"Where... am I?"
Lyla couldn't help but grumble inwardly, irritation bubbling beneath his exhaustion. Surrounded by thick forest, he had no choice but to accept the truth, he was completely lost.
Getting lost was bad enough, but in a forest? Seriously?
And this wasn't just any forest, why were the animals so bizarre? What kind of normal forest had pigs the size of trucks? Five meters long?
Fortunately, Lyla had both decent luck and a healthy dose of caution. Otherwise, he might've become fertilizer for Mother Nature by now.
After walking endlessly, his stamina was nearly spent. Even worse, the constant anxiety of dodging those mutant beasts was mentally draining. Finally, he found shelter under a large tree and collapsed beneath it, trying to catch his breath.
As his body relaxed, so did his mental defenses. The fatigue surged all at once, and Lyla could only sigh internally, What rotten luck.
The last thing he remembered was waking up in this forest. Somehow, he'd transmigrated. As for what this body looked like, he didn't know exactly. What he could tell was that he now inhabited a child's body, thin arms, spindly legs, plain clothes, and a clearly young frame.
Despair quietly crept in. Judging from the sheer size of the animals, the ecosystem here was incredibly rich, meaning this forest was massive. In his current condition, the chances of getting out were slim to none.
He hadn't even found a water source. Not because he didn't want to, but because any place with water was likely crawling with dangerous wildlife. But now, desperation left him no choice. He had to risk it.
Just then, a figure appeared before him.
Lyla jolted to his feet, staring at the approaching man, an elderly figure.
He had long, wavy white hair marked by the passage of time, a thick beard, and a kind face. His eyes were deep yet gentle, and he wore a purple cloak adorned with symbols over a white robe. In his hand, he held a staff crowned with a violet gemstone.
Strangely enough, the moment Lyla looked at this man, an overwhelming calm washed over him. His tension melted away in an instant. But just as he tried to speak, his consciousness faded, and he crumpled to the ground.
August stepped closer, gazing at the unconscious child. Then, with a tap of his staff against the ground, a purple magic circle lit up beneath them. In a flash, the two vanished from the forest.
"Ugh... Am I still alive?"
Lyla's eyes fluttered open as he sat up in bed, looking around groggily. The room was small and modest. The walls were made of stacked stone, and all the furniture was crafted from wood, it looked like something straight out of the medieval era.
Just then, the door opened, and the old man from before walked in, holding a bowl of porridge.
Seeing Lyla awake, the man smiled and handed the bowl to him. Lyla accepted it gratefully and began eating small spoonfuls.
August sat quietly nearby, watching Lyla finish the last bit of porridge.
"Would you like some more?" he asked gently. "If that wasn't enough, I can get you another bowl."
"No, no, thank you, Grandpa. I feel much better now," Lyla replied, embarrassed to trouble the old man further.
August smiled kindly. "Child, what were you doing in that forest? Judging from your condition, I'd guess you were lost."
He had already asked around the village during Lyla's unconsciousness, but no one had seen the child before.
"I... I don't know," Lyla said softly. "My memory's a little fuzzy. When I woke up, I was already in that forest."
He felt an odd familiarity with the old man, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't recall why.
"Do you at least remember your name?" August asked.
"Yes. My name is Lyla Sloan. But I can't remember much else..."
When he had first regained consciousness, a sharp pain had spiked through his head. Most of his memories were gone, save for the one clear fact, his name.
Silence settled between them. August pondered quietly. Amnesia wasn't something he could treat. He could use healing magic, sure, but restoring lost memories was beyond him.
"Grandpa," Lyla asked cautiously, "what's your name?"
"My name... is August."
The name echoed in Lyla's mind.
His eyes widened slightly, and his body stiffened. His heart skipped a beat. Still, he forced a calm smile and repeated the name aloud.
"August..."
Of course he knew that name. No wonder the man had seemed familiar. The clothes, the staff, this was exactly how August had appeared in the story.
Trying not to panic, Lyla asked carefully, "Grandpa August... what is this place?"
"This is Maple Village, a small settlement on the western border of the Kingdom of Fiore. The forest you were in lies just east of here. We call it the Maple Woods."
Because of Lyla's memory loss, August did his best to be as detailed as possible.
Lyla lowered his head, pretending to be lost in thought. Just as I thought, he mused. So this really is the world of Fairy Tail... and meeting August of all people?
What a blessing. Even if he'd suffered a bit, the rewards were more than worth it.
"Lyla," August said gently, "would you like to travel with me?"
"Huh? Travel?"
Lyla was taken aback. August going on a journey? That didn't line up with anything he remembered from the story. Was the butterfly effect already taking root?
"Yes," August nodded. "I'm heading inland. The medical facilities are better there. With luck, we may find someone who can help with your condition."
The offer was heartfelt. August saw something in Lyla, a reflection of his younger self.
Lyla thought for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you, Grandpa August."
August smiled and left the house to let Lyla rest. After all, the place had only been lent to them temporarily by the village chief. It wouldn't do to overstay.
"Travel... inland... the Kingdom of Fiore."
Lyla pondered the implications. Why was August heading there? Then again, maybe it wasn't so strange... but why now?
The next morning, Lyla awoke and walked to the mirror beside the window. The boy staring back at him looked to be around five or six, with a fair, delicate face and tea-colored hair with a hint of gold. His brown eyes had a slight feline quality, and his frame was slim.
"Still as handsome as ever," he murmured cheekily, then stepped outside.
Remarkably, his body had recovered fully overnight. This world's physiology is insane.
Outside, the village chief was thanking August for setting up protective wards around the village. When they noticed Lyla, they both greeted him warmly and asked how he was feeling.
"I'm doing great!" Lyla replied brightly.
The chief then dragged them both to the breakfast table. His enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for an introvert like Lyla, but thankfully, the meal didn't last too long.
After breakfast, August stood and thanked the chief, requesting to take his leave. Although the chief hoped they would stay longer, he noticed the way August looked at Lyla, and understood.
He packed a travel bundle for Lyla, filling it with some clothes and food. Patting the boy's head, the chief wished him well.
"Thank you, Chief," Lyla said sincerely, then followed August out of the village.
When they reached the edge of Maple Woods, August suddenly turned and asked,
"Lyla, would you like to learn magic?"
"Magic? Absolutely!"
The excitement lit up his face. He couldn't hide his grin if he tried.
"Very well," August chuckled. "I'll teach you. But first, you'll need to train your body."
He went on to explain the reasoning:
Magic, he said, stemmed from Magical Particles that flowed through all things in nature. A mage's own Magic Power came from within, and the body served as the vessel to contain and shape that power.
There were two main types of magic:
< Holder-Type: which required magical tools to cast spells.
< Ability-Type: which channeled magic directly from one's own refined energy.
He described countless other subtypes and systems as they walked.
Lyla, ever the eager listener, soaked up every word. After all, this was the kind of deep lore he hadn't gotten to explore before.
More importantly, August had drafted a full training regimen for him, and with it, dropped a crucial detail:
It was currently the end of X766.
Lyla's eyes widened. That was earlier than he'd expected. The only year he could clearly remember from the original story... was X777.
Based on his rough deductions, they were likely somewhere between X772 and X774. But it wasn't enough. He needed more intel.
Still, just the thought of being able to save "Tear-senpai" made the corners of his mouth curl upward involuntarily.
August, seeing Lyla daydreaming with a suspicious grin, immediately thwacked him on the head with his staff.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Now sporting a massive lump on his head, Lyla could only cry inside. Not only did he get punished, but August also doubled his training time, and added another month of extra drills on top of that.
<150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter>