Chapter 1 : Where Am I?

~*~

For some reason my back hurts so I tossed around in my sleep, hoping to get more comfortable. I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't seem to get comfortable no matter how I turned. In the end I decided to get up and start my day since I couldn't get back to sleep no matter how I tried.

I opened my eyes and what I saw was a vast green forest surrounding me. I turned my head around and I saw a beautiful blue lake on my right side.

"Nngh.. Huh.. Why I.. Did I fell asleep outside?"

No wonder my back hurts so bad, since I've been sleeping on the ground like this..

But … Wait a minute!

"Huh? I'm pretty sure I went to sleep in my room yesterday."

Anyway for the time being let's try to remember what happened yesterday.

"Yesterday I attended class for a whole day, then I went to the convenience store at 22:00 and arrived at home safely by 22:30. I had dinner, took a bath and I guess I finally fell asleep at 01:00? Since tomorrow is weekend, I went to bed while thinking about all the laundry I have to do. That's all I can remember."

Yup. Just my usual day to day life.

"So… Where am I exactly?!?!?!"

I looked around frantically, suddenly I didn't feel sleepy at all!

"Just what the hell is happening.."

Did I sleepwalk here?

But even if I did sleepwalk, since I lived in a big city, there was no forest like this nearby.

"Anyway, just standing here and do nothing is useless. It's better if I try to explore this area. Who knows, maybe I might be able to find someone here."

I peered at the lake right in front of me. The lake was so beautiful, the water was crystal clear I could even see the fish swimming around.

"I'm so thirsty.. I wonder if the water is safe to drink..?"

I didn't know the exact time but I guess it had been 3 hours since I last woke up?

No wonder my throat feel parched.

I wanted to drink this water but I didn't know whether the water was safe to drink or not.

"I'm going to drink it! If the water is this clear I'm sure it's going to be alright!"

I walked to the edge of the lake but although I said I'm going to drink it, I still felt a little bit hesitant.

What if I got stomach ache?

I scooped the water with both of my hands.

The water felt cold on my skin.

So nice, it must be refreshing if I were to drink it….

I braced myself up and gulped the water in one go.

Somehow the water tasted sweet, it was so delicious!

"Huh? Someone's here?"

I bristled when I heard someone speaking from behind me.

Felt like I leaked a little.. Just a little bit though! It was because I hadn't peed since I woke up!

I was about to go pee after I finish drinking this water but I guess I need to hold it in.

Turning my body around, I saw a handsome middle aged man.

His age.. around 30ish I think.

He had dazzling brown hair that swayed with the wind. His face looked like a westerner and he was carrying a fishing rod with him.

And he was really, really big. Probably around 2 metres tall?

"Umm…" I started, not sure what to say to this stranger in front of me.

"It's okay, I'm not a suspicious person, boy. My name is Malik. Malik Cleva. I'm the guild master from the Adventurer Guild in Pedrell."

"A-ah.. My name is Himukai Ren. May I ask where is this exactly? Pedrell ? Where is that?"

I introduced myself to him since he already gave me his name first then I started to shoot barrage of questions to him.

"Himukya? Umm.. Himukya, right now we're in a forest by the Pedrell City."

Malik-san.. he looked like a foreigner so I guess it must be hard for him to speak Japanese name.

My name was Himukai not Himukya but I felt like it would be rude of me to correct him now.

Moreover, he said Pedrell City? Where was that? I never heard about Pedrell City before.

"Please call me Ren, Malik-san. Actually I was sleeping in my house but when I woke up suddenly I ended up here." I decided to ask him to use Ren instead of Himukai because it was easier to pronounce.

"I don't quite understand but I guess you're lost, huh? Anyway are you hungry, Ren?"

Malik-san didn't look like a Japanese but his Japanese was really good and he seemed like a nice guy.

"A lost child? I guess I am. Thank you for the offer! Though, is your house close by? Actually I really need to pee right now, is it okay if you wait for a little bit while I go do my business first?"

"Well it's a little far. You can go pee first, I will wait for you here."

Since I had been holding it for a while, I ran hastily to the brushes to relieve myself. I had said it before but Malik-san Japanese was really good! I wonder where was I actually?

I rarely met a westerner spoke such fluent japanese.

When I returned, I saw Malik-san sitting on a large rock by the lake. Even though he was only sitting normally, he looked really handsome.

"Thank you for waiting, Malik-san"

"Ah.. Don't worry about it. Come on, let's walk. We have so much to talk about."

After 5 minutes of walking, I finally saw the road. I guess I was not that far deep into the forest yet, huh.

Another thing, when I was peeing I just realized that I was barefooted. Well that was given after all, I was sleeping in my room.

There was nothing I could do so I had to bear with it.

Though, I was sure my feet was going to be bruised by the time we arrived at Malik-san's house.

At the very least I had to be careful so I wouldn't stab myself by stepping on a twig or something!

~*~

We had only walked for 30 minutes but Malik-san had already taught me a lot of things!

Apparently this world, Alsar was a world of magic and sword where there were elves and monsters roaming around the world.

I was definitely not in Japan.

Heck, I was sure there was no place like this on earth!

This was a forest next to Pedrell City, in the kingdom of Aspel.

And Malik-san was a local here.

Once every 5 years a person from different world would be transported into Alsar so this was a normal occurrence.

According to Malik-san, it seemed like I was one of those other world people.

Ah, my head hurts.

What was more, at first I thought Malik-san was speaking in Japanese, but according to him I was the one speaking in the official language of Alsar.

I guess it was like auto translator? I heard Malik-san speaking Japanese and in return Malik-san heard me speaking in Alsar language.

The legal age in Alsar was 18 years old and Malik-san here was actually 47 years old!

He didn't look like he already 47 years old at all!

Sadly, he thought I was only 15 years old even though actually I was already 21.

The average height for male in Alsar was 200cm, for female is 180cm. No wonder he thought I was still a child since I was only 175cm tall.

Thankfully this world used the same metric system back in earth and the measurement for time was the same too.

So I didn't have to learn new measurement system.

Sigh.. there was a lot of new information to absorb.. My head felt like it was going to combust.

~*~

Finally we had arrived in Pedler City. Thanks to Malik-san, I could go through the gate checking relatively easy.

We walked past the market, there was various stall selling all kind of things I had never seen before.

From food, clothes to knick knacks, everything was so interesting!

As I was too busy getting fascinated by the various things here that I didn't realize we had already arrived at Malik-san's house. His house was not that far away from the market and it was really big. It was bigger than the average house I saw in Pedrell.

"Sorry, I haven't prepared anything since I didn't plan on receiving guest today. Please take a seat anywhere you want while I make some tea for you."

"Ah, thank you very much."

Malik-san took me to the dining room, there was 4 chair there so I sat on the chair closest to me.

I looked around the house inconspicuously. For a single man that had been living alone, Malik-san house was really spacious but also really tidy. Somehow, I felt kinda nervous.

While I was busy looking around, suddenly a cup of steaming brown liquid appeared in front of me.

It looked like the normal black tea from earth.

I was extremely parched when I drank the water from the lake so I didn't think much about it but now that I was in the right state of mind somehow I felt scared to drink something from another world.

Malik-san took the chair in front of me and stared at me, waiting for me to drink the cup he gave me. Since we had walked quite a distance, I actually felt thirsty but still, I was afraid to take the first gulp.

After a while, I finally gave up and I lifted the cup with both of my hands gently and blew the steam 'fuu fuu' like that.

"Ah! It IS tea! Delicious!"

"I'm glad you like it. Actually this 'tea' was brought by an otherworlder too, like you. People will feel more at ease if they experience something familiar to them, right? I hope it will calm your nerves."

"Ah.. yes.."

After I heard that the tea was brought by an otherworlder, I drank the tea in one big gulp. To think this was actually the same tea from earth..

Malik-san was really a gentleman, he saved me from being lost,he even gave me tea because he wanted me to feel at ease. He was a really kind man.

"Ren, the thing that I told you before, about other worlder, do you understand it now?"

"Umm, when I first heard it I felt skeptical because to me, you seem to be speaking in Japanese. I thought I might be dreaming but the urge to take a pee, the thirst, the tiredness after walking, everything is real. After seeing the city, it finally sinked in. I guess I am in other world now."

Yes. I had no other choice but to believe that this was not earth.

After all, the people in here carried sword like it was normal thing to do, Malik-san included.

What was more, I wad just an ordinary student, there was no benefit for someone to try and trick me anyway.

"It's okay to take everything slowly. I've met a couple of otherworlder that hurt themselves because they were confused and overwhelmed when they first came to Alsar."

Well it was normal to react in such a way.

It must had been hard to accept the whole concept of other world because that kind of thing only existed as fantasy in earth.

"I am confused but I have no other choice but to give up and just accept it, right? I'm really blessed to be able to meet Malik-san, thanks to you explaining things to me, I can let the reality sink in slowly."

I was really blessed.

If I hadn't meet Malik-san, I would've went and got myself lost in the forest and probably die. I don't have any capability to life in the wilds so my survivability is close to zero.

"Ah well, you're actually my type, of course I would be willing to help."

"Pardon? What did you say?"

Malik-san said something but his voice was too low so it was hard for me to catch his words.

"Nothing! Don't mind it! Anyway, you're welcome to stay here while you get used to your new life. I live alone anyway and I have lots of empty room to spare."

"Eeeeh? I can't trouble you anymore than this.. I will look for a work that provides a live-in space for their employee, please I would feel bad if I were to intrude on you."

After all the things he had done to me, he was still willing to help me more? And what was more, wouldn't he feel afraid that I will steal something? I was a stranger you know!

"You really are very high spirited huh. Well there's an unspoken rule that the first person that found an otherworlder are required to take care of the otherworlder until they settle down. After all it's not everyday you find an otherworlder. So don't mind it."

Is that so.

To think there was that kind of rule regarding the otherworlder..

Malik-san continued,"And the people from the other world is much much smaller than the people in Alsar. Ren you look like 15 at most or maybe 6 years old! Even though you look like a child, you look really seductive! You're bound to get in trouble if I were to left you alone. That's why, it's okay for you to stay here until you settle in."

"Se-seductive? I don't really understand but if there's such unspoken rule like that, for now I will be in your care."

When in Rome, do as romans do. I guess I will be in Malik-san care for now.

And so, I had decided to live with Malik-san.