Chapter 8: Return To The Parallel World.

'I'm... I'm really a piece of shit... Even though they've been working so hard, I've done nothing but shut myself in my room all day...'

'We're not even biologically related, yet they've done so much for me...'

Noticing the sudden shift in Arlo's demeanor, Serena quickly raised her hands, attempting to lighten the mood. "I-It's not that bad though!"

"You know how Mum is, she doesn't like staying at home. And even for me, there's this cute bag I want to buy and-"

Serena's words were cut short as Arlo abruptly stood up, plate in hand, and made his way to the dishwasher.

"It's fine... I know you're just saying that to make me feel better. I'm sorry for making you two take care of me."

"Don't worry, from now on, I'll be the one taking care of you both."

"Arlo..." Serena whispered, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Tell Sylvia to quit her second job. I'll take care of all the bills from now on, starting from the end of this week..."

"Oh and thank you for the food. It was delicious."

With those final words and a grateful smile, Arlo left the room, leaving a worried Serena behind. She sat there, her mind racing with concerns about her brother's intentions.

"Take care of the bills... He's not planning on working as a hunter again, is he? Even after what happened last time..." Serena muttered to herself, her brow furrowed with worry.

A wave of guilt washed over her as she realized the impact of her words. "I'm such an idiot. Just when we were finally starting to spend more time together..."

After a few moments of contemplation, Serena abruptly stood up, determined to set things right. She made her way up the stairs and stopped in front of Arlo's room.

She gently knocked on the door three times.

"Um, Arlo, please don't worry about it. You really don't have to go back to being a hunter. We both know how much it hurt you last time..."

"So... That's why..." Her voice trailed off as she waited for a response, but only silence greeted her.

Despite pouring her heart out, there was still no answer from the other side of the door. Confused, Serena hesitantly turned the doorknob and stepped into Arlo's room.

Much to her surprise, the room was empty, with no sign of her brother anywhere.

"Arlo...?" Serena called out, her voice barely above a whisper.

-

"I'm back..." Arlo whispered to himself as he took in his surroundings.

Once again, he found himself standing in the heart of a medieval town, its cobblestone streets bustling with life. People dressed in period attire hurried about their daily routines.

Horse-drawn carriages clattered along the uneven roads.

Arlo had done it; the spell had been a success, and he had returned to this other world. Everything seemed just as he remembered it, with one notable difference.

During his previous visit, the sun had been shining brightly overhead, but now the moon was out, despite having spent no more than two hours in his original world.

It appeared that a significant amount of time had passed here.

'Time really does work differently in this place,' Arlo mused.

As he began to navigate the town, Arlo couldn't help but notice the curious gazes his unusual clothing attracted.

'I hate standing out, but I'll have to bear with it and focus on the plan,' he thought, determined to stay the course.

'Right now, I need to find a secluded spot to practice my spells in secret. Once I've grown stronger, I'll return to my original world and work as a hunter to earn some money.'

The nature of his surroundings continued to captivate Arlo as he explored the town. From the vastly different architectural styles to the diverse beings walking the streets.

There was no shortage of fascinating sights to behold.

"Another world, huh?" Arlo muttered, his mind wandering to the differences between this place and the dimensions he'd encountered while traversing gates in his own world.

"Those places are filled with nothing but death and monsters."

As he strolled along the roads, Arlo clutched the grimoire tightly to his chest, his eyes darting left and right, analyzing every detail of his new environment.

"This looks like the typical fantasy world with medieval style culture that you'll find on any online novel or anime. A world where there are beings that look like human, also known as demi-humans and probably stuff like adventurers and knights…"

Having spent most of his time as a shut-in at home, Arlo had immersed himself in countless online stories with similar settings, making the current situation feel somewhat familiar.

As he walked through the bustling streets, his attention was drawn to the various food vendor stalls lining the roadside. The displays showcased an array of fruits.

Some bore a slight resemblance to those he was accustomed to, while others were entirely foreign to him.

Despite having traveled a considerable distance from his initial teleportation point, Arlo still found himself unsure of his destination. Though he had initially thought of the area as a town.

The sheer size and scope of the place suggested it might be closer to a capital city.

The fact that he couldn't communicate with anyone only added to his confusion and sense of being lost.

'It would be nice if I could figure out a way to make money in this world too. Maybe I could trade goods from my original world...'

'But for that, I'd need enough money to buy the goods there in the first place, and I'm beyond broke.'

He sighed, realizing the limitations of his current situation. 'Regardless, I won't be able to do anything unless I'm able to communicate with the people here.'

With that thought in mind, Arlo glanced down at the grimoire in his hand, a glimmer of hope sparking in his eyes. He opened the book and began flipping through the pages as he walked.

His focus unwavering.

"Maybe there's a translation spell in here. I think I remember seeing one in the intermediate class magic section..."

Determined to find a solution, Arlo continued to search through the pages, his eyes scanning each one carefully.