In the grove near the entrance of Axel City, a rainbow light suddenly appeared.
Immediately afterwards, Noa, who had changed into medieval-style casual clothes, stepped out from within the shimmering radiance. The light quickly faded behind him, leaving only the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of the city ahead. Compared to the structured and orderly environment of Great Tree Village, Axel's outskirts felt far more relaxed—almost carefree. The air carried a faint scent of grass and earth, mixed with the distant sounds of merchants and adventurers going about their daily routines.
Noa adjusted his sleeves slightly, glancing toward the city gates in the distance.
"At this time, I don't know if the plot has started."
His voice was low, more like a thought spoken aloud than a deliberate statement. Timing, in a world like this, was everything. Arriving too early could mean unnecessary waiting, while arriving too late might cause him to miss key opportunities.
"If there is no beginning, then the Headless Horseman should not be nearby."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling fragments of information he had gathered before. The presence—or absence—of certain figures would immediately tell him where he stood in the timeline.
"This is a bit troublesome. I don't know if the information about Demon King City is public in the human camp. If not, I have to find it myself."
That was the real issue. Unlike other worlds where power or systems were openly structured, this one relied heavily on scattered knowledge and personal connections. If the location of the Demon King's domain wasn't widely known, he would have to dig it out piece by piece, which would slow him down considerably.
"Well, I remember that Wiz, the owner of the magic item shop in Axel, seems to be a cadre of the Demon King's Army, and is responsible for maintaining the boundaries of the Demon King's City. You can ask her where the Demon King's City is."
Having reached a tentative plan, Noa began walking toward Axel. His pace was unhurried, but his mind was already organizing the next steps. Compared to aimless searching, directly approaching someone with inside knowledge was far more efficient.
As he neared the city gate, however, something unexpected happened.
A familiar figure appeared directly in front of him.
"Why are you here again?"
The voice carried a mixture of disbelief and mild frustration.
Noa paused, looking at the silver-haired girl standing before him—Eris.
Her expression was noticeably more strained than before, her usual composure replaced with something closer to exasperation. It was clear that his sudden appearance had caught her completely off guard.
Noa raised an eyebrow slightly, then shrugged.
"At home, all the things have been taken care of. I have nothing to do, so I came over here to take a look around."
His tone was casual, as if his interdimensional travel was no different from taking a walk. To him, it really wasn't a big deal—just another use of his free time.
Eris, however, did not share that perspective.
"Can't you just lie at home with nothing to do? As soon as you came here, my work suddenly increased."
Her response came immediately, laced with irritation. She didn't even bother hiding her complaint, clearly too tired to maintain formal politeness.
Noa blinked once, slightly surprised by her reaction.
This was quite different from how she had treated him before.
"If Miss Chris doesn't welcome me, I can just leave and pretend I haven't been here."
He spread his hands lightly, his expression calm but questioning. While he wasn't particularly affected by her attitude, he couldn't help but notice the change.
From a polite standpoint, she was far less accommodating than their last meeting.
That inconsistency made him curious.
Could it be that something had happened in the heavens?
Noa's thoughts shifted quickly, considering various possibilities. A sudden change in attitude usually didn't happen without reason—especially for someone in Eris's position. Orders from higher authorities, unexpected incidents, or internal pressure could all explain her behavior.
Otherwise, there was no clear reason why her demeanor would shift so noticeably in such a short time, especially without any direct interaction between them.
Just as Noa was contemplating this, Eris shook her head.
"It's not that I'm not welcome, it's just too sudden."
Her tone softened slightly, though traces of fatigue remained evident.
Over the past two days, she had been overwhelmed with work. The situation in Great Tree Village, combined with the trouble caused by a certain troublesome senior, had kept her constantly occupied. Tasks had piled up one after another, leaving her with barely any time to rest.
Today had finally been different.
After finishing everything, she had just begun to relax, thinking she could finally catch a break.
And then—
Noa appeared.
Without warning.
Naturally, that meant more work.
She had no choice but to immediately respond, effectively canceling her brief moment of peace and returning to duty.
This was the real reason behind her earlier frustration.
It wasn't that she disliked Noa's presence.
It was simply that his timing couldn't have been worse.
And so, standing there at the gates of Axel, Eris looked at him with a mix of resignation and mild annoyance—already preparing herself for whatever complications his arrival would inevitably bring.