I pondered my options. When one was lost, it was safer not to go too far and wait for someone to find you, but in my case, my parents were in another world altogether! They might submit a lost child report to the police, but it was unlikely the police, or anybody, really, would be able to find me here. My Isekai fantasies were evaporating fast. With no food or water, I wouldn't be able to survive alone for more than three days, and that was if I didn't encounter another monster.

Perhaps I should at least look for a water source? There was that large lake I remembered seeing from the second floor window of the old mansion. There should be streams leading to that lake, so perhaps I could listen for the sound of water. I pricked up my ears to listen to the sounds around me. There were high-pitched chirps of songbirds, and the rustling of leaves in the slight breeze and some buzzing sounds from some kind of insects. Maybe the flow of water was too slow to make a sound? Or the streams were too small? Or the lake could even be fed by underground springs.

My shoulders slumped, but then I wondered if I could find some fruits to eat. That could satisfy both my thirst and hunger, not that I was feeling either at the moment. It was one thing to forage in the tropical forest where I was familiar with the edible fruit such as bananas, papayas and mangoes, but what kind of fruits would a deciduous forest have? Apples, maybe? Or cherries? Maybe there were some edible berries around. I only hoped they would at least be recognisable and not overly fantastical in this world.

Still, as I walked towards what I hoped was either the lake or the mansion, I found the forest surprisingly quiet. It was probably fortunate for me that there weren't any dangerous large animals around though.

I spied what looked like a clearing ahead and my spirits lifted. Was it the lake? Or the mansion? Or...just an ordinary forest clearing with a monument in the centre. Right. Not helpful to my current circumstances. No, wait, maybe it could be some kind of signpost? I went up to the stone monument to take a closer look. It was shaped roughly like an obelisk, but more like someone just picked up a random boulder and slammed it onto the ground over there. Hmm. I could make out some kind of runic lettering like those in the mansion though. It would be really nice to get a cheat language skill right about now. C'mon Isekai, do your thing!

Nothing happened when I touched the rock either. So it was really just a monument then? Tch. Got my hopes up for nothing. I walked around the rock again, examining it from every angle. Aha! I spotted what looked like a handle of a weapon sticking out from under the rock. It was half hidden by the ferns and moss growing in the shade of the rock, but a glint of metal caught my eye. It still didn't help my situation but I was curious about why a weapon would be stuck under a rock, so I decided to pull it out. ...However, it wouldn't budge an inch, which was only obvious, considering the weight of the huge rock on top of it.

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Maybe if I used something as a lever... My gaze fell on the sword already in my hand, but I hesitated. Would it break or bend if I used it to shift such a heavy boulder? It would be a shame to damage such a sharp sword, and it was currently my only defence against monsters. I glanced around to search for any fallen branches that could be used as a lever instead. There were some twigs, but no large branches.

Another flash of inspiration came to my mind and I used the sword to cut down a low branch from a tree. Once again, I barely felt any resistance from the wood. Just how sharp was this sword? Putting that thought aside, I laid the sword down carefully and dragged the branch over to the rock, then forcefully shoved it below the rock where the weapon's grip was.

Success! The rock seemed to move a bit! Letting go of the branch, I then gripped the weapon and pulled as hard as I could.

I felt the weapon start to move, then it came loose all of a sudden, and I fell on my backside with another sword in my hands. This one was a single-edged, slightly curved sabre compared to the straight, double-edged blade of the first sword. Its design was also much fancier, with vine patterns engraved into the pommel and knuckle-bow. The grip was a bright red with gold stripes. What was such a pretty sword doing under that boulder? Could it be some kind of enchanted sword that only a chosen one could find? My excitement rose as I examined it closely, completely forgetting my current predicament.

The first sword had a super sharp edge, so what about this one? I swung it at a nearby branch and it cut through...almost. Pulling the sabre away, I saw that a thin strip of bark was still connecting the branch to the tree. Huh. Maybe it was just due to my poor technique. This sword was much lighter than the first one so maybe my swing had gone off target. I stood up straight, held the sabre properly and made sure I aimed at the branch as I made another cut. This time, I was sure the branch would be cut through, and I felt it fall, but when I looked more closely, the result was the same--a strip of bark was connecting the branch to the tree.

"What a strange sword," I couldn't help commenting out loud.

"You're one to talk. Sure took your time getting me out from under that rock," came an irritated male voice.

I stared at the sabre in my hand. Did it...just speak?