Leaning back against the well, I am surround by a small group of people, They have uncertain looks of what to do. However it isn't long before a larger man with a beard pushes them aside and approaches me. To know what is going on one must return to when I first began formulating a plan, starting on the night of my arrival to this village.

    After finding evidence that there might be someone teaching how to read the foreign language, I decided to stay to spy on the village. Searching around I ended up finding a few good hiding spots, My primary place of stay was in the crawlspace of the church/school. Which was where I’d spend a part of the day sleeping, and at night I was hunting, gathering materials, and investigating. With the use of my Water Extraction unit and the electric torch from my integrated tool set I was kept fed and quenched by my hunts. Lamentably I couldn’t Identify any species of the animals I butchered. Which was the first hint as to my situation, but I assumed the cause was heavy mutations. Thanks to my accrued survivalist knowledge I had still been able to capture these unknown beasts, harvest them and have had partial success in preserving their pelts. An important part of my plan I carried out.

   It wasn’t until the third day of observation that I was rewarded for my patience. At the heat of the day when the sun was the highest and people would pause work, The woman I had heard on the first night was gathering up the children of the village and bringing them to the church. She talked to them for a while and played a short game. After which she went to the bookshelf and pulled out a few books. Handing most to the older ones and instructing them. They split into groups with the older reading to the younger. The woman sat in her own group with a few of the youngest. She opened the book revealing just what I had been hoping for. A picture book, and she was teaching how to read. Of course by pictures I mean hand drawn sketches.

   Learning the basics of the language over the next few weeks, I also observed some notable events. The owner of the paper mill is fairly young and seems constantly upset. Which seems related to how all the paper he makes is tinted red. The paper maker isn’t the only one though that’s in lower spirits. There’s a overall somber tone in the village, with many looking tired or pained. Even the teacher when not with her pupils has a morose expression. This situation didn’t improve, even when a cart arrived being pulled by a creature resembling an Ox, but thinner and with horns ringed like a gazelle’s. It was a trader, which would normally have been a uplifting event in my experience. However after the trader talked with the large bearded fellow who lived in the bigger house things went downhill. He had informed them about the body on the path.

   A group of men went out and retrieved the corpse. The face of the bearded man really crumpled after seeing the corpse. For a moment his stare became such and abyss I though he could see me even though his eyes never moved from the bag of skin and bones. Its a terrible expression to see. One of Grief, loss, regret and overwhelming helplessness. They held a funeral the next day. Typical casket in a hole type of event. Of note was the wooden totem used in place of a head stone. It reminded me of the stone pillar I saw on the path, and I've found more since then in the forest surrounding the village. When the trader left the bearded man gave the resealed envelope to him. He’s still trying to get it delivered even though the person I presume to have been his son failed to.

   Spending the next few weeks spying, learning and processing, my plan was nearing completion. This was when I received the next hint about my location that I couldn’t refute. It was a full moon, I didn’t pay much attention to the stars, didn’t need them to guide the way when you had road signs, but I could still tell what the pattern of the craters on the moon looked like. Personally I thought it looked like a lopsided yin-yang sign, this moon did not look like that. I really don’t know how I didn’t notice earlier. The moon has a chasm, crack, valley. I don’t know the exact term as it was so large that even if you nuked the moon you couldn’t cause this change to it. I was truly confounded with what this could mean. Was I flung to the far future like some samurai? Or was I not even on the same world? I spent that night making string out of dried animal tendons, using menial work to distract the mind.

   I have also been trying to read the books they had. It was slow going at first, but with my enhanced memory I had a easier time memorizing words and translating them than most others would. Notable knowledge acquired from this was further evidence giving credence to the theory I am in another world. One where the laws of nature are in vastly ways different. I believe this is why the majority of my active bionics are disabled. The books that led me to believe this contained many stories claiming to be accurate telling that would mention the use of magic. Not just usage by supposed evil doers as an excuse to persecute them, but also by valiant knights. Although I remain skeptical to the true extent of this Magic.

   The materials I've read have shown a large deviation from the historic records I know from home. I mention historic records because as it turns out, the technological level of this world really is stuck right before the phase where key inventions like gunpowder, electricity should happen. However the differing laws may be at fault for this.

   On a different note the country I find myself in is called Elmanta, and was named after a god named Elman. That some crusades were led under and which also caused the unification of the two countries which existed here before Elmanta. The crusading country was located in the north. The village I am in is named Jord. It is located in the south part of the country. Which is seen by the more urbanized north as akin to being filled with country hicks.

   Speaking of Elman, he is also responsible for the stone pillars. He’s only really directly responsible for the one located in the nations capital which is reportedly the size of a tower. With the smaller ones being imitations produced by the religion that worships him. They’re called something to the equivalent of Wards, because they ward away monsters. The imitations come in three sizes Pole, Pillar, Pylon. The Wards that surround the village are poles which are the smallest and cheapest ones.

   Once I was prepared I did one last check of my plan. First I’d present myself as forest dweller with a poor grasp of the language. While also keeping my face and body hidden with the more tribal clothes made of pelts tied together with the tendon strings. Then I’d spend as much time as I can getting some real practice speaking in their tongue, before I need to leave to avoid being found out. With Preparations completed I ready myself. I approached the village from the west at dawn and arrived at the center of the village, standing beside the well. My presence did not go unnoticed.