It was a land like a green carpet, a vast terrain with some trees scattered here and there, its surface undulating with random topographical shapes. And let's not forget the decorations that were spread abundantly across this green expanse—decorations in harmonious colors, adding a great sense of joy to the scene. At first glance, it looked like a painting, a depiction of a rolling green meadow adorned with countless refreshing flowers.
But as the wind continued to play its tune and the flowers kept dancing on this verdant stage, there were two strangers—perhaps they had no defined role in this artistic masterpiece, or rather, in this magnificent theater. All they did was run and run, never stopping, like savages disrupting the beauty of nature with their reckless sprinting. But why were they running?
"We've gotten too far!" shouted a short girl with long hair. She was plump at the bottom, especially around her thighs, and had drooping ears atop her head, along with two small horns. As she ran, her breasts moved like jelly.
I could see, feel the ground beneath my feet as I ran. I could smell the air, hear the footsteps, taste the salt of my sweat. Yes, I was using all my senses. I wasn't dead! I wasn't dead!! I had survived and escaped that fucking palace. But the cost was immense. Though I felt a sense of joy, my mind was shattered, my thoughts clouded by countless conflicting emotions, each fighting to be the first to reach my consciousness… yet none of them did. I remained lost in a fog of confusion.
I was irritated the whole time, unable to grasp what was happening, even though I was fully aware of my state. I had finally escaped the place I had always dreamed of fleeing from, yet… yet I never imagined I would feel this way. A feeling I couldn't describe, as if thousands of glass cups were falling and shattering one by one, creating a deafening noise that drowned out the question: "Who is knocking them over?"
Yes, I was shackled. By what? I didn't know. After running for a while, we finally stopped. Maris sat down on the green grass, and I collapsed as well, breathing heavily. It had been a rainy morning, yet now the sun shone brightly, as if saying, "Congratulations on your escape."
As I lay there, the first thing I did was stare at the grass, leaning on my hand and touching the flowers and plants. But I wasn't thinking. I didn't know what I was supposed to do or even what to think about!
"We finally escaped..." Maris muttered, her face pale and her voice cold. I swear she was as broken as I was.
"Yeah… but the price was high," I said, recalling some of the bitter moments we had endured along the way.
"..."
"Laos..." Maris whispered.
"What is it?" I asked as I sniffed a pink flower I had plucked from the ground. I needed to do something with my hands—just touch anything.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," she whispered before her tears began to fall.
"Oh, come on?! Why are you apologizing? It's not like it was your fault," I said, raising my voice slightly.
"No… it is my fault! I was the one who asked you all to stop for a break… if we hadn't stopped, Gaziel wouldn't have caught us!" she cried.
"Gaziel caught us?! Are you kidding me? What are you even saying? You talk as if you're the one who came from another world, not me… Don't you realize Gaziel's terrifying ability to sense auras?" I said, watching her sorrowful face, which annoyed me.
"I don't know… but… maybe you're right… and yet, seeing you so pale and shocked all the time makes me feel like I'm the one to blame," she said in her beautiful voice, seemingly unaware of her own emotional state.
"Maris… you're not the only one who's pale and shocked here," I said as I moved closer to her.
"What?" she asked, her ears suddenly twitching. It seemed she had finally realized.
"Maris, you care about me so much… and I do too. But you know what? I don't like seeing that pale face of yours," I said, only to realize how ridiculous my words were.
"It doesn't matter… my appearance doesn't matter right now… but hey, Laos, why don't we look at the bright side?" she said, wiping her cheek where a drop of dew had fallen from a tree leaf she was leaning against.
"Alright, I will," I muttered before turning my eyes toward the shining sun—then quickly looking away as the brightness stung my eyes. Rubbing them, I added, "Damn it, even the bright side sucks!"
"You idiot!" Maris said with a soft laugh. She really was beautiful.
"I mean, we escaped from the palace, which means our life together has just begun!" she added.
"Oh yeah… our life has just begun… Maris," I murmured as I rested my head on one of her thighs. Oh, this was way more comfortable than my hand.
"Alright, let's promise each other that it'll be a good life," Maris said as she gently patted my hair.
"I promise, it'll be a good life," I replied.
After that, a deep sense of relief washed over me, as if it had driven away all the troubling thoughts in my head. They faded, like clouds dispersing—except for one. One cloud refused to vanish. A single, dark, water-laden cloud. And yet, it didn't rain… Yes, it's… it's… it's Petal… The moment of his death is etched into my mind. Every time I recall that scene, my heart pounds. Not just that—it plays out before me as if it's happening all over again. My heart is going to stop…
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHGGGHHHH!!!!" I screamed, slamming my hands hard against the ground.
Right after, I felt drops landing on my face. It seemed that dark cloud had finally begun to rain. But when I looked up, it wasn't the cloud. It was Maris. Her emotions had finally become real, overwhelming her with sorrow. Even then, the image of Petal's death wouldn't leave my mind. It repeated, again and again. Oh God! I want to kill myself!!! Fuck you, Gaziel!!!
"It seems you've never lost someone close to you," Maris murmured, wiping her tear-filled eyes.
"No, that's not it… Actually, I just… I've never seen someone die in front of me before…" I answered, my heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst.
I kept sweating. I was terrified, as if something horrible was about to happen to me… After lying there, drowning in shock and suffocating grief, I felt the sudden urge to touch Maris for some reason. I wiped away her tears as they began to flow again. But just as I expected a soft reaction, something completely unexpected happened—Maris broke into a wailing sob, her tears streaming like a river. She fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground, clutching at the grass as if trying to rip it from the earth.
No, no, no! I don't want to see the most optimistic person I know like this! I reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. Maris is my partner in this life now—there's no need to be embarrassed around her. That's the truth, and even my mind has accepted it. I hugged her tighter, running my fingers through her damp hair, patting her back as I whispered into her ear: "It'll be okay. Just like you said—let's look on the bright side."
"Yeah… I will," Maris replied, wiping her eyes with a trembling smile.
Then, without warning, she lunged at me and kissed me forcefully. I guess this was her way of giving me something in return. Her lips were warm—it was a truly enjoyable kiss, filling me with a sudden surge of energy. After that, I gently laid Maris down on the ground. She lay on her back, gazing up at me. Slowly, my hand wandered over her damp boobs—but then, all of a sudden, I stopped and pulled away.
"AAAHHHHHHGGGHHH!!!!" I screamed again, feeling the tears pour down my face.
"Laos…" Maris mumbled, quickly sitting up.
"Maris… I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but I'm not in the right state of mind for this right now…" I muttered, clutching my eyes as if that would stop the tears. Hah… as if I could.
"No, no, it's fine. Honestly, I wasn't really in the mood for it either," Maris whispered, wrapping her arms around me and stroking my hair gently, as always.
Well… yeah. It is what it is. And it seems like I'm in shock. How long will it last? A week? Maybe a week… God, I'm so messed up. Every time I remember that scene, my heart clenches like it's going to stop. Why? Why did you kill him, Gaziel…? I will never forgive you. As I struggled to pull myself together, I noticed Maris staring at some flowers. Even with how awful I feel, I still worry about her more than myself…
I've really changed. This world has changed me a lot. Or maybe… maybe I just love Maris so much that I don't want her to be like this. Damn it, you pathetic fucking NPC, what do you expect? That she'll just cheerfully say, "Hey Laos, let's have sex!" Of course not, you idiot—she has feelings just like me. No way, I'm rambling… but that's because my head is such a mess. Yeah, I'm beyond confused—no, unbelievably confused.
◆ ◆ ◆
"Why don't we keep moving? I know a nearby village. It's small, so staying there for a while should be a safe option," Maris said as she walked under the sunlight.
"Sounds good. You know where it is?"
"Yeah, it's not too far. We're close," Maris answered.
Speaking of my relationship with Maris and how she's my only companion here, something just hit me. Well, not just hit me—it's more like my jumbled thoughts are finally clearing up, and I can actually process what's going on in my head now. Ohhh, I'm analyzing my own psyche in a genius way. I mean, I've read two books by Freud, so you could call me a failed student of his. Understanding my own mind should be easy… or maybe I'm just spewing nonsense.
Alright, alright… The real question that's been nagging at me is: Where the hell is Thalesa?! Fuck, she's been gone ever since I used that secret ability. What happened to her? I've tried summoning my sword over and over again, but it won't appear. Thalesa hasn't spoken to me at all. Did she die or what?! No, no, impossible. Obviously, she used up a massive amount of power in that last attack, so she's probably just asleep.
But wait—I can't even feel her. At the very least, I should be able to command her to wake up, but I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. When she was asleep before, I could still sense her power. But now? Nothing… Am I starting from zero again? Am I back to being a pure NPC? Fuck, fuck, fuck, this is so bad that I'm actually thinking about suicide.
We continued walking through the green fields. Suddenly, Maris grabbed my hand. Her hand was cold, but I held it firmly in return, unwilling to let go. We kept walking together—two people moving down the same path, hoping for a bright future. A future that could protect us from the claws of the past. At this moment, or maybe at some point before now, my story truly began. The story of An NPC in Another World.
Then, after walking for a while, buildings came into view. A village! We had finally arrived. It was a tiny village—rural, with maybe no more than fifteen houses. Sheep walked in orderly lines under the guidance of shepherds. Others plowed the fields, while some harvested vegetables. And I couldn't forget the children, running around with joyful laughter.
It was a truly beautiful village—peaceful, and it was clear the people here lived happy lives. What a sight. I actually felt a little happy myself. Maris stepped forward and stared at the village as well, as if she had spotted something. But I wouldn't blame her—after seeing the same things over and over, this was like a breathtaking landscape to her.
"We're here! Let's go!" Maris called out, turning to look at me as I stood behind her.
"Yeah!"
Alright… Let this be the place where my isekai story begins. Not a bad starting point, right? Most isekai protagonists begin their stories in some remote village, after all. So let's go! Come on, Laos—it's time for your story to truly begin… This world has changed me, and now it's my turn to change it.