WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

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◈ Surviving as a Warrior in a TRPG World ◈

Chapter 66: The Way Back (3)

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Gerik had no intention of easing the tension with pointless arguments. Keeping one hand on the longsword at his waist, he slowly began backing away.

Without taking his eyes off the Warrior his perception had marked as the most dangerous, he maintained a stance that would let him use Charge to take the poorly armed archer's head if a fight broke out.

"This arrogant little..."

One of the youngest-looking members of the group flared up and tried to start something with Gerik.

"Enough."

But the Warrior raised a hand and firmly stopped the man. Knowing how arrogant the Warrior usually was, the man frowned, as if he could not understand this uncharacteristic behavior.

Still, he could not defy his leader's authority. In the end, he stepped back with a resentful look on his face.

"..."

No matter what they said, Gerik kept his gaze fixed ahead and slowly backed into the darkness of the thick undergrowth in the Boundary Forest.

Not long after he vanished without a trace, the man who had tried to pick a fight asked his leader in a half-demanding tone.

"Come on, boss! Why'd you stop me? He was obviously a rookie! He was carrying a huge load and looked exhausted too. Fuck, he was perfect for robbing!"

The man called boss let out a derisive snort.

"A rookie? That guy was a rookie?"

Just as the younger man was about to protest the incredulous question, the experienced archer who had exchanged looks with the leader earlier chimed in.

"The boss is right. That guy was never prey. If we'd touched him, we would've been in trouble."

"What? Have you two been drinking or something? What kind of nonsense is that..."

The young companion raised his voice, his face turning red at the words of the two veterans. Unlike the leader, who only scoffed as if answering was not worth the effort, the archer spoke calmly.

"Do you know what that shabby leather armor was made from?"

"...What was it?"

"The Tyrant of the Forest."

The archer explained that Gerik's old, worn-looking leather armor was actually made from Grizzly Owl hide. The man's face stiffened.

"...He could've been some rich family's brat."

Apparently unwilling to lose the argument, the man seized on the archer's words. The archer responded as if waiting for it, their voice dripping with mockery.

"Oh? Then you must've seen what was sticking out of his pack too. Do you think he bought that as well?"

"...What was there?"

"Grizzly Owl talons. Ten of them."

Surprisingly, the archer seemed to have spotted Grizzly Owl talons in Gerik's carefully packed belongings.

"Fine, say he spent a fortune on the armor. But what about the talons? They hadn't even been cleaned, and dark bloodstains were still caked onto the Tyrant's talons. What insane rich kid carries around ten of those?"

"..."

Only then did the younger companion understand what the archer meant, and his face went pale. The leader and archer sighed at the sight before reassuring him.

"Whether he's someone whose companions all died while hunting, leaving him lucky enough to survive alone and monopolize all the spoils, or someone who used his head to kill the Tyrant... he's no ordinary man. If we'd fought, one or two of us would definitely have died."

As the archer calmly laid out the reasons, the man finally seemed to realize how dangerous his actions had nearly been. He fell silent and wiped away cold sweat.

The veterans seemed to think they had frightened him enough, and began comforting him instead. Before long, they resumed their journey in a much more relaxed mood.

"...They're gone."

In truth, Gerik had not left yet. Hidden in the darkness some distance away, he had listened to their entire conversation with his enhanced perception.

If they had failed to give up and followed him, he intended to ambush them with Charge and cut them down one by one, starting with the least well-armed.

Fortunately, they were experienced enough that it did not come to that. Even so, Gerik believed his judgment had been right, both his wariness toward them and his resolve to cut them down if necessary.

Thankfully, nothing as troublesome happened again as he continued down the road. Before long, Gerik finally arrived in Stonecreek.

"Ghh...!!"

The moment he stepped into a place that smelled of people for the first time in a long while, all the extreme fatigue he had suppressed through tension came crashing down on him at once.

'...I need to rest right now.'

It felt like a tightly stretched string was about to snap. Gerik instinctively knew that if even the slightest problem arose now, he would pass out on the spot.

'I'll put off finding Minos and the others for now.'

He was worried about his companions, but Gerik decided not to push himself.

He needed to deal with the overwhelming drowsiness first, so he hurried toward The Night Watchman, the inn where he had arranged a long-term stay.

"Hm? Gerik?!"

Because Gerik had lived there for several months, the innkeeper Ronan immediately recognized him despite his battered, nearly unrecognizable appearance and stared in shock.

"Are you all right?!"

Gerik had washed himself as thoroughly as he could in that ruined world, but the harsh journey had left vicious marks on his armor that could not be erased.

And it was not only his armor. His pale, gaunt face and ragged appearance made it clear at a glance that something was wrong. Ronan looked deeply worried at the sight.

"I went as far as the edge of the Boundary Forest and ended up like this."

After giving a vague explanation, Gerik got to the point.

"I'm exhausted... Could I get a meal and some warm water to wash up right away? If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could prepare plenty of water in a large tub."

The innkeeper readily nodded at Gerik's request. He even said he would bring the meal directly to Gerik's room so he could eat comfortably.

Once he reached his room, Gerik dropped the baggage he had been carrying onto the floor as if tossing it aside.

When he removed his armor for the first time in a while, his body felt lighter, and he felt as if even a little of his exhaustion had eased.

As he sat on a chair for a moment, enjoying that sense of relief, the innkeeper set down a meal and a washbasin.

"Wash your hands and face first, then eat. I'll bring the bathwater as quickly as I can."

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Gerik had been exhausted enough to collapse at any moment. But when he saw the warm stew Ronan had brought, his extreme hunger instantly drove away his sleepiness.

So Gerik lightly washed his hands and face with water from the basin, then began cramming the stew and bread on the table into his mouth.

'This is insanely good.'

Perhaps because he had not eaten a proper meal in so long, the ordinary stew before him tasted like food from heaven.

Just as he was rapidly emptying the bowl like a starving man, Ronan opened the door again and entered with warm water.

"Here's your bathwater. Use it, and if you've got the strength, leave it outside afterward. If not, you can do it tomorrow."

Perhaps feeling sorry for the exhausted Gerik, Ronan said that and quietly left the room.

Left alone, Gerik took off all his clothes and lowered himself into the tub filled with hot water. The warmth he had not felt in so long made it seem as though his entire body were melting away.

'I need to wash... and get out...'

Moving his heavy hands, Gerik washed himself as best he could. Days of sweat, dirt, and the lingering smell of blood gradually dissolved into the warm water.

As the languid heat wrapped around his body, Gerik's mind, already at its limit, began to grow hazy.

'No... I need to get out and sleep...'

Gerik barely forced open his eyelids, which felt as heavy as lead, and squeezed out his last bit of strength to climb out of the tub. After only half-drying his wet body, he staggered toward the bed.

The moment his body touched it, Gerik fell into a deep sleep as if he had fainted.

* * *

Perhaps it was the aftermath of enduring such extreme hardship. Gerik did not open his eyes until he had slept for a full day.

"...How long did I sleep?"

As he raised his stiff body and saw the bright light streaming through the window, Gerik guessed that the sun had already climbed high into the sky.

"Hm... Did Ronan clean up while I was asleep?"

Gerik had been too tired to carry the tub he had washed in out into the hallway.

But perhaps the innkeeper had come by while he slept. The tub and dishes that had been carelessly left on the floor had been neatly cleared away without a trace.

"Man... I could use some coffee."

Having slept deeply for such a long time, Gerik felt a headache coming on and missed coffee, the drink from his previous life that could have fixed it.

Pressing a hand to his throbbing forehead, Gerik swayed slightly as he walked to the window.

"Phew..."

When Gerik threw open the wooden window, sunlight poured inside.

After sitting there for a while and letting the breeze wash over him, he felt his headache gradually fade and his head grow clearer.

Grrr...!!

Not long after his sleep had fully lifted, his stomach growled, and intense hunger rushed over him.

"Ugh..."

He did not feel like moving, but his hunger was too severe to ignore. Gerik unsteadily got to his feet, roughly put on the clothes scattered over the table, grabbed several copper coins, and went downstairs.

"Hey. You're awake?"

"Yes. Ronan, could I get something to eat?"

Ronan, who was keeping watch at the counter, greeted Gerik as he came down. Gerik sat in front of him and ordered food.

Clack.

The copper coins struck the wooden tabletop.

Pointing to the handful of coins, Gerik asked Ronan to give him a more generous meal than usual.

"Wait here."

Ronan nodded, took the coins, and headed into the kitchen.

Before long, he returned with grilled meat Gerik liked and stew full of fresh vegetables. There was also a cool drink for Gerik, who did not enjoy alcohol.

Mmph...

The scent and flavor, incomparable to the food he had eaten while camping, filled his senses and made Gerik feel blissful.

He immediately picked up his utensils and began shoveling food into his mouth.

It was a fantastic taste, different from yesterday, when fatigue had dulled his sense of taste.

After enjoying the meal for some time, Gerik finally became somewhat full and looked up at Ronan.

"Mmph... Has anything... chomp... happened in Stonecreek lately?"

"...Finish your food slowly before we talk."

Since Ronan had once been an adventurer himself, he knew why Gerik was acting that way. He gave Gerik a bitter smile and gently reassured him.

Then Ronan's expression hardened. He leaned closer to Gerik and spoke in a low whisper.

"There has. Something major happened."

"...?"

Gerik had asked without thinking, but when something interesting came out of Ronan's mouth, he stopped eating for a moment and looked at him.

"About when you left on your mission to the Boundary Forest, Num's Holy Knight Order and the Baskaar Kingdom's Knight Order stormed into the Adventurers’ Guild."

"...What?"

Gerik had expected something like a monster attack. Hearing of an event he had never imagined, his eyes widened in surprise.

"What happened?!"

"It seems there was a traitor in the Guild."

Looking around cautiously in case someone overheard, Ronan whispered that he had asked around out of curiosity. But the atmosphere was so tense and information was being tightly controlled that he had not been able to learn the full details.

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