By the time evening approached, Noah finally caught sight of a wooden palisade surrounding a village.
A weathered sign near the entrance read:
Araris Village
The long journey from Herkalus Forest had drained every ounce of his strength. His throat was dry, and his stomach had been growling for hours.
As he approached the gate, his thoughts drifted back to the laboratory.
If the machine really worked... then why did I end up in a place that has never existed in human history?
Everything around him resembled a medieval civilization.
Yet this world clearly wasn't Earth's past.
Nor was it its future.
The two village guards watched him suspiciously. His clothes looked completely different from those worn by the villagers, even though his appearance itself wasn't much different from the people of this world.
As Noah entered the village, he found rows of simple wooden houses.
Some looked as though they could collapse at any moment.
Others were in slightly better condition.
Villagers wandered the streets in worn-out clothing, while barefoot children ran through the dirt roads.
There was little sign of prosperity.
After walking a short distance, Noah found a small tavern.
The smell of freshly cooked food immediately made his hunger even worse.
He stepped inside...
Only to stop after a few steps.
...How am I supposed to pay?
Before he could turn around, a burly man with a longsword hanging from his waist glared at him.
"If you don't have any coins, don't come in."
Noah frowned.
Coins...?
Only then did he realize this world had its own currency.
Without another word, he left the tavern.
Hungry.
Thirsty.
Homeless.
Penniless.
He didn't even understand the world he had been thrown into.
As he wandered aimlessly through the village, he noticed a little girl sitting against the wall of a house.
She looked about eight years old.
Her clothes were tattered.
Her blue hair was tangled.
Dark bruises covered parts of her face.
Noah crouched in front of her.
"Are you all right?"
The little girl slowly looked up.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
"P-Please..."
"Don't hit me..."
Noah fell silent.
Before he could ask another question, shouting echoed from down the street.
"There she is!"
"Hurry!"
"Don't let her escape again!"
Three men came running toward them.
Without thinking, Noah scooped the little girl into his arms.
They sprinted through the narrow alleys between the houses.
Eventually, they found a gap in the wooden fence surrounding the village.
Together, they escaped to a riverside overgrown with trees and thick bushes.
Only after the footsteps of their pursuers had faded did Noah collapse onto the rocks.
He gasped for breath.
His body felt completely exhausted.
The little girl snapped off the stalk of a bamboo-like plant.
"Mister..."
"Drink this."
She handed it to Noah.
"Water?"
"My mother taught me."
"This plant stores water."
Noah drank slowly.
Cool water flowed down his throat.
"...Ah."
"That's refreshing."
The little girl then offered him several yellow fruits.
"Eat."
"Mom said these are emergency food if you ever get lost in the forest."
A faint smile appeared on Noah's face.
"Thank you."
After regaining a little strength, he asked,
"Why were those men chasing you?"
"Did you steal something?"
The little girl shook her head.
"Then why?"
She lowered her gaze for several moments.
Finally, she whispered,
"My father... sold me."
Noah froze.
"He said..."
"I was going to become a slave."
"I refused."
"So he beat me..."
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"When the merchant tried to take me away..."
"My mother untied me and told me to run."
"So I kept running..."
"...until I met you."
Noah gently wiped away her tears.
"From now on..."
Before he could finish—
"There they are!"
"Move!"
The three men had found them again.
"Run!"
Noah gently pushed the girl's shoulder.
"Run as far as you can!"
"But, Mister—"
"Go!"
The little girl finally turned and ran.
Meanwhile, Noah grabbed a thick wooden branch roughly the size of his arm.
He stood between the men and the fleeing child.
For a short while, he managed to hold them back.
Long enough for the little girl to disappear from sight.
Now...
All three men turned their attention to Noah.
"Who the hell are you?"
Moments later, fists rained down on him.
Noah's vision slowly faded into darkness.
Splash!
A bucket of freezing water drenched his body.
Noah coughed violently as he opened his eyes.
His hands were tied behind a massive wooden post.
His entire body ached with bruises.
"W-Where... am I...?"
A circle of soldiers surrounded him.
A moment later, they stepped aside.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
A man dressed in luxurious royal attire walked into the courtyard.
An elderly mage followed behind him.
The king tossed a pouch of coins to the three men who had captured Noah.
"Well done."
"He's highly suspicious, Your Majesty," one of them reported.
The king slowly approached Noah.
A strange smile rested on his face.
"So..."
"You're the one."
"My ancestors waited for centuries."
"And now you've finally appeared."
Noah could only stare at him in confusion.
The old mage stepped forward.
He examined Noah from head to toe.
"His clothes..."
"Black hair."
"His face..."
"Hmm..."
"The prophecy was true."
He leaned close and whispered into the king's ear.
"Your Majesty."
"If this man is allowed to live..."
"Your dynasty will fall."
The king's expression changed instantly.
"Guards!"
"Execute him!"
Noah's heart pounded violently.
What now...?
The same terror he had felt inside the portal chamber returned.
A soldier drew his sword.
One step.
Two steps.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
Astra's voice echoed inside his mind.
Suggestion: Command me to generate a protector.
Noah's eyes widened.
That's right.
He still had his Blessing.
"Astra..."
"Generate a protector."
"The strongest one you can create."
"Someone capable of getting me out of here."
Confirmation received.
Golden light burst into existence before Noah.
Everyone instinctively stepped backward.
"What is that?!"
A woman with long crimson hair slowly emerged from the radiant glow.
She wore gleaming golden armor.
A pair of magnificent white wings spread behind her.
The moment her feet touched the ground...
She knelt before Noah.
"I await your command, my Lord."
Noah was still in shock.
But there was no time to think.
"Get me out of here."
The woman immediately severed the ropes binding Noah.
Then she wrapped an arm around him.
A brilliant flash engulfed the courtyard.
Tssshhh...!
In an instant—
They disappeared.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
The king clenched his fists.
"Find him."
"Even if you must search every corner of Magnora."
"That man must not be allowed to live."