CHAPTER 36: KNOWING THE WORLD AGAIN

Serin lowered her gaze for a moment, as if searching her own mind for something stable enough to hold on to.

"My name... is Serin Velrith," she finally answered. "I’m twenty-two years old. I was born in the town of Brisel, west of the capital city of Altfordia. I was... an adventurer."

Albert nodded slightly. "An adventurer. From the Guild?"

"Yes," Serin confirmed. "Bronze-ranked. That’s the lowest. We mostly take small escort jobs, clean-up missions, gather herbs, hunt small beasts... things like that."

"I see. How about another country or species or races that exist in this world?"

Serin took a moment before answering. There was hesitation—not because she didn’t know, but because explaining her world meant organizing things she always took for granted.

"There are... many races," she began slowly. "Humans, like me. Elves—they live mostly in the western forests past the Azurewood range. They’re good with magic... especially wind and nature. Dwarves too—most live underground or in the Ironspine mountains. They forge weapons, armor, machinery... but not like yours," she added with a small glance at Albert’s gear. "Theirs are still made by hand. Steel and mithril. Your weapons... feel different. Like they were made by something faster."

Albert listened intently, not writing, just memorizing.

Serin continued, "There are beastkin too—humans with animal traits. Ears, tails, sometimes claws. They live in tribes, mostly in the Wildlands. South of the kingdom, near the frontier. Not all are... civilized. Some tribes raid. Others trade."

"And other kingdoms?" Albert prompted.

She nodded. "Altfordia is one of five main human kingdoms on this continent. There’s Kaldor in the north—cold, strong cavalry, known for their knights. Caldria in the west—wealthy, big trading ports. Velantria in the south—ruled by mages, they use magic in their armies. And Estora—across the eastern sea. They have fleets. Ships with sails and cannons."

Albert and Serin exchanged a look.

"So they do have cannons," he murmured.

Serin nodded lightly. "Yes. Blackpowder. They call it fire-dust. Kingdoms use it, but only the wealthy armies. Mostly nobles."

Not industrial. Not mass-produced. Handcrafted. In her world, cannons were special and rare.

"And monsters?" Albert asked quietly. "Not just goblins. What else should we expect?"

Serin’s expression dimmed—just slightly.

"There are many kinds," she said, gaze distant. "Goblins are the weakest. But they swarm. They breed fast. They have... no mercy. They take prisoners." She paused. "Orcs are worse. Bigger. Smarter. They can organize tribes. They use weapons. They raid villages. They take prisoners too. But goblins—" she swallowed— "they enjoy taking them."

Albert didn’t interrupt.

"There are other things," Serin continued softly. "Wolves—dire wolves. Trolls. Basilisks. Harpies. Slimes. Wraiths. Undead things that crawl in ruins. Wyverns—lesser dragons without front arms. But dragons..." She hesitated. "Dragons are... rare. Very rare. And ancient. Most people have never seen one."

Albert nodded. "But they exist."

"Yes," Serin whispered. "Some say they are sleeping in the mountains. Under old ruins. Or guarding forgotten places."

Albert leaned back for a moment, processing. Different races. Feudal kingdoms. Monsters... including ones far worse than goblins.

"How about magic?" he asked. "You used magic. Can others?"

Serin nodded slightly. "Magic is... rare. A natural talent. You must have mana. People with mana are called mages. Or sorcerers. Priests sometimes. Most adventurers cannot use magic. Even Bronze rank... maybe only one in thirty knows even one spell."

"And you?" Albert asked.

Serin lowered her eyes. "I know five. But only two I can use properly. Light-bind. And barrier. I learned them from a healer in Brisel."

Albert kept his tone calm. "Can everyone learn magic?"

"No," Serin said quietly. "Only people born with it. The Guild has tests. To measure mana. Mine is weak... but it’s there. We call people with mana ’gifted.’ Everyone else is ’ordinary.’"

"Are there magic schools?" Albert asked.

"In the capital," Serin answered. "And in Velantria. Only nobles or rich merchants can afford it. Poor mages... join the Guild. Like me."

Albert nodded thoughtfully.

"So magic is not common. But it exists. Can it be used in armies?"

Serin nodded. "Yes. But rarely. A kingdom might have fifty or sixty trained mages. They serve as court mages, battle mages, healers. They don’t fight like soldiers. They are... expensive."

Albert leaned forward slightly.

"Can magic destroy a building? Fortify walls? Heal catastrophic injury?"

Serin paused.

"I’ve heard it can," she answered. "But I haven’t seen it. I can only cast small spells. And even that... not always."

Albert nodded slowly.

He did not show excitement. But inside, he knew what this meant.

Magic in this world wasn’t cinematic. It was scarce, specialized, expensive, limited by skill.

Not like a video game. More like... medicine. Or technical expertise.

He shifted slightly and asked, "Serin, what about the demon race? Do they exist? We’ve heard mentions."

Serin flinched. "Yes they do exist, they live in the north. They are a powerful race led by a demon king. Only a group of heroes can fight the demon lord."

"Heroes?" Albert tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

Serin hesitated, as if weighing her words. Her fingers gently pressed against the fabric of her borrowed jacket.

"Heroes..." she repeated softly. "They are people blessed by the Gods. They possess strength beyond normal humans—stronger bodies, stronger minds, and powerful magic. They are scattered throughout but I do believe there is one hero in the kingdom."

"Ohhh...perhaps we can meet them huh?" Albert asked.

"I don’t think she’ll be easy to find. But she is a great hero, who wouldn’t hesitate to help those who are in need. But still, her name was Valeria."

"Valeria," Albert repeated.

Albert adjusted slightly in his seat, bringing the conversation back to the present.

"Serin," he said. "Just to make sure we have it correctly..."

He leaned forward a little, elbows on his knees.

"You said your name is Serin Velrith, right?"

She nodded once. "Yes. Serin Velrith."

"Serin," he repeated, as if familiarizing himself with it. "Thank you for telling us all this. It’s important. More than you might realize. Thank you!"