Chương 5: The Worst Dream

The other side of the stone wall wasn't a residential area just yet, but rather another vast, rolling grassland. It took them another ten minutes of driving to finally reach the inner city. Raveno was a large and prosperous city. The main thoroughfares were all paved with stone, bustling with an endless stream of pedestrians and carriages. However, numerous collapsed buildings were currently undergoing reconstruction—vivid scars left behind by a devastating battle.

Looking toward the city center revealed an even more jarring sight. High up on the elevated terrain sat what used to be a castle—a majestic structure crafted from massive stone blocks, once imposing and prominent. Now, under the fading light of the dusk, it looked like nothing more than a colossal heap of rubble. The castle appeared as though it had been simultaneously bombed, ripped apart by a massive tornado, and rocked by a violent earthquake, all while catching fire.

Hale couldn't begin to fathom what kind of power could cause that level of destruction.

"That is where your battle with Elias Leasser took place," Maddie said, noticing Hale staring intently at the ruined castle.

"I... caused this?" He knew this body was powerful, but he hadn't expected it to be this powerful. Just this morning, his mere attempt at a one-handed fireball had blown away a chunk of their house. If he had both of his hands and the memories of all his spells... Hale forced himself to shake the thought from his head; that was wishful thinking.

This was his first time "integrating into society" since waking up, so he figured he should focus on observing his surroundings to pick up some common sense about this new world. The construction techniques and architectural styles here were quite diverse, likely a result of cultural blending due to its border location. Buildings were constructed from different materials depending on their purpose. He could see everything from small shops made entirely of timber to multi-story buildings built from stone and clay.

The vast majority of people still relied on carriages pulled by animals that looked like skinny, heavily furred oxen, which Maddie called snow oxen. Consequently, their magic vehicle looked rather conspicuous on the road. Horses, on the other hand, were ridden exclusively by patrol squads wearing uniforms embroidered with red patterns. And they had horns. Not a single, long horn like a unicorn but two, resembling a rhinoceros's horns, only smaller and shorter.

Maddie explained that these riders were cavalrymans serving under the Knights, tasked with maintaining law and order. Hale immediately clocked them as the local police force. There were very few makeshift stalls along the streets; most goods were sold inside established shops. Although many parts of the city were still in ruins, the atmosphere was surprisingly devoid of gloom or mourning. The citizens on the streets looked full of vitality, their eyes still holding a glimmer of hope for a better future.

Their vehicle pulled up next to a large, multi-story inn that had miraculously survived the battle intact. Maddie instructed Hale to keep his hood up in crowded areas and follow her closely, leaving everything else for her to handle. The ground floor of the inn served as a dining area for both guests and passersby. Since it was dinner time, the place was packed, with people filling up the tables and chatting animatedly.

Hale couldn't help but prick up his ears to eavesdrop while Maddie was checking them in at the counter.

"How's your shop doing?"

"It's getting there. The neighbors are starting to move back, so business isn't as dead as it used to be."

"Thank goodness Sir Elias put an end to the war early, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to stabilize our lives this quickly."

"True. But it would have been better if there hadn't been a war in the first place. It's all because of that treasonous bastard!" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I don't understand how the Royal Family could give birth to such a cowardly piece of trash. He fled his homeland for three years, only to come back and bring the enemy right to our doorstep."

"Shh, we shouldn't be gossiping about this."

"What's there to fear? Everyone knows about it. The King and Queen must have been so disappointed and heartbroken. Thank goodness the Crown Prince, Kurt, is a wise man..."

"What about the treaty with Seki?"

"I have a friend who just escaped from Seki. It's a total mess over there right now."

"Serves those warmongers right. Now that their obedient dog is dead, let's see what else they can do to us."

"But Sir Elias's injuries still haven't healed..." Hale was right in the middle of listening when Ryan suddenly yanked his sleeve. The boy lowered his voice and muttered, "Stop eavesdropping. If you want to know how terrible you are, just listening to me insult you is more than enough."

"... I'm not eavesdropping, I'm gathering intelligence." Having finished the check-in process, Maddie walked over and addressed them both, "I've rented two rooms on the fourth floor. Let's go." The two rooms they rented were the most premium suites the inn had to offer. While they couldn't possibly compare to his private forest mansion, they both featured large windows and soft, plush mattresses. The room on the left had two single beds, while the one on the right had a single large bed.

Seeing Hale instinctively head toward the room on the left, Maddie stepped in to block him.

"Your room is over here, Master." Hale blinked, thoroughly confused.

"Huh? Ryan and I are both guys, shouldn't we be rooming together? It makes sense for you to have your own room since you're a woman." Maddie remained entirely unyielding.

"Ryan and I will share. Your room is this way." Hale backed down, utterly defeated by her sheer stubbornness. Seriously, who's the boss here anyway? Then again, Ryan was just a kid. It wasn't unusual for a child to sleep in the same room as their guardian, right? Hale threw himself onto the large bed, initially planning to just rest for a few minutes before heading down for dinner. However, exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave, dragging him deeper and deeper into a heavy slumber.

He found himself floating in mid-air, looking down at a chaotic sea of rubble—the very same place that, just hours ago, had been a majestic castle. Standing amidst the ruins was a young man with crimson hair and a pair of strong, resolute eyes. But right now, those eyes burned with nothing but pure hatred and righteous fury.

"Hale Wallace! Why did you have to do all this?!" Hale didn't answer. With a swift flick of his wrists, he unleashed a barrage of wind sickles tearing toward the man. Yet, just like every other spell he had cast, they dissipated harmlessly before they could even graze the crimson-haired youth's skin. The young man stomped his foot against the ground. The sheer, terrifying force of his strike shattered the boulders beneath him, propelling him into the air until he was level with Hale.

He swung his blade at a speed completely imperceptible to the naked eye. Hale could have dodged. He should have dodged. But he didn't. He couldn't win this battle; dragging it out any longer was utterly pointless. The sword plunged straight through his right shoulder, driving him hard into the solid stone floor. He could feel the bones in his body shattering into splinters as hot, metallic blood surged up his throat.

Gripping his sword tightly, the crimson-haired youth glared down at him, his eyes blazing with fury. Yet, beneath the anger lay an indescribable mix of confusion and sheer helplessness. He spat his next words through gritted teeth:"If you hadn't done that to Emma all those years ago... would things have turned out differently? Why did you do it, Hale?!" An abrupt thought crossed Hale's mind: he wanted to have a proper sword fight with this man one last time.

Even though it had been a very long time since he last wielded a blade. Magic couldn't touch this guy, but a sword still could. But it was too late. He had abandoned the sword. And frankly, he no longer had any desire to exist in this world. Let it all just end. The sword was ripped from his shoulder, only to be raised once more.

"AAAAAAA!" Hale bolted upright in bed, instinctively clutching the stump of his right arm. The phantom sensation of his bones being hacked apart was still hammering violently against his brain, forcing a raw scream from his throat.

"Master! Master! Please calm down, you're safe now." Maddie was already by his bedside, though he hadn't noticed when she had entered. Hale was drenched in cold sweat. Outside the window, a pitch-black night had completely enveloped the city. This world had no moon; the darkness was instead illuminated by three exceptionally bright stars hanging in the east and northeast sky. Right. This is a different world. This isn't the world I was born in, I don't belong here.

I'm not some villain hated by the entire world, I'm just a college student trying his best to survive. Hale took deep, ragged breaths, desperately trying to steady his racing heart, but the throbbing pain in his severed arm refused to fade. Was that... a memory from this body just now?

"Sorry..." he mumbled to Maddie, his voice trembling slightly.

"It was just a nightmare. Did I wake you up?" Maddie's brows knitted together in deep worry. She gently stroked her master's back, noticing that his left hand was still fiercely digging into the stump of his missing right arm. The dragon maid took a deep, heavy breath, as if she were trying to rein in her own emotions. Then, completely out of nowhere, she spoke:"Let's go." Hale blinked through his sweat.

"... Go where?"

"To kill Elias."