Chapter 163: Self Examination

POV Eliza

After I was alone following the visit, I finally had time to think. By then, I was convinced that I wasn't dreaming. The reasons for this were my pain and Betty. The cat woman had hugged me, and I could still smell her scent. The hug had also felt very warm. Betty seemed familiar to me, and not just from the dream I just had. So I must have known her for a long time, which would explain her behavior.

Another fact I couldn't ignore was my changed body. White hair and dark skin were clearly different from what I was used to. I was actually of European origin, but that was no longer the case. I was confused because I didn't know of any people on Earth with my characteristics. Or was there a people with dark skin that also produced albinos?

The furnishings of the room gave me further clues, especially the mattress. It was not a mattress I was used to. It felt more like it was filled with something rather than made of foam. I was also confused because I couldn't find any electrical devices in my room. I also noticed that I couldn't hear any traffic noise. Had I also traveled through time?

I got up and slowly walked to the window. I hoped to find some decisive clues there. A glance out of the window showed me a city built entirely of stone. Only the window frames were made of a wood I didn't recognize, and they were engraved with symbols and signs I didn't know.

My gaze fell on a narrow alley. Opposite was a building that also had several floors. I seemed to be on the second floor. Near the window, I still couldn't hear anything from outside, even though I was standing right in front of it. I also couldn't see any mechanism for opening the window. Apparently, it wasn't designed to be opened. However, I noticed that it was significantly warmer outside the window. Either it was summer or I was in a southern country.

I couldn't get any further at the window, so I sat down on the chair and continued thinking. My most logical explanation so far was that I was in a medieval world, where I had been badly beaten up and had made friends with a cat woman. I knew nothing about why this had happened, nor about the world itself. I had to remedy both situations, and Betty was the first person who came to mind. She wanted to visit me tomorrow, which would be a good opportunity to talk. Until then, I had to be patient so as not to arouse suspicion. I had a strong feeling that this was the right course of action.

A short time later, my food was brought to me. This time it was a young woman. I glanced up and looked at her. I unconsciously smiled. The young woman stopped when I looked at her and just stared at me. I didn't know why and didn't understand it. Was I that unattractive? Since I found it uncomfortable to be stared at, I spoke up.

“Hello? Am I so unsightly that you stare at me like that? It’s uncomfortable.” Eliza

“What? No, no, not at all. On the contrary, you are very beautiful. Besides, I have never seen an elf before. Forgive my rudeness.” Young woman, embarrassed

The young woman flinched and was startled. Her cheeks turned bright red. Then she shook her head so vigorously that the small jug on her tray began to wobble. However, she managed to prevent the jug from tipping over and hurried to my table. There she placed a bowl of steaming soup, a large piece of dark bread, the jug, and a cup in front of me. She stared at me briefly once more and then quickly disappeared from the room. I was left behind, confused and with more questions than before. Elf? I was an elf? Didn't they only exist in fantasy worlds? But it would fit with other observations that pointed to the Middle Ages.

The food smelled good, but first I had to check something. I raised my right hand and checked my ears. They were longer than before and pointed at the ends. Okay, so I was an elf. Maybe not okay, now I also had to figure out why I was no longer human.

Before I could ponder any further, however, my stomach growled loudly. So I turned my attention to the food in front of me. The soup was nutritious with lots of meat and few vegetables and little seasoning. But it was sufficiently salted. For a healthy diet, it would be better if it were the other way around, but I didn't want to complain. Who knows what the local cuisine was like. The jug contained a kind of thin juice that tasted slightly alcoholic. Understandable, since alcoholic beverages had a longer shelf life, especially in a warm environment.

I ate everything and was full afterwards. I then patted my stomach and was surprised. It was hard and didn't give way. I stood up and went to the window. But when I lifted my shirt, I was surprised. My stomach was practically non-existent and full of muscles. My six-pack was impressive. Then I examined the rest of my body. Even the muscles on my butt were rock hard. Overall, I had surprisingly strong muscles and could even lift the chair with one hand without any problems. I couldn't have done that before. I was also very slim. Many girls would be jealous of me. My bust size, on the other hand, was a little disappointing. I used to be happy with my C cup, but now I had less. Perhaps that was understandable, considering how athletic I looked now. Unfortunately, this meant I didn't have a pronounced hourglass figure, although I was actually glad I didn't have a big butt like in my old world.

Then I felt the pain in my ribs again and decided it would be better to lie down and rest. Rest was important so that the bones wouldn't grow together crookedly. I fell asleep quickly after lying down.

I woke up again when it was light outside. A short time later, another young woman came and brought me breakfast. It consisted of the same bread as yesterday and a cereal porridge. It was accompanied by a boiled egg and a strange-tasting cheese. Once again, it was lightly seasoned but well salted. There seemed to be hardly any herbs and spices, or they were too expensive.

After my dishes were cleared away, the man from yesterday entered my room.

“Good morning. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Farah. How are you feeling?” Farah

“Well, considering the circumstances, I would say. I can't judge my arm, nor my head. But my ribs are already noticeably less painful. Seems like a good sign.” Eliza

"Then I'll bring you up to date on your current state of health. In general, you were very lucky. Your muscles prevented worse damage to your broken ribs. The break in your arm was a clean break. That allowed us to treat it well. You were even luckier with your head injury, as we couldn't find any skull fractures. In addition, our treatments have worked well for you. When you were admitted to our hospital, I didn't expect you to regain consciousness after such a short time. I'm amazed." Farah, neutral expression

“Thank you for your treatment. How long do you estimate I will have to stay here?” Eliza

“Normally, I would have said at least a week, but at this rate, it may only be a few days. Your friends will be happy about that.” Farah

“My friends? Which friends? Why is that?” Eliza

"You met your friend yesterday. And to answer your question about why, we are treating you according to the contract. And the contract lasts a maximum of three days, with no additional costs. After that, you have to pay for room and meals. Farah

“I see. May I ask another question?” Eliza

“If I can answer it and it has something to do with your treatment, then yes.” Farah

“What events led to me being so badly injured, and where am I, actually?” Eliza

“That's two questions, but I'll answer both of them. First, question 1. You were found seriously injured in the labyrinth by our rescue team and then brought here. Which leads directly to question 2. You are in the guild's clinic, where the injured are treated and cared for in accordance with the contract. Does that answer your questions?” Farah

“I have more questions now than before, but I'll ask my friends, as you call them. Even though I can hardly remember them.” Eliza

“Our head injury expert will see you in about an hour. Fortunately, he returned from his mission early and resumed work this morning. Please do not leave your room until then.” Farah

"I need to take a bathroom break first. I need to use the toilet and I'm sure I smell." Eliza

“I can rule out the latter, because you were washed yesterday. Besides, we don't have a bathing facility. But for the former, I will instruct someone to accompany you. If there are no further questions, I will take my leave. I have other patients waiting for me. If you have any problems, you can use the bell. Have a nice day.” Farah

The man then left the room, leaving me with a lot of unanswered questions. Labyrinth? Battle? Guild? What had happened and where was I? The more I learned, the more I felt like I was in a role-playing game. There were many indications of this. I would have to wait and see what else came up. Hopefully, I would get some answers without new questions arising.