A Bug In Fate

Alden was mesmerized by the sight before him.

Countless lights reflected in his eyes, making them sparkle beneath the twin moons. He couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling, but he knew one thing.

They were all positive emotions.

Relief.

Excitement.

Happiness.

Even a rush of adrenaline surged through him like a tsunami.

Before he realized it, his pace began to quicken. A walk turned into a jog, and a few moments later he was running across the open field toward the city.

"Hahaha!"

Alden burst into laughter as he picked up even more speed.

If Vish had been an ordinary person, she might have wondered whether he had finally lost his mind.

The closer they got, the clearer the city gate became.

Two long lines had already formed outside the entrance. Some people carried the corpses of monsters over their shoulders as if they weighed nothing, while others pushed carts loaded with goods. There were merchants in plain clothes, armored warriors, and groups wearing matching uniforms that clearly belonged to the same organization.

Looking at the crowd, Alden couldn’t help but smile.

No matter which world it was...

Equality had always been little more than an illusion.

Alden’s eyes wandered from one person to another. Every face, every weapon, every strange piece of equipment made him wonder what kind of world he had stepped into.

As he drew closer to the city, a little of his excitement finally began giving way to common sense. Realizing he had run ahead without thinking, he glanced back to look for Vish.

She was already walking beside him.

He hadn’t even noticed when she caught up.

Alden let out an awkward cough before slowing to a normal pace.

"Sorry... I got a little excited."

"I don’t mind," Vish replied in her usual flat voice. "As long as people don’t associate you with me."

"Hehe... I don’t know whether I should feel happy or insulted."

They joined one of the two lines waiting outside the city gate.

Now that he had calmed down, Alden finally had time to take in the city walls properly. They towered high above him, their surface carved with countless intricate patterns that seemed far too deliberate to be mere decoration.

His attention shifted to the gate itself.

Two armored guards stood watch, stopping every traveler before allowing them to enter.

They asked a few questions, examined some kind of identification, then waved them through.

One after another, people entered the city.

The line moved steadily forward.

Dozens of people became twenty.

Twenty became ten.

A cold bead of sweat slowly rolled down Alden’s forehead.

His expression stiffened.

Only then did a horrifying realization strike him.

’I don’t have an ID’

His excitement had made him forget the most important thing.

He didn’t have whatever identification was required to enter the city.

For the first time since seeing the magnificent city before him...

Alden began wondering whether he would even be allowed inside.

While Alden was struggling with his dilemma, the line continued moving forward.

Five people remained.

Four.

Three.

For a brief moment, he even considered climbing over the city wall.

...but immediately dismissed the idea.

Even if he somehow managed to get over it, he wasn’t eager to find out whether the city guards would chase him afterward.

As panic slowly crept in, Alden began searching through his pockets like a student who suddenly realized he’d lost his pen the moment the teacher asked everyone to start writing, or a friend who somehow misplaced his wallet the instant it was his turn to pay.

Apart from the seventeen gold coins and a few papers he had looted from the bandits, he didn’t remember carrying anything else.

Then his fingers brushed against a folded piece of paper.

"Hm?"

He pulled it out.

It was an ID pass.

For a second, Alden simply stared at it before remembering where it had come from.

"Oh... right."

He had looted it from one of the bandits he had killed.

The first one belonged to Marco.

Alden immediately put it aside. Marco had been the second-in-command of the gang. If anyone besides Henry was likely to be recognized by the city guards, it would be him.

He pulled out another one.

The next one belonged to Noah.

"...What a protagonist name."

Muttering to himself, Alden held the pass in his hand and quietly waited for his turn.

Behind him, Vish watched everything in silence. A hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, but she chose not to say anything.

"Next."

Only one person remained before Alden.

His heartbeat quickened, though he did his best not to show it.

The inspection ahead of him went smoothly.

"Next."

It was finally his turn.

"ID pass."

The guard looked Alden up and down.

His clothes were stained with dirt and blood, making him look more like a wandering beggar than a traveler, but the guard didn’t comment on it.

Alden silently handed over Noah’s ID pass.

The guard examined it for a brief moment before handing it back.

"You may enter."

Relief washed over Alden.

He resisted the urge to let out a sigh and calmly walked through the gate.

Behind him came Vish’s turn.

Curious, Alden glanced back.

She took something out and handed it to the guard.

The guard gave it a single glance before immediately returning it.

"Next."

That was all.

Alden turned back toward the city.

Now that he stood inside the city gates, the city felt even larger than before.

Tall buildings rose on both sides of the wide stone road, standing beside smaller houses that stretched far into the distance. The streets were broad enough for several carriages to travel side by side. Shops remained open despite the late hour, while food stalls filled the air with tempting aromas as customers patiently waited for their turn.

Figures moved through the streets, voices drifted through the night air, and warm lights shone from thousands of windows.

The entire city felt alive, breathing beneath the silver glow of the twin moons.

Alden stood there in silence.

For the first time since arriving in this world, it truly sank in.

This wasn’t another battlefield.

This wasn’t another monster-infested forest.

Before him stood a civilization built by countless generations.

A city in another world.

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