A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! - FSAGW Chapter 69 (Part 1)

“Do you really know the way, Kaiyan-nim?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure about this way.”

“But it seems like you’re going so confidently…”

“No, I’m sure.”

As Kaiyan and Reika tried to leave the residence they had spent 50 days in, an unexpected problem arose.

They didn’t know the way.

Finding the path from the maze-like center to where they wanted to go without getting lost was a more challenging task than they had thought. Of course, if he used the title of the Guardian of the Sky, he could easily fly out, but…

“Well, I’ll believe you! Since you’re here because of me…”

“It’s okay. I’m still a bit scared of flying. It might actually be better this way.”

Reika had an unfounded fear of high places. Having experienced flying, Kaiyan could empathize with that fact. Consequently, the two of them were walking to exit the forest.

“Huh? You seem to have found the right path, though? I remember passing by here when we first came to the center! That ugly rock!”

“That’s right.”

The rock that Reika pointed at with her short legs looked just like the ugly face of a troll. The rock had such a unique appearance that it triggered memories.

“How do you manage to find your way so well? I thought you didn’t have a particularly good memory.”

“Well… that’s not a very flattering thing to say, Reika.”

Should he start investing in his intelligence stat?

To be ignored by a cat while doing it.

“So how did you figure that out?”

“Well, maybe it’s like an instinct to go where I want to go? I feel a strong certainty that going this way is correct, but I can’t explain it precisely in words.”

“That’s strange… Oh! Maybe it’s the effect of your title.”

“If it’s the title… the Predator of the Forest?”

Listening to Reika, that seemed plausible.

Until he acquired that title, he hadn’t experienced this instinct.

“…Should I say it’s a good thing?”

“Well, now that you’ve found the way… maybe?”

So, having found the way, could this be an ability? Could he enter any forest and head to the desired location using this method?

“It might be better than expected. There’s no place in the Eunasia continent without forests.”

Moreover, this instinct derived from the title probably indicates the exact direction of the destination. In other words, if he remembers only that direction, he can leave the forest and head to the destination.

“No need to carry a map around.”

Maps showing some regions sold in general stores or specialized map shops in the Eunasia continent cost at least 1 gold and could go up to several tens of gold. Looking at it this way, he could save hundreds of gold coins or more if he considered the future.

“Is that okay…?”

“Yeah… sure. Really.”

With the confidence of his instinct for finding the path, the speed at which they were leaving the forest increased significantly. At this rate, it might be possible to leave the forest within the day.

“When you leave the forest, where do you plan to go? A city? A village?”

“For now, I want to go back to Blatan and find out what happened during the 50 days.”

“Blatan? Are you talking about the place where you met that guy Jansen?”

“Yeah.”

If he hadn’t been able to purchase the advanced combat technique, he would have never gone back there. He might have gone to Panielun, avoiding the kingdom itself.

However, now that there’s no reason to avoid Jansen, he doesn’t need to go far, as long as it’s nearby.

“I’d rather not go to my hometown, the Darian Kingdom.”

After the monster attack, Darian didn’t take any special measures.

“The kingdom abandoned the village.”

To them, a small village with no role could disappear without any concern.

As the vanished village came to mind and his mood soured, Reika tapped my shoulder with her short legs.

“Okay! Let’s go to Blatan. I’m curious about that place too.”

“Yeah, I’ll show you what the cities on the Eunasia continent are like.”

As Kaiyan chatted with Reika and walked a bit further, through a small gap in the forest, the edge of the forest could be seen in the distance.

If they walked a little more, they could exit into the world again.

**** ****

Murmurs.

Numerous people were lined up in front of the Blatan Territory, chatting noisily with their comrades as they waited to enter.

“Kaiyan-nim, there are so many people here, aren’t there? Blatan seems to be an even bigger city than what I heard!”

Reika seemed quite excited about observing people.

But unlike Reika, Kaiyan was feeling a bit uneasy. The reason was…

“By the way, Reika… Other people can’t hear your voice, right?”

Although he had already heard this from Reika, his uneasiness made him ask her again.

If other people could hear Reika’s voice… As a talking cat, hundreds of people might gather within a split second, and the chances of becoming a spectacle were high.

(T/N: I’m Changing The “” to [] when Reika talks since only Kaiyan can hear her.)

[Oh, really! It’s not about speaking out loud, it’s about conveying thoughts in the mind instead of vocalizing them.]

“Heh heh, well, that settles it. Hm?”

As Reika’s retort triggered an empty cough, someone tapped Kaiyan on the shoulder from behind. When Kaiyan turned around, a middle-aged man with a shaved head and a cheerful smile was looking at him.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, I’m a merchant from the Hoil merchant group.”

“Hoil merchant group?”

“Yes, it’s a small merchant company, and you’re probably unfamiliar with it since it’s not that big!”

He laughed heartily. But why was this unfamiliar person talking to him?

“So, what’s the matter?”

“Well, I wanted to inquire if there’s any truth to the rumors.”

“What rumors?”

“The talk that Lukuba merchant group has appeared in Blatan.”

‘Lukuba? Where has he heard that name…’

Other than the Therian merchant group, Kaiyan shouldn’t know any Merchant Caravans. But the name “Lukuba” that the middle-aged man was saying seemed familiar, as if he had heard it from someone before.

Yet, no matter how much he tried to recall, he couldn’t remember exactly. He had no choice but to shake his head a few times and look at the middle-aged man.

“I’m not sure. This is only my second visit to Blatan.”

“I see! Haha!”

“But what’s Lukuba Merchant Group, and why is there a rumor about it?”

“Huh? Are you telling me he doesn’t know Lukuba Merchant Group?”

The middle-aged man looked at Kaiyan with a surprised expression, as if he were a bit strange.

“Well, um… I do have some vague memories of hearing about it, but I can’t recall exactly.”

“Well, considering they’re individuals you wouldn’t meet unless you’re a mercenary or a trader, it’s possible you don’t know about them. Haha!”

Kaiyan felt a bit embarrassed by the middle-aged man’s words. Even though he possessed a B-rank Mercenary Badge, he didn’t know something basic that mercenaries should know.

“Lukuba Merchant Group… well, you could think of them as ‘shadow merchants.'”

“Shadow merchants?”

“Yes, although I wouldn’t say they deal in illegal goods… they sell somewhat peculiar items. And conversely, they also buy such items. And they do so at quite high prices.”

“Peculiar items… Ah!”

Upon the middle-aged man’s explanation of a shadow merchant who dealt in peculiar goods, a vivid memory popped into Kaiyan’s mind.

The person who first told him about Lukuba Merchant Group was Bisel from the Banson Mercenaries. He had mentioned that if he happened to run into Lukuba Merchant Group, he should buy whatever they offer at any cost because it would certainly turn a profit.