"Hi, how are you doing?" The girl says while taking a seat beside me with no hesitation.

It's unusual. No women back in my time simply approach a man without ulterior motives unless they are of noble lineage. But this girl doesn't look to have any motives other than sheer curiosity.

"Good, miss." (Ferson)

My reply seems to surprise the girl a little. Her green eyes widened slightly. Those green eyes are strangely familiar. They remind me of an old friend.

"I'm sorry, can you speak again?" (Girl)

"Um… sure? What's the matter?" (Ferson)

As if having her doubts confirmed, she speaks again.

"That's a very odd accent you have, where are you from?" (Girl)

I was about to say Eventyr when I realized that the kingdom I am currently in might not be Eventyr.

"Here?" (Ferson)

"Weird. I've never heard that accent before." (Girl)

Well, that makes two of us.

"Is that right?" (Ferson)

"Yeah, anyway, what's your name?" The girl asks with a smile.

"Ferson, Sir James Ferson." (Ferson)

The girl chuckles.

"Oh, are you in character or something?" (Girl)

"Pardon?" (James)

"What's your real name?" (Girl)

I am not understanding the girl's question.

"Sir James Ferson." (James)

"You are pretty dedicated. But seriously, what's your name?" She looks slightly annoyed.

"I don't know what to tell you. My family name is Ferson. I was named James, and I was knighted by King Eventyr VI when I was 17." (James)

The girl looks to have reached the limit of her patience.

"Yes, I know about Sir James Ferson, and you are supposed to role-play as him. Even though you are not doing a very good job."

I now have a slight clue as to what is going on. She must be thinking that I am pretending to be myself, but in that case, shouldn't I be doing a great job?

"What do you mean I am not doing a good job?" (James)

"I mean, your costume is good, but you look nothing like him," the girl says after glancing up and down at me.

How do I look nothing like myself?

"What… do- does James look like?" (James)

"It's Sir James Ferson, please show your respect. Also what are you talking about? Just look there." (Girl)

The girl turns around and points her finger at the huge statue I saw earlier. I look over, puzzled. The statue is a big, muscular man holding a sword above his head. I can kind of see a resemblance between the sword and Loitsun Vera, but that is a little stretched.

Nothing is making sense anymore. I turn my face back to the girl and ask.

"Um, I have a strange question. What is the name of the kingdom we are in right now?" (James)

"Strange question indeed. Are you still in character? No one calls it a kingdom anymore. We are in the Democratic Union of Eventyr." (Girl)

The name Eventyr is good to hear, but why a new name?

"What… What happened to the war against the Kingdom of Himmelvann during the reign of King Eventyr VI?" (James)

"Are you quizzing me?" (Girl)

"S-Sure."

"I mean, this is common knowledge. Eventyr was under the threat of destruction from the endless Himmelvann army, when Sir James Ferson, the wielder of the Immortal Blade Loitsun Vera, performed the ritual Overføre at the cost of his life, granting all the Eventyr soldiers inhuman powers for around a year, during which time Eventyr pushed back, not only saving themselves but also conquering the entire western continent… what, are you crying?" (Girl)

I can't stop the tears from forming in my eyes. The kingdom has not simply recovered but taken over the continent. That was the dream I have always had. And the king has kept his word. My story is alive even today, just, with some inconsistencies.

"D-Don't mind me. How long ago was that?" I ask as I wipe the tears from my eyes.

"Um… okay? That was 1596, the very end of the middle ages of Eventyr. We are now in 2021, so that is… 425 years ago?" (Girl)

That number is dizzying and hard to grasp. That five-second was 400 years? It's no wonder the world has changed so much. The king must have portrayed me as a grown, muscular man, for me to look like that. While I am somewhat offended, I guess he couldn't just tell his descendants that the kingdom was saved by a 16-year old.

"Did I pass the quiz?" (Girl)

The girl's question broke me out of my deep thoughts.

"Y-Yeah." (James)

"So can you tell me your name now?" (Girl)

I probably can't convince her that I am the real Ferson.

"My name is also James." (James)

"Oh, is that so?" (Girl)

She seems to believe that.

"Yeah. What about you?" (James)

"Grace, Grace Rosenshire." (Grace)

That's a name I recognize.

"Rosenshire? Are you related to Albert Rosenshire?" (James)

Albert Rosenshire is an old friend. A funny guy with some strange ideas. I remember him yapping about wanting to put a monetary value to pieces of papers he called notes. Even though he was a struggling businessman, he was a very smart chap nonetheless.

"Yeah… he is my ancestor. Don't go around telling everyone that, though. I'd rather not get kidnapped," Grace says with a sigh.

What is she talking about?

"What? Why would you get kidnapped?" (James)

Grace looks at me like I just said something stupid.

"Are you acting or are you just plain stupid? Have you not heard of the Rosenshire Family?" (Grace)

"No…?" (James)

Well, other than Albert Rosenshire's family. But I am sure that's not what she is talking about here.

"What? Well, if you don't know then let me tell you. The Rosenshire Family established the standard banking system. We own like all of the central banks around the world, with a net worth of half a trillion dollars. Have you not heard of us?" Grace says with a sense of pride in her voice, at the same time trying to keep it quiet.

I barely understand any of that.

"Banks? Trillion? Dollars?" I mutter to myself.

Grace doesn't hear my mutters.

"Wait, if you don't know about the Rosenshire Family, how do you know who Albert Rosenshire is?" (Grace)

"He was an acquaintance of mine?" (James)

"Oh, I see, you are still in character. Pretty dedicated, aren't you?" (Grace)

"Yes?" (James)

That's about all that I could answer.

"Well, if you are such a dedicated role player for Sir James Ferson, you must know a lot about him, right?" (Grace)

"Um, I think I know more about James than anyone." (James)

That's not wrong.

"Pretty bold to say, don't you think? Well, not like it matters. From all these stories that I hear about Sir James Ferson, I have always had a question about him." (Grace)

"I can try to answer it." (James)

"Well, Sir Ferson owned the Immortal Blade, therefore he was supposed to be immortal, right?" (Grace)

"Yeah." (James)

"Then, if he is immortal, isn't he above the mortals? The conflicts between mortals are simply just plays for him to watch while having no effect on him. Why did he give up his immortal life to save a kingdom whose demise would have no impact on him whatsoever?" (Grace)

It's funny that she talks about the war like it was a historic event, whereas to me it was merely half an hour ago.

"Well, um, I guess you can say that I- he could have chosen to disassociate himself from the mortals, but he wasn't immortal to begin with. He was born and raised in Eventyr. For his entire life, he has served the Eventyr Kingdom, and it has served him. I am sure that he wasn't shallow enough for immortality to curb his purpose. Had he watched Eventyr fall, he would have lost his will to live, then, immortality would become nothing more than a curse. I believe he regrets not being able to serve his kingdom for an eternity, but I can say in confidence that he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his immortality for the kingdom a second time." (James)

Of course, I mean everything I say.

Grace says nothing. She just stares at me in surprise.

"Did I say something wrong?" (James)

"N-No. Not at all. It's just, no historian can understand his motive behind such action. I mean, immortality is not something you can just throw away. Most people believe that Sir James Ferson was deceived by King Eventyr VI." (Grace)

"Haha, there is no way for that to have happened. King Eventyr VI is the most truthful and honorable man I know. There is no way he could have done something like that. Plus, he didn't need to. He could have just given the order and I would have obeyed." (James)

Imagining the King Eventyr I know trying to deceive me is quite funny.

"Back in character, huh? You are an interesting person," Grace says with a smile.

"You could say that." (James)

I smile back. It is just faintly but Grace blushes. She pauses to take a small breath as if preparing for something.

"You seem to know a lot about history. I have an exam soon, do you mind helping me study?" (Grace)

So academies still exist.

"Sure, but I don't really know much about after the war against Himmelvann, though." (James)

"That's fine. The exam is on the middle ages anyways. Can I… have your number?" (Grace)

She averts her gaze while asking that.

"Number?" (James)

"Yeah, phone number." (Grace)

"I… don't have one?" (James)

"Strict parents, huh? I can relate." (Grace)

I have no idea what she is talking about, so I just nod.

"Well, where do you live, then?" (Grace)

I was going to say the barracks, but then I realized that it's probably not a good idea.

"I don't have a place to live." (James)

Grace is pretty surprised to hear that. Children with no places to live were not uncommon at all in my time, but I guess things are different now.

"What? Are you serious? Did you run away from your parents?" (Grace)

"My parents are dead," I say emotionlessly.

I was raised in an orphanage, but it's not like they would have been alive if I had them in the first place.

"Oh… I am so sorry. Are you wandering the streets now?" Grace loses her usual smile and asks apologetically.

"I guess." (James)

"That's… sad. How about you stay over at my place for a while?" (Grace)

A maiden inviting a man over to her house definitely comes with hidden meanings. It's either Grace is that kind of girl or times have changed.

"Is… that fine? You are a girl." (James)

"Well, do you plan on doing anything?" Grace asks while not looking at my eyes.

"That will depend on you." (James)

I don't mean anything with that. I am simply stating the facts.

"Wha-, n- no!" Grace is suddenly flustered.

"That's that, then." (James)

"You are so weird." (Grace)

She seems to have recovered.

"Well, just wait here. I am going to tell my teacher that I will leave early. I've visited the Eventyr Royal Estate so many times that the field trip is boring." (Grace)

"Sure." (James)

Grace gets up from the bench and begins walking toward the throne room, where the other students are. I watch her back as she walks away.

I am happy that at least I have someone to rely on in this strange new world.