9 The Journey to the Forest
Following our chat with the guild leader, my companions and I prepared for our voyage. However, since the people of the kingdom despise me, Shizu and the three adventurers were buying my belongings for me while I remain at the guild master's office.
While waiting for my comrades to return, I sat comfortably on the sofa, watching the guild leader read some paperwork. I then had a thought and decided to ask him a question.
"Um... Mister Fuze, did you find the person who spread the rumor?" I asked, curious if the individual who ruined my chance to stay in this kingdom has been found.
The guild master heard my question and looks at my direction, "Hmm? Oh, well.... I sent my informants to find those people, but they haven't returned yet," he explained, which is quite understandable.
"I see...."
*Creak*
After several minutes, my companions returned and entered the room. However, I noticed that the four of them were completely covered in splattered vegetables, mostly tomatoes.
I was concerned about what had happened to them, so I asked, "Are you guys okay? What happened?"
The three adventurers said they were fine, but they complained about how people were throwing tomatoes at them since they were believed to be backing a so-called witch. They also complained about how their clothes were getting dirty. Although Shizu did not respond, I could tell she was also upset about being covered in tomatoes.
Upon hearing their frustrations, I was utterly distraught, so I said "I'm very sorry for putting you through all of this," apologizing to my companions because it was totally my fault that they have suffered as a result of my bad reputation.
When they heard me apologize, they seemed surprised, but then they smiled and approached me with something in their hands.
Each of them gave a specific item as well as words of comfort. Kaval handed me a rolled-up camping bag while assuring me that everything was fine. Gido gave me a little hunting knife after telling me they were used to handle such situations. Eren gave me a very charming wallet after encouraging me not to blame myself. Finally, Shizu handed me a small brown backpack and promised to protect me.
"Thank you so much, everyone," I remarked with a smile as I accepted my companions' gifts.
I felt overwhelmed with gratitude when I received the presents and words of consolation from my companions. I can't express how thankful I am for their generosity and thoughtfulness. Because of this, I will cherish what they gave me for the rest of my life.
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"I know it's not the appropriate time to say this, but please clean yourselves up. It reeks in here," the guild master, who had been watching us the entire time, urged my companions.
When we heard the guild master's remarks, my companions and I were unamused and annoyed. The situation grew awkward as a result of his statements, and he basically ruined it.
"What's the deal? Why are you all staring at me like that?" the guild master inquired, confused as to why we were staring at him.
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After we were finished chatting, my companions cleaned up the filth from their clothing, and we continued our preparation.
Once we were ready to go, we decided to leave at night to avoid encountering any hostile bystanders and to secure a safe departure from the kingdom.
"Goodbye, mister Fuze," I said as I bid farewell to the guild master who was seeing us off at the entrance of the kingdom, which was thoughtful of him.
Upon hearing my farewell, the guild master nodded understandingly and replied, "Sure, take care and have a safe journey, Klee." Subsequently, we leave the kingdom and head towards the Jura Forest.
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During our journey through the forest, I assumed that exploring would be a piece of cake since I used to play adventure games in the past. However, when I experienced actual survival, I realized that I have been gravely mistaken. It turns out that it was harder than I thought.
There was a lot of navigating through dangerous paths, climbing steep terrains, and occasionally, fighting monsters. However, those monster attacks were only the result of Kaval poking at the monster nest, in which Shizu and I were forced to kill because the three idiots were unwilling to cooperate.
Anyway, compare to my previous experience in the Jura Forest, I am now required to learn basic survival skills. It is necessary for me to acquire these skills if I were to survive on my own once I arrived at Dwargon.
Thankfully, my companions taught me everything I needed to know, from forging ingredients and hunting animals in the woods to setting up a campfire and cooking food.
Ah, speaking of food. Shizu was currently in charge of preparing our dinner while the others were busy gathering resources for the campfire, leaving me with her alone together.
While waiting for the others to return, I sat patiently, watching Shizu cook. However, I observed something in the pot she was cooking in, so I inquired, "What are you cooking, miss Shizu? It smells delicious."
Shizu heard my question and replied, "Ah, this is pork miso soup, a recipe from my homeland," which shocked me after hearing the name of the cuisine.
'Wait a minute... Isn't that a Japanese dish? She said it originated from her homeland, which implies that she is....' I was flabbergasted by the realization that I looked at Shizu in bewilderment.
Shizu then caught my glance and asked, "Is there something wrong, Klee?"
I surveyed the surroundings to see whether the three adventurers were around. When the coast was clear, I asked her, "Miss Shizu, are you Japanese?"
"...."
The masked woman was utterly speechless after I asked her the question. She didn't respond at first, but then she removed her mask, showing a surprised expression.
"H-how do you know that, Klee?" she asked in confusion, wondering as to how did I figured out she was Japanese.
I hesitated to reveal my true identity to Shizu, but ultimately, I confessed, "Because I used to be Japanese too."
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[Shizu POV]
This was unexpected. I was totally taken aback upon learning that Klee was a Japanese like myself. Although I wasn't expecting to hear this information from her, I am quite relieved that I could finally connect with her.
"Hey Shizu, Klee, we're back!" I then heard Eren's voice as I was contemplating on my thoughts. It seemed that she and the other two were back from gathering supplies in the forest.
Before the three could reach the camp, I quickly informed Klee, "Let's talk about this later when they're asleep, okay?" persuading the little elf to follow my instructions.
"Okay," Klee replied as she nodded understandingly. After that, we watch the three approach us, and Kaval asked, "What are you two talking about?"
"It's nothing special, Miss Shizu was just telling me about her secret recipe," Klee told the three adventurers, which is obviously a lie.
"Really!? Please tell us," Eren replied, totally believing her excuse, and the other two agreed as well. Klee then went on to tell them the precise recipe for pork miso soup, which is rather astounding.
I'm impressed that she recalled the ingredients and methods on making the dish, proving that she was, in fact, a Japanese person like me.
After a while, the soup was finished cooking and I gave a bowl to all of my companions, watching how they reacted to the food.
"Wow, Shizu, this soup tastes delicious," Eren replied, complementing my cooking. The others also agreed with her comments, which was reassuring to hear. So far, they seem to appreciate the soup, thus I served them another bowl.
"Here, have some more," I said as I offered them another bowl of soup. However, Kaval answered, "No thanks, we're already full," turning down my offer. Hearing their refusal really disappoints me, thus I decided to teach them some manners.
"Hey you three, don't waste Miss Shizu's soup," Klee reprimanded the three adventurers ahead of me. "You should be grateful she was cooking for us to begin with," she added, scolding the three with an intimidating voice. Her tone scares them and they reluctantly follow her instructions.
It's amusing to watch her acting like a normal Asian parent trapped in the body of a child. She even told them to eat more while devouring one serving after another.
"Please Klee, this is my fifth bowl. I can't eat any more," Gido pleaded, begging for Klee to stop serving more soup.
"Shut up and eat, Gido. I could tell by her tone that she's dead serious," Kaval rebuked Gido while anxiously eating his food.
"Waah, Klee is scary when she's eating," Eren complained, terrified of seeing Klee complete her tenth bowl of soup, which is quite impressive. I could tell she was well-fed in her previous life.
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After feeling full and exhausted, Kaval, Gido, and Eren went to sleep that night. Klee, on the other hand, was waiting next to a tree. Knowing what we previously agreed on, I suppose she was looking forward for my arrival.
In that case, I went up to the young elf and said, "Hey there, Klee," calling her name. She turned to face me as soon as she heard my voice and smiled brightly.
"Hello, Miss Shizu," Klee responded as I approached towards her. It warmed my heart to see how happy she was to see me.
"How's the dinner? Did you enjoy it?" I inquired, curious about her thoughts on my cooking.
"It's the most delicious pork miso soup I've ever tasted," Klee answered, complimenting the food I made earlier. Hearing her appreciation made me happy, so I said, "Really? That's very kind of you to say that"
We both chuckled under the tree and then went on to tell each other about our lives before to arriving in this world. Klee informed me that she was reincarnated as an elf after responding to an unknown survey on her computer before she was dragged into the screen, which is unusual in comparison to mine.
"How about you, Miss Shizu, tell me how you got into this world?" Klee inquired, curious to learn about my origins. I complied to her request and told her what happened to me in the past.
I begin by telling her about the time when the bombs were dropped and I was fleeing with my mother. However, I was suddenly consumed in flames and was summoned into another world by a man named Leon Cromwell. The man then named me Shizu and placed a flame spirit within me.
Once I was done telling her my story, Klee showed an overwhelming feeling of sorrow. She seemed to be quite distressed about the war that happened in my time.
"I see, Miss Shizu used to live during the Showa period," Klee said, which grabbed my attention. Given that she referred to it in this way, implies that she learnt about the event after a long period of time.
"Klee, may I ask you what year you live in the previous world?" I inquired, curious about the year she used to live.
She then responded, "I used to live in the year 2023," which astonished me. I was astounded by how far into the future she was, making me wonder what happened after the war.
"Hey, could you please tell me how things are in your time?" I pondered, seeking information about Japan in Klee's timeline. She nodded in compliance and proceed to tell me everything.
As it turned out, a lot of things happened to Japan after the war. Along with the advancement of technology, the economy also underwent reconstruction. Many buildings and other architectural forms were built alongside developments in transportation like automobiles, aircraft, and transit.
As I understood about developments in Japan, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. After all, it seems like the future of Japan was in safe hands.
"Miss Shizu..." Klee then suddenly calls out to me. I looked at her, and she was fidgeting her fingers and giving me subtle glances.
"What is it, Klee?" I inquired, curious about what she wanted to tell me.
She took a long breath after asking her that question and then said, "Can I call you big sister?"
"Oh my," I was surprised by Klee's adorable request, and I was unable to resist smiling at her. I place my hand on her head and said, "Of course you can."
Klee's face lit up when she realized I'd approved her request. Then she gave me a warm hug, which made everything even better. Subsequently, I hugged her back.
However, I'm not sure she'd forgive me if we parted ways after this was all over. I wonder if she would cry just like my students back in Ingrassia.
