The Retired Top Ranker Was Abducted to Another World - Chapter 12

“Ahhh! You should have told me beforehand!”
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist when I saw how much you liked it.”

Faye looked around nervously and averted her gaze.

“You know… dwarves are the artisan race, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Do you think it’s that bad, too?”
“If the intention is to strike fear into others… then it’s a magnificent house indeed.”

Probably…

“I just built a cozy home…”

When the Demon King said this, Jake was taken aback.

‘Could such a house come from someone with ordinary aesthetic sense…?’

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t seem right.

“Sigh… Should I rebuild it, more normally?”
“No. I like the house as it is now.”
“Really?”
“Yes. What’s the importance of others’ opinions? It’s fine as long as it’s comfortable to live in.”

This was genuine. Although the exterior was strange, it was comfortable inside as Baek Yeon-woo wished.

“Really…?”

Like a budding sprout, Baek Yeon-woo slowly regained his vitality.

“Then it’s fine!”

According to Faye, there was no need to change it if the occupant found it satisfactory.
Moreover, I prefer it this way.

‘But… isn’t it curious that monsters haven’t approached recently? Could it be because of the house?’

He was right.
The house was adorned with basilisk skin.
Seeing that, no monster dared to approach the place.

“By the way, Mr. Dwarf…?”
“No matter what torture you inflict, I won’t yield!”
“Torture? Why would I do that?”
“Aren’t you trying to use our race as slaves, you wicked Demon King?”
“I’m not the Demon King.”
“Don’t joke with me! Are you saying you’re human?”

But I am…

“I’m human.”
“Hmph! Where on earth does a human boy live in the Forest of Calamity? Make your lies make sense.”
“Well… I’m not a boy, but I am human.”

Do I really need to explain that I’m human?
And to a dwarf who suddenly attacked me?
This is ridiculous.

“Then why did you kidnap me?”
“You… really are shameless, huh? Should I have just let you go after you attacked me out of nowhere?”
“That…”

Even Jake, reflecting on it, realized he was wrong.

“Lurking around in front of someone else’s house and then attacking out of the blue. Isn’t that just like a bandit?”
“No..! I didn’t mean it like that…”

Jake sweated profusely and, thinking about the situation, it wasn’t much different from being a bandit.

“And not only that, you insulted a house that someone worked hard on…”
“No…”

Don’t get all dejected, Demon King!
If someone of your kind saw this, they’d scold you for making a child cry.

“I admit I was wrong, so stop acting pitiful!”
“Okay!”

Baek Yeon-woo grinned widely, as if he had never been dejected.
Jake grabbed the back of his neck.

“Why were you lurking near our house in the first place?”
“I was looking for my companions, and since there are no monsters that set up barriers like these, I thought I’d check it out.”
“Oh! You’re searching for your companions?”
“… Don’t think of using my companions as hostages.”
“Seriously, this is unfair! Why would I kidnap your companions?”

I’m not kidnapping you to eat you, so why would I!

“Because we’re skilled artisans!”
“Is that just your own opinion? That sounds like self-absorption…”

I’ve never seen someone who expressly claims they’re an artisan actually be one.

“What do you take dwarves for…”
“Are all dwarves artisans?”
“Of course!”

Jake had exceptional pride in his race.
A race that hammers better than any other in the world.
That was Jake’s pride.
What does it matter if they can’t use magic? They made the staffs for those who do.

“Hmm~ Then why are such artisans in the Forest of Calamity?”

Skilled artisans are treasured wherever they go.
Why are such artisans in such a harsh place?

“Because… humans took our homes!”
“What?”
“They coveted our ores and drove us out…”

Dwarves had no power to resist.
Even though they had overwhelming weapons, they had too few warriors to wield them.

“Some were captured as slaves, and the rest had no choice but to come here.”

The only place to hide from humans’ gaze was here.

“Ha… those greedy bastards.”

Chasing out artisans just to get some ores?
Those people must have been overly satisfied.
Artisans are precious resources.
They’ve always commanded high prices.
Where do you think all the weapons and armor hunters use come from?
Artisans, of course.
How conceited must they be to treat artisans like that.

“Are there many artisans among humans?”
“No way! Those called artisans among humans are like children compared to us.”
“Ha! So arrogant!”

Over half the land can’t be used because of monsters even now…
Wait, instead of joining forces with other races to expand land usage, they’re snatching land?
What a bunch of garbage.

“How privileged do you have to be to do such a thing?”

It’s been a while since I’ve been this angry.
If I were born here, that kind of stupid act? I’d absolutely prevent it.

“Uh… um…”

Jake was flustered.
Why is the Demon King getting angry upon hearing their situation?

“Calm down.”
“Whew… alright. I’ll let you go.”
“Why…?”
“Because I’m sorry.”

Though I may not be from here… I’m sorry as a fellow human.
What must they have felt, losing their homeland to come to the Forest of Calamity?
I couldn’t begin to fathom their feelings.

“Are you really human?”
“I said I am.”
“…”

Jake knew.
Not all humans are evil.
When humans attacked the dwarves, there were those who opposed it.

“Should I take you home?”
“… I’m not so foolish as to take help from someone younger than me.”
“..!”

His tone changed?
With a more relaxed face and a different tone.

“But sir… you’re weak.”
“What?!”
“You were so afraid of monsters that you…”
“No! That was a strategic choice! To avoid unnecessary fighting!”
“But you lost when you fought me earlier.”
“No… it’s because you’re weird…”

Even living in the Forest of Calamity alone is strange…
If you’re not the Demon King, it’s weirder for a normal boy to be here…
Still… I’m not that weak…
Jake became dejected.
The sight of him with his scruffy beard was rather comical.

“Where are you headed?”
“I told you I can go alone!”

Although he opened up a little, he still had no intention of revealing his hideout.
He’s still unsure if he’s really not the Demon King.

“Well, do as you like. Oh, do you like meat, by any chance?”
“Meat..?”
“Do you want to take and eat this?”
“This is…!”

Various kinds of monster meat.
None of them were the same, but they were all from different monsters.

“How did you catch the demon?”
“The demon?”
“Yes. This fellow.”

A monster with a particularly pointed beak and rainbow-colored feathers.

“It tasted really bad.”

I don’t know why its meat smelled like garbage.
It was the worst.

“…How did you catch it?”
“It was weak?”
“The demon…?”

Although called a demon, its real name is Sound Bird.
It screeches loudly, and if you’re careless, its scream can burst your eardrums.
When you cover your ears with your hands, it pecks with its sharp beak, making it hard to deal with.

“It was nothing once I blocked its sound.”
“Blocked… its sound?”
“Yes.”

It’s a technique called “sound block,” one of the standard skills used by modern hunters.
Like in martial arts novels, mana is wrapped around to block sound.
There’s a plant in gates named Howlweed that causes dizziness when you hear its sound.
To prevent this effect, the skill of sound blocking was developed.

“Once the sound was blocked, it died with just a punch?”
“I’ve never heard of killing a demon like that before.”

Jake resigned himself and decided to stop trying to understand.

‘Well… he’s a kid living in the Forest of Calamity, so I guess… dealing with a demon must be easy.’

***

Jake took the meat back to the cave.

“There’s plenty of food now.”

But meat spoils quickly.
If they don’t eat it soon, they’ll have to throw it all away.
Still…

“We’ll finally be able to eat our fill!”

With meat no less!
It’s been ages since they subsisted on tree fruits.

“So this… is what meat tastes like…”

It was truly moving.
But… perhaps because it had been so long since he last ate meat?
He carelessly forgot an important fact.
This place is the Forest of Calamity…

“Grrr…”
“Hiss…”

The smell of grilling meat.
Could monsters let that go unnoticed?
Absolutely not.
Monsters gathered in front of Jake’s cave.
Fortunately, the entrance was narrow, so large monsters just lingered outside.
But smaller ones already entered the cave, licking their lips.

“This isn’t good!”

Having been immersed in savoring the meat, Jake retreated in surprise.

‘If I lose this place…’

All his research efforts would be lost.
He couldn’t let that happen.
It was his only hope of reuniting with his companions.

“Damn it…”

What will happen if the monsters finish off all the meat?
The answer’s simple.

‘It’ll be my turn next… Whew… No choice…’

He mounted something.

Vruumm!

With a loud roar, the monsters’ eyes turned towards him.

“Though incomplete… this is the only way to escape! Go!”

Vruumm!

Jake raced out of the cave at high speed.
Monsters, uninterested in pursuing, enjoyed their meal.

‘But… where should I go?’

***

“So you were attacked by monsters and…”
“Yes.”
“In the middle of the night…?”

The banging sound that woke me up…

“Let’s discuss it tomorrow. For now, let’s just sleep… Kuuh…”

Overtaken by fatigue, Baek Yeon-woo fell asleep.
And the next day…

“Ahh! What’s going on!”

A prickly feeling on his face…

“You rubbed your beard on me?”

It was none other than Jake’s beard.

“Ugh… It feels weird…”

Just like when my dad insisted on rubbing his beard against me when I was little.

“Huh..? What’s this?”

A huge object he hadn’t noticed yesterday.

“A car..?”

Something with wheels like a modern car.

“Wow! He said he’s an artisan, and he built a car?”

Maybe he truly deserves to be called an artisan.