Chapter 13

"Gentlemen, I apologize for the disturbance, but the person you captured is my friend, not a so-called orc. We came from a distant village and got lost in this forest on our way to the city. If you're heading back to town, could you take us with you? If you do, I can overlook what you did to my friend."

As the adventurers were tying up the bruised and pleading Shibazaki Yōsuke, preparing to take him back to the city, Gin finally stepped out from his hiding place after observing for a while.

Based on the money and wallet Yōsuke dropped and his explanations, Gin deduced that Yōsuke was also a fellow otherworldly traveler. He had been hiding to see what kind of abilities other transferred individuals might possess, but he was disappointed to find that Ayumu seemed to be quite weak.

"Huh? Just because you say he's your friend doesn't make it true. Do you have any proof?"

"I bet you just saw us catching a rare talking beastman and now you want to snatch him from us."

"Even if he is your friend, we found and captured him. He's our prize now. If you don't like it, why don't you try taking him from us?"

Gin's appearance and demeanor were certainly more convincing than Yōsuke's, but the adventurers weren't swayed by his words. They weren't about to give up their valuable catch just because a random guy said so.

"Looks like sometimes fists do the reasoning better than words. Since you insist, I'll oblige."

Gin thrust his crude bone knife into the ground and charged at the three adventurers barehanded. Having spent years in the Soul Society, Gin could gauge an opponent's strength accurately. These adventurers, despite their fancy gear and tough looks, didn't pose much of a threat to him.

"Arrogant brat! Leaving your weapon behind to show off in front of us!"

"Must be some country bumpkin who doesn't know any better. Thinks we're on the same level as those small-time adventurers."

...

A few minutes later...

"My lord, we had no idea this gentleman... I mean, your friend was with you. We deeply apologize for our actions. Here, take all our belongings as compensation for the trouble we caused."

"You two are heading to town, right? We can guide you there. Just please spare us, my lord."

Yōsuke watched the dramatic turn of events with a look of enlightenment, realizing that sometimes words alone weren't enough to resolve conflicts.

The three adventurers, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, were now bowing and groveling before Gin after his "reasoning with fists" approach.

"Yosuke, from what you said, you should have been granted a power by the God of the Otherworld upon arriving here. It seems your power allows you to communicate with beings from this world. Didn't you notice? Initially, those adventurers couldn't understand you, but later they could. They only mistook you for an orc because of your appearance."

As fellow otherworld travelers, Gin and Yōsuke quickly found common ground and began sharing their experiences.

"You're 17 years old?"

During their conversation, Gin was surprised to learn that Yōsuke, who looked quite rough, was actually only 17 years old.

"You look like you're in your thirties..."

"What about you, Gin? How old are you? You look about my age... or maybe even younger."

"Haha... I'm about 17 as well."

Gin replied awkwardly, knowing that his actual age, considering his years in the Soul Society and his past life, was likely in the triple digits.

In contrast, Yōsuke, despite his mature appearance, was a genuine teenager, while Gin, with his youthful looks, was an experienced veteran.

"How long have you been in this otherworld, Gin? You made beating those adventurers look easy. Did you start with a powerful cheat?"

Yōsuke, a game enthusiast, was thrilled about being in another world. However, seeing Gin's effortless display of strength made him feel inadequate, especially with his own seemingly useless ability, "Universal Communicator."

While communication was crucial, Yōsuke had quickly realized that understanding words didn't always lead to mutual understanding.

"There's no such thing as a useless ability; it all depends on how you use it. I didn't receive any combat power from the God of the Otherworld either. The ability I got is more about self-protection. As for beating those adventurers, that was due to my own training."

"Even in games, you don't start with cheats and godly gear. If the game were that easy, where would the fun be in defeating the Demon King?"

(End of Chapter)