Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Chapter 1-2. To Live in This World.
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Two hours later, upon arriving near Serinia Castle, Judah let out a sigh.
The forest darkened quickly. Because of that, there was no time to stroll leisurely. Fortunately, the sun hadn't set yet, and the gates were still open. A little later, and he might have had to spend the night in the woods.
Hoo—
Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the thick underbrush with no clear path and burst out onto the road leading to the east gate.
“Eek!”
“!”
The moment he emerged from the forest, a scream rang out, making Judah flinch and turn his head. He was startled, but someone else seemed even more shocked—they shrieked suddenly and dropped to the ground. It was the old hunter he often ran into in the mornings. A man who had spent his life farming and only got into hunting in his old age.
“Ah. Hello.”
Judah greeted him awkwardly with a smile, seeing the man's face pale unnaturally. The old hunter stammered incoherently for a moment before suddenly screaming again and bolting toward the gates. He even left behind the sack that looked like it held his hunt for the day. Judah wondered why, then belatedly remembered he was covered in blood. He had washed his face and body at a small spring on the way, but he couldn't very well wash his clothes.
‘I should pack some spare clothes and rations in the <Bag> next time I head out.’
Who knew when something like today might happen again. Preparing for the old hunter who had run to the gates to report to the guards, Judah pulled out the wolf pelt to drape over his shoulders and tucked the magic stone into his pocket. With his remaining hand, he picked up the sack the old hunter had left behind. As expected, the gates were firmly shut. He didn't know exactly what the old hunter had said, but atop the walls stood a knight in full armor and several soldiers.
“Hey, isn't that Judah?”
“He's covered in blood—did he get hurt?”
The sharp-eyed soldiers exchanged words. The gates opened again. The armored knight descended from top to bottom.
“Judah.”
The knight's voice was familiar. It was Charles, the captain of the west gate guards. A commoner who had earned his position as a knight under the lord through his skills. Judah smiled at him, set down the pelt on his shoulder and the sack in his hand on the ground, and raised both hands to show he had no intention of fighting.
“Yes, Charles.”
The knight approached without much caution. Still, Judah kept his hands up just in case. The knight looked Judah up and down, then glanced at the Black Wolf pelt on the ground.
“Did you hunt this?”
“Got lucky somehow.”
“Huh. A Black Wolf at your age? No injuries?”
Judah nodded.
“It's all wolf blood. Oh, and this sack belongs to Hunter Hail—he left it behind.”
“Yeah, he came running earlier yelling about a murderer in the woods. How does a guy that jumpy even go hunting...? Anyway, I'll make sure to return the sack tomorrow.”
“Yes. I'd appreciate that. So, can I head in now?”
“Sure. Go home and wash up quick. Here's a hood from the guardroom so you don't scare folks.”
The hood was the rain cape the soldiers used in bad weather. In a castle full of adventurers, who would be shocked by some bloodstained clothes? Still, no need to refuse the kindness. The hood from the guardroom smelled musty and was quite large on Judah. It dragged on the ground, and the soldiers laughed, saying even after slaying a wolf, he still looked like a little kid. Listening to their laughter, Judah headed home with a wry expression.
With the Black Wolf pelt slung over his back, people's gazes naturally gathered as he walked. The southern forest was home to many Black Wolves and White Wolves. Adventurers avoided heading that way. The areas where fragments were thought to have fallen were in the western forest, which also had far more ruins. Naturally, the southern forest offered less reward relative to its danger, so fewer adventurers ventured there.
Only occasional teams went down purely for the profit from the valuable Black Wolf pelts, so sightings were rare. It was only natural that Judah drew stares. Upon reaching home, he opened the door and stepped inside.
“I'm back. Tia.”
Tia was a nickname. After nearly two years living together with his mentor Tia, they had grown close enough for him to use it, with her permission. He had initially wanted to call her “Master,” but she refused, saying she disliked it. Only after slipping off his leather shoes and stepping onto the wooden floor did a delayed response come.
“Ung... back...?”
Her words cut off mid-sentence, and she leaped from the sofa in the living room with beast-like agility, landing right in front of Judah. Impressively nimble.
“Judah, you! What happened?”
Whether she smelled the blood or not, she forcibly yanked off the hood Judah had pulled over himself. Watching the rain cape nearly rip as it was flipped back, Judah thought, *It's borrowed, after all.* It wasn't in great shape anyway, so it probably wouldn't show much if it tore.
Unaware that Judah was worrying about the borrowed cape, Tia gasped in shock at his blood-soaked appearance. Fearing she might misunderstand, Judah spoke first.
“Ah. Wait. It's not my blood. Don't get the wrong idea.”
Ignoring him, she reached out and patted him down, focusing on the bloodiest spots. Rather than annoyed, Judah sighed and even spread his arms to make it easier for her. Naturally, there were no injuries. Realizing that, she let out a small sigh of relief.
“What happened?”
“Uh—well. Can I wash up first and talk then?”
“No, tell me now.”
Feeling grimy, Judah wanted to strip off his sweat-soaked clothes and bathe, but at Tia's urging, he explained the situation.
He had accidentally wandered deep into the forest and realized it while trying to head back, only to unluckily run into Black Wolves. He had wanted to flee immediately but figured he couldn't escape, so he drew his weapons and fought—and won. A simple explanation. And the proof was the Black Wolf pelt sitting in the entryway. There was no room for lies.
“...Got it. Go wash up.”
“Yes.”
Judah shrugged and trudged wearily to the bathroom. Tia examined the Black Wolf pelt he had brought from all angles. There were only two pelts, but they bore traces of the battle. One had a front paw severed and a dagger wound in its neck. The other had a large gash in its side and a sword thrust between its eyes. The cuts matched the dagger and longsword Judah carried.
Despite fighting the fearsome Black Wolves, Judah had no injuries.
He claimed all the blood on him was from the wolves. There was surely no lie in that.
“Hm.”
Tia touched her lips thoughtfully, deep in contemplation, then looked down at the rain cape still in her hand. It was the kind the east gate guards wore in the rain. She folded it neatly and set it in the corner of the entryway, then sat on the living room sofa. It sank in from where she had been lying moments before.
“A Black Wolf... pretty big one.”
She realized it had already been two years since she started living with Judah.
Tia reflected on the past anew. When they first met, he had called her pretty. That piqued her interest a bit. As a beastkin of the panther tribe, she was an object of fear to young children. She loved kids but was always a bit saddened that they wouldn't approach her easily. It had been a novel experience.
That fascination continued when Kaseun asked her to teach Judah. He had talent for learning anything and was diligent because of it. He seemed lazy at times, but he buckled down when needed.
A mature child who acted like an adult, yet still endearing. His hesitation when throwing a dagger at game on his first hunt was cute. His shocked face when she butchered the animal right in front of him was cute too.
After seeing the skinning process firsthand, Judah spent the whole day dazed. The effects lingered for two or three days, but afterward, he adapted somehow and grew bolder. He threw daggers at prey without hesitation, gutted the carcasses naturally, and though skinning took time to master, he did it well.
*He was cute back then.*
Tia, who always took Judah along, one day felt too lazy to get up in the morning and sleepily told him to go hunt alone. She slept in until the sun was high, then suddenly remembered what she had said.
She hurried out the east gate to track him. He was only twelve then—just twelve. From atop a tree, Tia watched him navigate the empty forest alone in search of game, feeling a swell of pride. In the end, he successfully hunted a wild boar and returned. She saw him skin it and leisurely build a fire to roast and eat his catch.
After that, Judah went hunting alone. Tia felt a twinge of disappointment that he didn't ask her to come along, but she couldn't babysit him forever. To foster his independence, she let him go. Instead, she started preparing meals and handling the housework for him.
With Tia taking care of chores, freeing up his time, Judah didn't waste it. He borrowed books from the library Lord Pierchan had built for the territory's residents and read them, or practiced throwing daggers. When holed up in his room, he meditated or trained alone.
Judah was an adult-like child. He often acted as if an adult's mind were in a kid's body. He never complained, and though he sometimes sniffled at night missing his parents, he didn't cry easily in front of others. He tried everything alone first and only asked for help when he couldn't manage.
Tia liked that about him. He lacked playfulness, which was a shame, but he was still cute and admirable. After two years of steadily watching him, one thing she was certain of was that he would achieve great success.
*He definitely has talent.*
Whether as an adventurer or mercenary, he would rise high. Kaseun had mentioned he was from a fallen noble family, so he might even become a knight.
The problem was that she had no idea what Judah's goal or dream was. After two years together, he had never shown greed for anything. He never shared his aspirations or future plans. He just thirsted for knowledge, learning this and that. One thing she knew: he planned to leave Serinia Castle someday.
*Probably when he comes of age.*
That left about two years. Maybe sooner or later. She felt the need for a serious talk with him for the first time.
It might be a bit late for such a conversation now, but she couldn't put it off. Above all, she was his mentor. Even if she hadn't taught him much lately, once a master, always a master!
She resolved to discuss his purpose and future plans. As she mulled over her thoughts, Judah emerged from the bathroom, freshly washed and in simple clothes.
* * *
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Tip 13. For bloodstained clothes, add one spoonful of 'Foreign Substance Remover Detergent' sold at the Magic Tower to your wash. It cleans them spotless. They also have a spray version—be sure to grab one before heading out on your journey!
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========== Author's Notes ==========
The name is <Gentia>, but from now on, please call her <Tia>.
I used to write it as Tia when calling her name and Gentia in descriptions.
But because of "Gentaya-ta," I worried you all might go pay respects to Buddha's Shakyamuni, so I changed it.
Sigh, it was a name I thoughtfully came up with.
Ah, and this isn't the end.
There's one more part.
But if you leave comments here, it'll really make me happy.
The more comments, the better. Recommendations too. Coupons too. Favorites too.
Just the more, the merrier!
Q. This reminds me of Mabinogi Enhans lol
A. Not Mabinogi Enhans—it's from an old game called Ace Online. I was thinking of those Enhans... but I quit Mabinogi after hitting level 10 like 10 years ago, so I don't know... lol.
Q2. So if Judah dies here now, does he go back to when his parents first died? And if he regresses, do his stat increases reset?
Q2-1. Does he go back to the day he lost to the bandits? Or was there a save point?
Q2-2. Is there a resurrection penalty later?
A. ^^. Answering those questions now would spoil what I plan to write later, so I'll leave it to build anticipation. Hahaha!
Q. Why switch from Common, Uncommon, Unique to suddenly Ancient instead of Antique? Just change to Common-Rare-Unique for consistency!
A. I wasn't thrilled with it either, so good call. The author listens to readers. Changed to Common-Rare-Unique-Ancient-Legendary.