Kael remained in the village after killing the beast. The people watched him warily at first, their fear barely concealed beneath polite gratitude. A few children peeked out from behind doorways, whispering to one another. Adults offered food and quiet thanks but avoided getting too close.
The village was small, a collection of rough timber homes and thatched roofs, surrounded by fields and a modest wooden fence that had clearly done little to keep out the monster.
Kael accepted a seat near a small fire, his body aching from the fight. A young woman brought him water and bread. No one asked for payment, but he could feel their unease growing.
Eventually, an older man approached, leaning heavily on a walking stick carved from dark wood. His beard was streaked with silver, and his eyes were tired but clear.
"You saved us," the man said. "Most adventurers would have asked for coin first."
Kael tilted his head. "I'm not an adventurer."
That drew more glances. The villagers murmured among themselves, confusion spreading.
"I see," the elder said slowly. "Then perhaps you'd speak with me inside."
Kael followed the man into a longhouse built from darker timber, reinforced with stone. It was the largest structure in the village, dim inside but warm.
The man gestured to a chair and sat opposite him. "My name is Balen. I lead Wrenvale the village you're in now. We owe you our lives."
"I'm Kael," he said. "I'm just... passing through."
Balen studied him. "You fought like someone trained. And the magic you used—it was precise. Powerful. Earth-aligned. Are you a ranked mage?"
Kael hesitated. "No. I have no rank. And I don't think my magic is earth-aligned either."
Balen's brows furrowed. "Strange. That attack—it looked like a high-rank earth magic skill. Dropping a weighted object from above with such force? I've seen it in battle, but only from trained spellcasters."
Kael didn't answer right away. The language, the structure of the village, even the script on the tools—everything matched his old world far too closely. There were differences, of course, but not nearly as many as there should have been.
"Is this the only language spoken here?" he asked instead.
Balen blinked. "It's the common tongue. Spoken across the central continent. You mean to say... you didn't expect that?"
Kael didn't answer. A dozen questions swirled in his mind, but he kept them behind his lips.
"There's an old herbalist home on the edge of town. They died a while back" Balen said, "You can use it if you want, you've earned it"
Kael nodded thanking Balen.
He stepped through the door into the quiet space. It smelled faintly of dried herbs and old dust.
Civilization. Real people. A roof over his head.
Kael wasn't sure what came next.