Two days have passed since Maris and I arrived in this village. I don't know what's going on in my mind, but I still feel pain, especially when I remember that scene. So I know the shock hasn't ended yet. Fuck, fuck! I hate living like this. It's really not easy! I couldn't even fall asleep quickly last night. For the past two days, all our time has been spent inside this house—we haven't gone outside at all.
Well, I won't lie, living here is terrible. Even the food is bad. Who the hell eats oatmeal soup?! I need to move forward quickly. But Thalesa… where are you?! I won't accomplish anything if you're not with me… I'm really lost. My thoughts are all tangled together, and there's no inner peace at all. Living like this is painful… painfully unbearable.
You can't do anything, and even if you try, you don't know what you're doing. So what now? What do I do? If only I could sort out my thoughts and set a clear goal… This is insane. I'm like a brainless person. I'm… I'm… a complete NPC! Hah, that's funny. I can't even think straight—this is insane! I need to do something… anything rather than staying broken like this… I need… I need to distract myself!
I got out of bed and looked out the window. Oh, it looks like Maris is hanging around outside. Who's that kid? Ciole's daughter, huh? She's playing with Maris. Well, at least she found something to do, unlike me, sitting here in this room with no idea about the future—not even the present. How ridiculous… and even more annoying. After watching Maris play with Ciole's daughter for a long time, I finally moved away from the window.
I wandered around the room, walking randomly. Why? I don't know. I don't know what the hell is happening here. I dropped to my knees, crouching as pain hit my chest. Then, tears began to fall… Please, luck, come back… Pleaseee! Fuck, if only I could scream! Hah, what do I do?! Things won't fix themselves this way, you idiot!
I stood up again, determined to organize my thoughts and set future goals. Alright, come on, NPC, I know you're lost because of a tough mental shock… but listen, you don't have to let the past hold you down. Move forward and break these fucking chains… Okay, how? Ughhh, I'm lost again. This is such a weird feeling. Can a psychiatrist even treat this kind of issue?
Come on, come on, no need for a doctor. Alright, my first goal will be… waiting for Thalesa to return! How did I come up with this goal? Easy—because I can't do anything without Thalesa… I'll just be a fucking NPC. Fuck! I wish I hadn't used that secret ability… No, no, no—I wish Camelia hadn't betrayed us!
Yeah, that bitch is the reason. What a traitor! Why did she sell us out?! I had a bit of suspicion about her, but she seemed like a pure ally. Well, idiot, of course she wouldn't choose you over her father. It was obvious she'd betray us. If there's anyone responsible for Petal's death, it's her! That bitch… I'll make sure to kill her and her father once I become strong enough… Gaziel, just wait for me!
But at least I've figured something out. Those two women who kidnapped Gaziel are definitely the same spies who intercepted Tiana. And they're definitely connected to Sabrina… It's clear as day—Sabrina is a spy from Deryal. Hah, I've caught you, witch! But Sabrina doesn't seem like someone who wants to hide this from me. She's always shown rebellious thoughts to me… Does she want to get a hero from another world on her side? Yo, seriously? Who would want a stupid NPC on their side?
Life in that palace was really a strange story… Tiana, what will you do when you return and realize I'm gone and your personal guard has been kidnapped? Ughhh, things keep getting more interesting in that fucking palace even after I left it. Alright, for now, I'll just wait for Thalesa's return, and then I'll become an adventurer. Until then, I'll just kill time! Just one more week… Thalesa, I'm waiting for you.
◆ ◆ ◆
Outside the house, a little girl sat, sighing, seemingly exhausted. Next to her was an older girl with drooping ears and tiny horns. There was no resemblance between them, but what mattered was that they sat together in harmony. After a while, the little girl spoke: "Tell me, Maris, how is it living with your husband?"
"Well, it's great. When you grow up, Titta, you'll discover that living with the person you love is really wonderful," Maris replied while sitting on the grass.
"No, no, living with my mom and dad is enough. I've noticed that my mom is always the one cooking meals, which means if I get married, I'll have to cook for my husband… and I don't like that!" The little girl said with an annoyed expression.
"Well, you're still a child. All you need to do now is play and enjoy your life," Maris replied.
"You're right, but you don't look that old either, Maris… How old are you?" Titta asked as she moved closer, staring intently at Maris' face.
"Uh… yeah, I'm still young too," Maris answered.
"Then why did you get married instead of enjoying your life?" Titta asked again, this time with a victorious smile as if she had cornered Maris with a tough question.
"And who said I don't enjoy my life?" Maris replied.
"Alright… let's play again… Catch me if you can this time!" Titta shouted as she ran away from Maris.
After that, a young man with black hair approached the girl with cow ears. Upon seeing him, Maris quickly stood up and walked toward him. She seemed worried about Laos, and the thought of him staying inside the house alone was bothering her. As she got closer, she spoke quickly, staring into his eyes: "Laos, how are you?"
"Fine... I realized that when I think about the mysterious events happening in that palace, I feel fine" Laos replied.
"That's strange. You feel fine after thinking about that awful place?" Maris muttered.
"I know, but there's just so much interesting stuff going on. I guess my mind finally found something else to focus on..." Laos said as he gazed around the village, particularly at the fields where the villagers were harvesting.
"Doesn't matter... As long as you're not miserable, that makes me happy!" Maris replied.
"By the way, what should we do now? Got any ideas?" Laos asked as he sat down on the grass.
"Well, I was thinking... we should become adventurers."
"Oh, that reminds me! Laos!" Maris suddenly exclaimed.
"What?" the green-eyed young man in front of her murmured.
"What was that sword you were using, by the gods?!" Maris demanded.
"Oh, I haven't told you yet!" Laos muttered.
"Maris, do you know what a Spirit is?"
"A Spirit? You mean those fairies the elves summon with the magic of the World Tree?" Maris asked.
"What?! No, no... Ugh, I need to explain." Laos sighed.
"Alright, from what I remember, there's a goddess called the Spirits Goddess who created seven Spirits. They reside within seven weapons, and I happened to obtain one of those weapons—the one housing the Sea Spirit, Thalesa."
"Did you bring it with you from your world?" Maris asked.
"What? No! I found it in the ruins. Gaziel actually used that sword before me, but it drained his strength and made him weaker every time he used it. So, he hid it in the ruins, and I was the one who found it." Laos explained.
"Seriously?! That's amazing! How powerful is it? Or rather, how powerful is she? And where is she now?" Maris asked excitedly.
"The sword grows stronger the more I fight with it... As for where she is now... even I don't know." Laos admitted in a low voice.
"What? How?!" the cow-eared girl exclaimed.
"Well, do you remember that last attack I used? That massive wave that swept Gaziel away?" Laos asked.
"Yeah, yeah!"
"That sword has multiple abilities, and using them drains the Spirit's power. That wave was its secret ability, and when I used it... Thalesa disappeared."
"Oh, that's insane! It sounds like a whole power system on its own!" Maris said.
"It actually is. Thalesa told me it's one of Staria's power systems, but apparently, it's not well known." Laos replied.
As I continued talking with Maris, the gentle breeze carried our conversation. The place was truly beautiful—the villagers were working, each person knowing exactly what they needed to do. Everyone except me... I was still lost. Maris' questions only brought up more of my own. Why is the spirit system unknown? And the two biggest ones—does she know that Sabrina is a spy from Deryal? And should I tell her that Camellia was the one who sell us out?
It's funny how, every time I feel even more lost. An old woman approached, setting down a straw box on the ground. She looked like she couldn't carry it any farther and was clearly waiting for me to say: "Let me help you." Sorry, old lady. I'm just a pathetic introvert who will never have the courage to do that...
"Laos! Get up and help her," Maris whispered as she nudged my shoulder with her elbow. Ouch! That hurt!
"Grandma, do you need help?" I asked as I stood up, stepping toward the old woman.
"If you can, I would be grateful," she replied.
"Of course," I said, lifting the box. It was a bit heavy, making this a bothersome task, not to mention that the handle was uncomfortable too. Fuck!
"Where should I take it?" I asked, trying to carry it in a more comfortable way.
"To my house, please… Follow me," the old woman answered as she walked ahead.
After some time walking, I finally arrived at her house and placed the box in front of the door. She gave me a faint smile and said: "Thank you, boy. May the goddess bless your life."
"Hey, boy! Can you help us with the harvest? We want to finish today. Come and lend us a hand!" Ciole called out, holding some beets by their leaves.
"Alright, alright," I replied as I walked toward the field where they were.
The field was somewhat small, and my task was clear now—harvesting! There were carrots, beets, onions, and tomatoes, but I was assigned to pick carrots. I placed a wicker basket in front of me and continued harvesting, tossing them in. Oh, the quality of these carrots is amazing! They're a pure color, with no black spots at all. That's great… Looking at the others behind me, even the beets were spotless. The farming quality here seems really good.
A long time passed, and I was still picking. When I tossed a carrot into the basket and it fell straight out, I realized it was full. Damn, I harvested too much. God, I'm sweating so much! Working under this sun is exhausting. Also, how the hell am I supposed to bathe in this backward place?!
"My basket is full!" I shouted.
"Alright, looks like we're really done!" Ciole called out.
"Bless your efforts," another man said.
After that, Ciole walked over, picked up my full basket, and said before stepping away:"May the goddess bless your life, boy."
"May the goddess bless your life, boy!" several villagers shouted in unison with a lot of smiles. They're talking to me! God, this is embarrassing!
"Oh, I almost forgot! Go take a bath. We'll put these vegetables into the boxes… Tell my wife to show you the tub, fill it with water, and enjoy!" Ciole said.
"No, no, not now! I'll help you all!" I muttered.
"Really?! Then come on, follow us," he replied.
Suddenly, I realized… I had been smiling the whole time. I hadn't even noticed… but I was happy for a moment. I don't know why… but I was happy. Yes! I was happy—to the point that I couldn't stop smiling. I kept my wide grin as I watched the villagers carrying their baskets, baskets filled with their hard work. What a feeling.
"Ahh, no!" a voice called out from behind me.
When I turned around, I saw an old man dropping a basket full of beets. I rushed over and helped him pick them up. God, is he insane for carrying that basket alone? After a while, I finished gathering them and lifted the basket, then followed Ciole and the others. Ugh, it's so hot today. Fuck! I'm carrying this basket, so I can't even wipe the sweat dripping down my forehead, making me itch.
"You are a good man," the old man said behind me, making me unconsciously flash the same wide smile again and look up at the sky… Thank you.