Interlude: His Story & Daily Life with Her
His Story
When Ameryel broke the news that she was leaving for the north, my world went dark. No wonder we’d dragged ourselves to Woman's Smile and ordered a full spread, only to pick at the food like birds. When she’d first mentioned treating me to a free dinner, I’d thought it was a lucky day. But watching us sit there, stealing glances at each other while barely eating, I felt like I was going to choke.
I managed to smooth over the atmosphere, but that didn't change the fact that Ameryel was disappearing. With this, the only playable character I had by my side was gone. Life is truly fleeting.
The only silver lining was that Ameryel wasn't a player. If she were, she wouldn't have failed to recognize my face. Looking at it that way, maybe her departure wasn't the end of the world. My head was a mess, so I collapsed onto my bed. I needed to sort out my thoughts.
I had fallen into a game world. An isekai transfer. I think people used to call it "tripping" back in the day, but whether you call it a trip or a transfer, it’s all outdated. It was miserable enough that I hadn't been possessed or reincarnated, but I hadn't even landed in a proper mobile or console game. The game I’d been transported into was a TRPG called Dungeon Age.
It wasn't the main system our group usually played, but since it was free and had a lot of buzz, everyone had been curious to try it at least once. Well, most of the rumors were negative, led by the catchy label of it being a "game for morons." But it did have a selling point: the world-building wasn't left solely to the Master, but was something everyone at the table created together.
I finally got the chance to play Dungeon Age when a college friend had to go to boot camp, leaving us with a five-week gap. We decided to fill those five weeks with a filler session using Dungeon Age, and we excitedly created our player character sheets. The guy who wrote novels on the side made a human female cleric, Ameryel. The guy who ran a business made a Dragonian female fighter, Rubica. The only girl in the group, a high school friend, made a dwarf male wizard, Topaur. And I made a demon female rogue, Onyxia. They were all pretty standard characters, fitting for people with our experience.
Then the Master called for a ten-minute break. He told us to take a breather and then continue with the world-building, before heading up to the roof to get his nicotine fix. The other two smokers followed him.
"Coffee for the sugar crash?" the friend asked.
"Text the guys and ask what they want," I said.
And while I was on my way to the convenience store, I came to my senses and realized I’d been dumped into the world of Dungeon Age. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve insisted we finish the world-building before the break. It’s the second biggest regret of my life.
I’ve lived tooth and nail. If I hadn't been given my abilities, I would’ve died in a ditch somewhere. The ability to see rule-based information when looking at living things or objects. The ability to automatically perform checks when faced with dangerous situations. And finally, the ability to spend 1 point of luck to re-roll a failed check. I’ve owed my life to these skills more times than I can count. I don't know who sent me to this world, but I am grateful for this much.
Once I had enough breathing room, the first thing I did was search for the other player characters. Maybe, just maybe, the others had been dropped into Dungeon Age just like me. I’d arrived in my original body, but I believed they might have been possessed by the bodies of the characters they’d created. Besides, if they weren't the characters, there was no way to find them in this vast world.
Finding the characters wasn't that difficult. You need a background story to create a character, after all. I just had to follow those backstories. As it happened, two of the characters were gathered in one place: the adventurer city of Silverion. It was the city that appeared in both Ameryel’s and Onyxia’s backstories.
Meeting them was a huge disappointment. Ameryel was just Ameryel, not the guy I knew. If it had been him, there’s no way he wouldn't have recognized my face. The road ahead looked bleak. Rubica only had a background as a slave, so I had no idea where to find her. And Topaur, who had the highest probability of being a player since we were on our way to the convenience store together, was nowhere to be found.
When I couldn't find a single shred of a way to return to reality, the only thing that comforted me was my adventure with Onyxia. A fantasy life with your own original character—isn't that something everyone imagines at least once? It was fun. Despite her tragic background, Onyxia seemed to be opening up to me, and I relied on her, too. That is my biggest regret.
Because Onyxia took all the money we’d saved up and ran off. It was my fault for trusting a thief. I should’ve listened to the older guy who told me never to trust anyone in a leather-clad profession, let alone talk to them. I thought he was just saying that because of his druid concept.
It was a Level 3 campaign*, so there was no way I could win, no matter how hard I tried. So, fueled by spite, I shouted, "I will never be betrayed again!" and ran to a slave trader to buy Hazel, but...
Honestly, I don't know how to treat Hazel anymore. At first, I tried to be a strict master. I even picked a particularly nasty brand for her. But hearing such a small thing scream... I just couldn't do it. Yet, now that the venom has drained out of me, I don't know what kind of expression to wear or how to interact with her. So, I used the excuse of having her learn to read and write, handed her over to Ameryel, and ran away.
I wasn't looking after her directly, but I thought I was fulfilling my minimum responsibilities. I sent money for her upbringing, and I emptied my pockets to hire a magic tutor for her. But now, Ameryel is leaving for Icepeak. I have to live with Hazel starting tomorrow.
How on earth should I treat her? I have to look after Hazel, find the remaining two characters, and I want to catch Onyxia and do... something to her... The night deepened as I wrestled with my thoughts.
His Story END
Daily Life with Her
"Welcome back."
"Oh, yeah. Did you have a good day, Hazel?"
"Yes."
It’s awkward.
"And the laundry?"
"I hung it out in the yard."
"I see. Good job."
It’s incredibly awkward.
"Well, I’m going to go wash up. You keep doing whatever you were doing."
"I’ll go fetch the water."
With a pitter-patter of footsteps, Hazel disappeared. Since Ameryel left, Hazel has been living with me. She’s such a kind and diligent kid. I don't know if that’s just her original personality or a habit she picked up during her time as a slave. She doesn't just work hard; she actively looks for things to do, so I suppose the latter is more likely.
Hazel also has a strange side to her. Sometimes she shows a maturity that doesn't fit a child. Her perspective is broad, and she grasps situations quickly. Is that because she grew up too fast during her life as a slave?
I scanned the room; it was spotless. It was partly because we hadn't been renting the room for long, but it was mostly because of Hazel’s touch. Her hands are so capable, perhaps because of the [Tidiness] trait. When I first saw it, I wondered what kind of trait that was, but it seems related to inventory limits. When I was organizing my adventure gear, I noticed she packed everything neatly without a single gap. I suppose the rules of the game were implemented that way when they crossed over into reality. It’s likely a trait of the squirrel beastkin, and it’s so fitting that I can't help but smile when I see it.
Thump. Thump.
A heavy knock echoed, and the door opened. Hazel returned, carrying a wide wooden bucket. Did she knock with her foot because she didn't have any hands free? She’s a creature that’s cute in everything she does.
"Shall I help you wash up?"
"Hazel. Go outside. Go check on the laundry you hung up."
This part is a bit burdensome.
[Tidiness] [Darkvision] [Staff Ineptitude] [Magic Theory Proficiency]
Luck: 1
She’s working hard. Seeing that she’s gained staff proficiency, she must not be slacking on her practice. But it’s unexpected that she still can't use magic even though her magic theory has gone from inept to proficient. Is she missing something? Or is it because her class isn't Wizard?
I idly touched the blank space next to her level where the class should be. I need her to learn magic soon so we can go out and do things together. Maybe I should ask Meredith about her progress.
While I was lost in thought, I heard someone moving. It was Hazel. She was stumbling from her bed toward mine. For a split second, I tensed up, thinking, "Is this a night attack?" but there was no need for that. My [Crisis Detection] hadn't triggered. Whatever her reason for coming over, she had no intention of harming me.
Hazel crawled into my bed. I shifted my body to make room, and she curled into a ball in the spot where I’d been lying just moments ago. She said she’d shared a bed with Ameryel at the temple. Is she craving warmth?
I covered her with the edge of the blanket. Let her be. Even if it’s a bit uncomfortable, I can just move her back to her own bed before she wakes up.
The sound of her small, rhythmic breathing filled the room.
Daily Life with Her END