Passing through Aslan’s checkpoint was not particularly difficult. Whether noble or adventurer, as long as one could prove their identity, they were allowed in without much hassle. They walked through the long gate passage, as grand as the massive walls. Unlike the view from outside, the open, breezy streets inside left Yuda and Jeanne in awe.
They had expected the jagged buildings within the walls to create a cluttered scene, but instead, it was spacious and pleasant. As the capital of a nation, the crowds were incomparable to Serenia Castle, yet the streets were nearly free of litter, and flowerpots at every doorstep created a vibrant atmosphere. It felt like a textbook-perfect country.
“Like in Dempa, it’s one-way on the right.”
“Isn’t it nice? It feels orderly.”
Yuda nodded at Jeanne’s comment. The road was divided, with people walking only on the right to avoid collisions. Blending into the flow, Yuda found himself naturally sticking to the right. Not having to dodge oncoming pedestrians or bump shoulders felt nice. At this point, other countries were almost lawless in comparison.
He didn’t recall adding such detailed settings when creating the game. If this world had manifested exactly like the game, it would have been incomplete and full of flaws. Yet, mysteriously everything in this place felt complete. It wasn’t just Serenia Castle but Philoria was like this too, suggesting other countries would be similar.
‘Oh, that’s…’
While strolling with Jeanne, taking in the sights, Yuda stopped. His eyes caught a massive structure inside the second wall. It was like a circular tower, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
‘The Hall of Fame.’
A common name, but it was the tower’s title. The Hall of Fame, no name could be more fitting. This circular tower housed the likenesses and relics of past Black Flag tournament winners.
‘It’s incredible. Really…’
Yuda took in the street’s sights, smiling contentedly. Memories of creating the game long ago surfaced. For the second continent, he had help with buildings and terrain, but for the first continent, especially the early parts, he did everything alone. He designated zones, set terrain, and placed buildings using editor tools. After modeling structures inspired by famous real-world architecture, he gave them unique names and functions. Serenia Castle’s 〈temple〉 and Aslan’s 〈Hall of Fame〉 were prime examples.
In a sense, everything in these streets were also created by Yuda’s hand. But honestly, the game wasn’t this refined. It had gaps everywhere. To avoid unnecessarily large maps that extended player travel routes, residential areas were made view-only, inaccessible for walking.
Yet now, he could walk these streets. The gaps seemed like it was filled by someone, no. Rather it was like the old framework had been torn down and rebuilt with higher polish using the original as a base. When he first saw Aslan’s majestic capital, he couldn’t possibly believe that he made it. But once he realized it was him who created the foundation, a warm satisfaction welled up.
“Yuda?”
“Yes?”
He didn’t know how long she had been calling, but Jeanne’s voice snapped him back. She looked at him curiously. Realizing he had been smiling, Yuda belatedly relaxed his expression.
“What were you looking at so happily?”
“Oh—”
Oops, had it shown on his face? Recalling old memories, he must have unconsciously made that expression. Just then, a child holding their mother’s hand approached, happily licking a candy, a sight that naturally brought a smile.
“It’s nothing. Just a lot of pleasant sights.”
“Really…? You weren’t watching the kid?”
As expected, she had misunderstood. Instead of answering, Yuda smiled and started walking. She glanced at the passing parent and child, then followed.
“By the way, didn’t you say you had a place to visit in Aslan? Do you know where it is?”
“Hmm, roughly? I should find it before sunset.”
“Roughly, huh.”
Glancing at her muttering in disappointment, Yuda opened his 〈Map〉. Normally, open fields were obscured like ink until explored, but safe zones like castles or towns revealed their full layout without needing to walk around.
By memory, the shop selling the fragment was located near the second wall. As mentioned before, the game blocked access to residential areas to avoid expanding the map unnecessarily. But this one shop was placed in an obscure corner rarely visited. They were going to head there first.
Yuda led Jeanne and quickly moved his feets. Growing accustomed to the surroundings, he turned his attention to street food. Though Jeanne wouldn’t complain, he kept her content with snacks. Sweet treats to soft bread, which was enough for a meal. As a result, her mouth had been chewing nonstop.
“By the way Yuda, for your first time here, you’re finding your way awfully well. Almost like you’ve been here before.”
That’s because he was using the 〈Map〉, obviously. Of course, to avoid suspicion, he paused occasionally and asked shopkeepers for directions while buying food.
“I’ve always been good at finding my way. Never got lost in a forest either. And if I did get lost, would it matter? The path I take is the right one, and every road leads somewhere. Wandering markets is fun, but seeing everyday life like this isn’t bad either, right?”
“Hmm, I really like what you said about ‘every road leads somewhere.’ But can’t you tell me where we’re headed?”
“Oh, that’s what you were curious about? We’re going to a blacksmith. Or rather, a weapon shop.”
“?”
Her eyes widened. Weapon shops and blacksmiths were everywhere. Though muffled, the clang! clang! hammering iron could be faintly heard, indicating that such shops were among the most common in Aslan.
“Is it special?”
“Yes, it’s special.”
The nearby blacksmiths and weapon shops were flashy and dazzling. As the saying goes, what looks good tastes good as the quality of their weapons far surpassed those in Serenia Castle. Prices were steep, but Philoria produced high-quality iron locally, making good weapons relatively affordable compared to elsewhere. Many visited specifically to buy them. But the place they were heading to was a shabby shop.
“…Is this really the place?”
“Yes.”
Jeanne looked between Yuda and the shop in disbelief. Compared to the bustling crowds of Aslan’s capital, this street was relatively quiet with less foot traffic. Naturally, the shop’s quality seemed inferior compared to the dazzling weapon stores they had passed.
The faded sign and the relatively dilapidated building seemed to repel visitors. Through the window, one displayed weapon looked decent to Jeanne, but the empty interior made her doubt if the shop was even open. In short, it felt untrustworthy—that was her exact sentiment.
“I know I shouldn’t say this, but it looks like a shop that could go out of business any day. Wait, is that what makes it special?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Are we short on money? Is that why we’re here to buy a good weapon cheaply?”
“No, not at all. Really. Jeanne, you’ll understand once we go in why I chose this place over other decent shops.”
“…If you’re ever short on funds, please tell me. I have money and can cover travel expenses anytime.”
“Thanks for the offer.”
Yuda chuckled at her words. He understood why she thought that way and made that face. But this was the shop he had been looking for. Old, rundown, and known only to a few. It was uniquely special, the only place where one of the twenty-four fragments in this world could be obtained in the easiest way.
People love the word 〈hidden〉. They’re satisfied with it being an Easter egg or earning a small reward with a short story. The word 〈hidden〉 alone can bring satisfaction.
And Yuda was no different. He had designed this shop with that in mind, setting it to sell a fragment. As mentioned, to keep player travel routes short, the game blocked access to residential areas. But this shop was the sole exception where players could go.
Most players avoid places deemed inaccessible which was a kind of preconception. If one area was off-limits, others must be too. Since it was a single-player game, not online, players couldn’t see others exploring, so this bias was broken in only three ways:
Hearing about it from another player, reading posts on the game’s website, or stumbling into the alley by chance.
Those who found the shop were amazed, then shocked by what the owner sold. It was none other than one of the twenty-four fragments:
〈The Tenth Fragment, Artemias〉.
“Come on, let’s stop standing and go inside.”
Yuda smiled brightly and opened the shop’s door. The bell hanging on it jingled welcomingly. Unlike the rundown exterior, the interior was relatively tidy. Frequent cleaning seemed to keep the display cases free of dust.
“Welcome.”
Hearing the bell, a slightly haggard-looking woman emerged from the back.
