The tavern "Silver Arc" in Silvaarc was more lively than usual. Steaming forest boar stew sat on wooden tables, its savory aroma drifting throughout the establishment. The black bread was warm and crumbly to the bite. And the local sake "Volm's Tears" gleamed amber, drawing laughter from the adventurers. "Hey, Kenji. This is your first time doing something like this, right?" Yurina Leya asked. Her copper-red braids swayed. Her golden eyes gazed at Kenji sitting beside her. A small lightning-shaped mark etched on her forehead glowed faintly. "Yes. A banquet in another world is... my first time," Kenji answered politely. His soft, grayish-brown hair caught the tavern's light and shone. The 40-year-old's features carried an unexpected composure. Rather, even his bewilderment seemed sincere. "'In another world,' huh..." Leya smiled wryly. "This guy really is off about everything," she muttered. Yet her words held no malice. Rather, they carried a warmth that made one want to look after him. She refilled Kenji's cup and urged, "Come on, drink up." Kenji thanked her and carefully brought the cup to his lips. That was when it happened. In the corner of the tavern, an old crystal sphere mounted on the wall—a magical detection device—began to glow faintly. The device measured the size of adventurers' magical cores. But the old model installed at this Volm branch was known to malfunction occasionally. A crackling sound rang out. At first, no one paid attention. It was normal. But the light grew steadily brighter. "Oh, here we go again," Mina Ras, the serving girl, muttered while scratching her red hair. "We've been saying we should send it in for repairs for three months now..." But this wasn't the usual "usual." Crackle, crackle, crackle— The sound grew louder. The light grew blinding. The adventurers squinted. Behind the serving counter, Mina looked up to the heavens with an "Oh no, not again." And there was a child playing near the device. A boy about eight years old, brought along by his father who was registering with Silvaarc. Bored, he was drawn to the blinding light and approached the device. "You! Get away from there!" Golan Heyz's voice rang out across the tavern. The branch commander's shout echoed through the establishment. But the boy, captivated by the dazzling light, didn't react. If anything, he drew closer. Leya stood up. "Danger!" she cried out. But the distance was too great. Even running, it was uncertain whether she'd make it in time. The device's crackling grew louder. The light was turning the entire room white. In mere seconds, something would happen. Would it break? Would it explode? —In that instant, an image flashed through Kenji's mind. It was a strange sight he'd never seen before. The world 0.8 seconds from now. The device made a "boom" sound and burst, sending balls of light scattering in all directions. And those fragments flying toward the boy— Kenji moved without thinking. Or rather, his body reacted on its own. He kicked his chair back and stood, rushing toward the boy with surprising agility for a 40-year-old salaryman. The surrounding adventurers showed a flicker of surprise. "Ah..." Kenji scooped up the boy and shielded him with his own body. The next moment— "Bang!" The device exploded. Fragments scattered in all directions. Several pieces struck Kenji's back. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder blade. But the boy was unharmed. The tavern fell silent for a moment. Then, breaking that silence, someone muttered, "What was that?" "Is the child alright!" Golan Heyz limped over. The boy was frightened but uninjured. Kenji set him down on the ground. "I'm... I'm okay..." The boy's father rushed over and embraced his child. But at that moment, fragments from the device were still embedded in Kenji's back. "Hey, you..." Leya rushed over. "That move just now... how did you do that?" she asked. Her golden eyes held pure astonishment. And something else. Excitement. Exhilaration. That sensation of witnessing an unexpected power from a comrade. "Eh...?" Kenji was confused. "I just... had a feeling something dangerous was about to happen..." he replied. The answer was utterly absurd. Leya's mouth fell open. "'A feeling'?" she asked. "So that incredible reflexive speed was just... a feeling?" she pressed. "I'm sorry... I don't quite understand it myself," Kenji said. Then a calm voice was heard. "You have fragments embedded in your back." Eliza Alice approached Kenji. Her pale ash-blonde hair fell in long waves, swaying gently. Her clear emerald-green eyes held something profound in their depths. She began carefully removing the fragments from his back. Her fingers were warm and gentle. One piece, then another, was extracted. "Ah... thank you very much," Kenji said gratefully. Alice began chanting a healing spell. Soft light enveloped Kenji's back. That warmth. That soothing sensation. The pain melted away. "The pain should be gone now," Alice said with a smile. That smile was as pure as a lotus flower wet with morning dew. But in her eyes, something else was reflected. Interest. Not merely the curiosity of observing something unusual, but a deeper desire to understand this person. "This person..." Alice murmured quietly. "May possess some sort of special power," she continued. Kenji was bewildered by her words. "That can't be..." he said. "I'm just an ordinary office worker..." he added. Golan approached. "Kenji. That move... was it precognition or something?" Golan Heyz's eyes were sincere. The eyes of one who had observed adventurers for many years. "No... that's not..." "It was just coincidence," Kenji replied. Everyone's gaze turned skeptical. But Kenji's words lacked conviction. He himself didn't understand. Why had he been able to move in that moment? Leya patted his shoulder. "You really are a strange one," she said. "You can't even fight, yet you have reflexes like that..." she continued, her voice mixing exasperation with affection. Alice continued to gaze into Kenji's eyes. "Sato..." she called softly. Her voice was quiet, gentle, and carried a hint of mystery. "You may possess a power that even you haven't yet discovered," she said. Alice's words left something in Kenji's heart. Anxiety and hope. A strange sensation between doubt and certainty. And that night, the welcome party resumed. But the atmosphere around Kenji had subtly changed. A new interest had been born in Leya's gaze. Alice's smile held deep observation and quiet curiosity. Golan, drinking his sake, pondered this young man. A transfer from another world. No combat experience. Yet instantaneous judgment and action. And even that, he claimed was merely "a feeling." (Is this... the beginning of something significant?) Golan thought to himself. The night in Volm seemed quieter than usual. But something was certainly beginning. The arrival of Kenji, a transfer from another world, had brought a new story to this remote town. Whether it would be fortune or misfortune, no one could yet know.