“Lurus, he’s woken up!”

“Really? Okay”

Two quite leisurely voices enter my ears. My head feels like it’s full of lead but even in this state I can tell three things:

I once again woke up in a weird place with a potentially dangerous, no, make it likely dangerous, individuals right beside me. I messed up. What a damn fool! Not going to town, not wanting to be used? Why won’t you go and fuck your oh so precious ass, mister Morgan? How have I even survived so far? I’ve literally been eating just fried mushrooms and nuts and some berries. And some poorly cooked rabbits. The only source of water I had was a damn stream. Was I out of my god damn mind? I feel sore all over. Lady Bed, I miss you so. I hope that fate allows us to reunite again, should I overcome this challenge somehow.

“Ralph, what has happened after I fainted? Can you transmit general information, I don’t have the time”

“Sure, here you go”

“Argh”

My brain that was full of lead got hit by a huge sledgehammer just now.

So, those two found me, saved me from death and even fed and looked after me while I had a fever?

So suspicious.

“Can they read my status?”

“No”

“Any parts of my status”

“No”

I can see that the old man whose name is Lurus apparently is the one in charge. He seems powerful too, I mean he’s wearing a grey robe and a wizard hat. If that doesn’t scream mage, the fancy-looking staff in his hand does.

The young girl, she should be around my age, I think her name was something like Margaret? Or was it Martina? Yeah, it was Martina. Anyway, she seems to be his granddaughter or apprentice or both. She looks similar. Green eyes, the similar jaw, her hair is red and while Lurus is old and his hair is white, I think his used to be red too.

She also seems weaker than the old man. It shows in the way they carry themselves. The old man took a seat in the corner, from where he can get a clear picture of the entire cave and his posture is flawless.

The girl, well, she’s not bad, but the contrast between them says it all.

Her equipment is worse too.

Well, if I had the physical strength and the confidence I would prepare to quickly take the girl hostage in case things turn sour.

But I can’t.

I literally have spent the week in a bad fever.

Good thing I have the self-regeneration skill, so I can at least move a bit.

But still, the situation is pretty bad. For now, I’m pretending to still be half-awake and not really conscious but I bet the old man has seen through me already.

What do I do?

“Cough, cough. Ex, huff, excuse me? Who are you?”

“No need to pretend to be weak. We mean you no harm. My name is Lurus, a Grand Mage, and this is my disciple and granddaughter Martina”

No last name? Okay

“It’s a pleasure to know you, sir Arfenad. My name is Eregard Toas and I’m just a young aspiring adventurer who has been hit with a misfortune. May I presume that it was you who has saved me? For that, I’m eternally grateful”

I wouldn’t give away my real name as I don’t know much about magic and who knows, he could maybe enslave me if he knew my true name?

The verb I used in the third sentence is “Rapart”, that is Ness for ‘save’, but the word also implies saving from goodwill and, quite often without expecting payment. The last part isn’t very obvious so it doesn’t come off as me saying that I won’t repay him for what he has done, but if he goes on to explain that I owe him for saving me, it will put him in a bad light. Though in the end such word games are a small attempt from me to defend myself and should he try and exploit the situation there won’t be anything stopping him from doing so.

“Haha, no, I just have done what any other person with a heart would do if they came across a similar situation. We, honest humans, should help each other when we can, after all”

His smile, similar to the Cheshire Cat, showed his amusement at my silly attempt. He countered by using the word “Ti-Qierr”, Ness for “rely”. Because of an idiom, it also implies karma, meaning something along the lines “What comes around goes around” and another word “Borrdaf”, Ness for “honest”, meaning literally “not shameless”, with him basically saying: “I did what I should’ve done, but if you’re not a shameless person you will repay my kindness, right?”

“Yes, helping those in need is a great virtue. I am happy to see that a kind soul like you has decided to help me, sir Lurus”

The words I used here are “Pot-Makkan”, “Lernem” and “-Sottem”, Ness for “virtue”, “help” and “sir”. They also have their implications, such as “selflessness”, “being civil” and “superiority” but basically it translates as “I hope you will act as a good person and won’t exploit this situation as you please, as I can’t really do much against you”. Basically it’s me admitting defeat.

I could try and worm my way out of this situation but I am not experienced with dealing with humans and I don’t know what I can do other than look weak and pitiful and try to make him feel sympathy. And obviously, I’m not his match.

“Ralph, can you help me? How do I get out of this situation? Just a hint, please!”

“…I kind of want to see what happens next. Do your best”

“Raaaalphhh!’

Traitor. Well, Ralph has no obligations towards me and I have never trusted him to have my back in a tight spot. What to do…

I can’t escape. My body can move, but it’s sore and I can’t run. I have no doubt the old man or the girl can restrain me in seconds.

Fighting my way out is not an option, of course.

I could try to gain their sympathy or make them feel I’m not worthy of their attention. Still, he called himself a Grand Mage, so he probably knows about my affinities and mana, so he probably sees me as an amusing guinea pig, not as a human. I have tried to humanize myself in a short period of time but no doubt he has Mental Fortitude at level eight or higher. I would have no problem with killing or experimenting on humans with this skill, as long as I gave myself a good justification, an old mage can probably do it too.

What do I-

“Both of you are acting fucking weird? Old man, explain the shit that has been going on”

“Haha, it’s nothing. Our friend here seems afraid of us, it seems”

“Fucking exchanging pleasantries doesn’t look like being scared. Whatever. Hey you, Eregart or whatever. We aren’t gonna hurt or kill or rob or force you to do things you won’t want to do, I promise, so chill your ass. This old man is weird as fuck but he’s as harmless as a fucking baby”

And she took Lurus’ staff and put it away. Then she took her own and put it next to it.

Despite the crude language, Martina has dispelled the situation splendidly. I mean, if they wanted to take or force something from me, they wouldn’t need to put away their weapons, as symbolic and useless as it is. Even if they found making me lower my guard amusing, going as far as doing that and promising all those things is a bit too much. Of course, trusting them is out of the question, but I can expect that they won’t harm me immediately.

But the prior conversation with Lurus told me that he, or they, need something from me.

The fact that they have stayed here for a week or so instead of, for example, taking me away anywhere is reassuring, as it indicates that they want to know something from me, maybe. Why else hang around here. If they needed anything else, they could just carry me away. The fact that they haven’t moved me means that they didn’t want me to be afraid of them. I mean, I would be much more afraid seeing them in some other place right after I woke up.

Or they have no base of operations. Travellers? Maybe they camp on the road? Why not go to the town then? No access to the town, too much attention, any other number of things. Heck, they could just be too lazy to bother.

Ralph denied their ability to see my status, or, most importantly, my titles. They might have found out my identity as an otherworlder by my clothes, but I doubt it. No sane person would assume something this ridiculous just by their clothes, right?

Lurus, with the declaration of his identity, has basically revealed his awareness of my cheats.

The most obvious conclusion is that it has something to do with the cheats.

Or they just loved the way I have decorated the cave.

Yeah, right.

I have no power in this situation. Honestly, I just want them to come out with the reason they’re still here.

Let’s play along with them for now.