Just as I decided to spare a life, tears emerged in my eyes, and memories of my predecessor's memories began to surround me. I can feel the pain of how much my predecessor loved his parents, but as a single foster parent raised, I couldn't emphasize with my predecessor.
Whether people call me a hypocrite or being nice, I was not ready to kill someone who was not 'my' enemy.
For now, I decided to leave the man alive.
I got up from his back and started to stagger my way towards the other side of the forest.
The good thing was that I was conscious of the direction that I marked for my route.
The bad thing was that I could barely walk. That sudden power up drained my strength, and now it was hard even to walk. I couldn't see correctly too.
I didn't want to expose my back to the man I was about to kill, so I also had to watch him.
It was then the man started coughing blood. With struggle, he lifted his head covered in blood and spoke, "C-come… come back here. Kill me while you still can!"
I stopped walking and turned around.
"I won't…."
The knight widened his eyes, shocked by my answer. No matter how you look at it, I had no reason to spare his life.
He killed my predecessor's parents and burned downed his village. He was also the person responsible for killing innocent. As an ex-soldier, I had the liability to perform my justice, but I am too tired of that sh*t.
Justice, revenge, and killing for someone or to someone, I am not gonna do that for now.
He might be an enemy, but he was the enemy of my predecessor, not me.
"You! Don't you want to take revenge for your parents?! Remember… Remember my face? I am the one who burned your parents! Right in front of you!!" His rage and commitment were more like plead to me.
He was right. He burned my parents, killed countless people in the village. Hell, the memory of one knight slicing a pregnant woman was still clear in my head, but I was not going to change my mind.
What happens in the future is the least of my worry. I know that if I kill this person, I won't be able to live my upcoming peaceful life.
I might have to kill people in the future after seeing that humans are still trash here, but not now.
"Yes… But, for now. You are not the enemy."
With my every sentence, the amazement on his face grew deeper.
I read somewhere that some European knights used to have the honor, and for recognition, they would kill someone or be killed.
Come to think of it, I also had this patriotic fetish when I got enrolled in the army. I was eager to defend my country's borders, but war with Canada never occurred. Too bad.
What? Is Mexico a threat? The US is a country that gets thread from governments of other parts of the world only.
Being beaten by an 11 years old child must have hit his pride.
"You fu*king cunt! Come back here and fight me! Or next time we meet, it will not be just you but also your loved ones!"
"….Whatever."
Loved ones? The only 'loved one' was used to be my gay friend in my previous life. I don't even know the meaning of family or relationships. How am I supposed to react?
'Oh, don't kill my waifus. My isekai cat girl that I saved before being sold or a beautiful elf who joined me on my journey for no reason or any other cardboards that might come to my life called GRILS!'
I sighed and resumed my walk.
"My name is Chutt Penus! Remember my name. We will meet again." [1]
Pff! What the hell were his parents thinking about naming him?!
"Nah, I don't think so."
After leaving that place behind, I arrived at the end of the forest, but I had to climb down an 8-meter hill. Thankfully, many roots were hanging from this hill.
"Hah! I… need water…." I was weak and tired. Let alone food; I hadn't drunk a drop of water for the past 8 hours, not to mention I was in an 11 years boy's body. My body might be sturdy, but everything has its limit, and I was at my limit.
Also, I don't know if it's my luck, but I hadn't encountered a wild animal till then. And since this is a new magical world, I don't know if the animals here are the same as in my previous world.
Anyway, I somehow gathered my last specs of strength and hopped on one sturdy root.
At first, everything was going in my favor until the root became slippery.
"Ah!"
Luckily, my grip slipped, but I was only a meter above solid ground.
"Water?"
It was dark where I fell, so I couldn't see if it was water or not since the place where I landed was wet.
I didn't wait for a single second before I dug a hole, let the water gather, and started drinking. Against my expectation, the water was surprisingly clear and clean.
After erasing my thirst, I found another tree similar to where I opened my eyes in this world. It also had a chamber underneath, albeit a little smaller.
I didn't have the strength to walk, so I somehow crawled under that tree.
"I wish I could have been born in some world with big breast devils or another anime world…."
I sighed and tried to cheer myself up. I felt pain in my chest due to letting the man who killed my predecessor's parents go.
It was a hard decision, but these revenge things led one to another, and I was too new to get involved in this mess.
And before I knew it, I fell asleep.
---
Unknown to the boy with a new soul, the tree he was under covered the opening between its root and started to dim with soft light as if nurturing the boy like a mother.
---
The following day, I opened my eyes and found myself in one piece.
No predators came for my life, and neither did those knights. Come to think of it, there were no bugs that bothered me during my whole journey.
My body was also miraculously healed. My muscles were still sore, but most of my bruises and cuts were already closed.
Though one problem was that I was hungry and thirsty, looking around, I found the hole where I drank water last night was now dried.
Growl* Growl*
It was the cry of my tummy like it was alive and crying for food.
"I have to find something to eat!"
I looked at the open field where the forest ends as I said that. It was beautiful, I must say. Ten inches tall but soft grass, no matter where I see. There were some trees in the middle of the plain too.
"What's that?"
I deducted a figure hopping in the middle of the plain that came out to be a rabbit.
Yes, my breakfast!
Since I had a dagger, making a spear out of a tree branch was not hard.
It was now the time to hunt.
Stealthily, I went to the location where I saw the rabbit.
"Cheah!! Hiss!!!"
Suddenly, a figure jumped at me, but I avoided the impact.
After getting my composure, I found out that the same rabbit I saw before was hissing at me, but…
"What the hell? Are rabbits supposed to have horns?!" It was a rabbit around half a meter big and had a horn on top of its head.
'Come to think about it, the game I played last time also had similar monsters… But I can't possibly in a world of the game. Yeah, that's it. It is impossible!'
A dating game where just some emotions can bring the world to an end. Sorry, but I refused to believe I was in 'that' game.
The rabbit I was facing were monsters at the beginning level of the game. They were just there in the game to gain experience only for players.
They were called Horned Rabbits. Yeah, developers were just lazy to produce cool names for mob monsters.
However, I was unsure if the monster I was facing was the same monster from the game, but I was damn hungry. I can see it as delicious steak ready to fall in this bad boy's belly. Ah~
"Chea!!!" The rabbit cried… and used tackle attack?
"Take attack, huh? Then I will use American Spear!"
As I also screamed, I slipped right under the rabbit and thrust my spear into its neck. The spear penetrated from its neck to the upper side of its neck.
It was a critical hit!
"Cheah!!!"
This time the cry was that of agony and pain. Then it was a matter of time before its life slipped away.
I then removed the spear, and before the blood could spill, I covered the opening of the wound with my lips and started drinking its blood.
I wasn't careless since the memories I received from this boy indicated that the blood of carnivore monsters like this Horned Rabbit can be drunk to survive.
I still haven't received every memory of this body, so I can only recall those parts related to things I encountered.
"Ah! Finally, something to eat…." After quenching my thirst with blood, I was ready to eat it.
It was not hard to lit a bone fire with abundant resources, so I began roasting the rabbit after skinning it.
I could have cooked with the skin on it, but the weather was getting cold, and I needed some fur to warm my body.
"I just let go of a man who killed my parents and was also about to kill me, and here I am, killing an innocent animal for just food."
I didn't have a vegan mindset to morn for 'food,' but I couldn't shake away the feeling of letting that person go whose name I forgot.
Anyway, the steak was delicious, and just like the shonen protagonist, I devoured the Bugs Bunny in no time.
It was then I saw grass shuffle.
"Whose there?"
I got on my guard but only to find three more Horned Rabbits under a hole.
Looking closer, I realized that they were just rabbit kittens. They were cute and whining for their parent. Too bad their parent was already in my stomach.
"Sorry, kids, for the loss of your papa/mama. Just think of it like they went to buy milk and never returned."
Good American assurance.
Growl*
"…"
It was then my belly rang with an intense growl. Is it serious?! I just ate half a meter rabbit, and my stomach is asking for more.
I turned my head towards little kittens.
"Fuu~! Fuu~!"
They were whining like puppies not to take their lives. Oh god, I can't kill children. They were just so cute even though they were the size of a regular rabbit from my world and looked incredibly delicious~.
"But you will die without a parent, right?"
"Fuu... Fuu...." Poor kittens turned their head down with teary eyes.
Awe, poor things!
"I think I can't leave you guys alone."
"Fuu? Fuu?"
I closed my eyes and nodded with a smile.
"That's why I have decided to take you guys with me." I can't leave them to die alone like this.
"Fuu~! Fuu~!" They beamed smiles and looked cheery.
"Yes, I will carry you all…." I smiled and drew my dagger, "In my stomach!"
"Fuuuuuuu*k!"
Alas, I am too kind to let their meat waste.
---
The next day, I found a caravan on the end of plane fields, leaving towards the opposite direction where I came.
It was a big caravan, and most people seemed to be victims of the attack where I came.
I have seen that look several times in my past life. People were migrating for refuge from one place to another; I was old with these events.
"Child, where did you come from?" A sturdy-looking bald man approached me and asked me a question. He looked calm and caring, but I could see from his eyes that he was looking for Horned Rabbit fur on my back.
"I am a traveling peddler and have to sell fur to the nearest city. I lost my carriage in an accident."
It was not new for children to make their living from my memory. Orphans either had to be lucky to be in the care of a good orphanage or work to live.
So I tried to make this excuse since I didn't want to portray myself as a fugitive. Since I wanted to depend on myself, I didn't have reason to seek refuge.
"Sorry, kid. As you can see, I don't have much space in my caravan. We can't afford more people. I am only a merchant, and I am being paid." The man said and pointed at the carriages crammed with women and children. Most men were on their feet while some were in carriages. From its look, they would be taking turns in their journey to rest in carriages.
I sighed and showed a bag filled with silver and bronze coins. Before leaving the knight, I stole his purse, where I found some gold and silver coins. I knew the meaning of gold coins, so I hid them.
"I just need a place where I could sit."
"…There is some space beside me where you can sit." The man said before hopping on the coach seat.
I also joined him with a little bit of his help.
"My name is Slavic. What's yours?"
"…Ivan."
---
After traveling for a few more days, we arrived at the central city, the ultimate designation of the caravan.
I found out that an enemy country waged war on the region where my predecessor used to reside. Most of the caravan people were refugees from that region who took most of their possession and used it to hire this caravan.
"By the way, Slavic. What is the name of this place?" I asked the person handing the lead of the horse beside me. I became a sort of friend with him. Besides his greediness as a merchant, he was a decent person.
Come to think of it, he looked a lot like a character from the game. My memory was faint for minor characters, but that character used to prove rides in the beginning quests.
"That city. I think it is called Dalles. Well, we are in Duchy of Flareottems."
"…"
I was speechless. Isn't that a place in 'that' game? What's more, it's a duchy where Villainous' papa rules! "The main hub of all the evils."
No, calm down, Ivan. You can't possibly be in a game.
"What is the name of our country?"
I asked with hopeful prayer.
"Oh, it's Herculine Empire. Why are you asking such a simple question?"
Because I am screwed, it is the world of Otome game where this place is domed to be engulfed in flames.