I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

And so the end of the Week came, and on a weekend like any other, Raph had plans. Or better still, a mission.

About a week or two ago, the Princess had issued a task that he unwillingly accepted. There was no telling how dangerous a mission issued by the Princess would be and it involved a regal chain. Which made it more concerning, but he accepted it, and now, it was time to fulfil the task.

He was currently in front of the Academy's Portal, located at the entrance of the Academy.

He had taken the necessary procedures and set his coordinates thanks to the Mages who acted as security and receptionists for the Portal.

After all, it was a modified version that could teleport any living or non-living thing to any given place.

And at that moment, Raph was about to be teleported to a particular village.

He was putting on all black, and a dirty brown hooded cloak, and his gaze was fixed on the portal as it beamed to life thanks to the Mana infused by the Mages.

The portal was layered on the surface of a large silver gate, with large chains forming a large circle over the portal sides. Besides the gate were the tall, concrete walls of the Academy, which spread throughout the diameter of the Academy.

A spiral colour of white and gold formed in his retina as he heard the voice of the female mage that stood left of the portal.

"Raffaelo Jun, coordinates have been set to Styl Village". She said, her tone laced with curiosity. "You may step in now". She glanced at the boy occasionally, while her cheeks turned red.

'He's handsome….and a son of the Jun household?' She wondered when Raph threw her a glance with a beaming smile.

"Thank you". He said as he walked forward, towards the Portal.

The female mage felt a pang of sweet pain in her chest as she looked away while the Male Mage frowned deeply at his reply.

"Whatever purpose you have, if it is malicious then the Academy will be sure to treat you accordingly".

Raph nodded, while he stepped into the portal. "Sure," he said when his senses suddenly grew disarray, and a small headache formed as soon as his body disappeared into the portal.

It felt like his world was turned upside down, and his senses slammed against it, but as soon as the sensation overwhelmed him, it disappeared as well. Leaving him with the lingering sensation of his body churning.

He clenched his abdomen when a pungent smell snapped him to the present.

His senses began to return to him, ever so slowly. Starting with his smell, and then his ears, as he began to hear the loud chatter of a busy street, bustling with the lives of people and animals alike.

And soon enough, his sight was returned to him.

He looked up, raising his right hand to block the intensity from the cascading light of the sun, as he fully regained his composure.

'This is why I don't enjoy using a long-distance portal'. He thought when he felt a nudge on his shoulders.

He finally scanned his environment, and a slight surprise shook him as the chatters of people and animals grew louder, clearer and firmer. After scanning for what seemed like a few minutes, he finally accepted his circumstances.

'This is…..a marketplace'.

With the bright rays from the sun and the nearly cloudless skies that hung over the border city of Styl, Raph found himself surrounded by people, including men, women, and children.

The sound of cans clicking, women bargaining, Goats and sheep's bleating, Men laughing and chatting, Children laughing as they ran down the crowded streets of the Marketplace, and most importantly, the hot sensation that came with the beaming sun.

Raph stood in the middle of the crowds, standing still while people walked past him like he wasn't even there. This was just another normal day for the villagers, but for Raph, Something had gone wrong.

'Why didn't I teleport to their Portal station'.

Every Village, town, city, and kingdom had their Portal Station. It was implemented a long time ago by the Green Tower to promote quick travelling between long-distance places.

'Well, let's ignore that for now'. He thought before he put on his hoodie and started walking. His destination? Of course, the Merchants Union.

The Styl Village was a border village between the East and the West and perhaps the only peaceful border-left between them. It was currently under the protection of the King of Lumbrica, and thus it has been able to stand for so long.

Its people were made up of Easterns and Westerns, and their choice of clothing was usually a mix or one of the two.

'I've never been to the Styl village before the Demonic war, so it is nice to see it bustling with people unlike in the future….or my past life'.

Well, stopping situations like that was part of his goals, though the Demonic war wouldn't begin for another 3 to 4 years.

The Merchant Union was usually located around the central district of Villages, so finding his way from the Market wouldn't be an issue. However, getting a Carriage headed to the East might be difficult.

'.....but not impossible'.

Raph continued to find his way to his destination. He walked down a busy stairway, filled with Market women and their goods. He could identify all sorts of fruits and vegetables, including those grown from the East. He could also spot some fishes and meat that belonged to animals of the East, and Every while, he could spot a Demi-human.

Beastkins tend to trade here since the resources are from both the East and the West. He observed and noted down the little he could, including the buildings, and the people.

While he did this, time passed until he finally got to his destination.

The Merchant Union Building. It was a large construct with well-defined walls for protection, Eastern and Western guards, as well as large carriages with healthy horses and Merchants going about their activities.

'The village seems….better than I expected'. He thought as he walked past the gate, after handing a gate fee to the guards.

On his way to the main two-storey building, he observed the Merchants as well, his eyes glowing slightly each time he did.

'It seems like the Merchants are stocking up on food resources…'. The village may seem peaceful, but the situation was a little more complicated than that.

'Both countries had come to a standstill after the assault from my mother, but it seems that isn't stopping the supporters of the East'.

Something under and hidden was at work here, but right now, that wasn't his concern. All he had to do was deliver the Regal chain to the man and bring him safely to the Kingdom.

He walked into the building, pushing the wooden doors aside as he did so. His metal sole boots vibrated with the wooden floor and attracted the attention of the inhabitants of the building.

The interior was like a cavern, with wooden tables and chairs, filled with large masculine males, and pretty females. Some were hidden with a form of clothing, while others boasted interesting scars that told the tales of their perilous lives.

Mind you, this was not an Adventurer Building, but a Merchant's Building.

'They said being a Merchant in Styl during the war was a call for suicide, and I can see why'.

He ignored their intense gazes and the tension that hung in balance while he walked towards the Counter. He took a seat and placed his palms on it.

"You seem new here". A female receptionist walked up to him, her long, blonde hair, bidding one of her pearl eyes.

She welcomed him with a smile and a cup of water, while she scanned him, but sadly for her, that cloak hid everything from sight.

'She's probably trying to gauge my level. They needed strong merchants during that time. He thought when he took the cup of water and took a sip.
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"Yes, I am. I came looking for a job" he replied, his tone warped from his original.

"A job? We don't take new recruits".

"....Can't you make some room for one more?"

"If it were really that simple" she replied with a smile. "I'm sorry, but you may have to find another way". She was about to walk away when Raph suddenly stood up, causing the girl to flinch as she turned around while taking a few steps back.

"What did you think you were about to do?" A male voice echoed in Raph's ears, as he felt the stinging pain of a blade pressed against his neck.

A small smile formed on his lips, when he felt the presence of five people surrounding him with different weapons pointed at him.

'Yeah, you have to listen to me after this'.