CHAPTER 10: Trusted by the Nobility

Chinua stared with great interest at the white tiger girl. Her heart raced, feeling enchanted and as if she wanted to adopt her. Although there was a racial difference between them, Chinua chose not to mind it.

"Think of me as your mom!" Chinua said with a wide smile.

"You're strange. We just met, how could I call you Mom? Besides, you look so young. What will people say if they find out you have a child?" Syira replied honestly, and unknowingly, her words touched Chinua's heart, making her feel a little hurt.

Though she was 43 years old, Chinua still looked youthful, fresh, and fit. She had reached a high level as a martial artist, in addition to her habit of consuming spices and herbal concoctions like ginseng, which kept her appearance beautiful and wrinkle-free.

"Sniff, you're so mean, child! Alright, just call me Chinua. But may I know your name?" Chinua tried to joke, gently patting Syira's cheek with a playful touch that secretly hurt her.

"Syira... My name is Syira," Syira answered with a sweet smile, introducing herself.

"Wow, such a beautiful name, as beautiful as you, dear," Chinua complimented with sparkling eyes. "By the way, Syira, did that man do anything weird to you?" she continued, trying to change the topic.

"Umm, not really, Big Sis..." Syira replied, but Chinua immediately cut her off.

"Ah, you called me 'Big sis' again? I'm 43, you know. Haha, never mind, appearance can be deceiving," Chinua said, holding her cheeks with both hands and laughing teasingly.

In her heart, Syira thought, "Huh? How can she look younger than her age? What a strange woman. I think I need to keep my distance."

"So, what should I do now?" Syira asked, looking confused.

"Just kidding, Honey... Call me anything, it's up to you. So, can you continue the story?" Chinua said casually.

"Alright, Aunt Chinua. Actually, the man with me didn't do anything weird. He's kind, friendly, and very understanding. He even took care of me when I was sick. I can assure you that he's not dangerous," Syira explained calmly.

"Why aren't you afraid of the killer aura coming from him?" Chinua asked, surprised.

"Well... Umm, actually at first I was doubtful. I wasn't even sure he would save me. But after I smelled his scent, I felt he was a friendly person, even though a strong aura surrounded him. Since then, I've been sure he's a good person," Syira answered.

"A scent? What kind of scent?" Chinua asked, more curious.

"Oh, that... I can't really explain it exactly. But I have a habit of smelling someone's body scent to gauge their character. The mother at the orphanage used to say it was one of my special abilities," Syira said.

Syira recalled the moment in the tent not long ago when she tried to sniff Yudha's sweat to assess the man's character. At that time, she concluded that Yudha was a good person.

As a white tiger demihuman, Syira had an extraordinarily sharp sense of smell, about 14 times more sensitive than humans. She often used this ability to detect danger, confirm someone's presence, or search for signs of activity around her.

"So, that's one of the tiger race abilities, huh? Very interesting. I heard that the tiger race has a habit of smelling scents. So, from that, you concluded he's a good person?" Chinua asked, impressed.

"Yes, Aunt! I'm sure he's not a bad person," Syira answered confidently.

"If you're sure, child, Mama also believes he's a good person. I hope that's true. So, how did you two meet?" Chinua asked, eager to know more.

Syira then told the story of how she met Yudha. "So that's how it went... You ran away from rebels and accidentally met him in the forest. What about the people chasing you?"

"I don't know, all I remember is when he found me. After that, I wasn't aware," Syira replied modestly.

"While you were together, did you understand what he said?" Chinua asked again.

"While we were together, we didn't really communicate with words. But for some reason, we could understand each other without words," Syira answered with a mysterious smile.

"What do you mean, understanding each other without words?" Chinua asked, confused.

"Hmm, maybe through facial expressions, body movements, or even through the intimacy of the heart. I can't explain it exactly, but we just understood each other," Syira replied, still smiling.

"Ah, Syira, you're really sweet," Chinua said with a chuckle.

About fifteen minutes after Yudha descended the hill, he finally arrived at the group, who had returned with their equipment.

---

POV Yudha

I had been descending the hill for quite a while, and finally, I reached the group's location. It was a bit tiring carrying this much load, but I couldn't leave anything behind. Everything is important.

"I've returned as promised!" I said. As soon as they heard my voice, they immediately turned to look. The white tiger girl, who had looked at me earlier, seemed pleased.

"You have so much stuff! Aren't you struggling with such a big bag?" asked Mr. Leonard.

"As you can see, yes, I'm struggling. It's hard to move freely. But it's okay, I'm used to it," I replied while putting my bag and belongings on the ground.

"I admire your spirit, young one. You're so tough carrying all that from up there. These guys probably couldn't handle it," Mr. Leonard said, hinting at his subordinates. I just smiled when I heard that.

"Where's the thing you mentioned earlier?" Mr. Leonard asked, looking curious.

"I killed them with this," I said, showing my sniper rifle. They looked at it with raised eyebrows, clearly unfamiliar with the weapon's design.

"What kind of weapon is that? It's the first time I've seen one," Mr. Leonard said, astonished.

"This is a rifle," I explained slowly. "It works almost like a bow and arrow, where you have to aim before shooting. But the difference is very striking. While a bow releases an arrow, this weapon releases a small projectile that is propelled at high speed by gas from burning gunpowder. Its accuracy is much higher than a bow, and therefore, it's more effective at killing."

Mr. Leonard seemed impressed, though his confusion was still apparent. "This weapon is amazing. Where did you get it?" he asked with great curiosity. I tried to avoid their suspicions.

"You might find it hard to believe, but this is the truth. My country is much more advanced in civilization than yours. We choose to remain isolated, protecting our nation from all threats. And this weapon is one of our creations," I answered, carefully crafting the lie.

Mr. Leonard paused for a moment, trying to digest my words. "So, a country like the ones in fairy tales really exists. I didn't expect that," he said, his voice full of awe, raising his eyebrows.

His subordinates also displayed similar expressions, unable to hide their shock. I nodded slowly, giving them a confident look. "Yes, as you can see... Hard to believe, right?"

From their astonished faces, it was clear they had never imagined a weapon like this could be used to mow down enemies so efficiently. The sniper rifle was indeed designed to kill silently, conceal its presence, and be extremely effective in the combat situations that had occurred before.

"I didn't expect that a weapon from your country could be this effective. If you don't mind, would you be willing to sell it to us? We're willing to pay a very high price," Mr. Leonard said, his casual demeanor masking his deep curiosity.

I knew they just wanted to study the technology, copy it, and mass-produce it. No, I couldn't let this weapon fall into anyone's hands.

"With all due respect, I won't give it up, even if your kingdom is willing to pay any price," I replied firmly.

"Ah, I knew you would refuse. From your movements, you seem like a soldier who adheres to the rules of your country. Of course, you want to keep this weapon's secret from falling into the wrong hands," said Mr. Leonard with a meaningful smile, as if he knew what I was feeling.

There is some truth in what he said, but that's not the main reason. "Yes, that's true," I replied, hiding my fake smile.

"So, are we taking this foreign man with us, Mr. Leonard?" Chinua said, speaking in a foreign language.

"Yes, that's the plan. We will take him to the capital and report this incident to the king. He will be rewarded by His Majesty for saving all of us," Mr. Leonard answered.

"Tch, our job just got harder. Now we have to keep an eye on this guy," Chinua complained, though I didn't understand the language, his cynical expression clearly revealed his displeasure.

"As you heard, young man. Will you come with us to the capital?" Mr. Leonard glanced at me.

I pondered his words. Indirectly, they were offering help to get me out of this cursed forest. I never imagined I would get stuck in this forest. It's nothing like the usual Isekai stories I watch, where the main character is usually summoned by magic or falls into another world. I actually fell from a height and was lucky to survive because I used a parachute. If not, I might have died twice already.

"I think most Isekai stories aren't like this. Usually, the main character shows up at a specific place or is summoned by a hero summoning spell. But I fell from a height, luckily there was a parachute, otherwise... I might have died twice. God, what's your plan really?" I muttered to myself.

"Yes, of course!" I answered without hesitation.

"Alright, it's decided!" Mr. Leonard nodded, satisfied with my answer.

Considering his question, I accepted the offer gladly. Although a reward wasn't what I expected, at least I could get out of this forest. Now, I just wanted to live my new life in this world. God gave me a second chance, and I must accept it with gratitude.

"But before that, let me give you this necklace as a token of my thanks. I noticed you had difficulty understanding their language. Maybe you need it the most. Use it wisely," Mr. Leonard suddenly handed me a translator necklace he had been wearing.

"Are you sure you don't mind giving this to me?" I asked, making sure.

Mr. Leonard simply shook his head, signaling that he didn't mind. I quickly put the necklace around my neck and tried speaking.

"Eh... check, check, check, test, test... So, do you understand?" I said, starting to test the necklace.

"Uwooaa," they all exclaimed, surprised by the change that occurred.