Chapter 4: Ch.4: Preparations

After the small interaction between the grandson and grandfather duo was finally moved inside the building, the conversation started to shift towards my person. I didn't really enjoy being the center of attention, but this was something that needed to be done in order for me to integrate flawlessly into this different world. If I didn't understand its culture, religion and other common knowledge, then it would be far too suspicious for other agents of intrigue or simply too hard to communicate properly with other people. 

"So, who is this girl here?" The old man asked after putting on some proper robes, sitting down at a simple desk that laid close-by to the entrance of the main hall.

The room itself didn't seem all that grand, rather it was probably the most humble part of the house that I could notice at first sight, meaning that it was most likely the main work office the man held. He was the leader of a sizeable community after all, things must be quite busy around these parts.

"We're not sure sir, we found her just outside the forest. She claims she doesn't remember anything before waking up in the forest."

"Amnesia then?" The old man asked, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

It was good to know such conditions were well-known in this world at least, that would mean explaining her symptoms would be easier than expected. 

"Girl, come a little closer and let me examine your head."

"Alright."

I kept my responses simple and just took a few steps closer, leaning forward so that the old man could take a good look at my head. He was most likely searching for a concussion, something I would probably not have.

"Oh, this doesn't look too good." He claimed, making me worry a little.

"Wha-what is it?"

"Your hair is really dry, girl." He proclaimed with the most serious voice I had ever heard.

A few seconds of silence continued before he laughed heartly and let go of my hair. I stood back to my normal posture and waited for a moment, unsure if I should laugh or not. Once he did calm down, he seemed a little less serious or worried about the situation.

"There's no injury on her head, but we can't be sure of what caused the loss of memory. Tell me, what exactly do you remember?"

Now that's a tricky question. I took a few moments to recollect my memories and set aside those that belonged to the other world and the afterlife, something so complicated shouldn't be discussed mere hours after being thrown into this world after all. Nodding to myself, I started to re-tell the events that happened earlier in the day. My waking up in the clearing of the forest, finding an injured wolf and bandaging its wound, surviving the encounter with the mother and just arriving at the village. Something that did surprise me a little was the fact I wasn't tired at all, it felt a little odd to have such a healthy body.

"A wolf's pup....A clean cut...Wait, you don't think?" The older guard seemed quite surprised at this information, and his face didn't indicate a good kind of surprise either.

"I think we may have taken a bit too long to respond to the warnings, Pietro." The old man shared the same seriousness for a moment, going over his thoughts before turning towards me. "You must be a little confused about this, you see...We've been having a few problems with a goblin tribe that's settled nearby. They've been raiding our farms, attacking travelers on the road...You don't seem injured so maybe they weren't entirely responsible for your amnesia, but it's a very likely case."

So Goblins huh? The mention of the name brought the image of a small green-skinned humanoid wielding rustic weapons and broken armor scampering about with murder in its eyes. The sight of an entire tribe's worth of menace would certainly bring chill to most farmer's hearts, at least according to what I knew about them from my previous world. I didn't like making assumptions, so I figured clarifying information would be for the best.

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"By Goblins you mean....Small greenskin?" I asked, blurting out what the information inside my head told me.

"The very same. Did you remember something new?"

"More than remembering is like...When you're reminded of something you already knew but forgot about...It's...An odd feeling."

The old man looked at me with a bit of pity, it didn't feel good, but at the very least it would prove a good cover story about my current situation. But if these Goblins were responsible for the wolf pup being injured, wouldn't that mean that they have started to hunt the predators of the surrounding areas? Capturing small beasts and taming them would result in way better efficiency during attacks, but to try and get one of those wolf pups....That's marginally better than jumping off a cliff and wait for wings to sprout from your back.

"Pietro, I will need you to gather the Militia. Alessi, inform the farmers and villagers to remain within the reinforced areas. Try to find any one who may have gone hunting, and if you can't...Just come back and join Pietro."

"...Understood."

"Yes, sir."

With the two guards gone, I was left alone in the room with the old man, the atmosphere still holding that grim feeling of strange that would certainly mean danger soon enough. I turned towards him and before I could even ask if there was any way I could help, the man talked in return.

"Girl, I'm not really sure of what you're capable of so I can't tell you exactly what to do." He stopped for a few seconds, as if waiting for me to just go out the door and hide or something. And when I didn't, he just smiled a little and turned to watch the outskirts through his window. The sun was starting to set, and the tribe would be smart to attack at night.

"You can, however, go fetch some aid. There is a man not so far from here, living upriver alongside the outskirts of the forest. His name is Korvak. He's a retired adventurer from our guild's branch, try and get him to come down here to join the defense. If the Goblins are already attacking the big predators, then we're next in line."

"Yes, sir." I turned towards the exit and prepared to go out, but he stopped me before doing so.

"Girl, do you remember your name?" He asked.

"No, no I don't." I replied, matter-of-factly.

"Your name shall be Klavdia, until we get the chance to change it to something more personal for you."

The gesture was not lost on me. Before I opened the door, I shot the old man a big smile and a prideful nod. It was good to have a name after all. "That'll have to do for now!"

And with that, I opened the door and sprinted out. Even if the goblins weren't going to attack that very night, the little journey would still take a lot of time to accomplish on foot. And it's not like I didn't trust the people to defend themselves but, militias like these are often bound to fail. In the end, they are farmers against a race that's evolved to hunt and raid others, it was not a fair fight from the very moment those goblins decided to make this area their playground.

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