4 Chapter 4: New Home - New Life

Inside, I was greeted by a practically empty, or one might say, gloomy guild. Only a few people were standing, presumably at the job board, while the rest slept right on the tables next to dirty dishes from their meals. The lively atmosphere the guild was known for had turned into an air of desolation, with the only illumination coming from candles and small magical lights.

"Who are you, young man?" came an elderly voice from the direction of the bar. Turning to look, I found a small, elderly man sitting alone on a high stool, not more than a meter tall, wearing a cap. "What brings you here at this hour? Not the best time for children to be out, don't you think?" he asked.

Without hesitation, I started walking toward him, the sound of my wooden sandals on the floor becoming a familiar sound after spending the day in this place. I replied, my heart filled with anxiety, "I have some questions. I was told that you might be able to answer them."

"Ho? And who told you that? What kind of questions could a young lad like you have for me?" He remained calm and surprisingly sober for someone drinking late at night. Now, fully turned towards me, I could take a closer look at him from head to toe. His gray hair, wrinkles typical of an old man, and the peculiar outfit, probably meant for a child, created an interesting image of a seemingly infantile old man. I knew for sure he was anything but.

"Well..." I mixed truth and fiction to create a coherent and believable story. It wasn't technically a lie, as no one had advised me, but that detail was unimportant. "I woke up in Onibus today. I have no idea who I am, where I come from, or what I was doing there. I don't even remember my own name, but one of the locals said I look like someone from the 'East.' He also mentioned that if I find someone from a wizard guild, they might be able to tell me more."

"Hmm..." He pondered for a couple of seconds. "About who you are, I don't know, but I've heard a couple of times that there are lands across the ocean to the east, and the people there wear similar attire. Our continent doesn't have much contact with them; you could say it's isolated. So, I'm unlikely to be of much help with that. But if you have nowhere else to go, you can stay in the guild."

"But I don't know magic, and I'm not sure if I possess any kind of magic. Why would you want to take in someone like me, a complete stranger?"

"It's not a problem not to know something, especially when you're young. Everything can be learned. As for whether you possess magic... do we really need to answer that question?" He looked at my chest and then at my face.

"Well... my vision has improved significantly. Although I hardly remember my past, I can say that for certain. And my body grows stronger when it's filled with warmth."

"Here's the answer to your question. Your eyes are unusual. They hold magical energy. I can't say for sure, but you seem to possess Eye Magic—a very rare type of magic. It's not something you come across every day."

"Thank you, sir. I will definitely repay you," I said, bowing to him. I was genuinely relieved, and to avoid showing a relieved smile, I bowed at almost ninety degrees. I wasn't sure if I should hide this emotion, but what's done is done.

"No need for thanks. That's what the seniors are for, to help the juniors," the old man reassured me, waving his hand soothingly. "Since you have nowhere else to go, I can offer you a room in the guild dormitory. There happened to be an empty one. You can stay there for free for the first two months, and after that, it'll cost you forty thousand jewels per month, considering you're still underage. By the way, how old are you?"

"I don't know, Master. I'd guess I'm thirteen or fourteen."

"Yes... until you're sixteen, the cost will be forty thousand, and then it'll be eighty thousand. I'll make the arrangements. Given how you can barely stand right now, it seems you'll have to walk tomorrow."

"Thank you again!" I bowed once more, though not as deeply this time. It appeared that my Eastern appearance and thematic clothing had done their job, prompting me to rely on my acting skills, and it seemed I would have to maintain this persona for some time.

I didn't mind at all. The most important thing was that I had found shelter, a place to sleep, a way to earn a living, a place where I could acquire knowledge and independence, and a place where I could make useful connections—all within one guild. The realization of these possibilities warmed my soul, lifting a part of the burden off my shoulders. Walking became easier, although my legs and back were aching a bit, hinting that they would likely hurt mercilessly tomorrow. But that was alright; everything happens for a reason.

"I told you there's no need," he said, waving his hand dismissively as he hopped off the barstool. "Follow me; I'll take you to the dormitory and sort things out for you." Motioning for me to follow, the old man walked at a leisurely pace toward the exit of the guild, his hands folded behind his back.

Though his height and childlike clothing were a stark contrast, his manners were undeniably those of an elderly person, creating a certain dissonance that made it a bit challenging to determine the appropriate communication style. Thus, we walked in silence until I had some questions.

"Am I the only child in the guild?" I asked, trying to break the quiet atmosphere, but I continued to scan my surroundings. The ancient night city, despite its age, was surprisingly beautiful, even at night, despite the minimal lighting. It exuded a unique atmosphere. It reminded me of the times when I used to roam the village with my friends during my childhood—a nostalgic feeling.

"No, the guild has recently gained some new youngsters: Natsu, Mira, Erza... well, you'll see them tomorrow or in the coming days. You won't be bored here, I assure you. They're good kids."

"Alright, then about what you said regarding magic. Where can I learn it, and how does that work?" I inquired.

"No problem with that. You can ask the others or the seniors. And if I'm not busy, I'll give you a few lessons. Yes, that's right; you can come to the guild tomorrow after lunch. I'll give you a guild tattoo, and I'll also provide you with a book on the basics of magic. It should help you since you can't remember anything."

"Thank you," I expressed my gratitude once more. I had no qualms about offering gratitude to good people. I grew up in a rather strict family, so politeness, even if it's somewhat insincere, was effortless for me. "But aren't you concerned that I'm a stranger? Aren't you worried that I might be some sort of spy or something like that?"

"I've lived long enough, kid. You can learn a lot from a person's face," the master reassured me.

I didn't reply to that, taking his words to heart. He had lived many years, so deceiving him wouldn't be easy, which made perfect sense.

After a few minor questions, I stopped asking them, focusing on my surroundings.

The weather was pleasant. The cool night breeze caressed my skin gently. It was soothing, calming the nerves that had been on edge throughout the day. I think I've even grayed more.

Talking to a character from a childhood story in real life, especially when your fate depends on the outcome, was quite tense. But I managed it, and now my basic needs were taken care of, so I could concentrate on more important and interesting matters. These included answers to questions like, "How did I end up here, not just in another world but in a fictional one? How did I survive after death, and how did I end up in someone else's body? Whose body is this, and why do I have none of their memories? Memory is essentially tied to the brain, so did my brain replace theirs, or are my memories just copies of my brain, while my real self lies dead somewhere? Perhaps there's some concept of a soul, and my soul entered this body?" Numerous questions and theories swirled in my mind, but I decided to leave it for later. "Answers will be found; I just need time. Now is not the period for seeking answers. To begin with, I should adapt to the new realities, and only then can I unravel the mysteries."

"We've arrived," the master calmly informed me just as I emerged from my thoughts. Entering a rather large dormitory building, the old man gestured for me to follow. I had never been in places like these, so I had no idea how they were set up. My curiosity was piqued, and I began to look around, trying to take in as much as possible, with the aid of my good vision.

The brick or stone building reminded me a bit of the orphanage from the anime "The Promised Neverland" from the inside. Mainly due to the wooden paneling and white wallpaper. The corridor in this building was quite beautiful, with numerous paintings contributing to its beauty. While you couldn't necessarily tell that they were the work of a famous artist, the author clearly had some skill in drawing.

Approaching one of the doors near the entrance, the master rapped on it carefully, as if afraid of making any unnecessary movements. This raised my suspicion a bit, but I refrained from jumping to conclusions prematurely.

First, there was the sound of footsteps from inside the room, which could tell you a lot about the occupant's irritation level. About five seconds later, the door creaked open, and a grandmother of the same height as Makarov came into the corridor. She was dressed in a white, old-fashioned nightgown that looked... well, I couldn't quite find the words, so I'll just remain silent.

In one hand, she held a small container with a candle inside, which was rather odd. There were magical stones, or "magic stones," everywhere in the corridor, providing a yellowish light. It was fascinating how little energy they consumed for the brightness they emitted, comparable to the lights in district clinics. If you roughly calculated how much magic was in them and how much they lost to produce light, they would likely last about half a week without a break. The number might not be exact, as I'm not good at math, but I think they'd burn for a couple of days without stopping.

While I was examining the structure of the lamps, a certain understanding of my eyes crossed my mind. They not only saw much better but also felt. It was still vision, but a more magical one. I could see not only thanks to photons but also magic in the air. It all mingled, but the magic was less prominent. Light and normal vision still took precedence. So, I could see what was happening around me, albeit not as clearly as I would like, but much better than I could that morning or during the day.

"What's going on, Makarov?" she asked, distracting me from my thoughts, while giving me a complex look. "Do you really want to accommodate a newcomer? You're lucky that I need a person to fill an empty room, or else I'd kick both of you out onto the street!" she irritatedly continued.

"Yes, sorry, Hilda. But this can't wait. Sorry again for coming so late," the old man mumbled apologetically, not daring to look her in the eyes.

"Alright, alright," she grumbled as she entered the room. "The room is the twenty-fourth on the top floor, third floor. Here's the key, here's the contract. Sign them, and you're good to go," she said, handing me two sheets of paper and a peculiar-looking pen. Taking them, I quickly read the contents and then hesitated. "Oh, how should I sign? I shouldn't remember my signature, or is it okay? And my name..."

Makarov saw my confusion and kindly explained what was going on. "This is a magic pen. It signs with magic; all you need to do is write something affirmative, for example, 'I agree.'"

"Got it, thanks," I sighed with relief and followed his advice. It seemed like a simple task, just signing, but... Well, I could have used my own signature, considering we're dealing with different languages. They won't recognize Russian; they might think it's an Eastern Continent language or something.

"Makarov, it's the same old story. The youth these days can't even sign for themselves. Okay, give me one sheet, and you keep the other. Just try not to lose or damage it! No more entering here, you hear!" Makarov chided us with tired words, as if she'd rehearsed them countless times. "Alright, I'm off to bed. Goodbye!" She quickly shut the door to her room.

"Well, that's that," I mumbled an awkward, meaningless phrase. "She's not really that bad, you know. It's just late, I hope you understand."

He tried to explain, although it didn't make much sense. "It's okay, you've been a great help to me, so thank you, and good night!" I wasn't worried about the landlady's personality. People her age are usually split into two types, either only good or only bad; there's no in-between, so everything should be fine. With such people, the main thing is not to stand out too much and make an effort to appear like a good, neutral person, and everything will be fine.

I hope.

"Well, if that's all, I'm going to go. Oh, and don't forget to come by tomorrow after lunch until two, after that, I'll be attending a meeting, and I'll be gone for a while," he said as he turned to leave, giving me a heads-up. I simply nodded and headed for the stairs.

Climbing the stairs turned out to be rather unpleasant. There was a significant gap between the steps. They were too high and too short at the same time. One wrong move, and I'd tumble down like I was falling off a cliff. On top of that, they were very old, and they creaked so loudly that it seemed like everyone could hear anyone climbing them. "If I'm going to live here, I'll have to invest in this place. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep, I'm sure of it. I'm a light sleeper, and this place is meant for wizards. They'll definitely be walking around at night, heading out on missions or coming back from them."

Finally reaching the top floor, I noticed that there was no lighting. Although there were magical crystals, they seemed drained. "Should I tell the landlady about this? No, definitely not!" After a brief moment of thought, I arrived at the most logical answer.

I didn't want to annoy her any further; let others handle it. I could see everything perfectly fine anyway, even though my vision, which relied on a limited amount of photons, was weakened due to their scarcity. Still, my magical sight allowed me to sense every detail, the walls, and other small things. Even a lost wasp by the window was clearly detectable. Of course, I couldn't see colors or specific images, but other than that, everything was clear. It was like watching a cartoon or anime in which they depicted the night. The characters couldn't see anything, but it was all visible to the viewers.

While my head found real-world analogies, I reached the last room and opened the wooden door with the key. "It doesn't creak," I marveled at this fact. I had thought everything here would be creaky, but that wasn't the case. Excellent! Minus one thing that would irritate me in the future.

After playing with the door, I shifted my gaze inside to a small but cozy room. Dim crystals were already glowing upon my arrival, which pleasantly surprised me, even though it was pointless for me. "Happiness lies in the little things," as one wise person once said.

Quickly making my way to the bed and closing the door behind me out of habit from my previous life, I started undressing. The clothes were suffocating me at this point. After a couple of minutes, I finally managed to undo my belt and remove the haori. The slippers had fallen off at the entrance, so now I was only in my underwear, or as they call it, "fundoshi," which looked rather... odd.

Damn thongs! With these words, I discarded the nuisance and remained in only what nature had given me.

... And you don't have to ask how I knew what they were called in Japan. It just... the knowledge was already in the body.

Sighing sadly, I set my clothes on a stool next to the piano, blew out the candles, got under the blanket, and practically fell asleep almost instantly.