A small bird perched near the window of a grand house and began to sing in its sweet and melodic voice. On the other side of the window, only the face of a young boy was visible.
His body was covered in bandages, and his eyelids quivered slightly. As he opened his eyes, his vision was blurred, and his consciousness felt scattered.
After some time, his clarity returned, and he found himself gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling of a room.
This child was Isaac. With a voice that displayed both childlike innocence and exhaustion, he spoke, "It seems I didn't emerge unscathed after all."
Isaac realized that the state of his body was a result of his encounter with that monster, from which he couldn't escape.
The details of the incident played back in his mind, but it wasn't the monstrous creature or the injuries that lingered. Instead, it was the man's extraordinary skills that kept repeating in his thoughts.
"I underestimated this world. It's far more complex than I initially thought. My circumstances are far more dire than I anticipated. Who would have thought I would come close to death within my first week here?"
He realized the need for caution, but his thoughts kept circling back to the man. The more he pondered, the more he realized that the man possessed strength far beyond that of an ordinary human.
Was he born with such power, or did he acquire it through intense training or some other means?
The question echoed in his mind, "Can I become strong like him?" If the answer was no, he would be denied the life he desired, and his fate would once again be in the hands of others, just as it was in his previous world.
Isaac clenched his teeth, his gaze growing sharper and more resolute. He made up his mind that his current mission would be to pursue that kind of strength.
"For now, I'll have to wait until I'm fully healed, and then I'll begin searching for ways to become stronger. But first, where on earth am I?"
It dawned on Isaac that he wasn't in Julia's house. He had spent a week there, so he knew the appearance of the roof quite well.
"Ouch!!!"
As he attempted to turn his head to get a better view of his surroundings, an excruciating pain surged through his body, indicating that his injuries were more severe than he had anticipated.
Taking a moment to compose himself, he slowly and cautiously moved his head again, this time with gentle increments to avoid exacerbating the pain.
Upon glancing beside him, he discovered Julia sitting on a small chair with her head resting on his bed, fast asleep in a deep slumber.
A small smile bloomed on Isaac's face as he recalled his childhood when his mother would do the same thing when he was sick.
Reflecting on those cherished moments from his past, Isaac realized their true value only after losing everything. He continued to gaze at Julia, his mind drifting into a sea of memories.
"Hmmmmm."
With a soft groan, Julia opened her eyes, and her first instinct was to check on Isaac.
Concerned for his well-being, she couldn't quite explain why, but she had grown deeply attached to him. Despite having spent just a week together, she had come to see him as her own son.
She was taken aback to see a silly smile on Isaac's face.
"You're finally awake! You had us so worried," she exclaimed.
Those words snapped Isaac out of his daze, and the silly smile slowly faded, revealing his more serious expression.
"I'm sorry for causing you to worry," he apologized, realizing the gravity of his mistake in venturing into the forbidden forest, despite it being off-limits for children.
"Your apology alone doesn't justify your actions. What if that hunter hadn't been there? Can you even imagine what could have happened?" Julia's voice carried a mix of anger and concern.
"No matter what, you are not allowed to go to the forest," Julia scolded Isaac, her defiance evident in her words.
Unaware of his significance to Julia, Isaac couldn't comprehend the reason behind her anger. Her departure left him perplexed and with a cold expression on his face.
Shortly after Julia left, an elderly man entered the room. He was dressed in a plain gray robe, his face adorned with deep wrinkles, and his hair as white as snow.
It was evident that he had reached an advanced age. He moved slowly, making his way to Isaac's side, and pulled out a small chair to sit on. Retrieving a newspaper from his pocket, he began reading quietly.
Recognizing the old man, Isaac realized his current location. This man was Julia's grandfather, Theo, and the place they were in was his inn.
"You don't seem to realize the gravity of your actions," old man Theo spoke after a brief silence.
"Do you mean going to the forest and getting injured?" Isaac questioned.
"No, not just that. Perhaps you don't fully grasp it, but you hold a special place in Julia's heart. This girl had a tremendously difficult childhood.
She lost her parents when she was around your age. Before Rika and I found her, everyone had turned their backs on her, leaving her in a state of misery."
As Isaac listened to Theo's words, a sense of regret washed over him. He now understood the reasons behind Julia's anger and her expressions of concern.
He realized that by showing indifference and a cold demeanor, he had conveyed a lack of care for her worries.
"Listen, boy, I'm not as soft-hearted as Julia, I know she's kind to you, but I'm not going to let you live like a burden on her.
Listen carefully, regardless of your age, once your treatment is complete, you will begin working at the hostel, and you must ensure to apologize to Julia the next time you see her," Old Theo stated firmly.
Isaac recognized the wisdom in Old Theo's words. In truth, following this course of action would be beneficial not only for Julia but also for his own growth and development.
...
After spending some time with Theo, Isaac gained a basic understanding of what had transpired.
The hunter had brought him to the village after his injury, and Theo was the first to learn about it. He had been placed in one of the hotel rooms, and the doctor's assessment revealed that his injuries were severe but not life-threatening.
Isaac had two broken feet, a broken hand, and several broken ribs.
Upon hearing the doctor's diagnosis, Isaac was taken aback. The doctor estimated that his total recovery time would not exceed three months.
' Three months seems too short. Do people in this world heal quickly?. '
...
[10 days later]
It had been 10 days since the terrifying encounter with the monster, and Isaac had spent every one of those days confined to the same bed.
His daily routine was simple: sleeping for most of the time and waking up only to eat or when someone visited to check on him.Usually, it was only Julia and her grandparents who came to his room, but recently he had met someone new—Julia's husband.
Julia's husband worked in the city, so he could only return to the village once or twice a month.
He was a kind-looking man with brown hair and sky-blue eyes, and despite Isaac being just a child, he treated him with a sense of maturity that made Isaac appreciate him even more.
Currently, Isaac sat on his bed, supported by comfortable pillows to ensure his comfort and minimize his pain.
However, there was no sign of comfort on Isaac's face. Instead, his face was covered in sweat, and his eyes held an expression of incredible surprise.
"What's wrong, Isaac? Are you feeling any pain?" Old Theo asked, standing by Isaac's side, concerned.
...
Old Theo looked at Isaac, perplexed by his sudden change in behavior. Just moments ago, Isaac had been sitting quietly in the room, reading his weekly newspaper and enjoying a cup of hot coffee.
However, everything took an unexpected turn when Isaac asked Theo for the newspaper, wanting to take a look himself.
At first, Theo didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a child's curiosity. He handed over the newspaper to Isaac, expecting him to simply flip through the pages.
But to his surprise, Isaac held onto the newspaper for a few minutes, seemingly engrossed in reading it carefully.
Theo's surprise grew when he realized that Isaac could actually read. However, his surprise soon turned to concern as he noticed a sudden change in Isaac's expression.
The calmness faded, replaced by a look of anxiety and apparent pain.
Unbeknownst to Theo, Isaac's mind was flooded with countless thoughts and emotions, racing through his consciousness.
...
' What's going on, I am dreaming or what? '
"The world now enters a Great Age of Pirates!, this caused to impose its repercussions on the world government" These were the words of the opening headline of one of the articles in the newspaper.
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