Kagayama woke up from his sleep and found himself lying on a soft mattress.
Beside him was a candle illuminating the place. The candle stood on a metal container with a lion engraving on its surface.
Under the candle holder was also an antique-style wooden table complete with carvings adorning its entire surface.
The dim light from the candle revealed the darkness and showed a picture of every corner of the room. Wooden walls surrounded him and the ceiling that directly showed the roof frame was clearly visible.
There weren't many objects in the room, just 1 mattress, 1 table, and one candle with its holder. Where the other objects had gone, or perhaps the room had been like this from the start.
The place smelled like a mixture of wood, earth, and stone, making its traditional impression even more pronounced. The sounds of nocturnal animals that resembled crickets became a soothing background music.
Kagayama lifted his body and began to lean while looking around the area. Beside him was an unlocked and slightly open wooden window, revealing a gap. It turned out he was now on the second floor of a building. From the gap, he saw a stone road with orange lights. Not a single person was visible, and all that was there was an empty road with dim light.
"It's so quiet"
Kagayama placed his palm on his forehead while reviewing all the events that had befallen him. A troubled expression still lingered on him. His energy had also not fully recovered, considering he hadn't rested at all, even when he was in his old world.
He then opened the window and light immediately entered. Kagayama looked up at the sky and was shocked to find a brown planet with beautiful patterns like an abstract painting. The planet looked very large and very close to him, he could even see the details of the planet very clearly.
Kagayama was amazed by the view in front of him. It was truly a world with such a beautiful view that makes him speechless.
He continued to observe the planet until the door latch near him began to move.
Kagayama turned his attention and found a man with clothes in the form of a robe wrapped in a white sash. The sash extended from his upper shoulder to his toes, and at first glance, it looked like a cloak.
It was truly a strange yet very elegant and cultured style of dress. This made Kagayama even more confused, he began to question where and in what era he was now.
The man walked closer while holding a book in his right hand. The distance between them was now only about 3 feet, and the man seemed to observe Kagayama carefully before saying.
"#### ####"
Again, a language that could not be understood, but this time Kagayama decided to answer the man.
"I don't understand what you're talking about"
The man was surprised even makes his body jerked backward. Apparently, he also didn't understand the language used by Kagayama, and that left them both at an impasse.
They both didn't understand what to say and just stared at each other. The atmosphere became a little awkward before the man slowly walked out of Kagayama's room while flipping through the book he was holding.
The door was closed again and Kagayama relaxed his head while facing the ceiling. He sighed and closed his eyes.
"What a terrible day"
The room returned to silence with the sound of nocturnal insects as background music. A gentle breeze blew from outside and hit Kagayama. The atmosphere made him a little sleepy and his eyelids became heavier.
Kagayama tried to lie down, until the door suddenly opened and this time 4 people entered the room. 2 people carrying spears, one people looked old while carrying a thick book, and the another one was the previous man who wasn't carrying a book.
The old man approached Kagayama and stood between the two spear-wielding men while holding his large book. He observed Kagayama from head to toe as if to make sure of something. After he was satisfied with observing, the old man said.
"#### ####### ###"
Kagayama was tired of this word game and answered with a slightly annoyed tone.
"I really don't know your language"
The three people who had just arrived were surprised and jerked backward, just like the previous man. The two spear-wielding men immediately pointed the tips of their spears at Kagayama while saying repetitive words.
Kagayama was scared when the sharp tips of the two spears were pointed at him. He didn't know if he said something rude or something strange, all he knew was that it made them a little angry.
The old man seemed panicked while separating and telling the two men to lower their spears. His thin, dry hands pushed the spears down slowly while speaking in a tone of voice that sounded like he was convincing the two people beside him.
Thanks to his persistence, the two men lowered their spears and stood at attention like soldiers. The situation calmed down again and the old man seemed to flip through the pages of the book while scratching his bald head. After flipping through the thick book in his hand for quite some time, the old man said.
"##### ## ###### ##### ### ## #####"
The words had the tone of a short speech and were read in a loud and firm tone.
Kagayama wanted to answer him, but the old man turned around first and walked out of the room with the two spear-wielding men. Their footsteps echoed throughout the room.
The other man stood near the door while observing Kagayama for a few seconds with regret in his eyes before also leaving the place. The door was closed gently and Kagayama just remained silent while thinking about the recent events.
Now Kagayama was alone in the room. Drowsiness began to spread through his body, making him lie down again and try to turn his body to the right until a pain was felt in his head and ears. He groped for the location of the pain and found a bandage attached to his wound.
Apparently, while he was asleep, the man had treated his wound and covered it with a bandage.
Kagayama thanked the man in his heart before remembering that the pain also came from his ear. Panicked, he hurriedly grabbed his ear and realized that the part was also covered by a bandage. He didn't remember his ear being hit by an arrow before, or perhaps he didn't realize it from the start.
While still thinking about his ear, a knock from outside the window was heard and diverted Kagayama's focus. The knock sounded like a table being hit by the tip of a pencil.
The sound continued for quite some time, making Kagayama, who had been lying down, sit up again and look outside.
There was nothing there, but Kagayama felt that the sound became clearer as he approached the window. He placed the candle on the side of the table and climbed onto the table before leaning his body until his head were outside the window.
He found a black bird that looked like a crow pecking at a small wooden box.
The black bird, realizing Kagayama's presence, immediately turned while nodding its head and pointing its beak at Kagayama before heading his head to the box again.
"E-ehh"
Kagayama was surprised to see the black bird giving him a signal. He continued to stare at the black bird in silence while thinking hard about what the bird meant.
The black bird, seeing Kagayama just silent and looking confused, began to approach the man, pecking his hand before returning to the wooden box and pecking the box.
Now Kagayama understood the bird's intention and immediately took the wooden box. The black bird followed the box until it was beside Kagayama.
Kagayama unlocked the simple lock and slowly lifted the box lid. Inside was a wheat biscuit with strange toppings. The black bird immediately took the biscuit and ate it on the spot.
At first glance, the black bird acted like a tame pigeon. This made Kagayama unconsciously reach out his hand and stroke the bird. When stroked, the black bird stopped eating and turned to Kagayama while saying "#### ### ####" in a soft tone that sounded like a woman.
Kagayama was shocked and scared when he realized the bird could speak like a human, even though he didn't know what the words meant. He hurriedly pulled his hand away and moved a little away from the bird with a fearful expression.
Shortly after, the bird approached him and spoke again.
"##### #### ####"
Kagayama became even more scared and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He thought he was dreaming, so Kagayama pinched his own hand and felt pain.
"This is not a dream, the talking crow is real?!"
The crow stopped for a moment when it heard Kagayama speak before walking closer and pecking the man's hand.
A black mark on his skin appeared and moved into Kagayama's clothes. He was surprised and jerked backward, causing his body to fall on the floor. Kagayama looked for where the mark had gone before a voice diverted his attention.
"Do you understand my language now?"
The crow spoke in a language that could be understood, and it was the first time he could understand what another creature was saying to him in this world. Kagayama felt a little happy when he realized that he could now interact with other creatures as usual, even though the creature in question was a bird.
Kagayama turned to the bird and said.
"Wait, how can it be"
"I gave you the ability to understand all existing languages"
Kagayama seemed impressed with his new ability and tried to test it again.
"Test, how about it, do you understand what I'm saying now?"
"Of course I understand, I already answered you earlier, idiot"
This was the first time Kagayama had received such a sharp insult from a bird, or maybe he had received it before, because from the way the black bird spoke, it seemed a little annoyed.
The bird's words didn't dampen Kagayama's excitement and he continued to speak.
"Are you a crow or a spirit?"
"A crow?! What are you talking about? I don't even know what that creature is"
"Then what kind of bird are you?"
"My name is Adersl, a bird with beautiful black color, a bird that symbolizes luck and knowledge"
The bird's words were contrary to what Kagayama had known so far, until he remembered again that he was in a foreign world whose language he didn't even know.
Kagayama tried to analyze what he heard by muttering in his mind. "(He doesn't understand what a crow is, this bird also has a strange name and its meaning is the opposite of what I remember. Truly a very strange bird)"
"Hey, who are you calling me strange, idiot"
He, who was sitting on the floor, shuddered in fear when the bird answered his thoughts, and before Kagayama responded, the bird continued to speak.
"You really a strange person, your style of dress is very foreign and the language you use I have never heard before, even for a bird that has traveled all over the world like me"
"You've traveled around this world?!"
"Of course, it even took me 390 years to travel and learn all the cultures of this world"
"Wait, how old are you?"
"I don't really remember, 1500 years, maybe"
"(This bird is old)"
"Hey, who are you calling old, huh"
Again, the bird could read his mind, and Kagayama became even more confused about who this bird actually was, or maybe reading minds was common in the foreign world where he was. Kagayama remembered that he still didn't know where he was right now, so he asked the bird.
"Where am I now?"
"You are in the city of Asdrof, which is one of the states of Ekhno, oh traveler from another world"
"Wait, you already knew that?"
"I can see all your memories and thoughts"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"You didn't ask about it at all"
The bird approached and entered the room. It then perched on the table before saying.
"How was your first experience in this slightly broken world?"
"Pretty bad"
"Who do you think is good between the elves and humans that fighting in previous narrow alley?"
"I don't know, maybe humans, because the elf seems want to kill me, but come to think of it, those two humans also wanted to kill me"
"Wrong, the answer is that neither of them is good, they are both just trying to survive. Foolish human"
The bird mocked Kagayama in a joking tone before getting serious again.
"Do you think humans are good, because you are also a human?"
His voice became soft and faint, indicating a sadness in his heart. The bird's cheerful and outspoken atmosphere suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a gloomy atmosphere.
"I didn't say they were good because those two people also wanted to kill me"
Kagayama became interested in the condition of his new world. In his heart he wondered, "what happened" and "who is right" or "wait, are they both in conflict?!"
All those questions echoed in his mind. He really wanted to ask the bird all those things, considering his very long age and experience.
"Hey old bird, can you tell me what happened in this world?"
The bird came back from his thoughts and immediately turned to Kagayama with a renewed energetic atmosphere.
"You have to find out and decide for yourself"
The bird flapped its wings and flew away from the place.
"W-wait, hey!!"
The Adersl bird flew into the night sky. Its black feathers blended with the darkness of the world, and its silent wing flaps made it disappear quickly. All that was left was a feather that fell on the floor of the room.
Kagayama picked up the feather while looking at the beautiful night sky and thinking about it.
The bird left too quickly and it was a little painful for Kagayama. He didn't know when the bird would return and whether it would return, but he hoped to meet him again, considering the bird was his first conversation partner in this world.
The few minutes of conversation were very memorable for Kagayama, especially since he hadn't thanked the bird for making him able to communicate in his new world, even though he didn't know if this ability also applied to humans.