A Wild Granny Appears
[How strong is your conviction?!]
I feel like I held a voice as I jostled awake and immediately went "Ow, ow." holding my head.
It felt like I had been hit with a baseball bat to the head. There was also a lingering pain on my chest.
What the hell happened?
Looking around me, I was in what looked like a room, the place was small and there was a burning candle on the table by the side.
The bed I had woke up in was made with haystacks and there was a strong sweet smell in the air.
Looking down on my body, I was wearing a plain dress that looked like it was made from a sack bag, it had no design whatsoever, a hole to pass through hands, neck and legs and that was all, and most of all, it felt itchy.
"Who in their right mind would even wear something like this?" I found myself saying but then a voice replied to me.
"Well, this me is sorry for not having anything fancy." The new arrival in the room said sarcastically. "Youngsters these days."
The person who had come through the door was an old lady, she was wrapped in old robes, she was hunched over and had a wooden walking stick, she had wrinkles on her face with a scarf wrapped around her neck that was also covering her white hair.
"Ehhhh, Alyssa's grandma?!" I exclaimed.
She walked closer. "Alyssa? What are you talking about young boy? Did you get drunk on the healing potion?"
"Huh…?"
Healing potion?
"Sorry granny but how did I get here?" I asked as she sat on a stool beside the bed with a content sigh.
"Well, it seems like you were sunbathing on the cliff face, this me don't know what kind of things youngsters are getting up to these days but you really should find something better to do." She said in a lecturing tone.
"Eh? Sunbathing? Hahaha, granny you have a surprisingly good sense of humor."
This grandma was very funny.
"Brat, who are you calling funny?" She bit out but there was no heat to her voice, if anything she was looking at me with a pitying gaze.
"Listen to this me, young boy…" She started. "This me found you on the cliff face, lying naked and bleeding from a wound in your chest." She said seriously.
I swallowed.
What was she talking about… naked? A wound? What kind of distasteful joke was that? She is joking right? And in the first place, not to brag but I don't have the guts to strip naked in public.
But I can't ignore her words, this was an unknown place right?
And wound on my chest, she is saying that I got attacked? Even though I had made it out of the forest? Was it a monster like that death bear that attacked me? It's plausible, what about… my mind flashed to blue hair and green eyes.
"Alyssa?! What about Alyssa?! There was a girl with me, is she okay?"
Alyssa saved my life, I really hoped she was okay. I've not repaid her for her kindness. Dammit, how did I not even realize that someone attacked us.
The granny sighed as she looked at me. "Boy, you still do not understand what is going on?"
"What is… going on?" I repeated.
"You were obviously tricked by whoever this Alyssa is."
I blinked. "What?"
"I found you naked on the cliff face with a wound on your chest." She repeated.
"But I had clothes on, my school uniform specifically and my school bag." I said and looking at my chest, there was definitely no wound or scar.
"Monster have no need for clothes or items and if you were attacked by a monster, your clothes would have still been on your body, maybe tattered." With every word, a pit formed in my stomach. "That's not all, the wound in your chest was caused by a sword, if I had to say, it was a sword with a curved blade."
My mind flashed to a twirling scimitar sword as it got sheathed.
No way.
No way right.
Is she saying that Alyssa took my clothes and bag then stabbed me and ran off? Leaving me to die?
My mouth tastes bitter.
No way, this granny had to be lying right?
In the first place, Alyssa was the one that saved me from the death bear, if she wanted to rob me, she didn't need to do it in such a roundabout way.
"But you are definitely a resilient brat, huhuhu, the potion does boost regeneration but you healed quite fast, this me was pretty surprised you know." The granny laughed, unaware of my thoughts.
I caught onto her words.
Potions… a staple that was usually found in fantastical media… so this was truly another world huh?
And also.
"You healed me?"
"Think nothing of it, you could even say this me used you as a guinea pig since that potion was a new formula made by this me, huhuhu."
"Eh, what a scary thing to say!" I replied immediately. I am not going to suddenly sprout another head right? How scary.
That aside, my hand went to the dull ache on my chest.
Was this a pain from the supposed sword wound or was this the pain of a heart wrenching?
"Well nonetheless, thank you very much." I bowed to the granny. "You didn't have to help me but you did. I am very grateful."
"Oh? This me wasn't sure I would receive a thanks, brats these days always feel entitled after all."
"No way. My mother taught me to always say thanks when you received help from someone, especially when that person had no reason to help you…" My words tapered out.
I had been about to thank Alyssa who was behind me when I went unconscious isn't it?
No, no, there is no confirmation that Alyssa was the one that hurt me… and if it was her, maybe she probably had a reason why.
I can't jump to conclusions, Alyssa undoubtedly saved my life so let's not doubt the good in her heart.
Keep your head on your shoulders, Shin.
"By the way granny…" I continued. " Your Japanese is really good. You even sound like a native, Alyssa could not understand me when i tried to communicate with her and neither could I understand her though."
She looked at me like I was drunk then reached a hand to my forehead. "Did this me mistakenly add some alcohol content to the potion brew or is this child just an idiot?" She said to herself.
"Granny, you are really making me feel bad about myself here." I said. This granny does not hold back at all, that seems to be the general trait when it comes to old people.
"I don't know this Jaypaniz you are talking about but what we are speaking right now is the Human language." She said.
"Eh? What? But I am currently speaking Japanese though and that is what you are speaking as well." I said to her.
"Ah, Goddess Fionna, bless this poor soul." She sounded like she was saying a prayer for me.
Also, Goddess Fionna, there is a Goddess in this world?
This really is a fantasy world huh.
"By the way, granny—"
Growl.
My face flushed red. Come to think of it, I have not eaten anything today and it's already night time.
"Come with me foolish boy." The granny said as she stood up from the stool.
"My name is Shinsetsu, or Shin for short." I said as I stood up from the haystack to follow her.
"Whatever you say, foolish boy."
Why do I have a feeling that this granny would never call me by my name?
•••
The granny took me to what appeared to be the living area of the house, there were two chairs around a table and she told me to take a seat as she brought me what I found out was bread and soup, honestly it didn't taste so good but I wasn't so heartless that I would spit on a someone's charity and it was also because my palate was a lot different.
Something weird that happened was when I said "thank you for the food" before I started eating, she looked at me oddly.
Was saying something like that, not a thing in this place?
It's foolish to judge the standards of this world by my assumptions in the first place.
Another thing of note was.
"Foolish boy, foolish boy, caw, caw, caw, caw."
This bird was really getting on my nerves.
Majestic bird my ass.
This yellow bird with a streak of white feathers, black eyes and a mini blue bow on its head is called Pipi.
It's apparently called an [Alfero] bird, I think it's supposed to be a rare kind since the granny looked proud when I asked what it was.
Pipi is capable of mimicking simple speech to an extent and she has been calling me foolish boy since she heard the granny call me that.
"My name is Shin, get it right, silly bird."
"Foolish boy, foolish boy, silly boy, silly boy, caw, caw." Pipi continued to say as she ate grains of seeds from a small bowl while the granny just kept laughing with a 'huhuhuhu'.
Ah, how troublesome.
After a while, the granny told me that I could sleep using the room I had woken up in earlier, so here I was, lying on the haystack again as I processed everything that had happened today.
From walking to school and appearing in another world, it still feels unreal, maybe I might wake up tomorrow to find out that it was all a dream, even.
Then I had almost lost my life, my body shuddered at the thought.
If it wasn't for Alyssa, I would have died… Alyssa, did she really rob me? Is it so simple like that? What if she didn't rob me and someone else did and Alyssa was just as much of a victim as I was… I wonder if she's okay.
Ah, curse my bleeding heart.
Also, how would I even survive in this world, going forward? It's a bit embarrassing but I'm not the type of guy that has a bunch of modern knowledge crammed in his head, I didn't know any martial arts nor was I strong physically, I didn't know anything about commerce and marketing, I'm not good at science and I'm not secretly a genius that can do anything, in fact just to know where the bar was set, I don't even know how to make mayonnaise.
Ehhh, aren't I screwed? Is this game over?
"But wait!" A sudden realization came to me as the word 'game over' came to my mind.
This is a different world with magic right? That means I can use magic too right? Or rather, isn't it possible that I might have got a cheat skill?
I abruptly sat up on the bed.
"Oh-ho. This is it! I might actually have access to some super duper ultimate tier ability right? Okay, calm down Shin, calm down Shin." I was breathing heavily.
According to novels and mangas, it usually goes like this.
"Status." I said with excitement.
Nothing happened.
"Appraisal."
Nothing happened.
"Menu."
Nothing happened.
"Properties."
"Activate system."
No way, no way, no way.
"Open sesame."
"Henshin!"
"Characteristics."
Through the night, I kept going through various game related words I knew but nothing happened.
•••
In an unassuming location, there was a house sitting in the surroundings, just out of view of prying eyes.
A young girl walked with deliberate steps towards the front door. As she reaches it, she casually knocks on it.
"Watz da kode?" A gruff voice with a strong accent said from inside.
The girl took a breath. "Scoundrel, do you want me to rip your eyes out? Huh?!" Her voice was crass as she responded with fury.
Immediately the door was swung open, revealing a muscular man who was dressed in rough looking clothes, he had a cloth tied around his forehead as he looked at the girl with a smile.
"Bass!" The man said. "Come'n, come'n." He continued, voice and posture subservient.
"Good choice worm, I was seconds away from removing your head." The girl said as she walked in with shoulders raised high. "Where are the others?"
"They are rannin a jab tonine." The man responded. "Bat bass, yo are quite early todah." He said as he shut the door.
"Hehehe, that's because my noke senses were tingling."
Noke was the currency system of this world.
"Das dat mean the bass gat sam good loot todah?" The man asked as he pulled out the chair to let his boss sit.
She sat with a plop, a grin on her small glossy lips.
"Get a load of this." She put a hand held blue bag on the table. "I met a stupidly naive virgin fool today, it was such an easy mark that I almost felt pity for him." She said as she started to laugh.
"Oh, Av neva seen materials lak dis beefo." The man said as he checked the bag, observing the tailor work, but as he tried to unzip it, the girl in the room looked at him sharply.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, vermin? Who gave you permission to touch that?" Her voice was as cold as a winter morning as she glared.
The man quickly put the bag back on the table with sweat dropping down his face.
He raised his hands in a placating manner. "Mah bad, bass, mah bad." He was not ready to die tonight.
"Hmph." She let it go, and the man idly wondered if she was in a good mood. "Anyway, setting a rock bear on the fool and then heroically saving him, it was obvious that he fell for my sinful charms at first glance."
"Az expected af dah bass, yo genius iz indigging."
"It's 'intriguing', you fool." She corrected. "But you are right, my genius is terrifying as usual," She said preening. "And that's not all, I even started speaking gibberish just to mess with the virgin fool but he thought I was speaking another language, oh my goddess, what an idiot!"
She continued to tell tales of her run in with the apparent virgin fool.