Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Tree and Iron
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Worried that pursuers might catch up at any moment, we walked without rest from morning until afternoon. Compared to the near-impenetrable jungle of Rijen, this forest path was remarkably flat and pleasant, making the trek easy. Fortunately, there were no signs of anyone chasing us. We kept a sharp eye behind us and maintained a brisk pace without stopping, yet no hint of pursuit reached us.
If the mages had tracked us with spatial transfer magic, they would've caught up ages ago.
On second thought, the lack of pursuers was probably to be expected. A <Gate> had opened right in the heart of Uruun's city—some elf thief wasn't high on their priority list.
Even after closing the gate, they'd be scouring every corner for hidden magical beasts, tending to the injured, and repairing damaged buildings, with no spare manpower. On top of that, if any of the nobles from across the continent had died, it'd spark diplomatic nightmares. Plenty to keep them busy.
No idiot would waste time tracking an elf thief's trail out here. That's what I believed, and so far, that belief held true.
"Hmm."
Judah halted as the elves and Arhil started lagging behind after walking all night. He turned to Arhil and asked,
"Tired?"
"...Yeah, a bit worn out."
Judah drew in a deep breath, seeing Arhil hesitate to ask for a break. Fresh air filled his lungs. Since becoming the Spirit Sword's owner, he felt little fatigue himself. But the elves and Arhil's faces were etched with exhaustion.
"No helping it. Let's rest here."
"Is that okay? What if they catch up?"
At Arhil's words, the sharp-eared elves nodded in agreement, looking anxious as they glanced back at Judah from behind. Their mana had recovered somewhat, but after being captured by humans for so long, they seemed to have lost much of their confidence.
"Doesn't matter if they do. I'll handle them."
Part of him even hoped they'd show up—he wanted to test the skills unlocked upon becoming the Spirit Sword's owner. But even without that, with night falling, resting now was the smart choice.
"Don't worry, everyone. Let's relax here and head out again after."
Emboldened by Judah's confident tone, several elves—who'd clearly been holding out—collapsed on the spot or leaned against tree trunks. Exhausted as they were, a few dozed off immediately.
Seeing this, Judah pulled firewood from the <Bag>. He debated lighting a fire but decided it was better than risking colds, so he cleared a spot and stacked the wood in a circle. One elf approached and conjured a small, warm flame in his hand. As the wood crackled to life, casting flickering light, the elves gathered around.
With about twenty of them, four campfires should suffice. The other elves, watching Judah, took initiative: they leveled the ground, cleared stray rocks, and prepared sites. They eyed the firewood he pulled from thin air with wonder, but once stacked high, they lit their own fires to warm up. They seemed quite chilled, so he handed out thick blankets too.
'They must be hungry by now. Time for dinner.'
Simple fruits would suffice as a meal replacement, but after fasting all day and marching nonstop, he wanted to give them something nutritious. He glanced at the elf tending the fire nearby.
"You eat meat, right?"
"Huh?"
Her eyes widened in surprise at the sudden question, but she soon laughed it off, realizing she'd overreacted.
"Meat, fruit—anything goes. We don't have picky eaters. We prefer veggies mostly... but we don't survive on dew alone."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah! Most humans get it wrong, but we eat just like anyone."
She brightly lit the last stack of Judah's wood before returning to her spot. He pulled out cooking utensils from the <Bag>.
"Seriously, it never runs out."
Arhil, resting nearby, sat up in awe as folding tables, pots, and more emerged from thin air one after another. The elves, warming themselves by the fires, watched Judah curiously.
"That's 'cause it has everything."
Humming a tune, Judah shrugged off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. He fetched a water bottle, washed his hands briefly, then pulled out more for the thirsty elves and handed them to Arhil.
"Distribute these to the elves, please."
"Sure~"
Arhil hopped up with a smile, took the bottles, and went around offering water. A nearby stream or spring would've been ideal, but hunting for one was a hassle.
Pondering his menu, Judah settled on vegetable porridge. A bit tedious, but he figured the elves would like it, so he got to work: filled a large pot with water, added dried anchovies, kelp, and radish to simmer stock.
A cool breeze blew, the campfires crackled pleasantly, and snippets of the elves' chatter drifted over—mood was perfect.
'Music would make it even better.'
He missed tunes from his smartphone. Once the thought hit, he craved it badly. He longed to cook while humming along to earbuds, but no dice. For now, he whistled remembered melodies. Arhil, back from water duty, chimed in.
"That melody's lovely. You sing too?"
"Nah, just humming. Never trained or anything..."
He hadn't sung much since coming to this world.
Arhil hummed thoughtfully at Judah's reply.
"With a voice like yours, it'd sound amazing."
"That flattering? Want a song?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"No teasing if it's bad, got it?"
"Of course!"
Arhil sidled up eagerly. Judah cleared his throat, pondering, then launched into a gentle ballad. His calm, resonant voice spread softly, captivating regardless of gender.
Oblivious to the elves' focused stares, Judah chopped pumpkin, carrots, and onions for the porridge, singing casually.
Forgetting some lyrics midway, he wrapped it up roughly. Arhil clapped enthusiastically.
"Wow! Such a great song!"
Her applause sparked a few elves to join in. Flustered by the cheers, Judah scratched his head and bowed in thanks.
"One more? Please? Just one!"
"Hmm."
"Look, the elves want it too! One more~!"
Worried about saliva spoiling the food, but seeing their hopeful faces—it'd help them unwind—Judah obliged. Back home, he wasn't much of a singer, but this 'Judah' body made vocals effortless. High notes soared easily, spurring him to belt it out.
He fetched pre-cooked rice from the <Bag>—stored ahead—and dumped it into the massive pot, straining the stock. He stir-fried chopped veggies and meat in a pan, added them, and stirred with a wooden spatula.
Porridge-making was tedious and patience-testing, but with elves as audience and songs flowing, time flew. Wondering at the magic of music, he checked system messages: affinity with the elves had risen. Arhil's too.
"Wow! All new songs. Where'd you learn them, Judah?"
Arhil's curiosity lit her face, but Judah just smiled. As the porridge finished, he added green onions, stirred well, set out wooden bowls and spoons on the table, and portioned it out. He called the elves to eat, told them to grab seconds if needed, and mentioned salt for taste.
Not gourmet, but it'd warm their empty bellies on this chilly night. After serving everyone, including Arhil's share, they sat against a tree trunk to eat. Mid-conversation over spoonfuls, Roxin came up.
"By the way, Roxin must've been really good to the elves?"
"?"
Good to elves? Judah doubted it.
In his memories, Roxin had been curt with them. But that might've been because Judah was watching; maybe he helped quietly behind the scenes. The fondness one female elf showed earlier suggested as much. Elves wouldn't act that way without reason.
"You don't know?"
"Well? He was pretty blunt in front of me, if not outright rude."
"Blunt? Like what?"
Arhil looked baffled. Judah leaned in, sniffing her playfully. She recoiled, wrinkling her nose.
"Eek! What're you doing?!"
Giggling, Judah continued.
"He'd say stuff like 'you smell, go wash up.' You know, like that. Roxin did."
"Really? To the elves?"
"Ask 'em if you don't believe me. They'll confirm."
"That's mean..."
"Well, seemed like he had zero interest in winning them over. Maybe that honesty came off as genuine to them. Better than fake smiles hiding shady motives, right?"
Arhil nodded, convinced, and shoveled more porridge. Watching an elf refill her bowl, she eyed Judah seriously.
"Hmm. So if we approach honestly, will they warm up to us?"
She clearly wanted to befriend them. Her whisper might've reached the keen-eared elves, but she waited childlike for his answer.
"Naturally. Take it slow. They don't dislike you."
As they finished and cleared dishes, an elf approached Judah. Familiar face—no names exchanged, but memorable: the first one he'd rescued. Judah smiled faintly at his stoic gaze.
"How was the food?"
"...Good."
"Glad to hear. Something on your mind?"
He set down his bowl, glanced at Arhil, then fixed on Judah, peering into his eyes as if reading his soul.
"Mind a quick word? Alone?"
"We can handle cleanup. Go ahead."
Arhil smiled, having overheard. Judah nodded, storing leftover porridge in the <Bag> like a fridge.