The Retired Top Ranker Was Abducted to Another World - Chapter 13

I looked at the car Jake brought. Other than having wheels and a steering wheel, there was nothing similar about it, but it was impressive enough.

“Whoa!”
“You’re awake?”
“Oh, right. I ran away to here yesterday? I was really surprised.”

Jake sighed deeply.

“But what is this, mister?”
“Oh, that? It’s a carriage I made to meet my companions again.”
“A carriage..?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t have a horse, but it needed to move quickly to avoid monsters, so I built it.”
“Wow.. that’s amazing!”
“Hmm! Is it.. really?”

Jake wiggled his lips.

“Can I have a ride once?”
“Well.. it’s still unfinished, so..”
“Oh, is that so? I wanted to ride it, but it’s a shame.”

A car in this world. Doesn’t that sound somewhat romantic?

“Is Yeonwoo awake?”
“Pei! Look at this!”
“What is this wooden mass?”
“The mister made this carriage that moves without a horse!”
“Hmm.. be careful so Payne doesn’t eat it.”
“Oh! Right.”

The woods forming the car. It would be troublesome if Payne or the kids ate them.

“I better warn them in advance.”
“Pay..?”

Jake tilted his head, puzzled. Is there someone else besides these two here?

“But what are you going to do from now on, mister?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to live with us here? You said the place you lived at was taken over by monsters.”
“Hmm.. can I live here?”
“I don’t mind!”

Baek Yeonwoo looked at Pei. He asked with his eyes, “How about you?”

“If Yeonwoo is okay with it, so am I.”

After some thought, Jake replied.

“I’ll just stay until I find a new place to settle down.”
“Okay! Oh! Instead of this, I’ll introduce the others we live with!”
“There’s more than just you two?”
“Yeah! Follow me!”

They went to the place Baek Yeonwoo led them to.

“A tree..?”
“Yeah. Are they still sleeping?”

I carefully peeked inside the tree.

“Kisi?”
“You’re awake?”

The kids were still sleeping, and only Pai was up having breakfast.

“I came to introduce someone who’s going to live with us for a while.”
“Kisi?”

Who is it?

“Tada! It’s a dwarf!”
“Kisi~”

Pai waved his foreleg as a greeting.

“Wood spider..?”
“That’s right! Our craftsman who makes necessary items by knitting!”
“Craftsman?”

Jake looked fiercely at the spider.

‘A craftsman.. haha, I’ll beat you for sure!’

There’s no way a dwarf’s pride would allow it to lose to a spider.

“Kisi?”

Only Pai remained puzzled, tilting its head without understanding.

***

“Are you hungry, mister?”
“Hmm, not really..”

Growl!

“It seems your stomach disagrees. Do you have anything you want to eat?”
“Something I want to eat?”

Hmm.. what’s coming to mind is the meat I couldn’t have yesterday..

‘But meat is rare here.’

There are no regular animals in the forest of calamities. Most are monsters. Even though they taste similar, getting monster meat is not easy, as you’d have to hunt them.

“I’m fine with anything.”
“Wow! That’s the hardest order to fulfill!”
“Is.. is that so?”

Jake thought he was being considerate, but the reaction left him flustered.

“Then..”
“You have trouble choosing, mister?”
“Trouble choosing?”
“Yeah. You can’t decide easily.”
“Not necessarily..”

I had already decided in my heart. But isn’t it a bit selfish to say I want meat..?

“I guess it can’t be helped! Pei, let’s head out!”
“Understood.”

We went outside.

“So, what are we trying to find this time?”
“Everything.”
“Everything..?”
“Yeah! We’ll get meat, pick some fruits, and catch fish too.”

If you can’t choose.. isn’t it best to get everything?

“Oh, should I introduce Yong later?”
“Well.. I think that’ll be surprising.”

That dwarf sure is timid. It’s confusing what would make him so surprised. Even a slight movement makes him run away nervously. Introducing him to Yong might make him faint on the spot.

‘He fainted when he first saw Yeonwoo.’

In Pei’s perception, Jake was gradually becoming more cowardly.

‘What about this little human is so scary?’

While strong, in every other way he was just an immature child.

“Pei! Hurry up, I said? Are you listening to me?”
“Oh, I am.”
“Then let’s go quickly.”
“Got it.”

The two roamed the forest gathering various ingredients and returned home.

“We’re back!”
“Whoa!”

Why is the house in a state of chaos?

***

It happened while Baek Yeonwoo and Pei were gathering ingredients. Left alone, Jake wandered around the house as he had nothing to do.

“Kisi?”

That’s when Pai approached him.

“Kisi?”
“Sorry, but I don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Kisi!”

It’s fine! I wasn’t expecting you to understand anyway. Since even Baek Yeonwoo, who lives with us, often can’t understand, there’s no way a dwarf who met me today would.

“But.. you are called a craftsman, right?”
“Kisi?”

Why?

“I’d love to see your skills.. is that possible?”
“Kisi!”

Great!
Pai swiftly crafted a handkerchief with spider thread and gave it to him. Jake scrutinized it with a sharp gaze.

‘Wow..impressive.’

The intricately woven handkerchief had not a single flaw. Was that all? It was sturdy, and even the texture was perfect.

“You’re quite skilled.”
“Kisi!”

Of course!

“But I won’t lose!”
“Kisi?”

What do you mean?

“Our dwarfs have always been artisans with the highest skill. We can’t possibly lose.”

Dwarfs never back down when it comes to crafting anything, including sewing.

“Do you have any thread here? I’ll show you my skills!”
“Kisi!”

Follow me~
Pai led Jake to where they kept wool.

“Oh! This is a high-quality one. Wait a moment.”

Stitch by stitch, Jake skillfully crafted a handkerchief.

“How is it?”
“Kisi!”

Excellent!

“You get it, don’t you!”

Artisans recognize each other. Pai willingly acknowledged Jake’s skill.

“Although, since it’s made of wool, it’s not satisfying enough.”
“Kisi?”
“The fibers stick out, which bothers me.”

It’s fine for now, but it’d wear out quickly with use.

“Hmm.. I wish I had better materials.”
“Kisi!”
“Hmm..?”

Pai handed him some spider thread.

“Wow.. this thread is amazing.”

Strong, elastic, and even smooth to the touch.

“This is the best thread I’ve ever seen in my life!”
“Kisi!”

I’m that good!
Pleased, Pai provided even more spider thread.

“Whoa! Thank you!”

Joyfully, Jake crafted handkerchiefs. He made a perfect handkerchief.

“Hmm! I’m satisfied!”

He completed a handkerchief that wouldn’t wear out easily.

“Oh, you said you had kids here.”
“Kisi!”

Oops! I forgot!
It’s about the time for the kids to wake up.

“Kisi!”

Pai quickly raced to the house.

“Kisi…”

The kids were already gone. Where did they go?
Pai searched all over until he eventually found the kids. They were nibbling at a large mass of wood.

“Kisi..”

Thankfully, at least they didn’t sneak out.

At that moment…

“Whoa!”

Jake screamed beside them.

“My research’s culmination! No!”

“Kisit!”

Enemy!
The kids didn’t know Jake was an invited guest and mistook him for an enemy.

“Kisi!”
“Kisi!”

Let’s defeat the intruder!
Destroy him!

The children united to face Jake.

“Kisit!”
“Kisit!”

But all they could really do was use their threads to subdue him. That was already enough. Uncle would handle the enemy once he got back. The kids continued to apply pressure with their threads. Pai had missed the chance to stop them.

“Whoa! My research!”

In truth, Jake wasn’t even trying to flee. The most important thing to him was the result of his research. Seeing the kids destroy it, he couldn’t maintain his composure.

“Whoa!”

When the adults returned, they saw Jake tightly bound with spider threads, screaming, while…

“Kisit!”
“Kisit!”
“Kisiiii!”

The children triumphantly declared their victory from above him.

“What a mess.. no, a spider-web mess..”
“Hmm.. why is that dwarf tied up?”
“Whoa…”

Jake was on the verge of tears. Seeing a bearded man in such a state was indeed…

“He looks pathetic.”
“Well..”

Baek Yeonwoo could not argue against Pei’s words. The current image was definitely that of a man who seemed pathetic.

“Hey, why did you tie up this dwarf?”
“Kisit!”

Because he was an intruder!

“Did you possibly misunderstand? This mister is a guest..”
“Kisit?”

Oh?

“Your uncle brought him as a guest, and he’ll be staying with us for a while.”
“Kisit!”

What a mistake!
The kids glanced at each other, then descended from Jake and bowed their heads.

“Kisi..”

We’re sorry..

“My.. research.. my.. carriage.. whoa..”

Jake wasn’t in a state to accept their apology.

“Did the kids eat up the carriage?”
“Whoa!”
“Oh dear..”

I had to comfort Jake for a long time.

“You can rebuild it. You’re a genius, right? Hmm?”
“I can build it, yes! But I don’t have the materials anymore!”

“Materials?”
“Yes! With materials, I could build it. But.. those were hard to come by!”

It wasn’t easy creating a carriage that could move on its own. Gathering the materials was a monumental task. It needed about ten superior magic stones, selected quality wood, and steel for crafting magic circuits. It took over ten years to gather everything in the forest of calamities. And now.. how am I supposed to gather them again?

“I’ll help you. Stop crying.”
“Forget it.. maybe I should just give up..”

Perhaps wanting to return to his companions might be too much to wish for. They have probably forgotten about him. How could they have waited for him without contact for a decade?

“Sigh.. let’s stop the tears and talk over a meal first.”
“..Got it.”

Reluctantly, Jake sat at the table. He was faced with the meat and delicious dishes he yearned for, yet they felt tasteless, like chewing rubber.

“Pei. We have a lot of magic stones at home, don’t we?”
“Yes. A lot.”

We had been collecting them from defeating monsters.

“You have magic stones?!”
“Yes. We do.”
“Now’s not the time to eat! Where are they?! Where are the magic stones!”

Jake leapt to his feet like a spring.

“Mister.”
“What!”
“Let’s move after we eat.”
“Is eating important.. important.. important..”

Meeting Yeonwoo’s eyes, Jake quietly returned to his seat.

“Eat quickly.”
“Got it..”

Jake ate his meal savoring the taste. Truly, there was no such thing as being hopeless.