NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: gods
"Uh..."
I was at a loss for words. Was I supposed to tell them that before I passed out, I was at a KTV room in Aurora Entertainment for a high school reunion? The question was unexpected, and I didn't have time to think carefully. If I could really make up lies smoothly on the spot, that would be a miracle.
"I...I don't remember," I said the first thing that came to mind. At least without any evidence, no matter how suspicious they were, I could get by pretending to have amnesia.
"Are you sure?" Of course, they weren't fools. They all looked at me incredulously.
"I...I really don't know what happened!"
I swallowed hard. At least that wasn't entirely a lie. In some ways, I really didn't know what had happened.
"Fine, then at least you should know your name and where you're from, right?"
I was stumped again. Should I tell them my real name is Flynn and I'm from Earth? That name would probably sound very strange in this world, and it sounds like a boy's name too. If I told them that while looking like a girl now, their suspicions would only grow.
"I...I can't remember that either..." I decided to bury my head in the sand and blame everything on amnesia. I kept a close eye on their actions, afraid they'd pounce on me like with the hellhound if they sensed anything off.
"Alright, I believe there's no problem," Vivianne finally took pity and came over to grab my hand and pull me to the campfire. The other three followed and sat around the fire.
Sitting next to Vivianne, the others didn't ask anything more, but no one seemed to find another topic either. We sat in silence, and I could feel their gazes darting towards me occasionally. It made me very uncomfortable.
"Um, I walked in the forest for a long time today, but strangely didn't see any animals," I said, trying to break the awkward silence. It could also show I wasn't dangerous.
"Oh, that's because there was a battle here not long ago. Many monsters and beasts appeared from who knows where. Anything alive has long fled. We still occasionally see stragglers like that hellhound," the brown-haired boy explained. He was quite good-looking, with a youthful, clean-cut face and deep gray eyes fixed unwaveringly on me.
Uh, his stare made me very uneasy. To prove my harmlessness, I quickly followed up, "So it's possible that I was attacked by those monsters and left unconscious here?"
"Can't say for sure. We heard the dark creatures clashed with angels in this forest and were sent to investigate," the mage girl replied. She looked plain with nothing special about her. But I sensed something familiar from her - the light element, which filled my entire being.
"Yet your scent...only angels should have that aura. But you're clearly not an angel. Just who are you?"
Scent? What scent could I have? The light element? I wanted to retort, but she wasn't wrong. I just had my wings hidden.
I was considering revealing my true identity when a sudden thought made me hesitate. If I unfurled my wings here, my clothes might burst. I'd already claimed amnesia too. That would contradict my story.
"I don't know..." I answered guiltily.
"Alright, stop pressuring her!"
Vivianne finally couldn't stand it and spoke up for me. She was much prettier than the mage girl despite being a gunner. Though that class, what was it called...?
Well, never mind. I realized I couldn't fully gain their trust yet. So I smiled gratefully at Vivianne.
Vivianne reached out as if to ruffle my hair but stopped herself, likely recalling how I'd shrunk away earlier. She coughed awkwardly and then pointed to the red-haired boy. "Let me introduce you. This is Brennan."
The redhead grunted in acknowledgement, seemingly not bothered. His sharp gaze was fixed on the fire.
"He's Adrian."
The brown-haired boy nodded and smiled. "Adrian Lawson."
"Selene," the mage girl cut in without waiting.
I yawned involuntarily. I was already exhausted, and the excitement had drained me further.
"Why don't you all rest? Brennan and I can keep watch tonight," Adrian suggested upon seeing me.
No one objected. We quickly tidied up and cleared a spot to sleep. Selene and Vivianne lay down.
I'd initially refused to sleep with two girls while the guys kept watch outside. It felt inappropriate as a man... Alright, forget I said anything.
I was too tired to resist anyway. My whole body felt lifeless. With no choice, I lay down at the very edge and soon drifted off.
I didn't sleep long this time. When I awoke, the sky was just brightening with the first rays of dawn filtering through the leaves, casting patterns on the ground.
I felt well-rested, with the sunlight warm and energizing.
A black shadow suddenly flashed across the ground, vanishing in an instant. It looked like a large bird passing by but was gone when I looked up. I thought I saw some birds wheeling high overhead but nothing else.
What was that? I wondered, but my attention was drawn by the dark eye circles on both guys.
"What happened to you two!?" I exclaimed, shocked. Did they not take turns keeping watch? Well, I couldn't blame them since I'd slept through the night.
The girls also woke up and were surprised to see the state the guys were in. They quickly urged them to rest. It was probably still early. I figured I could sleep a while more...
But Selene didn't idle after getting up. She kept fussing with the burnt wood in the extinguished fire, then suddenly stood straight. A fireball appeared in her palm which she lightly tossed at the wood pile. A streak of red flame cut through the air with a soft "poof," and the campfire roared to life.
I gaped, speechless. I'd seen plenty of fantasy anime with magic, but watching such vivid magic up close was an entirely different experience.
"It's not that impressive..." Selene flushed a little at my dumbfounded look. "Fire magic isn't my specialty. I'm actually a cleric from the Church..."
"It's still amazing," I said sincerely. I really wanted to learn from her. I could just imagine facing enemies and suddenly shooting fire from my palm. They'd probably wet themselves! I could already picture those bullies who once tormented me fleeing in terror. What a great feeling that would be!
Ahem... Don't know why I was indulging in Chunibyou's fantasies. I saw Vivianne coming over with an armful of kindling, curious about my earlier expression.
Selene seemed to understand my thoughts. "You might not be able to learn it. Affinity with the elements matters. My fire affinity isn't that high. The magic I can use is probably only basic. I joined the Church mainly due to my light and water affinities. And you..."
She looked at me intently. "I can sense you have great talent in this area. Joining our Church may allow you to be recognized."
"Uh, let's talk about that later..." Another trying to recruit me. It made me think of Soren. But I had no interest in theology or religion, even if gods existed in this world.
Wait a minute!
I suddenly realized a major issue I'd overlooked. I was an angel now, that was a fact. So gods likely existed here, and angels were said to be divine messengers...
It depended on what kind of god existed in this world. If it was an aloof being of light like the Christian God, that was fine. But if it was a highly anthropomorphized god like those in Greek myths... I shuddered at the thought.