"Oh, Cyril! You've finally returned safely! Just a few days ago, I asked Fez to look for you, and he helped you find a job at the tavern. But when we went to your house, it was empty. Later, Old John said he saw you heading to the Misty Moon Forest alone! We were so worried!" The woman spoke rapidly.
Cyril turned to look, and it was a tall, brown-haired aunt who had spoken.
She was wearing a somewhat worn-out long skirt and carrying a small basket covered with cotton fabric embroidered with roses.
Seeing Cyril, her face displayed a mix of joy and concern, which seemed genuine.
With his newfound memories, Cyril quickly realized that this was Aunt Maria. Her husband was Fez, the blacksmith in the town of Cozwood.
The hunter and Fez had quite a few interactions due to the hunter's need for hunting equipment, and their relationship was good. When the hunter passed away, Uncle Fez and Aunt Maria had lent a helping hand to Cyril and continued to take care of him.
However, the stubborn young man had trouble accepting the kindness of others.
"Thank the Goddess of Light! I'm relieved you're safe!" Aunt Maria embraced the dirt-covered Cyril without hesitation.
Cyril, pale and frail, felt like a little chick embraced by the tall Aunt Maria, and the warmth of the hug made him blush slightly.
Cyril had never been this close to anyone before.
Before his crossing, he had been a low-ranking employee at the Interstellar Relics Research Institute, a remote and niche job in the highly advanced interstellar era where few paid attention to "ancient epochs" and such.
But Cyril had been a well-behaved and responsible child at the interstellar orphanage. As he grew up, he enjoyed quietly immersing himself in the corner of the institute, studying ancient texts from those "ancient epochs."
Since half a year ago when the institute's archaeologists brought back many pre-21st-century ancient texts from Blue Star, including a complete set of "Harry Potter" books, Cyril became particularly obsessed with that story.
While he had been daydreaming about the wizarding world for several days, the system had appeared, offering him a chance to experience the wizarding world he had always longed for.
The mishap occurred when the system miscalculated the dimensional coordinates, and Cyril ended up in this unfamiliar world.
Aunt Maria, noticing Cyril's distracted expression, let out a sigh. She had always known that the hunter wouldn't take good care of a child, and seeing how thin Cyril had become saddened her.
Aunt Maria warmly invited Cyril to her home for dinner. "I just instructed Audrey to make some delicious creamy mushroom soup for dinner today! And there's also those nut skewers that Lucien loves so much. You can't miss it!"
In the past, Cyril would have definitely refused. His pride as a young man made him prefer to eke out a living in the dangerous Misty Moon Forest rather than accept charity.
But now, with his health at "1," Cyril obediently nodded. He was starving, feeling weak and fatigued.
Cyril didn't want to experience this world in vain without even encountering wizards.
He would find a way to repay Aunt Maria's family afterward; he was confident.
Cyril followed Aunt Maria to her home, listening to her kind-hearted chatter along the way.
"We're here! You must come over more often!" Aunt Maria exclaimed.
In front of Cyril was a somewhat old but exceptionally clean little wooden house. The yard was neatly stacked with firewood, and there was a well-kept flower garden. Under a large oak tree at the entrance, there was even a simple swing.
Before he even approached, the aroma of dinner wafted out from the house, and Cyril's stomach let out a longing cry, "Gurgle, gurgle." The sound, not very loud, was nonetheless clearly heard by those around him, causing him to blush.
Aunt Maria chuckled and shook her head. "No need to be shy! This rabbit you've hunted is quite a catch; you could sell it for five silver coins at the market!"
Cyril was about to say something when Audrey, Aunt Maria's daughter, appeared with dinner. Her little brother, Lucien, followed closely behind her.
The two of them were taken aback when they saw Cyril suddenly in their home.
Audrey quickly concealed her surprise, while her little brother, Lucien, mumbled something under his breath.
Audrey placed a large bowl of creamy mushroom soup on the table and made another trip to the kitchen, bringing out several good-quality soft white bread rolls and some nut skewers.
Cyril ate his simple dinner slowly, savoring every bite. He broke the soft bread, dipped it into the thick mushroom soup, and slowly savored the taste as it filled his empty stomach.
The nut skewers were a favorite among the town's children. They were made by coating almonds and raisins with batter, then deep-frying them until golden and crispy.
Cyril remained composed but enjoyed the food wholeheartedly. Even without checking his stats, he could feel his energy gradually recovering, "+1, +1, +1..."
Praise the food!
Nutrient fluids were a truly inhuman invention!
Determined to repay Aunt Maria's family properly, Cyril stopped being polite and shamelessly enjoyed the meal. He imitated little Lucien, who was solely focused on eating, and his eating speed increased as well.
He continued eating until he finally felt full in his stomach.
Lucien stared with his big brown eyes, watching Cyril eat continuously. He had initially wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but inexplicably, he forgot to speak when he saw the calm and focused manner in which Cyril was enjoying his dinner.
When he came to his senses, he felt annoyed with himself for not saying anything. Lucien lowered his head and stubbornly remained silent.
Aunt Maria and Uncle Fez, on the other hand, looked at Cyril affectionately and urged him to eat a little more when he stopped.
After dinner, Cyril politely bid farewell to the warm-hearted Aunt Maria and Uncle Fez. With a full stomach, he could finally withstand the couple's embraces.
Audrey nodded at him politely and said, "Take care on your way home. You're welcome to visit again." Lucien, pressed by his mother, reluctantly said, "Goodbye."
Cyril, guided by the moonlight, slowly walked towards his home as he remembered it.
There were no streetlights in the small town, and at this hour, there were no people lingering outside. Only the quiet night sky and the glow of kerosene lamps from the houses along the road.
Cyril finally arrived at the secluded little wooden house located on the outskirts of the town. The house was pitch dark, and the courtyard gate was unlocked.
He gently lifted the door latch and entered the courtyard.
The yard was empty.
Cyril entered the house and subconsciously wanted to command his smart brain to turn on the lights, but then he realized that this was no longer the world he knew.
He didn't know what to do next, and a wave of fatigue washed over him.
On the first day of his journey, he had already encountered excitement, Cyril reflected in his mind.
"In any case, tomorrow is a new day," he murmured.
Cyril lay down on a hard wooden bed in the darkness, grabbed the nearby blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.