28-025 Something was down (1)

The next morning, I left the inn and headed to the weapons shop, where Mr. Gantz had finished the job as promised.

I quickly changed into my new armor and threw on a long hooded parka.

This is something Haruka made for me yesterday, and it's much easier to move around in than the robe, and it's also somewhat waterproof.

The main reason why I chose to make it myself instead of buying a robe is probably the cost, but I'm sure it's even better than that.

Finally, I'm out of leather!　It was still better because of the purification, but to be honest, it was hard to breathe and it was stuffy!

Haruka said happily, and spun around in an unusually excited manner.

I agree. This is also a little hot in the summer, but it's better than leather clothing.

The armor is made of a slightly thicker cloth, but it's much better than leather clothes, which are almost impermeable to air, and the chainmail hardly impedes movement.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm not a big fan of the idea, but I'm sure it's because I'm not a big fan of the idea.

I guess that's why it's so expensive.

Now, are we going to head for Sarstat?

Well, it's just a straight shot down the street, so we should be there by ...... midday.

It would take a normal person about a day to walk the whole distance.

If you are an adventurer with a higher physical ability than that, it will not take you that long.

There is no danger on the way, as long as you don't stray from the main road.

"Hey, do I need to get used to your weapons?

It's unlikely that there will be strong enemies, but ...... what do you think, Nao?

I've done some light practice .......

Yesterday, back at the inn, while Haruka was making a hoodie, Toya and I practiced as usual.

There was not much difference between the new spear and the old one, except for a slight increase in weight, and it was easier to handle because of its better quality, so I was not too worried.

If anything, I'm more worried about Haruka, who hasn't had much practice.

I'm sure I'll be fine too.　A bow is a bow.

If you've got time, why don't you go get a dindle?

Hmm?　I'm sure you can still get them. ......

When I say that the dindle season is over, it doesn't mean that they've all been harvested or that they're no longer edible.

It is just that we stopped picking them because there were fewer and fewer of them to be harvested at one time and they were less tasty.

The first tree in particular is the closest one to us, and since it hasn't been picked for a while, it's probably still producing a certain amount of fruit.

I don't know what's going on with Yuki and the others, but it's hard to eat good food, isn't it?　I wish I could feed them.

Haruka and I looked at each other and nodded deeply.

We were lucky enough to make some money and find a good place to stay, so we were able to eat reasonably well, but if we hadn't had the money, we would have had to put up with the same kind of food that we ate at the food stalls on the first day.

If I hadn't had the money, I would have had to put up with the food stalls on the first day.

I'm sure. I've got some dried dindol, but I'd like to feed him some fresh dindol. Nao, can I?

"Yeah. No reason to object. In fact, I'll even hunt some meat for you.

Oh, good, meat. Dried meat is good, but regular meat is good, too!

Now that we've decided on a course of action, we'll leave the city streets and take the road we've been taking lately.

Thanks to the many times we've passed, the undergrowth has disappeared and we've reached our target tree in less than half the time it took the first time.

"Well, let's go up. Just one of us, right?

"Well, it doesn't take two to go up, does it?

This time I didn't want to fill up my backpack.

I temporarily left the contents of my backpack with them and climbed up the tree.

I'd already retrieved the rope from the dindle tree, but I'd climbed it so many times that I was now able to do so without difficulty.

It is dangerous to climb without a lifeline, but my physical ability is completely different from before, and thanks to the overlapping branches of the dindle tree, there is almost no danger of falling down even if I should slip.

You can easily reach the top and collect the dindle nuts.

I've already picked the easiest places, so there are many places where it's a bit tricky, such as the tips of branches, but it's no problem.

My climbing level has improved, and I've been using a rope since I reached the top, so I'm not worried about falling.

Of course, the "level" is a metaphor, not a "tree climbing" skill.

I was expecting to get some tree climbing or climbing skills. ...... Is this level of tree not enough?

Or maybe a week or so is not enough.

I'm a little disappointed.

"Yeah, that's about it, isn't it?

About two-thirds in my backpack.

I've collected everything from the relatively easy spots.

If we try hard enough, we can still get some, but it will take time and we don't need that many.

We retrieved the ropes that had been temporarily tied and headed down.

Climbing trees is scarier on the way down than on the way up. .......

I took some time to descend carefully, and found the remains of a dismantled boar.

"Hey, welcome back. Did you get it?

"Yeah, about this much.

I show him my backpack.

You hunting, Toya?

Yeah, it's a small one.

Toya's backpack, which had been flat before the climb, has been transformed into a puffy one.

As for Haruka, he looks the same.

It may not have been a big game, but his hunting skills have improved so much that he was able to find, hunt, and dismantle it in such a short time.

To be honest, Toya's sensing ability is comparable to my [Enemy Searching], even though she has no skills whatsoever.

No, when it comes to hunting without hostile intentions, it might even exceed it.

It's not difficult for me to kill a beast that's coming towards me, but it's impossible for me to find my prey in the forest, approach it without being noticed, and kill it in close combat.

If you want to compete with Toya in hunting, you'll have to team up with Haruka, who can use a bow.

Isn't it about time for her to get a skill like [Hunting]?

It's not going to fit in Toya's backpack, so we'll have to split the dindle between us.

Okay. Can you put half of it in here?

I moved half of it into the backpack Haruka had offered me, then took it out of my backpack and repacked it with my other stuff.

If I put it in the wrong way, I'll end up with a crushed dindle all over my clothes.

Okay, are you ready?

Yeah, let's go. We need to get back on the road first, though.

In terms of the direction of the city of Sarstat, we'll have to turn around a bit, but it's risky to just head off in the direction of a roadless forest.

In our party, whose banner is "Cautious," the sooner we hurry, the better.

We followed the usual route home, and were about to exit the forest when Toya, who was leading the way, stopped in his tracks.

"What's that?

What?

Haruka, who had turned her face to where Toya was looking, let out a strangely cute scream.

Haruka is also a girl, but she's not.

The person in front of you is a person who has fallen to the ground.

He was wearing shabby clothes, carrying no luggage, and was lying on his face.

This is ...... a stranded man?　He's small, is he a child?

"No, probably a dwarf. He's stocky.

Dwarf. I've never seen one before. Both a wanderer and a dwarf.

Well, what do you do in a case like this?　Leave it?　Burial?

If you have identification, it's recommended that you take it to the Adventurer's Guild. There's no reward, but it's good manners. Also, if you can afford it, it's best to bury the body.

I see. ......

This is the first time you've seen a dead body in this world.

Even though death is closer than in the original world, I don't really want to touch a corpse I don't know.

I turn the body over with my toes to check the situation.

If it's decomposing, I need to be prepared for anything.

"Ugh.

"Did you say something to ......?

No.

Me neither. --Hey, you know, I think that guy might still be alive.　It's hard to tell with his beard.

That's why I'm looking at him again. I'm with you.

He's a bearded man, just like a dwarf. At any rate, he's not decomposing or anything.

The color of his face is ...... not clear to be honest.

I can't help it, so I cautiously put my hand on his neck. .......

"There's a slight ...... pulse, maybe?

"He's alive?　If so, we should try to save him.

If we can afford it," said Haruka, checking for external injuries, but there were no significant injuries.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

Haruka uses magic on him, but he doesn't react.

You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

Then he started to choke slightly and opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?

"Oh, I'm hungry. ......

"Oh, I'm hungry. " He said this in a faint voice.

It seems that he had collapsed.

No matter how hungry he was, it seemed impossible to feed him meat, so I peeled some dindol fruit and fed it to him.

After eating three of them as if he were devouring them, he took a break, bowed politely and thanked me again.

Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. I haven't had a proper meal in days. ......

"Well, that's okay. I'm helping people.

To be honest, I didn't think I should eat three pieces of expensive fruit, but when someone politely thanks you, it's hard to ask for money.

If I bought them, they would be expensive, but it wouldn't take much effort to pick three more.

"So, what's the matter?　What are you doing here, dressed like that?

You're too lightly dressed to go into this forest.

The dwarf didn't answer my question, but looked at my face, and then at Haruka's and Toya's faces.

I'm sure you're not the only one.　I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure.　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand.

That's right!　I'm Wakabayashi. Yutaka Wakabayashi!　Don't you get it?

Huh?　Wakabayashi!　Excuse me?

Wakabayashi.

The name sounds familiar, of course.

But Wakabayashi was a small, thin, timid guy.

He was not very assertive and inconspicuous, but he was popular and loved by some girls. ...... His image is too different from the dwarf in front of him.

It's not just the way he talks, but the way he looks now is very typical of a dwarf.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

I don't get it!　What's wrong with you?　What's wrong with your outfit!

I violently agree with Toya's cry.

Only the tone of voice is consistent with my memory, but with the current appearance and voice quality, it's rather uncomfortable.

Why do you have to look like that again? ......

"I thought, since I'm going to another world... Well, another world debut?　I didn't mind my old body, but I've always wanted to be a man of austere appearance.

I'm not sure if that's true ......?　No, but ...... austere?

Is a dwarf "austere"?

I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.

I'm not going to dare point out that it's fine if you're comfortable with it. .......

I'm not going to dare to point it out.　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you. But Azuma-san has always had a beautiful face, so there's not much change even though she became an elf.

Hey, does that mean my original face is no good?

I don't want to hear it because I don't want to be affirmed!

As for me, I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable with your tone and voice.

I know that. I know that, but I can't change it all at once.

That's true. So, what's the matter with you, Wakabayashi, here?

Well, he was suddenly transported into the woods and wandered around for days and got stuck. I mean, isn't this too hard mode?　You can't just throw me out there by myself!

We nodded our heads in agreement as Wakabayashi spread out his hands in a strong tone.

It's probably better that you're not naked, but it's still a hard mode, that's for sure.

"Yeah, I know how you feel. What would we have done without Haruka?

Yeah. Thanks to Haruka.

Ah, Azuma-san's a solid guy, isn't he? Are all three of you adventurers by the looks of you?

Wakabayashi said as he looked at our outfits.

Thanks to the equipment we bought yesterday, our appearance is good enough for most people to recognize us as adventurers.

We did have weapons a while ago, but in this world, that's about as common as an ordinary person picking up firewood.

I'm registered with the Adventurer's Guild, you know.　I don't know if I'm doing the kind of work you imagine adventurers do, but I think I'm making enough to live on.

I see. I haven't even made it to the city yet. I had some money in my pocket, but I don't even know what it's worth. ......

Wakabayashi sighs and takes a coin out of his pocket.

It looks like he's just like us.

It's 10 large silver coins, right?　It's worth enough to pay for city taxes, adventurer registration fees, a day's stay at an inn, and a few sundries.

"That's not much!　It's hard mode, after all!

Wakabayashi shouted again at Toya's explanation.

Yeah, it's going to be tough if you don't do well on your own.

I understand why you want to shout, but Haruka frowned a little and opened her mouth.

I'm sorry, Wakabayashi, but could you please lower your voice a bit?　It's not a very safe place to be.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry." As Wakabayashi bowed his head, Haruka waved his hand lightly and continued.

I'm sure you'll be fine once you get back here. ....... You are alone?　We were able to successfully transfer the three of us together.

"Wow!　I'm impressed. You're so good at getting together with good friends in that situation. I didn't know who was who, so I stuck to the nearest human soul. ......

Oh, you're just like me.

In my case, I didn't have to move, but two people came and saved me.

Is there a personal difference in understanding and not understanding?

It's really depressing when people say things like "emotional distance".

"Couldn't you have transferred with them?

"No, we were able to transfer together, at least. It was Tanaka-kun and Takahashi-kun, but they weren't really close to each other. ......

So they went their separate ways.

Separated or rather ......

He looked down with a gloomy expression on his face and hesitated to say anything, but after a while, he started to speak in whispers.