Peter hurriedly run towards the community. He wanted to chase after that boy so that he could make excuses so the problem wouldn't escalate further. He gave chase but was startled because to his surprise, he could not easily catch the boy. He's not trying to sound boastful but he is quite confident in his running ability. If you grew up in a family of farmers like Peter, you will definitely grow to be physically strong, it will actually be stranger if you grew the opposite, a weakling.
Peter began to panic as he continued his desperate chase.
In a loud voice, the boy started shouting, "Be careful everyone. Someone dangerous is coming towards our village. He has a pet wolf on his tow. Quick! Hide your cows!" the boy's voice sounded hoarse as he continued to scream at the top his lungs.
Peter felt that with each step, the distance he needed to cover on that grassy grounds were enormous. He wanted to marvel at the vast and pristine, lush community he had noticed, but Peter couldn't do so for the moment because of the boy he was chasing. His expression turned grim when he accidentally tripped. In desperation, Peter stretched out a hand behind the still screaming boy as he was about to fall on the grass. Unfortunately, he didn't reach even the sleeve of his clothes, which he had intended to grab on. Peter ended up falling to the grassy ground. He face-planted. Unlike what he expected, it didn't hurt at all. He had a realization. That the ground he fell on was soft. Peter gasped when he remembered the boy who panicked at the sight of his pet, Ichiro. He quickly got up. He still didn't give up chasing after that boy.
As long as he doesn't tell what he saw, he still has hope.
When Peter got up, he winced when he realized that the child was already some distance away.
The boy was probably ten meters away already. Peter estimated.
He's too quick on his feet.
The young man, about to resume the chase froze in place. What he feared transpired.
A middle-aged man from the village was alerted by the boy's screams.
The boy ran towards the middle-aged man who greeted him.
"Damn it!" cursed Peter worriedly. At the same time, he quickly approached the man and the young boy. He had no intention of being expelled from the first settlement he have found. It is uncertain whether there are any other nearby settlements besides this one. Peter was about to approach when he was startled by the mister's hysterical scream.
"You're talking nonsense again, Peter!"
Our protagonist recoiled from the man's terrifying scream. He was surprisingly being cursed at.
It seems?
"But I'm telling the truth, father. He really does have a pet wolf. Convince the villagers to hide their cows," the boy said, almost pleadingly, to the older man who turns out to be his father.
"If that man really has a pet wolf, where is it then?" asked the boy's father.
Peter unconsciously held his breath because of that question...
"He has power, father. He has power that has to do with the tunnel. That's where he hid the wolf." the boy enthusiastically tried to convince his father.
Peter swallowed hard.
According to the goddess, this world is a world that has magic as a norm. There is a good chance that the father will be convinced by the reasoning given by his son.
Peter sneakily moved one of his foot to the right by an inch.
There is a high chance that he will be convinced. When that happens, his life could be in danger.
But Peter was left speechless when the father scolded his son.
It didn't take long for Peter to ask himself this question.
Did the goddess made some sort of mistake? Instead of saying that this is a world of magic, that really isn't the case, isn't it? Peter, confused, asked this question to himself.
Peter's monologue was given an immediate answer.
"Stop with your lies, Peter. It's getting old. It's not even funny anymore. How many times have you lied to us about a wolf attacking our village? We lost count, haven't we?" the young boy was given a stern lecture by his own father.
It was as if a fish bone had been pulled out of our main character's throat Peter breathed a sigh of relief. Peter energetically approached the father and son. He suddenly remembered something about the situation of the boy with his namesake.
There is a famous classic fable that has been told in every corners of the world since ancient times. The story is entitled, "The boy who cried wolf!" It just so happens that the shepherd's name in that story was also Peter.
Peter wasn't much into stories before he became interested in popular Asian novels, manga and the likes.
The only reason he knew about that fable was because it was taught in school and the story really resonated with him because the protagonist shares his name.
According to the said fable, the young shepherd was constantly wandering around his village, and was always shouting mischievously that the wolves were attacking their sheep, causing panic for the people, only for them to find out the truth that there was none. And when the wolves really attacked, he can do nothing. His villagers no longer believed in him which caused him the sheep he was pasturing.
When Peter finally arrived in front of the father and son, the father was still angrily scolding his son named Peter, who coincidentally shares the same name with our protagonist and even the protagonist of the classic fable, "the boy who cried wolf."
The father stopped harping on his son when he finally noticed Peter's presence besides him.
"I'm sorry, young sir. My son's behavior was very shameful. Please forgive him because he didn't know what he was doing." the older man apologized to Peter on his son's behalf.
"Don't worry! I don't mind. Your son is still a child." Peter said, raising both palms and waving them around.
Peter was surprised by the father and son's reaction. Their heads tilted slightly at the same time. They seemed confused by Peter's remark.
He asked himself, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Peter is fourteen years old." The farmer's father paused for a moment and then continued.
"He's not a kid anymore." the father corrected the younger man.
Peter was confused but decided not to ask any more questions. That was for fear that they would realize that he was not from this world. He just choose to assume that an individual was considered old earlier in the new world. That that was the common sense in this place.
"Pardon me, young sir. I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity. I've noticed you have a strange attire there for a while now. Is it possible that you're not from our kingdom?" the older man blurted out in his observation.
Peter seem to feel his heart to be squeezed by the dreaded question thrown his way.
"Think, Peter." he encouraged himself.
"I'm not really from your kingdom. I just happen to arrive here at your place after my long journey from the east." Peter saw no other solution but to tell the truth. He's not even lying. It's true that he's from the east. He also really travelled a long distance. He's from another world, after all. From the east of another world. A really, really far away place.
"Is that so?I'm glad to hear that. I didn't expect to meet someone from the continent where the Goddess of Goodwill is closest." Peter breathed a sigh of relief because the person he was talking to seemed convinced.
Peter wondered what the man meant by being on the continent closest to the Goddess of Goodwill.
Peter accidentally clicked his tongue.
"Is there a problem, young sir? Did I say something wrong that made you feel bad?" said the farmer.
"It's nothing. I just remembered something." Peter scratched the back of his neck. He was embarrassed by what happened. He was a little annoyed by the situation. He had many questions but couldn't find any answers.
"Please forgive the impudence of my son Peter has shown you. I beg for your forgiveness." said the father. After that, he forced his son to bow down.
"It's okay," said the older Peter.
Since earlier, while talking, Peter had been simply observing the father and son. What caught Peter's attention the most was the type of clothing they were wearing. Both father and son were wearing simple but long clothes that you would think were long-sleeved dresses if you weren't like Peter who was knowledgeable about light novels with a medieval period setting.
Based on what Peter had read, the chocolate-colored clothing the father and son were wearing was something called tunic. The type of clothing that is common among farmers or peasants in the middle ages. The father and the son are also wearing chocolate-colored shoes. The two outfits are almost identical except for one piece of clothing. What they wear on their heads.
The father was wearing a hood while the son, Peter, is wearing a type of hat that our MC has never seen before in his entire life.
"What exactly is your purpose? Why did you migrate to the distant continent of Terra Firma, sir?" asked the father of the young shepherd, Peter, curiously.
Peter can't tell the truth, can he? It's likely that anyone would just laugh at him if he said that he was banished from Earth to a world that was still shrouded in mystery for Peter. That the goddess of this world had assigned him to solve its problem of frequent wars. Especially if he said that he was only banished because of his own stupidity that caused his accidental death.
That's why Peter answered it this way instead.
"I'm looking for a business opportunity in a new place. I just happened to stumble upon this place. This continent is called Terra Firma? What country am I in?" Peter replied, and asked back.
"Does that mean you're a merchant? And you have the disposition of a traveler based on the fact that you came here without a plan. Is that right?" the farmer asked in delight for some reason.
"Yes. You're right." Peter couldn't say anything else but agree.
Peter wondered in his mind whether the person in front of him was really just a simple farmer or a journalist from a tabloid. The guy has too many questions.
"I hope you succeed in your business." the farmer wished him luck.
"Thank you." replied Peter.
"Can I ask where I am?" Peter repeated his unanswered question.
"I'm sorry. I was just overjoyed to hear that you were a merchant. You are now in the kingdom of Terragon," replied the farmer.
"Can you take me to a place where I can eat?" Peter pleaded, blushing after his stomach growled loudly with hunger.
"Oh! Yes! Of course. I wish you had told me sooner that your stomach had been rumbling for a while, sir. I hope I haven't bothered you any further." this time it was the farmer's turn to feel embarrassed.
The farmer and his son started walking and encouraged Peter to follow them.
As they walked across the plains, the farmer continued his small talks. Perhaps it was because of his curiosity about a foreigner. The farmer's actions were not surprising to Peter.
Based on the Asian novels Peter had read as well as the history lessons he had taken back in school, people from the medieval period, especially the ordinary citizens, were often unable to leave to travel to other places until they drew their last breath.
Unlike in his homeland, there were no advanced technology like in the modern era.
The mode of transportation in the medieval period was rare when compared to the modern era of the 21st century. And another thing, the majority of those living in the medieval period were mostly serfs who were not far from the status of a slave. The two were both unfree.
Meanwhile, the farmer's son, the other Peter, was quietly walking by his father's side.
On the other hand, the protagonist of our story was quietly observing his surroundings.
He occasionally answered some of Peter's father's questions out of respect for the person who was kind enough to voluntarily guide him inside the settlement.
After walking for a few minutes, he could finally see some houses.
Peter grew up in a rural area but was still mesmerized by the stunning beauty of this humble place. It's too gentle to look at. He loved all that he saw was the verdantness of the vegetations, the rich brownness of the arable land and the haziness of the white clouds in the blue skies.
He could tell it was truly rural. It wasn't like on Earth, where even the smallest area was already tainted by the urbanisation. For Peter, it was the ultimate nature experience.
Behind the farmer was the chocolate-colored houses and green fields is in full view.
"The Village of the Beginnings?" exclaimed Peter with a tinge of excitement in is tone.
Peter is not sure if it was merely a coincidence or it was fate that the Goddess of Goodwill granted him but he was sure of one thing.
He loved the feeling of being like a main character in a role-playing game who was about to begin his journey from a starting point which in this case was the Village of the Beginnings.