Standing alone in the deep silence of the woods, I realized I had no better option than to head toward the settlement Aluciend had mentioned. I began to walk in the direction he had pointed, my boots crunching rhythmically against the forest floor.

  After some time, the dense treeline began to thin, and I finally arrived at the edge of a wide, rushing river. I spotted the bridge further downstream while I was still making my way through the brush, its stone and timber silhouette standing out against the wild landscape. As I reached the riverbank, I paused for a moment to observe the water. The surface was clear enough that I could see my own reflection staring back at me.

  The man in the water had an oval face, framed by mess of black hair and punctuated by deep black eyes. I wasn't what anyone would call exceptionally handsome, but I was certainly passable—a face that could blend into a crowd or, if the circumstances were right, stand out just enough.

  Satisfied that I looked human enough for a border village, I headed toward the bridge. As I crossed, I noticed the first signs of civilization: thin trails of chimney smoke rising into the air. Beyond the river sat the village, a collection of humble adobe houses clustered together for safety. I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves as I mentally reviewed the story I was about to tell the locals.

  I reached the village gates well before sunset; it seemed the settlement was much closer to my starting point than I had originally anticipated. Two guards stood at the entrance, their hands gripped firmly around the shafts of their spears. They stepped forward to block my path, questioning my identity and my business in Carag. I gave them the same story I had told Aluciend—that I was a traveler who had lost his way and was looking for a place to offer my sword.

  They looked at me with immediate suspicion. It was wartime, after all, and a strange man appearing out of nowhere was cause for alarm. I could see them preparing to ask for the name of my home village, a question I wasn't prepared to answer, so I quickly mentioned my encounter with Aluciend and his companions.

  The effect was instantaneous. It seemed Aluciend was a well-known figure in these parts. When I showed them the silver ring on my finger, the tension drained from their faces, and they immediately began to warm up to me.

  Man, it feels like God sent me a real opportunity, I thought. Without that chance meeting, I wouldn't have the ring, and without the ring, I doubted the villagers would have ever taken me in. I likely would have ended up dead and alone in the woods.

  After granting me an entry permit, the guards directed me to the village chief. He was an old man with a hunched back and a shock of white hair that stood out against his weathered skin. He walked with his hands clasped behind his back, moving with the slow, deliberate gait of a man who had seen too many winters.

  The chief took me to a small, two-room hut that was currently empty. It consisted of a medium-sized living area and a small storeroom. He explained that the previous owner had been a man living alone who had recently died in the war, so there was no issue with me staying there for the time being.

  We sat in the quiet of the hut and chatted for a while. I learned the village was named Carag. Its position on the border meant it saw a steady stream of merchants and travelers, and its primary income came from providing them with food and accommodation. Once he finished his introduction to the village, the chief left me to rest.

  It had been a long, exhausting day. Even as I lay down, I struggled to believe I had finally achieved my dream. Part of me was terrified that I would close my eyes and wake up back in my old room. But I knew I couldn't run from reality forever, so I surrendered to sleep.

  The days that followed were a blur of adjustment. To my relief, I woke up every morning in the same world I had fallen asleep in. That first night had been difficult, but as the days passed, it became easier to find peace.

  I knew I couldn't stay forever—at least not until the surrounding battles calmed down—so I divided my time between survival and training. Every morning after breakfast, I would head out to work on my swordsmanship. I had a sword, and I intended to know how to use it. I spent hours swinging and stabbing, trying to get my body used to the weight of the steel.

  Socializing was just as important as training. I began helping the villagers with their daily chores, and within a few days, we started to get along. For the most part, they were good, hardworking people. I kept my ears open, trying to learn as much as I could about this new world, though information was surprisingly scarce. These were border villagers, after all; they lived simple lives, and even with the travelers passing through, they didn't seem to possess much deep knowledge of the world's inner workings.

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  My biggest focus, however, was that "strange phenomenon" I had felt in the forest. I tried to recall the sensation, but I could only grasp a vague feeling of it. I suspected that I had only achieved it before because I was in such a harsh, desperate condition. I couldn't use it to hide my presence as I had then, but I discovered a different application during my training.

  As my desire to improve grew more intense, I felt a strange power beginning to guide my movements. Even the villagers who watched me practice occasionally praised me, noting that I was making incredible progress in such a short amount of time. I began to hypothesize that the more I wanted something, the more this power would assist me.

  The mystery was solved a few days later when an injured mercenary swordsman visited the village. He watched me training for a while before commenting that I must be a "genius at using mana". So, that was it. The strange feeling was mana.

  Based on the reactions I’d seen from the beastman scout and from Alice, it seemed most people didn't believe it was possible to use mana to mask one's presence from a beastman’s heightened senses. I wondered if this was my "cheat skill"—a natural affinity for mana that defied the logic of this world. Even if it didn't make sense, it was useful, and I had no intention of complaining about it.

  Time began to fly. My skills were improving at an incredible rate, and as I grew more effective, the war in the distance began to settle. There was talk of a ceasefire—a truce that was easier to discuss than it was to implement, but it was better than nothing.

  Carag began to receive more visitors, just as the chief had promised. The villagers were delighted by the influx of coins and news. Among the new arrivals were many adventurers, and one day, I heard a voice I recognized.

  “Wow, I thought you were talented, but I didn’t expect you would have that much skill. Were you always this good with a sword?”

  I turned to see Alice. She was a pleasant surprise, and seeing her reminded me how much more proactive I had become since arriving here. Even though the village had its share of cute girls, Alice was in another league entirely.

  “Hey, Alice. Good to see you,” I said, the words coming more easily than they once would have. “I thought seeing new faces would be the highlight of my day, but seeing you has made me realize I was being short-sighted. Where have you been?”

  She smiled alluringly. “Huhu, still bold, I see. I’m sure you’ll be just fine when it comes time to pay that debt you mentioned. As for us, we’ve been running errands for the army. If I’d known you’d be this tempting, I would have tried to come back sooner”.

  I felt a bit like a simp for how quickly I reacted to her, but she truly was something else. She looked much the same as when we first met, though her eyes held a trace of exhaustion.

  Her party soon followed, with Aluciend among them. I was relieved to see him; he had been my first benefactor, and I felt a sense of loyalty to him. There were about ten people in total, most of them looking like weary veterans.

  I noticed a silver-haired young lady among them who looked particularly depressed. She walked with her head down, her face hidden beneath a hood. When I greeted Aluciend, he confirmed that while their journey had been advantageous for the kingdom, they had suffered misfortunes. He glanced at the silver-haired girl, and I realized one of their losses must have been someone close to her.

  “Then let’s enjoy your successes and mourn your losses together,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “There’s a saying where I come from: shared joy is multiplied, and shared misfortune is divided. Rest while you’re here, and let me join you when you're partying”.

  Aluciend was confused by the term "partying," but after I explained it meant a nighttime celebration with drinks and fire, he and the others agreed to meet later. The silver-haired lady, however, remained in her shell of grief.

  Alice stayed behind to talk to me after the others went to rest. She told me they had lost four people, one of whom was Sherry’s brother. Sherry was the silver-haired girl.

  “We’ve moved on from the others in time,” Alice said sadly, “but we can’t act fine when we see Sherry like that. I wish I could do something”.

  I told Alice I wanted to help, to repay the debt I owed them for the ring that had allowed me to enter the village. I asked about her brother—what he was like and how they had gotten along. Alice explained that he had been a cheerful person who often messed things up despite his good intentions. Worst of all, they had argued right before he was killed by an arrow. Sherry blamed herself for not making up with him before it was too late.

  “I understand,” I told Alice. “I can’t fix what happened, but I can distract her from it. Just help me a bit and leave the rest to me”.

  Alice’s cheeky attitude returned as she agreed to my plan. “If you succeed, we’ll consider your debt paid. Or maybe I should pay you instead”.

  I told her to get some rest and not to forget to bring Sherry to the banquet that night. As she left, I began to plan exactly how I was going to help Sherry open up.

  [Edited]