Capítulo 8: Interrogation
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Three people could be seen, sitting by the 'porch' of a small hovel in the middle of a luscious forest.
One handsome blonde man was holding the undivided attention of the other two persons there.
Anyone would be able to tell he was in the prime of his life, despite looking pretty banged up. He was wearing a blue tunic with a pair of used sandals, that could certainly be called an upgrade from his last garments.
The young man showed a charming expression, typically seen upon his face. A mix of cold and warm emotions, that reflected what could probably be called a 'moderate' character, in such a perfect balance that is regularly perceived as unusual.
He was sitting in an uncomfortable old wooden chair, and his tongue had become a bit dry, partly because of how his body was going through a process of recovery, and how much he has had to talk the last 15 minutes...
He was facing an old man that looked heartier than average, and a good-looking slim brunette that looked to be barely above 18.
She was definitely leaning on the more childish side, thanks to her quirkiness and loud demeanor.
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Lou and Jennie were both having some trouble wrapping their heads around what had been told to them...
Alexander had duly narrated his encounter with the demonic wolf, whilst of course leaving out anything that could tie the event with him crossing over to another world...
By his account, he could only remember basic stuff like combat, manual skills, and some basic knowledge, but pretty much anything related to this world or who he was before, was a blank slate in his mind...
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One thing Alexander had noticed when he was changing into the new tunic and sandals Jennie had generously provided him with, was that this body was identical to the one in his previous life...
He saw his reflection in the water basin with which he washed his body... And it was an exact replica, and maybe even better... Up to the last detail...
Most clearly, Alexander didn't yet know if his current body had 'appeared' in this world, along with his soul, or if he had conveniently occupied a doppelganger's...
That, of course, would make its place into his list of enigmas to be clarified...
Alexander, nonetheless, knew that there is power in patience and prudence. He wasn't going to push the two people who allegedly rescued him for answers, and risk blowing his cover hastily...
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He finally satisfied their questions concerning the fight with the wolf. He had described the fight as graphically as possible, to try and gauge Jennie's and Lou's reactions...
Depending on them, he could see what kind of people he was dealing with... And his deductions were proven correct, when only the girl showed negative emotions like disgust and fear, as he described the fight for his life.
The stoic old man had all the ballots for being a potential threat to him in the near future, should that killing intent be released in a real battle...
Alexander was really only taking the time to talk with these people to get useful intel and maybe a few items out of them... Those were the first people he had encountered after all...
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"So... you can't recall anything about your life -except your name- and you lack any common knowledge about our world... Right?"
Said Jennie with an eyebrow raised and her right hand
"Correct." -Alexander noddingly answered.
"Then... I can teach you the basics! Don't get me wrong, it's not like I want to keep you here or anything, but I was thinking that while you heal completely, I--
WE can help you get back on your feet. It's the least we could do after you helped rid us of that cursed beast before it even got to us...
Right, Uncle Lou...?!"
"LOOK... I know you're just that kind Jennie, but we can't let a stranger stay here for goddess-knows-how-much... Plus we already gave him the last of our healing potions that I was keeping in case of emergency...
And I CERTAINLY won't let him near you while I'm out... You know I have to report the cursed beast to the townsfolk of Creekwood...
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In the days between Alexander's rescue and his recovery (he spent a couple of days semi-unconscious, waking up only to drink more of the healing potion and then blacking out again...), Lou had recovered and examined the wolf's body... He had no doubt that it indeed was a cursed beast...
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"Then leave me here. I won't go anywhere since my ignorance of the land and wildlife could get me killed, not to mention my injuries... and I won't touch anything you don't give me your permission to.
I may be an amnesiac stranger to you, but you already made a risk when you decided to save me... Plus, I believe that killing a monster should be enough for you to -at least- give the benefit of the doubt... Don't you think that as well... mister Louis?"
Alexander was giving Lou that 'are you that dumb?' look. Lou certainly caught his intention and returned the favor with a raised voice and an aggressive stance...
"DON'T PUSH IT SON!!! It was Jennie that saved you, I only complied as a favor to her... But if I must, I will deal with you..."
He wasn't joking. That killing intent was threatening to be let out at any moment, this time, accompanied by an actual killing move... Alexander knew this, but he also knew what would come next..."
"FOR THE GODDESS, UNCLE LOU!! You better calm down m'kay??!!
Alexander is a good person!! Haven't you heard his words...? Looked at his attitude...?
He's a traumatized man with a severe injury that could've killed any other man... You said it yourself when you gave me the potions!!
AND he's also willing to stay behind ALONE for you to be worry-free!"
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"Mmmhhmph... Alright...! You got a point...
BUT I'll still won't let him stay behind while we go out. That's only going to allow him to steal anything he wants from us!"
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Jennie's face was now that of 'I can't believe he's saying that right now'.
"I can't believe you're saying that right now, Uncle Lou... Do you realize that the only thing of worth in here, are the horses, which we would -need- when we go out...?
We're goddamn poor Uncle!!!"
The old man could be seen diverting his gaze to the side, retracting his lips as a sign of shame...
He had realized that his only 'treasure', the healing potions, were gone, and Alexander would be literally left with a falling-apart hovel and a bunch of old books that were sold by the hundreds in the capital...
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"Okay... you tell him where's the food and water... I'll go prepare the horses and provisions."
"Thanks, Jennie I owe you my life two times over now hehe... I -can- call you that, right?
"Hehe, of course, you can!! And please forgive my uncle, he's just... been through a lot... Yeah, he is very and I mean VERY, slow to trust... But once he does, you can bet that he's the most wonderful person...
I hope you can see past the hostility and don't take it personally...
He did play a part in saving you, actually. He gave me the healing potions thanks to which you managed to survive..."
"Well, then I guess I owe you both my life, then."
"Don't sweat it, as I said, you also helped a lot taking care of the cursed beast, so consider it even!"
"Ok, if you say so." -Alexander gave her an enchanting smile while rubbing the back of his head in sign of humility. He started to sympathize with Jennie.
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Alexander still had many things he wanted to know, like what those healing potions they talked about were, but he had already eyed that rotting bookcase filled to the brim with yellowed-paged books...
He would eventually start digging for anything the books couldn't answer...
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"Anyway, come over here, I'll show you around before we part to warn the townsfolk about the cursed beast."
Alexander simply nodded with another friendly smile shortly closing his eyes.
Jennie could be seen blushing slightly for a moment...
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