Chapter 11 Portal

"Excellent." Words of praise couldn't help but come out from the man's mouth. It was a first for him to see such a talented and hard working child like Lotte appear in this village over the years. His outlook and intelligence, the pace he's learning and even his hardworking nature. It was nothing short of outstanding in his eyes.

It was the fourth year since Lotte came to this world. At some point, his sanity could no longer take it, alternating on becoming tired of all this transmigrator life to lazing around doing nothing for weeks to feeling motivated to train himself until the point of exhaustion.

The promise that he made to himself to become stronger is already becoming vague, and only left him feeling numb. Nevertheless, since he was bored, he looked for something to do.

That's why he took 'learning' seriously as part of his preparation for the future. That was the justification he told himself.

Fortunately or unfortunately, only the village chief's house harbored any books that caught his interest. Even still, nothing in particular told him about the village they lived in nor about the world outside.

Still, it was abundant with folklores. Folklores that were almost no different than the fantasies on earth. A prince and a princess, a commoner and a noble, such tales of light hearted genres existed in the collection. In his free time, he discovered that some books were written in another language he didn't recognize.

To the chief's surprise, he even learned that and eventually ran out of books to read.

One of the books was the tale of the hero and the demon king. The hero embarked on a journey gathering companions to defeat each of the demonic generals, and in the end, save a captive princess.

Lotte thought that such a deeply rooted story wouldn't disappear from a fantasy world like this. In one way or another, a demon king always existed in fantasy novels if not an evil entity.

Perhaps, because this is another world, the books were written rather poetically.

Just now, he had demonstrated that he could read the whole book in front of the village chief at his request.

He didn't know why he made such a request, but he thought that such favor with the person who has the most influence in the village wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Such a prodigious child was born in this place. The future of this village is bright."

He still remembered the exaggerated way of talking of the village chief as he praised him. Of course, at the time he was indifferent to it. He simply had nothing to do. Frankly, despite the ridiculous situation he found himself in, it was like a permanent joke in the end.

What kept him going was his expectations. Expectations that out there, just like a story's protagonist, hes going to find something to fulfill his desires. He didn't know his purpose here yet, only that an entity sent him here with an unknown deal he ignored.

And that it expected him to provide entertainment once the story starts.

He hoped for the existence of magic, and superhumans to eventually become one. Before seeing how Byrne annihilated a group of monsters he already had suspicions on two people who might be mages. Rugner and the Village chief.

The chief had no name, he was just called that, the chief. It seems that becoming the village chief makes you inherit the title itself as a name.

He was once a man fond of Lotte, whom he thought of as a smart kid who's going to change things around the village. But for anything to change at all, the first step is to take his feet outside this place.

At some point, me and the chief had been talking about my plans for the future. Once I come of age, once I have a wife or what I plan to be in this village.

"I'd like to go see the world."

I had uttered those words in front of him. Thinking that the intelligent and unique chief would support my decision when everyone, even my supposed father told me that its forbidden. That a disaster would befall this place.

"… See the world?" As if bewildered, the chief stared at me in surprise. Although he had been strange at times, he welcomed my ideas and opinions that seemed to be far from the norm.

"The outside world to be precise. This village is just… too small. Its nice and peaceful but it lacks what would make a wonderful life."

"You… want to leave?"

"… Not right now. Maybe when I come of age? I'm still too young to accomplish anything. It would be difficult to make a living outside like this." At the time, with the village chief as one of the people he talked to most often, he innocently revealed his true thoughts.

The thought of seeing the outside world excited him more than anything. The fact that this is a world of a novel didn't matter. The tragedy genre it had that bothered him all this time didn't matter. And his origins as an earthling… at least in that moment, we're inferior to his desire for adventure.

The village chief slowly stood from his seat as he put down a book he'd been reading all the time. I never had the chance to read it as he always carried it. I even thought of borrowing it someday…

"Do you know… What that desire entail?"

"… What disaster will your greed cause?"

I thought that the chief had simply been a peculiar person.

"A kid like you!?"

That day he lashed out at me.

It was the first time that I felt a danger in my life.

My body reacted instinctively. I ran away with all my might, in fear of what the chief would do to me. I had felt like if I stayed there any further, the chief would lose his mind. It was the first time that I saw a man who truly lost his mind.

That day, I never dared to come back in that direction ever. Not even when years passed, and not even when I got weapons from Rugner.

But behind that place, a road existed where his feet had never been.

He looked for chances until he was able to step foot into that place.

But no matter what he did.

He only circled back to the same place.

Mages. Lotte had never seen such people before. The closest experience related to them would be the recent realization that Saul had been using a disguise to hide her identity. But, he had suspected that they did exist.

And of those suspicions.

There was one such person in front of him. He had been avoiding him ever since he earned his ire in order to steer clear of any abrupt and risky development. An existence he believed to be the culprit to keeping this village closed off from the rest of the world.

Their very own village chief. Despite his appearances, he was one of the oldest villagers that lived here. Unlike the others that could only bask in the sun in front of their houses, the village chief maintained a straight gait and sharp mind.

'My Sword…' He instinctively reached out for it only to grasp thin air.

The chief's gaze briefly scanned where his hand had grasped and easily realized why he had done so. "… I apologize. It seems that I've startled you."

'This is why you're creepy.' Lotte thought and almost spoke out loud.

He was in a precarious situation right now. All the signs were pointing into something happening, and the blood red countdown didn't help.

"Well chief…" He was at loss for words. Just earlier something that really bothered him transpired, but Lotte tried to stay calm and be the same as he's always been, "Fancy meeting you here, after all these years.." I really hoped he died alone in that cottage.

The chief seemed to ponder for a moment, and stared at Lotte with his half lidded eyes, "There were some important matters that had to be attended to. I believe it concerns the few people you've been mingling with."

'Byrne and Saul?' Ever the absence of the chief, Lotte had been blatantly coming to the manor and training everyday. To be precise it was after they had a falling out when he revealed his intentions to leave. Rugner came and the chief stopped appearing altogether.

He wondered if the chief knew of what he did with them these past two years. Even though the villagers hardly interacted with them, it wasn't a secret that he always frequented them and that he trained to learn combat.

Yona especially knew since he would find her watching them secretly several times. Although the madam and the chief didn't have the best of relationship from what he'd seen, the chief could always hear it from the others.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He didn't expect the chief to believe him. But it was better than straight up just admitting their relationship. He saw the chief as a bomb disguised as a gentleman. The way he had his outbursts back then were still etched in his mind.

"Hm… I see. You've grown rather well these past few years." But his gaze said otherwise as he eyed me from bottom to top.

'Damned creepy old man.'

"You think so?", Lotte cracked his fist together. "Well, I've certainly grown enough to be capable of a beatdown."

Unlike his younger self, Lotte was now confident that he could take on several guys at once in a fight.

Whether it's a fight to defeat one another.

Or a fight to the death.

Now that he had been trained. Lotte recognized that what he felt from the village chief back then were probably the so-called killing intent. He had been right to run away. His instincts saved him that day.

"… That does seem to be the case."

One step. When he took a step forward the tingling sensation in my back tensed. Still I stood my ground.

"But it truly is fortunate." He took a relaxed step forward slowly inching closer while shaking his head in amusement, "To think that tomorrow will be your coming of age. It's just a few hours later now, isn't that right Lotte?"

"Right…" He couldn't help but stare warily at the chief. At this point, it was pointless to pretend not being wary against him. The chief only smiled at the display Lotte was showing.

He neither ran nor attacked, but calmly stood in front of him.

"… Congratulations Lotte." At this point he stopped in his tracks. It was at a distance just a step away from me being able to punch his face should he try anything funny.

"I'm truly glad… You chose to stay here in the end." He passed by Lotte saying those words, but he neither sounded happy or glad at all. Instead, there was a tint of coldness in his voice. "I look forward to you spending your years in this village."

…

Lotte looked back and made sure the village chief was gone. After doing so, he pointed his hand with a raised middle finger to the direction the chief went.

"Spending my years here my ass. I'm leaving as soon as my birthday party is done."

He huffed before turning away and stomping his feet all the way home.

…

Lotte lied down in his bed unable to sleep. He estimated that the countdown would finish by sunrise. A small feast would take place along with others that would also come of age for that month.

He looked at the countdown in front of him. The ominous redness didn't help at calming his nerves. Its as if the countdown was telling him that something was about to transpire.

Even after all these years, he still remembered what the entity told him. Seven years before the start of this novel… But isolated and unable to leave the village, he wasn't able to make any meaningful changes in the world.

Despite his attempts, only his own effort to be stronger yielded results. His obsession with training and finding potential characters throughout the years numbed him of time.

Why does Saul's farewell and plead to be well, reeks of fear? Now that he thought about it, they left so easily just like that and he didn't even see the chief talking with them. He must've let them leave so easily because he didn't want them here in the first place.

What is Rugner's real identity and how does he keep going in and out of this place without any problem? Their transactions never stopped, and he even accumulated a few necessitates with outstanding quality such as a set for traveling outside. Although it all seemed to have signs of having been used before.

Why is the countdown fucking blood red?

He sighed in exasperation thinking when this will all end. Unanswered questions kept piling up which irritated him the most. He was going crazy from overthinking.

If this novel really is a tragedy… Then what kind of tragedy would a nameless village, hidden from the rest of the world, would usually face? The village chief was already threatening enough but he didn't know what kind of disaster he's going to commit.

That night, Lotte couldn't sleep properly. He prided himself in having read a lot of novels and knowing how the tropes inside usually go, but the life he had in this village was just…

Too empty. He had nothing to do in the first few years but to train and overthink what tragedies might happen.

When Rugner first came, he found a potential connection outside but convincing him didn't work out anyways. During the times he focused on training the most, Byrne came with all those crazy rumors around him.

Then there was the day they found Saul. From that point on, the emptiness he felt each day slowly faded. He felt like the world had finally decided to move.

He wondered what would happen once the countdown ends, but soon he'll be able to find out what it means anyway. He wouldn't be leaving for a while even after it ended, since there was no hint and that damned entity never appeared again there was nothing he could do about it.

But seeing the ominous red color, and how it always signified danger for almost everything…

He decided to feign sleep just to be careful.

Since the countdown was clearly hinting onto something, he needed to be cautious. With his rather young body, he can manage to go on without sleep for at least a day.

Of course, nothing will happen right away.

He waited. Inevitably his thoughts wandered off.

He fantasized what he's going to do once he's out of the village.

What kinds of sights and wonders he's going to witness.

What he's going to be if he was unable to come back to his original world.

"!"

Just then, he heard light but hurried footsteps.

Was it an intruder? Is it the village chief? But the steps didn't bother to conceal themselves.

There was only one person that would do that.

Without even a knock, the door of his room swung open with haste.

"Lotte?"

It was his father that had come to him. Lotte sat up and gazed at him with confusion.

"Father? What's wrong?" For some reason, his father wore a dark robe that hid his whole figure and seemed to be on edge.

'Is it him? The one I should be careful of?' Lotte's fist tightened. It wasn't that he would be unwilling to subdue his father, but that would be a truly confusing situation.

"Hurry and pack your belongings."

"My belongings? Why?"

"There's no time. Take what you need and trust me."

I did as father said and packed up my belongings. It contained all the items I planned to bring for when I started my journey outside.

"Father.. Where are we going?"

"You wanted to leave didn't you?"

My father looked back at me, and somehow his usually calm and peaceful eyes were tinged with determination.

"It's time Lotte. You have to leave now or it will be too late."

"Leave when no one is there to bid you farewell. When no one is awake. And do not hesitate."

I looked at the countdown in the corner of my eyes. It was still there, ominously glowing red. Only a few hours more and it'll be sunrise soon.

My father… He was a kind man for as long as I remember. Whether it was the memories of this body's previous owner, or me after I had possessed it.

So I decided to trust him.

I was going to leave, one way or another anyways.

Upon going down, I was welcomed by a strange sight. There, I found my three younger sisters, also donning a robe and a traveling bag in each of them. Just like me, confusion was written all over their faces.

"Why are they?.."

I looked at my father for answers. He was looking at the three of them, seemingly in thought before turning to me.

"They're leaving with you, Lotte.."

"What?"

Does he realize what he's talking about? The three of them were barely seven, and although they are brilliant children… They were far too young to travel. Even I would not be this reckless if I actually had the mind of a fifteen year old.

I was different. If push comes to shove, I'm willing to dirty my hands and deal with the dirty world of society out there. Those were the kinds of burden I would be willing to take on. Alone, that is.

"No. Why do I need to leave now, and why do I have to take my sisters? What's going on?"

If he really wanted to, couldn't he leave this village just like me? I knew that everyone in the village, without exception, thinks that going out will only bring disaster. But, I don't see anything that prevents them from venturing out. They could climb over the mountains. They could send scouts. They could even establish roads made of stone.

The problem in this village is their lack of ambition. They've lived here for as long as they can remember, that's why they're not changing their minds.

At the very least, the other kids, like Yona, were a little better. Since they're young, they still have that spark of desire and curiosity in them. The rest of the adults and elders would rather stay in the village.

"Lotte… " He took a moment to look at me with a longing gaze, and gently touched my face, "You are different from me. Different from the rest of the villagers born in this land."

He pressed his forehead against mine as he told me a few truths I knew nothing about, "Back then… You were already there when I met her."

"You weren't meant to be confined in this small rural village. But your mother had fled and found this place. Of course, I was thankful that I met her, but this village isn't where children like you should belong."

Once again, it was a truth that I didn't know about myself. But at this moment, I couldn't help but think that I'm almost becoming a complete package of a character with a convoluted background.

"… And half of your mothers blood flows within your sisters. They too deserve to see the world they belong to."

It was quite an ironic situation. Back when I first revealed my intentions to leave, father was one of the first who dissuaded me. But now, he was even sneaking me out, with my sisters at that.

"We don't have much time. Follow me."

"Okay. I'll go with you. But father-"

"You have a lot of questions. I know. You've always been like that as you grew up", He cut me off and took the words out of my mouth. It was true that as I grew up, my questions and curiosity only piled up more. I had to be that way as a transmigrator. Although there were still some questions I failed to ask.

They say that the first half of solving a problem is knowing what to question in the first place.

"Listen to me as we go. The three of you too. Since it's come to this there's no point in hiding stories anymore."

I held the hands of my sisters as we went through the village. The lights of the houses were minimal, and only dim lamps lit our way. Perhaps, because we were always walking on these grounds, no one stumbled or had any difficulty walking despite the darkness.

"At first it was just curiosity. But one of us began to have a dream just like yours Lotte."

Turning to me as we walked, he said to me with a faint smile, "It's a well known story. I'm sure that you heard it from everyone who dissuaded you."

If that was the case then there's only one story that Lotte was ever told regarding someone who tried to go 'outside'.

"Yona's father?", At that he simply nodded.

"He wasn't alone. There was three of us."

'Three of 'us'? So father too has… There was another one?'

All along, there was someone close to him that lived to tell the tale of attempting to go out?

"Back then, he no longer wanted to remain in this village."

"We embarked on our mission, under the nose of the village chief. At the time, that friend of mine had just found out that his wife is pregnant with his child. That child is now your friend, Yona."

"… I see." I guess we are friends. At least Yona seemed to think so. Well I don't really mind either way. But more importantly, it seemed that the third accomplice is father, while the two others are Yona's parents.

"He wanted a world bigger than this village for his wife and soon to be born daughter."

"To see a world different from the one he grew up in, to experience life richer than his."

"He wanted to take his family to the world that was denied to us. Knowing that so much more could exist out there, he convinced me to go together with them."

We quickened our pace and in front of us stood the forest that kept the village surrounded over the years. Only then, did my father lit a torch to guide us. The atmosphere began to feel heavier and even darker.

It didn't take long for us to reach our destination.

"And so, we took the only path that seemed to lead where we wanted. At the time the village chief could only watch helplessly as we threw ourselves into the fire."

"Unlike now, he wasn't as elusive and radical. He even seemed harmless when he got angry. Compared to these days when he exhibited a rather dangerous air around him."

The village chief's house was before us. Surprisingly enough, we peacefully passed by that house and there isn't any sign of the village chief. Although as far as I knew, we are bound to end up in front of it again once more.

Beyond the village's chiefs house was uncharted territory for me. But as if familiar with it, father didn't stop and even quickened his face. Cold sweat trickled on my back despite not being tired.

"What we met at the end of that path was a cavern with stone pillars lit in blue flames. It encircled a sleeping beast that seemed to be made of stone."

"We were frightened. Not knowing what to do, whether to proceed or turn back."

'A beast made of stone?' Lotte had wished that his journey would proceed smoothly, but it was inevitable to have some obstacles after all. Had he found the way any earlier… He wondered if he's going to encounter and die by that beast either way.

My three sisters silently stared ahead with fear and confusion in their eyes. Their hands I held were gripping me tightly, afraid to let go.

Looking at them pained my heart due to the fact that they will be swept along in my hardships outside once I take them with me. Although I knew myself well enough to be confident alone, fathers requests weren't part of my plans.

Had this been a normal situation, or the days before, I would've had time to discuss things over with my father. If only he had told me his plans beforehand… But it's all useless thoughts now.

More often than not, people make a decision just before the very last moment. Hesitation must've filled his mind then.

"I still remember… How I trembled when that beast awakened."

"In the end, we were unable to discover a way out. We had to flee in a hurry…" As if recalling a painful memory, Lotte's father clutched his head while walking ahead.

"The chief found us on the way, and hurriedly led us away. We sealed our lips and promised to never say a word of what happened. Then a rumor began to spread."

"That he was punished for trying to turn his back in the village."

"His wife, unable to do anything because of the life she carried, continued to live on. Now that life became, Yona who's almost at your age."

"She must've wanted to go back. To see if he still had remains."

Slowly a clearing came into view. What was apparent is the large entrance to the cavern father told of in his stories. Beyond that cavern were a steep cliff hanging over our heads.

Time until Chapter 1: 3 hours.

'It's near now.'

Lotte took a glance at the remaining time at the still red countdown. Then at the cavern entrance that seemed to be made of darkness that would devour any visitors who dared entry.

"We're here." His father looked at the cavern with a complicated but steeled expression, before beckoning for us to follow suit.

As we entered, a stone pillar with inscriptions gleamed in the dark, with blue flames atop its tips. It burned seamlessly, as if there was no air in its presence at all, making it more unnatural and ominous to stare at.

Heavy and light steps echoed in our surroundings. Our breaths seemed to be the only sound that existed in the path inside the cavern.

Our way forward… Still went smoothly.

Way too easily.

I couldn't help but look back to see if someone was tailing behind us. Or if there was something out there to threaten us.

"The beast…" That word uttered by my father made me turn sharply. If the beast was still there, then it would be a huge problem. I have always trained with Byrne and Saul the most. Those two were humans that I could take on in a direct clash of our physiques.

But a beast is fundamentally different. Their weight and reach would often outclass a human, and their hunting methods focus on either lethality or waiting for their prey to grow tired. The classes I took with Byrne regarding monsters might finally come in handy.

"So it is still there." Even so, father only stood still on his spot without fear.

After all, the beast in front of us…

"Is it dead?" I carefully took a step forward. The beast seemed to be a mix of a hound and a rat with a build five times larger than a human. Its skin was truly made of stone, and it looked like a puppet made of polished rocks. Dark gray patterns flowed like a circuit that seemed to connect all over its body.

However the beast was no longer alive. It remained unmoving in the middle of the hall.

"Hm…" A rugged and rather crude sword was impaled right at the middle of its chest, and traces of a leaked substance that left a burnt mark was left in the ground.

"As I thought. It's actually dead." Lotte's father stated in rather shaky breath.

Meanwhile, with Lotte's plethora of experience in consuming fiction, he recognized at one glance what this beast actually is.

'Is it a type of golem?' If it was, then it made things somewhat easier. The size is a problem, but knowing where its weakness is helped. Although he doubted if he could pierce that deeply using his sword.

The sword used to kill the golem looked barbaric compared to the polished longsword he's used to. He tried pulling it, but it was deeply embedded in the midst of the golem. He decided to ignore it, since the weight of a sword like that must be impossible to wield.

"Who could've killed this guy?"

"Your mother must've." Father stood by my side as he inspected the golem.

"You did say she's powerful, but to that extent?" So she's the wielder of the giant sword? Based on that, my mom should have a rather strong and barbaric origins. No wonder I'm unusually strong even when compared to trained adults.

"I wasn't kidding when I told you how she almost crushed me to death." He smirked at me, still finding that memory both amusing and precious.

"Besides, unlike the other visitors, your mother came from this way." He looked around in order to get a good look of the cavern after all the years.

"Although, If she already killed it and is still fearful… There must be something else she's afraid of. Tread carefully Lotte."

'Figures' If it's a golem, then it's something that can be mass produced. Hopefully, whoever made this didn't have enough materials to make dozens of them.

"What do we do now? I don't see an exit." I looked around but didn't see any other passage or way forward. Apart from the ominous blue flames that swayed gently in the pillars around the room, there's not much else.

"I'm ashamed, but bringing you here is the most I could do."

So it came to this after all.

Lotte keenly observed his surroundings.

Pillars stood in the walls of the cavern inscribed with bluish symbols. Recognizing that those might be runes, he surmised that this is the right place and also the way out.

'Did they pass through here?' The two companions he made during the last two years came to mind. He wondered where Byrne and Saul were right now.

They haven't even informed where they're headed either. Only that Saul is going to the 'imperial academy'.

He recalled how they suddenly disappeared right in front of his eyes. There must've been a condition that had to be fulfilled in order to pass through the passage leading this cavern. Then upon finally reaching the end…

Only one method of exit came to Lotte's mind.

'A portal. This whole cavern is a portal. That must be it.'

And if the pillars are there, they must serve a purpose. One by one, Lotte closely observed the pillars around.

He tried blowing on the blue flames carefully, and it swayed around softly, less affected by the wind compared to normal flames. It generated some heat just as expected, albeit much more faint.

"Lotte, have you discovered something?" His father and sisters anxiously waited for him.

"Not yet."

He inspected the ground of the cavern. There were obvious lines as expected although faint and cut off. He could make a magic circle out of it.

'If Byrne and Saul were able to get out. Things here must be working fine.'

He recalled the village chief that had been missing for quite some time, but suddenly appeared right after Saul left.

'How did the village chief help them?'

He remembered Rugner who can come and go as he wishes. At this point his suspicion pointed towards the two of them being accomplices, or even a hidden group preventing villagers from going out.

'A golem, two people who presumably have control over the portal. The village chief and Rugner…'

'Wait, control?'

"Father! We need to leave!" Lotte turned and ran upon realizing something.

But he was too late. The ground had started glowing, and his feet were stuck in place. His father and sisters were no better.

Blue lines crept up their bodies that illuminated the dimly lit cavern. He held out his hand in an attempt to reach his sisters, but it was unable to reach them.

As he witnessed them slowly disappearing in blue lights, the last thought that came to Lotte's mind was…

That those lights were truly beautiful.