Chapter 97

The great forest is vast.

I knew that, but after traveling from settlement to settlement as a peddler, it was only on the seventh day that I finally managed to escape the forest.

The distance that the Golden Dragon, Rei, could cover in one flight was equivalent to the distance I had traveled on foot.

The last village I visited was a bit larger, and it had a higher population of humans who focused more on agriculture than hunting.

Beastmen had become adventurers and were making some money, but they weren’t exactly wealthy.

They grew vegetables and fruits, so they didn’t have trouble finding food, but they didn’t have much money and had to resort to bartering.

After walking for about three hours, I would finally reach the outskirts of the forest and join the main road.

I was told that if I continued west on the road, I would find a town with a guild.

So, I decided to trade some of my goods for clothes and shoes.

Though I was wearing a robe with a hood that I had dropped from a dungeon, underneath I had on Japanese-made clothing, which made me stand out to others.

So, I decided to disguise myself as an ordinary traveler by wearing secondhand clothes from the villagers.

I put on a short-sleeved tunic, sturdy pants made of canvas-like fabric, and leather short boots, then draped the robe over my shoulders.

It might look a little shabby, but it would likely attract less suspicion than if I wore a T-shirt, denim pants, and sneakers.

The clothes from this world aren’t particularly comfortable, but since they are made from monster materials, they are surprisingly durable. The leather short boots, in particular, fit well on my feet and are ideal for walking through the forest.

I had earned enough money during my peddling to have about twenty gold coins, so I shouldn’t have trouble living in the city.

“I have nearly two million yen. I can stay in an inn and relax for a while.”

If I ran into money problems, I could join a commercial guild to earn more, or even become an adventurer, which sounds interesting.

“It’s a small country far from the Shirlan  Kingdom, so the news of the summoned hero probably hasn’t reached here. Well, if things get bad, I can always call Rei and escape.”

After leaving the forest and walking a little farther, I came across a road with wagon tracks. So this is the main road.

The road was narrower than I expected, but it might be typical for a border town.

In the distance, I could see what appeared to be a stone fortress.

Suppressing my rising excitement, I decided to walk leisurely toward it.

◆◇◆

Just before reaching the town, I noticed a figure crouched by the side of the road.

Ketsue, who was sitting on my shoulder, was staring intently at the figure, but since its fur wasn’t standing up in alarm, there didn’t seem to be any ill intentions.

“Is this person collapsed?”

The small figure, wearing a tattered robe, was unmoving and leaning against the base of a tree.

Could it be a child or a small woman?

After some hesitation, I decided to speak up.

I approached cautiously and called out to them.

“Hey, are you alive? Do you need help?”

“…!”

I sensed a faint intake of breath.

The slender shoulders shook, and as the figure weakly moved, silver threads spilled from the gap in the robe.

I realized then that the silver hair belonged to the figure, and I leaned in closer to get a better look at their face.

Though their pale face was covered in dirt and blood, their beautiful aquamarine eyes stared back at me straight.

“…I…?”

The figure spoke in a hoarse voice, trying to convey something desperately.

I hurriedly supported their shoulder and cast healing magic. They didn’t seem to have any deep wounds, though there were a few scrapes visible.

Healing magic also alleviates fatigue, so they should feel a bit better now.

I retrieved a waterskin from my Item Box and brought it to the girl’s lips.

As I pressed it to her dry lips, she eagerly drank, making a sound as she swallowed.

She drained the waterskin in one go, then sighed deeply, catching her breath.

“…Hah, ha…”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Ah, ah, thank you so much!”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Does it still hurt anywhere?”

“No… my sprained ankle doesn’t hurt anymore. But… what is this?”

“Ah… I’d like you to keep this a secret, but I can use a little healing magic. Just the simplest kind.”

“Is that so? Thank you.”

The girl, who appeared to be in her mid-teens, bowed politely, despite her dirty appearance. She had a delicate, finely structured face and spoke in a respectful manner, which only made the situation feel strange.

“What happened to you?”

“Ah… well, I’m an adventurer, and while I was out on a gathering request, I was attacked by a monster…”

“An adventurer?”

I was taken aback. This fragile, seemingly helpless girl is an adventurer?

“Well, um, I managed to escape somehow, but I ended up leaving my luggage behind… and then…”

The girl, who was explaining in a flustered manner, had her sTohma ch make a pitiful sound.

“…Ah.”

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

I nodded in understanding as the girl blushed.

“I’m sorry… I haven’t eaten anything for an entire day. I managed to walk all the way here, but I got so dizzy from hunger…”

“I understand. Wait a moment.”

To calm her down, I slid Ketsue into her arms.

“Can you hold this little one for me? I’ll get you some food.”

“Y-yes! A cute, little cat…”

The girl’s face lit up, and she was incredibly adorable. I truly felt glad that I was the one who found this girl, who had almost collapsed.

(She was so dirty, maybe she was mistaken for a corpse. In any case, I’m glad she wasn’t seen in her face. A girl this beautiful might have been kidnapped.)

Anyway, first, I had to feed her.

I took out some leftover soup from my Item Box.

It seemed like this was the first time she had seen a storage skill, as her aquamarine eyes widened, and she stared blankly at it.

I served the leftover pot-au-feu from last night in a wooden soup bowl, along with a spoon.

“Here, eat. Be careful not to burn yourself.”

“Ah, thank you… it’s warm…”

When she took the soup bowl in both hands, she smiled in delight at the smell of the pot-au-feu and took a sip.

She smiled brightly after taking a sip and then began devouring the soup eagerly.

“Slow down. There’s plenty more. You’ll choke if you eat too fast.”

“Y-yes…! It’s delicious…”

After refilling the bowl twice, it seemed like she had calmed down, and she gently handed the empty bowl back to me.

“Thank you for the meal. It was so, so delicious…”

“I’m glad it suited your taste. Are you full now?”

“Yes! I’m completely full!”

She patted her round belly contentedly.

“I’ll make sure to repay you for this!”

“That’s not necessary, but didn’t you lose all your luggage?”

“Ah…”

“Is your gathering material safe?”

“…Ugh…”

“So you don’t have that either?”

Looking down at the girl, I sighed. It couldn’t be helped. Since I had already gotten involved, I would take some responsibility and help her a bit longer.

“Then, I’ll lend you some money for your living expenses. Can you guide me to the town? I heard you’re based in that town, right?”

“Y-yes! Leave it to me, I’ll guide you to the town!”

“Good. I forgot to mention, I’m Tohma . A peddler.”

“I’m Shira! An adventurer!”

“This is Ketsue. My partner.”

“Meow.”

“So, Ketsue-kun! Nice to meet you, I’m Shira!”

She happily shook Ketsue’s front paws. She seemed like a big fan of cats, especially considering how she was subtly enjoying the feel of his paw pads.

As we got closer to the town, Shira pulled her hood deeply over her head to hide her beautiful silver hair.

It seems she had that much caution. Her dirty face was probably an attempt to hide her appearance as well.

The entrance to the town looked like a simple fort, with a guard standing at the gate.

“Identification?”

“I’m an adventurer.”

Shira pulled out a necklace she had hanging around her neck and showed it to the guard. It looked like a dog tag. So, that must be the adventurer guild registration.

Since I didn’t have any identification, I paid the gate fee. Three silver coins.

Paying 30,000 yen every time I enter or leave the town would be painful, so I planned to join the guild as soon as possible.

“Tohma -san! This is the town of Breyul! It’s so big, right?”

Shira led me by the hand through the town.

Immediately after entering, there were fields and shabby little huts, but after walking for a while, the scenery turned into a more typical town view.

Brick and timber buildings lined the streets, with bright orange roofs standing out.

The town looked so cute, like something out of a storybook, and my spirits were lifted.

(It really feels like a fairy tale. It’s a little reminiscent of Rothenburg in Germany.)

As we walked through the town, it seemed like humans and beastmen were about half and half.

So far, I hadn’t seen any elves, but most of the adventurers were beastmen.

“The popular inns get filled up quickly, so it’s better to reserve a room ahead of time.”

Shira gently tugged at my sleeve as she told me.

“I’d prefer a clean, safe inn. It would be great if the food is good too.”

“…Tohma -san, are you from a wealthy family?”

I didn’t deny it.