Someone once said that one minute of patience can result in ten years of peace.
Peace is always beautiful.
Peace begins with a smile.
Peace is freedom in tranquility.
Tranquility is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.
We can find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of our lives, but by realizing who we are at the deepest level.
If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.
***
The Prosperous Era, Solis, 11th Ignitia, 1412.
Kamishiro groaned in pain as he tried to stand and walk. His shoulder felt like it was on fire, with a deep wound there. He looked towards the forest and let out a long breath, wondering how he could survive in this place.
He remembered how it had happened - how the red wolf had jumped from behind him and bitten hard on his right shoulder. He fought against the wild animal, but it was in vain. Now he was stranded in the middle of the forest, far from civilization, and injured.
Kamishiro got up and started his journey. He walked carefully, supporting his injured shoulder and trying not to strain the right side of his body. He felt a stabbing and throbbing pain when he moved, but he gathered the courage to keep going.
The forest grew darker as the sun set, and the temperature started to drop. Kamishiro began to feel lonely and scared in the silent forest. He thought about his family, and how they must be worried about his whereabouts. But he couldn't give up. He had to keep walking.
As the night grew deeper, Kamishiro grew more tired. He didn't know how far he had to go, and his condition was getting worse. The unbearable pain became more and more intense, and eventually, Kamishiro felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground.
He lay on the ground, hearing the strong wind blowing around him. He felt wounded and exhausted. He didn't know if he would live or die. But he knew that he had done everything he could to survive and fight through the pain.
***
When entering the village, the first thing that will be seen is a winding road, flanked by beautiful traditional wooden houses. The village consists of several buildings located around the main square. There is an old gothic-style church that serves as the center of the village's worship, and there is also a small market that sells various kinds of goods, ranging from fresh vegetables to traditional clothing.
The villagers are friendly and simple people who live by farming, gardening, and raising livestock. They live in a traditional way and uphold the values of family and cooperation. Although they live in simplicity, they are highly skilled in various fields such as cooking, handicrafts, and farming.
To the north of the village, there is a fast-flowing river. This river provides a clean water supply for the village and is a place for fishing for the villagers.
***
"Arrgghh... My body is in so much pain," said Kamishiro, who had just woken up.
Kamishiro woke up in a simple room. He was not wearing any clothes and only had a white blanket covering him, but this time his body from his shoulders to his abdomen was covered with bandages.
As Kamishiro looked beside him, he saw a little girl about 5 years old. The child had long brown hair and was wearing clothes that seemed a bit strange to him.
"Who are you? And where am I?" Kamishiro asked.
"My name is Sherlly. When I was helping my mother collect medicinal plants in the forest, I saw you lying down. I told my mother and brought you here."
"I see. Thank you, Sherlly."
"You're welcome. Oh, I forgot to ask for your name."
"That's right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Zen, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too."
"Why is Sherlly collecting medicinal plants?"
"Because that's my mother's job, and I help her."
"I see."
Soon after, a woman with brown hair like Sherlly came into the room where Kamishiro was and approached him. The woman was none other than Sherlly's mother.
"Are you feeling better?" Sherlly's mother asked.
"Are you Sherlly's mother?" Kamishiro replied.
"Yes," Sherlly's mother answered quickly with a smile.
"I'm fine now. Thank you for helping me," Kamishiro said as he bowed his head to show his gratitude.
"It's okay. It's all because my daughter happened to see you fainting in the forest."
"Even so, I still have to thank you for saving me."
Sherlly's mother smiled and immediately invited Kamishiro to have lunch together. "Would you like to have breakfast with us?"
"No, I've already caused you trouble. I can't bother you more than this."
Growl!!!
Suddenly, Kamishiro's stomach growled. Sherlly's mother and Sherlly chuckled at the sound.
"Don't worry, we don't feel troubled," Sherlly's mother said.
"Okay then, I accept your offer."
"We'll wait for you downstairs. You can use the clothes in the closet over there," Sherlly's mother said, pointing to the closet in the corner of the room.
"Okay, thank you very much."
Sherlly's mother and Sherlly left the room, leaving Kamishiro alone. Kamishiro got up from his bed and walked towards the closet in the corner of the room.
He took some clothes and put them on. After putting on the clothes, Kamishiro looked in the mirror next to the closet and was surprised.
The person in the mirror had blonde hair and emerald green eyes.
"Is this me? Did I reincarnate into someone else? Did I really die when I was hit by a truck?"
Suddenly, Kamishiro's head hurt. A piece of memory began to emerge in Kamishiro's mind.
"Zen Valerius... Is that my name in this world?"
But, like before, the memory was still vague. Kamishiro still couldn't remember clearly who he was in this world.
"No, did Zen Valerius receive Kamishiro Zen's memories in this world? Or am I Kamishiro Zen who reincarnated into Zen Valerius? I don't know yet. But why did Zen Valerius receive Kamishiro Zen's memories? There's no reason for that. I am Kamishiro Zen!"
Kamishiro is still confused about it. Whether he lost his memory and inherited his memories from a different world, he still doesn't know, and he doesn't even know why he lost his memory.
What is certain in this matter is that Zen Valerius's body characteristics are very similar to Kamishiro Zen's. Starting from their face and height, they are exactly the same. The only things that differentiate them are their surnames, hair color, eye iris color, scars that cover Zen Valerius's body, and maybe their personalities.
Perhaps that is also why Kamishiro Zen can speak normally to Sherlly and her mother. Whereas Kamishiro Zen is a shy and quiet person. But, there is also a possibility that their personalities are mixed together.
Because Kamishiro didn't want to think too much about it, he immediately left the room and went down to the lower floor.
"Big Brother Zen, you took a long time!"
"Sorry, I had trouble finding the right size of clothes for me," Kamishiro said to Sherlly.
"I'm sorry, I only have my late husband's used men's clothes."
"Oh, no, it's okay. I didn't mean it like that. Wait, did you say late?"
"Yes, my husband was an adventurer. He died while on a mission to hunt monsters in the kingdom of Festus."
In an instant, the atmosphere changed to sad and awkward.
"So, that's it. I'm sorry, I asked a sensitive question."
"No, it's okay. Let's just eat, okay?"
"Okay."
***
At night, after dinner.
"May I help with washing the dishes?" Kamishiro asked Sherlly's mother.
"No need, you should rest more."
"Then, can I help gather the medicinal plants tomorrow?"
"I told you, you don't have to do that."
"But I still feel bad if I don't do anything."
"Alright, you can help."
"Thank you very much."
"No, I should be the one thanking you."
Kamishiro immediately went back to his room on the second floor. As he walked towards his bed, he suddenly heard a whisper calling his name.
"Zen..."
Surprised, Kamishiro looked towards the window. It turned out that the whisper was just his hallucination and the sound was only the wind blowing because he forgot to lock the window.
"Phew~... I thought it was the voice of a ghost or something," Kamishiro thought as he closed the window.
Kamishiro went back to his bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling.
"I never thought I would be in a world where adventurers and monsters exist."
Suddenly, Kamishiro realized something very important.
"Am I in another world?" Kamishiro said as he covered his face with his right hand.
"When I was attacked by the monster in that room, was it a sign of a certain event? Generally, in a story, there will be a trigger to create such a conflict."
Kamishiro's otaku nature started to awaken. Various things came to his mind.
"When I met Sherlly and heard the story that her father, who was killed by the monster, was also part of the beginning of a conflict? Where I, as the main character, would avenge Sherlly's father and become a hero who kills the legendary monster. After that, I would start my adventure with beautiful harem members of various races."
Kamishiro's imagination had started to go out of control and beyond limits. Then, without realizing it, he fell asleep soundly.
***
The Prosperous Era, Lunae, 12th Ignitia, 1412.
After Kamishiro helped gather medicinal herbs, in the front yard of Sherlly's house.
"Hey, Sherlly. Do you do this every day?" Kamishiro asked Sherlly.
"Uh-huh, I always help my mother every day," Sherlly replied.
"I see. You are a good and diligent child," Kamishiro praised Sherlly while patting her head.
"Big Brother Zen, do you want to play with my friends?" Sherlly asked.
"Play?" Kamishiro asked.
"Yeah, yesterday me and the other kids agreed to play together. So, do you want to join us?"
Kamishiro smiled and replied, "I think I just want to rest in my room. So, Sherlly can play with your friends, okay?"
"Aww~"
"Alright, how about tomorrow?"
"Promise, okay?" Sherlly said while holding up her pinkie finger.
"Yes, I promise," Kamishiro replied while intertwining his pinkie finger with hers.