Elegy from Another World

Leaving the Adventurers' Guild with a sense of satisfaction, the cool touch of the two silver coins still lingered on my fingertips. A feeling of fulfillment, of earning my own living, made my steps light. Now, it was time to properly explore this city called Valencia.

First and foremost, I needed to satisfy my hunger. I found a medieval-style restaurant that looked popular and had warm, yellow lighting. After we sat down, the waiter brought me a leather menu, but the names of the dishes left me completely bewildered: [Roasted Rock Crust Ribs], [Baked Lava Snails], [Clear Stewed Glittering Mushroom Soup]... It seems that the common livestock in this world are completely different from those on Earth; cows, sheep, and pigs don't seem to be the main source of meat here.

On a whim, I ordered the "Charcoal Grilled Tentacle Skewers." When it arrived, sure enough, it consisted of several skewers grilled to a crisp, coated in a secret sauce... resembling octopus tentacles. I tried them; they were chewy and flavorful, a bit like eating a fantasy version of takoyaki—surprisingly good.

After filling my stomach, I went into a rather old-fashioned weapon shop on the street corner. The walls inside were covered with all sorts of swords, knives, axes, and hammers. I took out the peculiar "steel bar" and asked the shop owner—an old blacksmith with a white beard and sharp eyes—about its origin.

The old blacksmith examined it carefully with a magnifying glass for a long time, tapping and hammering at it. Finally, he frowned and said, "Young lady, this thing... its construction is too strange. If it's a staff, there are no magic guiding patterns; if it's a melee weapon, the material and center of gravity are very unusual. I've never seen this kind of shape before." He suggested that a detailed internal structure analysis could be done, which might reveal some clues. I hesitated for a moment, then handed him the steel bar, agreeing to pick it up later.

Next, I went to an armor shop, thinking I should get myself a decent set of armor. The shop displayed all kinds of equipment, from lightweight leather armor to heavy plate armor. I chose a metal half-armor that looked very cool and tried to put it on with the help of the shop assistant. However, when the cold metal parts were fastened to my body, an unimaginable heaviness instantly enveloped me, as if I were fixed in place by invisible shackles, making it extremely difficult to even lift my hand.

"This weight... is ridiculously heavy." I chuckled wryly and quickly asked the shop assistant to help me remove it. It seems that for someone like me who relies more on agility and magic right now, heavy armor is actually a burden. Traveling light is more suitable for me.

Somewhat dejected, I left the armor shop and instead entered a beautifully decorated jewelry store. I'd always been puzzled by how time was measured in this world (perhaps just estimating by the sun?), so I asked if they had any timekeeping devices. The shopkeeper enthusiastically showed me a pocket watch called a "magical timer"—as I expected, this world uniformly categorized such a product, clearly far beyond medieval technology, as a "magical artifact." With a gold coin I'd scavenged from bandits, I bought a finely crafted pocket watch with a star-patterned dial, and finally, I could tell the time accurately.

Then, I found a reputable materials shop recommended by the guild. They sold all sorts of adventure essentials. What interested me most were storage items. The shopkeeper showed me a seemingly ordinary canvas backpack, but unzipping it revealed an enlarged magical dimension of about a hundred cubic meters inside. Items placed inside shrunk proportionally, and their weight was almost negligible! This was exactly the "four-dimensional pocket" I'd been dreaming of! Although it cost a whopping seven gold coins, practically emptying my wallet, I gritted my teeth and bought it. With this, traveling would be so much more convenient.

After finishing my purchases, I returned to the weapon shop. The old blacksmith greeted me apologetically: "Young lady, I'm sorry, we tried every method, even bringing in a senior appraiser from the guild, but we still couldn't fully analyze this weapon. Its internal structure is incredibly intricate, its energy circuitry is unheard of, and the material is completely unidentifiable. We speculate that it is very likely a high-level magical artifact left behind by a lost ancient civilization, with technology far surpassing that of modern times."

The result was somewhat disappointing, but also within expectations. After thanking them, I retrieved the steel bar, at least now I knew it had an extraordinary origin.

Finally, I went to the city church—which also served as a hospital. I visited the thirteen survivors I had rescued. The nun told me that their physical health was steadily improving, but their psychological trauma would take a long time to heal. Looking at the returning sparkle in their eyes, I encouraged them, "You must strive to live on, for yourselves, and for those who didn't make it this far."

Having finished all this, night had fallen. As the city lights began to twinkle, Valencia revealed a serene beauty unlike anything seen during the day. I returned to my inn, took a relaxing hot bath to wash away my fatigue and weariness, and then snuggled into the soft blankets. My pocket watch ticked on the bedside table, marking my fulfilling and brand-new day in this strange world. What tasks and adventures awaited me tomorrow? With a touch of anticipation, I closed my eyes.