Katsumi brought the horse to the gate of the town. It was daytime and thus it was open for any newcomers and merchants that came by. There was a minor traffic jam as it was a busy entry point into the town but they got through it relatively quickly.

"Halt!" One of the keepers stopped them, "Identification, please!" he formally asked as it was his job to check.

"Inventory!"

Her window opened on command and scrolled to the information screen.

The guard took a look at it.

"So a ranger, eh? Show me your badge, miss!"

She showed him her badge as it was around her neck. She would never forget to take it when she left the base to go to the larger settlements. Her badge was a miniature tree that represented their base.

"What business do you seek here?"

"Doctor's check-up,"

She responded simply without giving too much away.

He glanced over at Nashiro strictly before letting her pass with a wave of a hand.

Nashiro was thankful he didn't get questioned right there. It would have been a complicated situation that only a lie would potentially set him free.

'Her clan is a big deal since they didn't want to question her further about me.'

As they strolled through town, he was focused on the buildings and people that were passing by.

The street was loud with many horses and cariagges passing by, some went quicker than others. They were mostly merchants but there were a fair few fancy ones that a rich person would own.

The ambience was noisy from the horses trotting to people shouting and promoting their stands and product.

It was mostly humans who dominated the area but a few of them had long pointy ears.

'Hmmm…' he couldn't tell what they were except that they stood out.

The homes and buildings looked sturdy. Some looked prettier than others and had a good facade covering the buildings that were pleasant to look at. A few of them had shops with signs to guide the townspeople. The roads weren't as clean as you would expect. The cobblestone ground was covered with dirt, mud and possibly faeces too which caused an awful smell into his nose making him want to puke but he got used to it eventually.

'I wonder If I used to live in these types of houses?'

He murmured under his breath and frowned. As much as he was fascinated by this, it was still a bit saddening that he couldn't remember if he had already been here or met any of these people.

"Where are we headed to?"

Nashiro asked.

"To a good friend of mine. He is a good man and he is a doctor so he might know what's up with you."

She responded before stopping her horse.

"We've arrived." She got off the horse with Nashiro following her.

'This is the place. He did tell me that he had found a nicer location to do his work but I wasn't expecting this.' Katsumi took the time to examine the building and so did Nashiro but he didn't think it stood out all that much.

It seemed like an ordinary two-story house but looks can be deceiving. Katsumi opened the door and a small bell alerted the receptionist who was reading some letters.

"Hello how-" she noticed a familiar face, "Katsumi!" She proclaimed, "It's been forever, how have you been?"

"Just fine. I was planning to visit a while ago but I got caught up in work and babysitting a dumbass."

"Is Ariya giving you trouble?! Ugh, that guy!"

"Tell me about it. A couple of days ago he was peeping on me while I was in the shower."

The girl gasped.

"He has no shame! Perverted bastard!"

She clenched her fist wanting to beat him up.

"It's okay Sotomi, he'll get what he deserves eventually."

She crossed his arms.

Nashiro was feeling left out but rightly so. He wouldn't want to start talking about the guy like that when he didn't even know him too well.

The receptionist girl had the same hair colour as Nashiro, tied into a braid that went down her shoulder. She was a young and vibrant young woman, not to mention beautiful. Her amber eyes, thinly shaped lips and a few small freckles on each cheek made her a magnet for boys.

She wore a simple V-shaped shirt that showed her cleavage when she leaned over a bit.

'We have the same hair colour,' Nashiro noticed, 'Does she know me? It's a long shot but… '

"H-hey!" he mumbled nervously which made her glance over at him, "D-do you know me?"

"What?"

He was about to say something else when Katsumi slapped his mouth.

"S-sorry, he hit his head and now he is talking nonsense."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll get your check-up scheduled."

As soon as Sotomi left, she took her hand away.

"Are you out of your mind?!" a wave of low pitch anger came out of her mouth, "Do you want people to be suspicious of you or to think you're some crazy person?"

"N-no I-"

"The doctor will know what to do with you. I trust him and we'll see what's the problem so don't cause trouble for yourself," she showed her calm side and reassured him that everything will be okay. His hair was getting in the way of his eyesight so he had to blow it to the side now and then.

"The doctor has someone in right now but you're next in line. You may sit down and wait if you'd like."

"T-thanks," he was a bit embarrassed talking to her now since he asked that stupid question. His cheeks were a bit red and just thinking about it didn't make him feel much better. He sat down and waited without another word.

"Who is he anyway, Kat?" She asked as he leaned a bit on her desk, "Is he your secret boyfriend?" she playfully poked her.

"Knock it off!" she answered back playfully.

"Apart from his overgrown hair and dirty clothes, he's got a cute face."

"Hey, he might hear you," she warned.

"Do I see a bluuuush?" Sotomi poked her cheek. She was more resistant to teasing than others but she didn't manage to hide it fully as a little shade of red went on her cheeks.

"S-stop it already."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"Okay, I had my fun," she giggled and sat back in her chair.

"What about you? The last time we talked you found yourself, someone."

She looked up from her papers.

"Oh, you mean him. I wish you could have met him. He was so charming and nice that once he took me out, he gave me a bouquet of all kinds. Some of which I haven't seen before in these parts."

"I also heard he is rich. Rather, his whole family is."

"I'm not complaining. I'm living on a budget from the pay I receive here and a bit extra that my family sends me sometimes."

Katsumi wasn't entirely sold on this guy she was mentioning but she couldn't say much on someone she hasn't met yet.

"Right. I hope it works out."

"Me too!" she smiled and went back to her papers.

The door opened in the hallway of the doctor's office.

"See it wasn't bad, right?"

"You were right mommy."

The young kid laughed as his check-up was over.

"I'll buy you a treat for being so brave" the mother complimented and the kid cheered, feeling rewarded.

"Just remember to put a cold cover over the wound. It was a minor cut but be careful around sharp objects, okay little guy?"

The doctor came out. He had a navy blue robe with a simple shirt under it. He was an older man who was past his forties now but still had a youngish face. His hairline was receding a bit and becoming grey but it didn't bother him. He had a nice smile through his medium stubble beard.

"I will. Thank you!"

"Thank you doctor!" the boy's mother added.

"No problem!" he waved them off as they left.

He went over to Sotomi and noticed Katsumi was there.

"Katsumi, nice to see you again. It's been a bit. A few months maybe?"

He reached out his hand.

"Probably…" She didn't know how long it had been but it felt like ages. Taking his hand and shaking it politely, she turned to Nashiro who was looking at the ground in thought.

"Who's your friend?"

"His name is Nashiro and he seems to have lost all of his memories. I met him in the village that was plundered and destroyed a few days ago."

"The massacre of village Camia? I've read about it. Truly a big loss for the community and the fact that no one escaped is concerning."

The doctor crossed his hands. He scratched his beard as it itched him a bit with his nerves racking up.

"I am just hoping the capital's knights got there by now and started investigating. The bodies were never picked up after the attack and I picked up that they were starting to rot now too."

"That's terrible to hear. They are citizens of this nation too. A village on the outskirts and its people depended on this nation…" He took a deep breath before he let himself go on a rant.

"Let's just take a look at him, hm?" he mentioned, returning his smile.

She nodded.

"Nashiro!"

He looked up and followed them into the room. Katsumi closed the door afterwards.

"Go ahead and sit down over there."

The doctor pointed to the chair.

"Katsumi, grab the soap for me, please. It's in the first drawer right there."

There was a cabinet in the back of the room where he kept all his herbs and potions.

She gave him the soap and he washed his hands until he was sure that he had washed them long enough. There were no faucets in the room so he used the bucket that he conveniently had nailed to the wall. He would order Sotomi every morning to change the water by going to the well.

"Let me introduce myself first, I'm doctor Isendo Nobogai. Now, Nashiro. That is your name, correct?"

"Y-yes…"

"Okay, this isn't gonna hurt you or anything. I'll just be checking to see if we can figure out why you lost your memories. First of all, how much do you remember?"

He kneeled in front of him.

"I only remember the last few days. When I woke up, the only thing that I did recall was my name."

While Nashiro was nervous, Isendo listened to every word and looked for any clues that his unconsciousness would leave.

"I see… no parents, siblings, friends?"

Nashiro shook his head sadly.

"Okay, I'll start with your physicals before the magical component."

He did the normal procedures like checking his eyesight, pulse, heart rate, reflexes and reaction time.

"All normal. You have a very fit body for your age."

He compliments him.

"Now," he grabbed a monocle that had a golden outline. He focused on his body and the lens turned purple, scanning him.

A few minutes passed and the doctor finished.

"Well, that should be all."

"What have you found?"

Katsumi enquired.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?!" Katsumi and Nashiro exclaimed in shock. This was not what they were expecting.

"In the 15 years I've been a full-time doctor, this is the first I have no answer."

He put away his tool and continued,

"His body is as fit and healthy as it can get for a young man so amnesia was out of the question. With that, I didn't notice any magical brainwashing or any source of magic that could influence his loss of memory."

"Does that mean I'm-" Nashiro paused as he couldn't believe it, "An empty shell?"

"I wouldn't say that. You're a living person, right? It's your choice what you want to do and what goals you want to accomplish."

The doctor advised him as he walked over to the window.

Katsumi remained quiet until she strolled over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go," she told him softly. Nashiro was emotionless and didn't say anything. He silently stood up.

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor turned around to say his goodbyes

"Don't mention it, stop by at any time. I'm truly sorry for your situation Nashiro."

The next couple of minutes were spent in the silence between them. Sitting in the reception lobby, they were left with nothing but questions. Sotomi didn't bother asking them anything about what happened. By the looks on their faces, she could tell by a simple look in their direction that they weren't met with good news.

'I wasn't expecting this outcome. One of the most profound doctors in the kingdom couldn't find a solution,' she bit her nail, 'It's no disease or anything magical then what caused him to lose his memories?'

"I'm sorry Nashiro, I wasn't much help in the end. Doctor Isendo was my only hope and it didn't turn out how I thought it would. I suppose, even modern medicine doesn't have all the answers"

"Who am I?" Nashiro questioned with an emotionless expression but she couldn't see it because of his hair.

"Hm?"

"A better question would be, who was I?"

He cackled to himself, "Is this a life worth living? No family, no friends, no people who know me, who the hell am I, huh?!"

His voice was a mixture of sadness and anger that he needed something to kick and punch.

Katsumi was shaken with his change of tone. But should she be shocked?

'I don't know if I should comfort him or leave him to have his moment. Either way, his current circumstance is tragic, to put it mildly.'

"I would take you back to the base but that's not possible with our captain returning soon. I can't leave you on the street either. I could go and ask an inn to take you in but I'd have to pay a lot for each night spent there."

Katsumi tried to think of a place that would make a comfortable home. He deserves that at least but who would accept a guy like him. He wasn't bad, he just might come off as a weirdo and people don't like their names being linked to that.

"Dammit!"

She stood up after slamming her foot off the floor.

"I-I've got someone that would take him in," Sotomi raised her hand shyly, "Remember when I took your cape to get sewed?"

"Yeah?"

"While I can't guarantee it, the woman that works there is really nice and you should take him there."

'It's the better than finding him a barn to sleep in,'

Katsumi walked over.

"Write me her address and name down."

"Yeah, here"

She quickly wrote it down for her and tore off the piece with that information.

As Katsumi was about to leave, Nashiro stood up and followed her.

"Thank you for this friend," Katsumi expressed her gratitude.

"It's nothing,"

Nashiro raised his hand and uttered a 'bye' weakly and left with her.

"I think I know where this is. Come on," she gestured and started walking but after a few steps, she turned around and he was standing in place.

"Why aren't you coming?"

"Why are you helping me so much? You don't need to do all this for me," he muttered, looking down with his expression hidden.

She went over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Listen, I'm helping you because I care. It's my duty as a clan member to care about the citizens of this nation. I want to be responsible. I know it isn't easy for you to accept this sitaution but trust me, okay?"

She smiled faintly and left out the part that they needed him if he remembers anything, about the massacre. But she did care, he was nice and innocent in a way towards her and others and she thought he was harmless.

"Let's go meet this tailor and determine if they would let you live there."

Filled with doubt, he followed her again. If nothing, he would rather have a roof over his head than die in the cold and if this tailor is as generous as Satomi said to let him, a boy with no memories, to live there.