Both stood before the village chief’s gates.

Kayle walked ahead to knock on the door. Nur followed behind.

Knock. Knock.

“Hello, Village Chief! It’s Kayle. Grandmother sent me to deliver a message.”

“…”

The door creaked open slightly, revealing a small gap. A little figure peeked through.

“Gasp! Kayle!” The door swung open fully, revealing a brown-haired girl with bright brown eyes, about Kayle’s age.

“It’s really you!”

“Elly!”

“…,” Nur watching the sudden development.

“You’re here again—twice this week!” she said, cheeks flushed with excitement. “Are you here to play—”

“Yes, I am here to meet the Village Chief. I have a message from my grandmother,” Kayle said, cutting her off before she could finish.

Nur noticed the brief flicker of disappointment on the girl’s face.

“Oh… okay,” she muttered, turning around gloomily. “I’ll go tell Father…”

A strange sense of déjà vu crept up Nur’s spine. That look—why did it feel oddly familiar? Something about it clenched at his heart.

“Hey, Kayle,” Nur called out softly.

“Yes, Brother Nur?”

“…Never mind.”

He stayed still, hands tucked into his pockets, waiting.

Kayle tilted his head. “?”

“…”

She came back.

“Father said you can enter. He’s in his office,” she told them, her gloomy mood still lingering.

“Thank you, Elly!” Kayle replied cheerfully.

As they stepped inside, Nur noticed Elly’s small hands gripping the fabric of her clothes tightly. There was frustration in her eyes—subtle, but there.

…

In front of the village chief’s room, Kayle knocked.

“It’s me,” he called out.

A faint voice from inside responded, “You can enter.”

Kayle pushed the door open and stepped in. Nur followed, his eyes scanning the room.

“Good evening, Uncle Fern!” Kayle greeted.

“Good evening to you too, Kayle,” the village chief replied.

At the far end, a wooden table sat a few steps away from the window. A figure was seated behind it, but the sunlight streaming in from outside made it difficult to make out his details. The light obscured his face, casting a long shadow across the room.

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Nur remained silent, waiting. He wasn’t clueless—he had noticed everything that had been happening so far. And the one name that kept coming up in all of it was the Village Chief.

“…”

Kayle began explaining what had happened—not just the message his grandmother had sent him with, but more. She hadn’t told him to say all of this, but she hadn’t told him not to either.

Nur watched carefully, trying to gauge the village chief’s reaction through the glare of the sunlight. The man appeared to be listening intently, responding with nods and words that carried concern. But his face…

His face showed no surprise.

The village chief stood up. “I am extremely sorry for what happened. There is no way I can redeem myself for this—it was a mistake on my part. I will personally visit your grandmother to apologize at once.”

“No, no, we’re not blaming you, Uncle Fern! It was that doctor who did it. I only told you because, even though Grandmother was taking it lightly, I couldn’t shake off my concern. I thought I should inform you so it won’t happen again to someone else in the village,” Kayle said earnestly.

“And also… the main reason Grandmother sent me here was to deliver a message.”

Kayle relayed the message.

Heh?” Nur blinked, confused by what he had just heard. The intentions behind Grandmother’s request were unknown to him.

“…So your grandmother wants me to give that cottage under the mountain to him?” Fern asked, his gaze shifting to Nur.

His expression remained composed, but his sharp eyes betrayed a hint of displeasure. Annoyance flickered in his stare, not just at the request—but at the person standing before him.

He came around the table. Nur watched him carefully, following his movements.

Fern stopped in front of Nur, raising a hand for a handshake.

“Nur, right!?” Fern’s face suddenly brightened, a welcoming smile appearing—as if the previous displeasure had never existed.

Nur remained cautious, watching him carefully.

He shook Fern’s hand. “Yes.”

Fern let out a hearty laugh. “Hahaha! I am Fernando—Fernando Railburg. I’m the head of this village, but you can call me Fern.”

The man standing before Nur—Fernando Railburg—had brown hair and eyes. He appeared to be in his early forties, with a sturdy build that hinted at strength. Despite being the chief of a countryside village, he carried himself with an air of authority that felt far beyond his title.

“Umm, ah! Okay… sure.”

Nur’s gaze faltered at Fern’s sudden change in mood. A moment ago, the man had shown clear displeasure, but now he was all smiles. Nur had been cautious—but for some reason, that caution was starting to fade.

Does he have some kind of power that makes people lower their guard? Nur wondered.

Fern turned to Kayle. “But Kayle, did your grandmother say that house specifically?”

“Yes! That’s what she said.”

“Mmm…” Fern rubbed his chin, deep in thought. He didn’t seem entirely sure of her intentions, but there was a hint of amusement in his expression.

“Well, I’m okay with it,” he finally said, “but in return, he has to contribute to the village.”

“Contribute?” Nur thought. What kind of contribution?

“…Well, anything that helps the village grow. Bringing in outside currency, setting up a shop, even just helping an old lady carry her groceries would do.”

What… what kind of contribution is that? He expected something more serious—maybe labor, taxes, or community work. But helping with groceries?

“Thank you, Uncle Fern!” Kayle said cheerfully, his voice full of spirit. But despite his enthusiasm, his face told a different story—he was frowning.

Nur wasn’t particularly pleased with how things were turning out. He knew he couldn’t stay forever, but after yesterday’s incident, he felt uneasy. The family that had helped him… he couldn’t just ignore their problems.

He hesitated before asking, “Is the house far from Kayle and his grandmother? Can’t I just get one closer to them? That way, it’ll be easier for me to help them if they need anything.”

Fern’s expression darkened for a split second, but he quickly cleared his throat and put on a neutral face.

“Well, there’s no way. The village people have lived here for generations, and there’s no unoccupied space near them. We can’t just ask a family to move because you want to live closer, right?”

Nur frowned. “Then… I can just stay with them, right?”

Fern’s expression stiffened. The friendly warmth in his eyes flickered, replaced by something colder. “Now I can’t let you do that now, can i?.”

The air in the room turned grim, suffocating.

“…I mean,” Fern corrected himself, his tone returning to normal, “I can’t let a stranger stay with an old lady and a little boy. They can’t even take care of themselves properly.”

His gaze sharpened. “I can’t let them be troubled because they have to look after an unexpected guest—someone who appeared out of nowhere. Someone we don’t know. Someone who claims he lost his memory.”

Nur had already known he couldn’t stay there forever.

But hearing it from him—the man he had been suspicious of—made it sting in a way he hadn’t expected.

It was painful.

A burden. A stranger. A man with no past and no proof.

That’s what I am.