ACDWL 001: Before I Knew It, I Was Here

“＊＊＊＊＊＊!”

(Ugh… So noisy…)

A voice I’d never heard before made me furrow my brow.

I was still sleepy.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊?”

My whole body was being shaken vigorously, and I felt the urge to click my tongue.

(Wait, is this during class…?)

If so, is it a teacher that’s waking me up?

(…No, I was supposed to be asleep in my room… Wait? Then, who’s here!?)

I hadn’t invited anyone over.

Suddenly wide awake, I opened my eyes and was startled to find a face occupying my entire field of vision at such close range.

—When I instinctively tried to push the person away, I realized my hand couldn’t even reach the face right in front of me.

(What’s with these pudgy hands…?)

Clearly a child’s hands.

They were not the hands I was used to seeing—my own.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊? ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊?”

“………………”

And even with my mind already blank from surprise, the person waking me uttered words that were neither Japanese nor English.

And… atop their head twitched a pair of animal ears…

—Where am I even supposed to start questioning this?

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊. ＊＊＊＊?”

They were saying something to me, but unfortunately, I couldn’t understand a word.

(Where is this? Why am I in a place like this?)

Was I kidnapped in my sleep?

…No, no—the ransom for me wouldn’t be worth much anyway.

I sat up and looked around. There was a sprawling grassland, and to my right, what seemed to be a spring.

…Where on earth is this?

And who is this man with animal ears saying things I don’t understand?

“…Why am I here…?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and the man in front of me looked startled.

Perhaps he realized I couldn’t understand him.

But more than him, I wanted to grasp my own situation.

I walked over to the spring.

Peering into the water, I found it so clear that I could see all the way to the bottom.

And then—

Seeing my reflection, I could only laugh, because in a way, it was exactly what I’d been expecting.

My image, reflected in the water, wore a twisted smile.

(I really have shrunk.)

What stared back at me was the me of the past.

Probably around two or three years old.

In this unknown world, where unknown words were spoken, I was nothing but a powerless child…

I didn’t know how this had happened, but it was obvious I had no power, and wouldn’t survive on my own.

…Which meant, I had no choice but to rely on someone.

I turned my gaze back to the man, who now wore a troubled expression, deep in thought.

Now that I’d moved away, I could see his whole figure.

(…He even has a tail…)

He was flicking it up and down; was he irritated?

If he thought I was a nuisance when he found me, he might just abandon me.

If I were left in a place like this, I’d be dead in no time.

I had no idea whether there was a town or village nearby.

And a child who couldn’t communicate would only be a burden.

If there were human traffickers, I’d be the perfect prey.

(I hope this guy is someone I can trust.)

He looked more like a swordsman than a knight, wearing a sword at his side and pieces of armor on his shoulders and upper chest.

His sun-browned skin showed he was well-muscled.

His reddish-brown hair fell in loose waves, almost reaching his shoulders.

His amber eyes had vertical pupils.

(A cat…? Or a tiger?)

He was definitely some kind of feline.

But both ears and tail were black.

Though his hair was reddish-brown.

And, he was strikingly handsome.

Maybe in his late twenties?

“＊＊＊＊＊? ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊?”

Realizing I was staring, he smiled and said something.

He pulled out something like a bag and offered it to me.

(What could this be?)

Even if someone offers you something unfamiliar, you can’t help hesitating.

Noticing my confusion, he demonstrated its use.

He twisted off what looked like a lid, pressed his mouth to the opening, and gulped it down.

(Water…?)

Was he asking if I was thirsty?

Again, he offered me the bag that seemed to contain water.

I took it hesitantly and took a sip, at which he broke into a broad grin.

The water cooled my throat, making me realize just how thirsty I was, and I drank without restraint.

“…Hafu.”

I must have drunk half the bag.

With my thirst quenched, I finally took my mouth away.

“＊＊＊＊＊? ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊, ＊＊＊＊＊＊?”

“…………?”

I could tell he was asking something, but had no idea what.

When I tilted my head in confusion, he gave a wry smile, took the bag, and closed the lid.

Maybe he’d been asking for it back to put the lid on?

…But it sounded like he’d been asking something else as well.

Not being able to communicate was going to be difficult.

Once he’d put away the bag of water, the man pointed off in a certain direction.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊. ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊?”

“? Is there something over that way?”

I looked in the direction he pointed, but all I could see was more grassland.

Was there something ahead?

I started to stand—and then realized my situation.

(…Completely naked.)

I wasn’t wearing a thing.

Given that I’d become as small as a young child, it made sense my body shape had changed too… Still, it left me feeling strangely empty.

…Wait, does that mean I’d just drunk water while completely naked?

How could I have missed that until now? How oblivious am I?

“＊＊＊＊＊”

This time, he handed me a piece of cloth.

Was it like a hand towel?

When I reached out, thinking he was lending it to me, for some reason he started wrapping it around my torso.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊”

The man smiled in satisfaction.

But this way, I couldn’t move my legs.

Deciding to redo it, I began to unwrap the cloth.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

He said something, but I was focused on being able to move.

I adjusted the length and tied the ends at my shoulder.

The knot wasn’t very secure, probably because my hands were now those of a child.

I looked at the man and pulled on the ends; he seemed to understand and tied it tightly for me.

He did the same at my waist, making for a simple, easy-to-move-in dress.

If the wind blew, I might be a bit exposed, but as a child, people would probably forgive me.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊”

He patted my head.

Was he telling me I’d done well, or something like that?

I couldn’t blame him for treating me like a child, given how I looked…

But why was he picking me up?

“＊＊＊＊＊＊. ＊＊＊＊”

Still holding me, he stopped in front of an animal he must have ridden here.

It looked like a cross between a wolf and a horse, only much bigger.

The sheer size of it made me flinch.

It licked my cheek, and I trembled, half-convinced it was going to bite me.

…Truth is, I’m afraid of dogs.

When I was little, I got chased by one, and I’ve struggled with them ever since.

I do like cats, though.

I clung to the man without thinking.

“＊＊＊＊＊? ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊?”

He patted my head, and when I looked up, his eyes were warm…

(…Anyone would be scared of something this big!)

This is the first time I’d ever seen such a creature.

“＊＊＊＊＊. ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊!”

When I puffed out my cheeks in a huff, he laughed.

—That’s annoying.

I punched him on the shoulder, but it just hurt my hand more.

…Oh right, he’s wearing armor.

As I blew on my reddened hand, the man rubbed some kind of grass on it.

(Oww, oww!)

It stung sharply.

No matter how much I resisted, there was no way my child’s body could match a well-built man.

I realized, from the medicinal smell, that he’d applied some kind of herb.

…But was that necessary for just a bruise? Wouldn’t simply cooling it have been enough?

There was a spring right nearby, too.

…Maybe that water isn’t good for drinking?

The man also drank only from that container, and didn’t refill it after I drank.

I’d better avoid eating or drinking anything random from around here.