A Fresh Start

Hearing his words left me speechless, unable to react in the slightest. The two of us stared at each other for a while without saying any words, making the atmosphere in the room feels awkward.

“Uhh… umm, I think you’ve got the wrong person. Am I really that similar to your friend? Hahaha.” He smiled while slowly scratching the back of his head.

“Ahh… yeah… I guess I mistook you for someone else.” I turned my face away with a bitter smile.

“Hey, hey, how did things get this awkward? I came here to check on your wounds, so please sit down, young lady. While I’m checking your wounds, why don’t we have a little chat? That way, things won’t be so awkward.”

The young woman grabbed both of my shoulders and guided me toward the edge of the bed.

“Uhhh, ow!” I let out a small groan of pain.

BONK!

“Hey! Could you be a little gentler with her? You already know she hasn’t fully recovered yet… What kind of priest does something like that!?”

The man knocked the young woman on the head hard.

“OW! I-I know, geez! You’re so annoying!”

I remained silent as I watched her unwrap the bandages around my leg and arm. Meanwhile, the young man continued talking to me.

“How did you end up all alone in the middle of that forest? The Southern Forest of Ranaris is known for its many wild beasts and monsters. It’s extremely dangerous for someone without any combat experience. Besides, you don’t seem to be from around here. I’ve never seen you before.”

For now, there was no way I could tell them that I was a goddess who had descended into the human world, only to end up stranded in the middle of the wilderness. It would be better to pretend that I knew nothing.

“I-I don’t know… I… I can’t remember how I ended up here.”

“Hmm… That’s strange. Do you have anyone close to you that I could contact through a guild letter?”

“G-guild let— No… I… don’t know anyone here… I think.”

“Hmm, it seems you—”

“Whoa! That wound is pretty deep. You’re very lucky that Val gave you emergency treatment last night. Otherwise, you would’ve definitely—EKKK!”

She stuck out her tongue, tilted her head to the side, and raised both hands, making peace signs with her fingers as if she were posing for a picture after dying.

BONK!

“How can you joke around when someone is injured!?”

“Owww That hurts! My head still hurts from the first one, huhuhu…”

“Enough. Hurry up and heal her with that healing magic of yours. I didn’t call you here so you could fool around!”

“Haaah~ fine.”

The young woman stood up and raised her hand toward me, closing her eyes. After taking a slow breath, she began chanting her spell.

“Oh, Goddess Alteria, hear my call. Let your grace flow through this soul, touching the wounded body and driving away all pain. Restore every wound, return the strength that has been lost, and let life flow through this body once more.”

“RESTORIA!”

A green light illuminated the entire room, and a gentle breeze began to blow around us. The wounds on my hands and legs slowly began to close. The pain gradually faded away until, before I knew it, I was completely healed.

“Whoa, amazing… You really healed me completely.” I stood up and spun around, looking over my entire body.

“HOHO… Of course! I’m the best priest in Ranaris Village!”

“You’re so full of yourself, Lumi…”

“HUH! Instead of thanking me, you just keep making insulting me!”

“By the way, your name is Lumi, right? Thank you for healing me, Lumi.” I took both of her hands in mine and gave her a warm smile.

“Ahhh, it’s nothing. I’m already used to this kind of thing… Hehe.”

“Ah, young lady, I almost forgot that we haven’t introduced ourselves yet,” the young man said.

“Ahh, that’s true. It’s nice to meet you b-both. My name is Eirya.”

“Ohhh, Eirya? What a lovely name. Once again, my name is Lumier Alvela, but you can just call me Lumi. Hehe!”

“Ahem… Nice to meet you, Eirya. My name is Rakan Valriel, and you can call me Val. I hope we can become good friends from now on.”

Val put out his hand for a handshake. For a moment, I simply stared at his hand before finally reaching out and shaking it.

“Nice to meet you too… Val. I hope so too.”

“Come on, Eirya. You’re completely healed now, right? I’d like to take you around and show you Ranaris Village while we’re at it.”

“Val, I don’t think I’ll come with you. I just met Auntie Lara, and she asked me to help her prepare some potions for the village.” Lumi said.

“Ehhhh!! You’re really going to leave the two of us alone!?”

“Good luck, Val. See you later.”

Lumi ran toward the door and stopped right in front of it before turning around.

“If anything interesting happens between you two, don’t forget to tell me about it, okay? BLEK~”

She immediately ran out of the room.

“HEY, LUMI—WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ANYTHING INTERESTING BEETWEEN US!?”

“Haaah~ So, I guess it’s just the two of us now, Eirya.” Val sighed and patted his forehead.

“Hehe, I don’t mind. Come on, Eirya— let’s take a little walk.” Val immediately headed toward the door.

“By the way, Val…”

“Hmm… What is it, Eirya?” Val stopped walking and turned to face me.

“You were the one who helped me last night, weren’t you? T-Thank you…” I spoke softly. I lowered my head and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed to meet his gaze.

“A-ah… y-you don’t have to thank me, Eirya. Ahem! Anyway, let’s go.” Val quickly continuing to walk out of the room.

***

I slowly made my way toward the door. The heat of the sunlight could already be felt from inside the house. However, it was only when I stepped outside that the scenery before me truly came into view.

A dirt road stretched out in front of the house, with several people walking along it. A man who appeared to be a farmer walked by carrying a bundle of hay on his shoulder, while not far from him, a woman pushed a wooden cart filled with crops, and a strong-looking man was chopping wood.

In the distance, vast green fields stretched beneath the clear sky. From time to time, I could hear the voices of children playing and the friendly greetings of villagers passing one another by.

I simply stood there, silently taking it all in.

“Eirya! Over here!” Val called out from a distance, waving his hand at me.

I walked over to Val and followed closely behind him. As we walked, I occasionally glanced around, taking in the atmosphere of the village, which still felt unfamiliar to me. Several villagers who passed us seemed to recognize Val and greeted him warmly, and he responded with a nod and a smile. Without realizing it, I slowed my pace several times as I became fascinated by the lives of the people around me.

“So this is what human life looks like…”

“Did you say something, Eirya?” Val said, turning around to face me.

“A—ahh nothing at all, Val…”

“Eirya, it seems you’re still a little uncomfortable being here.”

“Ahh, Val… I don’t think—"

“Don’t worry, Eirya. The people of Ranaris Village are all very friendly. You’ll get used to it soon enough, hehe.” Val took my hand softly and nodded reassuringly.

As we walked around Ranaris Village, Val occasionally explained various things about the village, from the villagers daily lives to the places around it. Not long after, an elderly woman with a frail body called out to Val.

“Val! Val, come here for a moment, dear.”

“Ohhh, Grandma Mari. What is it?”

“Dear… Would you mind helping this old woman deliver a lunch box to my grandson, Kai? He’s at the training grounds, training with his sword.” Her voice was soft and trembling, yet it still carried the warmth of a grandmother.

“Of course, Grandma. I’ll deliver it for you.”

“Thank you, dear. As always, you’re so reliable. This village is truly lucky to have you.” The old woman gave him a warm smile.

“Ahhh… It’s nothing, Grandma. It’s my duty to help the people around me.” Val scratched the back of his head as he spoke.

“By the way, you seem to be new around here, young lady. What’s your name?” The old woman turned her attention to me.

“I-I’m Eirya. It’s nice to meet you.” I gave her a slight bow.

“Haha, she still seems a little shy around everyone. Please don’t mind her, Grandma Mari. She only made it here last night after getting lost in the forest.”

Seeing that I was still feeling awkward, Val continued his conversation with Grandma Mari while I simply stood beside him.

“Ahh, I see… But looking at the two of you, I’d say you make quite a lovely pair. You already look like such a well matched couple. Eirya, make sure you keep an eye on Val, alright? He’s a hardworking boy, but he can be a little careless sometimes. I worry that he might get himself into trouble.”

“A-aaaa… G-Grandma Mari, what are you talking about?! Ha-ha… S-sorry about this, Eirya. Grandma Mari likes to tease sometimes. Come on, let’s go before the food gets cold. He-he…” Without giving me a chance to say anything, Val quickly grabbed my right hand and pulled me along.

“Take care on your way, you two!” Grandma Mari called out from behind us with a smile.

Some time had passed since Val had taken my hand, yet he still hadn’t let go. It was only after I noticed that I began to feel a little awkward.

“Umm, Val…”

“What, Eirya!? You’d better not think too much about what that old woman said, HUH!!” Val huffed, turning his face away, clearly flustered as he tried to hide his reaction.

“B-but, Val, um—”

“What is it, Eirya!?” He stopped and turned to face me.

“E-Ehehe… Could you let go of my hand? I’m starting to feel a little awkward, He-he…” I pointed at our hands, which were still holding onto each other, with my left hand and gave him an awkward smile.

“U-UWAAHH!! S-S-Sorry, Eirya! I-I-I didn’t mean to—”

I noticed Val’s face turning bright red. He looked completely flustered before quickly letting go of my hand and hurrying ahead, leaving me behind.

“Val…… You really are so much like him…”