The first day of winter arrived without ceremony, marked only by the biting chill in the morning air and a thin fog that veiled the tops of the tall trees. James wasn't sure how long he had slept, but as consciousness returned, he found himself still lying on the hard wooden cot inside the same carriage.
The faint, pleasant scent of herbs lingered in the air, mixed with the subtle smell of burning firewood seeping in through the old cloth curtain. It was a strange yet familiar scent, one that provided a sense of security, as if he were quietly enveloped by something safe.
He had survived… truly.
Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps came from the front of the carriage. The curtain was gently pushed aside, revealing the figure of a girl about his age. Ann—the girl who had pulled him out of that hell.
She entered with a wooden tray in her hands, her movements nimble, belying her delicate appearance. Her large, soft-gray eyes regarded him with a calm, plain expression, but beneath that gaze lay the kind of innocence and courage found only in those who grew up in a harsh world.
She ducked silently under the curtain and placed a bowl of soup before him.
"You're awake just in time. Mother sent some redroot soup with blood-staunching grass. Drink it. It will help you a lot."
Her voice was simple, like that of any other young girl, but in reality, she was unlike anyone he had ever known. Not just because she had walked bravely amidst demons the night before, but because of her calm, unshaken demeanor in the face of this world's horrors, despite being about the same age as Lime, the body's former owner.
James nodded without saying much. He reached out and quietly took the warm wooden bowl from her hands, then looked up to meet her eyes again.
He faltered slightly when he saw that her gaze didn't waver. On the contrary… she looked at him steadily, as if she didn't see herself as helping a "survivor," but merely a "fellow human being."
A faint smile touched James's lips, and a soft but sincere word escaped them.
"…Thanks."
The hot soup wasn't particularly delicious, but it made him feel the blood begin to flow warmly in his veins again. James snuggled under the old blanket, listening to the crackling of the fire in front of the carriage while his eyes secretly glanced at the silhouette of the girl who had just left.
He didn't know her well, but in a world swallowed by darkness like this… having someone like her around…
It made him feel that this new world wasn't entirely without hope.
…
Outside the carriage, the morning sun of winter slanted through the treetops. James carefully stepped down from the carriage. His ribs still ached with every movement, but he needed to confirm… that he could still walk.
A small camp was set up on a dreary, grass-covered hill. A single canvas tent. A gleaming silver spear leaned against a pile of firewood. A stone pot sat over the embers, still fragrant with herbs.
The man who had saved him was sharpening a knife by the fire. The woman was sorting medicinal roots. The girl sat quietly, mending a cloak with steady hands.
They didn't speak, but the atmosphere around the fire was filled with peace.
James sat down quietly by the fire, wondering how to begin a conversation.
Before he could utter a word, the man sharpening the knife spoke, his voice steady and firm. "Grant Felhart." He said, gesturing to the people beside him.
"Elen, my wife… and Ann, our daughter."
"We're hunters who travel around. It's the Felhart way."
James gave a small nod before speaking slowly, "My name is James. Thank you for saving me… I don't know how I can ever repay you."
He paused for a moment after speaking, unsure if his gratitude sounded sincere enough.
He wanted to say more, but he also knew that saying something too effusive right now might unintentionally cheapen the words.
So he let the silence do its work.
…
After a little more conversation, they began to discuss important matters.
James took a deep breath before asking the question that had been lingering in his mind since the night Alvia fell.
"Have you encountered demons before?" James asked after a moment of thought.
The question wasn't because he didn't believe what he had seen, but because he was still unsure if this was the "norm" in this world.
He didn't know if the world he was in now would subject him to nightmares every day.
And he didn't know how often demons like that… appeared. Relying solely on the memories of Lime, a 14-year-old boy who had never been outside the city walls, wasn't enough for him to conclude much.
Grant was silent for a moment before replying in a flat tone, "A few… But as for that one, a demon of that level is only the second I've seen in my life as a hunter."
He didn't need to explain who 'that one' was.
Because James knew all too well that the image in his own memory was the same.
A massive body, blood-red eyes, a roar that squeezed the heart and made it beat erratically.
"Alvia… what happened there?" Grant asked next, his eyes fixed on James as if trying to read the truth from his face. "You said you escaped, but how could an entire city be destroyed in one night?"
James swallowed hard. The memories of that night flooded back. The screams, the smell of blood in the air, the black shadows that moved too fast for the eye to follow.
"It… started with the sun being replaced by a dark, ominous cloud," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "There was an explosion from the northeast, then screams and chaos. Then the demons… they just poured in. They killed everyone in their path. I saw people run, but… no one made it."
"Was it that one demon?" Grant pressed.
"No, there were more than one. But the one you fought was more terrifying than the others," James answered truthfully.
Elen, who had been listening, looked up from her herbs. "That was a level-three demon, with a noble bloodline, no less. The others were probably its minions. But for demons to appear in human territory without any warning… this shouldn't be happening." Her voice was calm, but her eyes were filled with puzzlement.
James frowned slightly.
"…Noble bloodline?" he repeated, as if to make sure he understood correctly.
"Demons have bloodline hierarchies, just like humans," Grant explained.
"But finding one in human territory is almost impossible, especially a level-three or higher. They shouldn't be appearing in an open town like Alvia… unless something is wrong."
"Wrong?" James asked.
"Clashes with demons have happened in the past… but those were wars, not surprise attacks," Elen added.
"Ever since humans defeated the Demon Lord centuries ago, traces of demons have slowly faded. They exist only in legends, or warnings in old records."
At this, Grant placed his knife down, his expression growing grim. "We don't know how they returned, or why they've started attacking again. But this must be reported to the Hunter's Association."
Elen nodded. "And we need to find out why Alvia was chosen as the target."
She turned to James. "Have you told us everything you can remember? Even the smallest detail could be important."
James shook his head. He had told them everything. Except…
Of course, he couldn't speak of the System's existence.
Seeing this, Elen sighed. "There have been times when demons appeared in human lands, but those were minor incidents. This time…" She looked towards the horizon with a worried gaze. "It seems we need to get to Felnia as quickly as possible."
Grant also realized the urgency of the situation. He nodded in agreement.
"Alvia… might have just been the beginning."
Hearing this, James swallowed silently.
He was beginning to understand that this was not the world he once knew.
This was Edelron. A world where the word "safe" might not have existed in the first place.
Elen turned to James again. "And you, James… are you from Alvia?" The question was simple, but tinged with care, not meant as an interrogation.
James paused for a moment. He didn't know how to answer.
He wasn't truly from Alvia, because the owner of the body, a true native of Alvia, was gone. Only the body remained.
"Yes… I'm from Alvia," he finally replied, his voice soft but clear.
"…Or perhaps just a wanderer who happened to be there, I can't be sure."
He chose his words carefully. He didn't want to lie, but he wasn't ready to share everything.
"I'm just someone who survived from there." His final words seemed to close the conversation without building a wall.
No one asked further.
They listened… and accepted the silence for what it was.
As if pain deserved its own space.
…
"So, where will you go?" Grant asked after a moment of silence.
James looked up, his gaze distant, past the leaves rustling in the wind. He didn't answer immediately, because the question struck him like a hammer to the heart.
"…I don't know," he said slowly, his face vacant. His eyes looked as lost as a young boy who had just lost his hometown, but in reality, he had lost his entire world.
He wasn't from Alvia, not from the southern lands, not a native of Edelron.
He was a human from a blue planet called "Earth."
And here, he was all alone. No one knew him, no one was looking for him, and no one understood.
It was such a lonely, desolate feeling.
…
At this moment, Ann, who had been silent all this time, spoke up. Her voice was soft but confident. "My uncle runs a bar in the city of Felnia. He could probably use a helping hand."
Elen smiled faintly, nodding in confirmation of her daughter's words. "My brother is a good man, even if he can be a bit blunt sometimes. If you don't have anywhere to go, you could try working there for a while."
James nodded slowly. To others, it might just be a 'temporary job' or a 'place to stay,' but for him… it was an excellent option. At least he wouldn't be a vagrant. It would be a stable environment, perfect for learning about this new world.
"Thank you," James said at last. Though his voice wasn't loud, for him, it was a word full of meaning.