Auron huffed and wiped the sweat off his face with his forearm, the leather scratching uncomfortably against his skin.

  He had beaten them—both of them.

  He felt strangely good, even though his leg was bleeding considerably. As the adrenaline slowly faded, the pain grew sharper.

  “Mister Knight?”

  A small voice—Leo’s—called out to him.

  Despite his condition, Auron laughed.

  “I’m not a knight, kiddo,” he said as he approached them.

  “Oh… o-okay. Thank you for saving us!” Leo replied.

  “I don’t wanna hear any of that,” Auron said, ruffling the boy’s hair before sitting down and leaning against a tree.

  He wasn’t a father, but he was in his twenties—and it was his responsibility to protect children.

  “What are your names, kids?” he asked.

  “I’m Leo, and this is—”

  “I can say that myself!” the girl interrupted, smacking Leo on the shoulder.

  But when she faced Auron, she looked at the ground and blushed.

  “I-I’m Laura, sir Knight!” she stammered—and bowed.

  Auron sighed, earning two pairs of worried eyes. He reached out and ruffled both their heads.

  “Leo and Laura… mind telling me where we are?”

  ---

  “Let’s show Sir Auron around the village when we get there,” Laura whispered to Leo.

  “B-but we need to treat his wound first.”

  “Oh. Right. I hope he gets better so we can show him everything…”

  ---

  Auron grit his teeth as he tried to keep up with the two little balls of energy leading the way.

  Yes! A village—and it’s nearby! That means I’m not in an empty world. I’m not alone.

  He felt a wave of relief wash through him.

  He wondered what would’ve happened to the kids if he hadn’t been transported here—but he shook that thought away.

  No point thinking about what didn’t happen.

  They walked a little further through the forest, vegetation brushing against their clothes. Eventually Leo and Laura slowed down to help Auron keep a steady pace.

  Pathetic, Auron thought.

  I shouldn’t have charged in like an idiot. If I’d been more careful…

  “We—we’re there now, sir,” Leo said softly.

  He pointed down a small slope toward a clearing. The trees thinned out until, just beyond a small wooden fence, a village appeared.

  Wooden homes with smoke rising from chimneys. Farmers planting seeds. A girl hanging laundry on a line. Children running. The rhythmic clank of a blacksmith.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The sight was beautiful—made even more so by the sinking sun.

  Tears formed in Auron’s eyes again, but this time… they were happy.

  ---

  “And that’s when Sir Auron appeared out of nowhere and killed both razers by himself! With a slash and bam—a kick—and then he threw a dagger and swam!”

  Auron sighed as he half-listened to Leo’s enthusiastic reenactment of the fight.

  Razers…?

  He didn’t remember any monsters by that name in AUR.

  But he calmed himself.

  There are tons of monsters. I probably never fought the small fry.

  Still… uncertainty lingered.

  A sudden slam of the wooden cabin door brought him out of his thoughts.

  “Laura!”

  A big, broad-shouldered, bearded man rushed in.

  “Where were you!?” His voice cracked as he reached his daughter.

  Her father, Auron guessed—and he was right.

  “Papa!”

  The two embraced, tears streaming down both their faces.

  Auron smiled without realizing it, then stood up.

  “Thank you for treating my wound, Miss Serta,” he said, bowing to Leo’s mother.

  “Oh no, I’m not finished yet. Please lie down again.”

  Confused, he obeyed.

  His leg was already wrapped in bandages and ointment.

  What else is left?

  He got his answer when Miss Serta’s hands began glowing green as she murmured a chant.

  A healing spell.

  This one he recognized from AUR.

  His uncertainty eased—hope blooming in its place.

  Warmth seeped through his wound as the pain faded into a soothing tingling.

  “Thank you,” he said quietly.

  “Please don’t thank me. You saved my boy,” she replied, bowing with red, puffy eyes.

  “You saved them?”

  The large man asked, still holding Laura.

  “Yes… sir…?” Auron replied, prompting his name.

  “I am Robben Stark, the chief of this village. Thank you for saving Laura.”

  Robben bowed deeply after setting his daughter down, and she mimicked him.

  The whole room bowed.

  “No need,” Auron said quickly. “But… could you maybe tell me where we are?”

  Robben looked confused, head tilting.

  Auron explained:

  “I’m a little lost. I was with my friends but got separated a night ago. I stumbled onto this village—or rather, these two kids helped me.”

  He scratched his neck, pretending to be embarrassed.

  Robben studied him for a moment, his eyes narrowing—then softened when Auron mentioned the children.

  “Yes, of course. Follow me. I’ll show you on the map in the chief’s cabin.”

  “Thank you,” Auron said.

  As he moved to follow, Laura grabbed his sleeve.

  “C-can I come too?” she asked quietly.

  “H-hey, me too!” Leo added.

  “I don’t mind,” Auron said gently. “But you’ll have to ask your parents.”

  Leo and Laura turned their pleading eyes to them.

  “If Sir Auron doesn’t mind… it’s fine,” Miss Serta said. “But I’ll come along too.”

  Auron nodded—and realized he hadn’t introduced himself to Robben.

  “I’m Auron, by the way. Sorry for the late introduction.”

  They shook hands, and Robben finally allowed the kids to come.

  ---

  Robben pointed to an enclosed kingdom on the map. “This is the Vetra Kingdom. And we are… here. A small village to the south.”

  YES.

  Auron nearly exploded from joy.

  This is really the game!

  He forced himself to calm down, but couldn’t help the grin stretching across his face.

  “How long would it take to get there?” he asked casually—already planning his next steps.

  “Two days… by carriage.”

  WHAT?!

  Outwardly, he only said: “I see,” though he clicked his tongue.

  After a moment of silence:

  “Couldn’t Sir Auron accompany Miss Lizzy and the others in three days?” Leo suggested.

  “That’s a great idea,” Miss Serta agreed.

  Robben nodded. “Yes. Sir Auron, in a few days a carriage travels to Vetra. You can join them.”

  “Yes!” Auron blurted—then coughed awkwardly.

  “I mean… that would be appreciated.”

  “It’s the least we can do,” Miss Serta assured him.

  “And could I maybe sleep in the village for the next few days? If it’s too much trouble, I could sleep in the forest…”

  A lie.

  He had no idea how to camp.

  “Yes. Lizzy’s cabin is free—she won’t return before the carriage leaves,” Robben said.

  “I’ll be in your care, then,” Auron said gratefully.

  “We’ll show you!” Leo and Laura chirped.

  “Don’t run off again,” Robben warned.

  “We won’t!”

  ---

  The “little cabin” was small but far better than sleeping outside.

  Auron lay down on the straw bed, the candle beside him casting a warm red glow.

  But a knock interrupted his rest.

  “Come in.”

  The door swung open—and a crowd of children peeked in, hiding behind Leo and Laura.

  “Yes?” Auron asked, amused.

  “Sir Auron… w-we wanted to tell you that you can eat with us… if you want…”

  Auron’s face brightened instantly.

  “I’d be honored.”

  The children beamed and led him to a large bonfire where villagers gathered around a huge pot of soup.

  But as he arrived, conversations quieted—and he felt dozens of suspicious eyes on him.

  Miss Serta—Sahra—stirred the pot.

  “Glad you could join us, Auron. I hope the kids didn’t bother you.”

  “Not at all. And thank you for letting me eat with you.”

  He was guided to the adult table, though the uneasy stares worsened.

  Maybe they think I’m a beggar…? No, armor rules that out. Maybe they think I’m weak for getting injured by razers…

  A young woman sat beside him.

  “Your name is Auron, right?” she asked flatly.

  “That’s right, and yo—”

  “Are you a knight?”

  Her interruption was rude, but Auron answered anyway.

  “No.”

  “Good. People think you are. That’s why they’re staring.”

  “Why? Wouldn’t that be… good?” Auron asked. In AUR’s cities, knights were respected.

  “So you’re from a city,” she concluded, ignoring his question.

  Auron didn’t reply.

  She sighed and continued.

  “Knights come here sometimes. They demand taxes or ‘inspect’ the village’s progress. It always ends in disappointment—and less support.”

  She stood up, giving him a cold look.

  “You wouldn’t understand anyway.”

  The silence that followed was suffocating.

  Not even the food—surprisingly good despite lacking seasoning—could lift his mood.

  He thanked Sahra and the other cooks, said goodnight to the kids, and returned to his cabin.

  Instinctively, he reached for a phone that didn’t exist.

  “Snap out of it,” he muttered.

  He lay down.

  I’m in Action Until Rebirth… in AUR. Can I get back? Do I want to?

  Probably not.

  And maybe… that was okay.

  But he suddenly remembered:

  “I haven’t checked what I look like here.”

  He stood before a shard of glass acting as a mirror.

  A young man stared back—handsome, unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar.

  Not the battlemage’s model.

  No.

  This looked like… him. His real self.

  Mixed with another.

  Dark brown eyes—his.

  Hair grey like zinc—short, sharp, falling over his forehead.

  Sharper jawline. Leaner features.

  He looked eighteen or nineteen.

  It felt unreal.

  After staring far too long, he finally lay back down.

  Despite all the questions swirling in his mind…

  Sleep claimed him quickly.

  ---