Chapter 5: The Stirrings of Comradery

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After having thanked Marbelle once again for the meals and hospitality, the four of us exited the inn and found ourselves on what appears to be a main road. Glancing back at the building we have just left I now see that Marbelle’s inn is named ‘The Silverthorn’s Den’, which got me thinking.

“Are silverthorns that famous that everyone knows them and talks about them, or are the inn’s names and Griz’ nickname just coincidental?” I ask Cynthia, who is still trying to justify stabbing me a second time to Griz.

“Huh? Did you say something?”

I guess that's my fault, to be fair she was talking. (I ask my question once more.)

“Oh, yeah no I heard you the first time.”

...Bruh

“I guess it was slightly coincidental, although most adventurer’s have at least heard of them, but it's not like they’re as famous as a vithra or anything. Most ordinary citizens probably rarely mention silverthorns in their lives I’d imagine. The reason I say coincidence though is because after we formed our party we were going through the city together and found Marbelle’s place, and we went in because we jokingly said it'd be the perfect place for Griz.”

Despite it piquing my curiosity I won't bother asking what a ‘vithra’ is right now.

“Ah, so because of the nickname you started coming here, makes sense.”

“Yup, not that interesting of a story, but I guess it's kind of tied to our history as a party.”

We all continued to make idle chat, with Cynthia and Griz mostly carrying it, as we strolled through the streets of the city. It's been probably close to two hours since I awoke in this world, and since it was my first time being outside the building I had awoken in I was engrossed with the sights around me. Earlier I had thought that the view from the window gave off renaissance fair vibes, but that was disrespectful of me. Afterall what I'm witnessing isn't something strung together by some people who want to give off the chance for people to experience a semi-authentic medieval vibe, this was authentic. Other world or not, it's a truly awe-inspiring experience, from the roads to buildings to the city walls themselves are all stone and brick, what I imagine was brick after painstaking brick. There's no glass windows from what I can see, no cars or streetlights, things that on Earth, or at least where I came from, you couldn't go a block without seeing. Despite not knowing what they are selling exactly I can see multiple storefronts on either side of me, none of which have glass doors let alone automatic ones at that. Yet, despite all the ‘lack’ of things I am so accustomed to, it by no means feels empty or lacking in and of itself.

I'm certain there would be some people who would be damn near breaking down at the thought of not having their phone or any form of internet they can access, so maybe it's just me, but this almost feels...right. I used my cell phone almost as much as anyone else around me, had a laptop and pc, played video games often, watched tv shows, anything and everything most people with access to those things would do back on Earth. Yet here I am, detached from all those things, and at the same time not feeling like I've lost or am missing any of those things. From the people chatting through their windows to one another, to the what I assume to be adventurers walking past clad in various types of armor with weapons on their backs, and the astounding number of different faces spanning a myriad of races that can be seen, everything I witness feels bound to a single moment that I am a part of. I am not going as far to say that the boomers who parrot that the younger generations ‘look down at their phones too much’ while laughing at some unfunny political comic in a newspaper were right, however I would like to believe that anyone would be able to admire the truth and sentiment of this moment.

The only grievance I have about the ‘moment’ I've been experiencing is that my feelings of admiration are sometimes reciprocated with looks of concern, fear, and disgust. I already gauged that Orcs were not present in any sizable amount earlier, but judging by how some of the residents glance at me as they pass by, I could believe I'm the only one in the city. As much as I want to speak up I can't help but feel like I'd be the one out of place, it's easy enough to see where the atmosphere stands right now, so the best I can do is deal with it by trying to preoccupy myself.

Though I can't help but reflect on how Marbelle had combatted said atmosphere earlier on her own for my sake.

“I kind of heard how Cynthia and K met, but how did you end up in Cynthia’s party Griz?”I ask in an attempt to take my mind off the looks around me.

“I pretty much joined as a way to repay Symphony, we never discussed a time limit, and here I am more than a month later.”

“Repay her? For what, if it's something that you two want to talk about that is.”

Griz looks over to Cynthia who then gives him a reassuring nod, with which Griz turns back to me.

“Well before I joined the party I was a solo adventurer, I would join whichever parties needed someone with my abilities and do missions that would net the most money. Not because I was after the money itself, but because I have a family to take care of, It wasn't part of our introductions so I didn’t mention it, but I have a wife and daughter back home.

“Oh snap, how old are you?”

“As of this year I'm 26 and my daughter is seven, so as you can imagine it was pretty tough trying to find something that paid well enough to raise a family on. Just about every option for me was something that required me to risk my life, so I figured I may as well be an adventurer since that's the case.”

“Jeez, that sounds incredibly rough, are you any closer to being stable now?” I joked earlier about respecting him for siding with me, but with this I feel I should genuinely respect him as a man...Orc...Orc-Man?

“Well you wouldn't know since you're not one yet, but being an adventurer isn't really something that pays well enough to quit after a few years. Unless you're a highly ranked adventurer or are employed by a powerful guild there's really no stable income, most adventurers become adventurers just because it's what they are best suited to.”

“Yeah I had no idea, based on how lovely you guys seemed I would have never guessed. So then what made you change from being a solo adventurer to joining Cynthia?”

“It was about two months ago now, when I was on what would become my last job as a solo adventurer. Before I met Cynthia I lived with my family outside the city, only coming here to get missions or supplies and party up with groups, and everyone knows it's safer within the walls than out. Ironically the reason I was going on so many missions at the time was to get enough money to move my family to the city, but it almost had the opposite effect.”

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My face showed my confusion at his last statement, which Griz must have seen.

“While I was out on that mission the cabin we had been living in was raided by goblins, I had no idea when I left that day that it could have very easily been the last day I saw my wife and daughter.

Before I could even ask a question Griz started speaking again as if to avoid me asking.

“While I was out trying to earn enough money to move, my family was left unprotected at the mercy of anything or anyone that had the malicious desire to attack them. When I came back to the city to report on my mission that day, I overheard people in the adventurer’s guild mentioning that a small goblin raid had occurred the night before outside the city, near where I had lived. I sprinted in full armor, jogged, and sprinted in that cycle until I reached my home. When I arrived there was a group of knights who seemed to have been dispatched by the city, and in the middle of them were my wife and daughter huddled together. When I screamed out their names my daughter came running to me and I couldn't help but cry tears of relief, I honestly don't even know if I had cried once in my life before that.”

Despite being so enveloped in what Griz was saying I realized that Cynthia had started to look away with an expression I couldn't make out.

“After confirming my family was fine I was about to thank the knights when my daughter stopped me, saying that she wanted to know if the girl who had saved her was okay. She pointed over to a young girl lying on the ground who was being treated by a knight due to her horrible wounds.”

I look over at Griz, having guessed where this was going, to which Griz smiled and nodded, leaving us both to look over to the young girl who fit the description.

“The knights confirmed that they didn't make it in time to save my family, and that the one who single handedly fought off about twenty or so goblins to protect them was none other than Miss Symphony.”

Despite being able to tell where it was leading, the fact she fought off that many by herself was surprising.

“That doesn't sound like something just anyone could pull off alone, even though I don't know how hard it would be it sounds incredible nonetheless.”

“Mhmm, I owe Symphony my life, and my family is also grateful to her an immeasurable amount.”

K nods approvingly at our statements.

With all three of us so obviously awaiting her response she simply reveals her bashful, embarrassed face while she twirls one of her twintails and speaks.

“Well I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I couldn't leave them, it wouldn't sit right with me.”

“No, you're just a good person like that Cynthia.”

Everyone shows a bit of surprise at realizing the one who said that was K, which was the first time I had heard her speak.

“Well I guess K only knew that I owed Symphony since she never asked for any further context, so I guess it's news to both of you.” Griz adds.

“T-thats the first time you've called me by my real name and not Symphony.” Cynthia said to K.

“It was already embarrassing enough listening to those two, and now you too?” Cynthia’s words are amplified as she blushes even more than she was before, provoking K to go over and walk closer to her side.

Even though she tried to downplay what she did, it doesn't make it any less amazing, despite the two attempts to stab me I never disliked her, but now I sort of admire her.

“I can see why you would join her party after that, I would do the exact same if she asked.” I say while unintentionally adding to her feelings of embarrassment.

“That's not all.” Griz replies, “My family and I sat by her side til she awoke so that we could thank her properly, and even after everything that occurred do you know what the first thing she said was?”

Griz sees my puzzled face and proceeds to lightly nudge Cynthia to provoke her to answer in kind.

“Well their house got destroyed, so I offered them a place to stay in and gave them some money to borrow until they were back on their feet, it's only natural.”

“Natural for you maybe” Griz replied, “She gave us enough money to buy a house in the city, and said we didn't need to pay it back. The reason I've been in her party for so long is due to the fact I have to repay her in some way, not to mention my daughter specifically asked if I could protect Symphony in case she’s ever in danger.” Griz said with an overwhelming smile on his face., prompting Cynthia to once again hide hers.

It was at this moment when I felt truly grateful that the first people I became acquainted with in this world were these three, and I truly hope to find something like what they have as well.

*duht*

(Just as I was thinking that I felt something small bounce off the back of my head.)

All four of us noticed and turned to see a group of three stooge-lookin buffoons.

“What do you think you are walking around here like you belong!” Shouted the one in the middle, who looked an awful lot like a bummy Sheen from “Jimmy Neutron”.

I assumed some people may have had feelings like this but to be hostile about it, I didn't want to be confronted with the possibility. Not to mention now dozens of onlookers had started to peer over.

“Yeah, everyones getting sick to their stomach just looking at you, get outta here you freak!”

Oof, I feel like I heard that one in my past life too, crazy.

“Why don't you walk your ass back to the woods with those sharp ass toenails!”

...I didn't notice until now but these fodder characters aren't wrong, my toes seem to have ripped straight through my shoes while we were walking.

On one hand the three of them look like they could have been lightwork even as my old self, but I felt like in this scenario I'd be the one held accountable if a fight broke out, so I'd rather walk away and avoid it.

(Whilst in thought Cynthia begins to walk over towards the three who are cackling.)

*Bink* In the blink of an eye she kicked the one in the middle dead in the jaw.

*Bip* She socks another right in the mouth.

*Bop* To top it off she knees the last one in the stomach.

As all three lie on the ground unconscious or reeling from the hit she walks back over to us as though nothing happened.

“Come on, we have places to be.” Cynthia utters while walking ahead of us and hiding her face.

“You sure that was alright, we might get in trouble later.” Griz said while also laughing lightly.

“Who cares, they started it after all, hmph.”

“You're not wrong, but you didn't have to go as far as knocking them out.” I mutter while still being appreciative.

“What do you mean, I thought they were Orcs, I was only testing their physical resistance, guess they weren't.” She says, shrugging her shoulders while hiding her face.

With that she officially became a real one,and I began to truly admire her for it.