Alone in an Unfamiliar World

Chapter 5: Responsibility

Resting his head on a table, Alvaro sighed. It had been a week since he joined the group of cultists. He has been dedicating all his time to learning about this world. Through this whole week he has barely gotten any sleep. This is the reason for the dark bags under his eyes. Closing them, he began pondering.

It's been a week already, huh? Learning about the four countries has been stressful but it's necessary.

The north country Gusteko, where the climate is cold making it hard to live in. The south country Vollachia Empire, as the name suggests, is ruled by the Vollachia family. The east country Kingdom of Lugnica, Lugnica for short, is a monarchy, run by the Royal Lugnica family.

The one that particularly intrigues me is about Hoshin of the Wilderness. The Kararagi City States were supposedly founded by the man Hoshin. According to my studies, which aren't that much, it appears that the country heavily resembles an early-modern period feudal society of Japan.

Through great determination he was able to read the first set of glyphs and a bit of the second. Though that doesn't exactly mean he knows how to write. In exchange for being able to read, he neglected writing. The one who provided him with these books was the merchant that he talked to on his first day in this world. A little questioning revealed that every single witch cultist could smell or tell the witch's scent or miasma, he chose to call it the latter.

This is bad. If the witch's miasma equals a witch cultis, then I will die. People will kill me on the spot, that's how dangerous these people are. The question is, who and how can they smell it? Is it only a witch cultist or a few people? If so, then why are they able to smell it, aren't the witches dead? How do you remember a smell from 400 years ago? Are you even sure it's the right one? And why do witches even give a smell in the first place?

He briefly spoke to any cultists aside from Petelgeuse. Well, mostly because he never left the place, instead choosing to spend it reading. Petelgeuse did teach him how to read but that quickly turned into him praising the witch, cursing the books about how they don't understand how great the witch is and forgetting about him. Other than that, to Alvaro's surprise he was actually a pretty good tutor considering how he acts. He was currently away due to the Gospel. Petelgeuse wanted to leave someone to protect Alvaro just in case something happens but strangely enough he didn't. As if the Gospel told him not to...

While it never specifically says when or how he died nor if he has any descendants, the most logical conclusion was that he died here, in this world. Obviously, right? Well, yes. It's that...

I will never go back.

It was time that he faced reality. Dodging the thought when you're alone with a long time to think is nearly impossible.

It's been a week, so I'm sure they're dead by now. I was an important member as much as I hated it. It didn't matter as long as they had a better future I was willing to involve myself with those types of people. Did I even have a choice to begin with?

What am I supposed to do now?

What is my purpose?

I lost everything, what is left for me?

I'm affiliated with a cult that I frankly don't want to be a part of. Even so, I have no better options. If I leave, what will I do to survive?

Do I even want to live anymore?

I have nothing going for me. The thing is, if I stay I get a place to live, I can stay to study, I get to eat and drink, I technically can order around these people for things I desire. All I need is to become a Sin Archbishop.