Chapter 0: On a Certain Day, in a Certain Time, at a Certain Place, or So It Was Told

There is a story about the princess of a certain kingdom. About her meeting with a visitor from another world. And about how their escapades led to them barging straight into an epic battle that drew in the hero, the demon lord, and even the gods high above.

This is not that story.

This story… happened just a little bit before.

Known as the bulwark of the human kingdoms, the Principality of Triden lay at the western end of the human territories. Among all its cities of at least medium size, the Merchant City of Kukrika was again westernmost. With a population of approximately ten thousand, it stood as a city of reasonably large scale. Due to its unique position on the map, however, a considerable amount of traffic was constantly crossing its borders. At any given time, it was likely that the number of visitors in the city outnumbered the locals.

To call the city lively, while technically accurate, would also be slightly euphemistic. After all, its bustling streets accordingly implied the presence of many shadier folks who gained entrance through less than proper means. While the perpetual presence of a large number of guards at the city’s entrances, coupled with tough inspections, greatly limited the number of dangerous or suspicious people who entered or exited, no inspection was perfect. There were always oversights or loopholes, and the issue was a never-ending source of headaches for the local police force.

Off to the side of the city, away from its central street, was Shion. She wore a white, robe-like shirt, tucked into a pair of puffy black trousers that was long and dress-like (similar to what one would call a “hakama” in Renya’s home world). She stood amidst an air of boredom.

As the population of a city grew, more entertainment facilities would spring up to meet the extra demand. Such facilities tended to be open during evening hours and were often the likes of taverns, drinkeries, and other establishments of a decidedly more adult tilt. However, the cities in the Principality of Triden shared an odd quirk: they all contained many facilities that entertained women during the day. Whether this reflected the tastes of the ruling class or was due to other reasons, Shion did not know. In any case, the store that stood before her was one of those female-oriented locations.

For a female-oriented location, however, the store’s decorations were on the blander side with darker colors dominating its palette. Shion searched through the rather empty recesses of her mind and pieced together the few bits of wisdom she had. She came to the conclusion that the store’s design was meant to enhance its sense of mystery and secrecy. Probably. Then, after taking another look and carefully scrutinizing its appearance, she shrugged.

Personally, Shion thought the store’s design was an utter failure.

She was not the type to comment on other people’s tastes. Being well aware of the diversity in people’s preferences, she had no intention of claiming her own opinion to be the singular truth. Plenty of people probably liked how it looked. For her, however, cheesy places like these always felt like scams.

The obvious thing to do was about face and walk away, but circumstances did not allow her that option. With her teeth clenched, she pushed down the resentment that was bubbling up from within and drew a folded piece of paper out of an inner pocket. Unfolding the paper revealed a few lines of neatly written text, its meticulously formed characters a reflection of the writer’s own personality. Its contents contained an address that pointed the reader to a location within Kukrika, and it also specified the name of a store:

Parlor of Fortunes, Lux Infinitus.

For a name, it was on the ostentatious side. If the explanation she heard beforehand was to be believed, however, its function was far more mundane. It was supposed to be a simple fortune-telling place marketed to ladies. She looked at the name inscribed on the paper. Then the sign on the store. Then the paper. Then the store again. Finally, she sighed. There was no denying it. This was exactly where she was instructed to be.

She folded the paper and put it back into her pocket. The door was wide open, beckoning her to enter. Standing at its entrance, she peered in. Unfortunately, the store seemed intent on remaining consistent in its somber design, and the bright daylight made it nearly impossible to make out any details in the darkness inside.

Shion folded her arms and frowned. She was not familiar with this kind of thing, and the atmosphere in the store was not making it any easier to set foot inside by herself. On top of that, the person who made her come here was nowhere to be seen. After a period of contemplation, she struck her palm with her fist and, with the deliberate tone of someone who had made up her mind, said, “Okay, let’s go home!”

“How in the world did you manage to arrive at that conclusion?” said someone in an exasperated tone. The voice was familiar.

Shion jumped — quite literally — and lurched forward a few steps before spinning around to the sight of a girl. Her golden hair fell over a blackish robe that covered her voluptuous figure. The girl stood confidently. Her arms were crossed as well, and this had the effect of emphasizing her already-massive bosom.

The pair of voluminous protrusions, already a good two sizes larger than Shion’s, were just short of perfectly round, as they were being pressed against the robe by the arms underneath. Struggling against the confining fabric, they emphatically decried the injustice of their mistreatment. The plight of her breasts, juxtaposed against the maidenly image of the priest robe — the very symbol of chastity — was a feast for the eyes of almost violent proportions.

Even Shion, a fellow girl, could not help but feel her gaze drifting towards them. For male observers, their faces instantly turned beet red as they looked away and desperately pressed their hands to their noses in an attempt to stave off the oncoming tide of bodily fluids. Passersby, mesmerized by the sight, walked blindly into walls and store stalls, knocking over mountains of goods. Panicked onlookers quickly dashed into the shadows of buildings or alleyways. Hell itself broke loose all around her, but the girl in question paid it no mind. She stood staring at Shion, a hint of anger in her eyes.

It made Shion uncomfortable. She tried to say something, but her mind drew a blank. A few moments and a frantic search through her vocabulary later, she managed to piece together a response that she thought was appropriately noncommittal to break the ice.

“H-Hey, Ro, taking the twins for a walk? Man, what’re you feeding them to make them grow like that?”

“Silence is golden, you bubbly ignoramus. If you can’t think of something to say, just don’t say anything.”

Ro — Rona, as she is called by others — sighed, and her expression progressed through a rapid sequence of changes that would have been a perfect representation of the five stages of grief had it ended with acceptance instead of profound resignation. She, shoulders slumped in surrender, was both the one who called Shion here and the reason she could not simply leave.

While their coffers were not exactly bursting, they could afford some luxuries here and there. With the recent drought of adventuring gigs still ongoing, Rona had proposed to Shion that it would be good for the two of them to take a day off and head out for some fun. The thought of a “girls’ day out” carried universal appeal to young ladies in their adolescent years, and Shion was no different. There was, however, a problem, and it was the kind of problem that she did not want to draw attention to. Her atypical upbringing coupled with her timid nature doomed her to be entirely clueless about such topics. Rona was fully aware of this, which was why, being the slightly more informed of the pair, she’d offered to pick their destination. As a result, there they stood.

“…And this is the place you chose?” grumbled Shion, dismay clear on her face.

“What, not good enough for you?” asked a slightly offended Rona.

“I’m no expert, so I can’t say if it’s good or not. Still, doesn’t this place look a little too sketchy?”

Without the slightest unease, Shion began spewing borderline slander about the store while standing right in front of it. Her voice carried to the inside of the store, and Rona immediately sensed that reproachful gazes were being thrown their way. In response, she uncrossed her arms, raised her right hand, and smacked Shion across the head. There was a satisfying sound of impact, and the strike sent Shion lurching forward.

“You know,” said Shion as she rubbed the place she was hit and straightened herself, “I’ve been wondering something for a while. Is it just me or is that not the kind of strike you’d expect from a priest?”

“It’s just you. Now keep your mouth shut for a while,” said Rona. Then, with her right hand, she pressed her index finger into the bridge of Shion’s nose. “What do you mean sketchy? They’re operating in broad daylight. These are honest people running an honest business of fortune-telling.”

“Fortune-telling’s an honest business?”

“If you disagree, then present your evidence, Shion.”

Rona withdrew her outstretched arm. She curled both hands into fists and placed them at her hips before puffing out her chest. The gesture caused the features of her chest to be displayed prominently, which in turn had the repeated effect of drawing the attention of all the onlookers. Again, she did not seem bothered.

Meanwhile, a contemplative Shion was trying with limited success to keep her eyes off the pair of protrusions on her friend. It was hard when they were so prominently in view. After a span, she lowered her head in honest conciliation.

“Sorry, I have no evidence.”

“Good. Then give the store your heartfelt apologies. But do it in your head so we can get a move on already.”

Rona placed her hands on Shion’s shoulders and spun her around. Before she could complain, Rona began pushing her inside. While there was no reason to refuse, she felt a natural urge to resist when pushed against her will, and she looked over her shoulder at her friend to voice her dissent.

“You don’t have to push—”

“Yes I do! With that attitude of yours, how else are we going to get you to go in?”

For a priest, Rona had strong arms — strong enough, in fact, to overpower Shion — and Shion was under the impression that she was the swordsman of the two. She lost the shoving match and was forced through the store’s entrance into its murky interior.

The air suddenly felt cool. Despite the wide opening at the front, the store’s layout somehow allowed nearly no sunlight to reach the inside. A hazy source of light functioned as the replacement, providing barely enough illumination to see the ground underfoot and allow for safe walking. The building must have had thick walls, as outside noises were inaudible and a quiet stillness permeated the room. Hovering in the air was the scent of some sort of perfume. Put together, the effect was fairly authentic. If someone had told Shion that this was what mystery looked like, she would have believed it.

Many shelves could be found inside the store, which held various trinkets and charms that gave off a dull, metallic glow in the dim light. Shadowy forms wrapped head to toe in hooded robes drifted to and fro. They were probably the store staff. Thick, heavy curtains separated a number of rooms in the far wall. When customers approached a room, they would gently pull aside the curtain, take a peek in side, and then either enter directly or try a different room.

“You see those curtained rooms? The fortune tellers are inside,” whispered Rona, her lips mere inches from Shion’s ears.

It tickled a little and Shion jerked away. She would have complained, but the subdued atmosphere inside gave her pause.

“Would you like to give it a try? What kind of fortune do you want told?” asked Rona with a smile. Shion looked at her. Even in the dimly-lit confines of the parlor, Rona could see the blank expression on her friend’s face. She let out a deep sigh.

“What’s with the sigh?”

“Shion, when I ask you what kind of fortune you want told, I never want to see that dumb look on your face ever again. That was Girls 101, and you just failed.”

“I… I failed?”

Taken aback, a disheartened whisper escaped Shion’s lips. Rona, however, nodded firmly.

“Yes. You failed spectacularly.”

“What was I supposed to do? I don’t know the first thing about any of this,” lamented Shion. There was a tremble in her voice, and her fists tightened.

“Don’t worry, Shion,” said Rona, her voice softening, “I’ve got you covered. I’ve done the research already.”

“Ro…”

“Every activity, you see, has an established set of practices. A protocol, if you will. Whatever you’re doing, as long as you follow the protocol, you won’t crash and burn. Too badly, anyway.” Rona patted herself in the chest confidently, as though telling Shion to leave it to her. They were gentle taps, but even those sent her supple mounds bouncing up and down.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Shion, and she began worrying if Rona was actually wearing undergarments. Her friend’s breasts were certainly gorgeous and well-shaped, but they were just so big. Was it possible that, unable to find one that fit her size, she had no choice but to go without them? After all, even a light touch made them jiggle so vigorously. Surely, that was the only explanation.

“Uh… Shion?”

“Ro, next time we take a day off, let’s go shopping for clothes.”

“Huh? Where did that come from?”

“The way they jiggle so much, Ro, I’m seriously worried they might just bounce right out.”

“What the heck are you talking about? We’re here for fortune-telling, okay?”

Some annoyance crept into Rona’s voice before she caught herself and moderated her tone. Nevertheless, her admonishment had the effect of jogging Shion’s memory, who vaguely recalled that there was indeed some mention of fortunes before she’d veered off on her wild tangent. Rona’s lecture continued as she twirled the index finger of her right hand in a most teacherly fashion.

“Now, do you know what the protocol is for this particular situation? No? Then listen up. As a girl, you are to have your love life foretold.”

“N-No way…”

Shion trembled, dumbstruck by how casually those two words rolled off Rona’s tongue. They spoke of matters wholly foreign. Matters, Shion thought, that would also remain foreign to her for no small amount of time. She was yet a budding adventurer, her inexperience written plainly on her face. Currently, she could not even support herself. Work was not bringing in enough money, and she was chewing through her savings. Surely, there was no place for romance in her life when she had yet to figure out how to keep herself fed. Rona, however, seemed to have different ideas.

“You’re overthinking this. Lighten up. Just have a go at it.”

“B-But…”

“As for me, I’m going to go do some window shopping. Maybe ogle some jewelry. You just go and get your fortune told, okay? Consider it practice. Go on, pick whichever room you like. Oh, and don’t worry about paying. I’ve got that covered,” Rona said. She gave Shion a pat on the shoulder and smiled. Shion tried to argue, but before she got a word out, Rona was already browsing the shelves.

Left on her own, Shion found herself at a loss. She had no idea what she was supposed to be practicing, but it felt wrong to dismiss the recommendation of her good friend. After some deliberation, she decided to keep an open mind and give this fortune-telling thing a go. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. Once she made her decision, she was quick to action. Peering through the dimness at the curtained partitions, she wondered which chamber to choose. In the end, she settled on the one with the blandest curtain. Gently, she parted the cloth and poked her head through the slit.

A mild fragrance hung in the air. The wavering light of a lone candle revealed a table draped in purple cloth, upon which sat a large transparent orb the size of a child’s head. Across the table, gray rag-like cloth covered the short form of a person from head to toe.

“A customer, I presume?”

There was something in the voice that compelled Shion to enter, and so she did. The figure gave a low, throaty chuckle.

“Now what do we have here? An adorable little missus, I see. Come, come, make yourself seated.”

“Uh, sur— Wait, what? Between the two of us, I’m pretty sure you’re the little missus here.”

Though there was some motion to the human-shaped bundle of rags, the figure inside gave no indication of having heard what Shion said, instead fidgeting with the cloth until there was enough of an opening for a small sliver of a face to peer through. She looked Shion in the eyes.

“Welcome to my chamber in the Parlor of Fortunes, my dear little missus. This old maid is happy to receive you…”

“Okay, no. Just, no. There’s no way you’re going to pull off an old maid with a voice like that.”

The voice coming from the bundle of rags was indeed kept very low. Spoken through the cloth, it was also muted and slightly hard to hear. However, at the distance of a mere table apart, it was quite impossible to mistake the voice of a young girl for that of an old lady. Despite Shion’s remark, though, the enshrouded figure seemed intent on sticking to the old lady act and paid it no mind.

“Gazing into the annals of knowledge eternal, I have seen with mine own eyes the great mysteries of the cosmos. What then, little missus, would you have this old maid tell for you today?”

“Okay, I get it. That’s part of this whole routine of yours. I guess it is what it is, but there sure are some heartless parents out there, huh? Making a little girl like you work, I mean. Are they forcing you to do this? If you need any help, just let me know. I’ll do what I can.”

Silence.

Shion was aware that there existed some parents who preyed on the kindness of others. These people would try to draw the sympathy of customers by forcing young children to work. She worried that the tender-voiced fortune teller before her pretending to be an old lady was one such example.

“I’m not trying get your parents in trouble or anything. I’m just saying there are organizations in the Principality of Triden that support young children so they’re not forced to work. If you don’t really want to be doing this, you can talk to me about it, okay?”

As a matter of fact, such support groups were quite common in Triden. It was, perhaps, another reflection of the interests of the higher ups. Being a principality that saw frequent battles with monsters, there was never any shortage of orphaned children or widowed wives. In order to make sure the victims of such misfortune were not forced onto the streets, the Crown poured a generous amount of funding into support groups. As a result, the Principality of Triden saw the least amount of poverty amongst the human kingdoms.

“So, feel free to let me know if you’re—”

“Ah, shut up, you dumbass.”

Shion was cut short by the girl’s frigid remark. Left speechless by the fact that a young girl just called her a dumbass, she watched with her mouth agape as the girl ripped off the veil of rags on her head. A stream of golden hair appeared, flowing smoothly past the rather striking features of her face and down her back. She looked to be about five or six years old, but her gaze was sharp as she glared at Shion.

“Do you even know how fortune-telling works? You gotta talk, lady. This job’s all about the delivery. You think you can just grab a kid and force her to do this? Give it a rest with your moral high ground crap.”

“Oh, I— What? Huh? Um, sorry, I guess?”

With chin in hand and elbow on table, the girl launched into a grumbling tirade. Realizing that she had apparently wronged the girl in some way, Shion apologized.

“Well? What’s it gonna be, lady? Are you gonna get your fortune told or not?”

“U-Uh, sure. I’ll do it.” Shion nodded.

After that exchange, it was hard to imagine a less mysterious atmosphere, but seeing as she was the cause of it all, Shion compliantly lowered herself into the chair at the table.

“So, what do you want to know?”

“Um… About my love life, I guess?”

“Huh? Are you frigging serious? Dumb and horny. Man, you’re a piece of work, lady,” said the girl in a tone that suggested she had never heard a stupider question.

A vein bulged in Shion’s temple. Even she had her limits, but she forced down the anger, reminding herself that she was dealing with a little girl.

“Whatever. Hey, lady, put your hand on that crystal ball.”

Shion could almost taste the boredom in the girl’s voice, but she complied and placed her hand on the crystal ball at the center of the table. The girl stared at it for a while. Nothing happened. Then, the girl simply looked back at her.

“Looks like you haven’t met your soul mate yet. He’s probably gonna show up soon, though. The forest’s your lucky place, but it’s also where you’ll run into trouble. But, I mean, what’re you gonna do? That’s fate, right? If worse comes to worst, you’re gonna get beaten up and violated before getting dragged away for your underground debut. It’s all in the timing. With that said, though, it might not be smooth sailing for you down the road even if things do work out.”

“That sounds pretty bad…”

“Also, watch out for the busty blonde. Don’t let her snatch your prize.”

“Hm?”

“And against the breastless blonde, win the spec war. As for the rest, don’t lose on characterization.”

“It’s… a little weird how that’s so specific and yet so vague.”

“As they say, doubt my words at your own peril.”

With a “hah!” the girl proudly thrust out her chest. Its smooth contour betrayed the smug look on her face.

“I thought that fortune-tellers had… I don’t know, a different manner of speech. More mysterious, maybe.”

Something about what she just witnessed felt a little too different from what she was expecting. Her opinion seemed to irritate the girl slightly, who struck back.

“Lady, I can throw all sorts of big, mysterious words at you, but are you gonna understand?”

“Can I snap now? I feel like I should be allowed to snap now… A-Anyway,” said Shion as she suppressed her anger and changed the topic, “p-putting that aside, about the soul mate thing… Do you mean that’s someone who I’ll spend the rest of my life with?”

“Oh? What, is that turning you on? Looks like someone’s in heat.”

The comment caused a vein to throb angrily over Shion’s furrowed brows, but the girl could not seem to care less. She propped up her chin on the table with her elbow and smirked. There was a jarring maturity to that smirk that belied her childlike appearance. Shion felt a chill at the contrast and pulled back a little.

“Should you cross paths with your true love, you will surely experience one fantastic adventure after another. Magical tales with fairies abound, epic myths woven by gods, and lores and legends sung by devils, all these comedies and tragedies — these stories that enrapture the heart of man — shall be yours to see. And you’ll get front row seats, too, with that person at your side.”

“Wow, that sure sounds like a breathtaking series of adventures.”

“Breathtaking series of adventures, huh. Lemme remind you that reading about it isn’t the same as living it. If you want out, now’s your chance. Speak up or forever hold your silence. Decision time, lady. What’ll it be?”

The girl spoke eloquently as if in song. Despite the fact that there was a strange verisimilitude to her words, Shion pushed herself forward onto the table and looked the girl in the eyes before answering. She was not sure why, but something in her told her that she could not back down here.

“If that is true, it would be a waste to pass up the chance to experience a life far beyond what’s possible for a mere mortal. I shall humbly accept what comes.”

Seeing that Shion rose to the challenge, the girl fixed her with a measuring glance.

“Even if you might die?” asked the girl again as if testing her opponent. Shion lips curled upwards at the question.

“I was prepared to die the day I became an adventurer,” she answered. There was no fear or doubt in her voice.

“So be it… Dauntless adventurer, allow me to welcome your participation.”

The girl sat back and leaned into her chair. She spread her arms wide, as though she were beckoning Shion to come.

“Here and now, the choice has been made. Now, then… Please enjoy.”

A clap echoed.

With a gasp, Shion realized she was standing in the middle of the fortune-telling parlor. She had a vague feeling that she was talking to someone just a moment ago, but the strange hazy feeling in her head kept her memories out of reach. Absently, she looked at the far wall. Nothing was there except for an empty patch that felt oddly out of place.

“Shion? Did you get your fortune told already?”

Turning to the direction of the voice, she found a curious Rona looking back at her, various jewelry in and hanging off her hands.

“Uh, hmm… Fortune… right, fortune-telling.”

“Are you okay? I don’t think they’re burning any weird incenses here, but every so often there’ll be someone who gets overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Do you feel sick?”

“I’m fine. I’m… fine.” Shion smiled in an attempt to calm her worried friend.

“Are you sure? Should we take a few more days off? I mean, technically, we did agree to investigate the Miasmal Forest as our next mission from the guild… and they’ll probably fine us if we cancel now.”

“No, it’s fine. Forest… We’re investigating a forest, huh. Sounds good. I’m up for it. Don’t worry.”

Something stirred in the back of her mind, but she could not put her finger on it. It was not an ominous or unpleasant feeling. If anything, it felt almost like a sign of good things to come. Shion put out her hand and patted a concerned Rona on the shoulder to reassure her.

“It’d be a waste to cancel the mission and pay a fine. Once the vacation’s over, let’s head back to work.”

“Really… Well, if you say so. On that note, so, I was looking at this amulet, right?”

After presumably deciding that everything was okay, Rona lightened up and began recommending the heap of jewelry she held in her hands. While Shion had no interest in accessorizing, on her friend’s suggestion, she picked up a few trinkets and tried them on.

As the hours rolled by, the two girls cheerfully enjoyed the rest of their day off.

***

There is a story. It happened somewhere not here, and sometime not now. This is that story.

“Man, I put in so much damn work there! I worked hard!. I worked so hard I could have raised myself out of systemic poverty! But damn that was close. I just barely managed to make the pieces fit together!”

“Master… I believe this is what most would refer to as ‘dropping the ba—’”

“No! This is not! This is called setting the stage!”

“Okay… But you have yet to select the candidate, right? Is there any guarantee that the one you send will be male?”

“Wha— U-Um… if it’s a girl, then we’ll just keep it platonic.”

“I see… Well, try your best at finding someone to cross the boundary, then. I will be rooting for you.”

“Hweh?! You’re not gonna help?”

Somewhere, sometime, there might or might not have been a conversation like so.

There is a story about the princess of a certain kingdom. About her meeting with a visitor from another world. And about how their escapades led to them barging straight into an epic battle that drew in the hero, the demon lord, and even the gods high above.

This is not that story.

This story… happened just a little bit before.

A few days later, the two of them would go on to form a party with six other men and investigate the Miasmal Forest.