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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The forest was boring, stifling, and uncomfortable.
This was the opinion of someone who had lived in the forest for 12 years, so it would be difficult to refute.
The reason Yor had all sorts of strange hobbies like sewing, tanning, and grinding was to escape boredom.
Of course, the scenery was beautiful, but 12 years was a long time to see the same thing.
He could eat meat often, but even cooking had its limits.
There was simply nothing fun to do in this forest.
It was only natural for him to feel suffocated.
“What?”
Ha-neul was initially worried.
“Are you sure it’s okay to go outside? What if someone recognizes you?”
Even though Illusion could deceive the eye, it wasn’t foolproof.
There was always a risk of getting caught, and the consequences were too great.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”
Of course, Yor had considered that.
Going outside was a risk he didn’t have to take.
But then again, humans weren’t always rational, were they?
He wanted to take a chance.
And he wanted to see how the world had changed in the past few years.
Of course, Chae-rin brought him news periodically, but… hearing about it and seeing it firsthand were two different things.
Honestly, all those reasons aside, Yor just wanted to go out.
He had been stuck in this forest for 12 years. Didn’t he deserve a little city tour?
He wanted to see the people, eat some bread, and just enjoy himself.
Fortunately, Ha-neul didn’t object too strongly.
She was a bit worried, but she said changing his appearance with Illusion wasn’t too difficult.
“Wait a minute. I’ll expand the range of the spell.”
She said as she channeled more mana.
She was planning to change his appearance, not just his clothes.
Yor was a bit of a celebrity after all.
She had seen pictures of him circulating online, so people probably recognized his face. It would be troublesome if a crowd gathered.
As the magic began, Yor’s appearance gradually changed.
His black hair turned into an ordinary brown, and his bright amber eyes turned into an inconspicuous blue.
Blue eyes were quite common in this Western-style world.
She also slightly altered the proportions of his nose and face.
Making him less attractive, if possible.
It was a shame to hide his handsome features, but… it was a secret she would keep to herself.
“Oh.”
His original appearance had almost completely disappeared.
Of course, he couldn’t completely change his physique.
But at least no one would be able to recognize him now.
Looking at his changed appearance, Yor smiled with satisfaction.
“Good. Let’s go.”
And so they left the forest.
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They left early in the morning, so the sun was still shining brightly when they stepped out of the forest.
It was a beautiful day. The clouds dotted across the sky only added to the scenery.
Yor had changed his clothes to blend in.
He couldn’t just walk around a crowded city wearing a tank top.
He would probably be arrested for indecent exposure in this medieval era.
So, he wore long pants, a short-sleeved shirt, and a brown cloak to avoid standing out.
It was a bit hot, but at least he wouldn’t attract attention.
The first thing they saw after leaving the forest was a vast plain that stretched to the horizon.
Although there was a large city nearby, it would still take at least an hour to walk there.
It was a pleasant but awkward experience for Ha-neul.
If it were Chae-rin, she would have chatted happily for an hour straight. But for Ha-neul, who lacked social skills, conversation was quite a chore.
To make matters worse, Yor was a loner who had barely spoken to anyone in 12 years. It was the perfect recipe for an awkward silence.
Still, she tried her best to make small talk.
‘…Wait a minute.’
As they were walking, a shocking realization hit her.
‘Isn’t this… a date?’
A man and a woman going out together. In her book, that was a date. And he was the one who asked her out.
It was all too much for her conservative self to handle.
She had never even been on a proper blind date in real life, and now she was on a date with a man in virtual reality?
‘Calm down, he’s an NPC… This is just a game…’
She tried to calm her pounding heart.
It was a bit pathetic to get flustered over a virtual reality date.
She was the one who told Chae-rin to keep her distance from NPCs.
At this rate, she would become a modern-day Pygmalion.
“Are you okay? Your face is a bit red.”
“Huh? Ah, no…”
She couldn’t even come up with a decent excuse.
Anyway, they eventually reached the city.
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“Wow…”
He couldn’t help but be amazed.
The city was bustling with people.
Gaians and otherworlders were coexisting harmoniously.
Perhaps due to the influence of otherworlders, he could even see a few buildings that looked quite modern.
And he was walking alongside a beautiful woman with… impressive assets.
Yor couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement as he explored the city with Ha-neul.
“No way, they have pizza bread?”
He spotted something shocking while they were walking around.
Pizza bread. In this medieval era?
He vaguely remembered eating it in his past life.
He never thought he would see it again in this world.
Ha-neul explained when she saw his surprised expression.
“Ah, this? I heard they started selling it recently. I think some of the otherworlders shared the recipe… But how did you know about pizza bread?”
“Ah, well… I heard it from Chae-rin.”
He quickly covered up his slip-up and continued to marvel at the pizza bread.
What amazing progress. Was this the positive influence of otherworlders?
At this rate, he might even be able to eat chicken and pizza here someday.
He prayed that day would come soon. And if he was being greedy, he hoped he could return to civilization by then.
Of course, he bought some pizza bread.
It was a bit more expensive than he remembered, but he couldn’t miss this opportunity.
The freshly baked bread was warm and chewy, and the taste was heavenly.
This alone made his trip to the city worthwhile.
As they were walking down the street, enjoying themselves…
“Halt! Stop right there!”
Someone suddenly blocked their path.
A man wearing light chainmail armor and holding a spear.
A city guard.
Yor’s heart skipped a beat.
Guards had never been a pleasant sight for him, both in this life and the previous one.
‘Did they figure me out?’
He felt a surge of anxiety and instinctively reached for the dagger hidden behind him.
He was prepared to cause a scene and run if things went south.
“What seems to be the problem, officer?”
Ha-neul asked before Yor could react.
The guard chuckled at her wary tone.
“Haha, there’s no need to be so nervous. It’s just a routine inspection. We’ve been cracking down on Lemegeton lately.”
“Ah, I see…”
Yor breathed a sigh of relief.
So that’s what was going on.
It made sense for the country to be on high alert.
They had to catch those cultists.
It was just bad timing that it had to happen while he was visiting the city.
He decided to play it cool and asked the guard,
“…So, what kind of inspection are you conducting?”
“Oh my, you have a nice voice, sir. It’s simple. Just show us your identification.”
“Ah, okay…”
Identification. Simple enough.
It was normal for ordinary citizens to carry identification.
Anything would do, as long as it proved their identity.
‘But I don’t have one…’
The problem was that he was an unregistered citizen.
Did they really expect someone who was treated worse than the street urchins to have identification?
‘This is bad.’
It was strange that they didn’t even check at the gate. Were these guys even doing their jobs properly?
Should he just run?
His face was hidden, so even if he ran, it wouldn’t affect him too much. Of course, Ha-neul might have some problems, but… she had a proper identity, so she could just run away, right?
As he was trying to figure out how to escape, he heard a voice next to him.
“What are you waiting for? Just show it to him.”
It was Ha-neul, not the guard.
He looked at her with a questioning look.
How could he show them something he didn’t have?
“What are you talking about? You brought it with you. It’s not in your back pocket?”
“Huh?”
That’s when he realized she was up to something.
“Oh, right. I forgot.”
He decided to play along.
He pretended to search his pockets for his non-existent identification.
“Ah, crap, where is it?”
As he was putting on his awkward act… Ha-neul stepped forward.
“Wait, I’ll find it.”
Her expression was filled with determination.
She reached into his back pocket.
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