To keep that from becoming a habit, Caelus decided this was the perfect opportunity to have a proper conversation with another System holder. If he kept defaulting to hostility without even trying to communicate, sooner or later he really would become indistinguishable from the people he disliked.
Inside the tavern, many of the adventurers kept sneaking glances at the man who had entered earlier carrying a greatsword nearly as tall as he was and broad as a door. Even their conversations had grown quieter.
How had nobody ever heard of someone like this before?
Anyone who could move freely with such a massive weapon strapped to his back while wearing a full suit of armor had to be powerful. Add in the intimidating presence of someone who seemed to have survived countless battles, and there was no question that he was a veteran.
Yet his face and appearance matched none of the famous warriors anyone knew.
At that moment, the tavern door opened again.
Everyone turned to look.
A slim young man stepped inside, looking less like an adventurer and more like some noble's son who had wandered out to see the world. He wore a long coat made from obviously expensive material. It lacked any extravagant decoration, but the quality of the fabric alone made it clear that it was not something an ordinary family could afford.
The young man looked completely out of place among the tavern's usual clientele.
And then, to everyone's surprise, he walked straight over to the heavily armored warrior and sat down across from him.
The warrior stared at him as though he had just seen a ghost.
That only made the surrounding adventurers even more curious.
Noticing all the attention, the gray-haired newcomer casually snapped his fingers.
A moment later, everyone went back to whatever they had been doing. The tavern quickly returned to its usual noisy atmosphere.
"Hello. I'm Caelus, a traveler."
He greeted the young man across from him, who was still staring in disbelief.
"Holy shit. I get transported to another world and HoYo is still following me around?"
The armored young man muttered the complaint before removing his helmet.
"Name's Ray. I'm a hunter traveling from world to world and getting stronger along the way."
He set his helmet on the table and laughed.
"If I'd known this mission was sending me into Overlord, I would've brought my Nergigante gear instead of wearing the Defender set."
Ray held out a hand.
Caelus accepted the handshake without hesitation, despite the protective gauntlet still covering Ray's hand.
"Sorry about that," Ray said after they let go. "Taking this stuff off and putting it back on is a pain, so I figured I'd just leave the gauntlets on."
"It's fine. You're already easier to deal with than the last few people I've met."
"Oh? So you've run into the type who thinks the entire multiverse revolves around them? Or the kind who starts committing atrocities the second they get power?"
"Yes. Is that common among System holders? You've encountered them too?"
"Not personally. My System complains about them all the time, though. Most of the people I've actually met were pretty reasonable. The last one had some serious issues, but the others were fine."
Caelus nodded, then took out his notebook.
Its appearance had since been changed at Cyrene's suggestion, and it now looked almost identical to As I've Written from the original course of events.
"I'm the kind of traveler who likes meeting people and recording their stories. Would you mind telling me yours? In exchange, you can ask something of me. I could tell you one of my own stories, or help you with something."
"Sure. No problem."
Ray studied him for a moment.
"When I played Star Rail, I picked Caelus as my Trailblazer. So I have to ask. Are you actually the Trailblazer from the game, or do you just happen to look like him?"
"I'm not the protagonist from that story. In my universe, that role belongs to Stelle. I'm something closer to a composite formed from several discarded timelines, all converging into a version of Caelus."
"Ah, got it."
Ray nodded immediately.
"When I got transported, Version 4.0 had only just launched, and I hadn't even finished the new story yet. The difference in treatment between the male and female protagonists still hadn't gone away either. HoYo's always had a preference for female leads. They've been like that since Honkai Impact 3rd."
As he spoke, Ray reached behind himself and somehow pulled out a thick leather-bound book, as though he had reached into some invisible storage space.
He placed it on the table.
"I died in my original world and reincarnated into the world of Monster Hunter. You probably don't know much about it, so I've been keeping records of my travels for years. They're a little scattered, and most of the book focuses more on monsters than on me, but I suppose it still counts as the story of my life."
Caelus accepted the leather-bound journal and opened it.
Ray had not written much about himself.
Most of the pages were filled with detailed records of monsters, complete with illustrations.
There were notes identifying which body parts were easiest to break, each creature's elemental weaknesses and characteristics, and even measurements for the smallest and largest specimens Ray had encountered.
There were also surprisingly detailed sections explaining which parts of different monsters were edible, which tasted best, and how to cook them properly.
The book was, in every sense, a record of Ray's life as a hunter.
"These are valuable memories," Caelus said after recording the hunter's story in his own notebook. "Hunting alongside your companions, fighting monsters with everything you have, using both strength and strategy to survive. Those are the kinds of experiences people don't forget. Thank you for sharing them with me."
He closed the book and looked back at Ray.
"So, is there anything you'd like help with? Or any story you'd like to hear? You shared yours with me, so I should give you something in return."
"Hmm... Can we just talk first? There are a few things I'm curious about."
"Of course."
"When I left my world, the Amphoreus storyline had only just finished. How did things go on your side? Did you manage to change the ending? Did Cyrene escape the endless cycles?"
"I changed the story."
A smile appeared on Caelus's face.
"Maybe my version wasn't as grand or tragic as the original, but it ended happily. Cyrene travels the multiverse with me now as my wife. She just doesn't feel like coming out at the moment."
Ray's expression immediately brightened.
"Now that's a good ending."
He leaned back slightly.
"I didn't play that many games. I picked up plenty over the years and dropped most of them. By the time I got transported, Honkai: Star Rail was the only one I'd stuck with since launch."
Ray smiled faintly.
"Amphoreus had an absurd amount of dialogue, and there were definitely times when getting through all of it felt exhausting, but the story itself really was good."
His expression softened.
"I still remember that empty feeling I had after finishing the ending."
"So I'm glad you changed it. Tragedies might make for unforgettable stories, but when you're talking about real people, I'd rather see them get a happy ending."
Ray raised his glass.
"Congratulations on fixing a story that deserved a better ending. Here's to you."
He drained the drink in one go.
Caelus considered that for a moment, then walked over to the bar, picked up a fresh glass, poured himself some alcohol, and raised it in return.
(To be continued.)
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◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)