My front door leads to a comic strip

Today is the first day of recovery. The weather is sunny, I think?

Because my injuries haven't healed, I can't move, so I can only lie on the ground and record what's happened these past few days to pass the time.

To be honest, I didn't expect to be injured so badly this time. If only I could get my hands on some guns and cannons. What a pity...

[Alright, never mind, time for lunch.]

[…After I finished eating, I came back and Miliald handed me a piece of dark, dry bread and a few slices of cured meat, saying it was "food that humans usually eat." I took a bite and almost broke my tooth.]

This thing is harder than compressed biscuits, yet she eats it without batting an eye, as if her sense of taste has been lost.

I couldn't stand it anymore, so I pulled a small bottle of chili powder and a small packet of MSG from my backpack and sprinkled them on the grilled meat.

Millie Alder just stared at me.

……

"What is this?" she asked.

"A condiment." I handed her a piece.

She took a bite, and her pupils dilated instantly.

"...Incredible." She stared down at the meat, took another bite, and said, "Is this some kind of lost magic?"

I was both amused and exasperated.

That night, she kept watch while I drifted off to sleep. I was awakened in the middle of the night by the howls of wild animals. The fire had gone out sometime earlier, and the firewood was piled up a dozen meters away.

Millie Alder was about to fumble for it in the dark when I stopped her, took a flashlight out of my bag, and turned it on—

A blinding white light instantly illuminated the entire camp.

Millie Alde took a step back abruptly.

"What...what kind of weapon is this?!"

"It's not a weapon, it's a lamp." I waved the beam of light, and the beasts in the distance were frightened away, letting out uneasy growls.

She stared at the flashlight, her expression a mixture of shock and wariness.

"Your hometown can even store light?"

"...More or less."

She remained silent for a long time, and finally only said one sentence: "Amazing."

……

[The next day, the weather was cloudy with rain.]

It rained today.

Millie Alder built a makeshift shelter out of some kind of enormous leaf, while I contributed a waterproof tarpaulin (which she called "soft metallic skin").

Rain dripped down the edge, and we huddled underneath. She studied my flashlight, and I studied the history of the world.

It's unclear how many years ago this world existed, but it's certain to be a world of swords and magic.

From her conversation, I learned that she was traveling to a place called the Unified Empire on the central continent.

[Unified Empire... Hmm, that sounds familiar. Maybe it's just my imagination. This guy seems to spend his whole life chasing after interesting things. Apparently, in the Unified Empire, there's a very famous wine called Emperor's Wine.]

She said she would drink it no matter how many years it took, but ancient wine... was just so-so. I took out some Lao Baigan (a type of Chinese liquor) from my backpack.

As expected, she complained of a burning sensation on her tongue from the spiciness, but still managed to take a sip. Soon after, she became completely drunk.

That evening, she woke up, grilled fish, but still didn't season it. I took out a small packet of instant soup mix and poured it into the boiling water.

Her eyes widened.

……

"Drink it, it's not poisoned." I handed her a bowl.

She took a sip, smacked her lips lightly, and savored the taste.

"...What kind of magic is this?"

"Convenience food".

She drank it all in one gulp, then stared at the empty bowl, her eyes glazed over.

"Does all the food in your hometown taste this delicious?"

I shrugged: "Pretty much."

She was deeply shocked.

That evening, she asked me to teach her how to use a flashlight.

I demonstrated a few times, and she learned very quickly, but she always couldn't help but look at the light in her own eyes, and then she would frown from the glare.

I laughed at her, and she retorted, suddenly shining a flashlight in my face—my vision went black, and I almost fell over.

……

Day 3, Weather: Sunny.

I was able to walk around a bit today.

[Miliarde took me to the river to wash the bandages. I sat on a rock in the sun. Suddenly, she stood up and took off her shirt.]

I almost tumbled off the rock.

……

"What are you doing?!" I abruptly turned my face away.

"Take a shower," she said matter-of-factly, then unbuckled her belt.

"Wait! I'm still here—"

"So?" She tilted her head. "Would you be embarrassed if a baby saw you taking a bath?"

"I'm not a baby!"

"It's about the same for me." She walked into the water, her silver hair floating on the surface like a layer of moonlight.

After she finished washing, she came back, still wet, and wrung out her hair next to me without any hesitation. Only then did she slowly and deliberately put on her clothes.

I am speechless.

……

Day 4, Weather: Cloudy.

[I tried peeling it today.]

Millie Alde said that the horned tiger's fur is also extremely valuable, not only possessing magical resistance but also protecting against the extreme cold in winter.

Let's assume this is true for now, after all, I've never seen a creature that turns half of itself into ashes after death.

[At the same time, I learned that monsters don't seem to be corrupted, but even so, it's already the fourth day... Is this elf just a procrastinator...?]

I thought this to myself, and quietly watched her, but she seemed to be struggling.

……

"Here you go." I handed him an alloy machete.

She put down the stone knife she had found on the spot and hesitantly took it, asking, "What is this?"

"Weapon," I gestured, and told her to use it to skin the animal.

"..."

As the fur connecting to the muscle was cut open like tofu, disbelief flashed in her eyes.

"Is this some kind of divine artifact?"

She turned her head.

I shrugged.

Who knows?

……

Day 6, Weather: Sunny

Today I've fully recovered—no, to be precise, I can move around freely.

She handed me a set of clothes—made from the skin of a horned tiger that she had skinned the day before yesterday. They were rougher than my stab-proof vest, but surprisingly comfortable.

"Your clothes are so strange," she said.

After I changed my clothes, she suddenly reached out and pinched my shoulder.

"Still too thin," she commented. "If you want to survive in this world, you'd better learn the methods of a warrior."

"warrior?"

"You'll encounter a profession that rivals that of a mage if you have the chance."

……

In the afternoon, she took me to collect herbs. I took out my phone (the screen was cracked, but it still worked).

She opened the camera and took a picture of the plant. When Millie Alder saw the image frozen on the screen, she almost threw the herbs away.

"What is this?!"

"Taking a photo, uh... it's about saving the scene in front of you."

She stared at her phone, her expression shifting from shock to contemplation, and finally to a strange longing.

"Gu Yuan."

"Um?"

"Your hometown, can even capture time?"

I didn't know how to explain, so I just nodded.

She gently touched the screen, her eyes softening for a moment.

That evening, she packed her bags, preparing to depart the next day.

But just then, she suddenly asked me:

"Gu Yuan, would you be willing to come with me to unify the empire?"

The implication is to become partners and stay in this world.

I was stunned.

"……have no idea."

She didn't ask any more questions, but simply handed me a piece of grilled meat sprinkled with chili powder.

(Day 7, departure.)