Chapter Three: Life
A new day began. Rion woke to the sound of the family calling him down for breakfast.
He yawned tiredly and thought to himself:
I studied the language too much last night… I've started to understand a few words, but their speech still sounds strange to me.
Chloe's mother called for him again, and he responded, half-asleep:
"Yes, ma'am."
She looked surprised and smiled:
"Impressive. You're a fast learner… You've picked up a few words in just one night."
Chloe jumped in, her excited eyes blazing like fire:
"But that won't save him from training."
Rion didn't need a translation to understand her intent—her enthusiasm was more torture than training.
He glanced around at the family with pleading eyes.
Everyone burst into laughter.
They began eating, and amid the calm, Rion broke the silence. He tried to ask a question—speaking clumsily, with gestures and simple drawings—since he still couldn't speak fluently.
His question was: Why do you let your daughter do such dangerous work, even though you live in peace?
Smiles slowly faded. The father answered:
"We're not from here… We're from a nearby village. We used to live peacefully… until a great monster attacked the village. No one could stop it. It destroyed everything. We didn't know where it came from or how it happened. All we could do… was fight back.
In the end, it was killed—but not without heavy losses. Almost all the village's men died. We might be the only family that survived intact. That's why Chloe has her Ouroboros. She delivered the final blow to that beast. It was counted as her achievement."
Rion replied hesitantly, struggling to form the words like searching for needles in a haystack:
"I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"
The father smiled:
"It's alright. Don't apologize. You didn't know. We had to move here… and with all the debt, we've had to make do."
Rion could barely follow, relying on a mix of drawings, pictures, and scattered words.
He finished breakfast and followed Chloe to the city center as she offered to show him around.
As they walked, she explained things to him, pointing at various places, until they reached a wide wooden door.
When they opened it, they stepped into a large hall filled with tables and people carrying weapons—it looked like a guild for warriors.
The air smelled like sweat and metal. The men were large, some carrying massive swords, others wielding spears or axes.
Chloe approached an inner desk, where a young woman welcomed her warmly—they clearly knew each other.
Chloe turned to Rion and said:
"This is the Hunter's Guild. Here, you get a license… with it, you earn privileges, payments, and quests. If you have a hunter's card, you can trade monster parts for money."
Rion nodded, intrigued by the system.
Chloe gestured toward the woman:
"Meet Penila, my friend."
They exchanged greetings, and Chloe asked:
"Do you have space for training downstairs?"
Penila nodded: "Yes. Are you training today?"
Chloe replied: "Soon… I'll be training the boy with me."
"Ah… good luck," Penila said. "You can head down."
Chloe signaled Rion to follow her.
They descended a stone staircase tucked in the guild's corner, entering a spacious white training room. Weapon racks, targeting zones, and wooden dummies lined the area.
Chloe said: "Let's start by testing your strength against the dummies."
Training began.
Hours passed.
Both of them were drenched in sweat and completely exhausted. Rion had removed his cloak and gloves, wearing only his white shirt and pants.
Chloe, preparing to leave, said:
"Keep training. I'm heading out to hunt—maybe I'll find some quests on the way."
Rion continued practicing until sunset.
When he finished, he waited outside the guild. When she returned, they entered together to observe how monster parts were traded for coin.
Parts like goblin horns and slime skins—creatures similar to the jelly-like being he saw in the forest—were handed over.
Chloe collected the money, and they returned home together.
The family greeted them warmly, and dinner was ready.
Rion went to his room, dropped off his belongings, then came down to eat with everyone.
After dinner, he resumed studying the picture-based language book for children.
Chloe pulled out a notebook and began writing in it.
Rion asked:
"What… are you writing?"
Chloe replied:
"This is my journal."
He tried to peek, but she quickly pulled it away, eyes filled with worry:
"You shouldn't read someone's diary… It's private."
Rion nodded in understanding and said:
"I… will sleep now. Thank you… for helping me."
Her expression softened with guilt. She replied in a quiet voice:
"You're welcome… it's nothing."
Rion stood and went to his room. He collapsed onto the bed.
Could I really stay here… without recovering my memories? Has a new door opened for me in this world? There's not a single thread that leads to my past… to who I am.
He whispered:
Should I even try to recover my memories?
He felt torn and lost… a stranger in a strange place.
Yet despite it all, this place felt… comforting.
As if fate had granted him a second chance.
He drifted into sleep… awaiting the rise of a new day.
End of Chapter.