The words landed heavier than Austin expected.

  He sat there in stunned silence, the reality of it all finally settling into place. Okay, he thought faintly, this world is officially way more intense than any game I've ever played.

  His throat tightened. Great savior, huh? He wasn't sure he deserved a title like that—not even close—but a strange warmth spread through his chest anyway. Gratitude mixed with a nervous thrill that he didn't quite know how to process.

  At the same time, his mind refused to slow down.

  Pouring magic into another person, he thought. How does that even work? Was it like transferring energy through touch? Like sharing breath, or blood, or something deeper? And what did an "incredible amount" of magic even look like? Selvara had spoken of Lira's reserves with near reverence, as if she were a walking miracle rather than a noblewoman.

  There has to be a system for this, he reasoned. Levels. Pools. Stats. Something measurable. Whatever the scale was, his own clearly didn't even register on it. Not unless he felt like taking another reckless dive straight toward death just to prove a point.

  Still, all things considered, he was handling it better than he'd expected. Years of RPGs, anime binges, and late-night grinding sessions had trained his brain to accept complicated rules and strange worlds without short-circuiting. If anything, it felt like he'd been dropped into a game halfway through—no tutorial, max difficulty.

  He turned back to Lira and managed a small, sincere smile. "Thank you, Lira. I guess that makes you my savior too."

  Her eyes softened instantly, a faint blush creeping across her pale cheeks. "Yes," she said quietly, lips curving into a shy smile. "I suppose it does."

  For a brief moment, the carriage seemed to fade away. The rumble of wheels, the noise outside—it all blurred into nothing as they held each other's gaze. Time stretched thin.

  Wow, Austin thought, completely lost. She's… incredible. He felt like he could stare into her eyes all day and still want more.

  A pointed cough shattered the moment.

  Selvara sat stiffly in the corner, arms crossed, clearing her throat—once, then again, louder.

  "Anyway," she said briskly, pointedly avoiding eye contact with either of them, "judging by the noise outside, we've arrived at Viregrave."

  "Well," Lira replied brightly, her smile radiant enough to make Austin's chest tighten all over again, "isn't that perfect timing?"

  Austin barely managed to nod before her next words snapped him back to reality.

  "Would you like to come with us to the Renn Manor, Austin?"

  "Lady Lira!" Selvara snapped, the words cracking like a whip. "I highly doubt your father would approve of you bringing a stranger into the Renn household."

  "My father should be relieved I'm returning alive at all," Lira replied calmly. Then she paused, thoughtful. "But… you do have a point. He can be rather flustered by unexpected guests."

  Austin leaned back, content to let them argue, his attention drifting as movement outside the window caught his eye.

  Viregrave rose on the horizon like a stone giant frozen mid-step.

  Its walls were massive—towering slabs of dark gray stone stacked impossibly high, broad and unyielding, as if carved straight from the earth itself. Moss clung stubbornly near the base, but higher up the stone was clean and sharp, untouched by time. It didn't feel like a city so much as a challenge—one that dared anyone to test it.

  His gaze traced the jagged battlements, their uneven ridges like the teeth of some ancient beast. Watchtowers jutted up at regular intervals, each one manned, each one silently warning intruders to reconsider.

  Yeah, Austin thought, impressed. If this were a game, you'd know right away you weren't sneaking past that.

  Then he noticed it—a faint blue shimmer rippling across the wall, subtle but unmistakable when the light struck it just right. Like heat haze, but colder. Sharper.

  A barrier, he guessed. Touch it and—zap. Instant regret. Possibly worse.

  His attention slid lower, toward the main gate. It loomed over the crowd, easily three times taller than the people below it. Thick wooden doors reinforced with heavy iron bands stood half-open as merchants hauled carts through, travelers waited their turn, children darted between legs—

  Austin blinked.

  Wait… are those cat ears?

  His eyes widened as a figure passed by the carriage window, a long tail flicking lazily behind them like it was the most normal thing in the world. Austin blinked hard, then shook his head once, just to be sure his brain hadn't finally decided to short-circuit.

  Nope.

  Still there.

  Above the moving crowd, crimson banners snapped sharply in the wind, their fabric cracking like whips. Each one bore the same emblem—a black raven clutching a sword—the exact symbol stamped onto the armor and cloaks of the soldiers escorting the carriage.

  This place is unreal, Austin thought, excitement buzzing through him like static. If the outside looks like this… what's the inside of the city gonna be like?

  A reckless part of him wanted to fling the carriage door open right then and there and vanish into the crowd. Just jump out, blend in, and let the city swallow him whole. Man, he thought, practically vibrating, I could just wander around, take everything in… maybe talk to some cat women, see what other species are walking around. That alone felt worth crossing worlds for.

  Viregrave wasn't just new.

  It was alive.

  His thoughts barely had time to spiral any further before Selvara's voice cut cleanly through them.

  "Austin," she said firmly. "Lady Lira asked whether you would like us to drop you off somewhere within the city."

  "Oh—yeah," Austin replied quickly, snapping back to attention. "If you could drop me off right at the front gate, that'd be perfect. This is my first time in Viregrave, and I'd like to explore as much as I can."

  Lira hummed softly, tilting her head as if turning something over in her mind. "That's right," she said. "You mentioned earlier that you came from a land far away… Cleveland, Ohio, was it?"

  "Yeah," Austin said, rubbing the back of his neck.

  "I've never heard of such a place," Lira admitted. "You must have traveled a great distance to reach Viregrave."

  Great distance doesn't even begin to cover it, Austin thought dryly, forcing a polite smile.

  Then she asked the one question he hadn't prepared for.

  "Why did you choose to leave your homeland?"

  Austin froze.

  Uh-oh. Backstory time.

  His mind scrambled. Okay. Think. He'd played enough RPGs and watched enough anime to know this moment mattered. Say too much, and things got complicated. Say the wrong thing, and people started asking questions he absolutely could not answer. And there was no universe where he was explaining that he'd died, met a mischievous goddess, and got dumped here less than a day ago.

  Yeah. Hard pass.

  Vague. Simple. Safe.

  He cleared his throat. "I left Cleveland—the place where I was born and raised—because I wanted to see the world and find my fortune," he said carefully. "Starting fresh just felt like the right choice."

  He left it there. No invented profession. No fake trade. Nothing that could corner him later.

  Lira studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Are you certain you wish to be dropped off at the gate?" she asked. "I could arrange for you to be taken closer to our estate, where there are fewer people."

  "Thank you, Lira, but the front gate will be perfect," Austin said.

  Definitely better to be dropped inside the city, he thought. If there's some kind of magical ID check or registration nonsense, I don't have it. Heck, he didn't even have his Earth ID anymore. Blending in ASAP was the smart move.

  "As you wish," Lira said softly, though there was the faintest hint of disappointment in her tone.

  Austin turned back toward the window as the carriage rumbled closer to the gates. His breath caught when he spotted a pair moving through the crowd—a beast man and a beast woman walking side by side. Fur-lined ears twitched atop their heads, and a tail swayed lazily behind one of them.

  No way…

  His heart thudded with excitement. He'd seen beastkin in games, anime, and books more times than he could count—but seeing them in real life was something else entirely. They had weight. Presence. Reality that no illustration or animation could ever capture.

  Man… if beast folk are walking around, he thought, then what else is out there? Elves? Dwarves? Stuff I've never even heard of?

  The possibilities sent a thrill straight through him. He leaned closer to the glass, eyes wide, drinking in every detail as the massive gates of Viregrave loomed ever closer.

  ***

  Selvara folded her arms, her sharp gaze shifting back to Lira. "Since you appear to have recovered from your illness, Lady Lira," she said evenly, "your father will no doubt expect you to resume your dungeon training today."

  Lira let out a small sigh, her eyes dropping briefly to the floor. "That is… probably true," she admitted, the words carrying a reluctant weight.

  Austin's head snapped away from the window. "Dungeons?" he blurted, excitement and curiosity spilling straight into his voice.

  "Yes. Dungeons," Selvara replied without missing a beat. One brow lifted slightly. "Do you not have dungeons in the land of… Cleveland, Ohio?"

  "Well," Austin said carefully, already walking on thin ice, "probably not the kind of dungeons you're thinking about."

  "I'll take that as a no," Selvara muttered, a note of disappointment creeping in. "This Cleveland Ohio place sounds severely behind the times."

  Lira leaned closer to Austin, her tone softening as she explained. "The Viregrave dungeons lie east of the city. They are one of the main reasons people travel here at all. Adventurers of all kinds enter them to grow stronger." Her eyes lit faintly as she spoke. "They form an underground labyrinth filled with monsters, fiends, and strange creatures. When defeated, those creatures leave behind loot—what you receive depends on their level. And more importantly, the dungeons are among the fastest ways to increase one's stats."

  Austin's eyes practically sparkled. Monsters. Loot. Stat growth.

  Oh yeah. This was absolutely his kind of place.

  "Is that so?" he said, leaning forward. "Sounds right up my alley." He barely hesitated. "So… how do I sign up?"

  "If you wish to participate," Lira replied, "you must visit the Adventurers Guild in the center of the city. They will issue you an adventurer's license and explain everything you need to know."

  "That's perfect," Austin said, a grin spreading across his face.

  "So I assume this will be your first destination?" Lira asked.

  "Yes," Austin said firmly. "I need to grow stronger if I'm going to survive here."

  Survive was putting it lightly, he thought. My stats are absolute trash right now.

  "I understand," Lira said, her voice turning solemn. "As heir to my father's clan, I am expected to rise through the dungeons as well—to prove that I am strong enough to lead after him."

  Austin studied her for a moment, the realization sinking in. Crap. That was a lot of pressure. Fresh off the brink of death, and she was still expected to go grind monsters like it was another obligation. Combined with the soldiers, the carriage, the authority—yeah. She was definitely from a high-tier family.

  Selvara sighed. "And that reminds me… the dungeons will be overflowing with competition. Other noble clans send their heirs there as well." Her expression hardened. "And, of course, there will be countless low-tier adventurers doing whatever they can to gain Lady Lira's attention."

  "Competition for what?" Austin asked.

  Selvara's jaw tightened. "Lady Lira has come of age. Between her status as heir to the High Noble Renn Clan Federation and her… appearance, she attracts far too many opportunists." Disdain colored her voice. "Such is the burden of high nobility."

  Austin leaned back slightly, letting that sink in. I don't know much about noble politics yet, he thought, but one thing's clear—she's a big deal.

  He was about to ask more when a sharp knock rattled the carriage door.

  "Come in," Lira said.

  The door creaked open, and Darrik leaned inside, his armor clinking softly. "Lady Lira, we have passed through the gates of the capital. Shall we proceed directly to the Renn estate?"

  "Yes," Lira replied smoothly. Then she glanced toward Austin. "But first, Austin has asked to be dropped off here at the entrance gate."

  Darrik's stern gaze shifted to Austin, then softened just slightly. He nodded. "Good to see you alive and whole," he said. "We are deeply grateful for your heroism in healing Lady Lira."

  Austin scratched the back of his head, flustered. "Uh—yeah. No problem," he said with an awkward laugh. "Guess I'll… head out."

  "Very well," Darrik said, stepping aside and opening the door wider.

  "Wait," Lira said.

  She leaned down and retrieved the bag and sword Austin had taken from the bandit earlier. Holding the blade carefully, she extended it toward him. "This sword once belonged to one of our soldiers. I would like you to have it." Her smile was gentle but confident. "You will likely need it if you intend to enter the dungeons. I suspect magic may not suit you very well."

  Her soft chuckle made Austin laugh in return. "Yeah," he said, grinning. "You're not wrong."

  He slung the bag over his shoulder and took the sword, its weight solid and reassuring in his hand. "I knew this thing was way too nice for that Orc," he said. "Thank you… Lady Lira."

  "Please," she said, shaking her head lightly. "Just Lira."

  Something in Austin's chest tightened at that smile. For a second, he almost didn't want to leave. "Thanks for the ride," he said, waving. "Maybe I'll see you in the dungeon sometime."

  He was halfway out when Darrik stopped him. "Wait."

  Austin turned. Darrik held out a gloved hand. "May we take custody of the scroll you recovered? Even diminished, the mages will wish to examine it."

  "Oh—yeah, sure," Austin said, handing it over. "I don't really need it."

  Darrik accepted it with a respectful nod.

  As Austin stepped down onto the cobbled street, Lira leaned out of the carriage. "Do you know where you will be staying?"

  "Not a clue," Austin said with a crooked grin. "Guess I'll figure that part out."

  "The Renn estate lies in the Noble High District, north of Viregrave," Lira said. "We both attend the academy nearby. I… hope to see you again soon."

  Austin's grin widened. "Likewise. Thanks again!"

  The carriage door closed, and the soldiers moved on, the crimson banners vanishing into the flow of the capital.

  Austin watched until they were gone, then smirked. "Damn," he muttered, adjusting his gear. "I'm gonna miss that face."

  Then he turned toward the city—toward Viregrave—and stepped forward.

  Chapter four

  Austin slowed to a stop once the carriage had rolled far enough away that it vanished into the bends of the street. For a moment, he simply stood there, his breath catching as the world around him finally settled into focus.

  Towering buildings loomed on every side, their stone bases rising solid and ancient, while wooden balconies stacked upward in uneven layers. The architecture looked ripped straight from the fantasy anime he used to binge back on Earth—only this wasn't a screen, and there was no pause button. Crimson and gold banners fluttered overhead, their fabric snapping in the breeze as unfamiliar crests gleamed in the sunlight. He didn't know what the symbols meant, but they carried a weight of history that made the city feel alive and old all at once.

  The streets themselves buzzed with motion and sound. Merchants shouted over one another, pitching wares with dramatic flair. Children laughed as they wove through the crowd, fearless and fast. Wagon wheels rattled loudly over the stone roads, the noise echoing between the buildings. Everything felt louder, brighter, more real than anything he had known before.

  This is… completely different from Earth, Austin thought, slowly turning in place like a tourist dropped into another century. Kinda insane, actually.

  The irony wasn't lost on him. He'd joked for years about wanting to get isekai'd—transported to another world, gifted powers, handed a fresh start. But he'd always imagined the safer version. The summoning-circle-with-glowing-runes kind of deal. Not the getting-killed version. Death had never been part of the plan. And yet here he was, having taken the "death route" by accident, driven by his own stupid, self-sacrificing instincts. Worse, he'd nearly repeated the mistake with Lira.

  His thoughts drifted, briefly and dangerously, to the mischievous goddess who had sent him here. If I died again, would I get another goddess? Would my skills stack? The idea made him snort under his breath. Yeah, no. Let's not test that theory.

  As if the city wanted to remind him just how far from home he truly was, Austin noticed the people moving past him weren't all human. A tall figure strode by with fur-tufted ears and a long snout, a wolf's features stretched into a man's frame. Two birdfolk with sharp, hawk-like eyes swept past next, feathers tucked neatly beneath their cloaks, talons clicking against the stone. Nearby, a group of shorter, round-bodied humanoids with scales trailing down their cheeks argued loudly over fruit prices. Every new sight stacked onto the last, pushing his sense of disbelief higher and higher.

  Man… this is so sick.

  A grin tugged at his lips before he could stop it. His mind flashed back to the goddess again—her grin, her confidence, the way she'd promised this world would be better for him. Standing here now, surrounded by color, sound, and possibility, it was hard not to believe her. Yeah. I totally believe it.

  As he took a deeper breath, the city's smells finally caught up to him. Freshly cut wood lingered in the air, sharp and clean, mixing with the mouthwatering scent of meat sizzling over open flames, seasoned with something sweet and spicy. Beneath it all, though, was a sour edge—animals packed too close together, maybe a nearby stable or market stockyard. Austin wrinkled his nose but didn't lose his smile. Even the bad smells felt like proof that this place was real.