Chapter 2

"What is this...?"

I re-examine the status screen that appeared in my mind.

HP and MP... I guess they mean health and magic power... both are at 100.

I don't know if these numbers are high or low since I have no reference.

The problem is the "Title" section.

There are about three of these "Titles."

"What are these? Like qualifications?"

Indeed, such qualifications do exist in reality.

Well, I learned everything on the job because my company never gave me time to study or take exams.

But, wait a minute.

I'm starting to calm down, so let me think this through again.

Did I die?

I was pretty tired, and I hadn't had a day off in days, working overtime continuously.

But, I've been through this before, and while I've fallen ill, I never thought it would be life-threatening.

However, it's possible that I had an undiagnosed illness accumulating in my body...

...No, fundamentally, I'm alive right now.

"Hmm..."

Questions flood my mind.

Then, I suddenly notice something.

The children who ran away a moment ago have returned, standing nearby.

There are two of them, staring at me intently from a distance.

They have dog-like ears on their heads and are wearing simple clothes made of sewn fabric.

Upon closer inspection, their faces are identical.

They must be twins.

One has blue eyes, and the other has red eyes.

The red-eyed child stands in front, as if protecting the blue-eyed one.

"Hey, you two."

When I speak to them, the twins flinch in alarm.

"Where are we? I... I woke up here."

"...Do you have no memory?"

The red-eyed child responds.

However, they are still on guard.

"Who are you?"

"It's dangerous to sleep here, you know?"

From behind the red-eyed child, the blue-eyed one speaks hesitantly.

"This is the grassland near the village of Abatoks... Miss, where's your home? You should hurry back; a storm is coming soon."

"Storm?"

Looking up at the sky, I see that it has turned gray, though it was blue just a moment ago.

I remember the clouds were moving quite fast.

The strong wind might be due to that.

"Hmm... This is troublesome."

Suddenly thrown into this confusing situation, I can only cross my arms and groan.

Then,

"Hey, if you have nowhere to go, why don't you come to our house?"

The blue-eyed child suggests.

"Hey, Mawr! You can't just invite a stranger... especially a human... into our home!"

"But we can't just leave her here."

The red-eyed child shouts, but the blue-eyed one doesn't back down.

I think to myself.

...Staying here won't change anything, and if a storm is coming, I need to find shelter.

As a home center employee, I'm sensitive to the dangers of such disasters.

"Hmm... Well, in that case, I'll accept your offer."

"Hey! I didn't say it was okay yet!"

As I stand up and approach, the red-eyed child steps back and shouts.

"Meala, let's go home. It's getting dark. It's dangerous to stay here."

"...Damn."

Convinced by Meala, the red-eyed child reluctantly agrees.

"Thank you. Nice to meet you, I'm Honda Mako... just call me Mako."

"I'm Mawr."

"...Meala."

After introducing ourselves, I follow the twins, Mawr and Meala.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

After walking for a while, as the sun began to set and the surroundings grew dim, we arrived at a village with many houses.

This must be the village of Abatoks where they live.

Judging from the number of houses, the meeting hall, the well, and their sizes, it seems to be a fairly large village.

"You know, the villagers here all hate humans. Keep quiet."

With a storm approaching, all the houses are locked, and there's no one outside.

Meala warns me as I look around.

"Okay, I understand."

"...Honestly, Mawr is too kind. Sheltering a human... it's just..."

Meala mutters under her breath.

I see. It seems that the beast people and humans don't get along, or something like that.

"We're here."

While I'm thinking, we arrive at a small house on the outskirts of the village.

...To be honest, it's in bad shape.

It looks more like a shack.

Will it withstand the storm?

"What?"

As if reading my thoughts, Meala glares at me.

"You think it's a dirty house, don't you?"

"No, I think it has character and is a nice house."

I try to cover up.

Mawr opens the door, and I step inside.

The interior is a single room with a table and chairs right in front of the door and a bunk bed against the wall.

The house feels more like a storage shed with farming tools leaning against the walls and furniture placed haphazardly.

The door closes, and the sound of the wind whistling through the gaps is intense.

"Alright then."

Once I settle down, I pinch my cheek and open my eyes wide to see if I'm dreaming.

But there's no sign of waking up.

Is this a dream...?

Could I have died and been reincarnated in another world?

Is this the kind of thing that happens?

"Well, I don't really understand, but if this is the case, I'll be in this world forever, I guess—"

I mutter to myself. Then, I notice Mawr and Meala staring at me intently.

"..."

By the way, do they live alone?

I look around the house, but there's no place for anyone else to hide in this small space.

"Do you two live alone?"

I ask Mawr and Meala.

"Yeah, this house was built by our dad."

Mawr answers my question.

"Our parents died in an accident in the city, and now it's just Mawr and Meala living here..."

Just then, a particularly strong gust of wind blows.

The house shakes as if something huge has hit it.

"Whoa!"

The farming tools and cooking utensils hanging on the wall fall to the floor.

"Is it okay?! Can it really withstand the storm?!"

"Don't insult it! This is a house built by our father!"

Meala shouts, but Mawr looks dejected.

"Many storms have come before, and we've managed to repair it each time... but it's in bad shape now. The adults in the village said today's storm is very strong... it might not hold up this time... I'm sorry, Mako, for bringing you to such a house."

"Don't be discouraged, Mawr!"

Meala grabs Mawr's shoulder, who is looking down.

Just the two of them, the siblings who lost their parents, are trying their best to support each other.

"..."

I look around the house.

There are signs of repairs everywhere, done by the children with their limited knowledge and strength.

...These two are worried about me, a stranger suddenly thrown into this world, and are trying to help me.

Then, I want to repay their kindness.

(...'Riders help each other'... Eiji...)

Remembering the words of Hino Eiji, the protagonist of Kamen Rider OOO, I clench my fist tightly.