Caught Up Water Researcher Chapter 2: My Words Don’t Get Through

Tooru: “Wait, seriously…”

I was in a dimly lit forest. Of course, there was no sign of the students nearby.

Tooru: “So this means I got caught up in some kind of isekai summoning, right?”

I spoke out loud, trying to make sense of the situation I found myself in.

I’ve read isekai genre stories in webcomics and such. The stories are fantastical and interesting, but as a researcher, I believed such unrealistic things couldn’t possibly happen.

But now this situation I find myself in is my reality.

Plants I’ve never seen before were growing around me. I’m no botanist, but plants that defy gravity to bear seeds, or plants with rings of mysterious light entwined around their stems, were all asserting that this was not the world I used to live in.

Seeing the unfamiliar vegetation, I became worried about the high school students. What could four kids do in such a bewildering world? I have to get them back to our original world. As the adult who was closest to them, it’s my responsibility.

However, those kids were hailed as heroes by the entity claiming to be a god. They probably received some special abilities from this god. This is usually the case in isekai manga involving reincarnations and transfers. Furthermore, the goddess mentioned that she couldn’t grant me, an adult, any skills. Conversely, this might mean that the kids, still being children, are more likely to receive skills.

They must be valuable beings to the god. They wouldn’t be abandoned in a forest all of a sudden like me. They’ll be okay. That’s the only thing I can believe in right now.

If that’s the case, the immediate problem is me, alone in a forest with no signs of human life, in a world overrun by demon tribes as the so-called god mentioned, without having received any skills. To safely return the students to their original world, I first need to reach a town safely and procure weapons to fight these demons.

I really want to get out of this forest that screams, “adventures await”.

Crackle!

Tooru: “Wha!?”

I tensed up, sensing something from the nearby bushes.

Tooru: “Is, is that a rabbit?”

There was a rabbit. It looked mostly like a rabbit, except for the deep red horn growing from its forehead.

Tooru: “What the… You scared me.”

Even if it had a horn, it was just a rabbit after all. It wouldn’t attack a human…

Tooru: “AGhHHhH!!”

The rabbit charged at my right shin. The horn pierced deep, and the pain was unbearable.

I had let my guard down, thinking it wouldn’t attack, but the rabbit charge was so swift that I lost sight of it for a moment and couldn’t dodge.

Tooru: “D-Damnit!”

I retaliated by throwing a stone at the rabbit, which had distanced itself from me and was threatening me. One of the several stones I threw hit the rabbit, and it ran off into the bushes.

Tooru: “It hurts. Aghh.”

I couldn’t believe I was attacked and injured by a rabbit. This isekai, it’s scary.

But at this point, I didn’t even think about the hell that was about to begin. Being wounded, bleeding slightly from a horned rabbit, and screaming in pain was just another day in this world.

I was about to taste the absolute bottom, something even the residents of this world rarely experienced.

Unknown Individual: “ ืžื”?”

Tooru: “Oh, a person? Thank goodness, please help me!”

I turned around in response to the voice from behind and saw a man. He was wearing some sort of light armor, protecting his chest and parts of his shoulders and arms.

But I thought, โ€œIโ€™m savedโ€. He looked a bit fierce, but he was a human after all.

Now that I was not alone in this forest where rabbits could attack humans, I felt a bit relieved.

Unknown Individual: “ื™ืงืงืืงื•ื˜ื•, ืืœืชืžื›ืฉื›ืืŸืจื”?? (You got done in by a horned rabbit?)”

Tooru: “Um, I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Wait, by isekai… does that mean my words wonโ€™t get through?

Normally, that would obviously be the case, but in the isekai manga I read, the protagonists who were transferred to another world had no problem communicating with the locals. I hadn’t even thought of the language barrier.

Unknown Individual: “ืฆืคื•ื™ืœื”ืจื’ืžื›ืฉื‘ื•ื” ืืจืžื›ืฉืฉืœืื•ื‘ (A foreigner who doesn’t understand the language, huh. I can sell you to a slave merchant.)”

The man extended his hand with a smile.

That’s a relief. He doesn’t understand me, but he seems willing to help. He looks a bit scary but seems like a good person.

Tooru: “Ugh!”

I tried to get up with his help, but the pain was too much and I collapsed again.

Unknown Individual: “ืจื™ืคืชืฉืชืžืฉ ื‘ื”ื‘ืฉื‘ื™ืœืš (Medicine is expensive. Bear with this for now.)”

After the man in light armor tightly wrapped a cloth around my injured leg, he helped me up by the hand. I had no idea what he was saying, but he seemed to be willing to assist me further.

It was a rough first aid treatment, but fortunately, the bleeding stopped. It hurts, but I think I can walk with some support.

Tooru: “Th-thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Unknown Individual: “ืืชืžื™ื™ืœื•ืืชืžื“ื™ื•ื˜ื”ื›ืื™ืœื•ืื•ืžืฉืชืžืจื•ื“ื” (Are you thanking me? You’re a fool who doesn’t even realize he’s going to be sold.)”

Afterwards, I was able to escape the dim forest with the support of the man in light armor.

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