When the plot-skips players into the game world

Aiwass specifically checked and discovered it wasn't just the front desk guy fooling him—there really was no hot water in this room.

Not only was there no hot water, but there wasn't even a way to boil water. The room had no stove, nor a place to bathe.

...After all, it was Avalon from sixty years ago; it was somewhat reasonable.

Judging from the availability of hot meals, at least the kitchen could boil water. They just didn't provide it to guests... Probably still using firewood to heat.

Aiwass deeply realized what sort of great deeds Queen Sofia had accomplished—without the proliferation of alchemy, the facilities in the rural areas of Avalon were practically indistinguishable from the Middle Ages.

No electric lights, no telephones, no hot water... The guest rooms didn't even have a gas stove. The price of fireplaces also simply couldn't come down.

Fortunately, the body Aiwass was using was fairly robust, and since they were not going to stay the night, there was no need to worry about catching a cold or getting a fever.

It was a relief that there were indeed clean towels in the room.

Aiwass tried, attempting to use Illumination Art to help Daiya heal her body.

As expected... the Great Sage's rituals were strict, and Aiwass couldn't perform the Illumination Art at all. Or rather, he had no mana inside him.

...Tsk.

Nonetheless, if Aiwass could use the Illumination Art, then the mission wouldn't have required him to look for medicine.

However, Aiwass wasn't panicked. He hadn't had his extraordinary abilities for long and hadn't developed a dependency on them yet.

Unlike those seasoned Transcendents who had grown accustomed to the presence of extraordinary abilities, this might be considered one of Aiwass's strengths.

He first helped dry his "daughter" Daiya's hair, letting the groggy, listless girl get into the covers to rest. Then he wiped down his own body, wringing the water from his hair before putting on his undergarments.

—He had checked when he entered the room; they didn't provide pajamas here either.

"This damned inn really lacks everything..."

Griping, Aiwass found not even hot water to drink— but did come across a barrel of low-quality wine.

This surprised Aiwass.

Turning the tap of the barrel, he poured himself a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp.

Aiwass smacked his lips.

Surprisingly, even by Aiwass's dietary standards, the taste of this wine was not bad—at least for the poor services provided by the inn, it was among the best quality offerings.

"Might as well just make do with this for now."

Aiwass made up his mind.

He drank two more cups in succession, feeling his body gradually warming up. Although he knew it was just an illusion from the alcohol, at least he felt somewhat better—he hadn't had water in a long time and his throat was dry. Using low-alcohol wine to quench his thirst was better than drinking untreated water directly.

He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should let Daiya have a bit of the wine.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

Asking the front desk for some hot soup would do. Besides, he might be leaving this floor soon...

But if he was going out, he still needed some clothes.

"...Do I really have to wear these clothes?"

Aiwass frowned deeply at his drenched outerwear, feeling somewhat vexed.

He glanced at the "Agni's" travel bag. It too was soaked by the rain; he had no idea what was inside.

Normally, one wouldn't expect someone on a day trip to bring a change of clothes... but he decided to have a look anyway.

But upon opening the travel bag, Aiwass was very surprised to find a neatly folded set of clothes inside.

There were shirts and sweaters. They were quite stylish, and the material was good.

Because they had been folded, the edges were a bit damp, but overall they were better than what he had on. At least wearing them next to the skin probably wouldn't be an issue.

"...Hm?"

But when Aiwass unfolded the clothes, he found something abnormal.

Both garments had small bloodstains—and a tiny hole—right in the center of the back.

Aiwass reached out and touched something, then brought his fingers in front of his face. A smear of red was clearly visible at the tips of his fingers.

Perhaps it was because the rain had drenched his bag that the bloodstains still looked somewhat wet.

Aiwass immediately became serious and reached for his own back. He discovered that his back was intact and uninjured.

"So that means..."

Muttering to himself in a low voice, Aiwass turned his travel bag upside down, spilling out its contents.

There were neatly folded pants, which seemed to be from the same set as the coat he had worn to protect Daiya, an envelope, and stacks of crisp White Crown Coins fell out; there was also a silver pocket watch with a very exquisite design.

Aiwass snapped open the pocket watch.

The hands pointed to 5:11.

It must be five in the afternoon, he thought.

And if that was the case...

Aiwass searched carefully through the bag, quickly shaking a gun out from within the neatly folded pants.

...Sure enough.

He first put on the clothes and pants, feeling his body gradually warm up, then he breathed a sigh of relief and sat down to study the gun.

It was a rather exquisite revolver with a five-round capacity. The outer case and grip featured some silver engravings, with delicate Elvish rune inscriptions etched upon them.

In his dreams, Aiwass couldn't summon his panel to see equipment stats, nor did he understand Alchemy. But by roughly relying on his knowledge of Ritual Studies and Demonology, he barely managed to deduce... that this seemed to be a gun specifically made for hunting demons. It could inflict higher damage on Darkness-attribute Phantom Demons.

How could a teacher possibly possess such a thing?

He swung the cylinder to the left, discovering that one bullet had been fired, leaving behind a disc-shaped brass residue.

Aiwass thoughtfully rotated the cylinder, one chamber at a time, sinking into contemplation.

"...to recall my true identity."

Aiwass remembered the mission "The True Self," his brows frowning slightly.

My memory... no, should I say Agni's memory is problematic?

He peered at the gun in his hands, when suddenly he heard an exceedingly soft voice behind him, "Daddy...?

"...Why aren't you wearing clothes?"

Aiwass turned around, simultaneously tucking the handgun into his waistband.

He saw Daiya, already awake, peeking at him from within the blankets.

It was a little girl with delicate, soft tea-colored hair and blue eyes, looking timid but adorable.

He said gently, "Do you feel a bit better now, Daiya?"

"Yes. My head doesn't hurt so much anymore..."

The girl spoke timidly.

"You still need to rest. Don't get out of bed; I'll go get you some hot soup."

Aiwass said, packing the clothes he had taken off into his bag. He vigorously shook his leather coat to splatter the water droplets onto the ground. Then, he donned the coat, covering the hole on his back, and concealed the gun at his waist as well.

Then, Aiwass left the room, pushing the door open.

By now, the hotel seemed to have plenty of guests. As he exited, he saw that the occupants of the next room appeared to be having an argument... they were even arguing with the door open, and a young woman stood at the threshold, quarreling with someone inside.

When they saw Aiwass come out, their argument ceased abruptly.

The woman gave Aiwass a wary and somewhat distant look before quickly entering the room and locking the door.

Aiwass raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

He stood quietly at the door for a little while, his tall frame casting a silent shadow. There was no sound from the room, not even a whisper.

—Interesting.

Aiwass grinned to himself, sneering silently. Then he confidently walked down to the lower floor.