As consciousness gradually returned, I felt a chilling sensation graze my forehead, accompanied by dampness. Blinking away the haze, I found myself within the confines of a quaint cottage. Through blurred vision, I discerned a figure seated beside me.
"Who's there?" I muttered to myself.
Once more, the cold touch graced my brow. Voices floated to my ears.
"Ellisa! He's finally awake." a man's voice said.
"Yes, father. I'll be right there," a woman responded.
Struggling to orient myself, I lay still, drained from the ordeal with the monstrous creature.
"Can you hear me, son? You're safe now," the man assured me.
Weakly, I questioned my surroundings, "Where am I?"
"In my home," he replied gently, assisting me to sit up and propping me with a pillow.
Gradually, clarity returned, revealing the man to be an elder with a long white beard and bald head, likely to be an Ender Human. In his hand, he held a damp towel—the source of the recent chill on my forehead. Surveying my bandaged body, I noted a marked improvement from my injuries. Perhaps my self-healing spell had taken effect.
Politely refusing his offer to wipe my brow again, I took the towel and tended to myself. "It's okay, I can do it myself, Sir."
Though most wounds had closed, my muscles still throbbed incessantly. The old man rose, indicating the door.
"Boy, rest as much as you need. Consider this room your own," he urged kindly.
Grateful for his assistance, I turned towards him. "Thank you for saving me. I owe you a debt of gratitude," I expressed, nodding in appreciation.
"Saving you? Hahaha! Credit goes to my daughter, Ellisa. She found you in the forest before a wild Harpy could make a meal of you!" he chuckled, recounting the events.
He gestured towards the door. "Speaking of Ellisa, here she comes."
A timid-looking young lady entered the room carrying a tray. "Sorry for the delay with the food!" she apologized softly, setting the tray beside me. With her all-white ponytailed hair and slight frame, she exuded a gentle demeanor.
"You can thank your hero now that she's here, hahaha!" the old man teased, prompting a playful retort from Ellisa.
"Geez, dad! Stop talking nonsense to him!" She replied to her dad as she pouted.
As he left the room, I marveled at his cheerful nature, noting the stark contrast to his daughter's appearance. I couldn't help but wonder about their relationship.
"You should eat your food and get lots of rest!" Ellisa encouraged softly.
Taking the tray onto my lap, I realized how famished I was as I beheld the delicious-looking food she had prepared. Without hesitation, I dug in, savoring each bite.
The flavors surpassed any I had tasted before, even from my previous world.
Observing her quietly, I chided myself for neglecting to express my gratitude properly. Finishing the last morsel, I began to thank her, "Oof. How rude for not thanking her for the hospitality," I said to myself.
"Thank you for the food and for saving me-" as I was about to finish my words, she interjected eagerly.
"YOU WERE SO COOL BACK THEN! Nobody was brave enough to fight with Trelmir, let alone fighting it all by themselves without a team!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, recounting the events in the woods.
She animatedly continued her tale, recounting the battle with vivid gestures. "You were like, 'Cha! Cha!' and Trelmir was roaring, and then you shouted, 'Just die already!' and bam! Trelmir was DEAD!"
I couldn't deny it anymore; she was unmistakably her father's daughter. So, the Minotaur I had faced was named Trelmir.
"Ah, sorry if I got carried away," she apologized, her demeanor shifting back to its previous timid state.
"No, it's fine," I reassured her.
Unsure if I should reveal my true origins, I opted for a simple explanation. "Oh, I was gathering mushrooms," I fabricated.
"Mushrooms, huh? That makes sense. There are rumors about rare magical mushrooms in those woods," she mused, rubbing her chin.
It seemed she remained oblivious to my true nature as a Sinner. I decided to maintain the facade until I knew where I stood with these people.
Changing the subject, she introduced herself. "Oh, I'm Ellisa. And that smelly old man? That's my dad, Han."
"I heard that!" Han's voice chimed in from outside.
She shot a playful retort toward the door, "Good! Because you really could use a shower, dad!"
Chuckling softly, I thought to myself, "What a lively family."
Now that I realized, Ruina seems to set in a medieval time. Well more of a fantasy of course, with the use of magic and all. Taking the opportunity, I introduced myself. "I'm Kiseki. An adventurer."
She smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you, Kiseki."
Grateful for their hospitality, I settled into life under their roof. They provided food and clothing, insisting I focus on resting until fully healed. Despite my attempts to help around the house, they adamantly refused, emphasizing the importance of my recovery.
After about a week had passed, my wounds had finally healed completely, leaving no scars behind. The pain in my joints and head had subsided, and I decided it was time to remove the bandages.
Midday approached, and I resolved to accompany Ellisa to the nearest city from her home. If I intended to start anew here, understanding the local currency was essential. Fortunately, language posed no barrier, as I effortlessly comprehended the speech around me—seemingly the same language spoken on Earth.
"Ellisa! Are you ready?" I called out from outside the house.
"Just a moment!" she replied.
Han's residence sat amidst fields somewhere in the Ender Human's continent, with sparse neighboring houses scattered fifty meters apart.
I planned to procure a map upon reaching the town. Ellisa emerged, adorned in a light pink dress with a straw bag slung over her shoulder.
"Sorry for taking too long!" she said as she joined me.
"Let's go, Ellisa. Your father expects us back before sunset," I reminded her.
We set off down the dirt road toward the town. Ellisa's cheerful demeanor piqued my curiosity.
"That's a big smile on your face. What's up?" I asked.
"Hehe, I'm just excited because I've finally saved enough coins to buy the necklace I've had my eye on," she exclaimed, bouncing with joy.
"It's fascinating how something as simple as a necklace can bring such excitement," I remarked with a soft chuckle.
She frowned playfully. "Oh, hush! It's no different from how men get excited over a new weapon!"
"Hahaha, I know."
After a fifty-minute trek, the sprawling town came into view on the horizon. Its size took me by surprise, leaving me in awe.
"That's Fairdrift, the largest city in the western part of Osha. It specializes in intercontinental trade routes," Ellisa informed me as we approached.
We continued our path to the city, and as we get closer, the city looked a lot bigger. It's surrounded by massive walls and towers as their defense. Not to mention, the main gate to enter this place is huge too.
I marveled at the architecture, prompting Ellisa's amused giggle. "Geez, you seem to be overly surprised with this place. Did wherever you come from don't have a city as big as this?"
'Ah, did it showed on my face that much?' I asked myself,
I inwardly sighed, realizing my surprise must have been evident. "Uh, well... Where I'm from, cities weren't surrounded by walls like this," I admitted.
"Ah, I see," she replied, though her expression hinted at skepticism.
Entering the city, I observed its bustling streets. Despite its apparent prosperity, there was an underlying tension.
Although this city looked prosperous from the outside, citizens here didn't seem fond of newcomers. I learned from Ellisa that things were much better before Lucifer sent her army to attack Ruina. Since the war has begun, everyone is on the edge of their seats, scared and frightened, while waiting for the next wave to arrive.
Navigating to the downtown area, the aftermath of the conflict became evident. Displaced individuals, clad in rags, filled the alleyways, pleading for assistance. Soldiers distributed rations and tents to survivors from other fallen nations.
"So the city is taking in refugees?" I inquired of Ellisa.
"Since the war broke out, these people have had nowhere else to turn. A few months ago, the King of Osha designated this city as a refuge for refugees in need... Those who lost their lands, homes, even entire nations, have sought sanctuary here. But many citizens disagreed with the King's decision, leading to food shortages as resources were diverted to aid the newcomers. If this continues, we'll struggle to survive the winter," she explained.
"I see." The situation was dire indeed.
After a brief walk through the city's downtown, we reached the market area. "We're here!" Ellisa exclaimed.
The atmosphere here was markedly different. The streets teemed with various shops and stalls, offering an array of goods—from food to antiques and equipment from across the world.
Ellisa seemed thrilled as she dragged me along, her excitement contagious.
As we perused the marketplace, I couldn't help but notice the peculiar currency system. When Ellisa mentioned having enough coins for the necklace she desired, I expected copper, silver, or gold. Yet, everything was priced in 'Prisms.
"So, I- kinda curious, Ellisa. What's Prism?" I asked her blatantly.
She looked at me with surprise. "Seriously?"
"Well, I'm not from around here. So can you teach me about the money that you guys use?" I awkwardly asked her for an explanation.
"Geez, Prism or Prisma Coins- depending on which nation you are from is the base currency that we use around here. With one Prism Coin, you can afford to buy 3 apples. If you wanted to buy equipment for your adventure, the prices could vary starting from at least ten thousand Prism Coins. Every 1000 Prisma Coins, it will be called Prism while every 1000 Prisma Coins is called Pridism. Each iteration will have a different looks, like this in my hand is the biggest value of our currency. 1 Prise, which equivalent to 5000 Prisma Coins." She elaborated, showing me the coins for reference.
She continued, "For someone like you, making money shouldn't be a problem. Most travelers or adventurers earn their keep by selling monster parts."
"So I can sell anything from the beasts I've slain," I mused to myself.
After she finished explaining the currency system, we reached the jewelry store where Ellisa intended to buy the necklace.
"Woah! The necklace is still here!" she exclaimed, gently resting her hand on the glass display, her face lit up with a smile.
Beneath the glass lay a small necklace with a pale red gemstone at its center, emitting a faint glow. I couldn't help but wonder why she was so set on acquiring it; it didn't seem to match her style.
"Hey, Old Geezer! I've got enough money to buy the necklace now!" she called out excitedly to the storekeeper.
He looked at her with a smirk. "Sorry, young lady. The price of that necklace went up today. Seems like you're out of luck."
"What?! How can that be? I was here just yesterday, and you agreed to sell it to me for fifteen thousand Prisma Coins!" Ellisa protested, visibly upset.
"I changed my mind, kid," he retorted with a sinister grin.
"I- never mind. So how much is it for the necklace now?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"fifty thousand Prism. Take it, or leave it." he replied smugly, leaning against the glass display.
"How- your price makes no sense! Do you know how long it takes for me to just collect fifteen thousand coins?! Weeks or even months! You can't do this to me?! We made an agreement! You told me I could buy it for this amount of money!" Ellisa shouted, her voice trembling with anger and frustration as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Ellisa, calm down. We can find the same looking necklace somewhere else. Other stores probably selling it for cheaper-" I suggested, but she abruptly cut me off.
"You don't understand, Kiseki! There will be no other necklace like this one anywhere in this world!" she exclaimed, pushing past me and storming out of the store.
"Haha! What a crazy kid. She kept coming here every single week to buy this necklace. Begging me to lower the price down because it's used to belong to her mother." said the storekeeper while laughing his ass off badly.
"So that's why she wanted it so badly. It was her mother's necklace." I realized silently.
The storekeeper then said to me, "You should see how crazy this lady used to be when she first saw this necklace! She Kept saying that I stole it from their old village and-" I quickly summoned my sword and pointed it right at his throat.
"Shut up," I replied with calm tone yet with a menacing stare.
His eyes widened in fear as he stammered, "I-I... a... a Sinner..."