Chapter 42: Luggage Carrier(3)

I woke up well past noon.

After washing my face and eating a simple breakfast, I wiped down my sweat-drenched body.

Then, I did some laundry, changed into fresh clothes, and hung the washing out to dry.

The best place to dry clothes is the top of the tower.

It’s a bit of a hassle to get there, but it’s worth it.

Once back in my room, I sat down on the bed.

“…Still tired…”

No surprise there.

That kind of life-or-death battle—it was the first of my life.

A life-or-death battle… I’ve been in this world for 13 years now.

Compared to my previous life, this world is primitive, violent, and lawless.

Even so, I thought I could manage.

That confidence came from my memories of my past life and the relics I possess.

But after what happened recently, I realized something critical—I was arrogant.

I had underestimated this world, and now I understood that all too well.

“…I didn’t think I needed to become that strong.”

But now I knew I had to.

I needed strength that didn’t rely on my fourth relic.

“…Alright!”

I grabbed my fishing rod.

At times like these, fishing is best.

I headed to my usual riverside spot.

Fishing is nice—it doesn’t demand much, just patience.

And it’s quiet here, calming my mind.

Even if I didn’t catch anything, that was fine.

Fishing wasn’t my goal right now; it was just the means to clear my head.

Of course, catching something would still be great.

As bait, I used dried meat—my own homemade batch this time.

“!”

Suddenly, the rod twitched.

A big reaction—it was here! Something heavy tugged at the line!

I didn’t reel it in immediately.

Instead, I moved the rod against the fish’s movements, tiring it out first.

Slow and steady, fast and hard. Slow and steady, fast and hard.

It was almost like dancing.

Gradually, the fish’s struggle weakened. Not yet.

Not yet… The movements grew slower.

Now!

I seized the perfect moment and pulled with all my might.

Something black and slimy soared into the air—

It hit the ground with a thud.

“…Again?”

It was a black, slimy creature, like a catfish with limbs attached.

An amphibian, specifically a giant salamander.

And strangely enough—

“Are you the same one I caught last time?”

Looking closer, I noticed the salamander was bleeding.

Its abdomen was injured.

“…I see.”

It looked like it was in pain.

“…Sigh.”

I couldn’t just ignore it while it suffered. That wasn’t who I was.

I pulled out an egg-shaped container from my pouch.

From it, I poured a small amount of liquid—a drop of elixir.

The salamander’s wound healed instantly.

Once its injuries were gone, it started moving again, slowly at first.

Then it stood up on two legs, looking up at me.

Its gaze felt oddly intelligent.

“You’ve got a kind heart, kid.”

…It spoke.

“…What?”

“Not every day you see someone helping out an old land-fish like me.”

“It talked!?”

“Haha, don’t worry. It’s just a relic’s doing.”

“…I see.”

The mention of a relic made sense somehow.

I knew of relics that could enable such things—abilities like Translation or Communication.

“I’m just a plain ol’ land catfish. Name’s Alexander.” 

He introduced himself, pulling out a smoking pipe from seemingly nowhere and taking a puff.

Alexander… huh. That’s quite a grand name. But more importantly—

“Where did that pipe come from?”

“It’s a relic.” 

He replied casually.

“You have more than one?”

A monster wielding multiple relics?

That would make him silver-ranked, at least.

“Kid, as pathetic as it sounds, I can’t properly repay the favor you did for me in my current state.”

“No, I didn’t help you expecting anything in return.”

“Even so, a debt of gratitude must be repaid—otherwise, a man’s honor is tarnished.”

“Well… I guess you’re not wrong.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

“Glad we’re on the same page! I swear to repay this debt. Kid, tell me your name—I’ll remember it for sure.”

“It’s Wof.”

“Wof, huh? That’s a fine name. Got it memorized.”

“Uh… thanks?”

Being remembered by a monster didn’t exactly feel comforting.

Alexander tucked away his pipe and started walking off.

“Well then, let’s meet again sometime.”

“Y-yeah.”

With a splash, he disappeared into the river.

I watched him go, then glanced up at the sky.

It was a beautiful day.

Clouds drifted lazily, and birds soared overhead.

“…Guess I’ll head back.”

Not a single fish caught today.

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