When I woke up, I was lying on a bed of soft moss in the middle of a forest.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows across the ground. The air smelled of pine and earth and something sweet—flowers, maybe.
I sat up, checking myself.
I was wearing simple clothes—a linen shirt, sturdy pants, and leather boots. A small leather pouch hung at my waist.
"Status," I muttered experimentally.
A translucent screen appeared before my eyes:
Name: Haru Mizuki
Age: 25
Race: Human (Otherworlder)
Level: 1
HP: 500/500
MP: 1000/1000
Blessings: Goddess of Wind's Protection, Universal Translation, Animal Communication
Skills: Appraisal, Item Box, Wind Magic (Basic)
I stared at the numbers. Five hundred HP? A thousand MP?
From what I could tell from the knowledge Sylvie had given me, those were absurdly high starting stats. Most beginner adventurers started with around fifty HP and maybe a hundred MP.
"She really went overboard with the blessings," I muttered, though I couldn't help but smile.
I stood up and looked around.
The forest was dense, ancient trees towering overhead. I could hear birds singing and the rustle of small animals in the underbrush. Using my new senses, I reached out with my mind and immediately understood what they were saying.
"Food, food, find food..." chirped a sparrow.
"Danger? No danger. Safe." hooted an owl from somewhere deep in the woods.
I laughed. This was incredible! I could actually talk to animals!
"Hey there," I called out to a squirrel perched on a nearby branch. "Can you tell me where the nearest human settlement is?"
The squirrel twitched its nose, looking at me with beady eyes.
"Human? Long way. That way." It pointed with its tail toward the east. "Many sun-walks. Dangerous for soft-skin. Many big-teeth."
I thanked the squirrel and considered my options.
Several days of travel through a dangerous forest... I'd need supplies, weapons, and probably some combat experience first.
That's when I heard it.
A sound that made my heart stop.
Crying. Children crying.
I ran toward the sound, pushing through bushes and ducking under branches. The crying grew louder—two voices, I realized, one slightly higher than the other.
I burst into a small clearing and froze.
There, huddled together beneath a hollow tree, were two children. Twins, by the look of them—a boy and a girl, no more than five years old. They had matching silver hair and pointed ears. Elves? Half-elves?
Their clothes were torn and dirty, and they clung to each other, trembling.
"Hey," I said softly, holding up my hands. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
The children looked up at me with large, tear-filled eyes—one pair emerald green, the other sapphire blue.
"Mama... Papa..." the girl whimpered.
"Gone," the boy whispered, his voice breaking. "Bad men came. Mama told us to run. We ran. We hid. But... but they didn't come back."
My heart shattered. Orphans. These poor babies were orphans.
I approached slowly, kneeling down to their level.
"My name is Haru. What's yours?"
The girl sniffled. "I'm... I'm Luna."
"And I'm Sol," the boy added, trying to sound brave despite his tears.
Luna and Sol. Moon and Sun. How beautiful.
"Luna, Sol," I said gently, "I'm going to help you, okay? I know you're scared, but you're safe now. I promise."
Luna looked at me with those big green eyes. "Really?"
"Really." I held out my hand. "Do you like pancakes?"
Their eyes lit up slightly. "Pancakes?" Sol asked.
"The best pancakes you've ever tasted," I promised. "With honey and berries. But first, we need to get somewhere safe. Can you walk with me?"
They hesitated, then slowly nodded. Luna took my hand—her tiny fingers were ice-cold—and Sol followed close behind.
As we walked, I used my Appraisal skill on them:
Name: Luna
Race: Half-Elf
Age: 5
Level: 1
Skills: Unknown (Latent Potential: SSS)
Name: Sol
Race: Half-Elf
Age: 5
Level: 1
Skills: Unknown (Latent Potential: SSS)
SSS-rank latent potential? What did that even mean?
I pushed the question aside for now. What mattered was getting these kids fed, warm, and safe.
We walked for about an hour before finding a small cave. It was dry and sheltered, perfect for a temporary camp.
I gathered firewood while the twins watched, wide-eyed, as I used my Wind Magic to create a small spark and start a fire.
From my Item Box—which seemed to contain basic supplies courtesy of Sylvie—I pulled out flour, eggs, milk, and honey.
The twins watched in fascination as I mixed the batter and cooked pancakes on a flat stone heated by the fire.
"Here you go," I said, handing them each a stack of fluffy pancakes drizzled with honey.
They ate like starving puppies, and my heart ached at the sight. When had they last eaten?
After dinner, I wrapped them in warm blankets and sat by the fire, watching them drift off to sleep. Luna had curled up against my side, and Sol was using my leg as a pillow.
I looked down at them, these two little lives that had been entrusted to me by fate—or perhaps by a clumsy wind goddess.
"Don't worry," I whispered, stroking Luna's silver hair. "I'll protect you. Both of you. That's a promise."
Outside the cave, the wind whispered through the trees, and I could have sworn I heard Sylvie's voice, gentle and warm:
"Thank you, Haru-san."
...
Three days passed as we slowly made our way through the forest.
During that time, I learned a lot about Luna and Sol. They were surprisingly resilient for children who had lost their parents—laughing at my silly jokes, marveling at the magic I showed them, and asking endless questions about everything we encountered.
"Haru-nii, what's that?" Luna would ask, pointing at a glowing mushroom.
"Haru-nii, can you really talk to animals?" Sol would demand, eyes sparkling with wonder.
Haru-nii. Big Brother Haru.
The title made my chest feel warm.
On the fourth day, we stumbled upon something incredible.
"Haru-nii! Look!" Sol shouted, tugging at my sleeve.
I followed his pointing finger and gasped.
There, nestled in a clearing surrounded by ancient trees, was a cottage. But not just any cottage—it was beautiful, with white stone walls, a thatched roof, and flower boxes filled with blooming wildflowers.
A small stream ran nearby, and behind the house was a garden that had clearly once been well-tended.
"It's empty," Luna observed, her sensitive ears twitching. "I don't hear anyone inside."
I approached cautiously, using Appraisal on the building:
Abandoned Forest Cottage
Condition: Good (magically preserved)
Previous Owner: Unknown (deceased)
Special Properties: Barrier Magic (conceals from monsters)
Magically preserved? Barrier magic? This was perfect!
The door was unlocked, and when we stepped inside, we found a cozy home that seemed to have been waiting for us.
The furniture was simple but sturdy, the fireplace was clean, and—miracle of miracles—the pantry was stocked with preserved food and basic supplies.
"Can we stay here?" Luna asked, her eyes huge and hopeful.
"Please, Haru-nii?" Sol added, clutching my hand.
I smiled, ruffling their hair. "I think this place was waiting for us. Let's make it our home."
Their cheers echoed through the forest.
Over the next week, we settled into our new life.
I taught the twins basic survival skills—how to gather edible plants, how to fish in the stream, how to tend a fire. In return, they taught me about this world—the names of the constellations, which berries were sweetest, where the fairies liked to dance on moonlit nights.
"Haru-nii, can you teach us magic?" Sol asked one evening as we sat by the fireplace.
I considered this. "I can try. But magic requires concentration and control. Are you ready to work hard?"
"Yes!" they chorused.
We started with the basics.
I showed them how to feel the mana in the air, how to draw it into their bodies. To my amazement, they picked it up almost instantly.
Within three days, Luna could create small water orbs, and Sol could make pebbles float.
"You're both incredible," I told them honestly. "You have so much potential."
Luna beamed. "Really?"
"Really really."
That night, as I tucked them into the large bed we shared—the cottage only had one bedroom—Luna looked up at me seriously.
"Haru-nii?"
"Yes, Luna?"
"Are you going to leave us too? Like Mama and Papa?"
My heart broke all over again.
I pulled her close, and Sol cuddled up on my other side.
"Never," I promised, my voice fierce. "I'll never leave you. We're a family now. You, me, and Sol. Forever."
"Forever?" Sol whispered.
"Forever and ever," I vowed.
They fell asleep in my arms, and I stayed awake long into the night, watching over them.