A familiar face

Nitia Plains, located in the outskirts of the Kingdom of Zelthuria, is a large, green field that extends as far as the eye can see. Its natural bounty and inhabitation of monsters on the weaker end of things made the ideal place for the settlement of several small villages and for an adventurer's new beginnings. That's how it started, at least. As time flew by and the Demon Lord's forces became stronger and their reach greater, tougher monsters began teeming Nitia Plains. This in turn resulted in some villages putting up rudimentary defenses against monsters, while most if not all relied on the Adventurer's Guild back at the capital, whether for extermination jobs, defense requests, or even caravan escorts.

"It's just as I remember it." I smiled at myself, seeing the humble village come into view. Sena Village is just one of many within these plains. When I first arrived in this world, having absolutely no idea where I was and a Goddess that refused to tell me directions to foster up my 'sense of adventure' in my head, I stumbled onto the quaint little village. I was hungry, my clothes were almost in tatters, and I had small cuts all over my body. Despite not knowing who i was and me being unable to explain where I came from, the people of this village were kind enough to patch me up, to lend me new clothes, to feed me until I was full and satisfied. All the while without asking for a single dime. Unfortunately, during one of my fights with the Kingdom army, Sena Village was destroyed due to collateral damage. At the time, I had lost my heart and mind to mourn the loss, but now that I'm here, "I'm so happy to be back."

I sheepishly walked into the village. The people were going on about their daily lives. The adults merrily worked on the fields, the kind ran around, either helping out their families or having fun. Its peacefulness was honestly endearing, dilling my heart with warmth. I smiled, and continued making my walk through the village. I have some time to waste until the thing in my journey happens.

"Hey, you!" I cheerful voice called to me, approaching me from the side. I recognized the voice, and when turning my head confirmed who it was, i was washed with a feeling of both joy and inmense sadness. "You look like you're lost. Looking for someone?" she grinned, leaning against a wall.

"Oh, no. Just... strolling around. Taking in the sights."

"A tourist? Wow, wouldn't call this a top touristic spot, but I guess everyone has their own taste." She approached, bending down slightly, never losing the wide grin on her face. "Name's Lae."

"Kenta. My name's Kenta." I couldn't help but let out the smile I was holding back. This cheeky girl is Laelith Morren. Cunning, excitedly, and a tad bit of a brat... She was the first member of my party last time around, as the designated thief. To be a version of herself that could change the world for the better and to get strong enough to protect her village on her own, she joined me on my journey after leaving Sena Village. Throughout the best of times and my hardest battles, she was always there at my side, supporting me either with her skillful wielding of daggers or with brightening up my day with every chance she got.

She was also the very first member of the party I killed once I lost myself.

"Now then, Kenta!" She stood in front of me, hands on her hips. "Lucky for you, I happen to know this village like the back of my hand. So how about i give you a little personalized tour?" She proposed. Crafty as always, I see.

"Sorry, but I'll have to pass." I put my palm up, in sign of rejecting her offer.

"What?!" Her eyes went wide, her mouth turning into a pout. "Why not?!"

"Well, I happen to not have any coin. And you didn't plan to give a tour for free, now did you?"

"Buuuuu..." She complained. "You knew better."

"Of course I do." Because last time, she tried to pull the same trick on me. Gave me this grand tour of every nook and cranny on the village, and once she was done, she revealed she was charging me for it. The look on her face at the time once she figured I was completely clean out of gold was priceless, but I'd rather save myself the trouble this time around.

"But I'm bored! Come on, don't be like that. I'll even not charge you a thing, so come on!" She begged, putting on her puppy-dog eyes, a look very familiar to me. A look she gave when she had more to hide.

"Not a single coin at any moment?" I crossed my arms, staring her down.

"I already told you I won't charge you for the tour! Trust me a little, geez..."

And there it was. "That's not what I asked." I raised an eyebrow. "What about anything else that you happen to offer during the tour?"

She flinched. I hit right on the money. "I, uh..." She gulped, her eyes darting around like a kid looking for a way out. And then her eyes dropped in defeat. "Fine... I don't think I'll be able to rip you off. Yeah, yeah, I won't charge you a single coin for absolutely anything. Happy now?"

"Thanks for the tour." I smiled genuinely, which she didn't exactly appreciate as it was to her dismay. 

But nevertheless, she recovered quickly, returning to her usual expression. "Oh, you'll see! I'll give you a tour so good you'll wish you had paid me for it. So come on, Kenta! There's little to see but much to find." She declared, as she began making her way to the noth of the village.

"We'll see about that." I followed behind her, happy to be able to experience this dynamic once again. The time I spent not only with her but with the rest of my party members were the greatest days of my life. Even when times were tough, we all managed to pull through, together.

At what moment did everything change?