The next day, Yusuke woke up early. The blizzard finally stopped outside, leaving a blanket of snow in its wake. He rose from the bed, feeling rejuvenated without losing a step.
As he climbed off, he felt the cold wooden floor beneath him. He looked around the room, looking for any footwear.
Anything to cover his freezing feet.
Fortunately, he found a pair of old boots by the door. Worn and dirty, they were more than enough for now.
"I guess I should thank them for this," he murmured as he put them on. They weren't as comfortable as his usual shoes and a bit tight, but he'd have to make do.
Yusuke went out of his room and found himself in the church's main hall. It seemed like there was a sermon in progress, so he decided to join. Father Wilhelm saw him joining the other participants in the pew at the front right and noted his participation.
It had been a while since Yusuke entered a church in his adult life, let alone attending a sermon. He wasn't a routine churchgoer in his younger years, but he had faith.
Wilhelm's sermon sounded very familiar, yet there were key differences. In particular, when it came to the figure of God.
Later, the mass dissolved, and Wilhelm approached the younger man. "Not the first time attending a sermon, Yusuke?" he asked with a curious look.
Yusuke turned up and smiled solemnly. "First time in a long while, Father. Last time I did was before I went out and became an adventurer."
"Surely you haven't lost your faith on the road," Wilhelm sagely said, sitting on the pew beside the younger man.
"I haven't, Father. It just... changed."
"Glad to hear that," Wilhelm nodded. He stood, patting Yusuke's shoulder. "Joanna's out foraging, but she's left you soup in the kitchen. Please help yourself."
Wilhelm left the hall and went outside. Yusuke felt it was time to eat his first meal since arriving here... wherever he was.
***
After breakfast, Yusuke was outside, wearing a simple coat over his figure and walking around the village. Looking around, he saw snow all over the ground. The blanket hid most of the road, but he didn't mind.
What the snow didn't hide was the derelict state of many buildings there.
"How old is this place?" he wondered out loud. Speaking of the old, he passed several villagers: middle-aged men and women, but no children. The youngest of the population, barring Joanna, was around forty-five, which was older than Father Wilhelm.
He came across a small shop, a shoe shop, from what the window displayed. He knocked on the door, wondering if he could get a new pair of shoes that were more suited to his needs. A shuffling sound was heard from within, and the door opened. It was a middle-aged man.
"My Lord, a young'un," he said, as if he hadn't seen anyone as young as Yusuke. He looked down briefly and said, "Please, come in, boy. I've some fine leather for your feet. Them old boots ain't fittin' a spry lad like yourself."
Glad that his whimsical wish was granted, Yusuke entered the shoe shop.
The shoe shop was warmer than he thought. Not in temperature, even though it was, but in atmosphere. Possibly from the warm glow of the fireplace. Yusuke was led to sit on a simple armchair, and the older man sat on a stool before him, with a small slanted table for the younger man's feet.
"Mister?" Yusuke began as his shoes were removed so the shoemaker could measure his feet. "Where am I? What is this village?"
"Name's Garon, boy," the shoemaker, Garon, said back. "And this here village is Arboros."
Arboros? Sounded as old as the buildings here. As far as he knew, he had never gone to a place called Arboros, and that was saying something.
"Yusuke, Mister Garon," Yusuke introduced as well.
"Sounds like a city name," Garon grunted as he measured the younger man's foot length. "Got damn big feet for a city boy."
"I walk a lot," Yusuke sheepishly replied.
Garon only grunted back. "At least you're willing to visit. Those damn young'uns going to the fancy cities and never return home..." he continued to grumble.
After measuring Yusuke's feet, Garon prepared to work. He looked back at the younger man. "They'd be done in a week at most, so if you have some special requests, you gotta ask for 'em now."
"Just make them wide around the toes and flexible," Yusuke stated.
Garon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Never thought I'd be makin' farmer shoes for a city boy." He shrugged and began working.
"See you next week, Mister Garon," Yusuke said as he left.
"Drop the 'Mister', boy," Garon called out. "Makes me feel old."
***
Yusuke went around the village again, observing the less-than-stellar homes and shops around. The sun was at its apex, so it was time for lunch. He decided to return to the church.
He entered the dining space, removing his coat. "I'm back," he announced.
"Mister Yusuke!" Joanna exclaimed from the kitchen, stirring a pot. "You're just in time! I'm making stew for lunch!"
"Stew?" Yusuke said, confused. It sounded good, but wasn't it too indulgent to make a meat dish for him specifically?
"Yes, Yusuke," Wilhelm quipped from the table. "We figured that it's appropriate to cook some meat today, sourced from our farmers. They store pretty well in the winter. She's also baked some rolls, too."
Yusuke sat down at the table across from Wilhelm. Just to make sure, he asked Joanna, "Um... what meat are you using?"
The nun turned to the unlicensed adventurer, curious. "I'm using beef, Yusuke. Why?"
"Oh, good," Yusuke spoke his mind without thinking.
"Hmm? Is something the matter?" Wilhelm chimed in, hearing Yusuke's sigh of relief.
"You heard me?" Yusuke said, taken aback. He slumped his shoulders in defeat, giving in to their need for explanation. "Okay... I don't like pork."
"How peculiar," Wilhelm stated, clearly surprised. "Pork is the most accessible meat out there."
"I know that, Father," Yusuke said softly, as if he didn't want to explain further. But he went on anyway. "I had a bad experience with pigs. I went to a backwater pig farm with my mom and sister when I was a kid. That experience scarred me for life."
Wilhelm looked sagely, humming in understanding. Joanna smiled wryly as she ladled the stew into three wooden bowls on the small table.
"Here you are, Father Wilhelm, Yusuke! A bowl of warm stew!" Joanna announced before joining the two men at the table.
Yusuke clapped his hands and announced, "Time to tuck in!" which elicited an amused stare from the church duo. After he took the first bite, he hummed in joy. "So delicious!" Yusuke exclaimed. He was amusing, to say the least. They eventually joined him at the table, enjoying the stew as well.
After the meal, Joanna put the dishes away to clean, leaving the two other men to chat. Wilhelm broke the ice first. "You must travel far and often to end up here. But I have some more questions for you, now that you have recovered. You don't have to answer if it's too much.
"Were you attacked on the road?"
Yusuke blinked, taken by surprise by the question. His last memory before ending up here was bloody, to say the least. He didn't want to tell the whole truth, because it would sound outrageous. "Something like that," he answered, quieter than before.
Wilhelm sighed. Poor Yusuke, he thought. A defenseless young, unlicensed adventurer getting attacked by malicious forces. "Thank God for granting this young man a longer life in this aging village," he prayed.
Yusuke looked down, knowing what Wilhelm meant.
The priest continued his questioning, "Even for a traveler like yourself, you must have a hometown, Yusuke. Where do you hail from?"
The younger man simply answered, "I'm from Tokyo, Japan."
"Tokyo? Japan?" Wilhelm repeated. "Where in God's earth is that?"
Yusuke blinked again, this time in confusion. "It's in the far East of the world..." he trailed off. Then he realized that Arboros could be a rare village that was cut off from the rest of the world, unaffected by globalization.
"I imagine it's more lively than here..." Wilhelm lamented. He was grateful to be the pillar of faith of Arboros, but even he knew that this village's days were numbered. "Still, it's a breath of fresh air to see someone of Joanna's age, even under these circumstances."
Joanna returned from washing the dishes, overhearing the conversation since moments before. "Father Wilhelm's right. Everyone here is wonderful, but it does get lonely to not talk to someone my age after a while."
"That's what serving a church in Arboros for five years will do to a young lady," Wilhelm quipped.
"Hey!"
And everyone erupted in laughter afterwards. Joanna complained that Wilhelm was indirectly calling her old, and the priest was holding his ground as he was berated by the nun.
Yusuke wasn't sure if he would go on another adventure soon, but at least...
...he could enjoy the small moments, like he always did.