Chapter 7
For more than an hour, this grandpa and I chatted briefly while walking in the forest. We walked on the path that this grandpa had made himself.
I also got a little insight into my current situation.
All civilizations call this world the Lintroad, a world filled with gods and their creations. This world has various types of living beings other than humans.
The races of living beings include elves, dwarves, beastmen, mermaids and demons. The monsters here can be categorized as a demon race but are more appropriate as wild animals because they do not have a mind, only fighting instincts.
The place where I am now is in the Erdinnger forest which is far from the territory of the Romandinne kingdom, one of the kingdoms in this world.
This forest is home to many monsters and not to humans. This grandpa is an exception.
I don't know how I ended up here. According to his explanation, there are many villages on the edge of the forest and one of them might be mine.
This grandpa didn't tell me much about the situation out there. But he was very happy to tell me how he lived his life in the forest.
"Aaaah... Heeehee..."
"This baby is quick to get along with others"
"Even though it hasn't been a week yet he even understands sign language"
"Eh? How strange."
"Heehee... Heehee..."
"Good boy, good boy"
"Look, we'll be there soon"
The light that appeared at the end began to illuminate our view. The difference between the dense forest and the lack of light and the vast field became more and more apparent. From here we could see the beautiful scenery.
"Oh! It's a big place, grandpa. Is the house in the middle of the field yours?"
"Of course! I built it myself"
"Really? You're doing great."
Grandpa proudly told me how he had built the house.
I was also amazed by the surrounding scenery.
The house, which is more like a mansion, is on the edge of a lake with a large area of land stretching from the end. Around it grew many colorful flowers that added to its beauty.
Add to that the mountain views and the bright blue sky. Truly, it was a great place to relax.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Sure. It's really amazing, how did you find this place?"
"Uh... I just happened to get it"
"You're really lucky. But have the beasts or monsters attacked your house?"
"No. As long as I've lived here, there have been no monster attacks. They seem to be blocked by this boundary of the trees"
"Aren't you afraid grandpa?"
"Not at all. But I'm happy now that I can finally talk to someone else."
"I can relate it, being lonely and having no one to keep me company"
"I don't mind if you stay here as long as you want ma'am"
"Really? Thank you grandpa. But can you hold my son for a while?"
"Alright."
"I just need to pee"
"Don’t worry, there's a toilet in my place too. Let's go inside right away"
"Hmmm, sorry grandpa. Can you please take care of him for a while? Plus I have other matters"
"Okay come here sweet boy"
"Thanks Grandpa"
After leaving Jimmy, I immediately ran into the forest. I looked for a place that was a bit hidden.
I ran a little towards the bushes and hid behind a tree. I saw that there were no monsters around either.
'Safe!'
Even though I have to be careful with strangers but that grandpa seems trustworthy.
"Sorry, Grandpa, just for a moment."
After peeing I prepared the breast pump to milk my breasts. I was so embarrassed that my clothes were suddenly wet because of this.
From the moment I met the monster, Jimmy hadn't wanted to breastfeed and my breasts were sore from being full.
I guess now my breasts are producing more milk. It also pains me more all the time.
I milked them a little hard because I didn't have much time. I have to go back soon so as not to be suspicious. It would be more embarrassing to do it in front of others.
After returning I picked up Jimmy who had fallen asleep.
"You weren't peeping at me were you?"
"No-no ma'am. I am a trusty person"
"Just kidding. Let's go to your house"
"Let's go"
We immediately headed to this grandpa's house. The house was made entirely of wood taken from the forest. From the outside, it looks minimalist and well-maintained.
Once inside I saw a clean room. The old furniture made of wood is also here. Everything was neatly organized in its place. This old grandpa seems to be a very diligent person.
"Welcome! Please just put your belongings in the empty room on the right. I prepared a guest room even if no one came before"
"Thank you very much grandpa, this is a great help to me. I think we'll really feel at home here. This place is clean and tidy."
"Thank you for the compliment"
"I have the ingredients and will make dinner soon"
"No! It is the host job that should serve his guests. I will prepare it myself."
"It's just a token of my gratitude for staying at your house."
"Don't worry. I'm not bothered, in fact, I'm happy now"
"Alright then. I'll rest for a while in my room."
Since there was nothing else to do, I went straight to my room. I took out all my things and rearranged them.
"I can finally relax"
This place was better than I expected. It was much more comfortable than the old hut.
Hugging Jimmy, I slowly closed my eyes and took a short nap.
**
...
"Didn't you say elves are very beautiful?"
"Sure if you look at it from the outside, ma'am. But they also like to eat humans"
...
"Dwarves are descendants of giants?"
"The dwarf king said they were cursed to be small because of the arrogance of their ancestors."
...
We continued our conversation after dinner. The topic this time was still about this world. Jimmy, who was fast asleep in the room, was not bothered by our voices.
It was now midnight and we were still talking about other things.
"..And that's how I came to be here grandpa"
"You poor thing, ma'am. Bad people are sometimes around us too."
"That's right sir, I don't think about it anymore either. Now I will live independently without depending on others"
"Sob... sob"
"Uh, why are you crying?"
"I can feel it. Being abandoned by the closest person. It hurts, Sob-sob..."
"Is that why you're here alone all this time?"
"No ma'am, I was just a child living with my own mother in a small village.
Every day I helped my mother work because my father left us. My life was very peaceful at first, but my mother got a rare disease and I had to struggle to get medicine for her.
I started doing odd jobs as a child but the money I collected was still very little, even so I kept struggling because my mother's smile make me more happy. I also started looking for work outside the village and often came home late at night.
At that time, I got a job for three days. The money I collected was just enough for my mother's treatment and that made me excited.
My mom was also looking better at that time. She made me lunch before I left. But... but when I came back, hick... my mom... she was gone, Sob... Sob… Huaaa!"
I immediately hugged this grandpa to calm him down. He started crying loudly into my chest.
"My mom... I should have been there with her, but I left her, sob... But, that's in the past and now I've let her go"
Grandpa then wiped his tears.
"I'm sorry I made you remember bad memories. I'm also sorry for your sadness."
"Really, I'm even grateful for listening to me."
"It looks like it's getting late. It's time for us to sleep."
"Alright I'm sleepy too. Let’s go back to our room"
**
...
Heupp!
Happp!
...
I continued my physical training in the grandpa's yard. After think it again, I'll stay here for a while. Seeing the orcs yesterday still make me creeps. I should be able to increase my strength here before actually going into the forest again.
Actually here is a good place to practice. If you don't find anything like orcs, the other monsters can be good sparring partners. They're not weak but still manageable on their own.
Grandpa said there are still many monsters out there that are much stronger. I must continue to hone my skills if I want to survive in this world.
"Your swordplay is very poor. Do you want to become a sword master?"
"Huh-huhh... I'd like to be but for now I just want to use my weapon skillfully"
"Hmmm... How about I help you a bit with the basics of swordplay?"
"Really? Thank you very much grandpa. Allow me to be your student now!"
Seeing grandpa's attack yesterday made me realize that this grandpa is no ordinary person. He must know a thing or two about real fighting.
I was reluctant to ask grandpa for help. I'm already a hitchhiker and can't just ask for help anymore. But if he offered it himself, I would definitely accept.
"Take it easy. I'll take care of little Jimmy while you train, ma'am. So practice hard."
"Thank you master!"
"I still don't deserve to be called by master"
***