Language Cheat Reincarnation – Young Girl VTuber Saves the World

Chapter 377. [The Trap Of Words]

‘I’ll take you to the edge of the forest.’

‘R-Really!?’

I was stunned by the local man's words.

I hadn’t even considered that possibility... No, I thought it was impossible.

And yet, he was willing to go that far for me.

For them, the outside of the forest must seem like another world.

No one wants to leave here. But I... I want to see it, even just once.

That desire is likely half a pretext, and half genuine.

It was an offer I couldn’t have hoped for.

If I could reach the outside, I could reveal the village's location and arrange for the Secret Service woman to be rescued.

And when that happens, he could return to his home.

There’d be no need to worry about the way back.

Or, if he wished... I’d even petition the president to give him a chance to live in modern society.

It’s a huge debt. No amount of gratitude would suffice.

‘But you can’t do it as you are now. You’re too weak.’

‘Ugh...!’

‘We don’t make boats. So we’ll have to walk out of the forest.’

"Don’t make"... or more precisely, "don’t intend to make."

It must be because of their beliefs.

A "boat" is far too significant an entity in this world.

It could easily shatter their sense of "equality".

‘To move through the forest, you need strength. And you have to be able to hunt your own food.’

‘That’s true.’

The local man’s words were indisputable.

As I am now, I’d only be a burden.

The Amazon jungle isn’t forgiving enough to allow progress while carrying "dead weight". Not even for him.

I was well aware of how harsh it was.

Outside the village, there’s no guarantee of safety.

We’d inevitably have to take turns keeping watch even when sleeping.

And what if he collapsed along the way?

Dying because I couldn’t do anything alone would be a cruel joke.

‘I understand. I... I’ll get stronger!’

I resolved to become stronger.

To be honest, up until now, I’d felt as though I was merely "experiencing" the hunting and plant-gathering.

But from now on, it’s different.

I’ll acquire the knowledge and strength to genuinely live here.

‘First, learn to catch a fish by yourself.’

‘Yes!’

I lowered a fishing line extending from a spear into the river.

Immediately, there was a tremendous tug.

‘Th-This must be a big one! Nghhh~~~~!?’

The tug-of-war across the water began.

The opponent, desperate for its life, resisted with all its might.

‘Nghhh! Nghhh! Nwaaaaah!’

How much time passed? Maybe around an hour?

After a fierce struggle, I finally...

‘Huff, huff...! Take this! Uwaaaah!’

I succeeded in pulling up the fish.

From beneath the water appeared...

‘...A small fry.’

Wh-What the heck!?

It was a tiny fish, barely the size of my finger.

No way! Was I battling with this thing the whole time!?

Drenched in sweat, I hung my head in defeat.

But the local man smiled warmly at me.

‘Don’t worry about it. What matters is that you caught it yourself.’

‘...! Y-Yes!’

That’s right, no matter how small it was, a fish was a fish.

For the first time in my life, I’d caught prey on my own!

‘Alright, let’s head back. This is enough fish.’

‘Ah, okay...’

I glanced over and noticed a pile of fish had already accumulated next to the man.

What a difference...

He put the fish into a basket woven from banana leaves, slung it effortlessly over his back, and began walking.

As if he were carrying nothing at all. Meanwhile, I was struggling just to walk normally...

‘I’ve got to try harder!’

Determined to get even a step closer to him,

I took a step forward to follow him—

***

On the way back.

The man suddenly stopped and looked up at a tree.

‘—There’s a monkey.’

‘Uh, where?’

I had no idea.

I was constantly amazed by the sharp senses of those who lived in the forest.

I followed his gaze, squinted, and finally spotted it.

The monkey didn’t seem to have noticed us yet.

‘I didn’t bring a bow or blowgun, so I can’t catch it. Such a shame—it’s a real treat.’

The man expressed his sorrow with his entire body.

The people of this village eat all kinds of things.

Not just insects, bananas, and stingrays, but sometimes—even dolphins.

I was shocked to learn this, but by the time I found out, I’d already eaten some. There was no going back.

‘Well, we eat whales too, after all.’

I figured that’s how Japanese people must seem to foreigners.

I decided to accept it as part of their culture.

And among all their food, their favorite seemed to be monkeys.

They all said, "Monkey meat is the most delicious."

I’ve had it before, since I’m living here...

It wasn’t bad, but honestly, it wasn’t that great either.

To be honest, I preferred fish.

It must be a difference in taste buds.

‘Such a pity... Such a pity...’

The man repeated it over and over, looking truly disheartened.

That’s when I couldn’t help but speak up.

‘U-Um...’

‘What is it?’

‘—I think I might be able to lure that monkey... maybe.’

I wanted to do something for him—to repay the man who was willing to risk his life to lead me out of the forest.