Chapter 11: Checking out the Medieval World Noah returned the bicycle with two minutes to spare, collecting his deposit from Mike with a nod before heading home. The entire journey back, his mind bounced between worlds—the failed date, the medieval shop, the loan sharks. Each problem was distinct yet somehow connected through the strange turn his life had taken. His phone buzzed as he unlocked his apartment door. Aunt Mei. Right on schedule. Of course she’s calling. Probably had a celebration cake ready to order. He let it ring three times before answering. "Hey, Aunty." "Noah! So? How did it go?" Her voice bubbled with anticipation. "Did you like Sophia? Isn’t she beautiful? I told you!" Noah kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto his couch. "It didn’t work out." A beat of silence. "What do you mean ’didn’t work out’? What happened?" "We just didn’t click." He stared at the ceiling, unwilling to admit he’d been dismissed within minutes "But she’s perfect! Good family, good education, good job—" "Maybe too perfect." Noah cut her off gently. "Look, I appreciate you trying, but—" "Did you say something stupid? You always talk about your computer things too much. Girls don’t care about coding, Noah!" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It wasn’t like that. We just want different things." Aunt Mei’s sigh crackled through the speaker. "You’re too picky. Your father wasn’t picky when he met your mother." "Dad got lucky." Noah’s voice softened at the mention of his mother. "No luck! Only opportunity and action." Her tone shifted to resigned disappointment. "Fine. I’ll find someone else. Someone less... ambitious." Less judgmental would be nice. "Don’t worry about it, Aunty. I’m focusing on my new business right now anyway." "Hmm." She clearly didn’t believe him. "Well, call your father. He was asking about the date." "I will. Love you, Aunty." After hanging up, Noah stood in the center of his apartment, suddenly restless. He glanced at his watch. Plenty of time to return to his shop, sell more bread, maybe reach that crucial ten-loaf threshold for upgrades. Noah stepped toward the portal, leaving the disappointment of his date behind. In a world of demons and magic, at least nobody cared about his GPA. ... Appearing in his shop, Noah saw another bread piece had arrived on the shelf. It was 5 loaves of bread now. *That’s worth a thousand five hundred dollars. Plus, with these five sold, I can finally check out the store upgrade slot and buy new products to help me unlock another daily income stream.* He thought with a smile on his face, as he sat on the chair and waited for a customer to walk in. An hour passed with Noah sitting idly, bored as even the system didn’t want to talk to him. After gathering his courage and remembering the earlier embarrassment from the date, he decided to finally take matters into his own hands. "I’m curious about this world anyways. Let’s see what it has in store for me," he muttered, standing up from his chair and walking towards the door. He asked the system about what if he lost his way, but the system told him that it would lead him back using a map. He sighed in relief and took a deep breath. From the way the system responded, he could tell it just wanted him to leave the shop. Stepping out of the shop, he placed one foot out before the second followed suit. He was finally outside his shop. Glancing at the alleyway more clearly and the position of his store, his mouth couldn’t help but twitch at the bad marketing strategy. The door was very plain like everyone else’s but with a wooden board saying, "Idle Store." *No wonder everyone thinks I’m shady,* he thought with a wry smile before he decided to leave the abandoned alleyway. --- Noah stood at the mouth of the alleyway, his heart hammering against his ribs. The morning sun was blazing, making the cobblestone street before him heat up his shoes. Real, actual cobblestones—not the decorative kind in tourist districts back home, but worn, uneven stones that had seen centuries of feet. For the first time since discovering the portal, he was truly experiencing this medieval world. No shop boundaries. No safety net. "System, if I die out here, I just... wake up back home, right?" [Affirmative. With a 24-hour system lockout penalty.] "And the pain is multiplied by...?" [300%.] Noah winced. "So basically, don’t die." [Correct.] Taking a deep breath, Noah stepped onto the main street and immediately flattened himself against a wall as a horse-drawn cart rumbled past, inches from his toes. "Watch it, fool!" the driver shouted, not even slowing. ’Whats wrong with this guy?’ Collecting himself, Noah began walking, trying to blend in with the flow of people. The cobblestone street widened as he moved away, into a sprawling marketplace that took his breath away. Esta was alive in ways he couldn’t have imagined from his shop window. Market stalls lined both sides of the street, merchants crying their wares in musical cadences. The scents of fresh fruit, roasting meat, exotic spices, and—less pleasantly—horse manure competed for dominance. People bustled everywhere. Women in long dresses carrying baskets. Children darting between legs. Men in leather aprons hammering metal. And mixed among them, figures that made Noah blink in disbelief. A woman in flowing purple robes walked past, a staff in her hand topped with a crystal that glowed faintly blue. She muttered to herself, and small sparks danced around her fingertips. *An actual mage. With actual magic.* Behind her, a man strode confidently in gleaming armor, a massive sword strapped to his back. Not cosplay armor, but genuine steel, dented from real combat. His face bore a scar that cut from forehead to jaw, and people stepped aside to let him pass. Noah gaped. It was like walking into a fantasy novel—except the smells were more pungent, the sounds louder, and the danger far more real than any book could convey. "System, am I seeing things, or was that actual magic?" [Host is witnessing authentic magical phenomena.] A group of children ran past, chasing what looked like a floating ball of light that giggled as it darted through the air. *This is insane.* Noah continued through the market, trying not to stare too obviously. He passed stalls selling everything from vegetables to potions in glass vials that glowed with unnatural colors. One merchant had an array of crystals spread on a velvet cloth, each humming a different musical note when touched. As fascinating as the magical elements were, Noah found himself equally intrigued by the mundane. The way people bargained, the currency changing hands (those familiar gold coins, along with smaller silver and copper pieces), the social hierarchies evident in clothing and demeanor. He was so absorbed in watching a blacksmith bend metal with nothing but whispered words and gestures that he nearly collided with a group of armored figures—Valeria’s Silver Wolves, recognizable by their emblem. Noah ducked his head and slipped behind a fruit stall. The marketplace opened into a large square dominated by a stone fountain. Beyond that, the buildings grew taller, more elaborate. And rising above them all, the royal castle perched on a distant hill, its white towers catching the midday sun. *That’s where Princess Elara lives. Where she wants me to study magic.* A commotion to his right drew Noah’s attention. People were backing away from something—or someone—muttering and pointing. Curious, Noah edged closer. There, arguing with a stall owner, stood a figure unlike any Noah had seen before. At first glance, it appeared to be a man in a hood, but as the figure gestured angrily, Noah caught a glimpse of a furry, whiskered face. Not a man. A humanoid raccoon. The raccoon-man stood upright on two legs, dressed in leather clothing with numerous pouches. His snout twitched as he argued, revealing sharp teeth. Despite his animal features, his expressions were unnervingly human, currently contorted in frustration. "This is highway robbery!" the raccoon snarled, his voice perfectly comprehensible despite the muzzle it came from. "Ten silver for a basic whetstone? I could buy three in Westhollow for that price!" The human merchant crossed his arms. "Go to Westhollow then, beast-kin. Oh wait, you can’t because the roads are demon-infested. Ten silver." Noah couldn’t tear his eyes away. A walking, talking raccoon person. Haggling over a whetstone. "System," he whispered, "what am I looking at?" [Demi-human. Common in this world’s southern regions.] "Like... an evolved animal?" [Negative. Demi-humans are distinct species, not evolved animals. Many possess natural magical affinities.] The tanuki’s ears flattened against his head as the argument heated up. His paw-like hand moved toward one of his pouches, but he seemed to think better of it. With a final snarl, he slammed eight silver coins onto the counter. "Eight. Final offer." The merchant looked ready to refuse, but his eyes darted to the growing crowd. After a tense moment, he snatched the coins and tossed over a whetstone. "Don’t come back, beast-kin." The racoon’s nose twitched. "Wouldn’t dream of it, baldy." As the demi-human turned to leave, he locked eyes with Noah—the only person who hadn’t backed away from the confrontation. The tanuki’s amber eyes narrowed, taking in Noah’s clothes (definitely not local fashion), his clean-shaven face (when most men here had beards), and his wide-eyed fascination. Instead of moving on, the tanuki approached. Noah tensed. "You new around here?" the demi-human asked, voice low enough that only Noah could hear. "You stick out worse than I do, and I’ve got a tail." Noah swallowed. "That obvious, huh?" "Might as well have ’not from Esta’ tattooed on your forehead." The tanuki’s whiskers twitched in what might have been amusement. "Word of advice? Stop staring at everything like you’ve never seen it before. Makes you a target." "Thanks," Noah managed, still processing the fact that he was receiving life advice from a raccoon person. The tanuki studied him for another long moment. "Interesting," he muttered, almost to himself. Before Noah could respond, a city bell began to toll. The crowd in the marketplace immediately shifted, people moving with purpose toward the edges of the square. "What’s happening?" Noah asked. "Royal procession," the tanuki replied. "The princess is passing by. Perfect opportunity for pickpockets in the crowd, which means..." He grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "There is work to do." With a mock salute, the demi-human melted into the gathering crowd. Noah found himself being pushed toward the edge of the square as people lined up along the main avenue. Guards in blue and gold livery began clearing a path, their armour gleaming in the midday sun. "Make way for Her Royal Highness, Princess Elara of House Durenholde!" a herald called. *Elara. The bread customer. The one who offered me a place at the Magic Academy.* Noah craned his neck, suddenly eager to see the princess in her formal element, surrounded by the pomp of royalty rather than in his humble shop. The procession came into view—knights on horseback, banners snapping in the breeze, mages with staffs that crackled with arcane energy. And in the center, a carriage pulled by horses so white they seemed to glow. The carriage windows were open, and there she was—Princess Elara, dressed in formal regalia that made her shop visit attire look positively casual. A Tiara nestled in her blonde hair. As the carriage rolled past, her amber eyes scanned the crowd—and for the briefest moment, met Noah’s. A small smile flashed across her face, followed by something like amusement. She raised one eyebrow fractionally, the ghost of a smile touching her lips.