Chapter 515: Natives (3)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 515: Natives (3)

We'd found ourselves in a comical situation, with monsters who call themselves humans and conversely call us the real monsters.

"How interesting."

"Interesting? What did he say?"

"He's saying that we're the monsters and he's human."

"Oh... so the monster has a screw loose or something?"

Unlike Ainar, who laughed it off as a joke, the others had mixed reactions. Some seemed to find this interesting just like me, while some wore curious looks, and others still seemed pretty irritated by it all.

Unexpectedly, our wizard, Versyl, didn't have any outward reaction whatsoever. Was it because she was a player? If Raven were here, she probably would've lost it and immediately demanded that we ask the monster why he thought that way.

"(What... What are you all saying?)" asked the monster kid, which let me know that he wasn't completely oblivious as to the situation he was in.

"(We were discussing what you meant when you said you're a person.)"

"(...That's something you have to have a talk about?)"

"(Of course.)"

"(Well, what are you, then?)"

I paused, taking a moment to think over my answer. Then it hit me that I knew a word that could be used to describe humans, barbarians, elves, and beastpeople alike. "(We're adventurers.)"

"(Ad... venturers?)"

"(What's up? Is that a word you've never heard before?)"

The little monster raised his right hand and bobbed his thumb down toward the ground. It looked to be a gesture equivalent to a nod in our culture. "(Adventurer... What's an adventurer?)"

"(It's a person who goes around the labyrinth looking for new things and hunting monsters.)"

"(...Okay. Then that means you all came from outside the island, like I thought.)"

"(That's right,)" I said, lowering my thumb. The monster kid mimicked me, lowering his thumb twice in a row.

Heh, this was kind of fun.

"Looks like this conversation is going to go a little longer than I thought. Keep an eye out."

"Understood."

Once my clan changed formation to form a perimeter, I went to work building a rapport with our prisoner so we could have a more open conversation.

"(Do you want to eat this?)"

"(What's that?)"

"(It's jerky. You make it by drying meat.)"

"(No, that's not what I meant.)"

"(What?)" I asked, tilting my head.

The kid responded with identical confusion. "(Eat... What does 'eat' mean?)"

I was momentarily stunned by the question, but he didn't seem like the type to play a prank in a situation like this. I gave the best explanation I could muster. "(Eating is when you chew food in your mouth and swallow it down your throat.)"

Like this.

To demonstrate, I chewed on the jerky and swallowed it, but the monster kid just looked disgusted.

"(...Ew. That's weird. Teeth are only for killing enemies...)"

"(Then do you all not eat anything?)"

"(Of course not! How can you... p-put something like that in your body?)"

I mean, that judgmental look of yours is making me feel a little weird about it now...

"(I-I heard that you sometimes swallow stuff without meaning to while fighting... but that's not supposed to happen!)"

Now that was pretty strange. Well, actually, I supposed the same went for almost all monsters.

"(So you can live without having to eat anything?)"

"(Obviously. People like me don't die as long as they can drink Life Water.)"

"(Life Water...?)"

Noticing my obvious confusion, the kid pulled out a ceramic bottle from his bag and drank from it. "This is Life Water."

"(Could I have some?)"

"(...Sure.)"

He looked like he didn't really want to give me any at all, but maybe he understood that he was currently our prisoner because he pushed the bottle toward me.

All right, got a mystery item.

"Versyl. Do you know what this is?"

"Give me a second... The mana density is very high..." I handed it over to her just in case, but to my surprise, Versyl managed to identify it immediately. "This is... I think this is ground-up mana stones mixed with water."

"...Mana stones?"

"Yes. That's how the mana water we use in the city is created, and this looks identical to that."

Mana water was an essential material component for crafting magic items. But to have that as the staple of your diet...

"(Hey, is this Life Water perhaps made of the mana stones you get from monsters—er, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made from stones?)"

"(Yeah... so what if it is? And I'm not 'Hey.' My name is Marupichichi.)"

"(Got it, Marupichichi. I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.)"

"(...Your name is weird.)"

Says the kid named Marupichichi...

Still, Maru shyly pushed his thumb out toward me as he spoke, so I pushed my thumb out too to not leave him hanging.

"Just...what is he doing with that monster?"

"Don't know. Looks like a handshake or something."

"How much information have you gotten?" Amelia demanded. "Did you figure out where the village is?"

Oh, right... I should've done that first, but I ended up having fun talking about silly nonsense.

"I'm still asking him."

"I see... Well, even a child wouldn't reveal such vital information to a stranger. Tell me if you need my help."

"...Sure."

At that point, I set my own personal curiosities aside and instead began digging for important information.

"(Marupichichi, where's the entrance to your village?)"

Contrary to Amelia's concerns, Maru, who was so kind that he'd help prisoners escape because he felt sorry for them, didn't even try to plead the Fifth. However, the answer he gave me wasn't the one I was looking for.

"(There isn't one. For now, anyway...)"

"(Huh?)"

"(Until the adults open it up, no one can enter the village... N-Not even me...)"

Hah, I did wonder why he'd been hiding in the forest by himself. "(Is it normal for the village entrance to be shut?)"

"(No... It's usually never closed unless it's rainy season.)"

I mean, that judgmental look of yours is making me feel a little weird about it now...

"(I-I heard that you sometimes swallow stuff without meaning to while fighting... but that's not supposed to happen!)"

Now that was pretty strange. Well, actually, I supposed the same went for almost all monsters.

"(So you can live without having to eat anything?)"

"(Obviously. People like me don't die as long as they can drink Life Water.)"

"(Life Water...?)"

Noticing my obvious confusion, the kid pulled out a ceramic bottle from his bag and drank from it. "This is Life Water."

"(Could I have some?)"

"(...Sure.)"

He looked like he didn't really want to give me any at all, but maybe he understood that he was currently our prisoner because he pushed the bottle toward me.

All right, got a mystery item.

"Versyl. Do you know what this is?"

"Give me a second... The mana density is very high..." I handed it over to her just in case, but to my surprise, Versyl managed to identify it immediately. "This is... I think this is ground-up mana stones mixed with water."

"...Mana stones?"

"Yes. That's how the mana water we use in the city is created, and this looks identical to that."

Mana water was an essential material component for crafting magic items. But to have that as the staple of your diet...

"(Hey, is this Life Water perhaps made of the mana stones you get from monsters—er, made from stones?)"

"(Yeah... so what if it is? And I'm not 'Hey.' My name is Marupichichi.)"

"(Got it, Marupichichi. I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.)"

"(...Your name is weird.)"

Says the kid named Marupichichi...

Still, Maru shyly pushed his thumb out toward me as he spoke, so I pushed my thumb out too to not leave him hanging.

"Just...what is he doing with that monster?"

"Don't know. Looks like a handshake or something."

"How much information have you gotten?" Amelia demanded. "Did you figure out where the village is?"

Oh, right... I should've done that first, but I ended up having fun talking about silly nonsense.

"I'm still asking him."

"I see... Well, even a child wouldn't reveal such vital information to a stranger. Tell me if you need my help."

"...Sure."

At that point, I set my own personal curiosities aside and instead began digging for important information.

"(Marupichichi, where's the entrance to your village?)"

Contrary to Amelia's concerns, Maru, who was so kind that he'd help prisoners escape because he felt sorry for them, didn't even try to plead the Fifth. However, the answer he gave me wasn't the one I was looking for.

"(There isn't one. For now, anyway...)"

"(Huh?)"

"(Until the adults open it up, no one can enter the village... N-Not even me...)"

Hah, I did wonder why he'd been hiding in the forest by himself. "(Is it normal for the village entrance to be shut?)"

"(No... It's usually never closed unless it's rainy season.)"

A rainy season... So it rains here as well? I mean, I guess heavy rain would be a problem for an underground village.

"(Then why is the entrance closed right now?)" I asked.

"(That's... probably my fault.)"

"(Your fault?)"

"(Yeah. The adults probably noticed that the monsters they captured escaped...)"

Wait, but then they should have formed a hunting party instead. Why would they close the entrance? That was my knee-jerk reaction, but on second thought, I could understand their logic. The villagers had no way of knowing that the adventurers escaped their village entirely. They probably assumed that they were hiding somewhere inside, and had sealed the exits to search for them.

It's been about four hours since they escaped. The monsters should realize they're gone soon and come out of the village...

For now, I shared the information I obtained with my allies. We then held a vote.

"The issue at hand is 'What will we do about the monsters who can talk and call themselves human?' and there are two options to choose from."

"Two?"

At Amelia's question, I bobbed my thumb.

"One: make friends."

Or two...

"Kill them all."

Either would definitely be a choice befitting an adventurer.

"Did you say...friends? With the monsters?"

A few of them clearly found my suggestion ridiculous while others seemed to be genuinely considering whether or not it was a possibility.

"The real question is, why do you want us to become friends with them?"

"They live here, so they probably know a lot about this place."

"Can't we just ask that monster over there if we want to know?"

Well, how much would a kid know? In the end, we needed to have a conversation with an adult monster if we wanted to get our hands on more valuable information.

However, Amelia was still skeptical. "If that's the only reason, we can just grab an adult monster and interrogate it."

"That's true, but it might not be easy. This guy freely shared things with us because he's young, but the adults might not be so loose-tongued."

"Do you... not trust me to get the job done?"

"That's not it. It's just that we don't need to go to such extremes. We don't even know how strong their forces are yet. Also... weren't you the one who said we shouldn't kill people without reason?"

"When they're people, yeah."

"Ah..."

"...Whatever. So what if we fail to make friends with them?" Amelia asked bluntly.

I likewise gave my answer without missing a beat. "We'll kill them all." There were only two choices, after all. If Plan A didn't work, we would naturally proceed with Plan B.

"Well, in that case, I'm on the side of making them our friends."

"That's a little unexpected."

"I'm a little intrigued by them too."

In any case, the voting began, starting with Amelia. In the end...

"Three for 'make friends,' three for 'kill them all.'"

A rainy season... So it rains here as well? I mean, I guess heavy rain would be a problem for an underground village.

"(Then why is the entrance closed right now?)" I asked.

"(That's... probably my fault.)"

"(Your fault?)"

"(Yeah. The adults probably noticed that the monsters they captured escaped...)"

Wait, but then they should have formed a hunting party instead. Why would they close the entrance? That was my knee-jerk reaction, but on second thought, I could understand their logic. The villagers had no way of knowing that the adventurers escaped their village entirely. They probably assumed that they were hiding somewhere inside, and had sealed the exits to search for them.

It's been about four hours since they escaped. The monsters should realize they're gone soon and come out of the village...

For now, I shared the information I obtained with my allies. We then held a vote.

"The issue at hand is 'What will we do about the monsters who can talk and call themselves human?' and there are two options to choose from."

"Two?"

At Amelia's question, I bobbed my thumb.

"One: make friends."

Or two...

"Kill them all."

Either would definitely be a choice befitting an adventurer.

"Did you say...friends? With the monsters?"

A few of them clearly found my suggestion ridiculous while others seemed to be genuinely considering whether or not it was a possibility.

"The real question is, why do you want us to become friends with them?"

"They live here, so they probably know a lot about this place."

"Can't we just ask that monster over there if we want to know?"

Well, how much would a kid know? In the end, we needed to have a conversation with an adult monster if we wanted to get our hands on more valuable information.

However, Amelia was still skeptical. "If that's the only reason, we can just grab an adult monster and interrogate it."

"That's true, but it might not be easy. This guy freely shared things with us because he's young, but the adults might not be so loose-tongued."

"Do you... not trust me to get the job done?"

"That's not it. It's just that we don't need to go to such extremes. We don't even know how strong their forces are yet. Also... weren't you the one who said we shouldn't kill people without reason?"

"When they're people, yeah."

"Ah..."

"...Whatever. So what if we fail to make friends with them?" Amelia asked bluntly.

I likewise gave my answer without missing a beat. "We'll kill them all." There were only two choices, after all. If Plan A didn't work, we would naturally proceed with Plan B.

"Well, in that case, I'm on the side of making them our friends."

"That's a little unexpected."

"I'm a little intrigued by them too."

In any case, the voting began, starting with Amelia. In the end...

"Three for 'make friends,' three for 'kill them all.'"

For some reason, I once again found myself in the position of being the deciding vote. I turned my head to look at Marupichichi, ready to announce my decision.

Fwip!

Then my warrior body, always primed for a fight, noticed a foreboding sound.

Who? Where? Why?

Before I could even consciously ask any of those questions, I was moving.

Fwoop!

A mysterious arrow thunked into my shield the second I lifted it to cover my upper body. I was honestly a little surprised.

...It actually went through.

Although it didn't pierce all the way through, the arrow had broken through several layers of the shield and lodged itself inside. Going by the arrow itself, it looked like the blow was 100 percent physical damage as well, with no magic to be found.

"Prepare for battle!"

I shouted the words out of habit, then looked in the direction the arrow had flown in from. There, a few monsters armed with an array of weapons were stepping out of the forest.

If I had to guess... their only goal is to save this kid.

They probably fired an arrow to confuse us and create some sort of opening. As soon as I realized what they were going for, I dropped my shield and reached out my arm to grab Marupichichi by the scruff of his neck.

"(Uwak!)"

He was my new shield.

"(L-L-Let go...!)"

Although he started flailing and shouting, he proved to be a pretty effective piece of equipment.

The monsters who emerged from the treeline in unison like some sort of special forces team all hesitated at the sight of my new shield.

"(You cowardly bastard...)"

"(To use a child as a hostage...)"

Such high praise coming from guys who were now stuck at a standstill.

"(Young Master Maruratiti!)"

"(Rest assured, we'll definitely save you. You have my word.)"

Judging by their conversation, they all knew each other.

But why are they being so polite? Is this kid high-status?

I wasn't sure, but that would be even better. I held my newly acquired monster shield high as I shouted, "(Drop your weapons, or this kid dies!)"

"I'm surprised," Amelia murmured beside me. "I thought you were on the side of making friends."

"Huh? But I am trying to be their friend?"

Amelia stared at me for a long moment. "...And yet you're pulling this nonsense?"

Jeez, calling it "nonsense..."

I cleared my throat. "...Plenty of people become friends by fighting."

After all, that was how we became friends, right?

Silence fell over the battlefield.

"(It speaks our tongue...)"

"(A monster... How could this be?)"

"(Is he perhaps the one the village chief...?)"

The dozens of monsters didn't drop their weapons, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but they didn't approach me either, instead just choosing to stare at me. I waited, not relaxing my battle stance either.

For some reason, I once again found myself in the position of being the deciding vote. I turned my head to look at Marupichichi, ready to announce my decision.

Fwip!

Then my warrior body, always primed for a fight, noticed a foreboding sound.

Who? Where? Why?

Before I could even consciously ask any of those questions, I was moving.

Fwoop!

A mysterious arrow thunked into my shield the second I lifted it to cover my upper body. I was honestly a little surprised.

...It actually went through.

Although it didn't pierce all the way through, the arrow had broken through several layers of the shield and lodged itself inside. Going by the arrow itself, it looked like the blow was 100 percent physical damage as well, with no magic to be found.

"Prepare for battle!"

I shouted the words out of habit, then looked in the direction the arrow had flown in from. There, a few monsters armed with an array of weapons were stepping out of the forest.

If I had to guess... their only goal is to save this kid.

They probably fired an arrow to confuse us and create some sort of opening. As soon as I realized what they were going for, I dropped my shield and reached out my arm to grab Marupichichi by the scruff of his neck.

"(Uwak!)"

He was my new shield.

"(L-L-Let go...!)"

Although he started flailing and shouting, he proved to be a pretty effective piece of equipment.

The monsters who emerged from the treeline in unison like some sort of special forces team all hesitated at the sight of my new shield.

"(You cowardly bastard...)"

"(To use a child as a hostage...)"

Such high praise coming from guys who were now stuck at a standstill.

"(Young Master Maruratiti!)"

"(Rest assured, we'll definitely save you. You have my word.)"

Judging by their conversation, they all knew each other.

But why are they being so polite? Is this kid high-status?

I wasn't sure, but that would be even better. I held my newly acquired monster shield high as I shouted, "(Drop your weapons, or this kid dies!)"

"I'm surprised," Amelia murmured beside me. "I thought you were on the side of making friends."

"Huh? But I am trying to be their friend?"

Amelia stared at me for a long moment. "...And yet you're pulling this nonsense?"

Jeez, calling it "nonsense..."

I cleared my throat. "...Plenty of people become friends by fighting."

After all, that was how we became friends, right?

Silence fell over the battlefield.

"(It speaks our tongue...)"

"(A monster... How could this be?)"

"(Is he perhaps the one the village chief...?)"

The dozens of monsters didn't drop their weapons, but they didn't approach me either, instead just choosing to stare at me. I waited, not relaxing my battle stance either.

Step, step.

A minute or so later, a monster who looked to be about twelve feet tall emerged from the trees. He had a huge bow slung over his shoulder that matched his huge size.

I see, so this guy was the archer.

"(Are you the leader?)" I asked, speaking first.

Instead of answering, the bow monster responded with a question of his own. "(Monster, how can you speak our language?)"

"(Drop your weapon. I'll tell you if you do.)"

The one who answered me was, surprisingly, my shield. "(F-Father! Don't do it! I'm fine, so—!)"

Whoa... he's the daddy?

"Do you see that? Bjorn's wicked smile? Those monsters are as good as dead! Hahaha!"

...Wait, did I smile? I hadn't noticed, but I tried my best to smooth out my expression as I tuned out Ainar and focused on the conversation at hand.

"(Do not interrupt, Chichi.)"

"(But...)"

"(Be quiet!)"

My shield's mouth snapped shut at his father's reprimand.

That's right. There's no need for kids to butt into a conversation between adults.

"(I will say this one last time. If you want your son to live, drop your weapon now—)"

"(Monster, I wish to invite you to our village.)"

"(...What?)"

I thought I heard him wrong, but it seemed my hearing was perfectly fine. "(I said I wish to invite you to our village. Did you perhaps not understand that? I don't believe that should have been too complex a sentence.)"

Uh... I don't think this is a problem of vocabulary?

"(Did you think I'd accept a sudden invitation in a situation like this?)"

Considering the strength of this bow monster alone, I couldn't underestimate these people. We were overwhelmingly outnumbered, and things would take a turn for the worse if we were attacked in a remote location.

An offer like that wasn't even worth entertaining unless our safety was guaranteed or this race somehow proved they were trustworthy.

The bowman seemed disgruntled. "(Declining our invitation... How barbaric.)"

"(And hanging bodies up in trees is humane?)"

"(...All of your kin who were taken ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down to the village are safe. They won't be harmed, so you may be at ease.)"

How could I trust that?

"(If you want, you can even keep hold of my son—)"

"(I refuse.)"

At my final, harsh veto, he dropped the matter altogether. However, he did make a peculiar request.

"(Then could you wait here for a moment? It won't be long.)"

Was he just going to call for reinforcements? Although there was a small risk that that was the case, I decided to accept his request. There was a possibility I was misinterpreting, but I couldn't sense much hostility on their end.

...This whole interaction flipped on its head the second they realized I could talk.

We were about ten minutes into our awkward standoff when something finally changed.

"(The village chief...)"

"(Make way.)"

As I heard murmurings arise from their backline, the warriors split like the Red Sea and created a path. From their depths emerged a monster with a long white beard who walked using a cane.

"(Hello,)" he called in a pleasantly smooth voice. "(What is your name?)"

"(I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.)"

"(That's a fine name. Nuiachichi! Take the warriors and fall back! I have something to discuss with these folk!)"

I didn't know anything about the cultural practices of these monsters who called themselves human, but at the village chief's orders, they immediately fell back and gave us space to talk in private, no questions asked.

"(Ah, sorry. There are things I want to discuss that wouldn't be good for them to know.)"

"(Good for them...?)"

I couldn't help but tilt my head at the odd wording, but the chief only smiled, his protruding tusks gleaming.

"(Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself. I am the chief of this village, Bruingrid.)"

"(Bruingrid?)"

The name sounded familiar.

"Emily, have you heard of a Bruingrid?"

"I think that was the name of one of the Great Sage's companions."

Ah, so that's where I've heard that name before.

I turned back to my original conversation with the village chief and found he had extended his hand toward me. I tensed instinctively. "Ah, don't be alarmed. I'm just offering you a handshake."

"Ah..." I gave an awkward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smile and shook his hand.

Then, a moment later, it hit me.

"Did you say you were Bjorn, son of Yandel?"

The chief was speaking—but not in the ancient language.

No, he was speaking Rafdonian.

"It's good to see you, truly. And I suppose you are an adventurer from Rafdonia?"

What was going on?

"So, how much time has passed in the outside world?"

Who the hell was this guy?

Step, step.

A minute or so later, a monster who looked to be about twelve feet tall emerged from the trees. He had a huge bow slung over his shoulder that matched his huge size.

I see, so this guy was the archer.

"(Are you the leader?)" I asked, speaking first.

Instead of answering, the bow monster responded with a question of his own. "(Monster, how can you speak our language?)"

"(Drop your weapon. I'll tell you if you do.)"

The one who answered me was, surprisingly, my shield. "(F-Father! Don't do it! I'm fine, so—!)"

Whoa... he's the daddy?

"Do you see that? Bjorn's wicked smile? Those monsters are as good as dead! Hahaha!"

...Wait, did I smile? I hadn't noticed, but I tried my best to smooth out my expression as I tuned out Ainar and focused on the conversation at hand.

"(Do not interrupt, Chichi.)"

"(But...)"

"(Be quiet!)"

My shield's mouth snapped shut at his father's reprimand.

That's right. There's no need for kids to butt into a conversation between adults.

"(I will say this one last time. If you want your son to live, drop your weapon now—)"

"(Monster, I wish to invite you to our village.)"

"(...What?)"

I thought I heard him wrong, but it seemed my hearing was perfectly fine. "(I said I wish to invite you to our village. Did you perhaps not understand that? I don't believe that should have been too complex a sentence.)"

Uh... I don't think this is a problem of vocabulary?

"(Did you think I'd accept a sudden invitation in a situation like this?)"

Considering the strength of this bow monster alone, I couldn't underestimate these people. We were overwhelmingly outnumbered, and things would take a turn for the worse if we were attacked in a remote location.

An offer like that wasn't even worth entertaining unless our safety was guaranteed or this race somehow proved they were trustworthy.

The bowman seemed disgruntled. "(Declining our invitation... How barbaric.)"

"(And hanging bodies up in trees is humane?)"

"(...All of your kin who were taken down to the village are safe. They won't be harmed, so you may be at ease.)"

How could I trust that?

"(If you want, you can even keep hold of my son—)"

"(I refuse.)"

At my final, harsh veto, he dropped the matter altogether. However, he did make a peculiar request.

"(Then could you wait here for a moment? It won't be long.)"

Was he just going to call for reinforcements? Although there was a small risk that that was the case, I decided to accept his request. There was a possibility I was misinterpreting, but I couldn't sense much hostility on their end.

...This whole interaction flipped on its head the second they realized I could talk.

We were about ten minutes into our awkward standoff when something finally changed.

"(The village chief...)"

"(Make way.)"

As I heard murmurings arise from their backline, the warriors split like the Red Sea and created a path. From their depths emerged a monster with a long white beard who walked using a cane.

"(Hello,)" he called in a pleasantly smooth voice. "(What is your name?)"

"(I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.)"

"(That's a fine name. Nuiachichi! Take the warriors and fall back! I have something to discuss with these folk!)"

I didn't know anything about the cultural practices of these monsters who called themselves human, but at the village chief's orders, they immediately fell back and gave us space to talk in private, no questions asked.

"(Ah, sorry. There are things I want to discuss that wouldn't be good for them to know.)"

"(Good for them...?)"

I couldn't help but tilt my head at the odd wording, but the chief only smiled, his protruding tusks gleaming.

"(Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself. I am the chief of this village, Bruingrid.)"

"(Bruingrid?)"

The name sounded familiar.

"Emily, have you heard of a Bruingrid?"

"I think that was the name of one of the Great Sage's companions."

Ah, so that's where I've heard that name before.

I turned back to my original conversation with the village chief and found he had extended his hand toward me. I tensed instinctively. "Ah, don't be alarmed. I'm just offering you a handshake."

"Ah..." I gave an awkward smile and shook his hand.

Then, a moment later, it hit me.

"Did you say you were Bjorn, son of Yandel?"

The chief was speaking—but not in the ancient language.

No, he was speaking Rafdonian.

"It's good to see you, truly. And I suppose you are an adventurer from Rafdonia?"

What was going on?

"So, how much time has passed in the outside world?"

Who the hell was this guy?