"Hey, you there! What are you doing?" "Whaaa!?" My heart almost leapt out of my chest as someone suddenly called out to me from behind. I almost dropped the helmet I was holding, but reflexively put it on instead. Strangely, the helmet fit perfectly with my dullahan armor, clicking into place with a satisfying sound. Oh, could this be the head I've been looking for? I thought for a moment, but it seems that wasn't the case. My body was telling me this wasn't quite right. Still, it didn't seem to reject or repel the helmet either. "...Hey, what are you doing?" the voice asked again. Oh crap. I'm a dullahan, a monster. Will I be attacked if I just turn around like this? Such anxious thoughts swirled in my mind, but then I suddenly came to my senses. Wait a minute, I have a head now. This helmet I hastily put on... Fortunately, it's the type with a face guard, covering everything except for a narrow slit for visibility. My face is in shadow and barely visible. Even if someone could see it, they'd have to be practically nose-to-nose with me. There's almost no chance of a human getting that close. In other words, right now I look like nothing more than a proper knight in full armor. No one would think I'm a headless dullahan monster. If that's the case, then I have nothing to fear, right? I suddenly felt like the disadvantage of being a monster had been completely resolved. Even though I'd done it on impulse, wasn't I a genius? Due to the darkness inside, the person calling out to me didn't seem to have noticed either. "Hey, I said—" I turned around while the irritated voice was still calling out to me. In front of me stood a girl with light, translucent blue hair tied up in a ponytail. Even in the dim light, her white skin was visibly smooth like porcelain, with distinct facial features. Perhaps startled by my sudden turn, her almond-shaped eyes widened, revealing gem-like irises of the same translucent blue as her hair. Her frame was delicate with slender limbs, looking as if she might break if embraced. She wore a short blue cape over her shoulders, a blue and white corset-like top and a skirt, black. The girl had an overall slender build, but her legs, wrapped in black knee-high socks, were pleasantly thick. She held a staff in her hand, looking every bit the part of a lightly equipped mage. A mage, she's really a mage! Could it be that this world is one of those classic fantasy settings with swords and magic!? My inner otaku was burning with excitement, and I wanted to shout out, but I couldn't risk freaking out this beautiful girl I'd just met. She was incredibly pretty, after all. As a man, it was only natural to want to get along with her if possible. I calmed myself down and chose my words carefully. "Well, you see, I've been traveling and just arrived here moments ago. I came in looking for a place to rest, but there was no one around." In response to my friendly opening, she... "I've been hearing all sorts of noises. Are you sure you're not actually a thief?" she asked, her expression clearly suspicious. "No, no, it was just a bit dark in here, and I couldn't see well, so I tripped." I laughed nervously, trying to brush off her suspicion. "...Is that really true? Well, you are wearing expensive-looking armor, so I suppose you don't seem like the type to steal," she muttered, still sounding a bit doubtful. I desperately wanted to avoid being treated as a suspicious person and having our interaction cut short. "So, what about you?" I asked, hoping to shift the focus away from myself. "I'm Cystie. A traveling mage," she replied. A mage, finally! Given her composed demeanor, this talented-looking girl could probably use powerful magic like in games. "I came from the direction of Kukuru Village," she added, pointing towards the path she'd come from. I wondered where Kukuru Village was, but decided to let it slide for now.

Stepping outside to take a look, I saw a straight path stretching out, different from the forest I'd come through. Well, I had confirmed earlier that this was a point where two paths converged, so it made sense. "...Oh, you're quite tall," Cystie murmured beside me. The dim light inside must have prevented her from getting a good look at me earlier. So she came from that direction... Does that mean this girl, Cystie, had traveled through the forest alone? Even if it was a different route from mine, that's impressive. From my perspective, the idea of passing through a forest full of monsters in the flesh - like being chased by wyverns - was unthinkable. I wondered if magic in this world was that convenient, or if Cystie was just that skilled. Unlike me, who forced his way through the forest using undead abilities and a Dullahan's physical prowess, I wanted to pay respect to her for making it through with just magic and her own flesh and blood. "And you are?" she asked. "Ah, I'm Du—" I started, but caught myself. Crap. I'd been thinking of myself as a Dullahan so much that I almost blurted it out. "Du?" Cystie gave me a puzzled look as I froze mid-sentence. What should I do? Should I correct myself now and say I'm Sousuke Kubinashi? No, using a Japanese name in this fantasy world might ruin the atmosphere. Perhaps I should come up with a cool, fantasy-like name for myself. Thinking about it calmly, this was an opportunity to embellish my name and make it sound cooler. While apologizing in my heart to my mother who had given me my name, I spoke: "I'm Duke! Nice to meet you." Dullahan → Duke. Sorry for the simplicity. I had already started with "Du," and it still sounded like a Dullahan name while also being knightly. That works, right? It would be wrong to expect sophistication from me anyway. "Duke, huh? Nice to meet you. By the way, where did you come from, Duke? You said you just arrived." In response, I pointed to the path I had just come from. "From over there." "Huh? What? You're lying. That's the Demon Forest, teeming with vicious monsters. If you walk through there, you'd be surrounded by monsters in no time, and there are even Wyverns. Anyone with a sound mind would take a detour like I did." So that's why there were so many monsters. I had awakened in a dangerous place that even has a omnious name: "Demon Forest". "Yeah, I was chased by a Wyvern..." "...How are you still alive?" Cystie's voice was filled with disbelief. I would have preferred to come through a safer route if there had been one, but I'm a Dullahan. Until I got this helmet, the path through the forest might have been the surest way to avoid encountering people. "Well, I suppose we'll figure that out eventually. I'm tired, and I want to rest in Poda Village soon. If you're heading there too, Duke, let's go together." "Oh, sure. I don't know this area at all, so I'd appreciate your guidance." "Is that so? Well, it's pretty straightforward from here to Poda Village. We just need to follow the road." I started following behind Cystie as she began walking, but suddenly remembered that I had left Shien waiting in the back. "Ah, wait a moment, please!" I quickly went around to the back of the nearby house. There, Shien was standing quietly. If Cystie saw Shien, a Cóiste Bodhar, she would undoubtedly attack. Just as she had said earlier, monsters were violent creatures that preyed on humans. That outcome was certain. I wondered if there was anything I could do. After all, I was the one who summoned Shien in the first place. Perhaps I could also send him back? Somehow, I felt like I could do it. I focused my thoughts strongly on returning Shien while raising my voice, but not too much since Cystie was nearby. "Return! Shien!" Then, just like the first time, the ground beneath Shien's feet glowed with a dark light. It seemed that shouting "Shien" wasn't a problem after all. Shien began to sink into the darkness as if being swallowed up. "See you later," I said briefly before hurrying back to Cystie.