3 - Burnt

I woke up to the sun beaming through the window. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage to track time but I had a hopeful feeling it wouldn’t matter with my lazy days to come. I kept my eyes closed and reflected.

I had spent the night dreaming of my new life. Surrounded by comforts, wanting for nothing, and of course Kana as my wife. I can’t believe I had the audacity to dream such a thing when in my old world girls never even looked at me.

I’d mentioned before how the focus was always on Toast but with girls it was much worse than that. They’d obsess over him and take his photos and shower him with compliments, and if I so much as dared to start a conversation I was glared at with cold eyes, or worse yet; ignored completely. Treated like I was invisible or a nuisance. Just a nobody on the end of the leash.

I never once resented Toast for it. I took pride in owning the cutest dog in the world, but that didn’t mean the girl’s treatment didn’t hurt. I loved Toast more than any of them ever could but it would have been nice for at least one of them to talk to me.

I was so glad to have met Kana, and I’d made up my mind to shake off my trauma and have a real conversation with her.

As I fantasized about how that would go, a familiar weight plummeted on my chest. My eyes shot open as the air left my lungs and I saw Toast had jumped on me to wake me up, just like he did every day for the last 4 years. It was nice to see he hadn't reverted to his old ways completely. Since we got here he's been acting a bit like he did back then.

When I’d first gotten him from the shelter he seemed to be afraid of everything except me. He clung to me like static, and hid every time there was a new sound, smell, or sight. He’s conquered most of those fears by now, but I hoped there weren’t any vacuum monsters in this world just in case.

Jumping on me started to become a thing once we’d gotten into a routine. This was his signal to get out of bed already and feed him. If I didn’t respond to that he’d scratch at my face so I’d been trained to not laze about.

“Right away, Mr. Hero.”

I pushed him off and got out of bed with a stretch, heading downstairs. He followed me closely, spinning in circles as we got closer to the kitchen. Another habit of his.

I found a bowl and filled it with some of the various foods that had been brought to us, but then I hesitated. Not all of the food looks like what was available in our world, so how will I know what’s safe to give him?

Within a split second of that thought, a dialogue box appeared.

>Information

I clicked on it and a list of the foods in the bowl appeared, each with its own information icon. I browsed through them and to my surprise each food had a description comparing it to something in our world, along with a comically large text of “SAFE” and “NOT SAFE” at the bottom, and all were signed with “-A”.

“That goddess really loves you, huh?”

I sorted through the various foods like this, and lamented that I hadn't seen anything even remotely resembling an inventory or item box. It would have been nice to have been blessed with something so convenient, but I guess that goddess really didn't give me anything. Maybe Toast has one?

Feeling disappointed in my findings but secure in my offerings, I placed the bowl on the ground and gave Toast the command to eat. Once he had finished in approximately 0.4 seconds, I checked out one of the piles of goods the villagers had brought, found some nicer clothes than mine, changed, and geared Toast up for a walk. 

This is when things went wrong.

We walked along the garden, away from the grand house towards the town. Before we'd even gotten past the fence Toast scrunched up his body into a squat and started to waddle. He had this odd habit of walking while he pooped. Don't ask me why because I don't know what to tell you. He's a weird dog.

Then I noticed something weird about my weird dog. He started to kick the dirt behind him as he does when he finishes, but instead of poop there was a small brown box. Did I dare to pick up the poop box? Of course I did. You can't just leave a mysterious box lying around, and it's common courtesy to pick up after your dog.

I picked up the box, and another dialogue window appeared.

>ITEM BOX
>Open? Yes/No

I opened it, and inside was an item called a Moroza antler. Was this what Toast got for defeating that moose looking thing? Everything happened so fast the night before I didn't even get a chance to see that thing's name or level. I decided to ask Kana about it when I saw her. For now I lamented again my lack of inventory and hooked the antler onto my shorts.

I realized I hadn't checked out his stats again either, so I brought up the window while we walked towards the town. I saw that he had gained 2 skill points. That didn't seem like a lot for a boss monster. I didn't notice any real changes in his strength or speed or health either. I needed to pay more attention to those numbers and monitor his growth here.

As I combed through his skill tree for something I could use two points on, we got closer to the center of town. I started to hear loud voices and the sound of several people talking over each other.

We approached a large group that could have easily been the entire town in an uproar, and someone alerted the mob to us. I waved nervously.

"That's him! The fake hero!"

The whatnow? My heart tightened and I dreaded whatever was about to happen. The voices continued, overlapping as I picked out bits and pieces of their accusations.

I looked into the crowd and saw the same sturdy man who poured my drinks.

"Liar!" 

The same rough man who made the boots I was wearing.

"Thief!"

The buxom woman who offered me her daughter as a bride.

"Sacrilegious cretin!"

Not sure about that last one.

As the anger of the crowd continued, a familiar head of pink fluffy hair pushed past the villagers at the front, and Kana stepped in front of me, ready to plead my case.

"Please listen to me! He's a Hero, I swear it! I saw him defeat the Jika!"

Jika? Not Moroza?

"The Jika is gone..."

"He does have a Spirit partner..."

"Doesn't that mean he's crazy high level?"

There seemed to be mixed feelings from the crowd. All I could do was hide behind Kana as my pampered idyllic life slowly but surely slipped through my fingers. I barely even got to enjoy all the gifts! I even wondered if I would have enough time to go back for that pillow. Spoiler alert; I did not and I still think about it to this day.

"He didn't defeat it! The great Spirit did! I saw it too!"

A random villager came forward, pointing a finger at Toast. It startled him and he shuffled back behind me, tugging on his leash.

"And look how he treats his spirit! Chained like a slave!"

Ah. Yeah, I can see how this must look. Maybe we ditch the leash and harness from now on. Thanks a lot Ms. Goddess.

The crowd murmured their disagreements while Kana frantically tried her best to reassure them, until finally another person pushed through the crowd. This time it was another face I recognized, but thankfully more clothed than the last time I saw her.

"I think you should go boy."

"Madam Healer, no!"

Kana barely knew me but she was so good hearted she'd argue for me to stay? Who wouldn't love this girl?

"I'm sorry my girl but the village is uneasy. We don't know this boy and his Spirit partner can just as easily bring destruction as it can good fortune. The risk is too great."

Kana turned to me with downtrodden eyes and my heart twanged with guilt as I had caused this sadness. My Japanese manners took over and I stepped towards the crowd and bowed, probably deeper than the time I worked in a hobby store and broke a customer's WarMallet model he'd been assembling for a week. Use stronger glue!

"I am deeply sorry for the unrest we have caused. I thank you all for your hospitality and we will leave the village."

I turned away from the mob and started walking to the edge of the village. Toast kept pulling to the side to sniff buildings and boxes, blissfully unaware of our new situation. I was entirely unsure of where to go or what to do. I was homeless and lost in a new world on my second day and my dreams of grandeur were shattered. My survival skills were sparse to speak of but at the very least I knew I had to get a job and make some money. As I tried to sort out my feelings and make a plan I heard some footsteps running up behind me. 

"Mr. Hero! Wait!"

My angel's voice!

"Please wait! I'm so sorry about all of this. The villagers are too cautious. We're such a small community, anything new is rejected without thought. I wish they would just... just..."

She looked flustered as she tried her best to not say anything rude while still expressing her frustration. You're too cute!

"It's okay, I don't blame you. If I could impose one last time though I could use a map."

"A map? Sure we have one, but where are you going?"

Maybe I imagined this but she looked worried about me! 

"I don't know just yet. Maybe a larger town, somewhere I can find a job."

"A job? You're not an adventurer?"

"Not formally."

"Well..."

Kana was pensive for a few minutes as we walked. 

"It's decided!"

She broke the silence with conviction written all over her face, so I knew there was no arguing with what she was about to say.

"I'll take you to the Grand City Linna!"