Daily life in another world 「Isekai no Nichijou」

Against my better judgement.

I followed the trail upstream.

Maybe out of morbid curiosity, maybe concern.

Before I knew it, my legs were already carrying me.

The— body… I fished them out of the water.

From the deep reaches of my mind a tiny voice urged me to loot it for valuables, but the poor guy was already half rotten, at least I assume it was a he judging by what remained of their clothes. And was already half-eaten by fish and god knows what.

I did what I could and decided to bury him.

A nameless grave.

After some hours of walking, some other things began to drift past me, tattered clothes, wood, undiscernible scraps.

Then, I spotted something twinkling on the riverbed.

At that moment I was deeply thankful that my boots reached up to my calves, taking my shoes and my socks off would be a small hassle.

I found a necklace, though I couldn't discern if it was steel or something more precious like silver.

And it didn't stop there.

Pieces of jewelry, coins, heavy articles of clothing, a belt, the scattered remains of another body. Whether they died there or washed up ashore and got picked off by scavenger animals I couldn't tell, the meat was mostly cleaned off.

Another nameless grave. I picked the coins and other shiny things though.

Scared of getting cursed or something I offered a quick prayer to the air.

It took me a day to locate the source of it all.

A wrecked carriage overturned sitting on the edge of the river. There was a small difference in height that made it easy to fall into a ditch that had formed.

But…

The windows were shattered, it looked like a rather high-class carriage, old but obvious signs of something being dragged out from inside.

Most notably, the gravel in the ground was still stained dark red. Dried out but still visible.

"That's… no good, gods, why did I think this was a good idea?"

The most sensible thing to do was to turn 180 degrees and mind my own business.

'But noo~ my desire to know is too great. Screw any good sense you have.' I think to myself while grimacing, but I end up searching the area anyway.

I never saw, or much less interacted with carriages. I could do some guesswork but had no idea of their mechanics beyond wheels, primitive suspension, and horses.

What looked like compartment areas for luggage and such were pried open. If there was anything inside it isn't here.

No crests, no convenient notebooks, nothing to identify who these people were.

What struck me as odd is that there was no road anywhere nearby, at least from what I could see. What made them swerve so far off the path?

Normally carriages are used alongside roads right?

Was it a monster? A robbery? Something else? I couldn't tell.

I just had a broken pile of wood, some scavenged valuables, and two unidentifiable corpses to go off.

"What a great start to my journey…" I sigh. "...surely this isn't a red flag? It's been so long and I was not even knowledgeable about those particular tropes."

'Even if this is in the middle of nowhere, there has to be a road somewhere around to start off.'

Before I leave, I offer a small prayer to the poor folks.

I am not faithful in anything, and don't believe in much of anything spiritual. I didn't even point my prayer to anything in specific, but if I know something is that in this world it wouldn't be impossible for something like gods or the like to actually exist somewhere.

Then, I leave and begin walking in a large spiral to see if I encounter anything.

I tried looking for tracks that the carriage might have left on the ground, but around here the grass was too tall and the ground too firm. Only near the river where the dirt was softer there were clear marks.

That, and tracking wasn't my strong suit. If there was a strong smell I could maybe try it but there was nothing on that side either.

Eventually I found a road…

"Really, how did that carriage end up there?" I question.

To call it a road would be an overstatement.

It was sort of a dirt path, if you squinted your eyes, but it was overgrown with grass and it completely disappeared for sections at a time.

Still, I followed the road to see where it would take me.

——— –– –– -- - -

A large stone wall greeted me.

I found a city…

…but it is completely empty.

The walls that looked like they could hold off any invasion are destroyed at many places, with rubble covering everything.

The gates… they weren't even there. Just a vague hint of where the hinges might once have been.

Inside the streets were barren, just old ruins. Oddly enough the only houses with a roof in them were the ones made out of stone, the rest had remnants of a foundation and some walls but had no ceiling.

Most wooden structures are in some state of disrepair, broken, burnt, or rotten.

"I wonder what happened to this place…"

With an adventurous feeling, I explored the ruins.

There wasn't much to see, everything was nothing but remnants of what the city might have been once. Broken and whittled down by age.

I got a feeling that this might be what those people that enjoyed exploring old abandoned structures and factories felt like.

A pervading sense of freedom and a strange melancholic remembrance.

What was the name of this place? What were its people like? What happened to them?

The city lay at rest peacefully. Left in disrepair with growing moss and wildlife roaming its roads and alleys.

。。。

The city… town… I wasn't sure of the exact denomination.

The ruins aren't that big, from one side to the other it would take some hours of walking. Compared to the massive sprawl of buildings I once was used to, it is cute in comparison.

After a day of exploration I didn't discover anything new. I had some fun though.

Found a small handful of old and rusty coins scattered in forgotten corners. There was one wardrobe intact in one of the big buildings but it was infested with insects. I also collected bits and pieces of scrap, hinges, bolts, and odd pieces of metal. Don't know what to do with them but I decided to pick them up anyways.

If there were other explorers, or scavengers, before me they really didn't leave anything behind.

In the end, no signs of life.

Before I left, I thought about leaving a message scribbled on the side of the gate's walls.

"Wait… uh… the elven language isn't… yeah nobody would understand that."

And that brought to mind that the language I grew accustomed to at the village is only spoken in that village.

"I hope that my pronunciation isn't wrong…"

Written there now was a small message: "Syuufarin was here."

——— –– –– -- - -

I tried following the old overgrown road in the other direction, but after a while the path simply faded away and merged with the natural hills.

Not wanting to possibly get lost (again) I turned around to go back to that river.

'Not that I think about it…' I begin thinking while walking. 'I thought I would freak out more when I saw that body.'

Maybe not to the point of screaming, vomiting and crying. But at least… something more than just being perplexed.

I saw the dead corpse, in all of its rotting and ugly glory, and felt nothing beyond "Oh, look... A cadaver."

'Is my sense of danger broken? Or is there something else wrong with me?'

By all accounts it was supposed to be something utterly disgusting and fearful. The imagery, the unknown danger, the shadows in the dark.

'Maybe I got used to it… desensitised, I'm not scared of big knives and the dark anymore after all.' I had been training for things like that after all.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

…Maybe more like being held at the edge of it. Gaviel was ruthless sometimes.

Still, knowing that even if I got an injury that seemed fatal I would be okay was a good part of it.

'Not used to that yet. Being… mighty.' Before I had a body that could survive anything that was thrown at it, today I have that and also the strength to not get hurt in the first place.

That allows a level of carelessness that I had gotten comfortable with.

Oh, it would probably hurt to go toe to toe with a monster. But being assured in myself that no matter what happened I can walk off the scratches and the scrapes gave me a rather large confidence boost.

Or maybe I just got way more reckless than I thought.

"Figures in the dark… let them come, for if even my magic fails me I shall fight and tear their flesh with tooth and nail, I am bigger than your shadows will ever be." I speak out loud.

'Huh?... that was more concerningly bloodthirsty than usual.'

"Oh well…" I shrug it off "If I ever encounter an enemy like that I'll store those lines for later. Heheheh, wouldn't that be cool?"

I start to daydream epic scenarios and fights while walking away.

——— –– –– -- - -

I thought the forest was a slog to travel past…

…This is worse.

Much more peaceful, and the scenery is nice.

But I have been walking for a month already. If I got lost somehow or if it's just my luck I couldn't tell.

I did my best to travel while relying on landmarks and the position of the sun.

I found the mouth of the river, its waters fed a big lake hidden in between patches of forest. The area downhill was much more forested and muddy, and annoying to traverse.

The water spread out in many small streams, maybe somewhere far away they flowed into another river.

It was around when I was finishing reading my grimoire that I found signs of civilization.

I had been skirting the edges of another patch of forest when I found the remains of a campfire.

The place needed some pruning, but I could see the signs. A small clearing with space for a tent and a pit in the middle. If anyone had been around here it was months ago, even then I couldn't hide the smile that I had when I found it.

That meant I was in the right direction.

——— –– –– -- - -

"Maybe I should show more appreciation towards nature, as my forebearers taught me." I mutter, a little irony in my voice.

That was a lie, although the elves preached the importance of balance and not destroying nature, the stereotypic nature-worship wasn't there. At best they paid their respects for the beasts they hunted and had some spiritual beliefs in regards to the forest and life in general, but not to the point of worshipping a god and forbidding cutting trees down.

Maybe a tribe that has beliefs like that exists somewhere. Daivette however, had a pragmatical look about things.

Or perhaps they just didn't care about it all that much, they already have all the peace of mind they need with their usual lives already, the spiritualism is more of a cultural thing.

Then I slather a slurry against the pelt I was drying. "Counterpoint, they aren't here and I find meat to be tasty." At this point I'm just talking to myself. Though I made sure to not deplete the population too much in a given place, and I didn't need much anyways, a kill was enough to last a week or so.

One of the things I learned with Gaviel and the rangers was the processing of an animal. From the pelt to the bones, everything had some use.

In a way, making the most of the life taken in a hunt is its own form of respect.

Obviously, I don't have the tools or the equipment to make use of everything. It took at least a day to pick apart everything, and even more time to process the pelt and the meat.

I made a bunch of dried jerky. The tanning and drying process of the animal pelt took time, so when I did hunt something I set up camp and also did a bunch of other shores and exploring.

Laundry, maintenance, picking herbs and things I could use as spice, roasting nuts and practicing magic. Amongst other things.

Traveling is a tough job. People make it sound easy when they do it but there are a thousand little things to consider and take care of.

"Feh—" I laugh. "I feel like I am in that video-game about gangs and cowboys… I forgot the name." It's been years since I last thought about video-games. I wondered if I could peddle my stuff easily if I found a town.

——— –– –– -- - -

Pride, power, prestige.

'Why… Did I want to leave?'

Control? Freedom?

I survived, I lived, attained the necessary power to not be left bereft of choice.

I lived comfortably, was there ever a reason to seek more? Not… chasing anything, feels like it would be much easier.

What am I running for? There is no pain urging me to run. And no prize calling to me.

I am free. I am… happy? Am I…?

Control. Freedom.

Those are things I never truly had, not in this life nor the last. At least, not like this.

Boundaries. Choice. Destiny. Shackles.

Too much. Too little.

Here in this world, there is no set path for me to blindly follow like a sheep. There is no final destination. No hands gripping my own thoughts. No people to tell me where to go, what to do.

I struggled a lot to find myself, to find if there was a point to anything, if there was meaning in my life.

Preposterous, arrogant, selfish.

I lived my entire life— cut short as it was —striving for the nebulous concept of having a career. And desperately scrounging any enjoyment I could find in the moments between one moment and the next.

There was love, there was companionship, there was happiness, back then.

Here, too.

Enough happiness to be smothered with.

And yet.

Was it fulfilling?

Was it worth it?

That I even conceive to doubt it puts the truth into question.

And now, here. Where I have so, so much more power, and control, and freedom than what I could ever possibly conceive.

I had to face my own fate, for it had fallen into my hands for the first time. At least, for the first time in a way that mattered my own decisions held a level of significance that they never had before.

And so, I decided.

To walk away, for my own sake, and theirs.

…

'Why… Why did I have to leave?'

Logically speaking, remaining there would be the best option…

Safe, secure, serene.

…Maybe I craved excitement more than I thought I had.

Maybe, I was afraid of something.

I wanted… Needed, to do, to be something. Anything.

Living wasn't enough. I had to get away, to distance myself from that comfortable warmth.

Running away from my own shadow. Irresponsibly, Irrationally.

Not even knowing what was wrong, I still had an urge to flee, somewhere, anywhere.

Despite all reassurances, all the kind words and the support.

Good memories, cherished memories, I recall them all. Tinted in rose and shining like pearls.

And yet… looking back.

It is so easy to focus on that background pain, the doubt, the creeping shadows. I thought I had drowned them with happiness, but they linger. Will linger for a long, long time.

Scars don't go away after all.

Money. My favorite blanket. Friendships. Unfinished business. Books. Manga. Video-Games. My pets. My body. My family.

Loss.

In their absence… In their distance…

The colors of my memories become stronger. So strong, that they hurt to look at.

I love them.

Their smiles, their faces. Everything.

And yet I discarded it all away. For what? Adventure? Some delusional expectation that I would find fulfillment if I left?

For an excuse. For potential. For their own sakes when I grow old. For the quest of happiness. For myself….

…I do, I don't—

That I want to see the world. To revel in this wanderlust. That I can say with certainty is something I want. Like a thirsty man for water, I dove right in without looking back.

Without looking… long enough.

'It's quiet.'

"…I miss them."

——— –– –– -- - -

My backpack could only hold so much stuff, I had to tie things outside of it. It even got to a point that I picked up a stick to hang my things on too.

From afar I looked like some sort of wandering trader with how much stuff was on my back. I only needed a donkey or a llama to complete the look.

"Next time…" I huff, everything was much heavier with the pelts tied down on my back but still tolerable. "...I'll have to forgo the pelts." If I tried to carry any more stuff I wouldn't be able to, not because it would be heavy or anything.

Simply put… because my center of mass would be so offset by my luggage that I would hang off my luggage instead of the other way around.

I was starting to debate whether to build a sled or not when I heard telltale sounds of conflict.

At first I thought nothing of it.

It's very rare, but not unusual for me to hear. There are prey animals and predators around after all, at some point or another a wolf or something else is going to hunt for food.

The only difference is…

"∿∿"

My left ear twitches towards the sound, I pause what I'm doing for a moment, then shrug.

"∿∿∿∿∿"

I freeze.

…this time I heard the distinct sound of people shouting rather than the usual animal scream.

。。。

——— –– –– -- - -

In the middle of a long-forgotten road.

"Why in the lord's name have we taken this path to bum-fuck-nowhere?"

A lone duo of misfits traveled together in a carriage. The old thing rattling with each turn of its wheels and groaning at every bump in the road.

A man sighed to the other. "Beacuse, and I have told you multiple times already, is that the goods are way too important to lose. If we get stopped by a patrol it's over for us, so we are taking the long way around."

"No— I mean, okay, I got that part. The main roads are swarming with guards, and we're just two little guys." The other man raised both of his hands. "But this is way too much! It's been weeks! WEEKS! What the hell man?!"

"It's just a little delay… The boss probably won't mind—"

"He WILL, and you KNOW it."

"H-hey! Don't hit me! FINE, If I say I will take responsibility will you let go already?!"

"Tch. Only because I don't want to be skinned alive!" They huff out.

For a while they both fall silent. The carriage trudging along.

At one point the carriage made a highly alarming sound. At least, more than what the rickety old thing had been making the whole time.

"Hey, you hear that?"

"...Hm? What?" The one holding the reins answered lazily, not paying much attention.

"I think we should stop for a minute, it feels like this carriage is going to fall apart any second now— Hey. HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!—"

They fell into a ditch.

They both fell forward and got covered in dirt. The horses got startled and ran away.

"*cough* *cough* Maybe it is just the axle, we can… we can fix this—"

The entire cart, along with the roof and the wheels fell apart.

"..."

"..."

"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!"

"FUCK IF I KNOW! YOU TELL ME! IT'S YOU THAT GOT THE BRIGHT IDEA TO COME HERE."

The budding frustration that had been building up for weeks exploded.

They had been dealt a bad hand when getting the carriage, another bad deal with their own superiors, and days of mundane and mind-numbing travel with nothing but each other only grated their sanity.

Now, they were in the deep end of trouble for sure.

"HOW IS THAT MY FAULT?!"

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"

"GO TO HELL!"

"WE'RE ALREADY IN IT! IF IT WASN'T—"

They kept bickering and fighting for well over an hour.

Fists were thrown.

They pushed and punched each other to vent their own anger.

Only, they did not realize that the noise they made attracted other things.

Normally, noise would do the opposite. In fact most animals would rather stay away from noisy places and fights.

But a certain pack of wolves had been down on their luck finding prey, because of a certain staff-wielding girl who beat their members black and blue, many of them were hungry.

The diminutive creature that they thought of as easy prey terrified them. She did odd things like pointing bones at them and leaving food on the ground along with groping their fur if she got too close. After encountering her many times they began outright avoiding her and running away instead of contesting territory.

"SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHU—!"

He grabbed the other's face with both hands and turned his head.

"Look!"

A wild pack of wolves, visibly malnourished and salivating had appeared.

"Ha… Hahaha…" The man laughed like a hollow corpse. "I so want to cry right now."

"Pull yourself together!" He unsheathed a knife, it is dull, short, meant to chop tree branches and to look intimidating rather than anything noteworthy.

"Ah! Erm! Uh…" The man who had been the most aggressive just before only had a tiny pocket knife. So he pulled on a plank of wood that was half-sticking out of the wreckage.

They shouted and waved around their implements, trying to scare off the beasts.

The canine predators never got too close, oddly cautious, and the pair of men managed to nick off a slash and push any who got too close with a hit to the nose.

For a few long minutes, with their backs to the fallen carriage, they managed to hold them off. But the wolves did not leave.

And then, one wolf ran out of patience. It ran forward and pounced, it hungered for food, and if it didn't get its fill today it would either die or be left behind by its pack and die anyway.

"Gah! Get off me damned dog!"

"H-hold still!" The man holding the plank repeatedly whacked the offending wolf in the head, once, twice, thrice. Only when something cracked with an ugly sound did the animal let go.

By then the rest of the bloodthirsty animals had already begun to converge on them.

It seemed their fate was to meet their end.

"Zϋὂ⊣▥⇱⨵fah⨾ϡsoh"

Suddenly, a spray of projectiles showered over them, too fast and too small to see.

The wolves surrounding the two men recoiled in pain, bruised and bleeding from the unseen attack.

"What the?..." The men said breathlessly.

A moment later, another volley came— small fragments of gravel they noticed —along with a cloaked figure that leapt over the fallen carriage, delivering an axe kick on one of the beasts after somersaulting above them.

They didn't even get a word in before all the wolves abruptly scattered the moment they saw who it was.

…

First it was confusion, then bafflement, and finally relief.

"Oh thank god, I thought I was going to die here."

The other man who held the knife sighed. "...Likewise."

The figure turned towards them.

""A woman?"" They both thought.

For a brief moment her beauty stunned them. They'd never seen someone with such a polished appearance before outside rich merchants and the nobles from afar.

Her delicate face clashed heavily with her attire, creating an odd dissonance of fragility and strength that made it more captivating.

It took a moment, and then they noticed the horns… and the tail.

As simple people who have not traveled much and neither were rigorously educated they had never seen those traits on someone before. They'd heard of beastmen and demi-humans in passing, and at first the tales of devils from a land far to the west occurred to them.

But looking twice the woman in front of them seemed like the most harmless thing ever, even though she had just saved them just now.

*cough* "Thank you!" He recomposed himself. "You saved us from a perilous moment, you have our utmost gratitude."

"Why are you suddenly speaking weirdly?" The other man whispered.

He received a kick to the shin.

For a long, painful minute, she just stared at them.

"Erm… madam?"

She jumped a little, startled as if lost in thought.

"Hσϝԋ, ραɾԃɾҽɳυʂƚ, ʂαɱ ραʂιʂɾҽ ყσɱ ƚҽɱʂҽƙƚɾ ԃҽ ƙιαɱ ԋαʅαʂҽʋƚ ʋιԃιʂ…"

.

.

.

""(⚆_⚆) (⊙_⊙;)???"" The men were utterly confused.

The stranger hit the palm of her hand with a fist, seemingly coming to a conclusion.

"Verily, a most seelie turn of fortune's wheel hath led mine eyes upon thy woeful plight. Right blessed am I, to have chanced upon such stout fellows after the weary tread of many leagues trod this day." She bowed.

""??????""

——— –– –– -- - -