A cup of coffee arrived in front of me, still steaming with its distinctive fragrance. The delicious pastries and cakes on display couldn't revive my lost appetite in an instant either. I don't drink coffee, but in my panic and anxiety, I simply pointed at the drink on the menu. I stared at the coffee, just to take my eyes off Frans' aunt who was still looking at me enthusiastically with Frans frowning in confusion. "Auntie, you're scaring Joe," Frans reprimanded in a low voice. The aunt nudged Frans playfully. "Why didn't you tell me you had a friend like him?" his aunt asked. Frans was even more astonished, taking a quick sip of his lemonade. "I didn't know Auntie's type was a guy like Joe," he replied innocently. "Ouch, you're so stupid!" The aunt exclaimed in dismay. I glanced at them every now and then. I really wanted to run away as soon as Aunt Frans told me that I was from a different 'world'. However, the woman easily put her arm around me and brought me to sit inside
I tasted the delicious apple pie while gazing at the colorful flowers in the cottage. After meeting Sonya at the cafe, I hurried back to the palace, and fortunately, the guards welcomed me back and didn't forget about me.Although I returned to my cozy cottage and the beautiful palace scenery, I couldn't shake off the memory of my conversation with Frans and his aunt. Actually, I mostly remained silent and only answered when they asked. When they asked about my mission, I just said it was a secret, luckily they weren't the forcing type. About Frans suspecting me as the man he saw in his dream, I argued that it definitely wasn't me.I wasn't sent here to be a knight. However, I didn't know if Frans believed my answer.In essence, now there are two people who know my origin. I want to trust them because they are good people who didn't ask me anything weird, and besides, I even got information from Sonya.When we parted ways, Sonya supplied me with a whole and warm apple pie. She also w
Early in the morning, Adellia invited me for breakfast and tea. I was still upset with her, but of course, I wouldn't refuse food when offered. The royal chef's creations are truly the best!It felt like my first real taste of food because back at the barracks, we ate whatever the soldiers managed to hunt. Sometimes we had goat or turkey meat, on other days, we had fried plants and vegetables because some of the soldiers who hunted were vegan.Once, our group hunted down a giant female cow, but in the middle of the forest, hungry wolves awaited. We could only salvage parts of the cow's legs and tail, and that was a truly torturous dinner menu.Here, I was free to eat anything, and I didn't feel ashamed about it! I finished my last spoonful of corn soup and followed it with a sip of warm milk tea."I can see you've filled out since joining the military," remarked Adellia, having finished her breakfast."That's right. Soldiers are pushed insanely hard in training," I replied shortly.Ad
I gazed at Sarah, still feeling nauseous and vomiting blood, albeit slightly, but I was already worried about losing blood because of it. My head was supported by the folds of Sarah's robe, which she had taken off.She took out a small glass bottle the size of a pinkie, then drank from it and gave it to me. She seemed to wait for its effect with anxious hope and genuine panic. I couldn't feel any effect from the antidote.But soon after, I stopped vomiting even though my stomach felt twisted as if squeezed from within."Take slow breaths," Sarah guided me to inhale and exhale, and I felt somewhat relaxed afterward."Your dress got stained with my vomit," I said, pointing to her brown dress stained with blood, as well as her robe that became my pillow.Sarah looked at me with an indescribable expression. She blinked rapidly as if trying not to cry, and she often rubbed her trembling hands together."It's okay. This dress is not important," she said softly, almost inaudibly.I then real
"Can you tell the difference between a grenade and a landmine?" Ben whispered."It's obviously different, didn't you learn?" Dean responded with irritation.Ben nodded innocently. "We only practiced avoiding those things five times," he defended himself.Willem, walking ahead, then turned to the two of them, pointing to the line of officers preparing their pegasus. "We'll get scolded again later, so keep it down," he warned.I had already arrived at the barracks and was now getting ready to ride the pegasus to the battlefield. Earlier, we had already taken the weapons provided by the military, and this time there was no need to return them!I tightened the bowstring and made sure the arrows wouldn't fall when flying later. The dagger was already hanging neatly in the holster. I had considered bringing a sword, but I thought it wasn't efficient.I might be facing opponents with magical powers, so a sword wasn't necessary. I brought the bow hoping I'd be placed as long-range cavalry so
I sat on the uncomfortable sofa with Willem beside me. Rasen stared at us with eyes as dark as night, intensified by Cedric's presence, which made the situation even more oppressive.Cedric seemed increasingly weary every time I met him. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and his face lacked color. Perhaps he came to inquire about Adellia's well-being and the gift for her.I only hinted that I had given the gift from him; it was impossible to discuss this openly. Cedric nodded in gratitude.Then I saw Peace kneeling with his hind legs bent, already treated by swift paramedics."Smart Pegasus," remarked a male paramedic while stroking Peace's weakly whinnying snout. He then turned to me with a serious gaze. "Your Pegasus won't be able to walk for several weeks and will need periodic recovery," he continued.I moved to hug Peace, not expecting my friend to suffer such a tragic fate. "How bad is it?" I asked."His leg is bent as if kicked very hard. I've given him medication; he'll be fin
I was used to exploring forests during my month-long career as a hunter in this world. However, I had just realized that the forests I had been in were nothing compared to what I was experiencing now. Brisia, the officer, led us with deft steps. There was only the sound of breathing that accompanied us all the time. Sometimes I had to walk with my head down or crouch when the officer instructed us to do so. Several times we were told to stay where we were and keep our weapons at the ready. I heard nothing but my own breathing, even the sound of my footsteps on the leaves was kept to a minimum. This forest was relatively the same as any other, with trees floating high in the air. I even found them difficult to climb, as the branches were too far for the average height of the soldiers to reach. The interlocking rocks made the path even steeper. A large boulder blocked the way, so we had to climb over it, making sure our grip was strong enough to avoid an embarrassing fall. Then a ge
Reportedly, a 27-year-old man ended his own life by hanging himself in a secluded, abandoned garden near X's apartment. The man was known to be a loner, unfriendly, and rarely left the house. He also had no close friends or relatives to contact. His co-workers said they were not close to him either, except through work. The footage then cut to a beautiful woman crying bitterly, accompanied by her husband. She said the man was her best friend since childhood, a good person. The woman regretted not knowing that he was severely depressed, and she regretted that she hadn't heard from him since he got married and moved abroad. It was discovered that the man was taking sleeping pills and antidepressants without a doctor's prescription, and the drugs were even purchased on an illegal marketplace. It was later concluded that the man was depressed based on notes in his book that he had given up on life. The man was buried in a public cemetery with only a few colleagues and friends in atte