HP: Sacred Gear Chat Group (2) - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Chapter 5 - A different World

— Alistair Davis POV —

Okay, I didn’t expect ‘Musclebrain’ to be from Mushoku Tensei.

Maybe my Gacha was affected by that somehow?

My best guess is that the Gacha is limited to things from Universes my Dimension Lost is actually connected to. But that is only a theory, and I have no way to prove it.

Besides...

[ Feats achieved: Visited a new World (1 Roll), Travelled the Multiverse for the first Time (1 Roll) ]

...I got two new Rolls.

Not that they matter right now.

I carefully glanced at the woman sitting on the other side of the fire I had started with the Fire-Making Charm. She was gratefully eating the vegetable soup I had quickly prepared using the ingredients I brought with me.

She was seriously distracting.

And I didn’t mean the cat ears or the tail.

She was tall, slightly taller than me, and I’m already 1.91 meters. She had to be close to two meters tall.

Not only that, but holy shit, was she muscular.

Those abs...

My god.

The revealing leather outfit she was wearing certainly didn’t help either, considering it barely covered her chest. The dark-skinned woman sitting in front of me gave off some serious Amazon warrior vibes.

Judging by the number of scars covering her body compared to how many she would have later in the story, she was probably still relatively young.

Maybe around my age.

She must have noticed me staring because she eventually looked up from her meal and met my gaze with the one eye that wasn’t covered by an eyepatch.

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem,” I replied with a friendly smile before giving her a small warning. “Just don’t eat too quickly. After several days of starvation, eating too much at once could upset your stomach. That’s why I prepared something light first. How about we properly introduce ourselves? Like I already said, my name is Alistair Davis.”

I already knew her name, of course, but it was probably better to take things slowly instead of immediately overwhelming her.

“Ghislaine Dedoldia. Saint-Rank Swordsman,” she answered in the Human Tongue.

I didn’t understand a single one of the actual words she spoke, yet somehow their meaning reached me perfectly as she slowly brought another spoonful of soup to her mouth.

That reminded me of another important factor I had completely forgotten about in my rush to get here.

Language.

There was a serious language barrier between me and the people of this World. I could only communicate with Ghislaine because the System was translating everything between us.

With anyone else, I wouldn’t be able to speak, read, or write at all.

Maybe I could take advantage of the fact that the System translated Ghislaine’s words for me. Since it also translated the book I had received from the Gacha, I might be able to use both to learn the local language quickly.

I was suddenly very glad I had brought those Wit-Sharpening Potions, which improved mental clarity and intellect, along with the Memory Potions that enhanced memorization.

I hadn’t been sure whether I would actually need them, but they would definitely come in handy now.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ghislaine. Seems like I arrived just in time.”

Now that I knew who she was, having recognized her almost immediately after arriving, I also knew she would have survived without me.

She remained alive for a very long time in the light novels.

However, something about the situation confused me.

There was an event in the story where Ghislaine became desperate enough to eat monster excrement, but that should have happened after she became a Sword King.

If I remembered the timeline correctly, she joined the party of the main character’s parents while she was still a Sword Saint. Back then, she relied heavily on the other party members for anything involving mathematics, reading, or writing.

It was while travelling with that party that she eventually became a Sword King.

The swordsmanship ranks in this World followed the same general structure as its magic: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Saint, King, Emperor, and finally God.

Only after the party disbanded because the protagonist’s parents were expecting a child—the future main character of Mushoku Tensei—did Ghislaine get herself into so much trouble that she ended up eating monster excrement just to survive.

So, am I dealing with a different timeline?

Then another possibility occurred to me.

Wait...

It took her quite a while to accept the Chat Group invitation.

She also said she had been cutting it.

Did she think the invitation was some kind of attack and become so distracted fighting it that she missed whatever opportunity originally prevented her from starving?

“Where did you come from?”

I blinked and refocused on her.

Right, she was talking to me.

The way she tilted her head while looking at me was surprisingly cute.

“I used the Chat Group to travel to you as soon as I finished preparing enough supplies to survive here.”

“Chat Group?” Ghislaine asked. “You mean those floating letters that appeared in front of my eyes and talked inside my head? I’m not imagining them?”

So, to her, the Chat Group worked almost like a form of telepathy.

That made sense, considering it was also the reason I could understand everything she was saying.

“Nope, they’re real. I’m here, after all,” I laughed, giving her a grin. “You asked for help, and I came.”

“Thank you.” Ghislaine bowed her head gratefully. “What exactly is this Chat Group? Does it send People whenever I ask for help?”

“Not really. It’s my ability, and it connects People from different Worlds, allowing them to talk and trade with one another,” I explained. “The travelling part is exclusive to me, but it has its own limitations. I can’t return home for the next six months because the Ability needs that long to recharge.”

Her eyes widened at the last part before she bowed her head even deeper.

“I’m sorry. This is my fault. I’ll do everything in my Power to repay you!”

“Don’t worry about it. It would have been troublesome if this happened after I started School, but right now, the worst consequence is probably my Parents being furious and worried because I disappeared so abruptly.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “What about you? What are your plans, and why are you out here in the first place? Actually, where even is here?”

“We are in the Southern Region of the Asura Kingdom. My Teacher sent me out into the World to hone my Abilities.”

Hmm, so this is before she joins Fangs of the Black Wolf, the party of the main character’s parents. She must have only recently finished her training under the Sword God, Gal Farion.

Besides studying Magic and earning some Money, what should I try to accomplish during the next six months?

Then an idea struck me.

“How about we form a Party and travel together? I want to reach the Demon Continent!”

“That is fine with me, as long as we avoid the Beast Tribe Territory,” she agreed with a simple nod, probably because she didn’t have any clear plans of her own.

Avoiding the Beast Tribe Territory?

Right, Ghislaine is basically an outcast from her Tribe because she refused to study and abandoned their sacred duty of protecting the Sacred Beast.

That isn’t a problem for me.

“Fine by me. Then, from now on, we’re officially a Party! Do you know the way to the nearest City with a Guild?”

“I was already travelling there. We are still two days away.”

“Great. Then we’ll head out once you’re finished eating. There’s no need to rush, so take your time.”

With that decided, I pulled out my wand and began practicing a few combat spells in preparation for the journey while Ghislaine watched me with clear interest.

———

Ghislaine recovered remarkably quickly from her starved condition.

I already knew she was far stronger than me physically, but I had at least expected to have better stamina while she was still recovering.

Instead, I had a hard time keeping up with her because I simply wasn’t used to travelling through the wilderness.

Hey, cut me some slack. I’m a city child.

I grew up in Diagon Alley and London. The wildest places I had ever seen in my life were a zoo and a few parks, and now I was hiking through an actual wilderness while carrying a heavy backpack.

The first thing I’m going to do once we stop to rest is search for the Feather-Light Charm in one of the Standard Books of Spells.

It should be somewhere in the first- or second-year material.

I distinctly remember Harry Potter considering using it near the beginning of the third book while thinking through his options after escaping from the Dursleys.

And Harry was definitely not an exceptional student, partly thanks to Ron’s influence, so it couldn’t have been a particularly advanced spell.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know the incantation because Harry never actually used it, and I couldn’t remember another scene where anyone cast it either.

Fortunately, the sky had already begun to darken by the time my legs started seriously protesting.

“Ghislaine, let’s find a good place to set up camp.”

“Mmh,” she agreed with a nod before scanning the surrounding area.

After a moment, I spotted a reasonably flat clearing near the base of a stone cliff at the edge of the Asura Mountain Range.

“How about there? With the cliff behind us, we’d only have to worry about threats approaching from one direction.”

“There is no cover to protect us from the Weather,” she pointed out, looking confused.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I brought a tent.”

“A tent?” Ghislaine repeated, clearly unconvinced.

We soon reached the spot I had chosen, which was thankfully clean and relatively flat. I lowered my backpack to the ground, opened it, and pulled out the tent.

It took me a little while to remember exactly how to set everything up, but once the tent finally stood, I couldn’t help grinning at the uncertain look Ghislaine gave both me and the rather small structure.

“Are you sure we will both fit inside?” she asked worriedly, probably wondering whether I intended to make her sleep out in the open.

“Come on, follow me. I’ll show you.”

Opening the front flap of the tent, I stepped inside with Ghislaine following right behind me.

What she saw probably short-circuited her brain because it took her several minutes to say anything.

Honestly, I felt like an idiot too.

I had completely forgotten about the tent after grabbing it. I could have stored most of my supplies inside and carried far more with me without nearly as much effort.

Sure, I would have needed to set it up first before putting anything inside, but the thing had Feather-Light Charms on it!

“What is this?” Ghislaine finally asked.

“A magical tent. It’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside,” I explained before pointing toward the central living area. “This is the shared kitchen, dining, and living space. As you can see, it’s fully equipped with a stove, a refrigerator, cupboards protected by Preservation Charms, and pretty much every kitchen utensil we could need.”

She simply nodded, still looking somewhat dazed.

“The bathroom is on the right side of the living area. The three entrances on either side farther back lead to the bedrooms. There are more than enough beds for both of us, so just pick whichever room you like. I’ll make us some dinner, and I think your stomach should be ready for some meat by now. Why don’t you take a bath and freshen up while I cook?”

“How is this possible?”

“It’s magic from my World. Our Magic works a little differently from what you’re used to.”

“I see.”

———

My cooking was interrupted when a completely naked Ghislaine stepped out of the bathroom and asked me for help.

This woman really wasn’t shy.

Not that I was going to complain. I certainly enjoyed the sight of her large bare breasts and muscular ass while showing her how to use the bathtub.

I was really glad I remembered to bring this tent with me because maintaining proper hygiene in this World would have become incredibly annoying otherwise.

The common people here still relied on communal toilets, and by communal toilets, I meant latrines with holes in the ground to shit into. Proper baths were considered a luxury mostly available to the wealthy.

There were apparently some magical tools that could make things easier, but those were generally reserved for powerful nobles and royalty.

After finishing the preparations for the stew we would be eating that evening, I carried my backpack into my bedroom and finally unpacked everything.

Then I grabbed one of the books and headed back outside the tent.

While we would be sleeping very comfortably by the standards of this World, especially compared to ordinary adventurers, that didn’t mean we were safe.

That was exactly why I had brought ‘The Spellbook for the Traveling Wizard’.

I had already read it several years ago, just like most of the books in my parents’ library. Back then, I could only dream about actually using the Magic described inside.

The book covered a wide range of useful subjects, including simple survival Charms such as the Fire-Making Charm, warming and cooling Charms, and even a Charm for skinning and draining an animal.

More importantly, it also contained defensive spells.

Among them were temporary Wards designed to protect a campsite. They weren’t anything like the powerful Wards placed around permanent properties or locations such as Hogwarts, which required Runes, Wardstones, and a great deal of preparation.

Instead, these were temporary protective Enchantments that lasted roughly a day before needing to be reapplied.

Once I finished rereading the relevant chapters and felt confident that I understood the wand movements, I stood and began circling our tent.

“Protego Totalum, Cave Inimicum, Repello Muggletum, Salvo Hexia.”

Then, for one final layer of protection, I added a spell I remembered from Snape’s personal creations.

“Muffliato.”

Muffliato prevented sound from escaping the protected area, which made it useful as an additional layer of concealment.

Protego Totalum created an invisible protective barrier around the area, helping prevent intruders from entering while also offering some protection against attacks and spells.

Repello Muggletum was the Muggle-Repelling Charm, although I had no idea how effective it would be here since practically everyone in this World possessed the potential to learn Magic.

Still, there was no harm in trying.

Salvo Hexia offered additional protection against hexes and curses. I wasn’t sure whether it would actually help against this World’s Magic, but more protection was always better than less.

Lastly, Cave Inimicum created a concealed boundary that helped hide the caster’s presence, preventing outsiders from easily seeing, hearing, or smelling anyone inside the protected area.

“What are you doing?”

Ghislaine had finished her bath and put her skimpy clothes back on before joining me outside the tent.

“Setting up some protections. Make sure you don’t go farther than this until we leave tomorrow, or you might have trouble finding your way back,” I explained while drawing a line in the dirt to mark the invisible boundary. “I concealed our presence here, so we shouldn’t get any unpleasant surprises during the night.”

“Really? I was going to discuss taking turns on night watch.”

“There shouldn’t be any need for that. We can both sleep comfortably tonight.”

She gave me a satisfied nod before looking toward the tent.

“When will the food be ready?”

“Give it another half hour. A stew takes time,” I replied. Low and slow was the trick with something like that.

“What are you going to do?” she asked as she followed me back into the tent.

“I’m going to try studying your language since I can neither speak nor read it.”

I could practically see the confusion in her eyes.

“But we are speaking?”

“It’s my Chat Group translating between us. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with anyone else. I need to study as much as possible today so I can communicate with the People of this World,” I explained patiently. “Do you want to help me?”

It would be much easier if she simply said aloud whatever I wanted to learn so the translation would appear directly in my mind as well. That would be far easier than relying entirely on a written book.

It would also help me get the pronunciation right.

“Mmh.” She nodded before apparently remembering something else. “Is it normal for the Chat Group to keep blinking in my vision?”

Oh, shit.

I completely forgot about the others in the Chat Group!

They had probably seen Ghislaine’s messages earlier and were wondering what the hell was going on.

I’ve been forgetting a lot of things over the last two days, but in my defense, I’m still not used to any of this.

———

As I expected, the other members of the Chat Group had grown worried about what was happening after I went silent for almost an entire day.

Well, Rias and Yamato had been worried.

Irene seemed mostly indifferent beyond some mild curiosity.

They calmed down once I explained the situation, and their concern was quickly replaced by curiosity.

[ Queen of Dragons: So you really are capable of travelling to other Worlds? Impressive. Perhaps you truly will be able to restore my body one day. Can the rest of us travel as well? ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Only if you travel with me. It also has the downside that I need to remain in the other World for six months before I can return. At least for now. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: Then simply use the opportunity to grow stronger, research Magic, and explore different Worlds. I fail to see the downside. ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): For one thing, I still have a normal Human lifespan. Secondly, I have a family and obligations back home. I could take this Journey because I currently have more than six months of free time, but once I start attending Hogwarts, I won’t have six consecutive months available for the next three years. Hopefully, I can figure out how to shorten the Cooldown. ]

[ Queen of Dragons: Such mundane problems. ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): I’m only eighteen... ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: You should have waited for me! I was already planning to visit you within the next few days. If I had seen that message earlier, I could have come immediately... ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): Ghislaine was starving. We can meet during the summer once I’m back. Besides, you’re just upset because you missed the chance to visit an Anime World. ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Obviously! It’s completely unfair that you’re off adventuring in another World without me! And it’s Mushoku Tensei! ]

[ ‘Kozuki Oden’: Exactly! It’s completely unfair! ]

[ Musclebrain: Sorry... ]

[ ‘Kozuki Oden’: It’s not your fault, Newbie. Don’t worry about it. ]

[ Hogwarts Student (Admin): We’re all Newbies here. ]

[ Ghislaine Dedoldia: I still feel bad about it. ]

[ Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess: Wait, how did you change your name? ]

[ Ghislaine Dedoldia: I didn’t like the old one, so I wished to change it. ]

[ Rias Gremory: Huh, that actually works!? So, what are your plans in that other World? ]

[ Alistair Davis (Admin): We’re going to join the Adventurers Guild so I can gain real combat experience while we travel toward the Demon Continent. I also brought several Magic books with me that I need to study in preparation for School. Beyond that, I’m planning to learn the Magic of this World and collect as many books on it as possible. That’s the rough plan, at least. ]

[ Rias Gremory: Why the Demon Continent? There isn’t much of particular interest there. Oh, wait... are you planning to...? ]

[ Alistair Davis (Admin): Yep. So, is anyone interested in anything from this World? The Market function is unlocked for everyone now, which means we can trade objects from our respective Worlds through it. ]

[ Rias Gremory: I’ll take anything! They would be real collectibles from another World! ]

[ Irene Belserion: Hmm, Enchanted Items from another World sound interesting. I would like to study their Enchantment Magic. ]

[ Yamato: Uhh... Food would be nice? ]

[-- End of Chapter --]