The Record of Hyoren Enjo’s Journey in Another World

Chapter 37

The Mask of His New Life

Date: Day 27 of Harvestmoon. 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Hyoren and Elise stood on top of the small hill.

The busy King's Highway stretched in front of them. A ribbon of compacted earth cutting through the landscape. Teeming with life. With the commerce of civilization. But it would still take time for them to reach it. The distance was deceptive. A kilometer. Maybe more. Walkable. Reachable. But not immediate.

The dual suns of Kresneger perched at their zenith. High in the sky. Sol, the golden sun, was already almost half the size of Luna, the silver sun. The approach of winter. The seasons turning.

The Silver Oak trees around them had started to turn brown. Their leaves shifting from the vibrant green of summer to the rusty colors of autumn. Shedding their foliage. Preparing for the cold. The ground beneath their feet was scattered with fallen leaves.

Elise turned away from him. Starting down the hill.

"Let's go, Hyoren."

She spoke without looking back. Her voice carrying over her shoulder.

"To Akela."

Hyoren followed her. Catching up to walk side by side.

"Let's go, Elise."

Their pace was calm and steady. The pace of travelers who knew their destination. Who had no need to hurry.

Elise turned her face to him. Her long silver hair, tied in a ponytail, fluttered in the wind. The autumn breeze catching the strands. Lifting them. Twisting them around her face. She reached up. Catching the stray strands. Tucking them behind her pointed ear.

"Hyoren."

Her voice shifted. Became more serious.

"Before we reach the road. Before we reach civilization."

She paused. Letting the words settle.

"There's something we need to discuss first. It's important."

Hyoren caught the urgency in her voice. The change in tone. This wasn't casual conversation.

"What is it, Elise?"

Elise looked into his eyes. Her emerald gaze meeting his brown.

"Your identity."

Hyoren was caught off guard. The words surprised him. Confused him. He hadn't expected this topic.

"What's wrong with my identity?"

He looked down at himself. He indeed just lookeed like a wild man. But she had said they could fix that appearance when they arrived on the city.

Elise slowed her pace. Her steps becoming more deliberate. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Firstly, we should not reveal a few facts about you."

She ticked off the points on her fingers.

"Especially about you being Spirited Away. You getting Divine Protection from both Luminara and Noctynara. And about your Unique Skill."

Hyoren cocked his head to the side.

"Why, Elise?"

He walked beside her. Matching her pace.

"I thought Spirited Away is not common, but it happens already in the past. And having a blessing is common, right?"

Elise shook her head. Her silver hair swaying with the motion.

"That's right."

She acknowledged his point.

"But Spirited Away only happens every few centuries. If I recall correctly, the last one appeared around two hundred years ago."

She paused.

"Then before that, around eight hundred or nine hundred years ago. Just after Demons appeared."

Hyoren listened. Absorbing the information. The timeline was sparse. Few occurrences across vast stretches of time. Incredibly rare.

"Spirited Away is almost considered legend."

Elise continued. Her voice grave.

"They are known, but... for most people, they are myth."

She faced him. Her expression was concerned.

"The masses won't really understand the concept. That's fine."

She waved a hand dismissively. The common folk's ignorance wasn't the problem.

"But if rumor spreads..."

Her voice dropped, became more serious.

"You might be captured. Experimented on. Or some nobles might try to use you."

Grass crunched under their boots. The sound filled the silence between her words. A chill ran down his spine. Images of laboratories. Of tests. Of being treated as a specimen rather than a person.

"That's actually..."

He swallowed. The words coming slowly.

"Possible. And terrifying."

Elise nodded.

"That's why, Hyoren."

She looked at him. Her eyes serious. Her voice firm.

"Until you're settled in this world. Getting stronger. Having powerful allies."

She emphasized each point.

"You should not reveal about it carelessly."

Hyoren nodded. Understanding dawning on him.

"Okay."

He smiled. A small, grateful expression.

"I will only reveal this to trusted persons."

He paused. Looking at her.

"Like you, Elise."

Elise quickened her pace. Her steps becoming faster. She didn't say anything. But her pointed ears twitched. There was a hint of pink on them—subtle blush, but visible.

Hyoren tried to catch up to her. Closing the distance. She slowed down her walk. Allowing him to match her pace again.

"I understand about Spirited Away."

He brought the conversation back to the topic. Steering toward the remaining questions.

"But why do I need to hide about my Divine Protection and Unique Skill?"

Elise walked sideways. Turning her body to face him while still moving forward. Her expression serious. Trying to convey the importance of what she was about to say.

"Because for humans, getting a blessing from God is rare."

She held up one finger.

"Let alone getting one from Two Goddesses at the same time."

A second finger.

"And it's Divine Protection to boot. Not a normal blessing."

She emphasized the distinction. Her voice carrying weight.

"Even in the Church of Luminara, only the most devout believers get blessings from Her."

Her hand swept outward. Gesturing to the world around them.

"And the only one receiving Divine Protection is the Saint of Luminara."

She paused, pointing her finger at her chest.

"And you."

Her finger shifted to point at him.

"You got two."

Her voice was incredulous—amazed—but also worried.

"Think about the implications."

She began walking again. Her pace slower now. More deliberate.

"Luminara's Clergy might want to use you. To use you as their Hero alongside their Saint."

She shook her head. Dismissing the idea. Rejecting it.

"The Goddess herself said She gives you freedom. But not all humans would know Her real words."

She crossed her arms. Starting to walk through a small trail.

"Then there's Noctynara."

Her voice dropped. Became more cautious. More careful.

"You remember how She has a bad name in human societies, right?"

Hyoren nodded. He remembered. The Goddess of Darkness. The Goddess of Ambition. Labeled as evil.

"She has a Church too."

Elise continued. Explaining. Informing.

"But in the whole Kingdom of Altaria, only one City actually worships Her true teachings and has a Church dedicated to Her."

She spoke the name with reverence. Or perhaps caution.

"City of Darkness, Qwentinus."

She shook her head.

"Other people would think you're part of a Heresy."

Her voice was grave.

"And worse."

She paused. Letting the words sink in.

"Noctynara Heretics themselves might want to capture you."

Hyoren shuddered. A chill ran through him. Different from the autumn wind. More primal. The thought of being pursued by zealots. By extremists. By those who would use him for their own purposes.

"And having a Unique Skill is also a mark of God."

Elise continued. Listing the dangers.

"As only Gods can give Unique Skills."

She looked at him. Her eyes serious. Her voice final.

"Having a Unique Skill means you got Divine Protection."

She held up her fingers again.

"These are all three facts about you. They should stay hidden from most people."

Elise walked in front. Leading the way. Her steps sure. Her direction clear. Hyoren followed. But his thoughts were elsewhere.

***

Elise started whistling and humming—a soft melody—the sound drifting through the autumn air. Mixing with the rustle of leaves.

She was enjoying the walk. The tension of the past days had lifted. The danger was behind them. The road was ahead. Civilization awaited. For the first time in what felt like forever, she could relax. Could breathe.

Hyoren was pondering on the back. His steps were almost autopilot. Following her without conscious thought. His mind elsewhere. Turning over the warnings she had given. The secrets he would have to keep. The identity he would have to hide.

He looked at his hands, then finally looked up. Breaking free from his thoughts.

"Elise."

His tone was serious. Questioning.

"I understand. I will keep all of these secrets."

He paused. Organizing his thoughts. Finding the right words.

"But how can I explain about my identity? About my origin? About my power?"

Elise turned around. Walking backwards. The small animal trail was narrow but clear. Smooth enough to allow her to face him while continue moving. Her movements were graceful.

She smiled at him—warm, reassuring—seeing the worry in his eyes.

"Most people won't pry information from you, Hyoren."

Her voice was calm.

"Adventurers are known to be secretive."

She ticked the points off on her fingers.

"As long as you don't loudly announce your secrets, people won't ask about the source of your power. What skills you have. How you got them."

She smiled again. A knowing expression.

"Because they also don't want to share their own, of course."

Hyoren nodded. Understanding dawning. The logic was sound. Adventurers had their own secrets. Their own hidden strengths. Their own mysterious pasts. No one would demand he reveal everything. No one would expect full transparency. It was an unspoken rule. You don't ask. I don't tell. We both keep our secrets.

"I see… The part about Divine Protection and Unique Skills can be bluffed indeed."

He thought aloud.

"I can say I was trained, so I gained many skills."

Elise turned around. Satisfied with his understanding. Walking forward again. Her ponytail swaying with each step.

"That's right, Hyoren."

Her voice carried approval.

"Others won't ask too much. Just make sure to be careful not to say it yourself. Even the Guild won't know anything beyond basic information. It's kept that way deliberately… the Guild Card is designed so that nothing reveals itself unless you choose to disclose it"

She glanced back at him.

"Just make sure. Don't reveal anything carelessly. Let people assume. Let them draw their own conclusions. Most of the time, their assumptions will be wrong, but harmless."

Hyoren looked at his hand again. Understanding.

"Then what about my origin, Elise?"

The question hung in the air.

Wind blew strongly. A gust of autumn air. Carrying multiple leaves. Dancing through the sky. Swirling around them. Elise’s silver hair fluttered in the breeze. Strands escaping her ponytail. Whipping across her face.

Elise combed her hair with her fingers. Taming the unruly strands. Tucking them back. Preparing to answer.

"Hmm."

She considered the question. Turning it over in her mind. Looking for solutions.

"That's indeed tricky."

She admitted the difficulty.

"Kingdom of Altaria is known to be quite strict on their census."

Her voice took on a lecturing tone. Sharing knowledge about the land they were entering.

"Most small village populations and the names of inhabitants are known."

She looked at him. Her emerald eyes serious.

"Records are kept. People are counted. Strangers are noticed."

Hyoren adjusted his bag. Shifting the weight on his shoulders. Thinking through options.

"Then what if I say I lived with my parents inside the Forest of No Return?"

He proposed an idea. A possible story.

"And they recently passed away, so I decided to venture out?"

Elise chuckled. A soft laugh. Amused by the suggestion.

"Hahaha."

She shook her head. Her silver hair swaying.

"Hyoren, that's silly."

Her voice was teasing.

"No sane person is going to live alone inside that dangerous forest teeming with goblins."

She gestured back toward the forest. The dark mass of trees visible on the horizon behind them.

"People will think you're insane if you go with that backstory."

Hyoren slumped his shoulders.

"I am out of ideas then."

Elise scanned the horizon. Her eyes sweeping across the landscape. Looking for inspiration. Searching for a solution. She stopped walking for a moment. Her gaze locked onto the southwest direction.

Where another towering mountain range lay. Even further away than the Forest of No Return. Not as big or tall as the Dragon's Tooth Mountain Range on the east. But still impressive.

"Those Southern Mountain Range."

She pointed toward the distant peaks.

"It's quite far from civilization. But there are rumors about some populace there."

She turned to face him. Her expression considering.

"They are technically still in Kingdom of Altaria territory. But as they are too far away from any cities… Most people forget about them."

Elise nodded. The idea forming. The solution crystallizing. She started walking again.

"Just say you're from a random village in that direction."

She laid out the story. Building the fiction.

"It will explain some of your cluelessness too. And your wild look."

A small smile played on her lips.

"As you're basically from the wilderness."

She expanded the narrative. Fleshing out the details.

"Think about it. The whole village was hit by a plague. You survived."

She spoke the words. Building the backstory.

"Then you looked for other settlements. Happened to meet me in the forest along the way."

She glanced back at him.

"Your name, and your black hair and eyes, are a bit uncommon around here."

She acknowledged the differences. The features that set him apart.

"But that's not important, as humans are too diverse."

She waved a hand dismissively. Minimizing the concern.

"So go with that story."

Hyoren nodded. The pieces falling into place.

"Thanks, Elise."

He spoke the words with genuine gratitude. She had solved his problem. Given him a way forward. A way to exist in this world without revealing his true nature.

"I will go with your story."

He began to construct the fiction. Building on her foundation.

"A village named Shimoda."

The name of his actual hometown on Earth.

"My actual hometown on Earth."

A piece of his old life.

"Everyone was hit by plague. I got immunity and actually lived. And I went on a journey to look for other settlements to settle in."

Elise nodded. Approving the story.

"That village name is fine."

Her voice was satisfied.

"It's a bit unique. But as it's a village in the wilderness, most people won't think too much about it."

She glanced at him. A small smile on her lips.

"Remote villages have strange names all the time. No one will question it."

They continued their journey toward the road. The King's Highway growing closer with each step. The sounds of civilization growing louder.