Chapter 4: Entering the Village

(This chapter was uploaded on Friday 2/February/2024 8:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)

I forgot to write this here for the three previous chapters, but now is always better than never.

Special thanks to RikuKage for acting as my beta reader out of his own volition.

(Line Break)

('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the notes at the end of the chapter.

"..." small moment of silence

"Talking"

"He-" Someone was interrupted.

'Thinking'

[Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names]

(PoV)

(Flashback)

Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

(Line Break) (Henryk's PoV)

"The river is free now, if you still want to use it" One of the women bathing in the river approached me and informed me that the river is now free to use.

"Fey, down" I called for Fey, who went up to doze off on a branch.

"Piie" Fey came down the tree and stood near me. She moved a few steps closer after touching the ground.

"Let's go, girl" I scooped Fey and stood up.

"Let's clean your feathers" I spotted one or two of the ladies admiring Fey's attractive feathers.

Who can blame them? Fey is a gorgeous eagle. Plus, she's cute.

Fey squirmed in my arms when she heard the sounds of a flowing river. She flew to the riverbank, stretched one of her wings toward the water, and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

Is it only me? Or is she beginning to express her emotions as humans do? Nah. Forget it. I'm not entirely clear why she's acting like this. Regardless of my concerns, this only made her cuter.

"Okay, you don't have to urge me" I slid down the slope leading to the riverbank.

The river was pure and flowing with crystal clear water. It was too clean, making me wonder how much of my world's nature we've damaged in the past, to the point that nature hasn't recovered to be the same as this river.

I set down my gear and rolled up my sleeves.

"Who's ready for a good scrubbing?" I decided it was safe to step directly into the river because it wasn't moving too fast.

I scooped water and wiped Fey's feathers one by one. It may take a while, but it's for her health. Filthy feathers, like unclean hair, attract all kinds of parasites.

I can clearly see that she groomed them before while I was napping under the nearby tree. But she still had spots she couldn't clean, much like her crown feathers. They still have blood and dirt on them.

"Oh? A new feather's coming out" I noticed a fresh feather growing. It was covered in keratin.

Now, removing this keratin too soon will harm her, but this one appeared old. It even displayed symptoms of cracking. I lightly pressed along its length, and it began to break off. It came off so that the new feather could 'bloom' beautifully.

After that, I helped her transform into a wet towel monster. I did my best to get as much water out of her feathers as possible then she shook off the rest by violently shaking her body.

"Pie!" Fey was pleased with the results. It made her feel refreshed, perhaps. She then stood to the side, grooming her feathers again, while I washed the blood and filth from my clothes and myself.

I was careful when wiping my body. The area near the wound from the crude stone dagger still ached. I wrapped it in new bandages once I was finished.

"Fey, are you done?" I approached Fey with my clothing still damp.

"Pie!" She showed me her feathers, as if she was proud of how beautifully she had them done. How cute. I patted her head and she leaned into it.

I wrung out my clothes to remove as much water as possible. Unfortunately, I'd have to wear them while wet.

I really should go get some spares. And if possible, obtain a solid profession that doesn't need you to hunt monsters. Maybe there are animals I'm familiar with?

"Fey, shoulders" This time, Fey understood it based on where my hand was pointing, rather than the words.

"Pie!" She was perched on my shoulder as we headed back to the village.

"What's the purpose of your visit?" The guard questioned me. Something about the way he stared at me made me nervous, as if he was about to ask me for help with something.

"I was wondering whether I could trade these for money. You see, I didn't communicate with people regularly. So, I'm not sure whether it's doable or not" And that's true. I hardly left the forest to restock, and that's assuming Norman wasn't doing it.

"Magic stones? There is an exchange house in the village. However, the quantity you have would not yield much, Valis. Would that be the only purpose for your visit?" The guard asked, adopting a more professional demeanor.

Magic stones? Valis?

"My visit's my attempt to become a part of society again. I lived in the forest for too long, and alone. I can't live like that now. If I could find a stable job here, then it's even more worth it. Maybe I'll depart for Orario later, once I get used to being around others" I took a risk by mentioning this Orario place.

According to Norman, the walking spoiler, Orario's the go-to place for adventurers. Whoever wants to be an adventurer goes there. And I'd like to get stronger, to confront ever-stronger foes. It'd be ideal for me if I'm in the correct world.

"Are you going to the dungeon city? Then, prepare well. Remember, you are responsible for your eagle. Whatever it does in village will be your responsibility. Be careful with it inside the village of Preblica." The guard, unbeknownst to him, verified something for me.

Since Orario's a valid dungeon city, there're monsters, magic stones, and a coin called Valis, this's DanMachi. What little I recall's that I need a falna, as Norman termed it, to properly fight monsters. Perhaps, that's why I felt some pain when trying to overpower that dog-monster?

The problem's that most deities lived in the city. Not many find a deity outside, and that's saying they were lucky to be accepted at all.

"Can I ask you one last thing before entering?" I had a thought. I turned to the guard and inquired.

"Is there something you want to know?" The guard raised an eyebrow at my unexpected stop and question.

"What year is it now?" I want to know. If it's close enough to the year Norman mentioned as the beginning of the original story, I might as well extend my preparation period before leaving for Orario.

"It is the year 1057 of the gods' descent. If you were wondering about the specific date, the month is January and the day is Saturday, the fifth of the month" The guard kindly answered my question and gave me extra information.

That's helpful.

"Thank you, Sir. See you later" I thanked him and waved as I entered.

"Pie!" Fey wished him farewell by raising her left wing and waving it in imitation of my left hand.

"See you later, you two" The guard missed it since he had already turned away from us and resumed his gatekeeping duty.

I... I don't remember teaching her that. And imitation isn't something eagles are known for. They may copy their parents, but that's it. I don't recall them copying another species. I may have to wait and see what other new changes result from ingesting these magic stones. If it only makes her more intelligent and stronger, not more feral, I see no reason to stop her.

I enter the village carrying Fey on my shoulders. Many of the villagers gave me odd stares.

A 2.03 m tall man (~ 5'5.92'') with a 1.3 m tall eagle (~ 4'3.18'') on top of his shoulders isn't a common sight in a village, or anywhere else.

Fey was glancing around curiously, mindful of her unusual surroundings. I can feel it in the tug that her whipping her head creates.

"Calm down, girl" I said, raising my hand to touch her on the wing and reassuring her that she wasn't alone.

I walked around, keeping an eye out for the exchange house. Now that I think about it, I forgot to ask for directions.

...

It doesn't matter. For the time being, I can take a tour around the village instead.

The houses all look so cozy. They feel so old-style they became pleasing to my eyes.

After walking around the streets for a while, I sat around the center of the village to rest.

A tall tree stood in the heart of the village. It was as tall as Fey's favorite kapok tree.

Perhaps I should ask the village head if Fey's allowed to build a nest up the tree.

While sitting, my mind drifted to the date I was thrown in.

If what Norman informed me is correct, the MC should start heading towards Orario in about two years, plus a few months.

I should arrive before him, but after I have gathered experience. MCs are believed to draw trouble, as if they were seducing death. Never come at the same moment; else, your progress will lag behind theirs, leaving you behind.

Well, unless the poor sod's name's Natsuki Subaru. That one was dumped there, powerless. Every dick, tom and harry toys with him. And the only thing he was given? It was a power that ate at his sanity.

Moving from that, I may need to plan for the coming year and 4 months. It would be preferable if I found a familia before then, but let's be practical. My goal shouldn't be based on joining a familia before moving to Orario.

I should first reside here for a few months to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the city's high population. And if I can truly contribute to the society in which I reside, it'll serve as an excellent imitation of familia life. You must maintain positive relationships with those on whom your life may depend: your familia members.

As I was lost in thought, my attention was pulled to two women bickering. At least they didn't throw punches in the middle of a residential area.

One was an extremely beautiful woman with green eyes and long blue hair with two long bangs, two strands on the sides, and a partly braided tail in the back. 

There was a white ribbon tied to the hair at the back of her head, under one of the gold ornaments. Another ornament was holding the end of the braid, allowing the rest of her hair to flow freely.

Her attire consisted of white and light blue with black accents thrown in between the two hues. She also donned a variety of gold hair accessories, gold bracelets, and long brown boots with a light brown pattern. The black stripes that ran between her arm bracelets completed the look. I hope they don't get in the way of her mobility. She was wearing a belt-like sash with some interesting things on it. There was what appeared to be a shield-shaped plate to the left. Then there's a dagger at the back, a sword on top of the plate that resembles a small shield, and a cloth that, if spread out, would probably be a cape. She also had a quiver filled with arrows strapped to her back, along with a longbow.

I described her as an extremely beautiful woman because, well, she felt like a woman who had experienced the wild. I got the impression that she was comfortable using her sword and dagger from her posture and the way they were positioned.

Though not particularly ripped or buff, the exposed portions of her back, arm, and leg muscles were larger than those of someone who was lazing around. 

They had enough size and shape to indicate that she was performing tasks requiring strength.

Such a woman was probably bold and, in this world of theirs, a likely huntress.

An item wrapped in a cloth was propped up against the trunk of the enormous tree in the centre of this village. The flat shape of the head resembled a small spear. It seemed like it belonged to the huntress. If I were to explain why, I'd say that they give me the same feeling when I look at them. I'm not sure why I have that feeling, but it's there.

(An image of Artemis)

If I wanted to get to know someone, I would've preferred a fellow hunter. But she's a woman and I don't know her, so I'll leave after hearing their argument. If I approach her unexpectedly and try to get closer, I'll be perceived as someone who came to flirt with her. If the man with a hurt face to the side was any indicator, she must've had these kinds of experiences on a regular basis.

Actually, there were two others behind her.

One of the two people standing in the back had reddish-brown eyes and medium-length hair of the same colour. She donned a dark green dress with lighter green sides.

She wore a brown sash and a brown belt around her hips, and small brown holders around both arms. She wore long, black gloves.

(An image of Rethusa)

The second person was a woman with somewhat pointed ears. That was the first thing my eyes went to since it was different. She's either half human and half another race, or she's a completely different race.

She has light blue hair and eyes. She wore an ornamental white cloak around herself, concealing what she was wearing underneath.

(Sadly, there are no existing images of Lante. Imagine her like Emilia from Re:Zero, but with her hair and eyes painted in the right colour)

The person arguing with the huntress was a young girl who appeared to be no more than 15 years old based on her height. But I can't say for certain because I'm 19 years old, have a height that dwarfs many, and have plenty of time to grow much taller. Damn my height.

She could be a grown-up who's naturally short.

I quickly averted my gaze from her, as her clothing was a complete turnoff for me. She wore a highly exposing dress consisting of various shades of pink sashes and a light blue piece of cloth over her chest. Everything else, from her front to back, including her legs, was exposed for all to see.

Basically, she was just concerned about covering her privates. She's nonexistent to me right now.

(Blond brat)

As I watched them argue, Fey flew to the underside of a tree. That's how I taught her to get rid of any potential doodoo.

The tree receives nutrients while other areas remain clean. Win-win.

I stood up and was going to call Fey when something interfered with my thinking.

My head turned to that nonexistent girl on its own, against my will.

NO! I WON'T SURRENDER MYSELF TO WHATEVER THIS IS!

My body stopped moving, but my thoughts didn't feel like they belonged to me. My body didn't feel like my own.

It felt as if I'd been born especially to serve that blond, eagerly anticipating her every order.

NO! I DON'T WANT TO! I'M NOT SOMEONE'S SERVANT! I SERVE NO ONE!

Thankfully, I was able to hold my body still at the time by sheer willpower. But my eyes remained fixed on the blond, my mind distant, and my body stuck in place.

It went almost as quickly as it came. My thoughts and body were back under my control.

"Hah... hah... hah..." I gasped for breath, as even my breath was taken from me until it was given back just now.

"I was just playing around a little, Artemis" The blond brat explained to the huntress. She was carelessly laughing it off, irresponsibly disregarding the gravity of what she had done.

The huntress's name was Artemis? Is it a given name here? Is this the one and only deity called Artemis? Norman told me that gods from several pantheons existed in this realm.

Anyway, let us go and disrupt the blond brat. I'll take some light revenge on her for "playing around a little" and casually intruding on other people's minds.

I'll approach them calmly, so as not to appear hasty and possibly suspicious.

I didn't realise it at the time, but my body had moved a few steps closer to the brat before I noticed and frozen it in place.

(End of Chapter)

I hope it has been a good week for all of you.

Now, for a thing that was decided in the last 2 weeks. I decided to make this an AU. It has different elements from canon.

For characters existing in the original novel, I will try to portray them as close as possible to their OG counterpart. But there may be little differences here and there.

Some events that were not shown in the anime will have their dates and details slightly changed.

And for that calendar, it is my own. I added it for some minor details I wanted to pace with a date attached to them. I hope it made a difference from if the story did not have a clear calendar.

There is also one other piece of news, a big one at that. I am currently setting up a Discord server for this story. It will take time to make since I also have to deal with college. I will notify you when it is ready.

Have a nice time ladies and gentlemen.