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Chapter 21: The Communication of the Taciturn

1. The Communication of the Taciturn

When my eyes snap open, the first thing I see is the grimy wooden ceiling. Instinctively, I touch my neck, relieved to find my head still attached to my body.

<Ahh, good, Emi! You’ve woken up!>

…Yeah, Extra-sama. Somehow, I’m safe. Though I haven’t fully recovered from the fatigue and depletion of magical energy, I’m uninjured and intact.

“Haah~…”

I let out a sigh of relief. Really, I thought this time might have been the end!

<I was chilled to the bone… We were lucky.>

Yeah.

That… mysterious old man, if he hadn’t saved me, I’d undoubtedly be gone by now.

Is this… his house, perhaps?

I look around curiously. I’m in a small room of a wooden house. The old interior is drafty, but unlike the house of the drunken trash, it’s neatly organized. I notice the thin futon that was covering me and then my clothes, which have been changed into something unfamiliar, seemingly made from stitched-together animal hides. They’re too big for me. Did that man change them?

Ah, I’m not going to scream, “He saw me naked! Eek!” or anything. After all, I’m only six years old, and my previous clothes were in a terrible state, soaked in blood and whatnot. I’m nothing but grateful.

But who is that man, anyway?

The way he decapitated the wolf with a hand chop was incredible, but it was his overwhelming presence that was truly astonishing, wasn’t it?

<There’s a technique called 【Intimidation】 where one deliberately emits magical power to shrink their opponent. That imposing aura of his was due to that. In any case, he’s no ordinary person.>

Creak, creak…

While chatting with Extra-sama, the squeaky door opens, and the old man enters.

The old man, noticing that I had woken up, came over to the futon and sat down with a thud nearby. His piercing gaze was as sharp as ever, and the oppressive aura he exuded was unchanged from when he saved me from the wolf.

“…………”

Both the old man and I remained silent.

“…………”

Only the sound of the whistling wind through the cracks was audible.

<…No, no, Emi, let’s have a conversation, shall we? Why are you just staring at each other? This man is your savior, isn’t he? Don’t you have something to say to him?>

Sorry, Extra-sama. I know I should thank him, but, you know, I’ve hardly had a conversation with anyone in this life, right? I don’t know what to say or how to start talking… And, isn’t his aura incredibly intimidating? Huh? What’s this? What’s with this old man? Is he planning to kill me? Didn’t he save me? Is he a dangerous old man? This person.

<Just say thank you for saving me, that’s all. And this man doesn’t intend to harm you. If he did, he wouldn’t have saved you, right? Probably, he’s like you, Emi. Taciturn and not used to interacting with people. Whether he can’t get rid of the intimidating aura because he’s not used to people, or he’s not used to people because he can’t get rid of the aura, I don’t know.>

Okay, Extra-sama. I just need to thank him, right? Express my gratitude and thank him! Come to think of it, apart from Extra-sama, I’ve never had a conversation like this in this life. This is, subtly, nerve-wracking!

“…………Thank you.”

I mumble, looking into the old man’s eyes.

“…………”

The old man remains silent. Huh? Did he not hear me? Was my voice drowned out by the wind? He’s not reacting at all?

“…………Thank you.”

This time, I express my gratitude a bit louder than before.

“…………”

The old man remains silent again. Ah, but he nodded slightly. Yes! The conversation got through!

“…………”

And then, once again, silence flows between us…

<Aaaaaaahhhhh! What’s with you two?! You’re so bad at conversation!!>

It can’t be helped! I’m a beginner at conversations, you know? Go easy on me for being awkward!

“……Does it hurt anywhere?”

This time, the old man initiated the conversation! His voice was low but powerful, a strong and dandy voice.

“……No.”

When I responded, the old man nodded slightly again.

Extra-sama! Extra-sama! I just had a conversation, right? This is how conversations are supposed to go, isn’t it?

<…Sigh. It took an absurd amount of time just to exchange a few words! And you, you’ve talked to thieves while pretending to be a spirit of the Myogomyogoshugo before, right? In the village of Fenoben, you managed to have exchanges like this.>

That was acting, so it’s different. And please, don’t remind me of that trash village! It’s unpleasant.

“…………”

Silence, once again. But somehow, I’ve started to find this atmosphere comfortable. The old man’s intimidating aura isn’t so scary once you get used to it. His mouth is set in a straight line, and his brows are deeply furrowed, but this is just his normal face. He isn’t angry.

“……Why did you save me?”

This time, I tried asking.

“I have black hair and black eyes.”

Yes, sadly, I have the appearance of someone who is discriminated against in this world (or at least in this region). I’m confident enough to be disliked, to the extent that villages won’t let me in. So why?

“…………”

The old man silently pointed at his own eyes. Their color was the same black as mine. …Ah, I see…

<Maybe he has white hair now and it’s hard to tell, but perhaps this person has been through the same hardships as you, Emi…>

Grrr…

Ah… Suddenly, and without any preamble, my stomach growled. The sound resonated well between the two of us, who were silent. The old man, without changing his expression, stood up and went to the next room, and then… he brought back something white and steaming on a plate. The plate, gently placed on the floor in front of me, was piled high with soft, stewed grains. The sweet aroma that came with the steam tickled my nostrils. These white grains were not some kind of larvae. This is… this is…!!

<Incredible! Emi! This is “barley porridge”! I saw it once on a broadcast about a god of gourmet foods reincarnated into another world!!>

I mean, even without the explanation, I know that! Eh!? What’s this!? Can I eat this!? Am I allowed to eat these grains!!??

As I looked at the old man with eyes full of anticipation, he nodded slightly. After that… I couldn’t stop myself. I buried my face in the plate, devouring the barley porridge voraciously. It’s sweet! I never realized barley could be so sweet in my previous life!

It had a very gentle flavor, without any gamey, bitter, or sour taste! Soft, warm, fluffy, ah… delicious… So, there are delicious foods in this world too…!

Before I knew it, I was crying. My expressionless face remained unmoved, but tears flowed ceaselessly.

<Ugh… ugh… ugh…>

Extra-sama, sharing my senses, was also moved to tears by the deliciousness. The old man silently watched me as I cried.

After licking the remaining soup from the plate, I took a breath.

<It was delicious… wasn’t it…>

Yes, it was delicious, Extra-sama… When I glanced at the old man, his stern face seemed somehow satisfied. Ah, thank you, thank you. I don’t know how to properly express my gratitude for such delicious food.

<Let’s give him the greatest thanks we can. We must repay this kindness.>

Yes, you’re right, Extra-sama. We must find a way to give something back to him.

Thinking this, I stood up and began looking around the room. I wanted to return the favor with something delicious. Then, I noticed a spot on the wall, about the size of a thumb, discolored and hollowed out.

I remembered seeing a similar hole in my home in this life. Or rather, according to Extra-sama, such holes are likely to be found in any dilapidated house. Approaching the hole, I knocked on it, noticing the sound was clearly different from the other walls. This is it! I stuck my finger into the hole, pulled with a bit of force, and a part of the decayed board came off, revealing a white caterpillar-like creature hiding inside.

Its name, according to Extra-sama, is Mikikuishiroimomushi. It’s a pest that eats not only trees but also the walls of wooden houses, recognized as a constant nuisance in this world. However, it’s actually not a caterpillar but a shell-less snail. Not widely known, but it’s quite delicious. Its odorless, crunchy flesh is full of umami, making a good broth when added to soup. For me, it’s one of the delicacies.

Now, would this Mikikuishiroimomushi serve as a return gift for the barley porridge? Upon reflection, since it was found in the old man’s house, whether it counts as a gift is questionable. However, since it had been left uneaten, presumably the old man was unaware of its existence. Giving him something he hadn’t noticed should surely count as a sufficient thank you. Besides, I don’t have anything else that could serve as a thank you gift. This is the only way I can express my gratitude.

I grabbed the Mikikuishiroimomushi and brought it over to the old man.

“…………Here.”

I tried to hand it over, but the old man wouldn’t accept it. He tilted his head, staring intently. The old man shook his head sideways.

…Perhaps he meant that no thanks were necessary, that a child shouldn’t worry about such things…

This old man, despite his fearsome appearance, is actually a very kind person…

Anyway, it would be a waste to leave the Mikikuishiroimomushi, so I used 【Ignition】 to lightly cook it on the spot and ate it myself.