This is my situation:
Right now, I was walking alongside a group of elves who were looking at me as if I hadn't just fallen from the sky.
That light didn't just move me; it launched me from the sky, right above the clouds. And that is what unsettles me... because it felt too specific to be a simple error, yet at the same time, too chaotic.
If this were a properly executed teleportation spell, you would appear with your feet on the ground. But I appeared in the air. That means the magic, or whatever caused this incident, completely ignored altitude. It didn't distinguish between the ground and the sky. If my brother ended up on the Demon Continent, did he appear on the ground, or did he fall from a height like I did? There is also the possibility that someone might have appeared underground, fused with solid rock, inside a cave or dungeon, or at the bottom of the sea. I was lucky, because "falling" is much better than appearing beneath the stones.
Well, putting my analysis aside, I only had my current situation to think about. It wasn't simple at all, but I couldn't let myself fall apart over it; because if I let my emotions carry me away, I would be the same person I was in my past life.
The day I arrived in this world as a helpless baby, unable to care for myself and dependent on others, I never imagined I would be surrounded by elves in a massive forest.
Speaking of the forest, this was the Great Forest. I had read about it and seen a map or two back at the mansion. The Great Forest belongs to the Millis Continent, and right now, I am heading toward the southeast of these woods, where the elves live. Being on this continent, the only certainty I have is that I am far from my family.
What should I do? I can't advance much; I don't even know which way to go. I am lost; having maps in your mind is not the same as having traversed them. I also know that to the north lies the territory of the Beast Race, where Ghislaine used to live. Although she never told me why she left, and I didn't want to ask. So, I don't know much about the Dedoldia.
I spent years learning swordsmanship from her, but I never knew the full story. She always dodged the subject of her past with a growl. Now, without her here to explain the rules, I found myself somewhat lost.
Are my parents okay? If they found out about the incident, or when they do, they might want to come searching for us. But that only means they could put themselves in danger, considering they have Norn and Aisha, who are only three years old.
I can only hold onto the certainty that they haven't left, that they are waiting for us... But as always, something has to worry me more than necessary.
[Partial Truth: They could be looking for you. You are their children, after all.]
...
‹Why do you always have to ruin my calm…?›
Absolute silence; I could only hear the birds and footsteps on the damp ground.
‹Ayam… and it's pronounced I-am… curious, to say the least.›
[I'm not doing anything; you're the one who can't stay focused… All day thinking about others, and almost never about yourself.]
‹…›
No, he's right; I must stay focused. Because if I allow myself to make assumptions, the only thing I'll gain or demonstrate is weakness. I cannot have that after teaching the opposite to so many people: about having control, not fearing, and not wasting opportunities. And right now, I must use all of that; only then will I be able to find my brother.
And regarding Hitogami... if I appeared so far from my brother, why would he want me to go save him? If he is supposedly a God who sees and knows all, he must assume that the sea is treacherous, that I have no directions, and wouldn't even know where to look.
Looking at it from that perspective... does he really want me to save Rudeus, or does he need me to go so I die trying? The "omniscience" he offers sounds more like a trap than a gift.
And even if going to find him was an idea, I don't even have the money for such a trip, and I still need to find information about the incident. And if I decide to go anyway, that doesn't guarantee anything.
"Boy..."
A voice snapped me out of my thoughts just as I was about to be hit by a treacherous branch.
"Oh... sorry," I said, scratching my head.
The elf man, the father of this family, looked at me with a faint smile.
"You wouldn't happen to be a Halfling, would you?"
A Halfling...? Ah... a Hobbit. That makes sense. My father says they use the advantage of being shorter and looking younger to take advantage of humans, making them believe they are just children. I also understood that this same trait could attract slavers—a kind of rat trap... but on a large scale and in motion.
"No, sir. I'm just ten years old, and I'm a human."
The man seemed to think for a moment. The other elves, especially a girl who looked about my age, watched me with a certain curiosity. The children looked at me the way one looks at a superhero, and I couldn't blame them.
"Even so, better tell the other elves you're just a Halfling. That way you'll cross the village without trouble, and no one will look at you wrongly. Though I can't promise... your hair is truly unusual."
The only thing I could do was nod. He was right; it was better to appear as something I wasn't than to end up scaring someone or pretending to be something more, which was precisely what I didn't want to do. Still, I instinctively touched my hair, remembering how that same color had made Paul doubt me.
-
The journey was quite calm. Clearly, the elves knew where to go, avoiding a multitude of natural traps. I eliminated a few phalanx ants, preventing anyone from getting scared along the way. Although they didn't need my help, I couldn't refuse. If it meant staying focused, I accepted the risk of appearing even more stoic.
When we finally arrived, the village opened up before my eyes... Well, I had to lift my eyes to see it. It wasn't exactly beautiful due to its size, though it was considerable. It was beautiful because of how it blended perfectly with nature. The architecture was clearly arboreal: some houses were suspended in the highest canopies, connected by bridges, while others had been carved into the interiors of the widest trunks. I assumed they used the dense foliage itself as a shield against the rain.
We approached a set of stairs made of thick intertwined branches and braided ropes, forming a sort of hanging ladder. The family began to climb without issue. Clearly, it was normal for them: years and years of climbing the same stairs had made their movement elegant. Considering the ladder wasn't braced against the trunk but hanging from above, it was a good security measure.
I also noticed, throughout the trip, that the lower bark on the trees was whiter—sufficient proof that floods arrived every year and that the people here had been forced to adapt to life above the ground.
I climbed carefully. At first, I struggled a bit because it swayed too much, but I quickly found the rhythm they were using, managing to climb while controlling every movement so as not to die in a pathetic way.
The children watched me climb with fascination, even though they had gone up faster than I did.
"The Halfling is amazing!"
"I want to be that cool!"
"Will you teach me to climb with that confidence?!"
"How did you fall from the sky?!"
That was all they said. I wanted to tell them it was just climbing some stairs... but I didn't want to shatter that illusion. Then I noticed how they looked at my sword with a certain curiosity. They had seen it before, but they remained intrigued.
I unsheathed it, lifting it above my head. The children closed their eyes upon hearing the sound, expecting the worst, but all they saw was me lowering it carefully.
"I call it Temphestalis..."
The oldest boy tried to grab it, but I quickly pulled it away. A body that small shouldn't be able to withstand the mana absorption. Immediately, I returned the sword to its sheath, looking away.
"Kids! Don't make the guest angry!"
"But Mom, I just wanted to hold it!"
"Grandma, it's not fair!"
"That is precisely why you shouldn't do it..." She then looked at me. "Forgive them, sometimes they are too curious."
She winked at me before grabbing all four of them and dragging them inside the house as if it were nothing.
[Mental note: do not make the mother angry.]
The father and the three boys left as well, leaving me alone with two female elves.
"...What is your name?" asked the elf with honey-colored hair. She wore her hair in a braid falling over one shoulder, with a few loose strands framing her face. She came close enough to speak to me, but without invading my space.
"My name is Daiki..."
She put her hands behind her back and leaned to the side, interested, her eyes opening wide with the typical curiosity of someone who cannot contain their interest.
"You aren't from around here, are you? That name is strange, no offense."
I looked at her for a moment. Should I tell her? They had shown me their home without issue, let me see their weaknesses and strengths; I couldn't simply omit that.
"I come from the Central Continent... In the Fittoa Region, in a border city called Roa..."
She twitched her ears slightly, the way Sylphy used to do when she was curious, excited, or sad... well, elves can express their emotions with their ears.
"From the Central Continent? What is a human child doing so far away? I thought you were from the Holy Country of Millis."
"You know it?"
"Not personally, but I've heard of it. They say it's a beautiful, unique city..." She looked at me for a moment. "I mean, no, I don't know it specifically, only stories."
I remembered my mother.
"Well... you could say I have Millis 'citizenship' by birthright."
She moved her ears again.
"Citizenship?"
...
"Ah... I mean my mother was born there. I am part of her people, that's all."
"I understand. Blood calls to blood."
"Even so..."
"Mmmm?"
"From what I know, I might not be well-received there because of my appearance."
She looked at me as if to say: What the hell are you talking about?
"What's strange about your appearance? I mean, you are unique... but it doesn't make you look like a stranger, either..."
I looked at her for a moment. Then, I simply nodded. It was the first time I didn't know what to say.
"Well... I haven't introduced myself. My name is Sylvara. Nice to meet you, Daiki," she said with a radiant smile.
Surprisingly, I returned the smile.
"And my name is Lyrisel," the other one practically growled; she had short hair, the same color as Sylvara's, and looked like the "tougher" of the two.
"She's not one for many words, but she is gentle," Sylvara said, introducing her.
I raised my hand in greeting.
"Kids, time to eat!" shouted the mother, almost making me stumble from the fright.
"We're coming!" Sylvara practically grabbed my hand.
"Me too? But... I was just passing through..."
I had no choice.
Dinner had been spectacular. Accustomed to the luxuries of the mansion, I thought it would be impossible to enjoy other food... but in retrospect, it was absolutely delicious. They might be magical in the kitchen as well.
"Mom makes the best meat, doesn't she?" said Sylvara, her belly completely full as she let herself fall back into her chair.
I was going to say it was delicious, that I even wanted more, but the words didn't come out... Not when I was thinking about my brother: wondering if he was okay or suffering, or if Eris had ended up alone in a world so... No, I don't want to think about that.
"Yes, it was very delicious. Truly, thank you very much for the hospitality..." I murmured in the end.
She shook her head.
"It's not just that. It is also our way of paying you for helping us."
"But you could have defeat—"
I tried to reply, but she interrupted me.
"Maybe yes, or maybe no. We don't know how a griffon attacks... and they move through the air, so silence, and accept our payment. Understood?"
She tried to sound very wise, but she leaned back so far that she ended up falling over backward, losing all credibility in the act. It was kind of funny.
"Y-you understood, right...?" she asked from the floor, trembling and red up to her ears.
I nodded with a faint smile.
"Daiki?"
A voice came from behind. I turned my neck from the chair and saw her: the mother, Sylmeria, peeking out from one of the rooms while signaling me to come closer.
"What happened?" I asked. My voice came out a little weird. It reminded me of when my own mother called me to take a bath.
"I prepared a bath for you. Mind you, the water still needs heating..."
I stood up immediately. That, precisely that, was what I needed.
"Don't worry about that, I am capable of heating the water using Heat Hand."
She arched an eyebrow, surprised.
"Good, it's all ready then," she said, giving me a warm smile. "You have new clothes too. It's not the best... but it was what my son used when he was your age. It will be very useful to you."
...
I entered the room where the tub was. The room was small, and in the center, they had a sort of deep tub made from a single hollow trunk. It looked more like the tree had grown that way on purpose.
I entered slowly, almost with a certain reverence, leaving my things to the side. I took off the destroyed vest carefully, then the pants full of holes, and finally, my footwear... which was a blink away from losing the sole. The only thing I really missed from my past life was footwear... And the only thing that survived was my underwear, nothing else.
I got in slowly, enjoying every sensation.
"..This is really what I needed..."
After being submerged for more than half an hour, keeping the water at the perfect temperature with Heat Hand, I finally decided it was time to get out.
I stood up slowly. I took the towel they had left for me and ran it over my arms and torso while, almost out of habit, I combined a little wind and fire magic to create a warm breeze to dry my hair faster.
A small luxury... but boy, did it feel good.
I left the room refreshed, with the new clothes on and a joy I thought I had lost. It wasn't a particularly elaborate outfit: black pants that reached my knees, just like the previous ones, and a white short-sleeved shirt. The vest they had left me was also black; it was only meant to be worn open.
"Come, Daiki, let's go to sleep," Sylvara said, gesturing with her hand.
I followed her, and when I entered the room, I paused for a second. It was large, much larger than I expected, and all the beds were in the same space.
And that, in a certain way, made me feel a little uncomfortable... or rather, as if I didn't quite belong in that place.
"Don't worry, we already prepared your bed. It's simple, but it's better than sleeping in the forest, right?" said Sylvara with that naturalness she seemed to have for everything.
I took a resigned step and lay down on the bed they indicated. I stared at the ceiling, listening to the soft breathing of the others, until all the candles went out.
"Goodnight, Daiki..." Sylvara said.
For a second, I thought I could feel her breath. She was right next to me, since the beds weren't that far apart.
"Goodnight, Sylvara." I smiled in the darkness. Somehow, I knew she could see it too, even without light.
And with that small certainty, I let myself drift off to sleep.
"Young Eris... think of the sword as your extension..."
"Rudy, who are you selling those figures to...?"
"Ghislaine... read this book and, by the end of the day, tell me what you understood..."
Light...
Hikari...
Light...
I woke up with a start, sitting up in bed. For an instant, I had returned to Roa. I had dreamed that I was still in the mansion, that nothing horrible had happened; that after Rudeus's demonstration, Ghislaine trained me as always. That I could sleep peacefully with Temphestalis resting on the floor, without the need to be alert, without fear... Eris, who every time she trained with Ghislaine and achieved something significant, always tried to challenge me.
Even with Phillip... who was always there with his obvious insinuations.
—"They say couples who train together end up bonding more than they expect."
or
—"If they keep this up, I'll have to start preparing the hall for an engagement."
But no...
The light eventually returned and, with it, reality. I got out of bed with my face drenched in sweat.
Since the incident, I had been too strong... and a single moment of vulnerability almost broke me in half. And that was only after one day.
I put on my shoes, adjusted my clothes, and took Temphestalis, hanging it at my waist as always.
Dawn was about to break, and yet, no one was sleeping. Not even the little ones. Everything was silent...
The family received me with a joy that almost threw me off. They prepared a large leather bag for the journey, with some food... and Sylmeria's special meat, the one I had loved from the first bite. It was the only thing I couldn't refuse, no matter how much my conscience told me to.
"This is for saving us... I know you must leave, but we want you to carry the family crest with us. That bag has it. It belonged to my father... and no one felt worthy of having it. Please, can you honor it?"
I didn't know what to say.
"I... that has undeniable value to you. Why would you give that to a human you barely know?"
Sylmeria simply put her hands behind her back and looked at me calmly.
"Because my father used to say that only the truly brave are capable of carrying his bag. That's all. Besides... it's better than watching it turn to dust little by little, don't you think?"
"Exactly, accept it, Daiki," said Sylvara, nervous, fidgeting from side to side while her ears moved as well.
The children also raised their arms, insisting I accept it.
"Alright, alright... but don't kill me if I happen to break it."
That drew laughter from everyone.
"We promise nothing," they said in unison.
And that was how I said goodbye to them.
I carefully descended the stairs.
When I touched the ground, I felt the humidity and the mud.
--
Two hours passed... or maybe four. I don't have such good time perception under this lush forest.
Everything was going normally... I just needed to get close to the Great Tree. That would be my first reference point to reorient myself and head toward the Holy Sword Highway. I calculated that if I managed to reach the main roads without setbacks, the rest of the journey would be a piece of cake.
"G-Get me out of here, damn it, nya!..."
"...What was that?"
From the sound, it seemed to be a girl. I approached slowly, using the enormous trees as cover. And when I could finally see what was happening, my eyes snapped open... They had a beast-race girl locked in a reinforced wagon, with metal bars. Everything was made to contain brute force. They knew perfectly well it wouldn't be easy to hold someone of her race.
The men, five in total, along with a guard who seemed to be the most skilled of the group, were eating and laughing as if behind them was just another animal. It was one of the most disgusting scenes I had witnessed in my life.
The girl was trying to break the bars with all her might. She pulled, pushed, even bit them, desperate... but she got no results.
And that wasn't the worst part... Just as I placed my hand on the hilt, the guard approached the girl.
He passed his hand through the bars and tried to grab her tail.
"Come on, kitty, show me a little..."
The girl, for a second, remained motionless, she moved closer slowly... but then she sank her teeth into the man's hand with such force that, when he managed to break free, almost all his fingers were hanging uselessly. It was the perfect moment.
I propelled myself forward and shot out from my hiding place. But, in mid-jump, another man emerged from the bushes, as if he had been waiting for that exact instant. His sword clashed against mine at an almost identical angle, and for a moment, it was like seeing a giant pair of scissors. And, in the next moment, the head rolled across the muddy ground. Seconds passed until the body finally collapsed, falling with a dull thud.
"I-Incredible, Dad! It was so fast, and you... and you... nya!"
He said it in the beast language, which I clearly understood.
The girl was trembling between excitement and shock. Even so, our gazes met. And, for an instant, I thought I understood something in her eyes: relief, fear, hope... something I was perhaps not ready to interpret.