Chapter 16 - Peace

I was too stunned and honestly too scared to even notice I had been picked up and brought back to the place in which these people came. Their village.

It was a nice, cozy, comfy village.

There was almost a nice and homey feeling to the foreign magical place. It was like something taken straight out of your classic fantasy story.

A quaint village, run by a council that's made up of the community pillars. There's a local blacksmith, routine of guards, monster hunters, and other assortments of nice buildings and storefronts.

It was a small village, surrounded by thick wooden walls made of wood sealed with some type of mortar. They had some monster issues but between their strict routine of guards and weekly hunts to collect both food and keep the monster population down, they live relatively well.

I don't deserve this. I don't deserve this opportunity to try a third time.

Once I was finished with my tour of the village, meeting who the man I was following called the Pillars, and got a chance to calm down, I was finally able to talk to the people who rescued me.

They were the squad of guards on duty that day and noticed that suddenly, a large section of the forest seemed to freeze over in an instant.

Sensing danger for their home, they armed themselves and charged into the forest. Only to find me, a small young child, crying and surrounded by corpses.

That brings us to right now, where the man is looking down at me, sitting inside the Pillars Diliberation Champer, expectantly.

"So, that's where I need you to fill in the gaps for us. Think you can do that for us?" He says, in a gentle tone. God, he's nice, and I don't even know his name.

"I can try Mr. Uhhh.." As I began to stutter, he corrected me in a soft voice.

"You can call me Gus for now. Now, go on." He said, a calm smile radiating from him. If only that could be said by the rest of the eight or so people in the room.

"I was out in the forest, and uh..." I say as the perfect idea hits me. I don't need to lie.

I'm a child they found, ugly crying in the middle of the woods, surrounded by corpses. Injured on top of that.

I can just pretend to have amnesia. They'll find an excuse and be forced to accept it.

For once, thank god my body is like this.

"I- I don't remember," I say, using wind magic to harass the insides of my nose and throat until I cry.

"It's alright it's alright," Gus says, putting his hand on my head. Hook line and sinker. "Do you at least remember your name? Or the names of your parents?" He says, before shooting a worried glance at a white-robed older person. Healing mage? Doctor? General Wiseman?

"Antonio. My name is Antonio." I say, looking around with the best acting I've ever done.

"Well, hello Antonio. My name is Gust Renarus, and this is our village." Looking towards the white-robed man, he nods. "I'd like you to meet my friend here, his name is Blaze." He says as the white-robed man walks towards us.

Ha, Blaze is a funny name for a healer. Fate can be like that I guess.

"Hello, young man. Like Gust said, my name is Blaze. Blaze Nonie, and I'm a healing magician. Do you know what a magician is?" He says, putting his hand on top of mine.

"No, what does that word mean?" I say, cmon, amnesiac here, I don't know what magic is.

"A magician is a person who can use magic. I'm going to use a bit on you to make sure you're alright, okay?" He said, placing his hand on my chest.

"Oh spirits of love and spirits of life, restore and refresh to this child all that he has lost, Recovery." I think that was a Dominus tier healing spell. Recovery, it's meant to heal most wounds and do some other stuff that I wasn't really able to figure out.

Its effects are obvious, as all of my injuries heal to perfect condition and my mind has never felt sharper. Does it have some sort of other healing property outside of physical? Or is it just because my burden of pain is gone?

"Thank you, Mister! I feel way better." I say with a huge, toothy childish grin. However, I can't help but feel, empty.

Is this really okay?

Even though I killed someone?

Even though I'm lying to you all?

Even though I've done nothing but screw up?

Even though I killed two innocent people, and probably caused this whole village a massive load of stress and strife?

Even though, I'm, me?

"It's a shame that spell didn't cure your condition, but nonetheless, it proved you really are just a three-year-old child. It may be under unfortunate circumstances, but please consider this village your home for now young man." With that, the rest of the Pillars started to funnel out, as Gust and Blaze led me to a strange building.

All of the people I've seen so far have been like Gust. Red-skin, long ears.

Is this an elven village?

Is this how elves look in this world?

Well, there was an elven corpse that the Carnivoro had killed, and she didn't have red skin.

Maybe there are different types of elves.

Or I'm just being very racist right now, assuming that either of those races is elven based solely on the long ears.

"This will be your house until you're old enough to live alone." They say in a matter-of-fact tone that reminds me a little too much of someone.

After they part ways, I'm left standing on the porch of a strange building.

There are no fourth chances.

I'm lucky to have even gotten a third chance to live. Hell, I'm lucky I even survived that pack of wolves.

Actually, I'm lucky to have even had my second chance at life, reincarnating in this world.

I don't deserve this.

Not one bit.

But maybe, in this world, I'll be able to save myself.