In the player housing system of Grand World Online, one option stood out: the Floating Citadel, a skyborne island. Guilds, the primary gatherings of Grand World players, often vied for control over in-game territories, engaging in player-versus-player battles, conflicts with NPC factions, or even wars between NPC forces.
However, for solo players or small groups uninterested in such wars and seeking a personal haven, the Floating Citadel was created—a drifting island in the sky.
Gravel, too, had invested a fortune to acquire the largest floating island, turning it into his stronghold. There, he stored treasures and wealth accumulated over countless hours of gameplay. The existence of his Floating Citadel surfaced in his mind as Iris spoke.
But what if only he and Iris had crossed into this world? He entertained the grim possibility. Yet, the clear goal of finding his stronghold helped him shake off tangled thoughts and unease.
"Would the Gate Magic for Base Recall work?"
Gravel extended his hand, conjuring a magic circle in front of it. The circle glowed briefly before fading into nothingness.
"It didn't activate? Then, is this really the worst-case scenario…?"
"I'll be back, Iris."
With those brief words, Gravel shot into the sky before Iris's eyes. After some time, he descended back to her.
"I checked around to see if the floating island was nearby, but no luck."
He hadn't held high hopes, but a trace of disappointment creased his brow.
"It would've been nice if the Floating Citadel had conveniently followed us… Was that too optimistic?"
"No, Lord Gravel. There's solid evidence."
Iris held up her hand, showing the ring on her finger. Seeing it, Gravel removed his gauntlet and gazed at one of the rings on his own hand.
"Oh, the Archangel's Ring!"
The Archangel's Ring was a set of seven rings from Grand World Online, each engraved with the crest of one of the seven archangels. By chance, the number matched Gravel, Iris, and the five NPC companions in his citadel, so they had equipped them accordingly.
"Yes! Since all seven rings are glowing, doesn't that mean the others might be in this world too?"
Iris brought the ring on her finger close to her face as she spoke.
"Hmm. But that only suggests five of them are alive and in this world… We can't be certain the Floating Citadel came with them."
Still, the news that other NPC companions might be in this world was hopeful.
"I see… I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking…"
Iris's expression wasn't one of dejection but rather frustration at herself for getting carried away by the joy of their companions' potential presence without deeper consideration.
"No, it's not unreasonable to think that way. Even I can't imagine old man Pharos or that Sluru leaving the citadel."
Gravel offered comforting words to Iris, who had lowered her head.
"Alright, let's assume the best-case scenario: the Floating Citadel and the five others are in this world. Our goal is to gather information and find the citadel!"
"Yes, Lord Gravel!"
Iris, who had been staring at her ring, lifted her head and responded.
"When I scouted from the sky earlier, I saw a sizable city in that direction. Let's head there first."
Pointing toward the base of the hill, Gravel spoke, and the two began descending.
After walking down the hill and through a forest of tall trees that blocked the sky, they reached a well-maintained road marked by wagon wheel tracks and hoofprints. Listening to birds chirping in the distance and enjoying the cool shade of towering trees, they walked for a while. Eventually, they emerged from the forest onto a road stretching across a vast plain.
In the distance, farmers worked the fields, and further still, a carriage rumbled along the road toward the city Gravel and Iris were heading for.
"It's starting to sink in that we're in a new world…"
Taking a deep breath, Gravel felt the scent of dry earth and the aroma of barley from nearby fields fill his chest.
Everything felt unfamiliar and new. He was still Gravel, the game character, but the growing unease about his unclear identity was gradually fading as he focused on the world before him.
"Let's get to the city and gather information."
"Yes, Lord Gravel."
With a short reply, Iris quickened her pace to follow Gravel.
Passing through a gate guarded by soldiers in metal helmets and wielding spears, they entered the city. The first thing that caught Gravel's eye was a wooden sign on a building by the road, painted with the image of a short-necked, wide-bodied glass bottle.
Beneath it, words were written in an unfamiliar language.
"Derta's General Store. (Why can I read it?)"
Perhaps it's because scholar-class jobs have no language penalty? That's the only explanation for this situation…
Gravel recalled the passive skill of his mage-scholar class.
"Welcome~!"
A gruff, middle-aged man's voice greeted the two as they opened the door and stepped inside, though its owner was nowhere in sight.
I could understand that too. Can I comprehend languages without using Communicate magic?
In the game, the mage-scholar's passive skill, Communicate, was always active and highly useful, which helped him make sense of the current situation.
"Do you have portable food and a bag to store it in?"
Gravel asked the shopkeeper about items likely found in a general store, wondering if the language he spoke matched this world's. Just then, the shopkeeper, who had been organizing glass bottles filled with clear liquid in a corner, appeared before him.
"We've got dried meat and biscuits. Will that do?"
"Yes, that should be enough."
"Then a small saddlebag should suffice for the bag."
"Yes. But can I pay with gold pieces instead of currency?"
Having never seen this world's currency, Gravel had melted down Grand World gold coins with magic while walking to the city, turning them into small gold pieces stored in his pouch.
"Of course, but… I'll grab the scales."
The shopkeeper tilted his head, eyeing the two curiously before moving to fetch the scales and disappearing from Gravel's view.
It was hard to remember every customer's face or name unless they were regulars, but a black-haired customer paying with gold pieces instead of the kingdom's currency made Derta, the shopkeeper, regard Gravel and Iris with suspicion.
"It's from a mining town in the southwest."
Gravel fabricated a story to dispel Derta's doubts. While walking to the city, he had seen a large mountain range in the direction of the setting sun, and mountains often housed mines. By vaguely mentioning a "southwest" location and a mine, he hoped to ease the shopkeeper's suspicions.
"Oh, you mean Teunt Mining Village? Aren't they a bit too generous? Still, you calculated it properly, right? Gold coins and gold pieces are different, you know."
"Yes, I made sure to account for that. I'll pay a bit extra too."
Derta's face broke into a smile, pleased that Gravel had caught his drift.
"That's much appreciated, sir. Anything else you need? You look like adventurers. We've got lantern oil, spice and salt pouches, and portable bedding—light and warm. Especially this lantern oil, you've got to try it. Unlike other shops, we don't use fish oil, so it smells less and burns longer. It's so popular we even put a bottle on our sign!"
Not a potion bottle, then.
With his suspicions eased, Derta eagerly showed Gravel various items, but Gravel figured things like flint or lantern oil weren't necessary.
Unless you're a newbie, you don't need torches or lanterns for light.
As a Grand World character, Gravel could create light far brighter than a torch with simple magic.
But relying too much on magic might draw attention…
"Then I'll take four bottles of lantern oil, two flints, two portable bedding sets, and two small knives. But in exchange—"
"Thank you for taking my recommendations, sir. But 'in exchange'? What's that about…?"
Anticipating a request to haggle, Derta prepared responses like, "I can't make a profit that way," or "Let me tell you about the benefits of the reindeer leather in that bag." His merchant instincts kicked into high gear.
"Please exchange the remaining gold pieces for a mix of gold and silver coins. I'll cover the fee."
"The fee's lower than what the merchant or adventurer guilds charge, right?"
"Yes, we'll be staying in this city for a while, so I hope we can work well together."
Implying he'd return if satisfied—a tactic that worked well on merchants—Gravel pulled gold pieces from a small pouch and handed them to Derta. After settling the transaction, Derta hummed a tune as he packed the items into the bag.
Leaving the general store, Gravel and Iris walked toward the city center. The portable bedding, made of fur, was rolled up and tied around their waists. The new bags were slung over their shoulders, resting above their thighs.
"Alright! We've bought a bunch, so now it's time to earn!"
The mention of an "adventurer guild" at the store brought a smile to Gravel's face, his steps light with excitement.
This was the moment he'd always dreamed of as a gamer. Playing Grand World, he'd often wished, "I want to live in a world like this." Now, that wish was coming true. He hadn't ignored the possibility that he might be far weaker in this new world compared to Grand World. But so what? He could grow stronger. He could adventure.
Even if there were beings in this world with unimaginable power, it didn't matter. He'd be thrilled. None of it mattered. His dream had come true. The question of who he was, the memories that wouldn't surface—they didn't matter. Magic existed. There was an adventurer guild. He'd learn more, explore more. Whatever he did, it would be fun.
He had Iris, his companion. He had a home to find, a citadel to return to. There were comrades to reunite with. A small spark of passion began to burn within Gravel. A tiny flame flickered to life.