Tensura: Discovering the eastern part

— • — Monday, 21:10 — • —

Elrik's POV:

I'm dead. I'm dead for real this time.

The thought screamed through my mind as I hoisted myself as high as I could beneath the moving cart, trembling legs and sweat-slicked fingers. The road raced beneath me, rocks, ice, and doom waiting for the smallest slip. If I shouted for help, I'd be killed on the spot. If I stayed like this, I'd be crushed to death. Either way...

All roads lead to death.

How wise you are, Captain. I should've listened. I wish you'd locked me in a cave or cracked me over the head until I came to my senses. Damn me! What kind of idiot does what I did?

— • — 4 hours ago, 17:00 — • —

Something was wrong.

I'd noticed it when I went to feed the horses. Albert was moving from house to house, knocking on doors, speaking quietly with the occupants, and then leaving just as quickly. That alone was strange. Stranger still were the parents pulling their children indoors in the middle of the morning.

At first, I thought it was the snow. The storm this year had been worse than usual. But that theory crumbled the moment Albert approached me, fresh from the house across the road, face grim and eyes shadowed.

I set down the feed and stepped away from the horses, meeting him at the stable entrance.

"Hello, Cap--"

"Listen. Carefully." His voice was low but hard, like steel wrapped in frost. His gaze caught the light just enough to make me feel like he could see straight through me. "Go to your cabin. Do not come out before dawn. Don't look out the windows. Don't eavesdrop. Don't pretend you need to piss. Don't test me, Elrik. I know exactly how curious you are. But I'm telling you: Stay. Inside. For the rest of the day. And all night. Do you understand?"

He grabbed my collar in one large, calloused hand.

I wanted to ask what was going on, but the captain's eyes assured me that it was pointless. I stared, wide-eyed. I hadn't seen him like this since I tried to sneak out with the hunting party when I was nine and almost got killed. I swallowed nervously, trying to organise the words in my head.

"O-Okay..." I managed.

He studied me for another long second, then released his grip and turned away without a word.

I did as I was told. I went back to my small hut near the stables and lay down. One hour passed. Then two. Then four. I wasn't much of a sleeper, so I sat and thought instead. Something bad was coming, but I couldn't figure out what.

The captain doesn't act like this for nothing. Something's wrong... something unusual.

Then it hit me—the stranger.

He appeared out of nowhere, as I'd heard, and the captain's reaction to him was anything but casual. There had to be a connection.

That's when I remembered the story.

Every time I went to a nearby village or town, whether to shop for our villagers or work, I heard various stories and rumours. Frankly, I wasn't interested in their veracity as much as I was in their enjoyment. It was one of the few available forms of entertainment.

It happened last year, during one of my work stints in a small roadside restaurant. I was bussing tables when two men came in—one of them wealthy-looking, probably from the capital, judging by his clothes and accent. They sat near the window, talking over their meal. Most of it was dull politics or business, but then I caught a word that made my ears perk up:

"Stray"

I pretended to tidy the table next to theirs and listened closely.

They were talking about an incident in Marcaine—a stray had gone wild, they said, killing several people before vanishing. A whole part of the city had been locked down for weeks.

I'd never heard the word used that way before. I worked up the nerve and asked them: "What's a stray?"

To my surprise, they weren't angry at the interruption. The older man chuckled and leaned in, like he was sharing a secret.

"A stray," he said, "is someone from another world who gets dragged into ours—no one knows how. Most of them are confused, lost. But some..." He trailed off with a dark look.

I didn't believe him. Who would? Other worlds? That's the kind of nonsense we tell kids to make them behave.

But something in his eyes made the hair on my arms stand up.

Before I could ask more, my manager yelled at me to stop loitering. By the time I got back, the two had already left.

I didn't think much of it at the time. Just another traveller's tale. But now...

Was that boy, the one staying in our village, a stray? If he were... would he go berserk like the one in Marcaine? Is that why the Captain warned everyone to stay inside?

He didn't seem dangerous. He seemed... normal. But so did everyone—until they weren't.

As the hours dragged on, I tried distracting myself with old memories. Like the time I nearly burned down the blacksmith's shop trying to forge a sword because it looked "cool." I chuckled. That curiosity had gotten me into more trouble than anything else in my life.

Eventually, sleep took me.

Until the horses woke me with their loud, panicked neighing.

I opened my eyes and lit a candle using a lighter in my pocket, still half-asleep. I lazily got out of bed. I thought about checking on them in the stable, but I reminded myself of the captain's warning. But just when I was about to go back to bed to try to catch up on sleep, I heard the neighing, but louder. Maybe it was because I hadn't fed them enough?

...The stable is two steps from my door. No one would even notice. I could sneak out, check on them, and be back in minutes.

Another neighing coming from the stable was all I needed to get out quickly. I opened the door slowly and crept lightly to the entrance to the stable on my left. I turned my head cautiously to the right and left, making sure the place was clear.

Then I turned to the pile of hay behind me and picked up some of it. I went to the first horse and offered it the feed, but it refused. It wasn't the one that neighed, then. I tried the same thing with the others and got the same result. They were also nodding their heads, pointing me out.

I wondered what was keeping them all awake so late at night, other than food. I glanced outside, and as expected, nothing. Everyone was asleep, and a deadly silence filled the place. Even the wind, unusually quiet, was extremely calm. I heard a soft neigh from the horses behind me, all gestured for me to go outside, to the right.

I looked back at the road. The only sources of illumination were the candle in my left hand and the moon. I decided to head back to my hut, ignoring the horses behind me. Most likely, the sound of the mountain beasts had scared them off.

But suddenly, the neighing from the horses increased. I hurried back to calm them down, but to no avail. This would give me away! Their gazes were all focused in the same direction, and they showed no signs of calming down.

"Okay! Okay! I'm going!"

As if they'd understood what I'd said, they stopped neighing. I headed straight for the exit, with deliberate steps, a dangerous sense of danger weighing on my chest. This didn't seem right at all.

After a few minutes of walking, I sighed in relief that I wasn't in any danger. I decided to walk a little further and turned left, approaching the village outskirts. A reddish light caught my attention in the distance. I assumed it was a fire, judging by its movement and glow. I extinguished the candle I was holding and threw it away, finding most of it already melted. I quickly took a few steps back, hiding behind the wall of one of the huts at the turn. Who would be awake at this hour? Wait, isn't the torch near the doctor's hut?

I placed my palms on the wall and slowly tilted my head to the right. I focused my gaze and spotted two carts covered in cloth and tied to horses, one with one horse, the other with two. A torch was hanging from the side of the first cart.

The two carts looked shabby. Perhaps a passing merchant looking for hospitality? But merchants don't travel at this time of year, and they don't pass this way under any circumstances, unless... they're thieves.

As I was thinking, three masked figures emerged from the first carriage.

My senses screamed with danger, my feet went numb, and I couldn't even run away. One of the three was terrifyingly large. Could he be one of the giants I'd heard about? No, that didn't matter now. The other two headed toward the side window of the house, while the giant stood outside.

They were thieves, as I'd suspected! What should I do? What should I do?

If I went to call for help, I'd be too late. If I tried to scream to wake people up, they might take the doctor and his wife hostage. There was only one option left if...

I dropped to the ground and began to crawl quietly. The giant, standing outside with his arms folded, was focused on the house, while the other two had already opened the window. I tried to speed up, and as soon as the cart was between me and the giant, I stood up slowly, faster than I could walk. He would surely be surprised by a surprise attack.

I reached the cart and lowered my knees to the ground. I tilted my head down, peering out from under the cart at the giant's feet, planning how to attack him. Suddenly,

*CRASH!*

I heard the sound of wood and utensils breaking from the hut. Could the doctor be awake too!? I had to help him, but that person would catch me as soon as I got up! My breath caught when I saw his huge feet moving. I quickly hid under the cart, thinking he was coming toward me. But it turned out he was heading toward home. I peeked with my right eye from under the cart and looked up. The closer I got, the more surprised I was by the size of this person. I found his clothes to be of a strange design, something I'd never seen before. He raised his right arm, swung it backwards, and then broke through the wall. He didn't stop there, but did the same with his left arm, then walked through the wall.

Huh? Since when have walls been so fragile!?

I heard someone scream, as if they were choking, but the sound gradually faded. Who were these people?! What in the world was going on?!

From my position under the cart, I saw the huge man emerge from the hut, dragging the body of a familiar figure by the neck. It was the "stray"! Had they come to kidnap him, then!?

I didn't know whether to be relieved that the doctor and his wife were safe, or to worry about the boy, or to fear for my life!

I wanted to get out of there, but I was surprised to find two feet behind me!

I quickly lay down, my back flat on the ground. Above me, there were crossbeams slightly elevated above the ground. I grabbed them with my fingertips and my mouth, lifting myself off the ground. I spotted the person, who turned out to be a woman by her hair. She placed her knees on the ground, examining the space beneath me. Although she wasn't directed at me, I felt her piercing gaze, which sent shivers down my spine. My limbs began to tremble with exhaustion, but I endured until she left. I slowly lowered myself, biting back the pain. Above me, the carriage shook after two of the group boarded, and the third went to drive the second carriage behind me.

Oh, shit! There was no escape!

I turned my head up again, and this time I spotted a gap between a piece of wood and the bottom of the carriage where I could wrap my legs. This I did, and I again grabbed onto it using my fingers.

How long would I have to stay like this? Where were we going, anyway? Ah, you've buried yourself this time, Elrik!

"I assume you've finished your work," a voice came from behind me, near the woman. I turned and leaned my ear outward to listen for a lifeline. I could see a pair of brown leather boots lined with white wool.

These looked familiar...the Captain's!

Hope surged through me. If anyone was going to save me from this, it would be the Captain!

I slowly and quietly turned my left side, careful not to be seen by the woman. And sure enough, I saw the Captain in front of me.

Wait a minute, isn't he supposed to stop them? He seemed completely at ease.

"Ah, yes, you did a good job getting things in order before we arrived," the woman said, followed by a murmur from the Captain.

"Could he be with them? No, that's impossible. He wouldn't do anything like that, unless the "stray" was dangerous!" Yes, that must be it.

I noticed the woman had gotten off her horse and gone to get something from inside the carriage, so I decided to seize the opportunity.

"Captain... Captain!" I whispered from under the carriage, trying to get the captain's attention, which I succeeded in.

The Captain's eyes met mine... and for the first time, I wished I hadn't been found.

As soon as he turned toward me, the colour drained from his face. His expressions mixed from anger to resentment to shock, but they all disappeared when the woman returned carrying a small bag that made the sound of metal clashing against each other.

Money?

"What's wrong?" the woman said after climbing onto the horse.

"No... nothing important," the captain replied briefly.

Eh?

"Anyway, here's the money. Make sure you pay for everything."

Captain... why?

Albert: "Hmm..."

Finally, the carriage I was clinging to began to move, followed by the woman's. As we accelerated, I could see the captain in the distance, looking straight into my eyes with those bulging eyes. Finally, he disappeared into the distance.

I was trying to lift myself as high as I could to avoid the ground and rocks. It would definitely hurt with the carriage moving so fast.

I'm dead! I'm dead for real this time!

— • — Tuesday, 6:00 — • —

Alan's POV:

Air. I need air.

That's all I've been thinking about for the past five minutes. When I woke up, a wave of memories hit me, followed by a panic attack, but I kept my eyes closed and my body still, barely. I also kept my breathing as steady as possible.

I found myself lying on a wooden floor, and the place was shaking. It was probably a cart, a very heavy object on my chest, preventing me from moving or even breathing properly. I still felt pain in my neck from the grip of that human gorilla. Is he even human?

To sum it up, I was at the mercy of fate and luck.

If I opened my eyes, they might knock me unconscious again. I don't speak the language, so I can't even do what I'm good at, and I'm nowhere near as strong as this monster. All my assets are useless here.

Isn't this the time I discover my superpowers, or the noble hero comes to my rescue and invites me to his palace or something? Who the hell is writing the script?!

I don't feel comfortable at all leaving myself without making any movement. It's not like they need to lock me up like this. Putting me next to that giant is more than enough!

Let me review what I have again. Not like there's much else to do but panic and wait for death.

I wish someone would tell me why I'm here anyway.

"()*&^" I heard a male voice behind me, his tone grim and annoyed, followed by the crushing weight lifted from my chest. They were feet! What kind of feet weigh over 50 kg?!

The image of the huge man suddenly appeared in my head. It all made more sense now. From the movement of his feet, I thought he was to my left. If I was right, the light hitting my eyes was coming from the entrance to the carriage. Unfortunately, the carriage seemed to be moving quickly from the rhythmic sound of the horses' hooves, or whatever the strange creature was driving, so I couldn't simply jump out and escape. Even if it were stopped, the reaction speed of that giant was beyond anything I'd experienced.

All that training and killing skills were in vain in the end...

I continued pretending to sleep, waiting for a miracle or something to get me out of this.

It wasn't long before the carriage suddenly stopped moving.

"@)%*~{#(" The male voice returned, this time with a touch of tension and haste.

The carriage shook violently as the large man near me stood up and stepped out of the carriage.

The miracle had come! Finally, I was able to open my eyes—not completely, of course, for fear that there was someone else in the carriage, which was proven false after I explored the carriage. With my eyes, I also noticed that I was still wearing my glasses, which was amazing. I remember there were three of them; maybe the third had gone off on his own.

*Bam!*

I heard an explosion coming from outside, followed by a wave of dust invading the vehicle. I quickly got up from my seat. Moments later, the cart flipped. My body slammed against the wood, injuring my left leg. Fantastic!

I had to get out of here. I didn't know what would happen if I ran, but I knew what would happen if I didn't. I covered my eyes from the dust and stepped outside the vehicle. My entire surroundings were blurry, and the air was thick with dust. There were sounds of explosions and metal clashing all around. I moved as far away from the source of the sound as possible. A few steps later, I stumbled upon something solid. I focused my gaze and saw a dead horse. A deep wound across the neck killed it instantly.

"Ah...ah..." I heard a faint voice nearby. Turned around, searching for the source of the sound, and found a hand sticking out from the remains of the destroyed vehicle, wounded and swollen.

I slowly pulled the trapped person out from under the pile of debris, revealing a young man with curly brown hair who looked eerily familiar.

*Bam!*

I'll deal with that later! Escape first.

I carried the boy on my back and started running. My leg was bleeding more and more with every step. I couldn't risk stopping and bandaging it. The longer I stayed here, the greater the chance of being struck by stray fire.

Now and then, I stumbled over rocks or found myself a step away from falling off the edge of the path. It seemed we were on a mountain trail. The sounds of chaos behind us began to fade away as we walked away. Vision was also clear.

The sun was just rising, casting its rays between the mountains and the forests below. I would have appreciated nature more if I hadn't been on the brink of death. Meanwhile, my left leg was moments away from failing; it was bleeding heavily.

After ensuring I was a good distance away from the ruins, I decided to stop and stop the bleeding.

I calmly placed the boy's body on the ground. I sat down next to him, tore off a piece of my trousers, twisted it around my leg, and tied it tightly. The wound would fester later, but it was better than nothing.

I turned to the boy. He had no visible injuries except for his damaged fingers. There was a possibility that one of his bones was broken after the cart fell on him. His heartbeat, which had been rapid, had returned to normal, as had his breathing. The pallor of his skin didn't seem severe either, nor was he sweating. So there was most likely no internal bleeding.

Now that I had examined his face carefully, I remembered him. He was the same person who had accompanied me and the doctor earlier in the village. If they had also kidnapped him, they must have been some kind of slave trader. I got up from my seat, stretching my arms and legs despite the excruciating pain. I wondered if there was a village or settlement nearby. I couldn't walk and run like this forever, and I was also below the poverty line.

I turned again to the boy as if waiting for him to wake up. I think I'll leave him here. I can barely hold myself up, let alone anyone else.

... I'll carry him. A little and I'll throw him at the nearest station. If I'm lucky and he dies, I'll take his clothes, as my trousers were torn, and my coat is damaged.

I mustered my strength and carried the boy back on my back, continuing on the road.

Time passed slowly. The sun was rising gradually, dispelling the darkness of the night and announcing the beginning of a new day. The wind was cool and light, and I could hear its sound passing through the mountains like a whisper. The road ahead stretched on for what seemed endlessly to me. I would be more than happy for another miracle to appear.

And as if the world heard me, I saw a stopped horse-drawn carriage in the distance, and I found this... very appropriate.

I hastened my steps, approaching, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone, but to no avail, until I reached it. I carefully scanned the surroundings as well as the interior, but found no one. Strange, someone would leave their carriage in the middle of the mountains like that? Well, I certainly wouldn't refuse such a gift!

I'd gambled a lifetime's worth of luck on this escape, and won, for now.

I placed the half-alive corpse inside the carriage. Then I walked over to the horse and sat down slowly, afraid of scaring him, but he seemed to accept it. I grabbed the reins to control the movement after making sure the bridle was in his mouth. This may be my first time leading a horse, but I know a thing or two. With a subtle tug on the reins, I signalled the horse to move forward.

— • — An hour and a half later, 8:00 — • —

The horse doesn't look like it's going to tire out anytime soon. Good. I wish I could say the same about my rear end. I miss my motorcycle. No, I would have been happy with just a regular bike.

I'm a little disappointed by the scientific backwardness of this world despite the presence of magic. Or maybe it's because I'm in a rural area? Possibly.

Hey... Is that a house? Two houses, a town! Yahoo!

Ahead, beyond the woods below us, the outlines of a medium-sized town began to emerge. At our current speed, we'd be there in half an hour at most.

...But what am I going to do there? I'm hungry, I have no money or connections, and I can't even ask where the hell I am without playing charades. Speaking of connections...

I turned to look at the boy behind me and found him still asleep. I hoped he was able to offer some assistance; we were in the same boat after all. He owed me a ransom, and I'd make sure to pay, assuming he was still alive.

We continued until we reached a fork in the road. Right up, left down, where the town was. The path down looked steep, so I got off my horse with difficulty, resisting the shock coming from my injured leg, then pulled the horse along. We reached what looked like the town gate. It was large and wooden, with a sign at the top written in a strange language. It must be the name of the town.

Near the gate stood two men in metal armour, swords at their waists. That's...so in style.

However, there was a problem. What if they searched the carriage? The body of a half-dead boy would have them arrest me immediately, and I wouldn't even be able to clear my name.

I approached the gate, smiling, trying to act innocent, which I certainly was. I hoped they'd let me go without a search or investigation, but my hopes were extinguished when they advanced toward me.

"@#%*(" said the first, while the second went back to inspect the cart. The first's gaze remained fixed on me, waiting for me to answer whatever he'd said.

I started moving my hands to indicate my inability to speak. If he thought I was mute, he'd stop asking questions, which I think worked after he moved away from me and followed his companion to the back of the cart. The problem was the dead/alive boy.

I could escape now, right?... After thinking about it, letting them arrest me seemed like a good idea. I'd get free shelter and food after all.

Just when I was starting to accept the idea, the two guards returned with the awake boy. Did they wake him up, or did he just happen to wake up?

He looked shocked when he saw me. I hope he doesn't think I was the one who kidnapped him.

Elrik's POV:

I was terrified when the two guards woke me up. They bombarded me with questions like, "Where are you from?", "Why are you here?", "Is the boy driving the carriage your friend?" It took me what seemed like days to process everything that had happened.

Why am I here? Believe me, if I knew, I would have told you. And why am I in such excruciating pain all over?

The two guards motioned for me to get up and leave. I walked out, each one standing to one side as if I might run away at any moment.

Just when I thought the surprises were over, I found the stray right in front of me, safe and sound!

It all made sense now. He must have saved me.

It's embarrassing to be the one being saved, but we're alive, and that's what matters. And if he could save me once, he can definitely help me again!

I stood next to him and put my hand on his shoulder, then forced a small smile on my face.

"Haha, w'sub buddy! You should have woken me up earlier, haha." I raised my voice a little so the guards could hear me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was sleep-deprived and didn't answer you yet. I'm Elrik, and this is a st- Stark! Yes, Stark! We came here from Branlow village to um... to look for a job!" I studied the guards' faces to see if they believed me or not.

"What's wrong with your fingers then?" a guard said, pointing at my hands. Strangely, my fingers started to hurt as soon as I scanned them.

"Um... about that... I'm sick. I have a serious disease that causes the flesh to eat away at my skin!" Somehow, I came up with this brilliant excuse

"What!?" the guards said. I saw them quickly back away from me, their faces filled with fear and tension.

"Is it contagious?" one of them asked.

"Normally not, but if left untreated, it could get worse and become contagious, so I need to find a healer real quick!" I tried to sound as convincing as I could as I spouted this wave of lies. Well, my desire to find a healer wasn't a lie, at least.

The guards exchanged glances before they let us in wherever the place we came to. On my side, the stray was giving me strange, confused looks. Oh, I forgot he doesn't understand what we were saying. That's going to be a problem.

I kept my right hand on his shoulder and held the horse's reins with the other. We passed through the gate. After a few steps inside, I turned to find that the guards were no longer following us.

I looked up at the town in front of us, with shops and stores everywhere. The noise hit me like a fist. Our small village was a graveyard compared to this.

This place...It didn't exist near Branlow. Have we come all this way?! I lowered my body again, my knees and hips, and put my head in my hands, trying to get rid of the terrible headache.

What kind of mess have I gotten myself into!?

Arc 1: A Problematic Butterfly