NOVEL NEXT Ch11 - Telepathy & Trade
Chapter 11: Telepathy & Trade
“Haa… ‘Telepathy’ and ‘Trade,’ you say?”
Rena tilted her head, letting out a surprised sigh. That sounds pretty handy.
Currently, the group had left the forest where they had been hiding for several days and found themselves in a different grassy plain, separate from the area around Danatzera. This plain had many short trees and rocks, giving the impression that it hadn’t been much altered by human hands. They were scouting the area and conversing while hidden behind a large rock where no monsters were nearby.
“(Like this.)”
“Wha—!?”
Rena jumped in surprise as Luca’s voice suddenly echoed inside her head. Lily, who was already aware of the situation, remained calm, while the slimes looked thrilled as if they’d found a new toy. What’s telepathy? The slimes, only a few days old, were brimming with curiosity.
‘Hey, Rena, can you hear Luca’s voice now?’
‘In your head?’
“(Yeah, like this.)”
‘Wow! I heard it! Yay! This is so cool!’
“I’m glad you like it.”
‘Indeed. Most enjoyable! One more time!’
‘Can we please move on…?’
Alright then, let’s explain the additional effects of Luca’s magic eye. Here’s a breakdown of the abilities:
[Telepathy] – Allows the user to communicate telepathically with someone they’ve made eye contact with. The caster can send messages to multiple targets at the same time.
[Trade] – Enables the exchange of skills with another person. The trade requires the other party’s consent.
“This is kinda ridiculous…”
Rena, you’re saying everything you think out loud. But, well, that’s understandable. With his magic eye that can reveal almost all of the opponent’s information, high stats, and these additional abilities, no wonder she’s overwhelmed.
“Luca, maybe you lost some of your [Luck] because you’ve been granted too many powers…”
Rena’s gaze toward him was somewhat lukewarm!
“Are you curious to hear the tragic tale of my life despite all these blessed powers?”
Luca smiled brightly as he said this. The combination of this line and his smile was just too dark.
Rena quickly apologized in a panic. Her swift apology seemed to amuse Luca, who laughed lightly and forgave her.
They had already tested telepathy, but what about the trade?
“Have you ever used the power of trade before?” Rena asked, a bit nervously. She was cautious about asking, fearing that if he had used it, it would have been under less-than-ideal circumstances.
“No, I haven’t. I was thinking about negotiating to use it soon.”
“Really! …Wait, what?”
She felt a bit relieved, but his next words gave her pause. Hesitantly, she asked again.
“Are you going to trade something like [Dissolve]? Or… [Bloodsuck]?”
That’s a tamed beast’s skill!
“Why would you think of those? No, I was planning to temporarily give you my [Physical Ability Boost] until we successfully escape.”
“!”
“You don’t seem like you’ll be able to outrun anyone when the pursuers catch up. I’ll lend it to you. Let’s make a contract using [Fairy Contract].”
Wow, what a generous teacher!
“!? T-thank you…! Oh wow, I’m so glad I’m not crying right now. If we hadn’t made a contract, I probably would have burst into tears. Human kindness is such a wonderful thing…”
“I’d be in trouble too if you couldn’t escape. That’s the real reason.”
Rena, deeply moved, was grateful even though Luca’s offer came with the expectation of mutual benefit. Though it was based on a fairy contract, she was glad that she didn’t have to fear any repercussions. The trauma from her experiences with the guild was still fresh, and the fear from that awful experience wouldn’t fade in just a few days.
“I’ll give Rena the [Physical Ability Boost] skill, and in return… Let’s see, I’ll take your [Obedience] skill. Once we’re out of the country, we can trade back. I’m not lying about this, right, Lily?”
‘…Yep! Luca’s telling the truth.’
Rena tilted her head again.
“[Obedience]? That only works on one’s own tamed beasts, so it won’t benefit you at all. Are you sure?”
“I don’t mind. My goal is to enhance your combat strength, not my own. Besides, I can’t give up any of the other skills I use frequently, can I?”
“…What a kind person…!”
Rena was overwhelmed with emotion, and her tamed beasts didn’t try to stop her from feeling so touched.
“You should probably be a little more cautious, though…”
“Well, for now, you’re an ally, aren’t you, teacher?”
“Yeah, I suppose so. Hmm.”
Only the teacher, relatively sensible among them, let out a small sigh of exasperation. The contract was made, and two marks appeared on her wrist.
“I’m going to exchange my [Physical Ability Boost] with Rena’s [Obedience].
[Trade]!”
To use the trade ability, eye contact was required. This, too, was a function of the magic eye. As the skills between himself and his partner switched places, Luca watched with interest, as it was the first time he had used this power.
The fact that Luca’s magic eye also contained ‘Telepathy’ and ‘Trade’ was a secret unknown even to the government’s higher-ups. The ability of his rare [☆7] gift was too great to be revealed by lower-ranked magic eyes, and Luca had no intention of disclosing it himself.
“It’s done.”
“Already!?”
Rena, who couldn’t see the effects, didn’t feel anything tangible, but the trade had been completed. Checking her guild card, she confirmed that the skills had indeed been swapped.
Excitedly, she tested it out by cracking her whip on the ground. Whip-crack! The whip struck exactly where she had aimed, and it seemed her physical coordination had clearly improved. Was this the end of the uncoordinated high school girl?
“Wow!”
‘Amazing!’
While her master and the tamed beasts were thrilled, the teacher was more reserved.
“I thought your attack power would increase a bit more… Well, at least you won’t trip over yourself now,” he muttered.
Indeed, the skill was merely a [Boost], meaning it only enhanced physical coordination, and any major weaknesses would have to be overcome later. Its true strength lay in improving her movements so she could level up faster in battle, ultimately increasing her physical abilities significantly. For now, just not tripping was a major help.
“Well then, let’s move while we can, and I’ll handle any monsters we encounter. Sound good?”
Luca asked the group. After observing the tamed beasts’ fighting capabilities yesterday, today was his turn to showcase his skills.
“Yes, please do.”
“I’ll give it my best.”
Luca, adjusting the magic sword strapped to his back, took the lead, followed by the noisy tamed beasts.
‘Will you zap them with lightning?’
‘Thunderbolt!’
‘Both of those are lightning… haha.’
“By the way, what’s the incantation for lightning magic, teacher?”
“It’s ‘Bolt.’”
Stepping confidently through the grassland, Luca moved with no hesitation, ears alert as he kept his eyes ahead for any sign of danger. His noble attire, heavy and ornate, had already been stored away in his magic bag, replaced by a light outfit consisting of a shirt, slacks, and a magic robe. Such elaborate clothing was nothing but a nuisance in the great outdoors, as he explained.
Rena, walking with a slime perched on her shoulder and carrying the featherlight Lily, was moving with much more ease thanks to the passive [Physical Ability Boost] skill. Earlier, she had been stumbling over every pebble in the unpaved road, but now her footing was steady. The boost was only temporary, so she was determined to get used to the improved movements while she could. Any half-hearted glances? They’re just a figment of her imagination.
The plain they were traversing, while flat, had many low-growing trees, providing plenty of places to hide. Using these natural cover spots, the group steadily closed the distance to the border.
After covering a significant distance, the group rested hidden in the underbrush. Despite traveling quite a bit, they had yet to encounter any monsters. It seemed the chance to see the power of Luca’s thunder sword would have to wait a little longer.
Luca offered everyone food. For every extra pursuer they attracted, he made up for it with convenience.
“These are just rations, so they might not taste great, but here you go.”
“Thank you! Everyone, here you go too.”
‘Thanks!’
“You’re welcome.”
I decided to try the portable rations stored in the magic bag.
…It tastes terrible…!
Rena, with her Japanese background of loving good food, had her joyful expression flip upon hearing it was a meal, only to force a strained look that showed she was clearly thinking, “Ugh.”
Is it the taste of this world, Ranasch, that’s awful? No, that’s not it. Even the teacher seemed to make a pretty disgusted face. It seems that preservation technology here is just still underdeveloped.
The familiars, who normally consume blood and other things without issue, weren’t bothered by the taste due to their monster-like palate. They seemed to be having fun eating.
“Dance-eating!”
▽ Kureha tore off pieces of the portable ration, put them in her mouth, and spun them around inside her like they were dancing! It was like watching a washing machine.
“Watch me! Swallow it whole!”
▽ Izumi stretched her body like a plate and gulped down the entire portable ration placed on her! Slowly, the solid food dissolved inside.
“I won’t lose… suction!”
▽ Lily transformed back into her butterfly form and sucked up the clay-like ration with all her might! Even though she returned to her butterfly form, her wingspan was 50 cm, which made it a bit of a horror show. No matter how beautiful a butterfly is, when it’s that big, it’s scary—her master realized this here.
Everyone seems to be having fun, but let’s not play with our food, okay?
As awful as these portable rations are… during this life on the run, they’re a vital source of nutrition. The two humans managed to swallow the clay-like meal, gulping down the water that Izumi summoned with “Aqua,” and both had expressions of pure exhaustion on their faces. It was rare to see them both visibly wear “I’m fed up” so clearly. Rena turned to Luka in a whisper.
“…Shall we talk about delicious food instead?”
“…Won’t that just make us feel worse?”
Luka’s eyes were skeptical as he replied. They still had plenty of these rations left in stock.
“Let’s just keep our spirits up by thinking about how we’ll have a feast once this life on the run is over…!”
Rena, though prone to getting down, quickly shifted gears and remained more positive than anyone. So, the two decided to talk about delicious food. First, Rena began:
“In my homeland—”
“Stop.”
The teacher interrupted her very quickly.
You see, talking too much about the other world could lead to her gaining strange titles, which could become a problem for Rena later. Since she hadn’t been informed of this yet, she looked puzzled by the sudden stop. Luka explained through telepathy, including the familiars, who were watching eagerly:
“(Try not to talk too much about your otherworldly origins out loud, okay? If too many people find out you’re from another world, this world might give you a special title or something. That could make you a target even after we stop running. It’s better to be careful, don’t you think? … If you want to talk, maybe use vague terms or telepathy like this. There are also communication magic tools that can substitute for telepathy. Maybe we should get one if we leave the country?)”
“(…!? I-I didn’t realize such a scary possibility existed…! I’ll be careful. … Thank you for telling me.)”
“(No problem.)”
‘(Kuu and Iz will also be careful not to talk about it!)’
“(Good job, good job.)”
Rena stood there frozen, eyes wide. “Being targeted again? That’s just too much!” The stress of being chased was something she was already experiencing firsthand, and she absolutely didn’t want any special titles. All she wanted was to live a relaxed, free, and ordinary life.
Whether or not the teacher knew about the other world was a separate issue (probably due to his magic eyes, right?). For now, Rena kept both hands over her mouth to prevent any further slip-ups. Lily, imitating her, also covered her mouth. The slimes, unable to do the same, instead started dancing in frustration.
The teacher let out a small sigh of relief, visibly more at ease.
“(Let’s be careful. …Now, do you still want to tell me about the food from your homeland?)”
“(Oh. Maybe it’s better to talk about delicious food from Ranasch, right?)”
Rena quickly shifted gears again, though with a slightly bittersweet smile.
“(…Talking about things we can eat in the future sounds more like something to look forward to after we stop running. Teacher, can you tell me about the different kinds of food here? …Um, do you know how to return to my previous world, Earth?)”
And there it was. Luka looked apologetic and shook his head, telling her that he didn’t know how to return. Rena gave him a bittersweet smile, as if she hadn’t expected much of an answer anyway. Seeing this, the familiars crowded around her, lightening her mood a bit.
…Not that she hadn’t hoped, but if Luka had known the way back, he probably would’ve told her. He was that kind of person. She had prepared herself for the disappointment, so it wasn’t too painful.
Thanks to the fairy contract, no tears welled up in Rena’s eyes anymore.
In a bright voice meant to shake off the dark mood, she called out to everyone with a smile.
“Tell me about the delicious food you’ve eaten in Ranasch!”
‘Pafu pafu—!’
“My master’s blood, of course. Hehehe.”
“Lily, that’s a pretty intense way to start…!”
Despite the unexpected answer from Lily, Rena pressed on! Next, the slimes.
‘Poisonous snake!’
“Even more than chocolate!?”
The monster palate was terrifying. Apparently, they preferred umami to sweetness. Poison was like a tasty spice for them. And Luka?
“Man-eating bear…?”
Surprisingly wild! Rena was genuinely shocked.
“You ate a bear that ate people!?”
“Yeah, during hunting leveling, we cooked it up at camp. It was delicious. The meat on the palm becomes tender when you stew it slowly. Much better than the cold royal palace food after tasting for poison.”
“Wow. Well, delicious is justice, I guess!”
Rena switched gears (as usual) and seemed to tune out the second half of Luka’s words. She figured she might develop some kind of selective listening skill at this rate. Her thoughts shifted to meat. Snake meat had been smelly and not tasty at all.
“Bear meat, huh? Just hearing that, it sounds kinda tasty.”
‘I’d like to try it, too!’
‘Drool’
“Haha, yeah, me too!”
Should you really be saying such things out loud? You’re raising a flag here…
“Man-eating bears rarely appear. Their numbers are low, and you wouldn’t normally encounter them in a grassland like this.”
Famous last words. Luka, you’re practically summoning them.
[Fortune]: If the master wishes for it, the world of Ranasch may grant it.
A roar echoed in the distance.
“Guh…!?”
“W-what!?”
The massive, black, man-eating bear emerged, charging across the grassland, chasing after the humans it seemed to find appetizing. Kicking up a cloud of dust, it closed in on Rena and her group, drooling menacingly.
▽A man-eating bear appeared!
“Another pursuer!? Seriously!?”