Now, how am I going to find a way back?
Kukyo slowly walked close to the buildings as he looks around to notice the nice view of the city.
The buildings look almost modern, in terms of shape and size, but with a lot of pipes connecting to each building without smoke, as if to mimic the steam era, though the clothing is a mixture of medieval and steam era.
Well, it doesn't look completely different from my world, though it does look like a mixture of times/eras.
"Well, if I have any chance of returning home, I might need to learn about this place as well."
"Excuse me, I'm a little lost, can you tell me how to get to the library?" said Kukyo with a gentle smile on his face that almost seems too good to be true.
"The Library, well, just continue up and take a left, you can't miss it," said the man who was passing by on the street as though he were a modern businessman walking to his company.
"Thank you, sir."
As Kukyo followed the man's instruction, after finally taking a left turn, he saw a huge building as though it were an institution of sorts, with a sign written in a strange and foreign language.
That's odd, it's not written in any language from my world, yet still I understood that it meant library.
As Kukyo entered the building, he was amazed at how big it was, and with so many books, he thought to himself that perhaps he could find the answers to returning home right in there, and all he needed to do was to find the right book.
As he looked at the rows of shelves filled with books, with directory signs for each section. As he searched through the building for the sign he was looking for, he noticed that everyone was staring at him.
Is it something I did… or perhaps it's my foreign attire that makes me stick out so much. I should maybe look for a trash bin outside to find any clothes, though I don't want to.
"Hold it!"
Shocked, Kukyo turned around immediately as he saw a lady who appeared to be middle-aged wearing a light black dress with glasses, and didn't appear to be much taller than himself.
"I don't remember seeing you here before. Do you have a permit?" The lady says as she glares at him
A permit?...
Oh, crap, I forgot not all libraries are free, it must be the same here as well
"Oh my permit, no, I don't have one, I was supposed to be with my friend today who has their permit," said Kukyo in a hasty and trembling tone
"Oh really, well even if you're here with a friend, you both need permits of your own."
"You better leave before I call the guards, and I'm not sure they'd only kick you out considering that unusual and suspicious clothes of yours." glaring more intensely than before
Yeah, it might be for the best that I leave quickly without causing a scene, and I do look suspicious, but I also need information about where I am.
" I'm sorry, I'll be leaving now," said Kukyo as he walked as fast as he could out of the library without causing a scene.
"What an odd boy, I hope he isn't trouble or worse starts trouble," thought the lady as she looked at Kukyo walk away.
How could I think that it would be as easy as that? I'll just have to think of something else.
As Kukyo walks while thinking about his next move, without paying attention to where he was going, he bumps into a girl in a strange attire that seems formal.
"Aahh"
"I'm sorry I didn't look where I was going."
"No, no, same goes for me, or I would avoid bumping into you, or at the very least call out to you," said the strange girl with a smile on her face.
"I guess we were both lost in thought," said Kukyo to the strange girl
"Well, I guess so.""Huh, that's a strange attire, where did you get it?" asked the girl
Oh crap, I forgot my clothes looked strange to everyone here. Kukyo thought to himself as he thought of a lie to tell the strange girl
"Oh, this, well... a friend who gave it to me, I think it's either rare or they made it themselves," said Kukyo with a trembling voice and a smile, clearly lying.
"Hmmh… ok," said the girl with a straight face
"Well, I have to get to school, so good bye"
"Oh yeah, ok, bye," said Kukyo in a nervous voice
I can't believe she believed that. I doubt I could fool a child, well, I have to get back to planning anyway, so this works well for me.
After seven hours had passed, Kukyo was exhausted from walking around the block of the library and in the alleys, hoping not to seem too suspicious and not wanting to get lost in such a strange place, so he decided to sit down at the side of the building.
With my clothes all dirty like this, and how I'm sitting on the ground, you'd think I'm a homeless beggar, which I suppose isn't far from the truth in my situation.
"Oh, you're still here?"
"Huh? Oh, it's you, the girl from earlier. I guess school has ended," said Kukyo in an exhausted tone
"Yeah, it seems like you didn't go to school at all, well, I guess I should've known with that unusual get-up of yours, no offense to your friend."
"Oh, not taken"
"So, where are your parents?" Asked the strange girl
Kukyo was stunned with a shocked and sad expression
"They aren't with me right now?" Replied Kukyo
"Oh, I see, would you like to come with me?" said the strange girl in an almost sympathetic tone
"Huh? You hardly know me at all, and I'm wearing a strange get-up."
"Yeah, you're right, you are strange…"
"That's not what I sa-" muttered Kukyo, trying to correct the strange girl.
"…But I live by two strong quotes that my mom told me a long time ago, 'Everything that seems strange is just an opportunity,' and 'Always help others no matter what,' said the strange girl with a bright smile on her face." The strange girl continued
"That seems like dangerous quotes to live by, but I am grateful," Said Kukyo
"So are you coming?" The strange girl asked with a smile still on her face, putting out her hand
"Yeah," Kukyo shuckled with a smile on his face as well while taking a hand to help himself up off the ground
As Kukyo and the strange girl walked to her home, the sun began to set, and the stars began to show themselves.
"So, what is your name?" The strange girl asked
Well, I guess I owe that much after all she's taking me, a stranger, into her home
"Kukyo"
"Kukyo? I guess it's not only your appearance that's strange about you." Said the strange girl with a chuckle
"Ok, ok, what about you? What is your name?" Kukyo asked
"My name is Grace, Grace Elvon," She replied
"So, where are you from?"Grace asked
"To be honest, I don't remember," answered Kukyo with a sad expression
"You don't remember?"
"Yeah, I don't remember where I'm from, my parents, or even how I got here, and I don't even know where here is."
"Oh, I guess you have amnesia, well, you're in the Larphenia, a Kingdom in the southern continent, one of the five continents named Sol, and one of the few Kingdoms inhabited by only humans," Grace said with a confused expression
"Only humans ?" Kukyo asked with an even more confused expression.
"Yeah, don't tell me that you also forgot about the most important part of our world and the different levels of species?" asked Grace in a hasty and disappointed tone
"I'm sorry," Kukyo replied with a sad expression
"It's fine, well, there are five levels of species in the world, and it goes Animals, Humans, Mutations, Elder beings, and True Creators."
What? different species other than humans and animals, where the hell am I? Kukyo thought to himself with a shocked expression.
"Well, here we are," Grace said with a bright smile on her face.
"Welcome to my home, Kukyo."