ACDWL 001: By The Time I Noticed, I Was Here

Author’s Notes:

I decided to release this work while reducing my stock of chapters.

I think the update will be delayed for a while once all the stocked up chapters are released.

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“******!”

(uu~n…noisy…)

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, I frowned.

I’m still sleepy.

“********?”

I was shaken a lot which makes me want to click my tongue.

(Just now, shouldn’t I be in class…?)

Then, is this the Instructor trying to wake me up?

(…no, I should be sleeping in my room… huh? Then, who’s there!?)

No one else should be in my room.

As soon as I woke up and opened my eyes, a face that was very close occupied my view… that surprised me.

──when I tried to push it away, I couldn’t reach that face that should be at a close distance.

(What’s with this squishy hand…) (T/N: Haha, MC calls it punipuni hand, which means squishy, springy, or bouncy.)

It’s obviously a child’s hand.

It’s not the hand that I’m used to seeing.

“*******? ********?”

“……”

And even though that alone was surprising enough that I blanked out, the words of that guy, who woke me up, was neither Japanese nor English.

And…his animal ears were moving with a pikopiko…

──Just, where on earth should I start with?

“********. ****?”

I want to talk to you, but unfortunately, I can’t understand a word.

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

Was I kidnapped while sleeping?

…no, no, you won’t get much money if you kidnap me.

I got up and looked around, but a meadow spread out before me with something like a spring on my right side.

…where on earth is this place?

And, who is this animal ears man who seemed to be saying something?

“…why am I here…?”

The man in front of me looked surprised at the words that came out of my mouth.

He probably realized that I couldn’t understand his language.

Rather than the man who started thinking about something, I want to understand my current situation more.

I approached the spring.

When I looked at the surface of the water, the spring was so clear that you could see the bottom.

And──

When I looked at the figure on the water surface, it went beyond my imagination in a sense that I laughed.

I’m reflected on the water surface with a cramped smile.

(I really shrunk.)

What’s there was my appearance in the past.

Was it about 2 or 3 years old?

In an unknown world where unknown words were exchanged…I’m just a powerless kid…

I don’t know why this is happening, but it’s clear that I’m powerless and cannot live alone.

…since that’s the case, the person I should rely on had naturally been decided.

Unlike before, I looked directly at the man who was making a difficult face while pondering about something.

His whole figure could be seen since he’s far away.

(…there’s also a tail…)

From how it shook up and down many times, is he frustrated?

If he thought that finding me was annoying, I might be left behind.

If I were left in such an empty place, I would die soon.

I don’t even know where the towns or villages are.

In the first place, a child who can’t understand the language was just a hassle.

If there’s human trafficking, I would be a good prey.

(I hope this guy could be trusted.)

The knight…or rather, the swordsman-like man carried a sword and wore partial armor on his shoulders and upper chest.

Under the tanned brown skin, I could see his muscles.

The reddish-brown hair was somewhat curled and the length was just to the shoulder.

His amber eyes seemed to have long vertical pupils.

(A cat…? No, a tiger?)

I think it’s an animal from the cat family.

But the ears and tail were black.

Even though his hair was reddish-brown.

Also, he’s quite handsome.

Is he in his late twenties?

“*****? ********?”

I was staring really hard…and the man noticed that he was being watched. He then smiled and said something.

He took out something that looked like a bag and offered it.

(What’s this?)

I don’t know what to do if I’m presented with something I don’t know.

The man, who seemed to realize that I was confused, demonstrated what I had to do.

He removed what looked like a lid, put his mouth on the spout, and made an audible gulping sound.

(Water…?)

Did he ask if I was thirsty?

The bag, which appeared to be something that holds water, was presented to me again.

When I received it and put my mouth on it, the man gave a broad smile for some reason.

The water flowing through my throat was cold. Perhaps stimulated by this, I realized that I was thirsty, so I didn’t hesitate to continue drinking.

“…ha~fu.”

Did I drink about half the water in the bag?

My thirst subsided and I finally let go.

“*****? *******, ******?”

“…?”

I know I’m being asked something, but I can’t understand what I’m being asked.

When I tilted my head, he made a bitter smile then picked up the bag and closed the lid.

Was I told to give it to him so that he could close it with the lid?

…but, I feel like I should have been asked something entirely different.

It’s hard to communicate because of the language.

When the man put on the lid, he then pointed in a certain direction.

“******. ********?”

“? Is there something over there?”

Even if I look in that direction, I can only see grass spreading as far as I can see.

Or is there something beyond this meadow?

When I tried to get up── I realized my current situation.

(…I’m naked.)

I’m not wearing anything.

Even though having a child’s body can’t be helped, but to think that I’d become helpless to such an extent…I feel so incompetent.

…or rather, I was drinking water while naked.

How absent-minded am I that I haven’t noticed that until now?

“*****.”

This time, a cloth was presented.

Was it something like a hand towel?

When I reached out to borrow it, for some reason, it was wrapped around my body.

“******.”

The man then made a happy smile.

But like this, I can’t spread my legs.

I thought I’d start over and unraveled it.

“*******.”

He was saying something, but I want more ease of movement.

I tried to tie the ends at the shoulders while adjusting the length.

The reason I can’t tie it was probably because I now have a child’s body.

I looked at the man while pulling on both ends. He seemed to understand and tied it tightly.

I had it wrapped around my waist, and a simple dress that was easy to move in was completed.

If the wind blew, my important parts would be seen, but now that I’m a kid, let’s overlook it.

“******.”

I was patted on the head.

Was it with the meaning of “great job”?

It can’t be helped that I’ll be treated as a child with this appearance…

Why am I being held up?

“******. ****.”

The man, who walked while holding me, stopped in front of an animal that seemed to be meant for riding.

It’s a creature that looked like a wolf and a horse added together and divided by two, and made quite large.

I’m scared because it’s too big.

I was licked on the cheek. I became even more scared because I thought I might be bitten just now.

…actually, I’m scared of dogs.

When I was a kid, I was chased by a dog. From then on, I don’t like dogs.

I like cats though.

I clung to the man involuntarily.

“*****? *******?”

I found that my head was being patted. When I looked up, the man had warm eyes…

(…it’s so big, of course, everyone would be scared!)

I’m seeing it for the first time, okay?

“*****. ********!”

When I puffed my cheeks…he laughed.

──so irritating.

I punched his shoulder, but my hand hurt.

…that reminded me that this guy was wearing armor.

As I breathed into my reddened hand, the man rubbed some grass.

(It hurts!)

It stung a lot.

Even if I dislike it and resist, I couldn’t beat such a muscular man with the body of a child.

When my hands started smelling like chemicals, I knew it was a medicinal herb that was applied.

…but, was it necessary to rub herbs even though it just turned red due to a bruise?

Isn’t cooling it good enough?

There’s even a spring nearby.

…can that water be used as drinking water?

The man also drank water from that container only and didn’t replenish what I drank.

As expected, maybe it’s better to not eat and drink something from around here.