Ryo fell asleep leaning against the cold wooden wall in front of Garreth's shop. His body felt tired after walking around this morning. The increasingly high sunlight shone on his face, making him groan softly in his sleep.

  Suddenly, a deep voice woke him up.

  "Hey, kid! Want to sleep in front of someone's shop forever?"

  Ryo was surprised and immediately opened his eyes. Garreth was standing in front of him with his arms folded, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

  "You slept here all night?" he asked in a surprised tone.

  Ryo rubbed his eyes and hurriedly answered, "I was waiting for uncle to open the shop... I want to work like uncle offered yesterday."

  Garreth was silent for a moment, then—without warning—laughed loudly.

  "Hahahaha! So you've been waiting here since morning? Oh my, I forgot to tell you! This shop opens at night!"

  Ryo widened his eyes. "Night?"

  Garreth nodded while patting his shoulder. "Yes, kid. I don't sell in the morning or afternoon. This place is more crowded at night."

  Ryo lowered his head, embarrassed for having waited so long. However, Garreth only patted his shoulder again. "But it's also my fault for not explaining. Come in, I'll teach you how to work here."

  ◇◇◇

  Inside the shop, Garreth began to teach the various duties that a waiter had to do.

  "First, clean the table after the customers leave. Don't leave any leftover food lying around. Second, memorize the simple menu that is often ordered. Third, if there are drunk customers who cause trouble, don't deal with them alone. Call me."

  Ryo nodded, noting all of that down in his mind.

  Garreth then led him to the small kitchen behind the shop. "Now, try making something from the ingredients you have. See what you can come up with."

  Ryo stared at the simple ingredients available—vegetables, a few cuts of meat, spices, and bread. He had never really been good at cooking, but he was used to making simple meals.

  After thinking for a moment, he decided to make a kind of beef stew with toast. It didn't take long for him to finish it, and he served it on the table.

  Garreth took a spoonful of soup and tasted it. He chewed for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Hmm, not bad... But a little salty."

  Ryo smiled sheepishly. "I don't really cook that often."

  Garreth chuckled. "Take it easy, kid. You'll get used to it if you try."

  ◇◇◇

  As time passed, customers began to arrive.

  Ryo was surprised to see how crowded the tavern was at night. The tables slowly filled with customers from all walks of life—adventurers, manual laborers, and even a few small merchants.

  As a rookie waiter, he was still a little awkward, but he slowly got used to carrying trays, taking orders, and clearing tables. Garreth scolded him a few times when he almost spilled drinks or wrote down orders incorrectly, but that only made him more focused.

  ◇◇◇

  When the tavern began to quiet down, Garreth finally called out to him.

  "You did a pretty good job." He took out some coins and handed them to Ryo. "Here's your pay, 5 silver coins. Don't be too wasteful, young man."

  Ryo accepted the coins with slightly widened eyes.

  "I get paid this much?" he asked, a little incredulous.

  Garreth grinned. "Of course. Do you think I'd hire someone without paying them?"

  After that, Garreth patted him on the shoulder. "Now go home. You must be tired."

  ◇◇◇

  Ryo returned to the same inn as yesterday and rented another room. After receiving the key, he entered and sat on his small bed.

  In his hand, he held the small cloth bag that Garreth had given him before he left. When he opened it, inside were a few pieces of bread and a piece of dried meat.

  Ryo smiled slightly. "This must be from Uncle Garreth…"

  Without waiting long, he ate the food greedily. The taste was simple, but it meant a lot to him.

  After finishing his food, he lay down on the bed and stared at the wooden ceiling above him.

  Today felt tiring, but also better than before.

  At least… for the first time since he arrived in this world, he felt like he had a purpose.

  With that thought, he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

  A week had passed since Ryo started working at Garreth's tavern. Every night, he served customers, cleaned tables, and occasionally helped in the kitchen. Although awkward at first, he was now starting to get used to the rhythm of his work. This tavern may not be the best place, but to him, it was a place where he felt comfortable.

  However, tonight felt different. After the last customer left and the tavern closed, Garreth called Ryo to sit at a corner table. The middle-aged man's face looked more serious than usual, his eyes deep as if he was weighing something heavy in his mind.

  "Ryo," he said in a low voice, "I've been thinking for a long time... It seems like you can't work here forever."

  Ryo frowned. "What do you mean, uncle?"

  Garreth took a deep breath before continuing. "You are one of them... the summoned. Sooner or later, this world will know of your existence. I can protect you for a while, but not forever."

  Ryo lowered his head. "But I enjoy working here. I feel comfortable, and—"

  "Ryo," Garreth interrupted him, his voice firm. "Don't be stupid. How much do you get paid from me? Five silver coins a day? That's not enough money for someone like you."

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  Ryo gritted his teeth. "I don't care about money! I just want to stay here!"

  A loud thud filled the room as Garreth slammed his hand on the table.

  "Don't be stubborn, brat! You still have a long life ahead of you! Do you think I want to chase you away? No! I just want you to have a better life!"

  Ryo fell silent. He could see the sincerity in Garreth's eyes. The man might be rough in his speech, but every word he said was filled with concern.

  Finally, with a heavy heart, Ryo nodded. "Alright... I'll go to the hunter's guild tomorrow morning."

  Garreth nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Go and find your own path in life."

  With heavy steps, Ryo left the tavern. As the night wind blew against his face, he felt his heart empty. Leaving this place... leaving Garreth... was not something he wanted to do.

  However, what he didn't know was that as soon as he closed the door and walked away, Garreth coughed softly.

  Ukh...

  The middle-aged man pressed his chest, feeling a sharp pain in his body. As he pulled his hand away from his mouth, a deep red color coated his palm.

  Garreth smiled bitterly. "Huh… Looks like my time is up, huh?"

  He coughed again, harder this time, before finally straightening himself and trying to stand up. With unsteady steps, he turned off the lights of the tavern and walked towards his room.

  Meanwhile, at the inn, Ryo was asleep, unaware of the secret that Garreth had just hidden from him.

  As morning approached, Ryo walked with his head down, trying to avoid the attention of the people around him. He knew that his identity as a summoned person was still at risk, and he did not want to attract unnecessary attention.

  As he walked through the bustling city streets, his eyes caught a small stall selling various masks. Some of them had animal motifs, while others had intricate carvings that looked luxurious. He paused for a moment, thinking that wearing a mask might be the best way to hide his face.

  Ryo pointed to a white fox-shaped mask with red lines around the eyes and asked the seller, "How much is this mask?"

  The vendor, an old man with thinning hair, grinned and replied, "That's 15 silver coins, kid."

  Ryo's eyes widened. "What? How can a mere mask be that expensive?"

  The vendor chuckled. "These masks aren't just any masks, kid. They're made with a bit of magic. If you wear one, your voice can change, and your hair and skin color can adapt slightly to be different from the original."

  Ryo frowned. Transformation magic? That sounded useful, but 15 silver coins was clearly beyond his reach. He bit his lip and asked, "Is there anything cheaper?"

  The vendor hissed softly, then thought to himself, If you're poor, it's better not to buy it. However, he kept his smile and took out a plain black mask with no patterns on it. "If you want something cheap, this is it. It doesn't have any magic effects, but it's enough to hide your face. It's 3 silver coins."

  Ryo weighed his options. He didn't have much money, and even if this mask didn't have any magic effects, it would at least cover his face. Finally, with a heavy heart, he took out three silver coins and handed them to the vendor.

  "Thank you for your purchase," the vendor said with a faint smile.

  After putting on the mask, Ryo continued his journey to the hunter's guild.

  When he arrived in front of the guild building, Ryo looked up at the large sign hanging above the entrance. The atmosphere inside was bustling, with adventurers gathered to watch hunting missions and exchange their catches.

  He approached the reception desk, where a young brown-haired woman smiled at him kindly.

  "Welcome to the hunter's guild. What do you need?"

  "I would like to register as a hunter," Ryo answered in a slightly nervous voice.

  The receptionist's eyes narrowed slightly, looking at him curiously. His face was indeed covered by a mask, and it was quite suspicious. However, he still smiled professionally.

  "Alright, for registration, please state your name."

  Ryo almost said his own name, but right before the word came out, he realized that he was trying to hide his identity. Quickly, he changed his answer.

  "My name is… Ryu," he said spontaneously.

  The woman wrote down the name without asking much. "Okay, Ryu. Now, I need to know your fighting style. What weapon do you use?"

  Ryo paused for a moment. He didn't carry a sword, dagger, or bow. He had never really thought about his fighting style in this world.

  Seeing Ryo's confusion, the receptionist smiled and guessed, "You're a hand-to-hand fighter, right? Usually people who don't carry weapons are those who rely on martial arts techniques."

  Ryo nodded immediately. "Yes… something like that."

  "Alright, I'll take note of it," the receptionist said, scribbling something on a notebook on her desk. "Now, please take a look at the mission board over there. It's a price list of the bounties you can sell to the guild."

  Ryo turned around and looked at the large wooden board covered in papers with pictures and writing. There were various animals and monsters with varying prices. Forest wolves were priced at 10 silver coins each, wild boars at 7 silver coins each, and there were also high-class bounties that went for hundreds of coins.

  However, what caught Ryo's attention was a small listing in the corner of the board:

  Forest Rats – 2 silver coins each

  He stared at the writing with interest. Even though they were only rats, if he could catch five in a day, that would be 10 silver coins—twice his salary at Garreth's tavern.

  "Where can I find forest rats?" he asked the receptionist.

  "They're usually found in the forest south of town," she replied. "But before that, you should know some hunting rules—"

  Before the receptionist could finish her sentence, Ryo turned and ran out of the guild, heading south of the city.

  "H-Hey! Don't be so hasty!" the receptionist shouted, but Ryo had already disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the city.

  When Ryo arrived at the southern city gate, a guard stopped him. "Where are you going, young man?" the guard asked.

  "To hunt," Ryo answered shortly.

  The guard frowned. "Show me your hunter's badge."

  Ryo paused, realizing he didn't have his badge with him. "Ah... I forgot," he replied, trying to come up with an excuse.

  The guard stood his ground. "Without your badge, you can't pass."

  Reluctantly, Ryo turned and headed back to the guild. When he arrived there, the receptionist stared at him with a sharp gaze.

  "What's wrong, Ryu?" the receptionist asked, a little impatient.

  Ryo felt awkward. "I... don't have my badge."

  The receptionist sighed. "Without your badge, you can't hunt. Come back tomorrow."

  Ryo walked out of the guild with languid steps, feeling that the trip was in vain.

  In his inn room, Ryo felt bored. Usually he chatted with Garreth in the tavern, but that afternoon he didn't know what to do. Before he knew it, he was already lying on his bed.

  Towards evening, he decided to go to Garreth's tavern. When he arrived there, the tavern seemed closed, even though it was almost night. He knocked on the door several times, but there was no answer. Ryo began to worry and finally returned to the inn.

  That night, Ryo ate with the remaining money he had. After eating, he sat on the edge of the bed, looking out the window of his room. Memories of the castle and the king's disrespectful treatment came to his mind. He held his breath, trying to push away those feelings. To survive in this new world, he knew he had to forget the past and start a new life. With a heavy heart, he lay down and closed his eyes.

  When morning came, Ryo woke up with a heavy feeling. He decided to have breakfast even though his mood felt empty. After eating, he returned to his room and sat on a chair near the window. His gaze was blank, his mind still drifting in memories that were hard for him to forget. He ponders about the badge that should be finished, but more than that, his mind is on the three heroes who are currently being trained by the kingdom.

  The background then shifts, highlighting the situation of the three heroes who are training hard in the kingdom.

  Aiko Fujimori, with the blessing of the Wind Goddess that she received, continues to train her archery skills. The blessing of the wind allows her to manipulate the wind easily, and archery becomes a skill that she is very good at. However, this power has a weakness; every time she uses it, a lot of MP is used, making her have to diligently increase her MP level to stay strong.

  Takahiro Sakamoto, a young man with the blessing of the Fire God, feels more challenged. He cannot control fire as people expect, but can only channel fire into the weapon he holds. The spear becomes his weapon of choice because he feels that it is the easiest form to channel fire. However, Takahiro must be wary of water or ice attacks that can weaken her strength.

  Mika Tanaka, the quiet girl, receives the blessing of Light. However, after a week of training, her abilities have not developed much. He could only create a speck of light at the tip of his finger, even though light was a very potent power. Mika used two small daggers because speed was the main strength in his stats. Even so, his trainer said that he still needed time to fully master the blessing.

  Back to Ryo, as he was daydreaming, he decided to return to the guild and ask about the badge. However, on the way to the guild, he heard murmurs from the gathered villagers. Their faces looked serious, and their voices were whispering.

  "Garreth... he died in his tavern last night," one of the villagers said. "His mouth was covered in blood... maybe it had something to do with something bigger."

  Ryo was shocked. It felt like the world stopped for a moment, and he felt as if nothing was moving except for him. His gaze was blank, his mind spinning. Uncle Garreth, the person he had considered like family, was gone. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Feelings of anxiety and confusion haunted his heart, but he didn't know what to do.

  With faltering steps, Ryo returned to his inn, his heart filled with emptiness and doubt.