On the third day...
Arata ran the mop through the mansion's corridors with determination, keeping his pace steady while his mind wandered elsewhere.
"The Golden Power..." he pondered to himself, piecing together everything Sumire had told him. "Could I be the current wielder?! It all makes perfect sense! I'm an Isekai protagonist with an overpowered ability, and I was brought here for some divine reason. It must be to save this world! Return by Death must just be a small ability derived from the Golden Power. This only proves that I really am the Chosen One!"
In his mind, the fantasy only grew stronger. He could already imagine himself growing stronger over time, leveling up until he reached the rank of a legendary warrior like the Holy Knight Kauã Alves, or becoming one of those invincible protagonists from cliché anime.
A smug smile appeared on his lips as he continued cleaning the floor.
A few moments later...
Arata found himself in the mansion's kitchen, accompanied by the Tsumurugi twins. Sumire was putting away some utensils before turning toward the two of them.
"Our supply of seasonings is almost gone," Sumire explained, pointing toward the shelves. "Atara-kun and Loiry, could you go to the nearby village and get some more spices?"
"Sure thing! Let's go, Loiry-san!" Arata readily accepted.
The white-haired twin remained silent. She merely nodded briefly, but before turning away, she cast a discreet and deeply observant glance at Arata with her pink eyes, quickly looking away afterward.
Without wasting any time, the two left the property and headed toward the rural village. They walked side by side along the dirt roads, surrounded by a silence that, at first, felt rather uncomfortable.
The quietness lasted until the first buildings appeared on the horizon. It was a simple, humble village made up of rustic wooden houses and surrounded by the region's immense forests. The distant sounds of citizens talking and children running echoed through the air.
As soon as they stepped onto the main street, a group of small children noticed their arrival and ran toward the pair.
"Hey, Loiry! How are you doing?!" a little boy with black hair shouted, waving.
"I'm doing fine, Bruno," Loiry replied, her cold demeanor crumbling slightly.
She suddenly seemed shy and somewhat awkward when dealing with their excitement.
"And how are you all doing? I hope you haven't been making a mess around here."
Arata watched the scene from the corner of his eye, surprised by the girl's popularity.
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"Who would've thought..." he muttered.
"What is it...?" Loiry asked suspiciously.
"Nothing. Just thinking out loud," Arata brushed it off with a smile.
A little girl with aqua-green hair and bright blue eyes then stopped right in front of him.
"Hey, you're new around here! Who are you, mister?" she asked curiously.
"He's the new employee at the mansion," Loiry explained to the children. "His name is Arata Ryusei."
"That's right! It's a pleasure to meet this little kid squad!" Arata greeted them cheerfully.
"I'm Ichika!" the girl proudly introduced herself. "My dream is to become a maid at Joseph's mansion someday! Loiry and Sumire are my biggest inspirations, you know?"
"Wow, that's awesome!" Arata praised her, reaching out and lightly ruffling Ichika's aqua-green hair in a playful gesture.
"I'm Bruno!" the first boy interrupted, with a visible booger hanging from his nose. "And my dream is to become a real knight when I grow up!"
"That's a great dream, buddy... But for the love of God, could you clean that booger first? Ew!" Arata joked, making a disgusted face.
Bruno burst out laughing and awkwardly wiped his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.
Right beside him, another boy with brown hair spoke up.
"I'm Shigei! My dream is to become a great mage. When I awaken my innate magic, I'll accomplish great things and make my mother and little sister proud!"
Finally, a more reserved little girl gently tugged at the hem of Arata's shirt, looking down.
"I'm Helena... Hey, Mr. Arata... Would you think my dream is silly?"
Arata crouched down to her height, changing his tone to something more comforting.
"Of course not, Helena! You can tell me all about it."
"I dream of becoming a doctor so I can cure people," she confessed quietly. "I don't want to see anyone else suffer the way I did when my mommy became sick and died..."
"That's an incredibly noble dream, Helena," Arata comforted her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I guarantee that if you all work hard, each of your wishes will come true. At least, that's what I hope!"
While Arata entertained the children, Loiry approached one of the market stalls to collect the bags of seasoning. The shopkeeper watched the young man from a distance and smiled.
"Well, your friend seems to have a natural gift with children, don't you think?"
"He's not my friend..." Loiry murmured, straightening her posture.
However, she glanced at Arata before continuing.
"But... Yes. Apparently, he's quite good with them."
Loiry picked up the two heavy bags and turned around to call the young man, only to realize that Arata had disappeared from where he had been moments earlier.
Meanwhile, a few meters away, Arata had jumped over the wooden fence surrounding the village.
He ventured a few meters into the dense vegetation to retrieve a wooden toy that the children had dropped near the edge of the forest while playing.
He crouched down, picked up the object, and prepared to head back, but suddenly stopped.
The surroundings had become terribly sinister.
The silence that had settled over the forest was suffocating, broken only by the whisper of the biting wind swaying the treetops. The animals seemed to have fallen silent all at once as the sky took on the dark orange hues of sunset.
Suddenly, the distinct sound of a FOOTSTEP echoed directly behind him.
Arata froze.
He hadn't moved, which meant someone else was there, lurking in the shadows.
With his heart pounding faster, he slowly turned his face toward the dense forest.
Among the dry bushes, Arata spotted a tall, motionless silhouette.
The figure wore completely black clothing, and covering its entire face was a bizarre, pointed mask, a crow mask identical to those worn by plague doctors back on Earth.
The masked being stared intensely at him for long, agonizing seconds.
Before Arata could make any reaction or ask any questions, the silhouette moved with supernatural speed, completely disappearing among the trees as if it had never been there.
Only a small amount of smoke appeared where it had been standing.
Overcome by panic and his survival instinct, Arata sprinted back toward the safety of the village at full speed. He hurriedly jumped over the fence, stopping near the houses as he struggled to catch his breath.
"What the hell was that?!" he thought desperately, his chest rising and falling heavily. "That silhouette... Was it actually a real person wearing a crow mask?! Or am I starting to hallucinate and see things because of all the deaths?! I don't know..."
Trying to hide his fear, he walked back to the group of children and returned the toy, receiving excited thanks from them.
Soon afterward, Loiry approached him with her eyebrows raised.
"Where did you disappear to, Arata?"
Arata let out a deep sigh, forcing his usual carefree smile so he wouldn't raise any suspicions.
"Oh, I just went to get a toy the kids had dropped near the beginning of the forest. Let's go, Loiry-san!"
Loiry studied his expression for a moment but decided not to question him.
She held out the two heavy bags of seasoning toward him.
"Hold these."
"Whoa, fair enough! Leave it to the professional!" Arata grumbled as he took the weight.
The two said goodbye to the children and the local residents, leaving the village behind and beginning their walk back toward the mansion, while the mystery surrounding the figure in the forest continued to echo through the young man's mind.
End of Chapter 27...
To be continued in Chapter 28...