Names from Another World
Aren rode the warp gate to the 4th District and boarded a carriage. At times like this, it was hard not to feel the sheer scale of each district within Labyrinth City. Months had already passed since he first entered the city, yet there were still countless places within the 4th District he had never visited. It felt almost absurd.
They arrived at the Sword Guild building.
“Whoa.”
“What do you think? When this place was built, masters from every race flocked here without discrimination,” Sena said. “The first guildmaster poured an enormous fortune into it, using rare materials gathered from the Labyrinth. You can feel the effort in every detail.”
The exterior alone was imposing. If the Silver Cross Knights’ headquarters felt like tempered steel—solid and unyielding—this building carried an air of ancient dignity and quiet authority.
“We’re so sorry!!!”
Yet the building’s grandeur paled in comparison to the sight that greeted them the moment they stepped through the gates.
‘Whoa. This is no joke.’
A towering, bald giant over two meters tall in full plate armor stood at the front, flanked by swordsmen in light armor with long blades strapped to their backs. There was a female swordsman in a training uniform, bandages visible beneath her open collar, and countless other swordsmen of all ages and genders, each carrying a single-handed sword at their waist. Dozens of distinctive swordsmen had gathered, and every single one of them was bowing deeply, heads lowered in unison.
For a moment, Aren wasn’t sure what was happening.
Sena looked slightly embarrassed to have her subordinates display such a scene. She rubbed the back of her neck and spoke in an awkward tone.
“Sorry for what? I never expected the culprit to be cunning and capable enough to tamper with a warp gate spell across an entire district. At least everything worked out in the end, right?”
“That’s true, but still!”
“What do you think I’m about to say? Let our bald head instructor think carefully before answering.”
“…If you have passion to spare on pointless matters, you should channel it into swinging your sword one more time. I know that’s what you’d say.”
The massive bald man at the front was clearly the guild’s second-in-command after Sena. He pondered her words before replying, and Sena snapped her fingers in approval.
Crack!
“Exactly! The warp gate is still being repaired. Having this many people gather at the carriage station would be inconvenient. And crossing districts with magic wouldn’t have gotten us here on time either. Honestly, I don’t think it would’ve worked.”
“You’re right, Guildmaster. Everything you say is correct.”
Though the instructor agreed, the collective sentiment of the group was clearly different.
“It’s been a while since we were all summoned like this, but we couldn’t help at all. Just standing around twiddling our thumbs made us feel useless. That’s why we reacted that way.”
Sena burst into laughter.
“Puhaha! You adorable idiots. Even your metaphors are something else… Twiddling your thumbs? Are you babies? ‘Waa waa, boo hoo’?”
“Ahem.”
“Alright, as I mentioned through the communication, the matter’s been resolved and the instructor’s family is safe. Thank you all for responding to the sudden summons. Seeing you all here always puts my mind at ease.”
“Sniff… Guildmaster!”
Good grief. The giant was tearing up despite his imposing frame. His first impression had been that of a tank or a stoic warrior, but he was actually a passionate fool.
“There he goes again. Enough talk—everyone, disperse!”
“You heard her! Disperse!”
When the head instructor shouted the order, enthusiastic voices rose from all around instead.
“Bruner! How about a real sword spar after so long?”
“Anytime. The sun’s about to rise anyway. We might as well start training early.”
“Every time I see the Guildmaster’s face, I get this crushing sense of inferiority. If I get stronger, do you think I’ll transform into someone with porcelain-white skin like hers?”
“Oh, stop it. Comparing yourself to the Guildmaster, one of the top beauties in the city, while you’re covered in freckles and dark skin—that’s practically blasphemy, you idiot!”
“Ugh! You’re in the same boat! I need to blow off some stress. Follow me to Training Hall 3!”
‘Whew, it reeks of sweat.’
Despite the mixed crowd of men and women, the atmosphere was thick with the smell of exertion. Still, the passion in the air wasn’t unpleasant.
“Not quite what you expected, right? But most of them are the real deal. You’d be surprised if you crossed blades with them.”
“Yes. I can feel their sincerity just by looking. Their eyes are different.”
“Right? Just because we have a plain name like ‘Sword Guild’ doesn’t mean we accept anyone who pays the fee.”
As Aren and Sena continued their pleasant conversation, Ivelin, who had been silent until now, spoke quietly.
“The passion, the atmosphere, the bonds—they’re all wonderful, but perhaps we should go inside and talk? If we keep standing here, we’ll keep drawing attention.”
“Ah, right. Let’s continue this in my office.”
They nodded and followed Sena deeper into the building. Even during the short walk to the office, guild members greeted her with bright smiles. Through those interactions, Aren caught another glimpse of how deeply respected and trusted she was among her people.
Click.
“Aren, sit here. Ivelin, sit wherever you like. Or feel free to wander around the building if you want!”
Seated at the center, Sena gestured for Aren to take the seat directly in front of her and spread her arms toward Ivelin.
“As you know, we usually only talk through communication. We rarely enter each other’s personal spaces because of our respective positions. Why not take this chance to look around?”
“You’re joking. You just want to send me off somewhere, don’t you?”
“Aww, that didn’t work? I was hoping to have a heart-to-heart with him alone.”
Sena laughed playfully, acknowledging their master-disciple relationship, then interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them, leaning closer.
“Alright, where should we start? Ah, this seems good.”
So it begins. Aren braced himself, expecting some unexpected question, but the opening was surprisingly light.
“Aren, what’s your real name? Not the one you made up after falling into this world—your original name.”
…He had thought he would never have to speak that name again.
“Ah. If you’re going to ask so directly, I should go first, right? My real name is Kang Sena.”
Wow. She used her real name as is. What if another transmigrator recognized it?
“Heh, yeah. I just took my real name and used it as an alias. Lucky it doesn’t feel too awkward. Your turn.”
Since he had started, she hoped he would answer honestly. Aren spoke slowly.
“Seo Dojin. That was my name back there. Now, no matter what anyone says, I’m Aren.”
“Ooh! I half-expected it, but you really are Korean?! I’m so happy!”
Huh? So there weren’t only Koreans?
“Does that mean there are foreigners among the transmigrators too?”
“Huh? Of course there are. It was a single-player game until the end, but the global server was used for the ranking leaderboard.”
Aren nodded outwardly. Names like Starlight Stella, Steel-hearted Daemon, and Sage Sophia came to mind. Even though he had heard that the famous apostles with widely known epithets had varied appearances, he hadn’t expected foreigners among them. He himself had chosen the alias Aren, after all. He had assumed that after crossing over, hair and eye color changed and appearances were adjusted. Even he had gained more muscle after his eyes turned golden.
“Hmm… Anyway, it’s a cool name, but you don’t seem too fond of your real one. I won’t dig any deeper.”
Aren appreciated her small consideration.
“Next question. Can you tell me your age, your job, and the god who summoned you? Ah, wait a second.”
Sena wagged her index finger and offered to guess before he answered.
“You look about twenty-three. Maybe an actor? Or an idol or influencer type? How’s my intuition?”
‘Not even close.’
“I’m twenty-five, and before coming here, I was just an office worker at a small company. The god who summoned me is the God of Chaos.”
“Really? That’s unexpected. What a waste of a face. Well, the job part makes sense, but the God of Chaos? Hold on.”
Was there a problem? Her sudden silence made him uneasy. Sena approached her desk, pulled an old book from a drawer, and began flipping through its pages.
“Not here. Not here either. …Found it. No temple or followers, and no traces left in the lower realm—classified as a neutral god.”
Flip.
“However, it has deep connections to both the God of Light and the God of Darkness, the representatives of the divine and evil factions respectively. Caution advised.”
She closed the book and fell into thought.
“Well, as long as it’s not an evil god, it’s fine. Now it’s my turn?”
She looked like she was in her early twenties, but surely there wasn’t some twist where she was actually in her mid-thirties?
“I was twenty-two when I transmigrated, so I’m twenty-seven now. Before coming here, I was a fairly famous kendo athlete. You already heard about the god, right?”
Of course. She had said she was an apostle of the God of Martial Arts. She had been connected to swords from the very beginning. No wonder she led the Sword Guild.
“I was pretty skilled, you know? I reached 4th dan with ease and earned my instructor qualification. I was excited about taking over the dojo someday.”
“Was?”
Sena let out a deep sigh.
“My father fell for a friend’s investment scam and our family went bankrupt. In the end, he hanged himself after losing hundreds of millions, and my mother ran off to start a new life with someone else.”
Whoa… He hadn’t expected such a heavy story.
“Before I knew it, the Kang Sena who was obsessed with swords had disappeared, and all that remained was a shut-in who spent a year holed up in her room, addicted to shorts and games.”
“…”
“That’s when I thought—ah, at least there’s no debt left. Let’s pick up the sword again. I may have lost my parents, but everything I worked so hard to achieve hasn’t disappeared, right?”
She had said she came here at twenty-two. So there had been a reason she survived. Her mental fortitude had been remarkable even at a young age. Sena, who had spoken with hope, let out a bitter laugh.
“But who would’ve thought that the game I was about to quit after clearing it one last time would become the bridge to another world.”
“Oh no…”
“I’m incredibly strong now and even became guildmaster, but when I first fell into this city, I almost went insane, you know?”
Fortunately, she had received excellent traits through the massive causality, and her native swordsmanship—Joseon sword techniques and the like—along with the European sword styles she had only superficially learned, were all reorganized by her traits. She had grown to an unparalleled level in swordsmanship.
‘She didn’t just learn one or two styles. How many sword techniques did she master at such a young age? No matter how hard she worked, she’s a true genius.’
When he asked about it indirectly, she replied.
“Actually, I glossed over it earlier, but I appeared on broadcasts several times. The rising star of the kendo world! The genius swordswoman Kang Sena! Never heard of me?”
“If you’re not interested in that field, you tend to be out of touch with the world… I’m sorry.”
“No, no. It’s fine if you don’t know. Anyway, that’s my story! How about you? Don’t you miss your family or anything?”
Family, huh. Aren fell silent for a moment, wiped his face once, and spoke calmly.
***
“Little brother! So from now on, call me big sister?”
“Ahem. Yes. Big sister.”
“You rascal. It still feels awkward, doesn’t it? Well, it’s only been a day since we met, so jumping straight into it would be strange. Let’s get used to it gradually, okay?”
“S-sounds good. I mean, I like that.”
Somehow, they had ended up calling each other siblings. Was it because of the joy of meeting another transmigrator who spoke the same language in this world? Or perhaps because sharing their painful pasts had created a sense of empathy.
“Ahh, meeting a fellow Korean after so long makes me crave soju with some gukbap!”
Knock knock.
“Come in!”
The head instructor entered after opening the door.
“Guildmaster, sorry to interrupt, but a representative from the depths of Arcadia is waiting in the reception room. It seems you should head over soon.”
“They probably want to hold a meeting about this incident. How does it look? Did the higher-ups pressure them hard? What’s the visitor’s demeanor?”
“Yes. He asked for you the moment he arrived, and there was urgency in his eyes. It seemed exactly like that kind of situation.”
“Well, it’s been years since an evil god’s apostle appeared. The higher-ups would need to gather and discuss countermeasures. Alright. I’ll go right away, so keep him occupied for a bit.”
Flutter.
Watching the instructor bow and leave, Sena put on her coat and straightened her clothes.
“Let’s meet again later. I probably won’t be available tomorrow, so come alone in a few days. Ivelin, you’re fine with him coming alone, right?”
“Sure. From what I heard of your conversation earlier, it doesn’t seem like you’ll be asking to take him as a disciple anymore.”
“Sorry I can’t see you off. Be careful on your way!”
Sena left for the reception room. There was no point in lingering in the now-empty office, so they left the guild and headed for the carriage station.
Beep.
“Got it. I’m on my way now. I’ll be there soon, so stop rushing me and hang up!”
After receiving a call from her adjutant Kane, Ivelin roughly put away her communication device. Naturally, since someone had been sent from the 1st District to Sena, someone would also be waiting at Ivelin’s knight order.
Hiss hiss.
“Master.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Look at my face. Don’t avoid my eyes.”
Ever since Sena left, Ivelin’s expression had been strange.
“Your face has looked odd for a while now. Should I say you look dissatisfied? Or maybe sulky.”
“I’m not… It’s nothing. You must be mistaken.”
“Hmm.”
Aren grabbed Ivelin’s hand.
“Eek.”
“I think I know why you’re acting like this, Master. You’re upset because I kept talking with the guild—with big sister—about things only the two of us know, right? Are you jealous?”
“…Yeah. I am jealous! So what if I’m your master? Besides training you when you knew nothing and being Yeriel’s sister, I don’t have any connection with you that’s better than hers.”
She pouted.
“I didn’t think much of it before, but seeing you laughing and chatting with Sena about things only the two of you understand made me realize the fundamental difference between us.”
She even wondered if it might be better for him to become Sena’s disciple instead, letting out a self-deprecating laugh as she called herself unqualified as a master. Aren took her hand and placed it against his chest.
“Can you feel it? My heart beating.”
“Let go.”
“This heart wouldn’t be beating here right now without your harsh training, support, and trust.”
“Th-that’s sophistry.”
“No. If I had relied only on my traits and acted recklessly, I would’ve long since become a cold corpse with a frozen heart somewhere in the Labyrinth. Or perhaps the Labyrinth would’ve swallowed my body and given birth to a new monster.”
Aren looked straight into Ivelin’s eyes.
“Master. No—Ivelin. Even if I learn from someone else in the future or form new bonds with other powerful people, there will always be only one person who holds the title of master.”
He squeezed her hand tighter.
“Though the time we’ve spent together is still short—only a few months—you are my only master, and I am your one and only disciple. So cheer up. Your pretty face is full of sulking.”
“…Y-you! How dare a disciple speak so casually to his master, who should be like the sky above!”
Thwack!
“Aack!”
“Your mouth runs too much. Stop talking nonsense and hurry back to reassure my worried little sister!”
“Master, you act so dignified and serious in front of others, but at times like this, you’re like a sulky girl. It’s kind of cute—ack! Ugh!”
Though he received a few more hits for his playful remark, he didn’t feel bad about it. Because he could see a faint smile forming on her lips as she walked ahead, one step at a time.
“Ah, Master! Wait for me!”
Afterward, they parted ways at the carriage station since their destinations differed. Aren headed to his inn, his home, while Ivelin returned to her knight order. Time flowed swiftly once more.