The next morning, I woke up early, quickly washed my face, drank a glass of water, and headed for the front door. After all, I was too nervous today to even think about having breakfast.
When I got to the entrance, my older sister was already there, silently offering me a small vial.
Oria Rude, the second child of the Rude family, is a stunning beauty with burnt brown hair. She usually lets her hair, which reaches her chest, flow freely, and with her large eyes, she gazes intently at anyone, making the men who meet her gaze feel flustered.
The small vial she offered contained a clear liquid that sparkled. Recognizing its contents, I couldn't help but tear up.
"Sis..."
"If you get attacked by a monster, drink this immediately. Then, run and escape. Got it?"
The vial contained a healing potion. But it wasn't a potion made by a pharmacist. The sparkling light could only be created by magic. It was a potion infused with the healing magic by the Holy Maiden herself. There are few Holy Maidens, and due to their limited magical power, each can only produce a few potions a day. This means that these potions are extremely rare and very expensive.
"A healing potion isn't a cure-all. It can't heal deep wounds or regenerate lost limbs. So, the best thing is to avoid getting hurt. Got it?"
"...Thank you, Sis."
I was delighted by my sister's concern for me. For her sake, I resolved to bring back as large a magic stone as possible.
"...You were thinking something strange just now, weren't you? Listen, any size of magic stone is still a magic stone. Bring back a magic stone, even if it's so small and light that you've never seen one like it before!"
For her sake, I decided to bring back the smallest and lightest magic stone possible.
...Well, that said, the chances of encountering a monster aren't very high. The monsters near the residential area are regularly hunted by adventurers and the knight corps, so they are almost non-existent. You have to venture deep into the forest to encounter any.
"Hmm..."
I started walking towards the forest within the knight's domain. Bugs jumped around my feet, and occasionally, rabbits and foxes appeared, but no sign of any monsters.
"Preferably, a one-eyed mouse would be best. They're small and weak. Ideally, a lone one searching for food."
Right, one-eyed mice nest in caves. I remember there was a cave on the eastern side of the forest...
My feet naturally headed towards the eastern side of the forest.
"Ah, I'm surprisingly calm."
I tried speaking in a louder voice to check my state of mind.
Yeah, I'm fine.
For my first solo encounter with a monster, I'm pretty calm. I've been training with a sword every day, and my companions in the domain have said I've improved a lot over the past year. The monsters around here shouldn't be a problem. It's all about mindset. I can do this. I can do this!
After walking for about an hour, I suddenly noticed how unusually quiet it was while I was keeping an eye out.
Hmm, now that I think about it, I haven't seen any animals for a while...
...The back of my neck started to tingle.
Oh, this is bad.
I slowly started to back away, and a faint groan reached my ears.
...
I know.
The best thing to do is to leave quietly.
But for some reason, my feet moved cautiously towards the source of the sound, leading me to the base of a large tree.
There, at the base of the tree, I found a blood-soaked baby bird.
...It must be just a few days old. It was curled up in a small ball, gasping for breath, and bleeding profusely. Its eyes were closed, and if left alone, it would die within half a day.
A weak, dying baby bird.
Yet, for some reason, I couldn't stop shaking when I saw it.
...What should I do?
Is this just a baby bird? Should I help it? Or should I leave it?
Of course, I was alone, and I had to make the decision myself. As I hesitated, the baby bird opened its eyes slightly.
Blue eyes. The same clear blue as the sky, pure and transparent.
It looked at me with those eyes, as if pleading.
Without thinking, my hand moved, and I gave the baby bird the healing potion my sister had given me. I stroked its body, saying, "It's okay, it's okay."
The baby bird seemed to relax, but then it suddenly let out a loud cry.
That's right!
Healing potions force the user's healing ability to work, causing intense pain during the healing process!
"It's okay..."
As I tried to reach out, my hand stopped in mid-air.
Because the baby bird, which was suffering, was growing rapidly in front of me. It grew several times my size, then roared and clamped its jaws onto my shoulder. Its teeth sank into my shoulder and tore it apart easily.
...Ah, right.
As my consciousness began to fade, I realized.
Black birds don't exist in this world. The only creature with black wings is the legendary monster, the Black Dragon. It's a top-tier dangerous monster, and even 100 knights might not be enough to take it down. When it sustains a life-threatening injury, it reverts to its juvenile form to heal.
The Black Dragon opened its mouth wide again, facing me, who was becoming dazed from blood loss.
Ah, I'm going to die...
All the training and strength I've gained are meaningless. It's like an ant trying to take down an elephant.
...By the way, they say that at the moment of death, you remember everything from your life.
"...Fifteen years of life. A bit short, isn't it? The highlights of my life are..."
The Black Dragon bit into my side. A burning pain shot through me, and red sparks danced before my eyes.
But for some reason, at that moment, I didn't remember the events of my 15 years of life. Instead, I remembered the memories of my past life. The memories of using the "Great Holy Maiden's" power to the fullest, which is now just a fairy tale.
"Hahahaha, what is this absurd power! The laws of the world are going mad!!"
As the Black Dragon bit me, causing me to lose a fatal amount of blood, I remembered my past life.