Evan walked slowly along the riverbank, his eyes fixed on the faint outline of the village in the distance.
After a few minutes.
His steps carried him onto a wide, uneven dirt Pathway, straight to village entrance gate. The ground bore deep grooves, the kind only heavy wheels could leave. Cars? Bike? They must have passed through here often.
"Maybe… maybe this really is still the modern world I know," he thought again, clinging desperately to the idea. "Maybe I've just wandered into some countryside… some rural backwater that no one talks about."
But the thought didn't settle him. The path felt too strange, his chest tightened.
"Or… if not… then what? Have I been thrown into something stranger? A place out of time, maybe teleported?" He swallowed hard, lips pressing into a thin line. "Or is fate just playing tricks on me… mocking me for surviving this far?"
The thought made his stomach sink.
To his right, the horizon stretched endlessly, an ocean of green grassland dotted with scattered oaks trees, their shadows tiny beneath the faraway sun. Beyond them rose mountains so vast they seemed to pierce the sky itself, their peaks lost in drifting clouds.
Above, the heavens were overcast, gray sheets of cloud crawling lazily across the expanse, yet somehow the sun still burned through, its light sharp enough to sting his skin.
Evan pressed on, each step heavier than the last. Sweat slid down his forehead, his shirt clinging to his back as the heat bore down mercilessly. His legs ached, his throat dry, yet somehow he endure it.
The promise of reaching the village, the faint silhouette waiting on the horizon, was the only thing tethering him to endure.
Minutes passed.
The houses came into clearer view in his sight. Unlike the modern homes Evan was used to the cement walls, modern glass windows, gates that from modern world, these were different. Some were built entirely of wood, others from thick stone or brick or all of it combined.
Not a single pane of glass glimmered anywhere, except for the church rising in the center of the massive village.
The realization hit Evan like a blow.
He wasn't in the modern world anymore.
"This… this is medieval times," he thought, a strange chill running down his spine.
He studied the architecture with a sharper eye, recalling lessons from his history teacher the. Romanesque structures with rounded arches and thick walls. Gothic lines marked by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and spires.
He could even imagine grand cathedrals standing proudly somewhere far beyond this village. Bigger than normal churches in the modern world were he lived.
"Guess paying attention in history class wasn't a waste after all," he muttered under his breath, though his voice trembled.
The conclusion was unavoidable for him, he had been transmigrated into a medieval world now.
When he reached the entrance of the village, he stopped. A rusted metal gate loomed before him, beside it is a thick stone wall, its surface dark with age's.
Just standing there sent a strange unease crawling through his chest, as though the gate itself were daring him to step inside, the floor of it is made in cobblestone.
Countless people streamed through the gate, walking in and out. Their clothes were strange to his eyes, wool tunics, leather belts, linen hoods, and long cloaks.
The scent of sweat, earth, and livestock clung to them as naturally as breath. Some carried baskets of bread or bundles of herbs, others hauled tools or shouldered sacks of grain.
They barely glanced at him..
Inside the entrance, two guards stood by the gate, leaning against the stone walls as they spoke in low voices. Both wore patched gambesons in inside of their body and chainmail armor outside of it and carried spears tipped with dull iron.
Their armored helmet covered they're head to protect them, dented in places where rust gnawed at the edges. One of them laughed at something the other had said, his voice coarse, his teeth yellowed.
Evan's stomach tightened. He had no idea if a strangers like him were welcomed or could be punished by anytime they gonna see me. He swallowed hi own words, shifting uncomfortably.
"Do I just… walk in in the entrance? Or do I ask permission to anyone?"
He glanced again at the rusted iron gate, then at the villagers flowing past the guards as though it were the most natural thing in the world. His pulse quickened, the weight of the unknown pressing heavier on his chest.
Then.
"Click clack." "Click clack."
The sharp rhythm of hooves struck the dirt road behind him, heavy and quick.
"Move, you stupid kid!" a deep voice thundered at Evan.
Evan evaded it around just in time, his body jolting with adrenaline as he hurled himself to the side of the path.
A cart rumbled past, drawn by two powerful horses. The wooden wheels carved deeper grooves into the earth as they rolled.
At the reins sat a broad-shouldered man with a bristling beard. His yellowed linen shirt was stained by years of use, partly hidden under a cracked leather jacket. Faded gray trousers tucked into high, scuffed boots completed his rugged figure, bundles of woods, bound with coarse rope, bounced in the cart behind him.
Evan's heart hammered in his chest. "Damn it... I almost got trampled by a horse this time!" he hissed under his breath, forcing a crooked smile to mask the fear crawling up his spine. "First a massive bear, and now a horse. What's next?"
The man turned his head briefly, eyes narrowing with annoyance. "Don't stand in the middle of the entrance, what a hassle" he muttered the sound could still hear by Evan before snapping the reins. The horses snorted, hooves striking harder as they carried him toward the village. The sound of creaking wheels and pounding hooves to the cobblestone slowly faded into the distance, swallowed by the hum of the crowded gate.
Evan staggered upright, brushing dust from his black slacks, his hands trembling. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple and into his jawline. He chuckled bitterly, though his voice cracked, betraying the edge of his nerves. "My fate's was really something… nothing but misfortune. What's next, fate? Gonna kill me with a cat?"
He meant it as a joke, a proclamation to himself, but frustration dripped from every word.
That was when he realized the stares.
Dozens of eyes fixed on him. Men carrying sacks of grain paused mid-step. A woman balancing a basket of apples on her hip stopped to squint at him. Even the guards at the gate, clad in mismatched pieces of chainmail and rusted steel, leaned slightly forward, brows furrowed.
Their gazes weren't hostile but they were sharp, and suspicious at the same time, as though he were some strange beast that had wandered too close to their gates.
Evan swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Great… now I've made myself the village idiot before even stepping inside."
Evan's stomach tightened. He forced an awkward smile, bowing his head slightly. "Sorry for the commotion. I… I truly apologize." His voice was firm but respectful.
Slowly, the villagers began to move along, turning away and minding their own business. Relief washed over him.
He pressed a hand against his chest. "I can't afford to cause trouble here. Even a small mistake could ruin everything for me."
He thought carefully. "I need to know where I am. What nation, what land, what year. Without that knowledge… I'm just blind here.
But before he could take more than a few steps inside the village, a gruff voice called out behind him.
"Hey, lad! Wait a sec. We've got a question for you."
The metallic clank of boots echoed closer.
Evan turned slowly, his lips curling into another uneasy smile. Two men approached him, clad in chainmail armor with armored helmets. Steel greaves covered their thighs and boots. And have a long spear.
Their skin was light brown, their faces shadowed with beards and sharp mustaches.
Evan's heart dropped. "Have they already figured out I don't belong here?"
"What is it?" His voice wavered despite his effort to stay calm.
One guard stepped forward. "If you plan on causing trouble in this village, boy, we'll arrest you without hesitation. If you stir up a commotion, you'll be arrested and maybe punished, severely." The breeze makes Evan more scared and nervous.
And then the guard added. "So you need to be careful not making a commotion and trouble here."
The other guard added gruffly, "That's all you need to know. Behave yourself, and begone from our sight."
Their eyes lingered on him with open dislike.
Evan bowed quickly, forcing a polite smile. "Yes, I Understood." He walked past them immediately, the weight in his chest loosening only after he was well out of their sight.
"Whew…" He muttered, relief dripping from his voice. "I Thought they were going to arrest me. Guess it was just a warning. Still, I need to be more very careful now."
He wandered through the massive village for half an hour, scanning every detail. The walls towered above wooden homes, their dark beams weathered with age. Smoke coiled from crooked chimneys, mixing with the scent of livestock and sweat.
Eventually, he found a shaded spot near the bustling marketplace, where merchants hawked vegetables, fish, bread, pork, fruits, trinkets, spices, and more. Traders shouted prices of it, children darted through the crowd, and the smell of fresh bread tangled with the acrid smoke of roasting meat.
Evan sat quietly and observed in his empty shaded he'd earlier. Within minutes, he pieced together the rhythm of their economy and observe it. This world ran on coin's.
The lowest was bronze, and followed by copper, then silver, and then the gold as the highest of all.
He tapped his chin, murmuring to himself. "Where am I supposed to get some money? I don't have a single coin…" His eyes drifted to his sling bag. "Maybe I could sell my ballpen or my paper. Even if it's just for a bronze or maybe if I get lucky, a copper. That might keep me alive in this world for days."
His stomach growled fiercely, interrupting his thoughts. He winced. "Damn, I'm starving…"
The sky was already bleeding into twilight, crimson light spilling across the rooftops. Hunger gnawed at him harder than fear.
"I need to do something and find or get a food immediately. If I don't figure it out something soon… I'll starve to death before I even learn where the hell i am."
With heavy steps, Evan stood and approached one of the trader stalls.