It was slightly stale.

"Liela!"

The girl froze.

A woman came rushing toward us and immediately pulled her behind her.

"Stay away from that."

I frowned. "What?"

"Come here."

"But Mother.—"

"Now."

Liela looked at me.

"I'm sorry."

I forced a smile. "It's okay."

Her mother dragged her away.

I looked down at the bun in my hand. I didn't feel like eating it anymore, so I carefully put it into my pocket.

"Guess I'm not getting an inn tonight."

I wandered through the capital for a while longer. My feet hurt, my ribs hurt, my face hurt, and my stomach had apparently decided it hated me personally.

Eventually, I gave up.

I found a quiet spot behind a building and sat down.

"What a day."

My stomach growled. I pulled the stale bun from my pocket and took a bite. I chewed slowly.

My eyes burned.

I lowered my head and wiped away a tear.

"This is pathetic."

I was the Hero.

The chosen one of Goddess Vielia.

Here to save Chronix for the 101st time. 

And I was sitting behind a building, barefoot and hungry, eating a stale bun a child had given me.

I almost laughed.

Then I heard something.

Rustling.

I looked around the corner.

An old man was crouched beside a pile of discarded food, searching through it.

He looked like a beggar.

The old man noticed me.

He stood and looked me up and down.

"You look like you could use a place to sleep."

I blinked.

"And some food."

I stared at him.

"My place isn't far."

For a moment, I couldn't speak.

Then I bowed my head.

"Thank you."

The old man smiled.

"You look familiar."

I frowned.

"Familiar?"

"You're that man, aren't you?"

"What man?"

He didn't answer.

"Come with me."

I hesitated before following. We walked for a while. The lights of the capital gradually disappeared behind us.

I looked around.

"Your place isn't far, right?"

"Just a little more."

A few minutes later, I noticed we were outside the capital.

I stopped.

"We're outside."

The old man continued walking.

"Just a little more."

I sighed and followed.

Eventually, we reached the edge of a forest.

The old man stopped.

I looked around.

There was no house.

No cabin.

Nothing.

I looked at him.

"Where is the house?"

He pointed toward a cluster of branches.

I stared. 'Seriously?'

The branches had been tied together to form something resembling a small tent.

"...That's your house?"

He smiled.

"Something like that. Wait here."

He crawled inside.

A moment later, he came back out holding a piece of paper.

He handed it to me.

I looked down.

My face had been sketched onto it.

My expression froze.

I looked up.

Then looked back at the paper.

Suddenly, everything made sense. 

The stares.

The inns.

The restaurant.

The men who robbed me.

I stood there holding the paper. Everything, it all clicked. I'd thought public exile was simply being chased out of the castle, how naive. 

'I see.'

I now understood, why they did not execute me. Why they preferred not to sell me off as a slave, public exile was a much worse fate. 

And the message?

*『This man is a fraud.

He has been found guilty of impersonating the Hero and exposing the Royal Family to a grave threat.

His punishment is Public Exile.

Any person found knowingly associating with this man will be suspected of aiding the Calamities.

Citizens are under no obligation to provide him with aid or protection.

Guards are forbidden from offering him protection.

Merchants may refuse him service.

Inns may refuse him lodging.

Adventurers may restrain or attack him should they deem him a threat.

He is not recognized as a Hero, citizen, or protected individual of the Kingdom of Iria.

He is hereby designated a Public Enemy of Iria.

This decree, along with his likeness, shall be distributed throughout the Kingdom and communicated to the nations of Chronix.

Should this man be encountered, exercise extreme caution.

His presence is considered a potential threat to the safety of the realm.』*