Chapter 25 - This past is not mine. (Patreon)

Kael turned around and saw a middle-aged man wearing worn-out clothes. He was someone Kael knew very well, as he had practically lived with him his entire life.

“Where have you been? We were worried about you.”

“Louis…”

“What happened to you? What have you been doing all this time?”

“I… became an adventurer,” Kael said as the man approached.

“You became an adventurer?” The man glanced at Kael’s waist and noticed the sword hanging there. It was different from the one Kael usually used. It looked like a high-quality weapon.

'He isn't joking…' Louis thought.

“Yes, that's right. I became an adventurer and joined a Familia as soon as I arrived in the city with the others.”

“Which Familia are you a part of?”

“I joined the Hestia Familia.”

“The Hestia Familia?” Louis's eyes widened. “Isn't that a broke Familia? I heard they only had one member.”

“That's right. I'm the second member.” Kael smiled.

“Are you sure that's a good idea? You only started training with that old sword not too long ago. Isn't it dangerous?”

“Well, it is dangerous, but I haven't had many problems so far.” Kael smiled. “I'm fine, so don't worry. What about the others? Did they say anything about me?”

“As soon as you disappeared, Ricardo got worried and started looking for you. But we had to leave that very same day, so we had no choice but to leave you behind.”

“...”

“We returned to the city today, and I decided to look for you. I didn't expect to find you so easily.” Louis smiled. “I'm genuinely glad you're doing well. You really don't plan on coming back?”

“I'll come back, but only to visit. I'm not going back to live in that village. I'm sorry, Louis.”

“...” Louis remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. “If that's what you want to do, then it's fine.”

He seemed genuinely upset.

Louis had never made it clear that he cared about Kael, so Kael was surprised by his reaction. He genuinely seemed sad.

“Tell the others that I'll be fine. I'll return to the village soon, and I'll definitely bring them some presents.”

“I'll look forward to that.” Louis held out his hand, and Kael shook it. “Please, don't die.”

“Don't worry. I won't die. I'll become the strongest adventurer in Orario. I promise you that.”

Louis didn't take his words seriously, but he still replied, “I'll be rooting for you.”

After exchanging a few more words, Louis walked away. Kael sighed as memories of his life before arriving in this world flooded his mind. His dead parents, his troubled but happy childhood, his friends.

Everything came rushing back.

The person who had lived inside that body wasn't the real Kael, but those memories still left him shaken. Especially the memory of when he had received the news that his parents had died.

“...”

Kael shook his head and said aloud, “This life isn't mine. I can't be sad over a past I never lived through.”

But even after repeating those words to himself several times, the memories continued to affect him.

####

As soon as he arrived at the inn, Kael took a bath and then lay down. Once in bed, he opened his status to take a look before going to sleep. He was quite satisfied with the amount of EXP he had accumulated.

Name: Kael

Title: Teleporter

Familia: Hestia

Level: 2 (88,600/500,000)

Strength (STR): I 10 (277)

Endurance (END): I 10 (241)

Dexterity (DEX): I 10 (249)

Agility (AGI): I 10 (253)

Magic (MAG): I 10 (228)

Abilities: Teleportation (EX) LV3 / Swordsmanship LV3

He was already approaching 100,000 EXP, and his stats would soon reach 300.

“My stats are increasing incredibly quickly, aren't they? I need to ask Hestia to update my Falna tomorrow.”

Kael closed his status window and then shut his eyes.

However, he couldn't fall asleep.

The original owner's memories were still weighing on him. Because of that, Kael got up and decided to meditate for a while. Even back on Earth, this was something Kael—or rather, Hiro—used to do to calm himself down.

Of course, it had never worked.

But this time was different. As soon as Kael began meditating, he found himself in a completely white space that made him feel incredibly calm. The floor was soft, as if he were sitting on a bed of cotton.

He smiled and looked around, but couldn't see anyone.

He thought he might meet the Goddess who had sent him to this world again, but she was nowhere to be found.

Kael's vision suddenly went completely dark, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back in his room. Sunlight was streaming through the window and falling across his face.

“Huh? Did I fall asleep?” Kael wondered, confused.

He had spent the entire night sitting there on the floor without even realizing it.

He stood up and headed to the bathroom. When Kael stood in front of the mirror, he noticed that he had a smile on his face. It was an unconscious smile. He slapped his cheeks a few times and then sighed.

“I feel great. That's surprising.”

The meditation had worked, and he had fully recovered, both physically and mentally. However, he hadn't become any stronger.

“So cultivation doesn't exist here.”

Kael smiled bitterly, washed his face, and then left the inn. He didn't even have breakfast.

He arrived at the church a short while later. He walked in without knocking and found Hestia and Bella in the living room. As soon as the two saw Kael, Bella said, “You look better than I expected.”

“Hm?”

“When we left the Dungeon yesterday, you looked exhausted. I was just telling the Goddess about everything that happened.”

“Oh, I feel great, so don't worry. Did you tell her about the changes in the Dungeon?”

“That's right. Probably all the Gods already know about it. The Denatus will take place this week, and it'll be one of the main topics of discussion,” Hestia said as she looked at Kael.

“I see.”

“Do you want to go to the Dungeon again today?” Bella asked.

“Yes, I do. Will you come with me?”

“I was actually going to invite you to train with me. What do you think?”

“Train?”

“Yes. I've been wanting to fight you for a few days now. Let's train together.”

After thinking for a moment, Kael replied, “I don't see any reason to refuse.”