Lord of Avalon : Lost in Another World

The full moon shone brightly over Avalon Island, casting a soft silver glow upon Minori Village. The cool night breeze carried the delicious aroma of food throughout the courtyard of Daimyo Castle.

Ardi stepped out of his castle, dressed in a formal black kimono. Two katanas—Omniblade and Steel Katana—were tucked neatly into his obi. On either side of him, Yui and Megumi walked closely, holding his hands. Yui wore a blue kimono with white gradients, while Megumi wore a green and gold kimono.

The feast had been carefully prepared. Long tables were neatly arranged, candles flickered gently, and the villagers gathered with excitement. Simple instruments played cheerful tunes, filling the air with warmth and joy.

Ardi took a deep breath and stepped forward, feeling slightly awkward as all eyes turned to him. Still, he smiled before speaking.

Ardi:

"Thank you, everyone, for working hard to prepare this feast. I know it was sudden, and it might have been a bit troublesome. So, I want to apologize for the short notice."

(A few villagers chuckled, while others smiled in understanding.)

Ardi:

"But more importantly… I want to welcome all the new residents of Minori Village. From today onward, this village is your home. I hope we can live together, work together, and create a peaceful and happy place for everyone."

(A round of applause erupted, making the atmosphere even warmer.)

Ardi:

"With that, let the feast begin! Please enjoy the food and drinks!"

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Meeting the Leaders

As the celebration continued, Ardi walked around, greeting the newly arrived racial leaders.

Kazuo and Daiichi, the village's farming and woodworking leaders, were chatting with Hajime, a human blacksmith. Nearby, Thrain, the Dwarf blacksmith leader, was sharing a drink with them.

On the other side, Zrud, the Goblin inventor, was speaking with Rila, the Gnome leader, who seemed a bit shy.

Yui: "Ohh~ do I sense a bit of romance here?"

(Smirking mischievously, she glanced between Zrud and Rila.)

Zrud: "H-Huh?! Don't be ridiculous! Rila and I were just… just talking about—"

(He laughed nervously, searching for an excuse.)

Rila: "Ehh?! No, no! We were just discussing… um… village technology!"

(Her cheeks flushed red, growing more nervous.)

Ardi chuckled at their flustered reactions.

Ardi:

"Before you two explode from embarrassment, how about we change the topic? You can discuss matchlock firearms with Thrain. That should be more interesting than… other things."

Zrud & Rila: "G-Great idea!" (They immediately rushed toward Thrain.)

Yui sighed in disappointment.

Yui: "Ardi… you ruined my fun." (She pouted, crossing her arms.)

Ardi smiled patiently.

Ardi: "You enjoy teasing people a little too much, Yui."

Megumi: "Yui-sama… please don't bother them too much."

(She smiled gently, trying to calm her down.)

Yui: "Not fair! Even you're siding with Ardi now, Megumi!"

(She grumbled with a cute expression.)

Megumi giggled, while Ardi just shook his head.

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The Arcane Sanctum and a New Alchemist

As the celebration settled into a more relaxed atmosphere, Reinhardt, the Archmage, approached with his two students, Edmund and Lena.

Reinhardt:

"Lord Ardi, I'm curious about the Arcane Sanctum in the western sector of the village. What exactly is that place?"

Ardi had expected this question and smiled.

Ardi:

"The Arcane Sanctum came from another world. Inside, you'll find countless documents and books about magic from Azeroth. I'd like you and the other archmages to turn it into a center for magical research and learning."

Edmund's eyes sparkled with excitement, while Lena seemed deep in thought, weighing the implications.

Reinhardt:

"Fascinating… With this, we can advance magic even further. You've given us an incredible opportunity, My Lord."

Ardi:

"Also, you can use the Arcane Tech Workshop to combine magic with technology. I want to see how far we can push innovation in this village."

Reinhardt smiled meaningfully.

Reinhardt: "Interesting… I'll have to see for myself how extraordinary this place truly is."

Just then, a young man with messy black hair and a simple alchemist's robe stepped forward, looking a bit nervous.

Ryunosuke:

"U-Um, Lord Ardi… I'm Ryunosuke, the village's alchemist…"

Ardi looked at him for a moment before offering a warm smile.

Ardi:

"Of course, I know you. Is there something on your mind?"

Ryunosuke:

"I… I just wanted to apologize. I feel like I haven't contributed much to the village in the past two weeks…"

Ardi let out a small sigh and patted the young man's shoulder.

Ardi:

"It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine for not providing you with the right resources."

He then opened his Inventory and pulled out two items:

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• [Philosopher's Stone Fragment (Rare Item)]

• [Job Change Scroll: Journeyman Alchemist (Rare Item)]

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Ardi:

"In the next few days, you'll have an Alchemist Lab in the western sector of the village. Make good use of it. I want you to establish an Alchemist Guild here in Minori Village."

Ryunosuke's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the items in his hands. His hands trembled slightly as he processed what had just been given to him.

Ryunosuke:

"My Lord… Are you sure you want to give me these?"

Ardi crossed his arms and smiled.

Ardi:

"Of course. I wouldn't be giving them to you if I wasn't sure."

Edmund frowned slightly and stepped forward, looking confused.

Edmund:

"But, My Lord… The Philosopher's Stone is extremely rare, even among nobles. Why would you give it away so easily?"

Reinhardt sighed, realizing his student had just asked a risky question. But before he could scold him, Ardi simply chuckled.

Ardi:

"You see it as valuable because of its rarity, right? But if I just keep it as a collection, what's the point?"

Edmund still looked unsure, so Ardi continued, his tone more serious.

Ardi:

"Something is only valuable if it's put to use. If I keep this in my Inventory, it's just a number in my system. But in Ryunosuke's hands, it can create potions and items that will help countless people. Isn't that worth more?"

Reinhardt smiled slightly, realizing Ardi's perspective was much broader than he had expected.

Reinhardt: "Haha… It seems you have something to learn from Lord Ardi, Edmund."

He patted his student's shoulder.

Reinhardt:

"Remember this, Edmund. A true leader doesn't just hoard wealth. They know how to use it for the benefit of others."

Edmund lowered his head in understanding.

Edmund:

"I see… Thank you for the lesson, My Lord."

Ardi gave a small, satisfied smile.

Ardi:

"No need to be so formal. And trust me, you're much more polite than my old students…"

Ryunosuke, who was still in shock, suddenly looked up.

Ryunosuke:

"My Lord… You used to be a teacher?"

Ardi smiled knowingly and nodded.

Ardi:

"Yeah, though I wasn't a great one. Just a simple village teacher back in my world."

Lena, one of Reinhardt's students, studied Ardi with curiosity.

Lena:

"How far is 'remote' exactly?"

Ardi thought for a moment before giving a wry smile.

Ardi:

"About... three times the length of Avalon Island. Just for a one-way trip."

Edmund's eyes widened.

Edmund:

"Three times Avalon's length?! That's farther than traveling between kingdoms!"

Megumi, who had been silently listening, finally couldn't hold back her curiosity.

Megumi:

"My Lord... How big was the island you lived on before?"

Ardi tried to visualize it.

Ardi:

"Roughly... 500 times the size of Avalon Island."

Once again, silence fell. Even Reinhardt, who had glimpsed Ardi's past through the Oracle Ritual, hadn't expected his world to be so vast.

Reinhardt:

"No wonder you weren't impressed by Avalon's size..."

Ardi chuckled.

Ardi:

"Back then, the island was divided into five competing kingdoms. Each had its own territories and rulers. I also had a bit of family connection to two of them in the south and southeast. So, I guess you could say I have a little 'noble blood' in me. But that's not really important."

Amid the approaching elves, Sylthara crossed her arms gracefully, a confident smile forming on her lips.

Sylthara:

"So, my suspicion was correct. No ordinary human could build and lead a village this quickly. You do have noble lineage, don't you?"

Ardi simply chuckled and shrugged.

Ardi:

"If you were expecting a fancy title or a kingdom still under my rule, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. My family gave up our noble status generations ago."

Lena, still skeptical, frowned.

Lena:

"Why would a noble family willingly abandon power and live as commoners?"

Ardi sighed, glancing at the night sky before answering.

Ardi:

"That was my great-grandfather's decision. Honestly, I don't know the exact reason. But according to family stories, he despised political intrigue and preferred the freedom of living as an ordinary citizen."

Reinhardt stroked his beard thoughtfully.

Reinhardt:

"An interesting choice… But I can still see the mark of leadership in you, Lord Ardi. You may not have a title, but the way you lead speaks volumes about your origins."

Ardi smiled awkwardly at the compliment.

Ardi:

"Well, if there's one unusual thing about my family, it's that we had a slight connection to magic users."

Yui, who had been listening attentively, suddenly furrowed her brows.

Yui:

"But… isn't your world a magicless one? How could magic exist there?"

The air grew still as everyone turned to Ardi, intrigued.

Ardi looked at Yui for a moment, then smirked and shrugged.

Ardi:

"My world is generally considered magicless. But I believe there are things beyond ordinary logic."

Megumi, watching him closely, finally spoke up.

Megumi:

"My Lord… Did something happen that made you think that way?"

Ardi met her gaze before nodding.

Ardi:

"Since I was a child, I could see things that shouldn't be visible."

Sylthara narrowed her eyes.

Sylthara:

"Are you talking about spirits or supernatural beings?"

Ardi nodded.

Ardi:

"More or less. I've seen strange shadows move on their own, heard voices from nowhere, and sometimes even glimpsed creatures others couldn't see."

Edmund shuddered, looking uneasy.

Edmund:

"That… sounds terrifying, My Lord."

Ardi chuckled.

Ardi:

"At first, it was. But I got used to it over time."

Yui crossed her arms, analyzing him carefully.

Yui:

"So… even before coming to this world, you already had a sort of 'supernatural ability'?"

Ardi nodded.

Ardi:

"I never knew if it was an actual power or just a side effect of something I was born with. But after coming here and seeing magic everywhere… I started to think that maybe, my world wasn't entirely without magic after all."

Megumi, her eyes filled with admiration, shyly reached for Ardi's hand.

Megumi:

"My Lord… You truly are incredible…"

Ardi smiled gently, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.

Ardi:

"I'm just an ordinary guy who happened to get a second chance."

Yui, noticing Megumi's expression, grinned mischievously.

Yui:

"Ohh~ Megumi-chan, you're falling for Ardi, aren't you?"

Megumi's face turned bright red as she quickly pulled her hand back, lowering her head.

Megumi:

"I-It's not like that…"

Feeling bad for Megumi, Ardi chuckled before pulling Yui into a sudden embrace.

Ardi:

"You shouldn't tease her so much, Yui. I can always get back at you."

Yui stiffened, her face turning pink as Ardi held her close.

Yui:

"A-Anata! Let go of me!"

Ardi:

"Hmm… No. This is your punishment for bullying Megumi."

Megumi, still flustered, giggled at the sight of Yui struggling.

Meanwhile, Sylthara and the other elves observed their interactions with amused curiosity, while Reinhardt simply chuckled.

Reinhardt:

"Haha… It seems your past isn't the only interesting thing about you, Ardi. Your personal life is quite colorful as well."

Ardi let out a long sigh, still holding onto Yui as she tried to escape.

Under the moonlit sky, Minori Village continued to grow, and Ardi slowly came to understand his true responsibility—not just as a leader, but as someone his people could trust.