đźź Chapter 28:
We finally left Osmara and were on our way to the village along the road to the capital. To kill the boredom, I found myself wondering about Haizen—did he dream of becoming the world's strongest swordsman? Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked:
"So, Haizen, do you want to be the best swordsman in the world?"
He looked at me in surprise, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.
"The best in the world? That's quite a dream… but honestly, yeah, I do want that."
"What if you went to HideLand and made it happen?"
"You must be joking. That place is basically a myth—only a handful of people even know where it is... I think. Maybe it's real, maybe not. Besides, I'm not sure becoming the best would even be possible if I got there. What about you? Ever thought of going?"
He didn't sound all that interested, and honestly, I wasn't either.
"I have no reason to go. Like you said, it's an unknown place. Why bother?"
"But if you could reach it, what would you wish for?"
"No idea. That's like giving a poor man a billion gold coins and asking him what he'll do with it on the spot."
"I've got a story that might inspire you," I added.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"It's about a regular swordsman who challenged the strongest swordsman in the world. But the strongest one… only used a knife. Who do you think won?"
"The strongest swordsman."
"Wrong—it was the stronger—wait, how did you guess that?"
"It's obvious. Don't tell me the regular swordsman became the strongest afterward?"
"No, not yet."
"Anyway, where's this 'strongest swordsman' now?"
"No idea. He tends to get lost a lot."
"Thanks for the useless inspiration."
Well, that story was from a manga anyway.
The trip to the capital would take two days, and according to the coachman, we'd reach a small village called Aldea by nightfall. That must've been the one Haizen mentioned—the one near a monster-filled dungeon.
Hours passed in the carriage. As the sun began to set, the outlines of the village appeared. Modest wooden houses lined both sides of the dirt road, and torches flickered to life at the entrances. The smell of burning wood mingled with the cool evening breeze, carrying a calmness after the long journey.
Children were playing with sticks, pretending to be swordsmen. An old woman sat on a stone stool near a small fire, sewing a piece of cloth while her tired old dog lay beside her. Nearby, a few men were unloading wagons full of vegetables and fruit, their faces worn but calm.
When the carriage stopped in the village square, Haizen scanned the surroundings and said,
"I'll go look for an inn where we can stay the night. Wait here… or wander around if you like."
I nodded and started walking through the narrow alleys. The village was simple—just a few dirt paths dividing the clustered houses. The torches cast soft orange glows across the wooden walls. The children had gone home, leaving only my footsteps echoing in the quiet evening.
I was so absorbed in the scenery that I didn't notice someone coming from the other side until I bumped into him.
"Ah!" I stumbled slightly and looked up. It was an old man with a slightly hunched back, carrying a bundle of items in a sack.
"Watch where you're going, boy. The road's not wide enough for daydreaming," he said in a raspy voice that mixed scolding with a hint of humor.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you."
"Well then, if you help me carry these things, I'll forgive you."
That reminded me of the first time I bumped into someone after arriving in this world… hopefully, this time wouldn't end in disaster.
"Alright, fine. I'll help."
I picked up his bag and followed him home. On the way, he warned me,
"Be careful, lad. There's a special blue item in there—don't drop it."
Once we reached his house, something actually slipped from the sack—a small green cube with a button on top. Unable to resist, I pressed it.
At that exact moment, as we stood at his door, the old man said something strange:
"That blue paint on the door looks awful. Maybe I should change it."
Blue? The door was green.
Wait… don't tell me—he's color-blind? That means the cube—
Before I could process it, the button pulsed and emitted a faint flash. The world around me spun. My head throbbed, the walls twisted, and the old man's voice faded into static.
When I opened my eyes, I was staring at a wooden ceiling. The air reeked of damp straw, food scraps, and… something worse. My instincts screamed immediately.
"What is this filthy place?!"
I reached up to pinch my nose—or tried to. But instead of fingers, I felt… something hard and rigid.
The room was cramped—slanted wooden walls, straw on the floor, and little holes letting in sunlight. Then I heard it:
Cluck, cluck, cluck.
But somehow… I could understand it.
"What's wrong with Koko? He's acting like it's his first time standing up."
Koko? Who is Koko?
I spun around, and several chickens were staring at me. One of them raised her wing and spoke seriously:
"What's going on, Koko? You've been asleep since last night. Are you okay?"
Chickens were talking to me. Or worse—I understood them.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"
I reached for my face, but froze. My hands—no, my wings—were covered in red feathers. I looked down. Thin yellow legs trembled beneath me, and in a puddle nearby, I saw my reflection: a bright comb, messy feathers, and a shiny beak.
"What…?! How did this happen?! I'm a chicken?!"
"Idiot," one of them corrected. "You're a rooster."
"Oh, right-I'm a rooster. I don't even know why my mind went straight to 'chicken.' But still... why a rooster?!"
Laughter erupted from the hens around me.
"Hahaha! Looks like Koko's finally lost his mind. Maybe he can't even crow anymore!"
So this rooster's name is Koko? Oh, never mind that-let's think back to how this even happened.
Alright, think! I arrived in the village, Haizen went to find an inn, I bumped into an old man, carried his stuff, pressed the weird cube—and now… I'm here.
I can't believe this. Every time I bump into someone, I end up in some new disaster!
If my mind is inside this rooster, then that means the real Koko… is in my body?
Oh no.
I'd better find that rooster before he gets my body into trouble.