Naturally, her question was clearly referring to the attack that caused my wounds and the creature it came from. That information mattered to them, if the dark spider planned on returning, they'd need to prepare.
But I also needed something too!
Help, shoes and most importantly:
Medicine.
Real medicine — especially a fantasy world's medicine!
So my reply wasn't free of charge.
“Miss Knight,” I said firmly, trying to straighten my back, “as you can see, I’m heavily wounded. May I ask for a trade?” I paused, letting the implication settle between us. Mainly because I needed to make sure my request wasn't impertinent.
While she studied my words, I studied her people with the appraisal skill.
Most of the soldiers hovered around level thirty.
She, however… Level 63.
════════════════
? STATUS WINDOW ?
════════════════
Name: Zarra
Surname: Classified
Race: Human
Sex: Female
Age: Classified
════════════════
Level: 63
XP: 57% / 100%
════════════════
════════════════
? VITALS ?
════════════════
HP: Don’t Die ?
MP: 630 / 630
MP?: 63 / Min
SPD: 43Km / H
════════════════
Roughly twice as strong as the spider… and then some.
Most of her information was blocked, which meant my Appraisal still needed upgrades. Still, she looked exactly like what you’d expect from a fantasy knight — disciplined, composed, clearly the result of years of hard work.
Except for one thing... Her SPD stat read 43 km/h! I nearly burst out laughing, suddenly imagining a police officer pulling her over and handing her a ticket for running through a school zone.
Nonono! Keep it serious, me.
As her power-level showed, she was an anomaly amongst them; The exception that confirms the rule!
From further analysis, I concluded that they would likely need to group up, three-on-one, to safely beat or drive away that monster’s armor-piercing mandibles.
I may appear young, but in reality I was about to celebrate my 34th birthday. I had workplace experience with people, so I adjusted my demand accordingly.
“I would like to be escorted to the city you came from,” I continued carefully, “and shown where I can find medical assistance. The factions or organizations responsible for healing.”
I took a moment to raise my right hand and showcase my wound, “as you can see…”
I didn’t need to finish.
Both of us looked at the translucent blue membrane filling the space where flesh should have been. However, my sight was different from theirs.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
It had still been enhanced with appraisal, and it quietly confirmed something about the see-through jelly.
The slime membrane wasn’t just a mere skill.
It was an organ.
A part of me.
As an addition, I also confirmed that I alone was able to see the status window; "A translation of the world meant only for me."
Good.
Captain Zarra nodded once.
“I do not mind,” she replied immediately. “You will be taken to the city on horseback. However, you will remain under supervision.”
“Naturally,” I replied with an innocent smile.
(?? ? ??)
The trade had been initiated and now I had to play my part, so I told her the truth and only the truth!
Just… not all of it.
Telling the truth wasn’t the same as volunteering information that might lead to my demise, or to become some deranged scholar's homework project, or worse—
Sold into slavery...
...and then bought by said deranged scholar to be experimented on, which would eventually lead to my demise anyway.
No thank you!
( ?? ? ?? )
As I began speaking, she dismounted her horse and approached fully, settling down in front of me with a soft metallic thud of armor.
She was close.
Very close.
Uncomfortably close.
Right.
In.
Breathing.
Distance.
I could feel the warmth of her breath against my skin.
Need to... concentrate.
But how could I? Especially when her lips were so puffy and shiny and soft-looking. All my imagination did was throw itself, face-first, into those rose—AH! FOCUS, ME!
Healing first! Hormones later.
For the next fifteen minutes, I told her my story.
The edited version.
I was a wanderer.
A traveler from distant lands (reincarnator here, so not a lie) blessed with knowledge in carpentry.
I had followed the river because it was beautiful and practical. I’d crafted a poor fishing rod to catch one salmon, only to be ambushed by the dark spider.
I survived only because I realized something that large couldn’t swim. That explained the blood trail leading downstream toward their city. I even apologized for contaminating their water supply, which was swiftly dismissed. Their city used charcoal filtration, and the river cycled through in less than thirty minutes anyway.
Good infrastructure, very reassuring.
However, I also had to explain the alien organ that replaced my shoulder and how I'd survived with a dangling arm after being pierced in the abdomen.
All I could do there is play dumb and gamble onto the ever-lasting 'awakening' trope, which to my surprise worked.
"Indeed, some individuals do awaken unique skills through life. Some earlier than others, and few in dire situations." Zarra confirmed.
Honestly? I was quite shocked that my bullsh—I mean my heartfelt confession had worked.
She was incredibly calm and it seemed that I didn't raise too much suspicion. Keyword: not too much—aka I wasn't fully clean in their eyes yet.
Again, fair.
Thanks to that story I could hide my true potential—if I had any—and get a chance to live peacefully, which made me lower my guard and get lost in her eyes again.
Her beauty was breaking the scale, she was more than my type too!
Ironically, the kind of woman I’d sworn to haunt if the first dice throw had gone south.
For a moment I completely forgot my surroundings, so I didn't notice her hand moving.
Her finger reached forward, curious, about to touch the slime membrane—
"WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Pain detonated through my shoulder, and just like electricity, it spread through my entire body.
I shrieked.
A sharp, raw scream that sent birds exploding from the treetops.
(つ╥﹏╥)つ
After an impressive number of apologetic bows, Zarra offered to make up by helping me onto her horse. I accepted—reluctantly—and extended my good hand toward her.
I expected the normal outcome.
A steady pull upward and a shoulder to lean onto. Something practical, reasonable.
That was not what happened. She instead stepped closer. Inappropriately close.
Then one arm slid beneath my knees. The other moved behind my back. And before my brain could process what was happening—
I was airborne.
She effortlessly lifted and carried me toward the horse. I could feel myself turning beetroot red.
“I—I can walk!” I protested, my voice betraying me by using the wrong octave.
“Your face is very warm,” she said with a serious frown. “Do you also have a fever?”
Since her hands were currently occupied, the dummy had decided, that the next 'optimal' method of checking was, to press her own forehead against mine.
The world faded to black as a single thought bounced helplessly around my mind like a DVD logo trying to reach the corner of a screen:
Is this woman… a romantic klutz?
And then I fainted.
? STATUS WINDOW ?
══════════════════
Name: Zephyr Diana*
Race: H?um??aN?
Sex: Female
Age: 17
══════════════════
Level: 5
XP: 7 / 16
══════════════════
System Points: 18 ??
Dice: 0 ??
══════════════════
? VITALS ?
══════════════════
HP: Don’t Die ?
MP: 50 / 50
MP?: 3 / Min
SPD: N / A
══════════════════
? TITLES & SKILLS ?
══════════════════
? Reincarnator ?≡
├ Status Window
├ Appraisal
└ Converse
══════════════════
? Extra Skills ?≡
├ Dice「D4」
└ Morph
══════════════════
? Unlocked Naturally ?≡
├ Carpenter
├ Blacksmithing
├ Accuracy Ⅰ
└ Poison Resistance
══════════════════
══════════════════
? KNOWLEDGE ?
══════════════════
? Arcana ?≡
├ Fireball Ⅰ 「3 MP / Cast」
├ Torch Ⅰ 「5 MP / Min」
├ Sleep ? 「6 MP / Cast」
├ Cleanse Ⅰ 「7% MP / Cast」
└ Surge ? 「25% MP / Cast」
══════════════════
? Weaponry ?≡
├ Sword ? Swordsman
├ Spear ? Lancer
├ Knife ? Rogue
├ Scythe ? Executioner
├ Bow ? Archer
├ Claws ? Savage
├ Shield ? Tank
├ Guillotine ? Executioner
├ Kunai ? Rogue
├ Shuriken ? Archer
└ Trident ? Lancer
══════════════════
? Bestiary ?≡
├ Demonic Rabbit
├ Salmon
└ Dark Spider
══════════════════
? Culinary Grimoire ?≡
├ Roasted Demonic Rabbit
└ Roasted Salmon
══════════════════
? Lexica Botanica (Plants) ?≡
├ Dreamrot
└ Sapling*
══════════════════
? Lexica Botanica (Biomes) ?≡
├ Redwood Forest
├ Oakwood Forest
└ Flower Forest
══════════════════
?? MORPH ?≡
══════════════════
? Demonic Rabbit ?≡
├? Toggles
├ Rabbit ears
├ Rabbit feet
├ Rabbit tail
├ Demonic horns
├ Demonic fangs
├? Permanents
├ Jump boost +
├ Superior hearing +
├? Abilities
└ Paranoia Bite
══════════════════
? Salmon ?≡
├? Toggles
├ Slippery skin
├? Permanents
├ Water breathing
├? Abilities
└ None
══════════════════
? Slime ?≡
├? Toggles
├ Slime membrane
├? Permanents
├ Ultra-slow regeneration
├ Pain tolerance
├? Abilities
└ None
══════════════════
