Virenis 12, 1359AX 12:00 PM Rionhart Province

Frauennier, the province where King Frauennier II, the old king, lived, was one of the first kingdoms before it became a sovereign province of the Sulerian Empire. They say you can still sightsee the ruins of the old kingdom. Yet, what was once the great city of the Frauennier Kingdom still stands today as a normal merchant city.

This is the province where my renowned aunt lived, and I'll be staying there for a while. The province is located far south of the imperial capital, a place I am eager and yet quite anxious to visit. Nevertheless, we are already on our way there, and there's no turning back.

As the ride continued, we traveled through fields and farmlands. I could see farmers harvesting wheat and other crops, along with large windmills with their rotors spinning. Even though we had already covered a great distance from our previous destination, I could still see the mansion from miles away. This is my first time traveling in this world, and with each passing hour, it becomes more interesting.

The landscape is plain, with mountains in the distance. I noticed children running and playing at the side of the road, and I waved at them. They seemed happy to see me and waved back. The sight of children playing indicated that a village must be nearby.

"Lord Garrel, we are about to enter the village," my chauffeur announced from the front.

(As I thought,) I said it in my mind as I predicted it with a slight smirk.

Rionhart Village 12:30 PM

We entered the village and immediately witnessed things I never imagined existed, no matter how small it might seem to the villagers. Among them were people with animal ears and tails, known as beastmen. It was the first time I had seen one in person. I was even more amazed to encounter a beautiful woman with long ears, an elf. Until then, I had only read about them in books at the library, and I believed they were mere fiction, but now I know they are real.

The village is showing signs of growth; in the next few years, it might even evolve into a town. I can already see the walls that will soon surround the village being slowly constructed. Every sight intrigues me: the bustling market stalls, the diverse people, and the infrastructure, which bears a striking resemblance to those back in Europe. However, I wouldn't quite call it a village anymore; it's more like a soon-to-be town.

"Hey, are you sure you can call this a village? It already looks more like a town, don't you think?" I asked the chauffeur.

The chauffeur turned to look at me. "Hm? Oh yeah? Your father really did an incredible job organizing and developing this place, but for some reason, the imperial state hasn't approved its status as a town."

"Wait, so my father owned the village, and why hasn't the empire officially approved it as a town?" I asked, feeling curiosity and fascination flood my mind.

"Didn't you know?! Aren't you supposed to be his son? Well, in that case, this is a Ferian province, which means that this village doesn't hold much interest for the empire. It used to be part of a Ferian kingdom, not a Cecillian one. Even though we've been part of the empire for decades, they won't grant this village a prominent title and make it a town due to a lack of imperial requirements. Darn Cecillian pigs."

"Ferian and Cecillian? What's that?" I asked, feeling confused about the two terms.

The chauffeur scratched his head and said, "Oh well, since you're still a kid, I can't blame you. Well, I may not be into politics, but what I do know is that before the war happened, the empire was once split into many kingdoms and principalities, each inhabited by two distinct human races: the Ferians and the Cecillians. As a result of the war, all the kingdoms reunited and formed one big empire that we know today. However, the Cecillians assumed control due to their source of nobility, granting every Cecillian the right to be rich and hold a title. Meanwhile, we Ferians ended up as the unfortunate ones, relegated to the status of commoners and limited in our opportunities compared to the Cecillians. They viewed us as barbarians, despite our forefathers being brave warriors and leaders who blessed the lands with unity and honor."

"That's unfortunate, I guess," I said, saddened by the realities of politics in this world. Silence prevailed as we exited the gate, only to be interrupted when the chauffeur suddenly realized and adjusted his tone, saying, "Please forgive me, Lord Garrel, for my sudden outburst towards the Cecillians."

"No, it's alright, I understand." The chaffeur said with a smile of gratitude, "Thank you, Lord Garrel."

We continued on our way to the province, first via the countryside and then through a dense forest. I can see castles and outposts in the mountains in the distance, and we've already passed two of them, but they don't leave a favorable impression. This woodland gives me a gut-wrenching feeling, akin to Ardeness.

"Tsk, dammit," I muttered with a feeling of discomfort.

Back when I was fighting in Europe, this world was disturbingly similar, with its European accent in structure and atmosphere. It still has its Middle Age counterparts, at least for the most part, compared to what it was like back then, but that doesn't remove the fact that it's alarmingly close.

I looked down at the side of the window, watching each tree pass by until I saw something that still haunts me to this day. GIs (also known as US soldiers) were walking down the path, with one of them holding an MG. I rubbed my eyes, as if my trauma was getting out of hand, and then eventually saw more American GIs marching along the cold path. The atmosphere changed to the same cold temperature as it was back in the Ardennes.

The ride seemed to slow down as I watched each of them move at their own pace. It was then that I noticed myself eating a cold bar of chocolate that needed to be scraped with my knife. I vividly remembered how terrible it was when I used to travel thousands of miles away from home, encountering unimaginable things.

Further along the path, there was an ambush. Soldiers were being mowed down at the side by enemy MG and rifle fire, seeing them scream in pain with one of their legs blown off until being silenced by the open fire. I turned back to myself, seeing me commanding a tactical evasive maneuver to counter the enemy ambush while others opened fire at the enemy.

"Take out that MG! Kill those cocksuckers!" my old self yelled commands to the machine gunner. "Got it, Sir!" the soldier with the MG went into the prone position with his assistant at his side, preparing the MG to fire down at the ambush.

"Give em hell!"

A hail of bullets was fired at the advancing enemy troops while supporting one-third of the squad as they began their flank towards the enemy MG nest. The flanking GIs pulled out a pin and tossed the grenade into the nest, hearing the Germans yell "Granate!" and causing an explosion that brought the MG to a halt. They charged forward and mowed them down with Thompsons, ensuring they were dead. The ambushing Germans fled, while some unfortunate ones surrendered but were also gunned down due to the squad's determination to avenge the fallen men in front of them—this is what we did.

Even though we managed to halt the ambush, I can't shake off the overwhelming guilt of not being able to save those men at the front. As we moved on, I couldn't help but notice their lifeless bodies lying on the ground, overlooked by our troops, who unknowingly stepped over them and, in some cases, pulled their dog tags out. The sight filled me with both guilt and dread as I gazed out at the war-torn scene before me.

As I was lost in these emotions, I suddenly noticed someone bashing a door nearby. To my astonishment, it was one of the fallen soldiers from the ambush, and his blood was oozing through the bullet hole in his head. The sight was horrifying, and fear and guilt engulfed me completely. I instinctively pulled back, unable to cope with the gruesome reality before my eyes.

"Fucker! Why didn't you save us? I could have been with my family if it weren't for you!" shouted the deceased soldier from outside the window.

I covered my ears at the corner and couldn't say anything due to the shock, hearing the dying man's voice slowly mumbling as I lost my mind to the point where I was hearing my heartbeat.

"Lord Garrel? Lord Garrel!" A faint voice pierced my mind, growing louder with each call.

The chauffeur finally jolted me awake, calling out my name and bringing me back to reality. Even though it had been just a nightmare, I found myself sweating profusely and monitoring my heartbeat to gauge the level of tension.

"Are you alright, Lord Garrel?" the chauffeur asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," I replied, trying to shake off the lingering unease. "I simply feel sick from these long travels. Anyway, what did you need me for?"

"Lord Garrel, we have now entered the Frauennier Province."

My eyes widened at the realization that we had now entered the province, leaving me to wonder how long I had been asleep. I looked out the window and was amazed to see a meticulously structured medieval city in the distance, encircled by cobblestone walls, as if it had sprung to life from a historian's dream come true.

"So, this is Fraunnier's great city that's being told about in the tales... I didn't expect it to be such a populated city!" I exclaimed in amazement.

"I know, right? It's a major trading hub for merchants and businesses. Unlike the port city of Nyssa, it only contributes one-third of the empire's economy compared to other cities in the empire," the chauffeur explained in an amiable tone.

As we crossed Fraunnier's countryside, about two miles away from the city, seeing it from a distance still amazed me. The city's structure was evident, but the walls looked either unfinished or probably damaged, yet they still stood tall enough to fend off any attackers.

"I don't know the right word for this, but are the walls always like that?" I asked the chauffeur.

"Hm? The reason why the walls seem to be in that state is that 30 years ago, after the great war, they were raided and burned to the ground by rebels following an unrest caused by the unification of the empire. To quell the unrest, they installed a puppet Lord from Ferian under the city," the chauffeur answered.

"Why haven't they repaired it after all these decades?"

"The Ferrian Lord doesn't have the budget without the consent of the Imperial state. There might be a proposal to restore the walls, but instead, they improved the city's interior structure since there's no point in restoring the defenses when there's no war going on inside the empire, especially since it's near the capital."

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"Well, that's a good point."

Until a grim voice came from the chauffeur, "But the only thing that this province is genuinely concerned about is—" He paused, gulped, and sweat slightly down his collar, then continued, "Bandits still roam this land in packs."

"I see..." Upon arriving in this new world, I quickly realized that it still struggles with inhumane anarchy and lawlessness, unlike Earth. Back in the mansion, I remember reading that in war, there are no rules, only actual slaughter. With little order here, I couldn't help but wonder how much ignorance and criminality still prevail. The question arose in my mind, and though it may have seemed unnecessary, I asked the chauffeur out of curiosity.

"Hey, this might not directly involve you in politics, but why not allow the empire to come in and resolve that problem?"

"You're right, but the imperials are as arrogant as usual when it comes to the Ferian provinces. As I mentioned before, they solely focus on the Cecillian provinces. There are even rumors that they pay the bandits to terrorize and sabotage these Ferian provinces, in order to ruin the Ferian reputation."

As my thoughts turned to how unfair this imperial government is, even towards its own people, I looked out the window at the countryside scenery. Famus' words echoed in my mind: "The world is beautiful when you know what you're doing." I let out a sigh, feeling disappointed by the corrupt nature of this world. To distract myself from this disappointment, I focused on admiring the picturesque countryside. However, my contemplation was interrupted as the carriage suddenly came to a halt, pulling me forward.

A couple of men emerged from both the front and rear of the carriage. Some were clad in hooded robes, while others wore leather armor. Confused by this encounter, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that our previous conversation might not have been a mere coincidence.

"An ambush?" I muttered. "Lord Garrel! Stay Inside!"

Looking out the front window, more men popped up from the bushes, wielding knives and machetes. They began laughing with mockery as they slowly moved forward toward us. "B-bandits," hearing the chauffeur's murmuring voice of fear

"A lone sheep, ay? Kill the driver! Let's grab whatever's inside!"

The chauffeur began sweating in fear as his mind went blank, thinking that his life would end there. Slowly, the bandits approached until, summoning some courage, I casually opened the door. The chauffeur couldn't believe his eyes, and the bandits were bewildered. Stepping out of the carriage, I walked toward them, shocking the chauffeur, who whispered my name as he clenched the ropes. The bandits stared at me, unsettled, as I maintained a safe distance.

"Who is this brat?" one of the bandits said from the back. "Who cares? Let's keep moving!" The one at the front, apparently the alpha of the pack, commanded them to proceed. Disappointed with the situation, I interrupted, "Hold on for a second, ladies." To my surprise, they also stopped, looking confused and intimidated. "Good, it seems you all listened well. Now, it may be unusual, but I have a negotiation to make with you bandits." I said to them.

They became even more confused as to why I wanted to negotiate with them, feeling like they might be walking into an ambush. However, with my maturity and experience, I knew it was the right time to test this world out. "Hey you over there," I pointed at the alpha in the middle and continued, "you must be the one who leads this whole damn shithole."

They were all taken aback by the unexpected guts of a little boy. As someone with a soul and mind, I had experienced more than this kind of engagement. Speaking in an intimidating but confident tone, I glanced to the side and said, "How about we make a little deal since your hold-up is completely—" I paused and shifted to a bitter tone, shocking all of them, including the chauffeur, as I turned to death stare at the bandit leader, "wasting my fucking time."

The burly, brown-haired man, the leader of the gang of bandits, chuckled and decided to step forward. Twirling his goatee beard, he smiled in an interested but somewhat challenged voice, "Kek, Let me take on this one. I'll shut him up real good." He pulled out a knife from his back pocket and approached me, trying to intimidate me.

"Now tell me, kid. Whatever you want to say, say it before it's your last."

"You know that your knife won't scare me into submission." A slight silence filled the air until I continued, "Anyway, to prevent this from escalating, how about I make a fair deal for all of you before anything goes down my path?"

Before I could finish, he exclaimed, "Don't give me that shit, you cocksure brat!" He lunged at me with the knife, but I relied on instinct. He seemed slower compared to my training with Famus, making it easy for me to maneuver. Dodging the knife, his right rib cage was exposed, and I took the opportunity to strike, punching his liver, causing him to groan in pain and drop his weapon. With another kick to his leg, he fell to the ground, and a final punch to his chest sent him into a slight cardiac arrest, knocking him out.

"Captain!" they screamed in horror at their leader's defeat.

"What? Deal or this?" I calmly said with a smirk, pointing down at the unconscious bandit on the ground. "You bastard! Kill them!" they yelled, charging at us with their knives, clearly uninterested in my offer.

Sighing again, I muttered to myself in a serious tone, "I guess I'll have to put all of you to sleep." I prepared to use my arc spell to incapacitate them without causing harm, as I had promised not to murder anyone even if threatened. There will always be a safer option than ending a life.

As I chanted, the ground began to shake. It wasn't due to my incantation, though; it came from afar down the road. The bandits halted, sensing something wrong, even the leader who had regained consciousness. Though I initially thought it was an earthquake, I noticed dust spewing into the air in the distance.

My eyes widened, unable to believe what I saw. "Could it be what I'm thinking it is?" I said to myself.

Men clad in shining armor, people galloped on horseback in sheer numbers, breaking through the wind. Intense fear overcame the bandits as they realized they were outnumbered and outweaponed. They retreated back to the woods, shouting, "Run! It's the knight's cavalry!" Relief washed over me as rescuers arrived just in time, as my composure was about to collapse.

(At least I didn't make my hands dirty today; otherwise, they would have been too.)

I opened my eyes again after a deep exhale and saw a group of approaching cavalry that had made the bandits cowardly run away to express their gratitude. However, the entire cavalry, which had previously appeared so real, vanished into thin air, as if I had consumed some stimulants like amphetamines.

"What the heck just happened?" I muttered, feeling confused.

An endearing voice with an enthusiastic tone echoed behind me, calling out, "Hey! Over here!" I shifted my position, surprised that someone had been so stealthy that I couldn't sense their presence. It was an attractive blond girl sitting on top of the carriage, smiling appealingly with her knuckles resting on her cheeks. She stood up and leaped over me with impressive acrobatic skill, landing gracefully in front of me. I managed to maintain my composure, though I remained cautious about this mysterious woman, wondering if she might be another bandit who had been involved in third-party work without my knowledge. Nevertheless, she appeared to be an ordinary girl.

"Are you okay? Did that bandit hurt you?" she asked, her tone filled with concern as she looked me over, hands clasped behind her back. "No, I'm alright," I replied calmly, easing her worries. She leaned back, relieved, and shifted back to her joyful voice, saying, "Phew! I'm glad you're safe. If I hadn't come here in time, you'd have become lifeless by now."

"I know." I paused, still confused about what had happened to the cavalry that had disappeared. I couldn't comprehend the situation, especially since a girl had just appeared out of nowhere. Her statement, 'If I hadn't come here in time, you'd have become lifeless by now,' only added to my confusion. "Anyway, did you see what happened back there?" I continued, giving the girl a questioning look, and added, "The cavalry—they just vanished out of thin air."

She turned around and realized what had happened. "Ah! I cast an illusion arc spell to fool those bandits into thinking they were facing Ferian cavalry. Pretty impressive, right?! It put those bandits in their place and kept the peace!" As she spoke, I turned my head back to the forest, half-expecting the bandits to return. It brought back a slight flashback. Turning to her, I said with a serious tone, "We should get out of here; they might come back any moment once they realize what happened." She agreed, impressed by my alertness.

"Chauffeur, get us out of here. They might come back any moment now—" My words were cut short when I saw the chauffeur passed out and looking pale. The events had likely caused him an insane shock and pressure.

Luckily, the mysterious girl knew how to drive the carriage. She sat in the driver's seat, and I sat beside her to get some fresh air and also to learn more about the girl who had just saved me. Joyfully humming, she rode toward the city with her legs swinging back and forth. I turned my eyes towards her, clapsed my hands together and resting my chin on top of them, intrigued to know more about her.

"Thank you for saving me back there, but can I ask—" I paused for a moment as I got her attention and continued, "Who are you?"

Her cheerful expression turned to embarrassment as she realized she had forgotten to introduce herself. "I'm sorry! I was distracted by all the commotion back there! My name is Natalia; you can call me Talia for short." As she smiled and chuckled in front of me, it reminded me of my caregiver back in the nursing home. It felt like a deja vu, as if a similar event had happened between the two of us. Nevertheless, I didn't mind too much because I was already immersed in another world.

"How about you?" she asked, and I debated whether I should reveal my entire identity. However, I decided to keep it to the bare minimum, as if I'd never see her again. Besides, I don't fully trust her, despite how she saved me back there. There's a chance she's just another bandit attempting to steal the bait. "Garrel, just Garrel."

Natalia's face lit up. "Ah, nice to meet you, Garrel! By the way, are you new in Frauennier? What are your intentions here? Business?" A barrage of questions all at once as she interviewed me. I simply said, "I'm meeting someone, that's all."

"I see, there's a lot you could do in the city! You should try out their crusted bread; it's very tasty for newcomers!" she said, giving me a look around the city as if she were a tourist guide. "Yeah, sure, I'll try some when I have some free time. But for now, meeting someone is of the essence."

She was surprised by the determination on my face and praised it, saying, "Oh, that person you'll be meeting must be very important! I wonder who this person would be?"

"That's what I'm wondering as well," I said, catching her curiosity about my determination. "I see. Well, as the big sister I am, I'm always here to help!" she exclaimed, moving to the front of the horses. She lifted her hands and made an arc spell on the horses, with an optimistic grin.

"Zephyr! Air Lift!" she yelled, a glint of light appearing on her hands as if she had given them to the horses. I was taken aback after the magic was cast, feeling like we had traveled at vehicle speed. I turned to gaze at her, as she was having the time of her life with her gleaming blonde hair waving back. Her arc magic must have improved the horses' aerodynamics, allowing us to reach the city in just minutes.

"Zephyr! Air Lift!" she yelled, a glint of light appearing on her hands as if she had given them to the horses. I was taken aback after the magic was cast, as if we had traveled at vehicle speed. I turned to gaze at her, who was having the time of her life with her gleaming blonde hair waving back. Her arc magic must have improved the horses' aerodynamics, allowing us to reach the city in just minutes.

City of Frauennier 4:30 PM

We finally entered the city walls, amazed by the impressive medieval structures and buildings. People of various races roamed the streets, and we parked in an empty alleyway. I thought my suspicions were true, but I dismissed that matter as we both parted ways. Natalia has a curfew that she needs to follow when the sun is going down. She stepped off the carriage and waved at me, bidding goodbye, "I think I have to go now, Garrel. I hope you'll meet that person you've been waiting for. Anyways, it was fun today."

"Yeah, it was, but I haven't expressed my gratitude enough to you for saving us back there. How much could I repay you?" I asked her with gratitude, giving a bow. She humbly declined while feeling embarrassed, "No, no! Keep it! Saving someone in need is already a sign of gratitude, so there's no need to repay me anything as long as you're safe." I felt a touch of emotion that I hadn't experienced in ages, which left me speechless. She turned her back on me, facing the sun setting in a small alleyway with her hands clasped behind her back, casting a shadow over me, and somehow it reminded me of a burning memory inside my mind.

"Wait!" I called out to her. She stopped walking, and I carefully considered the words in my mind before expressing them through my mouth. "Thank you," I said once more. She turned to me, her beautifully waved hair giving me a strange yet pleasant feeling. "No problem! I would do anything to help!" she replied. Then, she turned back again and added, "Anyways, I'll have to go now; let fate bring us to cross paths again!"

Her words bring warmth as she leaves the alleyway, somehow mending the slight scars in my heart. The Chauffeur woke up with a scream from a nightmare, yelling about my security. However, upon realizing we are already in the city, he thought that what happened earlier was just a nightmare after long hours of travel. He looked at me through the window, wondering why I was gazing blankly at the sunset through an alleyway, as if zoning out from reality, which puzzled the chauffeur. The only thing on my mind was that strange girl.

(I may have just met you, but In this new world, you may be just a burning memory)