Chapter 11 Stormrider Ryuuji Accepting the new world

When I open my eyes, a sky as blue as I had never seen before stretches, obstructed only by a few white clouds like cotton. Only in photos and illustrations have I seen such a sky ... no, it is actually a sky that I saw countless times, but I never imagined seeing it come true, the air I breathe ... so fresh, so ... pure. It's a strange and pleasant feeling.

As a boy who has always lived in the city, even if they told me, I never really understood, this is fresh air, a clean sky. I could spend hours here ... Maybe I already did, I don't know how much time I slept, or how I got here, the last thing I remember ... TLO, I advanced to the final class, and darkness ... I would be quite nervous if this landscape was not so relaxing, this grass on which I rest, so soft .. But I must stand up.

Without realizing how it happened, I was suddenly observing that vast sky and those green lands more vertiginously. Somehow I was flying, my body was rotating in the air as I moved at high speed. So fast and so far that I ended up over a group of trees that I saw in the distance just a moment ago. Then I went down. My body crashed with the trees, yet I felt no pain, maybe from the shock, which caused me to faint.

When I open my eyes once again, I meet an unknown sight, a wooden ceiling supported by walls of the same material, so rustic. It's another new experience for me, being in a cabin.

Seeing to my right, two men wearing thick clothes covered with leather on arms and legs and a chainmail from the waist up are looking at me. Yikes, that looks a lot like the adventure games. It is my first time seeing that clothing in real life. Although there are some in cosplay events, I never attended one. Now that I think about it, I think I felt a voice and a jolt just now, I think they were trying to wake me up.

"Mm. Excuse me, where am I? And who are you?"

Silence. I don't think it's something so difficult to answer ... was I kidnapped? ... No. Rescued is more likely. After all, I find myself in a more or less comfortable bed. I assume they found me after I passed out and brought me here. Before asking questions I think I should thank them for their kindness.

"Thank you for helping me when I passed out. I'm lost. I'm glad I was found by other people, it's a relief".

I tried to show my gratitude in my gestures, but it seems they aren't used to my posture. They seem worried. The man who woke me up (or so I think since I still had his hand on my shoulder) suddenly releases me and shows his hands.

"******".

... What?

Well, I thought about it because of their appearance and clothing, but they seem to be foreigners, I can't understand what they say. But that gesture ... he is trying to calm me down I think. Did I look so agitated?

"Don't worry, I don't suspect you or anything like that".

"********".

"Yes ... I understood absolutely nothing".

The other man looks a little more stocky, with the most masculine chin I has seen in person in which he has a small scar. With short brown hair which demands to be combed, although I personally think fits him. I don't know, I'm not good at fashion even less if foreign. What I can say is that he seems to be calmer and cold-minded, at one point he said something to the other man - younger by the way - and he quickly leaves the cabin.

After the younger man leaves, the chin man takes a chair and sits in front of me, looking at me carefully ... Now it makes me nervous.

"******".

Eh? He just wants to shake my hand. Well, I think gestures are more appropriate to communicate if we don't speak the same language.

Naturally I shake his hand. After a moment of silence, he looks somewhat surprised. Don't be surprised chin man. I could understand your intentions! You are a good guy!

Later the young man - whom I will call "runner" for now because he is running from one place to another - is accompanied by a man who tries to talk to me. Naturally I don't understand anything he says, so the Mr. uses different words, I have the feeling he is a language teacher or something.

Chin man and Young runner don't give up, and they take me to town, where several different people who talk funny try talking to me. Nothing anyone says makes sense to me, so young runner, somewhat tired, is disappointed. As expected, Chin man is not easily discouraged.

The last of the gentlemen who are introduced to me has a somewhat different presence from the previous ones. I don't know how I realized it, but I feel it. He looks kind and puts his hand on my shoulder while saying something. I don't understand him, but it comforts me. I don't like to admit it, since the chin man is still not discouraged, but I begin to feel uneasy with all this.

The gentleman, whom I will now call old Albert because of his hair that reminds me of a famous physicist of the twentieth century. Guides us to a small cabin next to a house a little bigger than the ones I've seen around. He invites me to pass. If I understand correctly, he are offering me to stay at his guest house.

Chin man and Young runner say goodbye. Before leaving, Chin man looks at me for a moment and while I wonder what is he thinking, he presents me with an amazing sword, with an equally striking sheath. After a moment of marveling, he seems to offer it to me.

"N- I can't accept it, it seems very expensive, and I don't know if it's a good idea to give a stranger a weapon ... And ..."

Now that I think about it. Chin man and Young runner wear swords and armor, as well as some others I've seen around town. It seems to be common to carry a weapon. Could it be that there are many wild animals around? But in that case, a rifle or shotgun would be better ...

Chin man is still waiting. I think he wants me to have the sword ... Very well, I accept the responsibility!

Woaaaah... It's an incredible sword, just seeing it I feel like it can cut the very air... No, it certainly can, my breath doesn't tarnish it in the slightest ... Eh?

While I marveled alone looking at the sword, I saw it. Brown hair with a bandana and over his blue clothes a piece of armor, with a young European face and a confused look. That was my appearance reflected in the sword .... No No No, I'm supposed to be Japanese, a common Japanese boy, with black hair and eyes, something squalid as well.

The surprise of my appearance was overshadowed by what followed. After focusing my attention on myself, it suddenly appeared, it was not exactly in front of me, but it felt as if I was seeing it at the same time I was not. It was a stats window, similar to those of a game with which I am very well acquainted ... although it has a couple of parameters that I don't know ... Is that it, isn't it? a status window.

NAME: STORMRIDER RYUUJI RACE: HUMAN 1 JOB: SWORD HERO RANK: GERON LEVEL: 1 VP: 380/380 RESISTANCE: 212 DEFENSE: 241 MP: 105/108 KNOWLEDGE: 76 INTELLECT: 83 ENERGY: 215/220 STRENGTH: 352 MIND: 93 AGILITY: 143 TALENT: 1 SPIRIT: 92 ITEMS▼ EQUIPMENT▼ SKILLS▼ TITLES▼ MONEY: 9856123G

TITLES▼

>

Mmm > is that so? It seems to be my profession of GERON rank, but it's strange, if I increased my rank my stats should have increased. Considering that it's the final rank they should have increased a lot, instead I lost about 100 points in several, well, strength seems more or less as I remember it.

Well, now isn't the time to worry about things I have no idea, ignore it, ignore it ... I can't. Although I can turn a blind eye to the issue of status, I can't ignore my current appearance ... I think I look more handsome now. Should I feel cheerful or depressed?

◆◇◆◇

The days passed without major changes. In the mornings when I wake up I see Chin man and I accompany him on his way to the entrance of the town. The first time I did it, I came across a child who was watching me while shaking a wooden sword. Impulsively I pulled out my sword and exhibited it in front of the boy. His eyes shone brightly and he began to follow me.

From time to time we played pretending that we fought - naturally keeping my sword in its sheath and without exerting force - and that's how we became friends. It is the only thing that distracts me from the restlessness generated by not being able to communicate with others.

Maybe he realized my restlessness, on one of those walks Chin man sat in a chair and told me to do the same. Face to face, Chin man pointed at me and said "Stormrider Ryuuji" .... Eh?

While my mind geared the situation, he pointed to himself saying "Rad".

Is that? Is that scene where those who cannot speak the same language present their name? How did he knew my name? Well, actually the Stormrider part is just the name of my TLO character.

While I was thinking about what was happening, Rad-san repeated his actions, pointed at me and then at him, saying our names. It was then that I had to intervene. I pointed to him first and then to me.

"Rad-san. Ryuuji" My name is Ryuuji. Don't include Stormrider!

After that, Rad-san repeated his actions, "Ryuuji. Rad".

Ah, that's it, he corrected me because I added the "-san" I see. Foreigners generally don't use honorifics, I will have to get used to that. However, that's not important.

I SUCCESSFULLY COMMUNICATED! Even if they were just our names.

Later that day I tried to do the same with the boy with the wooden sword, who is apparently the son of the village bakers. Honestly it took a few attempts, since in this case I didn't know his name, so what I tried to say wasn't so obvious, but in the end I succeeded. The boy's name is Albert ... so Albert turned out to be you and not the senior of the funny hairstyle. Now I will have to think of another name, or just call them old Albert and little Albert.

Although a couple of days passed I couldn't think of another name, so I will call him old Albert.

While I was playing with little Albert I kept thinking about that, but then we saw Rad-san talk agitatedly with old Albert. The young runner was with him.

Then for some reason, little Albert started walking towards them, so I followed him. Little Albert does speak their language, so he understood what they were saying. It seems that something bad is happening. Rad-san leans down and places his hand on the head of little Albert and with kind eyes he says something ... It gives me a bad feeling.

Is that right? An adult who understands how complicated things are and tries to comfort a child, who wouldn't gain anything worrying.

Shortly after the young runner, Rad-san and two more of his men guided me out of town, right after little Albert and old Albert greeted me. I'm not sure, but it seems as if we were escaping something and they were my escorts ... Isn't that? ...

While dark thoughts sprouted in my head, we heard it ... A scream.

If you paid attention, you would realize that it was not one, but many shouts, that were heard at once. When I turned in the direction of the town, a large army of men in armor marched through the streets. They took people from their homes and dragged them by force. The village men with armor were impaled by spears, cut by swords and beheaded by axes. An aberrant sensation was what I felt every time I swallowed while watching.

I don't even know how, but I saw clearly despite the distance, I could see everything, including the horrified faces of people.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Without realizing it, a cry full of pain drowned me, and my feet slowly moved in the direction of the town. One of the guards who accompanied us tried to stop me. He took me by the arm, but I shook him, putting my hand on his chest I pushed him. It was very easy to get free.

My footsteps began to gain speed, but then Rad-san stood in front of me ... Even if it's you ... I won't let you stop me!

I extended my arm to push him out of my way. At that time it happened. Although it was only an instant, I felt as if everything was happening in slow motion. Just as when I first woke up in this world my vision became vertiginous, and the world turned upside down in front of me. Rad-san had just thrown me, as a Judo fighter would.

...

The clues were there. The state window, my appearance, that sword and clothes, the townspeople walking around in medieval clothes and carrying weapons, the strange language in which they all spoke. I didn't want to believe it, I couldn't accept it, I refused to do it, but the truth was there. This is a different world, one similar to TLO.

While my world was upside down, my eyes showed me this truth, in a way that made it impossible for me to continue denying it. My eyes showed me the escort, the one who tried to stop me, the one I threw with the intention of taking him off me, embedded in a tree, whose trunk was severely damaged by impact. The man was writhing in pain, while the young runner and the other escort tried to free him from the trunk without hurting him.

That's what happens when you throw someone with a strength that exceeds 300 points.

While that thought was etched in my head, and my vision returned to normal speed, I realized that I had committed a terrible sin. This is a world like TLO, a cruel world, where dangers and death lurk in every corner.

I wanted to pounce on the army that attacked the town. Then what? I would simply die, impaled by a spear, cut by a sword, beheaded by an axe, I could even be pierced by a lost arrow. That man tried to stop me... To protect me and I hurt him.

These feelings flooded me as time flowed back to normal around me and my body approached the ground. Then, once again, everything turned dark.