Kaito’s parents stared at me as if I had just told them I had slain a god.

  “You… killed a direwolf?” Kaito’s father repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. His rough hands trembled slightly as they clenched into fists.

  I nodded. “Yeah. It attacked Kaito in the forest, so I fought back.”

  Silence fell over the small gathering. The other villagers who had been watching from a distance started murmuring among themselves. Some looked skeptical, while others seemed outright fearful.

  Kaito, oblivious to the tension, beamed proudly. “It was amazing! He used wind magic and moved like a warrior! The direwolf didn’t stand a chance!”

  At those words, Kaito’s father’s face darkened. His eyes sharpened as he took a step toward me.

  “Traveler,” he said in a low voice, “do you have any idea what you just did?”

  I frowned. “I killed a monster that was trying to eat your kid. What else is there to know?”

  The murmurs grew louder. A few villagers gasped outright.

  Kaito’s mother placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder, worry etched deep in her features. “Dear… should we call the elder?”

  “Yes,” he muttered, eyes still locked onto me. “We must.”

  Something about the way he said that made me uneasy.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  ---

  The Weight of the Kill

  A few minutes later, we were gathered inside Kaito’s house. The wooden walls were adorned with simple decorations, and the scent of freshly cooked stew lingered in the air. Kaito’s mother had offered me a seat, but his father remained standing, pacing near the fireplace.

  “The direwolf you killed,” he finally said, breaking the silence, “wasn’t just any monster. It was a Grade 3 beast.”

  Grade 3? I didn’t recognize the ranking system, but from the way he said it, it sounded serious. “And that means…?”

  Kaito’s father stopped pacing and turned to me, his face grave. “Grade 3 monsters are powerful enough that it takes five elite mages to take one down. A squad of trained warriors can barely hold their ground against it. And you, a lone traveler, killed it by yourself?”

  I stiffened.

  That was not normal.

  I had struggled against the creature, but when the system activated and asked if I wanted to use the Element of Wind, my movements had become sharper, faster—almost unnatural.

  I had no training. I was just an ordinary office worker before coming here. And yet, I killed something that required five elite mages?

  Something wasn’t adding up.

  Kaito, on the other hand, looked thrilled. “See, Papa? Hiroshi is really strong! Maybe he’s a hero!”

  I nearly laughed. A hero? Me? I was just a guy who had no idea what was going on.

  Kaito’s father, however, didn’t share his son’s enthusiasm. If anything, he looked even more worried.

  “If what you say is true, then you are not just a simple traveler,” he said. “You either possess monstrous strength… or you have a power beyond human limits.”

  His words made my chest tighten.

  Beyond human limits?

  The idea terrified me more than it excited me.

  ---

  The Elder Appears

  Before I could respond, a knock sounded at the door.

  A hush fell over the room.

  Kaito’s mother quickly moved to open it, and the moment she did, the entire atmosphere changed.

  A figure stood in the doorway, bathed in the soft glow of the village’s lanterns.

  An elderly man, draped in a long robe embroidered with symbols I couldn’t recognize, stepped inside. His presence alone made the air feel heavy, as if reality itself bent slightly around him. His eyes—clouded yet piercing—settled on me with quiet intensity.

  Kaito’s father immediately bowed. “Elder Jiro… thank you for coming.”

  The old man nodded, his gaze never leaving mine.

  “So,” he said in a deep, measured voice, “you are the traveler who slew the direwolf.”

  I swallowed. “Yeah. That was me.”

  Elder Jiro studied me for a long moment. His face betrayed no emotion, yet I felt as if he was seeing through me, peeling away the layers of who I was.

  Then, suddenly—

  DING!

  A sharp, mechanical sound echoed in my mind.

  My body stiffened.

  The system was activating again.

  [A higher being has taken interest in you.]

  My breath hitched.

  What the hell does that mean?

  I didn’t get the chance to ask.

  Elder Jiro

  took a step forward, his voice calm yet undeniably firm.

  “Come,” he said. “We have much to discuss.”