Chapter 2: Different Races
One by one, the women hopped down the carriage in their new clothing he gave them.
Now that they are in broad daylight, their appearance are all visible for him to see.
He ended up sitting on a boulder with a palm on his face.
He rubbed his temple seeing their appearance.
Slaves, or at least that's how they'll be labelled if anyone else saw them.
"..Elf, Avian, Mermaid? Hold it- is that girl a Fairy? Oh that runic dark skin, she's a Dark Elf. Demon, Vampire- Oh there are varieties of Beastwomen too... Hold on a minute!"
He took several deep breaths as he held his head as if assaulted by a sharp pain through his head.
He was frowning upon a realization that he might not be able to find a way to return to his own civilization.
But he was also abit afraid of the place he ended up in.
Taking a few glances at them, multiple two words floated on his mind.
Another World
Parallel World
Another Universe
Whichever it is, there was still an overwhelming excitement boiling from his chest- or was it fear?
He looked at his left hand, sweating, before he clenched it.
Nothing changed in his body, or at least that is how he see it now.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, pulling himself together.
By this time the women have began to manage themselves. Most have gathered together as if discussing something, and some rummaged through the stuffs in the carriage.
For food, for mending their bruises, weapons, clothes for children.
They start to busy themselves.
At first, they just stood outside for a few moments, looking at him when his mind was too occupied.
But he doesn't have any strength to pay them any attention at that moment.
Some attended the kids with care so they could recuperate.
Some went back with twigs and dried branches and grouped to lit a fire.
Very few unloaded some goods and few among the few armed themselves with spear, short blades, and quivers and bows
Well they are in a forest and dangers may be lurking around.
"No one even gestures a "thank you're for saving them?" he complained without meaning.
But both parties have a hard time approaching each other, but so far none had courage to do so ever since they were released from those shackles.
Ever since he discovered their unique features and concluded of being in another world, naturally, the dangers he had some ideas about came with to his mind.
Monsters, or those people with racial discrimination, either of those, most of the time.
Although little so far, he noticed hesistating glances towards him, of course they are cautious and uncertain about him.
It is kind of them trying to approach him, but unable to because of their reservation.
Still, he wasn't confident of the safety of the place where they currently are.
Rumble~
"...."
He covered his face in shame. It was his stomach raising its complaint alright.
It wasn't that long however, when a familiar gold-brown haired little kid approached him and slowly offered him a small wood cup filled with what seemed to be a soup.
He also now noticed that her ears were slightly pointed.
A young elf?
He smiled kindly and gently took the cup and nodded at the little girl.
"Thank you very much."
The little girl beamed a bright smile at him and nodded before she happily jogged back to others.
She must've understood his thought.
That's when he realized that some of them looked between him and her with smiles of relief.
He looked down at his hand that held the cup.
The soup is warm and it smelled pleasant.
The appearance looked presentable and tasty too.
He was blowing the steam lightly when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.
He looked over his shouler and noticed a smooth bright thin hand of a girl.
When he looked up behind him there he saw an Avian girl handing him a wooden carved spoon with a gentle smile.
She had short blonde trimmed hair up to the length above her shoulders, she is pretty.
They are all pretty in fact.
There he realized that everyone else was similar eating and this girl was handing out spoon and he was the last.
"Oh, thank you. You should eat soon too."
He greatfully took the spoon with a smile.
The lady nodded and walked back similarly towards the direction where the little girl went, towards where the the others cooked in a what seemed to be a big pot.
Its not long until everyone finally got to eat.
Some of them who had meal earlier even came back to help themselves to get seconds.
He took a bite, it was tasty, something similar back in his world, although lacked the ingredient of coconut extract.
Tasty nonetheless, the single serving and the warmth satisfied him.
To be honest, he wanted seconds, but he was shy.
At last, they eased up.
While he was eating, he especially took notice of one particilar person: a female vampire
Pale to natural skin, dark brow-reddish eyes and long beautiful white hair.
She seemed to be the only vampire in the group, in fact, one with not pureblood maybe, he concluded this when she saw her eat the soup with no problem, she seemed satisfied.
She seemed to be a reserved person.
Still his knowledge and observation can be considered baseless. He is unsure if the same myth and beliefs apply in this world.
Her elegant and gracefulness from the manner of how she sat and ate was particularly outstanding.
Although he would avert his gaze most of the time out of reflex, he made special attention to the fact that she kept an eye towards him which made him restless, he doesn't know whether to smile of cry.
He was reminded of his uneventful social life and failure at socializing. Though few friends were made, he remained single for life.
He did nothing but work, earn, and spend. Problems with the family made him part ways with them, and with his little brother he loved dear.
Among the stuff in the carriages, he found some that are useful.
Maps.
He saw it, though the words were different, the symbols were all similar and the basics of navigating is still recognizable, making it not a problem to him.
The sun appears to be still rising from the east, and sets to the west.
The 4 cardinal direction is also indicated.
Assuming that a day is still 24 hours, he can judge by the position of the sun that its around mid day, and the place thet are is somewhere in the northern hemisphere near the world's equator.
In the end he didn't get a world map, but countries' he doesn't know about upon seeing lines that represented borders.
He recalled the ratio of the bandits and the number of slaves present.
He looked at them while deep in thought, with a map in his hands.
No one noticed his gaze.
'...Its too few to look after the slaves this many.. Those guys..'
The valuables and edibles in the other carriage which filled it obviously shows its either for a long journey, or they are meant as supplies for the destination of the group.
But in the end, with him being a person himself, if he were to move these people and these supplies, it shouldn't be only these few men, which he took out earlier.
'Either a separate party was ahead of them.. Or was behind them to follow-up. In the end, it'll be best to get away from here as soon as we can and as far as possible. To avoid the risk of more unpleasant characters to catch up.'
"....!"
As if struck by lightning. Realization dawned in him the problem of communication.
With hesitance for a moment, he immeidately rid of it without a second and brought himself to a lady who was among the slaves that were attending to the young ones.
She looked mature, and every body language she gives off shows that she had seen enough about life.
Among them, she appears to be the only, and there are no distinguishing features that shows she is not literally human. Her iris are blue as ocean and her hair are blond as pale gold.
Without taking his eyes of her, he slowly walked towards her, and as gentle as possible, spoke to her with the map in his hands, trying to interpret and deliver his intention with hand gestures.
"..We must leave this place and move further away... There could be more... People that will be after you.. All of you should stick together... I'll help you, pack the stuffs, in the other carriage quickly."
With struggle, he tried to convey his message. The camp was quiet and all of their eyes were on him.
The attention was embarrassing but he kept his eyes on the lady awaiting for her reponse but a few moments later, it never came.
In the end, he used the map at hand, and tried again.
Somehow it seemed his intention was delivered halfway across.
Considering that she will be leading and communicate with her. He tried to ask their current location on the map, with great difficulty again. Where the caravan was meant to head, and his advise of moving away from the route.
His tried to ask, with great difficulty still, if there are dangers if they move deeper in the forest.
In his mind, given that there are different species with four limbs walking on their feet with him, the probability of monsters appearing aren't slim as well.
'I thank all of humanity's author back in my world for having ideas to use in this situation.'
Looking at her, she was deep in thought with her eyes on the map. He cannot tell what she is thinking, but on some moments, her gaze will land on him only briefly, then look at the map again.
'.. I guess I am among her worries.. Although with weapons left behind, the ability to defend themselves is still questionable, I am not aware at the same time if they nourished enough..'
"..You lead them, away from this place. Wherever you go, just far away. But I think, going west, will be good. Eliminate anything, like on the ground, that will likely be used, to track you. I can accompany you, or if you want, if we can, part ways here, while you lead them to safety."
Again, with great struggle, while talking, he made hand gestures while talking to her.
She gently smile, but he himself cannot tell if she comprehended at all.
'Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself. Hmmm, being in another world, this is a great chance to use that name.'
As simple as he could, he introduced himself by pointing at himself.
"Oliphym."
Without waiting for her to answer, he walked away towards the the carriage.
In the end, the lady with blonde hair gathered the others started discussing the thing he tried to convert to her before, she walked gathered them.
But he also noticed, it's the woman with black hair seemed to do more of the asking among the rest.
Anyway, this gave him a chance to gather stuff he found useful and stuffs that he can use to defend himself.
Although it appeared weird. With little expertise, he tried to swing and use varieties of weapons he got his eyes on, and in the end, he got himself a short light sword and a halberd with short handle.
'Bow and quiver were no good huh..'
A sudden thought came across his mind unannounced.
"..? Come to think of it.. I haven't thought of a possibility that there may be rats among them..."
He might be paranoid or whatnot. Although going back to his world is among his must-do list, the present is more important and that slightest possibility is never gone.
'But from how they interact, this possibility is almost negligent.' he thought while he looked at them, only for a brief moment.
'If that possibility is present, I hope they can figure it out. I have no way to deliver this thought to them, with how difficult it is to communicate with them..'
He sighs, just like when he was at work when he had to do more tasks with slight relunctance.
His eyes landed on a opened box that seemed to be filled with cloth.
'..I should get myself a better clothes to change into. '
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