Volume 1 - Chapter 1 – KAINA VILLAGE (1/2)
「… a ceiling I don’t recognise」 ⚑
The second promise. Jin opened his eyes, noticing that he was laying on a bed. He was wearing his underwear, however his outer-garments were placed atop a table next to him.
He slowly sat up and examined his body. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong. If there was, it was that he was extremely hungry.
「……?」
Sensing someone’s gaze, he turned to where he could feel the gaze from and saw someone peeking from the doorway, hiding away when their eyes met. After that he heard the sound of footsteps patapata which faded away.
「Was that one of the people living here?」
After muttering that to himself, he examined the room. There were simple wood and clay walls, a plain table, and the bed he was on. It was a very ordinary rural house if he were to guess what it was.
「Oh my, have you come to?」
An elderly woman entered the room. She was definitely a countryside missus. Hidden behind the hem of her skirt, a small child gazed at him. That gaze from before seems to have been this child.
「You collapsed at the entrance of the forest. This child here found you.」
Saying that, she gently pushed out the child hiding behind her skirt. It was a girl with dark blonde hair and reddish brown eyes. 8 years old, or perhaps 9 years old?
「I’m Jin. Nidoh… Jin Nidoh is my name. Thank you very much for helping me. Um, could you tell me where this place is?」
「Jin is it? This place is Kaina Village. A small village in the backcountry」
Even though he was told that, Jin couldn’t guess where this place was. At that moment, Jin’s stomach magnificently roared.
「Oh dear, you must be hungry… just wait a little bit」
Having said that, the missus left the room. Only Jin and the little girl remained. Jin then said to the little girl,
「So you were the one that found me, thank you. Could you tell me your name?」
Having said that with a tender voice, the shy little girl,
「… Hanna」
was what she answered.
「Hanna-chan is it? Nice to meet you」
When he said that, he held out his hand and Hanna timidly held out her hand, tightly grasping Jin’s hand.
「It’s done, sorry for the wait」
The missus returned with a pot placed on a tray.
「You must be hungry, eat as much as you want」
Saying that she poured in some gruel-like substance. It gave off a pleasant smell, and Jin frantically ate it. How many days had it been since he had something to eat?
「It won’t suddenly disappear so you don’t need to hurry so much」
The missus was amazed by Jin’s vigour in consuming the gruel.
「Thank you for the meal」 ⚑
「What was that?」
「Ah, 『gochisousama』 is something like my way of parting with the meal. It’s a word of thanks to the people who produced the ingredients and meal I guess. By the way, before you eat you say 『itadakimasu』… although I had forgotten to say that.」
「Hmmm, is that so? It’s the first time I heard of that. You, Jin, you must have come from considerably far away」
「Yeah… probably」
「Probably? What do you mean by that?」
Jin then gave an obscure explanation. That he had come from another world was kept hidden, he simply said that a malfunctioned 《Warp Gate》 sent him here. However.
「《Warp Gate》? What is that? 」
She didn’t comprehend.