In ancient times, there was a man who dreamt of a butterfly.
Upon waking up, the man couldn't tell if he had turned into the butterfly in his dream or if the butterfly had dreamt of becoming him.
Riezel's current feelings were somewhat similar.
Waking up in a daze on a somewhat familiar bed, he briefly questioned whether the three-plus months in Orario were real or just a dream. Maybe his current self was just the imagined existence of the monster rookie named Riezel in the Loki Familia.
Fortunately, the sensation of the slowly rotating transparent cube in his mind reassured him that both of his selves, in this world and the other, were indeed real.
"Hahhh..."
Riezel let out a breath and sat up, his gaze gradually restored to sobriety and calmness. He moved his limbs slightly, feeling the power he possessed in the world of Danmachi.
"It really comes with me..."
Feeling the presence of power and the faint warmth behind him, Riezel knew that his back was now marked with the blessing called 'Falna'.
As for Loki's blood and the two swords, Fool and Hermit, chosen by him to bring back, they now lay quietly in the Dimensional Magic Cube's storage space, waiting for him to retrieve them at any time.
All of this told him that the three-plus months he spent in Danmachi were not in vain. Those efforts had now transformed into his power, becoming his means of survival in this dangerous world.
With these thoughts in mind, Riezel's lips curled slightly.
He quickly uncovered the blanket and got out of bed.
This was the first time he had walked out of bed in this world. When he first arrived, he had been recovering on this bed for a whole month, without the chance to get up.
'If I had the power I have now back then, I wouldn't have had to lie in bed for a month...'
His injuries at that time, for the current him, were something 'Dia Fratel' could solve effortlessly.
Unfortunately, he was powerless at that time and did not even have enough energy in the Dimensional Magic Cube for a month's worth, making it impossible for him to perform dimensional travel.
Just as he was about to walk to the window, draw back the curtain, and take a good look at the outside world, a knock on the door suddenly echoed.
"Mr. Riezel, are you awake?"
It was the voice of the maid working in this mansion.
She seemed to be specifically in charge of bringing him meals, and during the month he spent recovering here, the most common sound he heard was the polite knock on the door.
"I'm awake, come in." Riezel replied naturally as if he had never left this room from start to finish.
The maid outside seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and immediately opened the door.
"You can get out of bed now?" The maid looked at him standing by the bed. "That's great!"
"Thank you for your help these days." Riezel expressed his gratitude. "I'm alright now. Where is your lady?"
"Lady Yuri is in the courtyard." The maid answered respectfully. "She mentioned that if Mr. Riezel wakes up and can move, you can find her in the courtyard."
"I understand..." Riezel nodded and examined his body. "Could you please help me find a set of clothes?"
Due to lying in bed for the entire recovery period, he was currently dressed in something more like loungewear rather than suitable for going out.
Given Yuri's noble status and the fact that she was his lifesaver, he couldn't afford to meet her in such clothes now that he had fully recovered.
"Please wait a moment."
The maid seemed prepared as if she had anticipated this. She left for a while and returned with a set of clothes in her hands.
"These are the clothes prepared for you by Lady Yuri."
The maid handed the clothes to him, even ready to assist him in changing.
"No need, I can manage on my own." Riezel politely declined.
The maid had taken care of his daily needs for a month, so he didn't want to trouble her further.
"Then, I'll take my leave."
The maid didn't insist, bowed her head, and left the room.
Riezel quickly changed into the new clothes and found them unexpectedly luxurious.
'Why does it look so much like noble clothing...?'
Riezel looked at his reflection in the window glass, feeling somewhat speechless.
This outfit resembled court attire, white with purple patterns, adorned with numerous pendants and chains, transforming him from his previously sickly appearance into someone resembling a medieval European noble.
This kind of extravagant and almost exaggerated clothing brought back many unpleasant memories for him.
In his previous life, he had worn such ridiculous outfits frequently, attending various social events. However, he never got used to it, finding it rather tiresome and repulsive.
'Whatever, living under another's roof, don't expect too much...' Riezel sighed and suppressed the thoughts about his appearance, stepping out of the room.
This was his first time stepping out of this room, taking an actual and powerful step into this world.
He really wanted to see what this world was like.
The mansion where he was staying was rather luxurious. After a quick tour, he realized that this mansion was much larger than he had imagined. In terms of land area, this mansion was much bigger than Twilight Manor.
Although Twilight Manor was indeed large, its actual space wasn't that vast due to being built as a series of high towers extending upward.
This mansion, on the other hand, was different.
It wasn't tall, roughly equivalent to a four-story building, with only the first floor being relatively high, while the other floors weren't that elevated.
But this mansion had a very vast land area, not only long and wide but also surrounded by a courtyard that spread around the mansion.
In the courtyard, there were green plants, flower beds, a fountain, a small pavilion, and even two flowing streams, resembling an estate. However, despite being such an estate, it was only something like a secondary residence of the Frenzel family, not the main residence.
Riezel searched his memory, recalling the knowledge of this world.
The place he was in now was located in a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Akasha continent, known as the Jinas Kingdom.
Akasha continent was an extremely vast landmass with many countries. Among these countries, most were small countries, with only four being considered major countries.
Jinas was one of these four major countries, with a vast territory, abundant resources, and a highly developed magic civilization, considered one of the few great nations of magic in the world.
The Frenzel family, in particular, belonged to the nobility of Jinas, which was a family of marquis.
How did they work?
It was quite simple.
In this world, regardless of the country, the royal family was the supreme ruler, the master of the country. Beneath the royal family were the nobles, each with their own privileges determined by the rank of their titles.
'Duke', 'Marquis', and 'Count' were considered major nobles, enjoying the highest level of privileges within the kingdom.
'Viscount' and 'Baron' were considered minor nobles, not reaching the status of the top three, yet still elevated above commoners and merchants.
Among them, a duke held the highest position and the greatest privileges, a title bestowed only upon close relatives of the royal family.
In other words, marquis was the highest title attainable by ordinary people, with status and privileges second only to the royal family and its close relatives.
The Frenzel family was one such marquis family in Jinas.
From this, one could see how respected Yuri's status had been. Of course, her significance was not solely derived from being a member of a marquis family.
According to the memory of the original Riezel, the evaluation of Yuri had always been consistent.
—This girl is undoubtedly one of the most impressive characters in the world.
Riezel himself also fully agreed with this evaluation and still believed in it to this day.
With this in mind, he stepped out of the mansion and went into the courtyard.
The courtyard was vast and expansive, making it challenging to find someone in this place. However, he remained calm and casually strolled around before spotting his target in a pavilion.
"Riezel!"
The one calling him was none other than the master of this residence—Yuri Frenzel.
Yuri, a noble lady similar in age to Riezel, was dressed in a sensible outfit, exuding a noble air from head to toe. Her waist-length, shiny silver hair flowed down her back, as always, radiating elegance and beauty.
This beautiful noble lady sat in the pavilion, seemingly enjoying afternoon tea. Her captivating eyes fixated on him, portraying a good mood.
Beside Yuri stood a maid.
Her age was close to Riezel's, around twenty or younger. Not tall, a bit shorter than him, but delicate as a twinkling gem. Her appearance was outstanding, though with a hint of coldness and aggressiveness. If one ignored the teapot in her hand and her attire, one might believe she was a female knight, despite her somewhat domineering demeanor.
Riezel was not unfamiliar with this maid.
She was Yuri's personal maid, always at her side, specifically tasked with attending to her needs.
Her name was Marilyn Impesh.
When Riezel approached, Marilyn noticed him but only gave a fleeting glance before ignoring his presence.
He did the same, casting a brief glance at her before arriving in front of Yuri.
"Not a bad outfit, and you seem to be in good spirits. Looks like you've fully recovered." Yuri said casually, revealing a beautiful smile.
"It all thanks to your help." Riezel replied with a faint smile.
"Have a seat." Yuri nodded and gestured toward the seat opposite her.
Riezel didn't hesitate and took a seat in front of her.
The two had known each other for quite some time, and finally, they had the chance to sit down and have a proper conversation.