He stared at the alluring landscape for a long time, as though he were studying an exquisite painting.
Reluctantly, he turned away and looked back in the direction he had come from. In stark contrast to the beauty before him, the place he had walked out of was a dark forest, drowned in murky shadows that hid whatever lay beyond the trunks. The light of dawn had yet to illuminate the land.
But another thought bloomed in his mind.
There wasn't any forest around the ruins when I walked out of them… yet now there's a forest behind me. The fog must be some kind of mystical phenomenon. If I'm right, it's hiding the ruins from unwanted visitors.
That voice—Gaia—had also mentioned a small settlement east of here, where the "central authority" was.
It was still early dawn, the sun just beginning to rise from the east.
That makes things easier. If he simply followed the rising sun, he should reach the settlement soon.
With that, he began walking east, following the river that also flowed in that direction. As he walked, he savored the field of yellow, red, and blue. When the sun rose, the colors, already vivid, became even brighter.
There were hardly any words that could fully describe the beauty of this vast field; everything he thought of felt like an understatement.
Before he realized it, the sun had already risen.
He lifted his head to look at it and reflexively raised a hand to shield his eyes as the morning light warmed his pale skin.
Hm? Shouldn't it be brighter? …Right. I'm in the north.
Then something caught his eye. In the distance, he saw structures, he couldn't tell what they were made of, but they formed what looked like a moderately sized village. What truly excited him were the moving figures.
People.
He wasn't elated simply because he saw other people; he was thrilled because this meant he might finally find clues about his identity or even discover that this village was his home. He had woken in ruins deep within the forest, so the most logical explanation was that he had lived here before losing his memories and had ventured into the forest for some unknown reason.
Yes. That had to be it.
He smiled and, without realizing it, began sprinting toward the village. His breathing grew frantic, yet he did not stop, running alongside the river.
Eventually, he slowed. The wide field of wild grass gave way to a dirt road and small square wheat plots, the green crop contrasting with the earlier sea of reds and yellows.
But the fields were empty, even though it was already morning.
He brushed off the peculiarity and continued toward the village entrance.
There was no gate. In fact, the village was completely open, and ahead he could see a group of people gathered.
Is something going on?
He walked forward, curiosity tugging at him. As he got closer, he felt something was wrong.
Upon reaching the group, he tried to speak, his throat still aching.
"Uh… hello, I am—"
The words died on his tongue as his eyes widened. The scene before him left him speechless. He couldn't tell whether he was seeing reality or hallucinating.
The group noticed him. A voice called out.
"Young lad, who are you?" a burly voice asked.
A man stepped toward him, seemingly in his forties, well-built, long black hair streaked with white. He had two brown eyes, a nose, two hands, two legs, nothing unusual… until he looked at the top of his head.
A pair of feline ears twitched there.
He froze, unable to speak. But he didn't need to.
The burly man crossed both arms in an X and bowed sharply. The others followed.
"Oh exalted one, PLEASE FORGIVE THIS ONE'S TRANSGRESSION!!"
The man nearly shouted.
HUH!?
What is happening? Why are they bowing? And—more importantly—why do they have ears like that?
Thinking about their ears made him conscious of his own. He lifted a hand to touch them. His were on the sides of his head and sharper.
He looked back at the group.
Calm down. There has to be a logical explanation. There's no way there are people with cat ears… right? They're probably props. Or something.
Contrary to his wishful thinking, more villagers appeared, every single one with feline ears. A mother carried a child whose ears also twitched like small cubs.
The newly gathered crowd bowed as well.
Even though I don't know them, they're treating me with this much respect? Is it because I look different? Maybe there are people like me. Maybe… It's not hopeless. I should ask.
But how should he handle this? Pretending would be risky. Revealing ignorance could turn things against him. Both paths were dangerous.
Best to stay vague. Test the waters.
He straightened his back and kept a calm expression.
"Please raise your heads… I am not the person you think I am."
By phrasing it like that, he hoped to reveal little while avoiding outright lies.
Thankfully, the villagers accepted it. They rose, and more people gathered around, whispering among themselves.
Two men nearby whispered.
"Look, he has ears on the side of his head… I've never seen a seraphim like that. You've been to the major cities, have you?"
"No. This is the first time. Usually seraphims have ears like ours or like other races, and most have horns. He has neither…"
A woman interrupted.
"Does that matter? Look at that long white hair, it's so smooth, like moon-silk the exalted ladies wear!"
One of the men groaned. "Sister, you worry about your hair, but yours is worse than a goat's."
She pinched him, making him yelp.
"SHHH! The exalted one is watching, you idiots!"
They fell silent under his gaze.
Seraphims… is that what I am? Their description sounds strange. Am I an outlier? They call seraphims 'exalted,' implying status. Is that racial? Cultural? Something else?
Good information, but he needed more.
The villagers continued whispering and sizing him up. Their eyes lingered on his unusual clothing.
He turned to the burly man, who stood only a few feet away. His shoulders trembled slightly with nerves.
This person isn't the leader.
Despite his age, the man was handsome, charisma lingering in the set of his jaw. With that build, he was more likely a laborer or fighter, perhaps a soldier, rather than anyone of authority.
To regain his memories, he needed information, and the best source would be the village's leader.
"Take me to your leader," he said bluntly.
"H-huh? Oh—you mean Miss Chief?" the burly man stammered nervously.
Miss Chief? The leader is a woman?
He nodded.
The burly man looked back at the group; they exchanged worried glances.
"Exalted Sir, we've just offered our grains to the outer tribe. Our Chief has been working very hard… If possible, please allow us a few more months. We will surely pay by then!"
With that, the burly man dropped to the ground, and the group followed.
"Please, Great Sir!"
"Please, Great Sir!"
"Please, Great Sir!"
…I think I've walked straight into a massive misunderstanding. Bloody hell. This is going to be harder than I thought.
What should he even say?
"I just wish to meet your chief. Nothing more," he answered bluntly.
The man raised his head, but before he could respond—
A woman's voice drifted through the air, instantly silencing the crowd.
He turned toward it.
The gathered people parted, revealing a woman clad in a white tunic.
And all thought fled as his attention locked onto her glorious amber eyes.