(Oscar)
I sprung awake, less than seconds after realizing I was awake. A habit I picked up while in the military. There were so many drills like that, where I had to react fast. But, I wasn't in the barracks, right now. At least, that's not what it looks like.
It appeared to be in the interior of a log cabin. There were several beds, and I was just one of the people placed in there. A hospital, or something like that? A community resting spot. A homeless shelter?
I looked at my arm. It was all healed up.
"You're finally awake!"
A high-pitched voice could be heard. I got up from my bed and turned to my right. A boy stood there, holding a checkboard.
He was short and looked to be 10 or so. His hair was light blue, like a pastel light blue, and his ears were sharp. His eyes were light blue as well, and he had this smile from ear to ear.
"Where… am I?" I asked, rubbing my head. Adjusting to this new scenery was a little challenging, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.
"You're in the clinic right now. We found you in the forest, right next to the bodies of Alopen and his pack!"
Alopen and his.. pack? Alopen must be the name of the wolves I killed. But, simple mutts like that, do they even deserve a name?
"Was it you?" He asked, eagerly.
"Was it me that did what?"
"That slayed the beast. Was it you?"
"Yeah…?"
"N-no way!"
"Are you the… head doctor, or something like that?" I asked, curiously. After all, there were only two other nurses in the room right now. If he was the head doctor, after all, it would've been weird. But after all, I was drafted at like… 12… so I can't say anything
"Hehe… is that how I appear?" he asked, smiling a little brighter. He twiddled his fingers behind his back.
Does he want to be a doctor or something?
Hm. I always wanted to explore the villages in the kingdom. I didn't think I would find interesting people like this kid.
"Sarmaer, didn't I tell you to stop doing that?" a voice that sounded a lot more mature than the kids suddenly spoke. It was deep, but I could tell it was coming from a girl around my age.
It was a girl, 15 or so. Her hair was dark purple, tied in a bun. She had dark green eyes, and pale skin, which is understandable for someone who lives up in the north.
Cat ears were sticking out of her head, and she was snagged-toothed, like Veind. A Demi-human.
This radiance… this beauty… it's almost comparable to Alize's…. No, impossible! What're you thinking, Oscar? How dare you!
I was about to slap myself until I noticed her staring at me strangely. I looked at my hand.
"Ah… this is just… I was about to…"
She giggled. A cute giggle.
Could it be that I'm into girls that are my age, rather than older girls? It's not like Alize would be with me.
Unless… I become the perfect man for her and train mentally until I'm 19!
"I'm Oscar."
But for now, I guess I could enjoy my younger years.
"Ranoy. You must be pretty strong, considering you could defeat that beast. Word has gotten around the village."
If Jisvo and Isalda find out that instead of searching for that Albino orc, I've been chilling out in a village, they'll kill me!
But then again, my arm is still a bit damaged. And I'm a little low on mana. It would be good for me to recover here.
"I believe I'm… stronger than the average human, I'd say."
In the villages, their accents aren't as formal. I guess it's fine for me to drop the formality.
I looked at Ranoy again. She had been wearing something that resembled a nurse's scrub. Though, it appeared a lot heavier, coated with fur in some areas.
That made sense. It is pretty cold up here.
"Are you hungry, Oscar? Someone like you deserves a feast."
…
..
.
I ended up eating quite a bit. Four plates worth of food.
"Jeez… you are hungry." Ranoy giggled, as she picked up the plates, stacking them and bringing them to the diner's sink.
The diner in question was full of villagers. This was probably the entire population if not a little less.
"Is there anyone that wants to see me, Ranoy? I heard you and that little kid saying something about me slaying that monster."
Her expression changed, her eyebrows raising. "Ah! Thanks for reminding me. There are quite a few kids that want to see you in action."
I wasn't used to being recognized for my noble deeds pretty often. Not many people remembered that one event, since the king was murdered, and all the attention was brought to that.
And that vanguard leader… I swear… I'll kill him.
"Right this way."
She walked up to my table and grabbed my arm. She was stronger than I expected. I followed her.
Waiting outside of the diner, there was a group of kids.