Welcome back! Here's another chapter. To answer a couple of questions from reviews:
1) I am never going to give any character's exact stats as some sort of character sheet. In my own opinion, being able to quantify all of someone's skills and abilities cheapens their growth and makes every big step "just another number" on the sheet. Plus, 90% of people just skip over it anyway. I've always hated it, so it won't be part of this story.
2) Canonically, having your weapon stolen doesn't necessarily take away the translation function. It takes away some things, but not that one. I decided to remove it entirely for the sake of this story because I feel that it makes it more interesting. After all, it'd be pretty dull if Flynn goes into Melromarc and just asks people things and gets told everything he could possibly need to know. I much prefer the struggle and culture shock that comes from this change.
3) For context, Welt is one of Ren's party members.
Cheers!
"Holy mother of..."
I couldn't help but stare in awe at the shining coin that Elhart placed in my hand. Its surface was like a small mirror, reflective enough that I could see a slightly blurred outline of my face on it. If the authentic material it was made of wasn't enough evidence of its value, the exotic etchings and designs of whatever kingdom created it were made with meticulous precision.
Elhart gave me the most smug look I'd ever seen on a man. "Vu nola, eh?" he asked. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I was too busy admiring this work of art to pay it much mind. Is something like this really used as a regular currency? Buying something with this is like walking around with literal bars of gold in your pocket. You're practically begging to get robbed.
To be honest, a bar of gold is a lot harder to steal than this little thing.
Welt exchanged some words with Elhart back and forth while I continued to turn the coin over in my grasp. Was that golem's core really worth this much? With this kind of cash, I could purchase a full suit of armor and still have some left over! I could pay hotel bills and buy food without having to worry about finances again! Is this what winning the lottery feels like?
...Maybe if the lottery involved fighting for your life, there'd be a lot less competition. Wait, that sounds a bit too much like a gladiator arena or something. Nevermind.
"Flynn," Elhart walked behind the counter and pulled out a coin pouch and dumped a small mountain of silver coins onto the table. He motioned for me to hand him the gold piece back. I did, and he began counting silver coins all the way up to a hundred before splitting the group off from the rest. I already know that a hundred silver coins equaled a gold one, but where am I going to fit this many coins? Breaking change for a gold coin probably isn't easy for anyone, I know, but how am I going to walk around with ten pounds of change in my bag?
A second group of one hundred silver coins was made and pushed off to the side along with some extras. Elhart pointed at each of us with one hand, then each finger pointed to one of the two groups of coins. Ah, so we're splitting the proceeds evenly and each of us gets one hundred and twenty-five silver pieces from it? It makes sense after all; both of us had put in an equal amount of effort into discovering this in the first place. Welt had handled most of the traps, and I'd figured out the puzzle leading to the treasure.
Speaking of "the treasure", Welt kept it hidden and never mentioned it to Elhart. I wonder if he's realized just how worthless it is yet.
I didn't even bother to scoop my share into my arms since I knew that I'd be spending some of it before I even leave the shop. Armor is obviously a priority, and maybe a shield wouldn't be a bad idea either. The sword I'd bought earlier should last me a fair bit longer as long as I don't fight any more golems. I can get a replacement some other time when I don't need other things.
"Hmm...Should I go with leather or iron? Nah, too heavy. Maybe steel if I can afford it," I mumbled to myself, pacing back and forth as I inspected the different sets of armor as Welt and Elhart continued their own conversation. Even if I could understand them, I'd probably be too busy weighing my options to pay much attention. The shop had everything from leather jerkins to plate armor sets, but even with my newfound wealth I knew I couldn't afford anything I wanted.
The jerkin was about a hundred silvers alone, if I remember correctly. That's probably more than I want to spend on one piece of armor. I hummed and inspected the leather armor's shoulder pads and links. Staying mobile and agile has kept me alive so far, so anything too cumbersome would probably get in my way. A shield would probably be too much to carry around after all.
My eyes landed on a set of leather armor with a small metal plate across the chest. It looked great, a perfect blend of design and practicality all in one package. Turning to the shopkeeper, I asked for the price. Rather than using words, he merely split my pile of coins into a large one and a smaller one. I quickly counted them up, totaling eighty silver pieces for the armor.
It wouldn't protect my shoulders or arms as much as the jerkin would, but twenty silver pieces is a pretty large difference in cost. I could just buy something else to go with it with those savings.
After some careful consideration, I decided to buy it. The armor was called the Hunter's Armor, and the defensive bonuses it granted me were astronomically higher than what I'd previously had. As much as I love the cloak for keeping me warm, having actual armor gives me enough defense to take on something bigger without the fear of instant death. A single strike from that golem had taken me down below ten HP, which is way closer to death than I ever want to get.
To go along with my Hunter's Armor, I decided to forgo a shield in favor of a bow and arrows. I had a feeling that a little extra versatility would pay off eventually. I learned from the slimes in our last expedition that some monsters are too dangerous to fight up-front with a sword. Having another avenue of attack would let me hunt from a distance. That could be helpful if I get stranded out in the field and have to camp out for the night.
Besides, I already have some experience as an archer from college. It might take a bit of time to get the muscle memory back, but I was pretty skilled compared to the others in my class.
Elhart ushered me into the back room to change into my new outfit. The Hunter's Armor was easy to put on and surprisingly comfortable. It was very easy to slide the chestpiece over my shirt and tighten a few buckles to get a snug fit. Twisting my torso, I realized that it barely restricted my movements at all. The leather was just loose enough to not be form-fitting, but it wasn't so bulky that it felt like I was wearing football pads.
When I walked back into the main room of the shop, Welt and Elhart admired my new appearance. The details of their examination weren't clear to me, but they both seemed to like it and gave a thumbs up. My companion's expression dampened.
"Flynn," he started, holding out a hand to shake. "Vu tambiya mondo."
I have no idea what he meant but I shook his hand anyway. He and Elhart tried a variety of gestures to help me. Once the blacksmith put two fingers together and then split them apart, I had a good idea of what he meant.
Our journey together is over.
I couldn't help the frown on my face as Welt waved goodbye and left the shop. I'm going to be on my own again. Despite how spontaneous our initial meeting was, I enjoyed the time we spent together. It made this whole experience in another world feel a little more...normal. For the first time, I didn't feel quite so alone.
"Niyo," Elhart pushed the remainder of my silver over to me and pointed down at a sheet of parchment. He took out a quill and wrote something down before handing it to me. Whatever he said meant nothing to me, and his gestures were vague at best.
Pointing down at the ground, then up at the sky and moving his finger in an arc didn't exactly tell me much. Does he want me to come back tonight? Probably tomorrow then, but for what?
I nodded and pretended to understand anyway. Let's hope he doesn't mind if I'm wrong.
With my wallet a bit fatter and new equipment at the ready, I decided to take the rest of the day off from adventuring. I've had enough close calls with death for the week. Of course, I'm not exactly rolling in money so I'll need to get back on the grind to make sure I don't fall behind. Until then, I decided to explore the city - which Welt and Elhart still hadn't told me the name of - and look for something entertaining.
What do people do for fun here? I can't imagine there's much to do without other people to hang out with. All my years as a loner are starting to catch up to me.
I came across a curiously short man with some kind of circus outfit while exploring. He was maybe three feet tall at most, with an impressive mustache and dark round glasses that hid his eyes. I couldn't understand what he was asking me, but once he pointed toward his circus tents I figured he was having some kind of circus show. The only thing that kept me from following him inside was the jingling coins in my pocket. I only have so much money to burn, after all.
Moving past that particular incident, I decided to find a place to get my hair cut. Without a means of communicating with anyone out on the street, I was forced to explore and find one on my own - assuming one even existed. My search failed miserably; the place that I'd thought was a barbershop ended up being a butcher's shop. Without any need for fresh meat, I left the establishment as quickly as I'd entered.
A butcher's shop shouldn't have a sign with scissors on it! Why not use a cleaver? The guy had a damn cleaver in his hands when I walked in!
After a lot of wandering, I eventually grabbed dinner and relaxed at the inn. Sitting in the corner of the tavern and slowly drinking different ale by myself was a little boring, but it was kind of nice. I didn't have anyone to bother me like I did in Welt's village, I had more than enough money to afford my drinks without stressing about my next meal, and at the end of the day I could just walk fifty feet and be in my bed.
There isn't much that's better than that. I'm sure Welt would have made it more interesting somehow, though. He always manages to liven up the place whenever he's around.
Damn...I miss him already.
The Innkeeper's daughter was manning the front desk as I purchased my room. She had a hard time understanding my gestures, and had to call her father to interpret for me. The Innkeeper didn't seem thrilled to have been pulled away from the bar at this time of night, but he perked up when he recognized me. He probably expected some drunk to be causing trouble, so my friendly attitude must have been a relief.
The bed was just as creaky and stiff as I remembered it to be, but it felt like home.
The following morning, I made my way back into the forest to fight off some Usapils. I also found a creature called a Green Mush and another called a Porcupine. They weren't much of a threat since they weren't quick enough to hit me. There were several colors of Mush, but I only encountered green ones and a single Red Mush. After my return and subsequent deposit of creature bodies with the Monster Buyer, I was about ten silver richer.
They weren't worth much, but maybe my perspective is a little skewed after getting so much for the golem core. Ten silver pieces is still a pretty sizable chunk of what I earned from the core, so it's worth the effort. You can't find a giant gemstone everywhere.
I stopped by Elhart's shop in the evening but he'd already closed it for the day. That's strange, he always seems like he's open. Even after the sun goes down I see his doors open for customers. I wonder what the special occasion is.
The blacksmith was busy rearranging some daggers on a table when I arrived. He gave a quick wave and a greeting, then motioned for me to follow him out the door. "Allant vu tinbare disq vambliy," he told me. Whatever he said was different than anything I'd heard before. "Iken, Flynn." He locked the door behind him and we set off into the streets.
I couldn't help but steal a few glances at him. Elhart looks pretty different in casual clothes. I'm so used to seeing him in that signature shirt and apron combo that it's almost hard to recognize him in anything else. It's a good look for him, though. Even the warm jacket he's wearing shows off just how gigantic his arms are.
I myself stood out enough around here back before I'd gotten new clothes, but the blacksmith stood out even more just by being a giant. Surprisingly though, nobody so much as batted an eye as we made our way toward our destination.
I tried asking him where we were going, but he merely pointed toward the castle. Why are we going there? I can't speak the language, remember?
Still, the weather is nice and the walk is relaxing after a long day of fighting. I just hope Elhart didn't rat me out to the king and queen or something. As much as I doubt he would do something like that, I don't want to be thrown in jail and interrogated. There's a chance that they'll be able to help me, though. If anyone knows where a Hero is - someone who could actually talk with me normally and act as a translator - it would probably be them.
We were stopped at the castle gates by a pair of guards. Their armor reflected what little sunlight still remained, coating them in a dazzling shade of orange. Whatever Elhart said to them allowed us entry, and I marveled at the courtyard that we walked through. Gardeners kept up with the flowers and other plants while knights trained with swords off to the side. They looked well-trained, at least compared to me.
Then again, they're used to fighting against someone who is also wielding a weapon. My only opponents so far have been wild beasts and giant golems. I doubt their skills will work perfectly against something that doesn't use a sword, but what do I know? I'm a novice.
Another pair of guards stopped us at the castle doors, but retracted their crossed spears to let us in after a short inspection. The interior of the castle was just as grand as the one back in Zeltoble. The lush red carpet led all the way down the hall, paintings of various landscapes and people covered the walls, and the design of the building itself was intriguing and unique.
I'm no expert on architecture. I just think it looks cool.
A single knight led us through the massive building until we eventually reached some kind of throne room. On it sat a woman with purple hair, tied into a bun and held in place by pins. A golden crown rested upon her head and she covered her face with a folding fan.
Elhart knelt in front of the throne, pulling me down with him to do the same. I'd always assumed he was strong, but damn! He had no trouble yanking me down at all! What the hell is this guy's Strength stat at!?
Maybe Elhart is the real hero here! I bet he could have smashed that golem to pieces with a single hit!
The two of them exchanged some kind of greeting before going into a full-blown conversation. I caught my name once or twice in the exchange, but I couldn't do much but sit there and let them finish. The woman's eyes lingered on me for so long that it started to get uncomfortable. Her gaze was heavy and filled with presence.
The people who'd summoned me in Zeltoble were just businessmen who'd become nobles through their success. This lady definitely gives off the vibe of someone with serious power.
Knots tightened in my stomach as the queen stared at me with a look that I couldn't place. What's she going to do to me? I'm just some guy who can't speak their language. I'm not some international spy who's been infiltrating the kingdom or anything!
Finally, Elhart stood and pulled me up as well. "Flynn," he grabbed my attention before pointing to the queen. "Desi brandi vu tinbare goro."
"...What?" I asked. The blacksmith groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead, annoyed with my lack of understanding for the first time. He gestured to me, then to the queen, then to his mouth opening and closing.
I still don't understand. Does he want me to talk to her myself? Surely he knows that won't work.
A hand pushed my back, forcing me to stumble forward until I stood directly in front of her. She snapped her folding fan shut and I could finally see her face. She's beyond just beautiful; she's almost intimidatingly gorgeous. The strange thing is that I can't imagine her being any older than I am. Maybe a few years at most, unless she's one of those people who look young until they're 70.
"Hmm...Flynn? Elhart ean toro miyana vu," Her voice was laced with a heavy accent. My guess about her age probably isn't too far off. She's definitely in her early thirties at most.
"I...uh...hello? What did Elhart say?" I asked, scratching my head awkwardly. Her head tilted to the side as I spoke, eyes flashing with interest.
"Vu comprera si tinbare?"
I shook my head. "I still have no idea what you're saying. I'm sorry. But it's...uh...nice to meet you?"
"Hmm..." The queen set her folding fan down on her lap and began to use her hands. I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me. She was asking me...something about the ground...and the castle?
...What? She's not very good at this.
The queen sighed in defeat. She announced some kind of order, pointing her closed fan toward a specific hallway. A knight approached and tapped me on the shoulder, jabbing a thumb in that direction. Where are they taking me? I'm not going to the dungeons, am I?
Oh shit, I should have been more respectful! Now you've done it, Flynn! You dumbass!
My eyes roamed to Elhart as the knight pulled me away, but he just gave a thumbs up and some words of encouragement that I couldn't understand. His tone told me everything would be okay, though, so I had no choice but to trust him. I couldn't escape the castle even if I wanted to, so I was at the queen's mercy.
The knight didn't bother saying a word along the way. I stopped for a moment to admire the view from one of the windows we passed, but the man motioned for me to hurry up. Not one to disobey orders from someone who could easily kick my ass, I cut my sightseeing short to catch up with him. Eventually we stopped and entered a bedroom fit for royalty. The bed was gigantic, paintings and artwork of all kinds covered the walls, and every single aspect screamed "rich child" to me.
Over to the side were two girls who appeared to be playing...chess? That's odd. Of all the things that I expected to be exactly the same from one world to another, chess wasn't exactly on the top of my list. They were both young, one with blue hair tied into pigtails and the other with green hair tied into two long braids. The blue haired girl seemed younger than the other, but not by much.
"Pika Melty, en brinado," the knight said, bowing deeply before leaving me in the room. The two girls looked up at me with confusion as I awkwardly stood in the doorway. Am I supposed to like...hang out with these two kids? Why did the queen send me here?
Don't tell me she made me a friggin' babysitter!
"Eh? Stanera vu?" the blue haired girl asked, a curious look on her face. She had an air about her that I wasn't expecting. The way she held herself was a lot more mature than I would have expected from a girl her age. These two were probably the children of nobles, though, so good manners were probably expected of them.
"Uh...hi? I'm not really sure why I'm here, to be honest," I said. As soon as I spoke, their eyebrows flew upward. Both of them made small attempts to understand me, but after multiple failed attempts they began talking amongst themselves. Without any way to understand them, I settled for seeing how their chess game was going.
The green haired girl was winning, but not by much. Even though the blue haired girl had more pieces, her opponent had two pawns in prime position for moving across the board unthreatened. I'm no chess grandmaster, but I've played enough on my lunch breaks to predict a few moves in advance.
I got bored, okay? I definitely didn't play during work hours.
"Bijouna yo?" the bluenette asked, hands folded in her lap. I sighed, pointing from my mouth to my shaking head. I hoped that they understood that I didn't speak their language; it was starting to get a little frustrating again. Thankfully it seemed to click for the green haired girl since she made a quick face of recognition. "Fuehh! R-Rishia," she said, pointing to herself with a nervous expression.
"Melty," the bluenette introduced herself with a bow. These two are definitely noble kids. Any normal child would have made fun of me or tried to ignore me entirely. I'm just some twenty-something year old dude to them; they don't have any obligation to humor me.
I figured it was time for my own introduction. "My name is Flynn Blackwood. It's...nice to meet you?" I asked, attempting a bow of my own. It was probably a horrible excuse for a bow, but I didn't want to be disrespectful by not trying. The two girls kept trying to communicate with me in various ways, but they were all lost on me.
The green haired one - Rishia - kept making that strange sound. It was a little sad to hear, like a kicked puppy or something.
After exhausting myself trying to communicate with them, I sat down at their table and motioned for them to continue their chess match. Just like I'd predicted, Rishia quickly gained the upper hand when Melty pushed too far onto her side of the board. After a pawn managed to make it to the back line and promote to a queen, Rishia quickly started picking off Melty's remaining pieces. It wasn't long before she'd claimed victory, much to Melty's disdain.
Cheer up, kid. You'd probably kick my ass at chess.
"Vu langeur, Flynn?" Rishia stood and offered her seat to me on one side of the board. I figured she wanted me to play in her stead. Melty made a pouting face, probably a little insulted that her friend thought some random guy was a more suitable opponent for her. With a bit of hesitation, I exchanged seats with the greenette and began the game.
It didn't last long.
It only took about ten moves before I realized how badly I'd messed up. The usual openers were all I'd memorized, and whatever Melty did countered it at every turn. Still, I managed to take a decent number of pawns away from her in the process. In the end, she cornered me with a knight and a bishop along with one of her last two pawns.
I sighed. Even if I know I'm not great at chess, it's a little embarrassing to be beaten so handily by a child.
Melty pulled out a pencil and paper from somewhere before writing something down. Unlike the numbers that Elhart had shown me before, these ones have a lot of circles and lines. It looks a little bit like Korean or Chinese, but I don't really know the first thing about either of those languages. They just look similar to me.
"Melty," the girl said, pointing to the word on the page. Then she passed the paper and pencil over to Rishia, who wrote something down and said her name as well before sliding it to me. Ah, so they're trying to figure out how English looks on paper? I can't say I expected them to care too much about my language. Most nobles are pretty self-centered in the video games I used to play.
It's a little freaky how long ago that feels.
I took the offered pencil and wrote my name down. "Flynn," I said, pointing to it. They leaned over the page and studied it closely. I don't see how my name is so intriguing to them. It's just a couple letters on paper, just like theirs.
They chattered amongst themselves and smiled. "Wena, wena!" Melty exclaimed with a smile, urging me to write more. Rishia made that pathetic "Fueh!" sound again and shied away from me. I guess it can't hurt to write some more down. It's not like they can do anything with it; it's just gibberish to them.
Not that my shitty handwriting makes that any easier.
I decided that I'd just sate their curiosity for English now by writing out the entire alphabet and our number system up to ten. After I was done, I passed the sheet of paper and let them examine it for a bit. It was kind of cute, seeing them fawn over my sloppy handwriting as if it was some kind of ancient manuscript.
Sliding the paper back in front of me, I started drawing the symbols for their number system below mine. There were a few I couldn't remember off the top of my head, but Rishia must have figured out what I was doing and picked up where I left off. She might be a little strange, but she's pretty sharp. I recognize a letter or two that she wrote down, but I have no idea what they mean.
"Melty? Rishia?" All of our heads turned simultaneously as the queen entered. Her purple and white dress is even more magnificent up close, and from this distance I can clearly see her features. My prior assessment had been spot on; she isn't just beautiful, she was almost unnaturally pretty.
Now that I see her up close, I can see a bit of a resemblance between her and Melty. Maybe Melty was the queen's daughter? That would make her a princess.
"Ves languer li en brinado? Quan trolob ben alacce?" she asked, walking closer to see what we were doing. When she noticed my odd handwriting, she bent down and picked up the paper. "Hmm...Flynn?" she asked, pointing at the page.
"No no, Flynn," I corrected, pointing to my name rather than the number ten. The woman seemed to hum in thought as she pondered our situation. She was much closer than before, so close that I could smell whatever fragrance she put on today. It wasn't anything I'd ever smelled before, but for some reason I felt that it fit her.
I instinctively leaned away from her just to be safe. I don't want to come off as some kind of creep by sniffing her or something.
Even if she does smell good.
"Umari..." she mumbled, looking at the paper a bit further before placing it back on the table. "Melty, vu sanare en brinado: Flynn. Rishia, vura ke trialnes no met?"
"Fueeeehh...S-se yama..." Rishia stuttered. At least I think it was a stutter and not how the words were supposed to sound.
"Da, hamura," Melty stood and bowed to the queen.
The queen clapped her hands together and said something with a smile. I wasn't certain, but something told me that she was making plans without my consent again. I felt my eye twitch a little. I hope nobody saw it.
Why can't I just go back to my regular life? As nice as Melty and Rishia are, I have better things to do than play twenty questions with some kids.
"Honadi wun palaris ta dendro. Llian vu Melty dopan dendrit, yae robma ty ya languer de costelo," the queen said. I shrugged and made a face that clearly said "I have no idea what you mean". She merely smiled in response and tapped the piece of paper we'd been writing on with her folding fan.
"Um...Flynn?" Rishia squeaked. She said something I - you guessed it - couldn't understand in the slightest. Whatever they were trying to tell me was more complicated than anything I'd been asked before, so I imagine it had to be important.
It sucks that I can't understand it, though.
The queen bowed slightly then left the room in silence. I scratched my head. Just what in the world had I gotten myself into? Why did Elhart bring me here in the first place? None of these people seem dangerous, but what purpose do they have in keeping me around?
Rishia and Melty went back to asking me questions that I struggled to comprehend. Every time I bothered saying anything, they hung off of every word as if it was something special. I felt a bit bad for laughing at Melty trying to pronounce the phrase "scary as shit", but it's all in good fun.
As long as her mother doesn't learn what it means, or that it's referring to her.
The room got noticeably darker as time went on until the sun disappeared beneath the mountains. There were plenty of windows in this room, perfect for gazing out into the horizon. The moonlight cast a tiny bit of light to see the landscape and nothing else. The occasional lantern flickered like a tiny dot to break up the darkness.
I yawned into my hand and stretched. It's getting pretty late; I should get going. It's nearly a half an hour's walk back to the inn from here. Hopefully I don't get lost along the way.
Melty poked me in the arm. "Vu selink na houra bulio?" she asked. When I shrugged in confusion, she thought for a moment before pointing at the bed. She's not asking me to sleep here, is she? It looks super comfortable, but something tells me that it's her bed.
Unless this world has an extremely questionable age of consent, I have to imagine that isn't what she's talking about. Yeah...she's probably just talking about sleeping in general.
"Yeah, I should probably get going. It's pretty late," I responded and smoothed out my pants. "It was nice meeting both of you, but I don't know if we'll ever meet again. See ya." With that, I opened the door and started walking away.
"A-ah! Flynn!" Melty rushed out. "Muso! Um...Vu tawans i kokol! Muso! F-Flynn! Flynn!"
"MUSO!"
The guard's loud yell startled me enough to turn around. He, Melty, and Rishia all caught up to me and tried explaining something. Their words were rushed, so fast that I struggled to find even a single one that sounded familiar. With a final huff of frustration, Melty snagged my sleeve and started dragging me down the hallway.
Where are we going now?...I didn't know that I'm not allowed to leave.
After she brought me to a room and practically pushed me inside, Melty huffed and scolded me with words I couldn't understand. I think she knew I didn't have a clue what she said, so she rolled her eyes in a very non-ladylike fashion before bowing and shutting the door to leave me alone in the room.
I wound up spending the night in that luxurious room in the castle. Despite the extremely comfortable furnishings, I found it difficult to fully relax. I'd gotten so used to the old and creaky bed of the inn that such a soft bed was a little hard to get comfortable in.
When I awoke the next morning, I quickly learned that I wasn't going to have much of a choice of anything for quite some time.
I'd originally thought the queen had graced me with a nice room for just one night, so I packed my few belongings and left to get an early start on my morning. If the small squad of knights stationed right outside my door were any indication, I probably wasn't supposed to leave the castle on my own.
Trust me, I tried. They weren't very happy with me walking right past them.
The knights scolded me for not complying immediately before dragging me to a kitchen to eat. The food was pretty good, but not what I'd expect from a royal court. I imagine they weren't going to bother making a five star breakfast feast for a guest. Almost immediately after I finished eating, the knights forced me into another room where the two girls were already sitting.
They looked tired, but Melty hid it a lot better than Rishia did. The poor girl was practically asleep in her chair, head nodding forward every few seconds.
And thus began my rigorous training in the art of language studies. I couldn't eat, sleep, or shit without having at least one knight following me around. Any time I tried to sneak away, I'd be chased down and dragged back to wherever I was supposed to be inside the castle. Quite literally, once.
I wasn't very happy about being dragged through the entire castle by my ankle.
Every morning, I would be woken by a rasp on my door and a knight telling me to wake up. Assuming I didn't cause any trouble worth punishing, they moved me to the royal library where I'd be tutored by Melty and Rishia. Occasionally, the queen would pop in for a few minutes and check on my progress.
Said progress was embarrassingly slow. I may be good at recognizing languages, but I suck at learning them.
It was frustrating, but I knew that learning the language would be a very lengthy and painful ordeal on my own. And so I bit the bullet and let myself be taught by the two girls day after day. A tutor joined them a few days after I began my intensive studies, but she had barely any more success than Melty because she wasn't as good at interpreting my sign language. Rishia stayed in another room within the castle by herself. I was pretty sure she wasn't related to the royal family.
But then where are her parents? I hadn't seen anyone with green hair anywhere.
Learning the individual letters and how they sound was difficult enough, but stringing them together into words made very little sense to me. How does a hi sound become ju by attaching another letter to it?
I was clueless and I think my teachers knew it. Still, I persevered as much as I could so their efforts weren't completely wasted.
Before I knew it, two weeks had passed. There was one occasion where the queen allowed me to have the day off to do anything I wanted. I chose to spend that day going out into the forest and fighting monsters.
Is that a strange thing to want to do? I probably would have thought so before, but now it feels like stress relief.
My interests must have really shifted since coming to this world. Back before I'd gotten summoned, I would do anything to sit indoors and do nothing all day. Nowadays I'm practically chomping at the bit to get back outside and live a little. ANYTHING to get me away from Melty and her little books for a while. I can only repeat the words for "your majesty" so many times before I want to sneer and say it sarcastically like an asshole.
Dangerous, I know. I'm thankful for what little self-control I have.
After two weeks of cramming information into my brain, the very basics of Melromarcian - the language of Melromarc, which was the country I was currently residing in - were imprinted into my head. Grammar is still a mystery to me, but I know enough words by memory that I could piece together words into a semi-coherent sentence.
I dubbed my personal flavor of the language "Caveman Melromarcian". It's coherent enough for someone fluent in the language to catch the gist of my meaning, but a lot of filler words and connections between the nouns are generally missing. I just couldn't grasp that part within such a short span of time.
It was tempting to call it "Unga Bunga Melromarcian", but I decided that was a little insulting to both the language and the two young teachers who stuck with me even when I got frustrated.
After I picked up enough Melromarcian to have a basic conversation, I learned that Melty indeed is the daughter of Queen Mirellia. She has a sister named Malty - sort of like beer, but apparently not as pleasant as one. The older sibling has a habit of getting into serious trouble for one thing or another. I've still never seen her myself, so I can't really say anything from experience yet.
Rishia is the daughter of a noble family called the Ivyreads, who own a large strip of territory to the northeast of Melromarc. I found that this city is the capital which shares the name of Melromarc with the country I've been living in. The Ivyread Territory, as it was aptly named, was starting to show signs of financial difficulty. Mirellia was apparently working on a plan to bail them out, so to speak, so that's why Rishia was staying in the castle.
Now that I could speak enough to hold a decent conversation, my stay at the castle was over. Strangely, the queen didn't appear at all to see me off. I was simply escorted out of the castle and then left to my own devices.
I almost jumped for joy the moment my feet touched the well-trodden dirt path leading out of the courtyard. The knights who'd been tasked with watching me seemed just as happy at my departure as I was. With my newfound freedom, I decided to go to the one place I knew I'd be welcomed.
I went right back to Elhart's shop.
"Hey, Elhart! How you doing?" I announced it in Melromarcian. I know it's not perfect, but the shocked look on his face is priceless!
"Flynn? Welcome back. How help you?" I knew what he said, I just couldn't fit all the other words in there. I'll have to get used to how it sounds and work from there to memorize the rest on my own.
"Yes, me back and learn Melromarc language some!"
A bout of laughter burst from his chest. Elhart stopped polishing the dagger in his hand to catch his breath. "Oh! Oh you funny! Accent sound stupid!"
"WHAT! Accent no dumb!" I said back with a dark flush of red on my cheeks. I'm still learning the language, dammit! Don't make fun of me!
"Yes it is! Anyway, how help you?" he asked, going back to polishing the dagger with a cloth.
"Just come by to talk. Get...get..." the word for brain evaded me. "Get head? Not sure how to say it. Tired from learning. Princess smart, but strict teacher," I said, paling internally. Melty and Rishia were absurdly smart for their age. Speaking of age, it turns out Melty just had her tenth birthday not long before I arrived. Rishia is somehow eighteen years old even though she has the face of a twelve year old.
Definitely not the body of a twelve year old, though.
They were both great teachers, but their styles were entirely different. It was almost like a "good cop, bad cop" routine. Rishia always played the good cop who encouraged me and Melty played the bad cop who scolded me and got mad when I was difficult. The greenette is as non-confrontational as they come, and never got annoyed or aggravated with me even when I refused to learn any more for the day.
Melty was the complete opposite. I got so fed up with learning that I left the library to take a walk and clear my head. She called the knights and had me restrained at spear point to come back.
She must be fun at parties.
"Ha! Head not smart enough?" Elhart jabbed with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.
"Fuck you."
"Woah, woah! Calm down! I joke, I joke," Elhart said, chuckling a little to himself. "Where you learn words like that?"
"Secret teacher," I responded, dodging the question and averting my eyes as if he'd discover my secret if I looked at him. In truth, Queen Mirellia had been the one to teach me a lot of the more...adult words that I might need in Melromarcian. Melty was too young and Rishia was too introverted to teach me such things, even when I'd asked. As a last resort, I went to the queen with the same request.
She was surprisingly cooperative, if not outright encouraging. I think she was hoping for me to say a curse word in front of Melty and see how she reacted. I never did, though. Maybe one day.
"Secret eh? No tell, then. How go t̸̩̰̀̓̐͝r̴̞͑̏̆a̶̡͉̥̲͂̋̚i̴̻̞̞̎̓̽̕n̵͎͍̭͇͚̅ỉ̶̢̪͈̪ǹ̷̢̩͕͙g̷̞̬̞̱̮͗̉̆͋?" Elhart asked, putting the newly polished dagger in its place and moving onto an axe that had started to collect dust. It must have been in the shop for quite a few days if its former shine was gone.
"Huh?"
"Fight, uh...get strong?"
"Oh, it stop now. Start soon," I said. So he was asking about my training. Well I haven't gotten much time to myself these past two weeks, so after I relax a bit I'll probably get back to it. It's pretty late in the day now, though. I'll start tomorrow when the sun comes up so I have the whole day to get my muscle memory back.
"Huh, okay. Got all things you need?"
"Yes, I am good," I responded, before bowing in front of him. "Thank you, Elhart. You give big help, me thanks you."
He seemed surprised by my thanks, but put down the axe and gave me a genuine smile. "Thank me by no death, Flynn. You good business."
I left the shop with a lighter heart. Knowing that Elhart understood my thanks and is happy to have me around makes me feel like I belong somewhere. Ever since I arrived in this strange, still-unnamed world, I've felt like a bit of an outsider. Like someone who was just visiting and would eventually go back to the world he was comfortable with.
But not anymore. I finally feel like I can make genuine friendships with the people here. I can build a life for myself here now. Speaking of friendships, I bet Welt would die of laughter if he ever heard me speak Melromarcian. It would be worth it to have an actual conversation with the guy I nearly died with, though.
With the sun going down and nothing else to do, I went back to my temporary home: the inn. As I walked in, the Innkeeper greeted me with a smile.
"Welcome back!" he said, before beginning our usual round of gestures. This time, I felt a smirk creep onto my face.
This is getting fun.
"Hello again! How are you?" I asked. The Innkeeper was stunned into silence for a moment before his smile returned. He chuckled.
"Not see you in long time! You made me worry," he said. "One night?"
I nodded. "Yes, I stay one night. Get food and drink first."
He happily allowed me to sit at the bar, telling me that his daughter would come take my order shortly. I'd been right that the young woman working at the inn is his daughter. I didn't see much of a resemblance, so maybe she looked more like her mother. Speaking of her mother, where is she? I haven't seen her a single time since I'd started staying here.
Maybe she and the Innkeeper aren't together anymore, or she passed away suddenly.
Not many people were in the tavern today, so it didn't take long for his daughter to arrive with a pencil and paper. She smiled and greeted me as she always did. Then she gestured to the menu, as she also always did for me. It had been her way of adapting to my inability to speak. I hadn't been able to read the menu either, so I just pretended I knew and chose something at random.
It took quite a few tries to memorize what each item on the menu is. Thankfully, the menu never changed.
My smirk returned. "Good evening! I want usual food and drink, please." Just like her father, the woman was speechless. Then her smile grew threefold.
"You learn Melromarcian language so fast! I am shock!" she said in amazement.
"I had good teachers. Crazy teachers," I said, suppressing a groan. Some of those study sessions with Melty were unforgettable in the worst of ways. She was more brutal than any teacher I'd ever had, even in college. She hovered over my shoulder and forced me to say things dozens of times until I swore I'd start saying it in my sleep.
That happened over and over, and over...
...and over.
I hated it, but at least I can talk with people now...sort of.
"I'm sure! Be back with drink!" she said, practically skipping away toward the bar before filling a mug with ale. I decided to finally introduce myself when she returned and set the mug down in front of me.
"Ah, thank you. My name is Flynn Blackwood. It's nice to meet you," I said. That was one of the few sentences that I'd been sure to perfect during my time at the castle. It was one I knew I'd use often, so I made sure to have it memorized and fluent.
"My name is Emilia! It's nice to meet you too!" she responded cheerfully. I have to admit, she's pretty cute when she smiles like that. Her warm demeanor and welcoming disposition were a breath of fresh air compared to Melty. That little girl couldn't take jokes or have fun; everything was business to her.
This all feels so nostalgic, meeting new people in random places. Up until now, I'd been the odd one out. The moment they heard me speak English, people always gave me strange looks and generally shied away. This girl had been no different at first. She had always responded to me with raised eyebrows and a confused look every time I spoke.
It's a bit different now, though. I may talk like a child, but at least it's better than being a mime in a world without mimes. I'm not "exotic" for speaking an unknown language anymore, so I hope that makes me seem a bit more approachable.
It didn't take long for my food to be brought out. Emilia sat down to talk with me since the tavern wasn't busy tonight, and for once I was glad for the company. I learned that she and her father lived here while her mother worked at a ranch outside the city. They're a happy family even though they don't get to see her often. Emilia herself worked with her father, switching off between being a waitress and a receptionist as needed. In the early mornings, she would wake up any residents who overslept and clean their room before the next person would rent it for the night.
She told me that my room was always particularly clean whenever I left. I guess my mom's habit of folding the sheets at hotels rubbed off on me by accident.
I had so much fun chatting with Emilia that I barely noticed the time go by. She occasionally had to get up and serve someone else, but she came right back to my table afterward. I noticed that she kept a close eye on people even while we talked. She was attentive, and that showed in how efficiently she kept things moving between herself and the kitchen.
As night fell and more people crowded into the tavern for food and drink, Emilia and I said our goodbyes so she could focus on work. I didn't mind; I enjoyed our talk. It made me feel normal again. Without anything else to do, I moved to the table in the far corner and relaxed. People watching had always been a bit of a pass time for me when I had nothing else to do, especially because the regulars were so distinct.
There were always the ones who drank too much and wound up barely making it out the door. Then there was the group I liked to call "The Gamers"; they're the gamblers who would bet on card games and darts regularly. It was always fun to see who would walk away happy with some extra coppers to pay their bill, and who would slink away sadly in defeat for a depressed drink or three.
There were a few regulars who showed up nearly every night to gamble against one another, but the real fun was when there were new challengers. The unknown variable kept it interesting.
I myself enjoyed a little gambling here and there back home, but I never got into it enough to be considered addicted. I didn't win enough to love it and every loss stung too much to keep going unless I was horribly drunk. It just wasn't fun enough to sit there and know that every loss meant another hour of pay from working was wasted. It quite literally undermined the whole reason I worked my crappy job in the first place.
Sometimes I'd win enough money to buy a new game or something, but those were few and far between. Games of chance were never really my cup of tea.
Occasionally, Emilia would stop by my table and chat for a moment before going back to work. In the meantime, I nursed my mug of ale slowly so it didn't go to waste. I may not have spent a single copper during my time in the castle, but I wasn't exactly rich. Every single drink put me just a little further away from affording something else I needed.
I idly wondered how they brew beer in this world. That could be a fun thing to do as an apprenticeship or something one day. Maybe once I got my life together, I could open a brewery? That could be fun and new. Considering how much money I can make by adventuring, that might be a good way to retire.
"Hey you!" I turned as someone stomped their way over to me. The man in question jabbed a finger into my chest. "I know you like Emilia, but she likes me! Leave her!"
I raised one eyebrow as I took in the man's appearance. He's probably handsome on most days, but the way his face drooped told me he'd had a few too many to drink. His cheeks were flushed and he swayed a bit while standing. Still, he thinks I like Emilia? Where did that come from?
Am I really about to get into my first bar fight over some girl I don't even have feelings for?
Sounds about right, considering my luck.
"I not know what you mean. Emilia is nice, but me no like her," I said, ignoring the way his face scrunched up in confusion.
"You no speak good? Ha! Look at him, everyone! He no speak good!"
The other tavern patrons took a moment to look in our direction, but quickly went back to their business. He kept taunting me but he talked so quickly that I genuinely couldn't understand him. The guy was either really drunk, really madly in love, or really stupid.
I think it's all three, to be honest.
Frustrated by the lack of a response, the man grabbed the collar of my shirt and tried to lift me out of my seat. Before he could, though, I found my hand grabbing his wrist and squeezing - hard.
My eyebrows furrowed. "Bad idea. Leave."
I may not be the type to start trouble, but I'm not about to let this punk cause a scene. Drunken misunderstanding or not, I've given him plenty of warnings. If he really wants to settle this, I'll drag his ass outside and we can settle it like men.
A part of me is proud that I can stand up for myself now. I've never been the assertive type, but it's kind of refreshing.
"I no leave! I love Emilia! Emilia love me, not you!" he exclaimed loudly. From behind him, I could see the girl in question looking at us with a look of pure confusion. We locked eyes and I sighed. I'm not sure if I can take this guy down without a fight; the last thing I want is to break a table or something and cause trouble for Emilia and her father.
"Hey," A man, one of the Gamers, came up and laid a hand on the man's shoulder. "Leave him. Not worth your time."
Some of the other Gamers backed up their friend, and my aggressor seemed to realize he was outnumbered. With a scoff, he pushed away from me and walked right up to Emilia before grabbing her waist and trying to kiss her. However, the girl pushed him away and slapped him across the face. He stumbled, knocking over glass and silverware from a nearby table.
Embarrassed and rejected, the man fled the tavern. I walked up and started picking up the pieces of glass from the floor. Some of the Gamers helped me clean up as well, grumbling a bit at the mess. The Innkeeper came to check on everything while Emilia regained her composure behind the counter. He sent a sharp glare at us picking up glass off the ground, but his gaze softened once a nearby patron explained the situation to him.
Once the mess was cleaned up, I walked up to the Innkeeper and bowed. "I'm sorry. That my fault. I can pay for..." I couldn't find the word for "damage". "I pay for cup? My fault."
He waved it off. "No problem. He cause problems much. Not welcome now. No pay tab."
"You sure?" I asked with my eyebrows raised. The Innkeeper gently punched my shoulder and smirked.
"If he come back, you fix problem."
Wait a minute, I'm not some hired muscle!
Apparently I was volunteered for bodyguard duty if that dude ever came back. I have monsters to kill and money to make, you know? I can't just sit here waiting for that guy to come back so I can beat him up. I don't even know who he is!
Now that the debacle was over, I politely ordered another drink and sat back down at my table in the corner to resume my people watching. However, it was not meant to be. A member of the Gamers invited me over to their table for a drink and I took the opportunity to thank them for their intervention earlier. I may have a sword, but the last thing I want to do is murder someone over something so stupid. That doesn't usually put someone on good terms with the law.
Even a fistfight would have gotten pretty ugly one on one. I'm not exactly skilled with my fists.
It turns out, the Gamers had been wanting to invite me over for days but never actually asked because they were nervous about my inability to communicate. They were a surprisingly tame bunch, considering how they entertained themselves. None of them ever got too drunk or rowdy and always kept their area pretty clean. They laughed and joked with each other in a way that reminded me of my own friend circle back in college. Those were good times.
Too bad they only lasted until graduation. After that, I was practically alone.
It felt a bit awkward to suddenly be included in a group of people who knew each other well. For the first half hour I mostly just sat there and listened to the Gamers go about their usual business. Once they grew a bit more adventurous and comfortable talking to me, they got used to my broken Melromarcian and took to it like a fish in water. We laughed and joked about all sorts of things. There were plenty of words I didn't understand, but just being included was half the fun.
By the end of the night, I'd made a whole group of friends at the tavern. I'd already known that they were all regulars who came and gambled some of their daily earnings away together, but what I didn't know was that most of the winner's earnings went toward paying off their group's drinks. In the end, nobody technically lost. The arrangement was practical, with a bit of fun competition thrown in.
Their wives apparently got mad at them later when they got home drunk and penniless, but they'd find their way back the next day.
I chanced to look over at Emilia. She seemed well, considering what had happened. It wasn't my place to talk with her about relationships or anything of the sort, so I figured I'd just let her be until the next time we talked. She may have bounced back pretty quickly, but I had a feeling it was a mask she put up for customers.
The man's words from before echoed in my head for a moment, but I shook them away. I have far more important things to do than fall in love. My first priority is and always will be to grow stronger, learn more, get better at things. If there's one thing I took away from my father before he passed away, it's that I always need to want to improve myself.
Success won't always come, but the desire for success has to always be there or I'll fall into bad habits.
Wise words from a wise man. I considered him wise, at least. Whether he was objectively wise is up for debate.
By the middle of the night, the Gamers and I were the last ones left at the bar. The Innkeeper and Emilia closed up for the night and I grabbed my room key. It was the same one as always: room 7, back of the hallway on the right. The bed had a leg loose, and the lantern had a small crack near the base. There was a single floorboard near the wall that could be pulled up enough to hide things underneath without breaking it.
It was home, and for the first time, this whole world felt like my home.