Part One - Third Year - Chapter [010]

This had to be a glitch!

There's no way - logical or illogical - that is the first thing that happens to me as I reincarnate into a new world.

I meet the copy I accidentally made of Eddy! 

There's no way that's right!

[Yet he's right in front of you.] 

Apollo spoke to me through telepathy.

I looked at Arslan - he was so pretty.

The blond hair suited his swarthy skin.

Arslan was looking around - like he was worried about something.

He looked back at me, meeting my eyes.

There was something about the way he looked at me like he had the confidence to just undress me with his eyes. 

Arslan suddenly took a couple of steps towards me, meeting me just inches from my face.

He took my right arm and rubbed the new tattoo Apollo had made for me.

The sign that had calmed him down.

He rubbed hard like he was trying to remove the ink or something.

But it was inserted beneath my skin like a real tattoo. 

"Who did you pay to appear at such a high level, huh?" he reassured as he tried even harder to make the sign on my arm go away. 

"It's impossible such a scrawny individual like yourself to have such a high level!" he raged.

He was about to start scratching at my skin.

What did he mean by scrawny?

I had some muscle - just not very visible.

Plus my clothes probably threw him off.

A simple t-shirt and some sweats were way under dress for the high-quality armor he was wearing. He looked almost like a prince. 

"Stop - you're hurting me!" I shouted, taking my arm back.

He took it back again.

Was he out of his mind or something?

This time his touch was much more sweet.

He turned and turned my arm around and around.

I let him for a moment. 

"Fine - but you must tell me your class then," he sassed me.

He looked positively puzzled. Like there was no way something like this would ever happen.

Had Apollo accidentally made me super OP and now my powers were coming into question. 

Not that I had any magic - or knew how to use it. 

[You're a Healer - remember?] 

That's right!

Back when Apollo first downloaded into my brain - the system had assigned a healer class to me. 

Was that still in effect? 

"I know everyone and everyone that comes through this grasslands - it's my duty as head knight of the Red Sea Lions - yet I have never seen you before - where do you come from curious traveler - are you a bandit or a thief - maybe a pirate from the beaches of Freyguard - where are you headed anyway?" 

[Yes - say you're a healer from the mountains of North Gulf - that you studied the arts of the elves - he'll understand - that's why he hasn't seen you before.] 

I made an excuse on the spot. 

"Sorry - it seems I'm a little bit lost," I said apologetically. He didn't let go of my arm.

This touch interaction was making me nervous.

Eddy was like that in the real world - I mean back on earth.

But Arslan took it to a whole other level.

There was not an inch of remorse for touching me this long.

I might say he was enjoying it since he had started to cuddle me with his thumb.

It felt like he was trying to apologize for being so rough with me.

"I've just finished my studies with elves of North Gulf - I was studying their arts, and seems I got a little lost on my way to the city - is there any chance I could get some directions?" 

He finally let go of me. 

"Ah! Well, that makes sense!" he observed, taking a step back.

"You're a Healer huh? We don't get a lot of those around here. State you're business!" he looked down upon me. 

[Say you need some herbs - for a potion!] 

Apollo was coming up with this on the spot.

This ad-lib was taking a lot of energy out of me.

I wish Arslan wasn't so distrustful. 

"I'm here to buy some herbs," I repeated. 

"On the other side of Eldoren?!" Arlsand panted.

I twitched a little bit.

"Why do you need herbs from over here?" he crossed his arms. 

[Talk about Larkspur! You need it to finish a high-level potion!] 

It sounded made up, but Apollo had helped me so far de-escalate the situation.

So I had to go with it. 

"Well the thing is - I need some Larkspur, to finish a Hi-Potion," I was already throwing RPG terms left and right, I wondered if Arslan would be able to understand.

"You mean, Delphinium?" he asked curiously, leaning in a little bit, my face inches from his. 

[It's the same thing]

"Yep - that's the one!" I said awkwardly laughing. 

"Ah well in the name of Arthur - you should just have said so!" suddenly he got all giddy, putting an arm around me. 

I tensed up. 

"Look man - I apologize," he said with such proximity.

"We don't get a lot of new faces through the grasslands - and let's just say Arthur doesn't like his city to be muddied - you catch my drift?" 

"Sure -" I said trembling at how good it felt to have his arm around me.

The cold steel of his armor was refreshing against my skin.

Now that we were this close - I reckoned he was a couple of inches taller than me.

Not a lot, just right. 

He took his arm off me and started padding me around the edges. Maybe trying to get the dust off my clothes. I wasn't sure what this gesture meant. 

"Look - peer this," he started.

"I'll lead you to the nearest town of Vinymar - there you could visit The Laughing Lord - I'm sure they'll have those Delphiniums in stock, or you could forage some from the grassland if you'd like."

He unlocked his arm from my shoulder, to meet my eye to eye.

I'd figured it was good to have someone who would know the lay of the land. These grasslands were huge and I had no idea where to go. I would most likely get lost. Having a companion like this would be good for me. 

"You seem like a nice bloke after all," he said genuinely. He had a half smile on him now, he seemed almost giddy, like a little ray of sunshine. Eddy was never like this. There was not a tinge of sadness to him. 

It entranced me.

"From there - you can head to L'reus if you wish to connect with your guild," he nodded, he had assumed the power pose of putting his arms to his waist. 

"I'd appreciate that - I can pay you for your troubles!" I said almost instinctively. Even though I didn't have any real money in this world. 

[No worries - I can convert earth money to this world's currency.]

[Current exchange rate is 23 to 1] 

I wasn't sure if that was expensive or cheap.

But the payments to my account from my parent's was a concurrent payment.

So even if they had forgotten about me, the payment would still go through, and Apollo could convert that into this world's currency, is that right?

[Affirmative - Only the memory is gone - any real-world actions remain in place] 

"No need, love! I'm well off thanks to the Red Sea Lions - it's my duty to help those like you who follow the light! Besides aren't all healers poor?" he said with the unironic tone. He didn't mean anything by it, but it made my skin turn to stone. 

"I have some money," I said looking away, scratching my face.

"Just enough for travel expenses, the elves were nice enough to help me out," I said lying. 

"Save it for a rainy day then - no need to waist your hard-earned L'arc-en-Riels on a bloke like me," he reasoned.

He had a big puffy smile on his face.

It almost looked naive.

It bothered me that he thought I was poor. 

I let it go - if anything, money was something that I didn't miss.

However, I might have to take an L on this one. 

"So - you need to pick anything up, or should we get going?" 

I only had my backpack with me, which I had brought from Earth. And it was already on my back. Arslan took his stuff from the ground and also placed it on his back. 

"Got everything I need!" I said jolly. 

"The trip to Vinymar is about a day's worth, we might need to camp it out but we should get there no later than first thing tomorrow morning!" Arslan reassured. 

"All right - you're stuck with me for a whole day then!" I said - trying to lighten the mood. 

"Might I be so lucky?" Arslan shot, with a half a smile.

Was he this good at flirting, or was I making it all up in my head?

God, he was sexy. 

We started our journey with a first step.

His armor clunked and chinking as he walked. I, on the other hand, needed a robe or something that screamed white mage.

Otherwise, people will start looking at me funny. 

[I've added it to your inventory!] 

Just like that huh?

Think about it and it comes true.

Well - this was going to be one hell of a ride!

Now I just needed to find a good moment to change.