(Lady Knight, Menger-Ahhard)
"I think I may have lost my memory," the girl said.
Lost her memory? Is this some third-rate novel plot twist?
I certainly didn't easily believe something so unbelievable. As I carefully observed the young girl opposite me through the flickering flames of the campfire, I tried to find some clue on her young face. However, the longer I observed, the more I started to believe in the absurd fact she spoke of - that she might have truly lost her memory.
The young farm girl was now anxiously hugging herself, furrowing her brows and staring blankly at the twinkling stars above the bonfire. It seemed like she was pondering some unsolvable riddle. Suddenly, she raised her head and revealed a sad smile, softly saying to me, the questioning stranger who had been silent for so long, "I'm sorry, I said some strange things... Can you just pretend you didn't hear them?"
Can I just pretend I didn't hear?
I wanted to pretend I didn't hear as well.
In an instant, I became convinced that she had truly lost her memory. Looking at this small girl who seemed reluctant to trouble or burden me, my knightly honor, which I had nearly lost, suddenly rekindled with fiery passion. In truth, even a person with a hint of conscience couldn't just turn a blind eye and leave a girl with amnesia alone in the forest, could they?
So, fueled by long-lost enthusiasm, I stood up straight and walked around the small bonfire that separated us, slowly approaching the girl. I half-squatted down in front of her, locking eyes, and said, "No, you must have really lost your memory, right? I will help you. Please don't feel like a burden; it's my honor to help you. Consider it my way of repaying a debt!"
At my actions, the girl widened her eyes in surprise. She shook her head repeatedly, trying to avoid causing trouble for this stranger she had just met, and lied again, "No, I was lying about losing my memory! Really!"
"Losing one's memory is a sad thing that one shouldn't bear alone."
Gazing at this young girl who imagined things for me, my heart, which had been corrupted by money, couldn't help but release some warmth. I gently fondled her head in compassion and easily pierced through her lies, saying, "Then, do you know where you are right now? Do you know where you come from? Do you know how to navigate out of this dangerous forest?"
Upon hearing my questions, she couldn't deny it anymore. Her red eyes stared blankly for a moment, and then a bitter smile gradually appeared on her delicate face. She silently accepted the fact that she had lost her memory.
"It seems that she really did lose her memory..."
I felt a hint of sadness for this fact, but it didn't last long because the girl, with her innocent and ignorant eyes, gazed at me. It seemed she wasn't aware of how tragic her situation was. It was like a mastiff born in a fighting pit who didn't understand the pity of its captivity. They took everything as natural.
And I didn't say any more, I just sat beside the farm girl.
However, she seemed wary of my proximity. When our shoulders touched, her body visibly trembled, and then she subtly moved away from me, creating a small distance between us. Puff puff, what a lovely girl.
"Do you remember anything at all?" I asked her.
She lifted her gaze towards the starry sky, answering with a slightly confused tone, "I remember I have a younger sister. As for everything else about this world, I'm not sure how much I actually know."
"Don't lose heart. It's not just your sister that you remember, right? You still have your own name, don't you?"
I smiled, trying to encourage her, and she gave me a grateful look. Nodding, she smiled and said, "Yes, regardless, I'm still alive. As long as I continue living, there will be various possibilities for the future..."
She waved her small fist, her eyes sparkling, and said to me, "So, Miss Ahhard, can you tell me about the things around here? Compared to the past, it seems that I need to understand the present and future more."
Looking at this optimistic farm girl, even though I was burdened with a massive debt, I couldn't help but perk up a bit. It's just a debt of 820 gold coins. As long as I continue striving, someday, I will definitely repay it all and never have to see the face of that wretched goatherd, Covina, again! Hmph, when that time comes, I'll never have to live under their control again!"Yes! We should always look towards the future as human beings! However, Miss Lan Nong, please don't call me Miss Ehad so politely, it sounds unnatural to me. Just call me Menger or Ehad directly. Of course, even though I haven't managed the Casa do Penedo passed down in my family very well, you can also call me President Ehad. I would be very happy!"
I put my arm around the young girl's shoulder and leaned in closer to her. The shy girl immediately stiffened up, her delicate face turning as red as a big apple. It made me itch, and I almost couldn't resist turning into a mischievous wolf and nibbling on her face, teasing her.
"So... President Ehad?"
"Yes! Yes!"
She tried to say my name in a voice similar to a mosquito, and my rationality was almost completely smitten by her cuteness.
"President Ehad, do you know any nearby cities where we can live?"
Unlike me, who had a wandering mind, Miss Lan Nong seemed to be seriously contemplating her future. Looking at her furrowed brows, I also restrained my fantasies to a certain extent.
So, I regained my composure and began explaining the geographical environment in the vicinity to the young girl.
"Well, Miss Lan Nong, do you—"
"Wait, please call me Uru, President Ehad."
"Alright, then Miss Uru, do you—"
"No, wait again, President Ehad. It's better if you call me Miss Lan Nong!"
I had no idea why, but Miss Lan Nong suddenly held her forehead with one hand and made a pained expression. Since I didn't understand the reason behind it, I simply shrugged and continued with the question: "So, Miss Lan Nong, do you know anything about the geography of our world? Do you know which country we are in?"
"No, I don't know anything about those things." The little girl answered dazedly.
I fell into silence because of her answer. Building so-called common knowledge is not something that can be achieved overnight. Common knowledge is a vast body of knowledge, and if even common knowledge is forgotten, it is a terrible disaster for anyone, regardless of their status. At this point, all I could do was pray to the heavens, hoping that this little girl's forgotten common knowledge wasn't as extensive as I imagined it to be.
"President Ehad?"
Noticing my prolonged silence, she called out to me anxiously. I looked at her pitiful situation, reluctantly put on a bright smile, patted my heart, and said with a smile, "It's okay, the things you've forgotten, I will definitely help you remember!"
"President Ehad..."
She was touched and her mouth hung open. I secretly felt proud of my kindness. So, I cleared my throat, organized my thoughts, and began another enlightenment class for the girl who had lost her memories.
"Our world is called the Arthur Continent, said to be created by the 'One God'."
"From north to south, the land of the Arthur Continent mainly belongs to three different factions: evil, nature, and goodness."
"And right now, we are in the territory of the goodness faction, the Dragon Plateau Forest. Although it's not as terrifying as the territory of the nature and evil factions, there are still many fierce monsters, like the Flame Tigers. Honestly, I really don't understand why a little girl like you, who has lost her memories, appeared alone in such a dangerous place! Speaking of which, Miss Lan Nong, you haven't answered my initial question. How did you manage to stop the attack of the Flame Tigers back then? Are you a Druid?"
As I spoke, my tone unintentionally became much more severe. My original good intentions turned into a series of stern interrogations. I furrowed my brows and scrutinized the self-proclaimed memory-less Miss Lan Nong, and she shook her head once again.
"I'm not sure either, I just felt that it didn't have any malicious intent."
"Does she really know nothing?"
Many doubts arose in my heart. I looked at this seemingly fragile Miss Lan Nong for a long time but couldn't find a single answer in her expression. On the other hand, she had just saved me from near death with precious potion in the afternoon, so...
"Well, I believe you."
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