The Strongest Level 0 Aikido Practitioner, Now, Here I Come to a Different World! Chapter 2

Nagare, Transformed

「Nevertheless, it is great that Young La.s.s is unharmed」

Among the acc.u.mulated goblin corpses, two people stood.
One of the two, Nagare turned to the Girl and gave her a kind, warm smile.

But, for some reason, the Girl seemed visibly upset. Placing her left hand on her hips, she thrusted her right index finger at Nagare.

「Hold on! It’s true that I’m thankful to you for saving me, but you keep on saying “young la.s.s” “young la.s.s” like that…… You, you’re age is not much different from mine isn’t it! Don’t you think you’re being a bit rude?」

In a huff, the Girl voiced her complaint. Although, that action was quite cute in itself.

However, Nagare simply placed his finger against his chin. “As I thought,” he mumbled to himself.

「If you would be so kind, Can you inform me how old do I look to you?」(Nagare)

「Haa? Fine by me, but aren’t you around 15 or 16 years old?」

To that answer, Nagare pulled back his chin. It wasn’t because he was particularly surprised.
That is because Nagare was a man who could understand everything from a single piece.
When he arrived in this world, from the sensations that he felt, he knew clear as day that his body had been rejuvenated.

In other words, even before the battle with the goblins he knew that the structure of his body was now different, and he figured that he would need extra time to cope with the adjustments.

However, why did this happen? Nagare was not particularly perplexed by this.
The “thing” that Nagare felt back in j.a.pan, he understood that it was likely something like a drifting thread in s.p.a.ce-time.
Once he pulled on that thread in order to reach this other world, he was exposed to the waves of s.p.a.ce-time. The cells in his revitalized to the extreme, and he instantaneously became young again.

According to the Girl’s words, his body likely went back about 70 years.
In other words, Nagare was now 15 years of age――No wonder why his skin was all slick and glossy.

「Why are you nodding to yourself for?」
「Fumu, well, it is a bit of a personal matter」(Nagare)

The Girl tilted her head as if she was looking at a very strange creature, but she quickly regained her composure and continued offering her grat.i.tude.

「Whatever the case may be, I offer you my thanks for saving me, I really am grateful. But, I was surprised, to think a STAFF can be used as a WEAPON like that! Something like that is completely unheard. It’s impressive that you thought of it, did ya know?」

In response to this Nagare was a bit speechless.
In this world the notion of using a staff to fight was a completely unthinkable action, but in j.a.pan where Nagare came from, let alone using a staff as a weapon, there were even martial arts that focused on using staves to fight.

Therefore, incidents like an old man using his cane to defend himself against some hoodlums was an everyday occurrence.
With that in mind, the concept that a staff cannot be used to fight, as expected it caused Nagare to feel an irrepressible sense of discomfort.

However, Nagare was a veteran at dealing with this feeling. Determining that this was a natural concept for this other world, it took him only 0.0000003 seconds to recollect his thoughts.

「Now that I think about it, I haven’t introduced myself huh. My name is Peach, enough with the “young la.s.s” okay」
「I am Nagare. A pleasure to meet you」

The Girl reached out her hand so Nagare grabbed hold of it.
It appears that handshakes were also used as a form of greeting in this world.

Peach’s hand was small and soft, but since Nagare’s hand also became smaller with his age, their hands were perfectly suited for each other.
However, Nagare felt that his vitality had risen to close to the strength of his golden ages.

「”Nagare” that’s a bit of a strange name huh. By the way, are you perhaps a really amazing adventurer or something like that?」(Peach)

「No, although I am a martial artist, I am not an adventurer」(Nagare)

「A “Dancing Family”[1]? What is that? Some kind of joke?」(Peach)

Based on her intonation Nagare could tell that Peach was under some kind of misunderstanding, but he didn’t want to make things unnecessarily complicated so it let it slide.

「In any case, along with that outfit of yours, you’re pretty weird huh. I’ve never seen anything like that you know. Where exactly did you come from?」(Peach)

「I suppose so. As my name suggests, I am just a wanderer who goes around aimlessly. Things like my homeland, I’ve already forgotten about stuff like that」(Nagare)

「……I see, umm, sorry for asking. Even though you are so young you’ve gone through quite a lot huh」

It seems that she misunderstood and came to some strange conclusion.
Something like his home village was attacked by bandits and he lost my family, wanting revenge he set out on a journey, seems like she came up with some wild delusion. However, that was something she did on her own so there was no real need to correct her.

And if you are talking about their actual ages, Nagare is far older than her.

「But, you’re soo strong that you’re strength would just go to waste. I know! You, go and become an adventurer!」(Peach)

「An adventurer is it? Fumu, I see, that might not be a bad idea」(Nagare)

For Nagare who no longer had a worthy opponent on Earth, there might be some value in Peach’s suggestion.
If he became an adventurer, then there is a high possibility that Nagare might be able to meet a strong opponent here in this other world.

「Incidentally, Peach-san, did you come here on a request as an adventurer?」(Nagare)

「It’s fine if you just call me Peach. It feels a bit creepy being called “san” by someone who’s the same age. That said, your way of talking is way too formal you know」(Peach)

「Understood. In that case, it is fine if you also address me as Nagare. In addition, my tone of speech has always been this way so please pay no mind to it」(Nagare)

When Nagare gave a gentle smile, Peach’s cheeks were dyed the color pink.
That was probably to be expected. Nagare never payed much attention to it, but when he was younger he was rumored to be very good-looking. As a man he was often on the receiving end of the heated gazes of many women.

And of course, now that he was rejuvenated, his looks returned to that of a handsome young man. His appearance was truly the embodiment of handsome beauty.
With a height of only 160 cm, he could be said to be somewhat short for a man, but he was endowed with tense lean muscles, and possessed long flowing black hair despite being a male.

A person like him was wearing a warm smile, even if it was a girl from a different world, it wouldn’t be strange if she suddenly found herself in a fl.u.s.tered state.

「Eee~to, umm, oh! that’s it! we were talking about why I came here! That’s right! Truth is that I came here to get some Magic Herbs!」(Peach)

「Magic Herbs?」(Nagare)

「That’s right, it’s an ingredient to make a potion to restore your magic power. If I collect the herbs then I’ll receive some other magic potions as a reward so it’s a very good deal you know」(Peach)

‘I see’, Nagare nodded his head.

「But, While I was collecting herbs I spotted a large number of goblins. I was surprised and wanted to head back to town and report it, but they ended up discovering me……」(Peach)

「And that is what lead to your previous situation huh」(Nagare)

「Yea, like that. But still, I thought that I was totally done for and even contemplated suicide you know…… But I didn’t even have enough magic power left, if I stayed like that then……」(Peach)

As she said that her shoulders shook slightly. Certainly, if Nagare was one step too late, then the goblins might have already started to plant their seed into her body by now.

「However, you have nothing left to fear. The goblins have all been defeated after all」(Nagare)

「No! That’s no good! Because look, normally you wouldn’t think there would be a flood of goblins like that, right?」(Peach)

Honestly speaking, for Nagare who only came to this other world a short while ago, there would be no way for him to know what common logic would be in this situation. But, since he grasped everything as a whole, Nagare understood.
Certainly, if you think about it rationally then this situation is strange.

After all, your average group of goblins would only number in the 10s at the very most.

「That’s why, you see, this is――」(Peach)
「This would mean that an abnormal species has appeared, correct?」(Nagare)
「That’s right! hey, you’re pretty knowledgeable huh」(Peach)

Peach seemed a bit astonished as she said that.
But Nagare simply ignored her reaction and changed the direction he was facing. He looked deep into the forest.

「If that is the case then it is as you say, things will be dangerous. To the northeast of here, the thing that is 1500 meters away would most likely be that abnormal species. Fumu, it seems quite impressive」(Nagare)

「!? That must be a Great Goblin! Wait! You, do you have a detection skill or something?」(Peach)

「No, I do no possess any of these things you call “skills”, but I am somewhat able to tell by sensing it’s presence」(Nagare)

By the way, Nagare had already comprehended that this world possessed things such as skills and status.
However, Nagare made no reaction at all to hearing about their existence.

But, he was not like he was disappointed by their existence. To begin with, even if “skills” did exist, Nagare would never rely on them. Even if there were “statuses” he would never place his faith in them.
For a Martial Artist the only thing that mattered was your own body, and the only one who could recognize fact that was you yourself.
To base yourself on a “Status” that is constructed by someone else, relying on that would hold no merit whatsoever.

「But to think it would be so close…… A Great Goblin is an A-cla.s.s monster you know. For someone who is only C2-cla.s.s, it is not an opponent I can handle. We have to hurry back to town and inform the Guild!」(Peach)

「No, if we did that then it will probably be too late. As such, I shall do something about it. However, as a precaution, Peach, please head back to town」(Nagare)

「……Ha? HAAA?!」(Peach)