Erlik looked out the window at the dragon. It had already flown far away.
Erlik: Why didn't it attack us, I wonder?
Erlik quickly moved toward the door. Just as he was about to step outside, he calmed himself down, sat back on the bed, and started thinking.
Erlik:(I have so many questions, but I need to stay calm. I don't even know if I'm alone in this house. I don't know what kind of people live here.)
Erlik glanced at the water and cloth placed on the nightstand beside his bed.
Erlik:(Judging by the items next to my bed, they took care of me. That means the people in this house can't be all bad. Still, I shouldn't make any rash judgments.)
This time, instead of openly looking, Erlik carefully peeked out the window to avoid drawing attention.
Erlik:(This place looks like a village from ancient times. The people here dress in a medieval style. Even in the poorest villages of my world, people don't dress like this anymore. And then there's that dragon… The villagers barely reacted when it flew over us. That must mean it's a normal occurrence here.)
Erlik sat back down on the bed.
Erlik:(I might have traveled back to the medieval era in my younger body. But that doesn't explain the dragon. In that case, it's more likely that I've entered an entirely different world. If I go by what I've seen in shows and movies, where there are dragons, there might also be magic. Could magic be the reason I'm here? Though, I shouldn't compare real life to movies… but it's the only conclusion I can come up with. If this village has a map somewhere, I'd be really happy.)
Erlik let out a sigh.
Erlik: Alright, let's see...
He stood up and walked toward the door to step outside.
Erlik: …who the people in this house are.
Erlik slowly opened the door and stepped out of the room.
Erlik:(This must be the living room. That door over there leads outside, and the other two must be to different rooms. Since I saw small huts outside, they're probably communal toilets for the village. This is a single-story house with three rooms. The kitchen and the living room are combined.)
Erlik glanced around the empty living room.
Erlik:(It looks like no one is here. Knocking on the other rooms might be inappropriate. It's best to call out.)
Erlik: IS ANYONE HERE?!!
One of the room doors opened. A man who looked to be in his fifties, with a slightly frail build, stepped out. He had a calm and reassuring expression as he looked at Erlik.
Old Man: You've come to your senses. We were worried you wouldn't wake up. Are you feeling okay?
Erlik discreetly and quickly examined the old man with his eyes.
Erlik:(He doesn't seem like a bad person. Judging by the water and cloth next to my bed, they put a lot of effort into taking care of me… I should play the amnesiac and the polite young man for now.)
Erlik: Hello. I'm fine. Thank you so much for taking care of me. Do you happen to know what happened to me and where I am?
Old Man: This is Derhim Village, under the rule of Darkiz City. As for what happened to you, I honestly don't know. Two nights ago, in the middle of the night, a bright light suddenly appeared and woke the entire village. It lasted only a few seconds. But there was no explosion, no sound—just light. When the villagers went to check where it came from, they found you. You had a fever and were sick. You don't remember anything?
Erlik: Honestly, aside from my name, I don't remember anything.
Old Man: Oh, my dear boy… What is your name, then?
Erlik: My name is Erlik… Erlik Kılıç.
Old Man: Nice to meet you, son. I'm Burla. Not many people have surnames. If we investigate your surname, we might be able to find your past.
Erlik:(This is bad. From now on, I should avoid mentioning my surname.)
Erlik: Thank you, Uncle Burla...
Burla: No need to thank me. It's nothing.
Erlik: What exactly was that light you saw?
Burla: To be honest, I've never seen anything like it in my life. There are only two people in this village besides the Village Overseer who can use magic, but even they have never seen anything like it. They have no idea what it was. As for the Overseer, he wasn't here at the time, and he's not here now. So, we don't know.
Erlik:(Bingo! There really is magic in this world. But what's this 'Village Overseer' about?)
Erlik: Village Overseer?
Burla: Oh, your memory really is gone, huh… How should I explain it…? The Village Overseer isn't from this village. He is appointed from the city and sent here to monitor the chief and the villagers. Every Overseer is at least a Level 3 'Do' user.
Erlik:(Level 3? Do? I need to learn about these terms.)
Erlik: How is an Overseer different from the village chief?
Burla:Haha! Judging by all your questions, you really have lost your memory.
Erlik: Ah, sorry about that.
Burla: No need to apologize. You can ask as many questions as you like. If I can, I'll answer them all. Maybe it'll help you regain your memory. As for your question, the village chief manages the villagers and collects taxes for the Empire. The Overseer's job is to monitor whether the chief is doing his job fairly. But that's just the surface of his duties.
Erlik: What do you mean?
Burla: The Overseer's most important role is preventing uprisings and protecting the villagers. Because, in addition to being powerful themselves, Overseers also have their own forces.
Erlik:(So the real power in the village lies with the Overseer.)
Erlik: I've asked a lot of questions at once. Let's leave it here for now. I'll continue later.
Burla: Of course, no problem. But I have one request. Just to be safe, I'd like you to rest in your room for one more day since you've only just recovered. Tomorrow, I'll give you a tour of the village. Sound good?
Erlik: Sure, I don't mind. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
As Erlik and Burla finished talking, the front door suddenly swung open.
Girl's voice: Dad, where should I put this firewood?
As soon as she spoke, the girl noticed Erlik was awake.
Burla smiled at her and responded.
Burla: Ah, welcome home, my daughter. You can put the firewood by the door.
Burla then turned to Erlik.
Burla: Erlik, let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Ella. She was the one who took care of you while you were unconscious.
Erlik:(She's carrying a lot of firewood despite her small frame. In my old world, I had men who couldn't carry that much.)
Erlik bowed his head slightly.
Erlik: Thank you for taking care of me.
Ella quickly placed the firewood down and grabbed Erlik's hand.
Ella: You shouldn't be up and walking yet.
She placed her other hand on his forehead to check his temperature.
Ella: Are you really okay?
Erlik:(Wow, what an energetic little girl.)
Erlik gently took Ella's hands and clasped them together.
Erlik: I'm perfectly fine. No need to worry, young lady.
Ella's face turned red, and she quickly pulled her hands away.
Ella: I-I was just concerned! And who are you calling 'young lady'? You look the same age as me!
Erlik:(Oops! My body got younger, but my way of speaking is still old. I need to stop talking like an old man.)
Erlik smiled calmly.
Erlik: My apologies. You're right. I should go rest.
Erlik bowed his head.
Erlik: Thank you both for helping me.
Burla hurriedly straightened Erlik up.
Burla: No need, young man. We just did what a person should do.
Ella interjected with a smile.
Ella: Yes. We're glad you're okay.
Erlik: (There is no malice in these people. From my experiences, I can be sure of that. But they are too kind… I wonder if this is unique to this world, this village, or just them?)
Erlik: Thank you again. Then, with your permission, I'd like to go back to my room and rest.
Ella and Burla smiled and nodded in approval.
Erlik returned to his room and lay on his bed, lost in thought.
Erlik: (I have so many questions in my mind.)Erlik: (The first question—how did I get here…? I have a feeling I won't find an answer to that right away, and I'm not even sure if I want to. I was already bored in the other world. So, I have no intention of returning there. The idea of starting anew in this world sounds exciting.)Erlik: (The second question—what exactly are this Do and Magic? Learning about them might be my first main objective.)Erlik: (Another question—if I've come to another world, how am I speaking the same language as them? …I have so many questions, but instead of focusing on them, I should decide on my first goal.)Erlik: (My first goal should be gathering information about this family and village. So, I should keep playing the good kid for a while longer. From what I've gathered, Ella's father is Burla. Then where is Ella's mother? Is she dead or alive?)
Erlik: (Ella is strange, too. Considering her age and appearance, the amount of firewood she can carry is absurd. Does this have something to do with Do? Burla mentioned that aside from the village controller, there are two other magic users in this village. Is Ella one of them, which is why she can carry so much? Or are Do users and magic users two different things?)
Erlik: (Tomorrow, I need to try and find answers to these questions…?)
Erlik glanced at the sky through the window as he lay in bed.
Erlik: But in the end, my ultimate goal won't change. I will build a new mafia family and rule this world. Let's rise to the top once again.