I thought this was Japan, but it seems different.

The rustling of the forest can be heard. Bird-like chirping, animal calls—some familiar, others not. Memories of being led into the mountains by my grandfather resurface, filling me with unease.

“Where am I...? Oh no, did I oversleep? I was never late or absent before.”

I glance around, trying to escape reality.

“Hmm. The vegetation must be Japanese... This is definitely Quercus acutissima. There are acorns on the ground too. That one over there looks like Castanopsis cuspidata.”

Since my grandfather was a part-time farmer and hunter, I’ve been hiking in mountains since childhood. So, I don’t mistake tree species easily.

“Is this somewhere in Japan? Here?”

Usually, when firewood trees are densely packed, it suggests the forest has been managed by humans. If that’s the case, there should be settlements nearby.

“First things first, I need to find a house. Let me check what I have on me.”

Since I don’t know how far I’ll have to move to find a house, I’ll start by confirming my belongings.

“Three notebooks, five ballpoint pens, two lighters, two towels, one 500ml water bottle, three portable food rations, two solar chargers, two smartphone batteries, and a tool set.”

It’s lucky that I always carry portable food since I often skip meals. The rest is due to my job—smartphone battery life is short for me, so I have plenty of charging supplies.

“The phone signal... No luck there. The compass works, though. What kind of countryside am I in here?”

In a rural forest, there are dangerous creatures too. I’ll need self-defense tools.

“If they appear, it’d probably be snakes or wild dogs. There’s a large cutter knife in the tool set. I’ll manage with that for now.”

I take a roughly 120 cm thick log and shape one end into a fork to hold down snakes if needed, using it as a walking stick too.

“Leeches and ticks are another story. My suit leaves me too exposed.”

I wrap a towel around my neck for protection. To check if there’s a path, I find a nearby tree that’s easy to climb and start ascending.

“It’s been over 20 years since I climbed a tree. I hope this one is sturdy.”

Given my self-awareness of being overweight, I don’t want the branch to break under my weight and cause a serious injury. After about 20 minutes, I reach a spot with a good view and look around.

“What the...?”

I’m speechless. As far as I can see, there’s nothing but forest. This isn’t Japanese geography at all. If this much flat land exists, it should have been developed.

<……From here to there……>

The interface whispers its line.

“Wait a minute—this isn’t Japan? Or where am I...”