The receptionist: "I'll now let you discover your stats."
"Have a good day."
After a few seconds of trying to understand the situation, Venti decided to sit down on a chair a few meters away.
He didn't know where Arlan's and Leona were, so he decided to check his own stats to see what his level was.
Venti: "Alright, now we can officially begin."
Venti positioned himself slightly apart, between two columns in the guild hall, where no one could look over his shoulder.
He gently squeezed the gem in his hand, and it immediately began to glow softly, as if recognizing its owner.
Venti positioned himself slightly apart, between two columns in the guild hall, where no one could look over his shoulder.
He didn't know what kind of stat it would have, but he understood it wouldn't be very high.
He also quickly realized that many of the adventurers in this building were much stronger than him and that he had no chance of defeating them.
He gently squeezed the gem in his hand, and it immediately began to vibrate with a soft glow, as if it recognized its owner.
Venti: "Come on, my little crystal, show me..."
A translucent interface opened before him, visible only to him: a floating panel, light, almost musical in the way the numbers appeared, as if the wind were drawing them.
[Venti's Stats — Visible only to him]
Name: Venti
Level: 5/100
Max HP: 2000
ATK: 500
DEF: 300
Elemental Mastery: 100
Identified Skills:
- Telekinesis — Level 1/10: You can move objects.
- Stat Boosting — Level 1/10: Can slightly increase your Strength, speed, or accuracy for a short time.
- Intangibility — Level 1/10: Allows you to become immaterial for a few seconds.
- Flight — Level 1/10: Allows you to remain airborne using the wind.
- Soul Manipulation & Lie Detection — Level 1/10: Allows you to sense a person's emotional state and detect when they are lying.
- Elementary Anemo Mastery — Level 2/10: Wind manipulation, creation of gusts, gales, or small tornadoes, etc.
- Illusion Creation — Level 1/10: Generates visual illusions.
- Resistance Reduction — Level 1/10: Slightly decreases a target's resistance.
- Stat Reduction — Level 1/10: Slightly decreases a target's strength or speed.
- Mass Increase/Decrease — Level 2/10: Alters an object's mass, making it lighter or heavier.
- Teleportation — Level 1/10: Allows you to move a short distance instantly.
- Wind Communication — Level 1/10: Allows you to send a whisper over the wind.
Venti took a deep breath, slightly closing his hand around the gem.
The interface dissipated like mist, carried away by a light, invisible gust.
He glanced around:
No one had noticed what he had just done, not even Arlan's or Leona.
A small, mischievous smile stretched across his lips.
Venti: "It's better they don't know everything... we'll avoid a lot of trouble this way."
Then, he tucked the gem into a small inside pocket of his outfit and calmly rejoined the others, as if nothing had happened.
A few moments later:
As he left the building, Venti quickly ran into Arlan and Leona.
Venti: "Good news."
Arlan: "What is it?"
Venti: "I passed the test to join the Adventurers' Guild."
"You can call me Venti the Adventurer."
Even though Venti could hear some conversations from afar, he still didn't know that Arlan and Leona were watching him from a distance to see if he was doing okay, but that they had decided to keep it a secret.
Under the midday sun, Venti, Arlan's, and Leona strolled leisurely through the bustling streets of Rillmont.
The day before, Venti had arrived in the city during sunset, so he hadn't seen how beautiful Rillmont could be, but now it was different. The sun was directly overhead, illuminating the city streets completely.
The city seemed to awaken around them:
- Merchants were setting up their stalls, calling out the first specials of the day.
- Children were walking down the street to do their shopping.
- An elderly couple strolled hand in hand.
- A guard of the city that was helping a man find his way.
- Two men debating which of their wives was the most beautiful.
- The scents of fresh bread and spices wafted through the air.
- The sounds of a hammer striking metal came from the blacksmith.
- And the cobblestones echoed under the hurried footsteps of the inhabitants.
Venti, who had never before seen such a vast city in this world, observed every detail with wonder:
- The white stone facades adorned with colorful banners.
- The cobblestones that covered all the city streets.
- The clean windows of each house he passed.
- Black smoke rising from the chimney of one of the houses.
- The flower-filled balconies from which delicate cascades of foliage fell.
- The artisans already arguing about the prices and quality of their work. Goods.
Leona held Venti's hand, gently tugging on it whenever a shiny object or animal passed nearby.
Leona was only eight years old, and her hand was much smaller than Venti's, so instead of holding his hand, she could barely grasp two of his fingers.
Venti : " She really does have small hands."
She pointed at the seagulls flying above the rooftops, the street musicians tuning their instruments, and the soldiers on patrol, their armor clinking.
Arlan's, amused by her enthusiasm, commented on a few familiar places:
- A forge renowned for its sturdy weapons.
- A tavern whose leaning facade looked as if it were about to collapse.
- A fish market where the first bids could already be heard.
- Or a florist whose shop was filled with countless multicolored flowers.
Arlan was still grateful to Venti for saving his life and his daughter's the day before. He decided to teach Venti as much as possible about the city before their paths diverged.
Every street corner brought new discoveries.
Venti paused for a moment before a stained-glass window depicting an ancient hero of Rillmont, then before a stall selling handcrafted items where colorful feathers danced in the breeze.
At times, a light breeze drifted around him, almost as if the city itself were welcoming or watching him.
He offered gentle smiles to passersby, intrigued by the lively and welcoming atmosphere.
Arlan enjoyed guiding the small group, sharing anecdotes about the construction of the eastern wall, an annual festival dedicated to sailors, and an old local legend about a wind spirit watching over the city.
Venti listened attentively, sometimes amused by the naivety of some of the stories, sometimes touched by the way this world seemed to have preserved a trace, however faint, of something he knew intimately.
He himself had the feeling he'd already heard a story about a wind spirit.
They walked like this for a long time, enjoying the lively streets.
Leona ran, bursting into laughter, after a yellow butterfly that fluttered around her.
Venti watched her, smiling, while Arlan observed them both with an almost nostalgic air.
It was a simple, peaceful scene… perhaps too peaceful.
For beneath this calm, a conversation far more serious than Venti could yet imagine was already brewing.
As they walked away from the city center along one of Rillmont's main streets, Arlan's finally stopped in front of a small square.
His wagon was parked nearby, and Leona was playing with a small wooden toy a merchant had just given her.
The atmosphere was calm, almost peaceful, a stark contrast to everything Venti had experienced since arriving in this world.
Arlan's: "Venti."
Venti: "What?"
Arlan: "I have to..."
Arlan's took a deep breath before turning to Venti, a tired but genuine smile on his lips.
Arlan's: "Venti... I have to tell you something."
"Now that you have your adventurer's card, I think... we're going to leave the city."
Venti blinked in surprise.
Venti: "Already?"
"I thought you were going to stay a little longer..."
Arlan shook his head, glancing briefly at his daughter, who was laughing and twirling around.
Arlan: "I've done what I needed to do here."
"And besides... the city is getting expensive, and too noisy for a little one like Leona."
"We'll go back to the southern plains, where life is quieter."
"She needs stability, you understand?"
Venti watched Leona, then turned back to him with a gentle smile.
He had completely forgotten at first, as he was a merchant and had come to this city to sell goods.
Venti: "And you, don't you need a little rest too?"
The father chuckled softly.
Arlan: "Probably, yes!"
"But you know how parents are… we think of the children first, and only then of ourselves."
The wind blew gently between them, as if to emphasize the moment.
Venti stretched a wider smile, but his eyes held a hint of melancholy.
Arlan's and Leona were the first people he'd seen since waking up, and he hadn't expected to part ways so soon.
But he had to accept it.
Venti: "I… see."
"So this is where our paths diverge for now."
Arlan's nodded, then placed a heavy but warm hand on the boy's shoulder.
Arlan's: "You're a good person, Venti."
"A little strange sometimes, yes, but… you have a good heart."
"Even though you've completely lost your memories, I'm certain you'll become a great adventurer, perhaps even more."
"So... good luck."
"For your career, for... everything you seek to accomplish."
A silence fell, thick with sincerity.
Venti bowed his head slightly, touched by the simplicity and warmth of these words.
Venti: "And I wish you and Leona a wonderful life."
"You were... my first points of reference in this world."
"I won't forget it."
'Perhaps our paths will cross again.'
Arlan smiled gently.
Arlan: 'Perhaps?'
'Oh, in this world, anything is possible.'
'And with your talents… I bet you'll attract enough trouble for us to cross paths again!'
The two looked into each other's eyes before bursting into light, genuine laughter.
Venti: 'HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.'
Arlan: 'HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.'
A little further away, Leona ran towards them, a wide smile lighting up her face.
Leona: 'Venti!'
'Are you coming with us?'
The boy leaned forward, gently ruffling her hair. hair.
He hadn't realized how smooth Leona's hair was.
Venti: "Not this time, little one."
"But who knows?"
"The wind will surely bring us together again someday."
Leona understood, as did her father, that Venti used a lot of metaphors and phrases with the word "wind" in them.
But she nodded in agreement with Venti's words, even if she didn't understand everything.
Arlan's took her in his arms, nodding to Venti, a final, wordless farewell.
A few hours later, at the edge of the village:
As it was early afternoon, Arlan's and Leona were inside their wagon, while Venti stood at the town gate, watching them prepare to leave.
The father and daughter had already said goodbye to Venti and had to hurry because the Farewells should not last too long.
Arlan had already placed his foot in the stirrup, ready to climb onto his wagon, when he stopped abruptly.
He remained silent for a second, as if he had just remembered something important.
Then he rummaged under the wagon seat, lifting a small wooden crate he had kept hidden away in the shade.
Venti, intrigued, approached slightly.
Arlan returned to him, holding a bottle wrapped in a thick cloth for protection.
The glass, a deep red, gleamed in the morning light.
Arlan: "Wait, before I go... I have something for you."
Venti blinked in surprise.
Venti: "For me?"
Arlan nodded, a smile half-amused, half-tender on his lips.
Arlan's: "Yesterday on the way, after we ran into those bandits, I remember you saying out loud that you wanted some wine."
Venti blushed almost involuntarily, rubbing the back of his neck.
In his memory, he'd only thought the phrase, but he didn't think he'd said it aloud, or perhaps he'd whispered it and Arlan's had overheard by chance.
Venti: "Ah... yes."
"It was just a little curiosity, nothing more."
Arlan's shook his head with a soft laugh.
Arlan's: "Well, you're in luck."
"I've been saving this bottle for a long time, for a special occasion..."
"And I think giving you one now is a good way to mark your first step as an adventurer."
"And this is also a little token of appreciation for saving us."
He handed the bottle to Venti.
The boy took it carefully, as if it were too precious for his hands.
The glass was cool, and a light fragrance wafted through the cork, a fruity and sweet aroma typical of local wine.
Venti remained silent for a moment, deeply moved. The wind gently rustled through his hair, as if to accompany the moment.
Venti: "Thank you... really."
"I wasn't expecting this."
"I... I will do justice to your gift."
Arlan smiled, amused.
Arlan: "So don't drink it all at once, okay?"
"It's not just spring water."
"And... try not to drink it right before a fight, I think you'll thank me later."
Venti stifled a laugh.
Venti: "I'll manage... well, I'll try."
Arlan, satisfied, finally climbed back onto the wagon.
Leona waved enthusiastically at Venti.
Leona: "Goodbye, Venti!"
"Watch out for the nasty monsters."
Venti: "Always, Leona. Always."
The cart moved slowly away, its wheels creaking softly on the stone.
Venti remained motionless for a few moments, the bottle clutched to his chest, a peaceful smile on his lips.
Venti: "The wind."
As the cart continued to move away, an idea came to Venti's mind. He didn't know if it was his own or a memory from before he woke up.
But he had to at least try to say that one phrase that could sound cool.
So, quite naturally, without even thinking about it, the young boy raised his arm higher and called out in a clear, vibrant, almost musical voice:
Venti: "MAY THE WINDS BLESS YOUR TRAVELS!"
His voice carried far, amplified by a slight, somewhat unnatural turbulence in the air.
FFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffffffffff
For a In that instant, Arlan felt a warm breeze caress his face and his daughter's, like a warm farewell sent by the world itself.
Leona waved her arms back, her golden hair dancing in the wind.
Leona: "Goodbye, Venti!"
Arlan smiled gratefully and nodded, unable to respond otherwise, so overcome was he by emotion.
For a few more seconds, Venti remained motionless, watching the cart fade into a distant silhouette.
His arm slowly fell, and the breeze around him softened, as if it understood that the moment had passed.
Then he took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the center of the city.
Venti: "Don't worry about me."
"I swear, I, Venti, will discover my past, I will discover who Barbatos is."
"And I will become one of the "The strongest adventurers in history."
The day had only just begun, but for him, a new life had truly begun.
Chapter 11: May the winds bless your travels
The End