"What in the name of the goddess happened to you!?, Why are you covered in blood?" The old man eyes widened as he took a closer look at his clothes.
A glimpse of the memory of the previous owner of the body was revealed to the teenager. Apparently, the elderly man was a lumberer who cuts woods from the forest and takes it to town, the previous owner had pleaded with the man to be his apprentice as a way to raise money for his family.
"It ummm..." He tried to think of something to say but couldn't come up with a believable lie. "It's a deer, I came across a deer and tried to catch it"
He finally said. If he remembers clearly, his family was poor so trying to find something for dinner should sound true, but the old man didn't look like he believes it. But he couldn't say anything else.
"Sometimes, I just don't get you" The old man shook his head before picking up his axe. "Why don't you help me with this one, Bell? Let's get out of her before it gets dark"
_Has my name always been Bell_ Bell thought to himself as he tried to remember the name he had in his past life but couldn't. He couldn't remember much.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch me work?!" The old man voice pulled him back to reality, or in this case, back to him dream. He couldn't even tell which is real.
Bell was now sure that he had been transmigrated into another world, but stuff like that only happens in anime and manga, it was completely impossible!. But the fact that it happened to him made him thought otherwise, he was given a second chance because of how his last life sucked, and he was going to use it to the fullest.
Then the thought of waking up in the body of a boy that was recently murdered gave him chills.
"Are you sure you're okay, boy?" The old man asked as he noticed Bell's shivering while lost in his thoughts.
"Huh?" Bell mumbled, this is the second time the old man had pulled him back to reality.
"It's getting late, let's go back home"
"S-Sure" Bell replied.
He helped the old man to carry the logs that were arranged on the ground to the carriage and tied them firmly together.
"That one with be the last tree I'll need before delivering them" The man said, referring to the giant tree he was trying to cut down.
Since Bell didn't know what to say, he just nodded affirmatively.
After tying the logs on the carriage, he sat on top of it while the elderly man rode in front of the carriage that was being pulled by two black horses.
The entire journey was long and silent, that was until the elderly man broke the silence.
"So boy, what are you going to do?" The elderly man said without looking back.
Bell thought for a while. What was he really going to do?,he has been given another chance in a world he knows nothing about.
_Maybe I should just go to my new family and try to live the peaceful life that I couldn't live when I was still alive, or in this case, when I was an adult_
"I don't really know" he replied, waiting to see how the old man was going to respond to his answer.
"You don't plan on staying in this wretched place forever, do you?" The old man asked, without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I suggest you go to the capital, it will be easier to support your family from there. They are always looking for youths for one thing or the other, I bet you'll do just fine"
"The capital huh?" Bell silently whispered to myself. He could try to find out more about this world. "System open"
Nothing happened.
"Show me my stats, status, system call, hmmm" he tried again and again but nothing happened.
Since he died and reincarnated in another world, wasn't he suppose to have a system or anything that could help him survive?. Or maybe, in this world, there is no such thing as a system!. Then was was the trial about?.
"I'm dropping you off here" The old man announced.
The carriage stopped and Bell jumped down.
"Thank you for everything"
"No problem. Here, you can have this" The old man said and handed to him a pouch.
Bell collected the pouch, he could tell it contains coins.
"But, I thought you are going pay me tomorrow"
"Think of it as an early salary" the old man smiled revealing a few rotten teeth. "But you're still coming with me tomorrow"
The old man added before driving off the straight road, Bell turned to the old dusty road on the right and walked to his new home.
.
.
.
He opened the door to his new home–a cottage that stood in the middle of nowhere. The house was mostly made with oak wood and supported by mud which looked like it was there to cover up the holes.
There were also a few houses in the surrounding, but they all stayed a good distance away from each other. They were all made with wood and it wasn't the good type of wood.
"I–i'm home"
Bell announced as he opened the door that creaked every inch it moved. The cottage looked smaller on the inside than it did on the outside, there was only a small table that was surrounded by four stools, there was also a candle holder on the table and a lit fireplace which looked like the only thing that was made with stone.
There was also a door which led to the back. The room was dimly lit by the fireplace due to the pot that was on it, a figure sat in front of it, slowly mixing the content.
"Welcome back" The figure stood up and turned to him, it was his mother.
She was tall and had a slender body which made her look younger than her age, her white hair barely past her shoulders as she tilted her head to the side, her skin pale and a weary look on her face. She wiped her hands on her apron, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"How was work today?"
"It could have been better (if I didn't die)" Bell didn't say that last part out loud. "I'm hungry"
"Don't worry, dinner is almost ready. Please, help your sister down so we can all eat together" her voice was weak. "And change your clothes"
She really looked miserable, tired of life. And, she was barely holding on, maybe it was because of her family.
"Okay" Bell nodded and walked upstairs. She didn't realize the bloodstains on his clothes but he couldn't blame her, the room wasn't well lit, so he won't be surprised if she didn't see it.
For some reason, he felt his body shaking.
There was two doors beyond the backroom door, from his memory he could tell that the room on his right was his mother's which the room in his left was the one he shared with his little sister, Ryu.