The Reincarnated Extra - Chapter 21: The Communication of the Taciturn
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Chapter 21: The Communication of the Taciturn

The Communication of the Taciturn

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!!

When my eyes snap open, the first thing I see is the grimy wooden ceiling. Instinctively, I touch my neck, relieved to find my head still attached to my body.

<Ahh, good, Emi! Youve woken up!>

Yeah, Extra-sama. Somehow, Im safe. Though I havent fully recovered from the fatigue and depletion of magical energy, Im uninjured and intact.

Haah~

I let out a sigh of relief. Really, I thought this time might have been the end!

<I was chilled to the bone We were lucky.>

Yeah.

That mysterious old man, if he hadnt saved me, Id undoubtedly be gone by now.

Is this his house, perhaps?

I look around curiously. Im in a small room of a wooden house. The old interior is drafty, but unlike the house of the drunken trash, its neatly organized. I notice the thin futon that was covering me and then my clothes, which have been changed into something unfamiliar, seemingly made from stitched-together animal hides. Theyre too big for me. Did that man change them?

Ah, Im not going to scream, He saw me naked! Eek! or anything. After all, Im only six years old, and my previous clothes were in a terrible state, soaked in blood and whatnot. Im nothing but grateful.

But who is that man, anyway?

The way he decapitated the wolf with a hand chop was incredible, but it was his overwhelming presence that was truly astonishing, wasnt it?

<Theres a technique called Intimidation where one deliberately emits magical power to shrink their opponent. That imposing aura of his was due to that. In any case, hes no ordinary person.>

Creak, creak

While chatting with Extra-sama, the squeaky door opens, and the old man enters.

The old man, noticing that I had woken up, came over to the futon and sat down with a thud nearby. His piercing gaze was as sharp as ever, and the oppressive aura he exuded was unchanged from when he saved me from the wolf.

Both the old man and I remained silent.

Only the sound of the whistling wind through the cracks was audible.

<No, no, Emi, lets have a conversation, shall we? Why are you just staring at each other? This man is your savior, isnt he? Dont you have something to say to him?>

Sorry, Extra-sama. I know I should thank him, but, you know, Ive hardly had a conversation with anyone in this life, right? I dont know what to say or how to start talking And, isnt his aura incredibly intimidating? Huh? Whats this? Whats with this old man? Is he planning to kill me? Didnt he save me? Is he a dangerous old man? This person.

<Just say thank you for saving me, thats all. And this man doesnt intend to harm you. If he did, he wouldnt have saved you, right? Probably, hes like you, Emi. Taciturn and not used to interacting with people. Whether he cant get rid of the intimidating aura because hes not used to people, or hes not used to people because he cant get rid of the aura, I dont know.>

Okay, Extra-sama. I just need to thank him, right? Express my gratitude and thank him! Come to think of it, apart from Extra-sama, Ive never had a conversation like this in this life. This is, subtly, nerve-wracking!

Thank you.

I mumble, looking into the old mans eyes.

The old man remains silent. Huh? Did he not hear me? Was my voice drowned out by the wind? Hes not reacting at all?

Thank you.

This time, I express my gratitude a bit louder than before.

The old man remains silent again. Ah, but he nodded slightly. Yes! The conversation got through!

And then, once again, silence flows between us

<Aaaaaaahhhhh! Whats with you two?! Youre so bad at conversation!!>

It cant be helped! Im a beginner at conversations, you know? Go easy on me for being awkward!

Does it hurt anywhere?

This time, the old man initiated the conversation! His voice was low but powerful, a strong and dandy voice.

No.

When I responded, the old man nodded slightly again.

Extra-sama! Extra-sama! I just had a conversation, right? This is how conversations are supposed to go, isnt it?

<Sigh. It took an absurd amount of time just to exchange a few words! And you, youve talked to thieves while pretending to be a spirit of the Myogomyogoshugo before, right? In the village of Fenoben, you managed to have exchanges like this.>

That was acting, so its different. And please, dont remind me of that trash village! Its unpleasant.

Silence, once again. But somehow, Ive started to find this atmosphere comfortable. The old mans intimidating aura isnt so scary once you get used to it. His mouth is set in a straight line, and his brows are deeply furrowed, but this is just his normal face. He isnt angry.

Why did you save me?

This time, I tried asking.

I have black hair and black eyes.

Yes, sadly, I have the appearance of someone who is discriminated against in this world (or at least in this region). Im confident enough to be disliked, to the extent that villages wont let me in. So why?

The old man silently pointed at his own eyes. Their color was the same black as mine. Ah, I see

<Maybe he has white hair now and its hard to tell, but perhaps this person has been through the same hardships as you, Emi>

Grrr

Ah Suddenly, and without any preamble, my stomach growled. The sound resonated well between the two of us, who were silent. The old man, without changing his expression, stood up and went to the next room, and then he brought back something white and steaming on a plate. The plate, gently placed on the floor in front of me, was piled high with soft, stewed grains. The sweet aroma that came with the steam tickled my nostrils. These white grains were not some kind of larvae. This is this is!!

<Incredible! Emi! This is barley porridge! I saw it once on a broadcast about a god of gourmet foods reincarnated into another world!!>

I mean, even without the explanation, I know that! Eh!? Whats this!? Can I eat this!? Am I allowed to eat these grains!!??

As I looked at the old man with eyes full of anticipation, he nodded slightly. After that I couldnt stop myself. I buried my face in the plate, devouring the barley porridge voraciously. Its sweet! I never realized barley could be so sweet in my previous life!

It had a very gentle flavor, without any gamey, bitter, or sour taste! Soft, warm, fluffy, ah delicious So, there are delicious foods in this world too!

Before I knew it, I was crying. My expressionless face remained unmoved, but tears flowed ceaselessly.

<Ugh ugh ugh>

Extra-sama, sharing my senses, was also moved to tears by the deliciousness. The old man silently watched me as I cried.

After licking the remaining soup from the plate, I took a breath.

<It was delicious wasnt it>

Yes, it was delicious, Extra-sama When I glanced at the old man, his stern face seemed somehow satisfied. Ah, thank you, thank you. I dont know how to properly express my gratitude for such delicious food.

<Lets give him the greatest thanks we can. We must repay this kindness.>

Yes, youre right, Extra-sama. We must find a way to give something back to him.

Thinking this, I stood up and began looking around the room. I wanted to return the favor with something delicious. Then, I noticed a spot on the wall, about the size of a thumb, discolored and hollowed out.

I remembered seeing a similar hole in my home in this life. Or rather, according to Extra-sama, such holes are likely to be found in any dilapidated house. Approaching the hole, I knocked on it, noticing the sound was clearly different from the other walls. This is it! I stuck my finger into the hole, pulled with a bit of force, and a part of the decayed board came off, revealing a white caterpillar-like creature hiding inside.

Its name, according to Extra-sama, is Mikikuishiroimomushi. Its a pest that eats not only trees but also the walls of wooden houses, recognized as a constant nuisance in this world. However, its actually not a caterpillar but a shell-less snail. Not widely known, but its quite delicious. Its odorless, crunchy flesh is full of umami, making a good broth when added to soup. For me, its one of the delicacies.

Now, would this Mikikuishiroimomushi serve as a return gift for the barley porridge? Upon reflection, since it was found in the old mans house, whether it counts as a gift is questionable. However, since it had been left uneaten, presumably the old man was unaware of its existence. Giving him something he hadnt noticed should surely count as a sufficient thank you. Besides, I dont have anything else that could serve as a thank you gift. This is the only way I can express my gratitude.

I grabbed the Mikikuishiroimomushi and brought it over to the old man.

Here.

I tried to hand it over, but the old man wouldnt accept it. He tilted his head, staring intently. The old man shook his head sideways.

Perhaps he meant that no thanks were necessary, that a child shouldnt worry about such things

This old man, despite his fearsome appearance, is actually a very kind person

Anyway, it would be a waste to leave the Mikikuishiroimomushi, so I used Ignition to lightly cook it on the spot and ate it myself.