The Author, the Well, and Another World (4)

While still trying to wrap my head around things, John went into the other room. He soon returned carrying clothes.

“You can use this to get dressed,” he said, and tossed me a pair of clothes. To my surprise, what he gave me was a tracksuit, though not one we’d wear at my school.

“Feel free to keep it. It doesn’t fit me, and it fits even less with the clothing people wear around.”

“Umm, where did you get it?”

“From one of the travelers. The guy drowned in the well, so I took his stuff. Thought they may suit me or be used for bargaining. But I’d rather not have you walk around naked in my home.”

“I am not wearing dead man’s clothes,” I said adamantly.

“Well then, back in the well you go.”

“I suppose he doesn’t really need these,” I backtracked. “Can you at least take me to his grave so I can pay my respects?”

“Can’t help you there. Burials cost money, so we burned him and spread the ashes in the forest.”

My body froze. He said it so nonchalantly. Like it’s just a day in life for him. This guy seems like bad news. Maybe I should figure out how to get out quickly before he changes his mood.

I dressed myself underneath the blanket, and then I stood up. The clothes are just a tiny bit big for my size, but it doesn’t matter. Just thank the man and the kid and ask for directions. Don’t get scared now, you don’t want to raise any tensions.

“Thank you for the clothes. I am sorry for my intrusion. It is probably for the best that I keep moving, trying to find Mio. Can you give me directions to the nearest town?”

“Well, there are two cities that are almost equally distant from here. If you head up north, you’ll reach Belldune, and going south, you will find yourself in Thorwick.”

“So, do you know where the girl might have gone?”

“I think she said north, she mentioned that Riverdune's name reminds her of a country in a game…”

Now that I think about it, it is similar to the name of a country in an RPG tabletop Sword World that we used to play in the club. But then it would be Belldine a whole country, wouldn’t it? So at least we are not in that world, or maybe we are. Who knows at this point? I have so many thoughts in my head right now, I need something tangible instead of making any presumptions.

“Thank you once again,” I said as I bowed, attempting to leave, but then my stomach growled.

Damn it, why now, you stupid body. But to make matters worse, adrenaline started to wear off, and I just noticed that all my muscles were starting to sore.

No, no, no, don’t do this to me body. We barely made it out alive, and I’d like to keep it that way. I can’t get myself involved with this guy. He didn’t so much as flinch when he pulled me out, and he doesn’t have any respect for the dead. I can’t be in debt to him. As if he’d go out of his way to help me out.

“I know you are eager to find your girl, but maybe you should get something to eat and rest. It is also already night outside, so I would recommend waiting at least till morning before you head out.”

Damn it. Well, I guess I can stay a bit. I will need stuff before I head out. But how can I repay him? Also, did he say Mio was ga irl, as in girlfriend? Oi, oi, brain, focus here, we have more immediate issues.

“You don’t mind having me as a guest?”

“No, but I’ll block the door while we sleep, so you don’t try anything funny.”

“I am fine with that.”

For dinner, we went to the other room, and the other room was pretty much what I expected from pre-electricity civilization. The kitchen was a modest space, dominated by a large, stone hearth built into one wall. Above it, a heavy iron pot hung from a hook, emitting a faint warmth. Along the walls, shelves held an assortment of clay pots, wooden bowls, and a few rough-hewn utensils. Bundles of dried herbs hung from the rafters, their earthy scent mingling with the faint aroma of smoke and cooked food. A wooden bucket of water sat near the hearth, and a single, flickering tallow candle on the table provided the only illumination.

We had porridge for dinner. I must admit it tastes very Earth-like. I don’t know why I was expecting something different. I mean, first living things to see are people who I can understand as if they were talking Japanese. But then again, maybe they were. He said travelers, as more than just Mio, and obviously the dead guy, so who knows. Maybe someone came to this world a long time ago and taught them Japanese, or maybe it is a skill I acquired as I was transported here, like auto-translation or something.

For the toilet, you had to go outside. There was a small, rickety outhouse, barely visible in the dim light of the single lantern hanging from the porch. Inside, a simple wooden seat was perched over a deep pit, and the air was thick with a damp, earthy smell.

I guess it was cleaned out recently. I also found some sort of cloth for wiping. Modern society, if I ever manage to come back, I swear, not a bad word is going to come out of my mouth ever again. How do these people manage to live like this? Better yet, how are they still alive? Are there not like no infections? Is this even sanitary?

I took a bit of time there, just to cry a bit. I was overwhelmed. I had no context of where I am, no plans on what to do next, and no allies to turn to for support.

I wonder how Mio dealt with all this. Did she even make it far? Oh, god. Is she even alive? Hey, brain, let’s think about this with a more positive attitude. She is alive. We do have some knowledge of our world that she probably bargained to get herself a starting point. What knowledge? We are just a bunch of teens, with a roof over our heads and less…

But as I was losing my mind, a knock on the door was heard.

“Are you finished in there? Some of us need to use the toilet as well.”

And so I was back in the same room where the well was. John has told me that he had no additional blankets or pillows, so I had to improvise with what I had. And so I used the tracksuit as a pillow and wrapped myself in a blanket, hoping that would be enough. The temperature in the cabin was warm, and even outside, so it must be the summer period at least.