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Chapter 5: Slade and a boar

The creature pulling the carriage made a deep, guttural sound, somewhere between a honk and a quack.

"Wha… what was that sound?" she asked, tilting her head.

The merchant chuckled. "Oh, him? That’s Manu, my rainbow ostrich. Strong legs, fluffy feathers, faster than any horse you’ve ever seen."

She blinked.

"…Rainbow ostrich?"

She took a moment to silently pat herself on the back.

On the inside, she was impressed she had basically guessed its type just by looking, a rainbow ostrich, that's what it's called.

But on the outside, she was still stunned. "That’s… exactly what I thought it was, but… wow. It's really called that, huh."

The merchant patted the bird fondly. "Cute, right?"

"Mhmm. And It also has a lovely name," she agreed with a small smile. Her then eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Um, is it okay if I… touch him? He doesn’t bite, does he?"

The merchant gave a warm laugh. "Go ahead, missy. Though, let me guess, is it your first time seeing one?"

"Honestly? Yeah," she admitted, stepping closer.

Manu’s feathers were soft and fluffy. He was like a pillow with a rainbow colour. Her fingers sank into them, and for a moment, she had a very tempting thought that crossed her mind. 

'If I plucked just one feather, I could totally make a super aesthetic, colorful dip pen…' she thought. She had always wanted to use a feather as a pen. Chicken feathers just don't work that well. She then quickly shook her head. 'Nope, nope. It's definitely a bad idea. Don’t anger the transportation.'

"Hello there, Manu," she greeted softly.

After hearing its name from a different voice, the bird slowly turned its head to face her, one stupidly blank eye staring from the side. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Then, without warning, Manu flapped its tiny wings and let out a thunderous honk and quack.

"Woah there. You scared me." she jumped back, clutching her chest.

The merchant winced. "Ah, sorry about him. He does that sometimes."

Seeing her stunned expression, the merchant started chuckling. A moment later, she also burst out laughing, the tension dissolving into a silly, shared moment.

She headed toward the back of the carriage to climb in. Inside, wooden boxes were stacked neatly, filled with who-knows-what.

But what caught her attention wasn’t the cargo. There was a man sitting among them.

He was rugged, serious-looking, with scars etched across his face and only a single right arm. That one arm hugged a sword that rested on his lap. His presence radiated warrior energy.

"Woooow…" she whispered in awe. 'A real, battle-hardened swordsman! Missing an arm! Covered in scars!'

It was like meeting a legendary npc in a game.

…Though, admittedly, he was kind of scary to look at. Still, she reminded herself to not judge a book by its cover.

"Uh, hellp there, mister." she greeted, giving a small wave. "I’ll just… sit here. Please don’t mind me."

Then, there it came, the uncomfortableness of riding a carriage from the ancient times. Her poor butt not built for this. The road uneven and the seat had no foam. 

But it wasn't that bad. She won't exaggerate it. She can endure just this much. It was a good thing her body had gotten younger.

The man’s stern gaze then shifted to her. "…I'm Slade," he introduced himself with a curt nod.

"Slade?" She blinked. 'He introduced himself first? He's friendlier than I thought he seemed.'

"Well, that's a cool name, mister Slade. Totally sounds badass. Even though… I have no idea what it means."

His eyebrow twitched in amusement. "And you are…?"

Her mind went blank. 

'Oh no...' She forgot to think of a name beforehand.

"You don’t even remember your own name?" Slade deadpanned, narrowing his eyes.

"N-no! I was just… lost in thought!" she blurted out, panicking slightly.

Since she was a girl now, her name should match, right? She needed something that sounded like it fit a fantasy world. Something… familiar.

"Lylia," she said suddenly, as if struck by inspiration. "That’s my name. Lylia."

It was actually the name of her main hero from a game she used to play. She was a cute mage character. Perfect for her new life, also a mage. 

"Lylia, huh." Slade nodded slightly. "Remember to live a healthy life too. You’re young, but you're already forgetting things."

She laughed awkwardly. "Heh heh… yeah, that was… funny. I'll take note of that."

Inside, however, she felt just a tiny bit personally attacked.

"So, mister Slade," she said quickly, changing the topic, "I'm just asking out of pure curiosity, what do you do for work?"

"I’m an adventurer," he replied simply.

Lylia’s eyes lit up like fireworks.

"Wait, you mean adventurers like, that adventurer? Like, you'll take quests from a guild, defeat monsters, earn rewards, then rank up the more you do so?"

"Yes."

Her hands clasped together in giddy excitement. "That’s… so cool!"

He smirked slightly. "Why, does the young lady want to become an adventurer too?"

Lylia froze. "…Maybe?"

Slade shook his head. "Focus on studying instead." 

"Ah, see… about that…" She scratched her cheek nervously. "I’m… uh, not attending any academy."

Slade’s brow furrowed. "You don’t go to school?"

"Nope, unfortunately. I’m… self-taught!" she said quickly, forcing a bright smile.

Before he could ask more questions, she leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Actually, could you maybe guide me? Like, help me find a job there as an adventurer?"

"...No." His tone was flat and immediate.

"Pleeease?" she begged, activating her ultimate technique. She perfectly executed the eyes expression of a puppy, paired with clasped hands and a trembling lip.

Even the stoic swordsman faltered.

"...Ugh. If I have the time. No promises though," he relented.

"Yaaay!" she beamed, instantly back to full brightness.

Slade sighed deeply. "How old are you anyway?"

She thought for a moment, judging by her current body, "Sixteen. Probably."

He nodded. "Then you’re old enough to join. No problem there."

The merchant’s voice suddenly called from the front. "Slade! There’s a large boar up ahead on the road!"

Lylia tilted her head. "Large boar? What's that. And like… how large?"

Slade’s answer was calm and concise. "A boar. But huge."

That… didn’t sound reassuring.

Slade hopped down from the carriage with his sword in hand. The massive creature emerged from the trees, a boar easily the size of an elephant, its tusks glinting menacingly.

Lylia’s jaw dropped. "...Yeah. That's a boar, alright. But huge, very huge, too huge." 

Its eyes lock on Slade, the giant beast let out an ear-splitting roar and charged forward, the ground trembling beneath its weight.

Her breath caught in her throat.

The sight triggered a vivid flashback of the truck that had once come barreling toward her, unstoppable and deadly.

Her heart raced. She gripped God’s book tightly, ready to...

But Slade… didn’t move.

He stood perfectly still, calm and unshaken. Similarly, he inhaled before the battle and held his breath.

At the very last second, his blade flashed.

SHWING! then he exhaled.

The air split with the motion.

The boar’s massive body slid to a stop, before collapsing cleanly into two perfect halves.

Silence.

Lylia’s mouth hung open, utterly speechless.

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