I Became the Youngest Summoner in the Strongest Guild

2. Arcana Online

I was walking through the meadow after leaving the village.

The cool breeze felt nice, and the scenery was beautiful.

How wonderful it would be if this were the real world.

If I could live in a world like this, I wouldn't have any worries.

Reality might be a gutter, but not here.

Because romance and adventure await.

"Let's start hunting first."

I almost wasted time getting lost in thought again.

I remembered the guards who came after me, insisting I return before evening when monsters get stronger.
'Are they people, not NPCs?'

Following the path marked on the map, I saw numerous rabbits in the distance.

[Wild Rabbit]
Level 1.
The weakest monster in Arcana Online.

But they look so cute.

If the player doesn't attack, the rabbit won't attack.
Known as the easiest monster to catch in the game.

As I approached a rabbit, they suddenly rushed at me!?

B-but I thought they weren't supposed to attack first!?

Panicking, I closed my eyes tightly and was about to swing my staff when suddenly!

"Kyuu!"
"Kyuu?"

I opened my eyes and looked ahead to find the rabbits being affectionate towards me.

No, rather than affection, they were... taking care of me?

Numerous rabbits were handing me carrots they had found somewhere?

«Carrot Carrot»
Nutritious and good for children.

"Thank you?"
"Kyuu kyuu!"

After I put the many carrots I received into my inventory, the rabbits waved happily.

But wait, I can't hunt like this?

I have a conscience; how could I hunt rabbits that are taking care of me?

With no choice, I passed by the rabbits and moved to the next hunting ground.

[Slime]
A level 5 monster.

Fortunately, slimes have squishy bodies and no intelligence.

Plus, they're aggressive monsters.

As I struck down one that was sneakily approaching to attack me with my staff, it died instantly.

Along with the sound of leveling up, my level increased for the first time.

But a level 5 slime dies in one hit?

Did they make it weak?

Well, I guess so.

Hunting slimes, my level rose to 7.

"I guess I'll stop here for today."

As I stretched and looked up at the sky, I saw the sunset.

'They say monsters get stronger when it gets late, so I should head back to the village soon.'

I need to check the system when I get back to the village and read the guidebook too.

More importantly, my job is a summoner, but when will I be able to summon a creature?

I don't like being alone.

It's lonely.
It's desolate.
It's scary.

Before my head could fill with negative thoughts, I shook it vigorously and headed towards the village.

As I was about to enter the village, I saw the guard uncles with anxious faces.

Upon seeing me, they relaxed and waved for me to come quickly.

I waved back and told them I had returned, and they looked at me with proud eyes and handed me a pouch?

"We collected this from our soldiers. Take it."
"What!? It's okay! You've already given me a lot earlier!"
"Now, now! When an adult gives you something, it's polite to say thank you and accept it."
"Th-thank you."

After thanking them and accepting the pouch they forcibly placed in my hand, they finally smiled with satisfaction and waved goodbye.

Is a game usually this warm?

More importantly, where did they say the lodging was?

The inn recommended by Guard Captain Charles.

Following the signpost to get to the Moonlight Inn, I saw an inn in the distance.

Judging by the large moon painted on it, this must be it, right?

As I opened the door and entered, I heard boisterous noise and saw many people eating.

This atmosphere is a bit awkward, but not bad.

It makes me feel like I'm part of a group.

As I approached the counter, there was a pretty older sister.
A blonde with clear eyes and a big heart.

"Oh my, what brings a little miss like you here?"
"Uncle Charles introduced me. I'm here to stay for a few days."
"Little miss..."

She suddenly teared up, which startled me, and then she told me to follow her.

Following her to the second floor, she opened the door of the room at the very end with a key.

"This room has the best view and is the cleanest. Here's the key. Always lock it, and if there's any problem, see this bell? Ring it hard."

"Thank you."
"Have you had dinner?"
"No, not yet."
"Then let's go down together."

Following her back to the first floor, I sat at the table next to the counter, and food suddenly appeared.

But the portions are large?

"It's too much."
"It's okay! You can eat it all!"
"That's impossible!"

The pretty sister told me to eat as much as I could and leave the rest, then went to take orders from other tables.

Come to think of it, I didn't ask her name.

I took a spoonful of the steaming soup, and it was soft and delicious.

I tore off a piece of bread next to it, dipped it in the soup, and it melted in my mouth!

"Delicious."

Before I knew it, I had eaten everything on the table, despite saying it was impossible earlier.

As I was patting my full stomach, I heard laughter.

"See? I told you you could eat it all!"
"Y-yes, you're right."

I nodded with a slightly reddened face, and she patted my head, saying I was cute.

How long has it been since I felt human warmth like this?

"Come to think of it, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. My name is Bell. Nice to meet you."
"My name is Yuna. Nice to meet you, Bell unni."
"Unni?"

Ah, I made a mistake.
I was a man until recently, so I couldn't have said "unni" (older sister).

"Uh, well, that is..."
"You must have your reasons..."

Bell unni suddenly teared up, saying it was okay and that she understood, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

And as I went up to the second floor, she waved, telling me to speak up if I ever had any trouble.

What's going on? I didn't say anything, but since coming to this world, people seem to understand on their own.

It's convenient, but this feeling is somewhat unsettling.

I don't know.

I entered the room, closed the door, locked it, and threw myself on the bed.

The soft feeling seemed real.

More importantly, it's about time I should go back.

"Logout."

*
*
*

New guests entered the bustling inn.

Guard Captain Charles, who keeps our village safe.

"Welcome."
"Did, did that little miss I talked about come?"
"Yes, she came. She's sleeping on the second floor now."
"That's a relief."

I prepared Charles's usual beer and snacks and set them on the table. He thanked me and took a drink.

"By the way, she seems to have quite a story. Where did she come from?"
"She looked like a traveler."
"At such a young age..."

Traveler.
Beings known to travel numerous worlds.

They're like outsiders who come from other worlds, not born in this one.

In the past, many travelers caused problems, but that's rare these days.

If such a case occurs, an execution order is issued in all villages, making it impossible for them to stay in this world anymore.

"I've seen many travelers, but she's different somehow. And she's someone I want to protect. She seems to have been through a lot. She even called me 'unni,' you know?"

"C-could it be... that she's trying to hide her gender because of past trauma...?"

"This won't do. Is there any way we can help?"
"I'll think about it. But if she's a traveler, it'll be tough. She'll eventually leave this village for the wider world."

It's rare for travelers to settle in a village.

Even if they do, they usually reside in big cities, not in remote places like this.

"Why do they live such a hard life? It would be better if she lived in this village."
"It can't be helped. That's the fate of a traveler."

I sat across from Charles, who was drinking beer and eating snacks, and took a sip of beer myself.

"Aren't you working right now?"
"Well, what's the problem? It's not like I'll get drunk from one drink."
"Still, isn't it too casual for a former 'Great Mage' to run an inn?"

Guard Captain Charles stared at me as I drank beer and ate snacks.

"Weren't you a former 'Knight Commander,' Charles? It's a waste for you to be in such a remote place."
"Let's just toast to each other."

We toasted and downed the remaining beer, and suddenly a good idea came to mind.

"From the energy I sensed, she seems to be a summoner. I've thought of a good idea."
"I'll cooperate."

The aftermath of drinking late into the night and suffering from a hangover the next day is another story.