Tech Hero in Another World
Chapter 23: [22] Dinner

Chapter 23: [22] Dinner

After ordering their food, the waiter bowed politely before walking away, leaving the two of them in an atmosphere that suddenly felt awkward.

Ren leaned back in his chair, glancing at Wendy, who seemed completely engrossed in examining the table as if the wood grain was the most fascinating thing in the world.

(Why is it like this again...?) he thought, slightly frustrated by the silence.

Trying to break the ice, he finally spoke up.

"I didn’t know you liked furry things."

Wendy looked up in surprise but then let out a small laugh, relieved that there was finally something to talk about.

"Eh... Ah, yeah." She scratched her neck, flashing a small smile. "I think they’re cute, even though they’re technically monsters... even if they’re tame."

Ren raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced.

"Seriously? You’re not scared at all?"

"At first, I was terrified, just like you." Wendy chuckled softly, recalling the first time she had to deal with those giant tigers. "But after a while, I got used to them. Honestly, they’re super soft—perfect for pillows."

Ren paused for a moment.

"Wait..." He stared at Wendy with a skeptical expression. "Don’t tell me... this isn’t your first time doing this quest!?"

Wendy blinked innocently, then nodded casually.

"Yeah, this is my fifth time."

Ren froze for a second, processing that information.

Then, he gave her a deadpan look.

"...So I was the only one who almost got eaten?"

Wendy stifled a laugh, her smile widening.

"Um... Yeah, pretty much."

Ren let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Note to self: next time, ask if a quest has been done before accepting it."

Wendy kept chuckling softly as the tension between them gradually eased.

Just then, the waiter returned with their order, and the rich aroma of pork rib soup filled the air.

Ren eyed the steaming dish in front of him before sighing.

"Well, since I’ve come this far, I guess I should start getting used to them."

Wendy beamed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"That’s the spirit! I’m sure if you spend enough time with them, you’ll fall in love with that soft fur too!"

Ren glanced at Wendy, then at his soup, then back at Wendy.

"I’d rather fall in love with food."

As they ate, their conversation continued naturally.

Now that Ren had accepted the reality of his upcoming long journey, he began asking more serious questions.

"So, the route we’re taking... how does it look?" he asked, sipping his soup.

Wendy chewed her food for a moment before swallowing and looking thoughtful.

"From Vermont, we head north, crossing the Eldora Kingdom’s border. After that, we enter neutral territory before finally reaching the Elven Kingdom to the west."

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"So we’re passing through two kingdoms? Eldora and the Elven Kingdom?"

Wendy nodded. "That’s right. After getting through the elves’ forest, we’ll reach the lowlands that belong to the Beastmen."

Ren froze mid-bite, narrowing his eyes at Wendy.

"Hold on."

Wendy tilted her head in confusion.

"What?"

Ren slowly put his spoon down and stared at her more intently.

"Elves and Beastmen... They’re two races that don’t exactly welcome humans, right?"

Wendy cleared her throat quietly, shifting her gaze to her soup, looking slightly uncomfortable. She knew Ren had a tendency to find solutions rather than complain, but that didn’t mean this situation could be taken lightly. Both the Elven and Beastmen territories were notoriously difficult for humans to enter, and she herself had no experience beyond this kingdom.

"Umm... Yeah, that’s true. But it’s not completely impossible to get through, as long as we have a solid reason." Her voice held some doubt, but she tried to sound optimistic. The real challenge was figuring out what that "solid reason" would be.

Ren, now leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, looked deep in thought. This journey wasn’t just about escorting a few giant tigers back to their homeland—it was a mission that required them to cross into lands that historically weren’t friendly to humans.

"You need to be invited as a guest or earn their recognition. There’s no other way." His tone was flat, as if stating an undeniable fact. Forcing their way in wasn’t an option unless they wanted to be stopped at the border.

Wendy nodded slowly, understanding that Ren wouldn’t recklessly charge into hostile territory. After all, this adventure wasn’t just a casual trip outside the city. There were too many unknowns, and not all problems had easy answers.

"Hmm, so what do I need to do to earn the trust of the Elven and Beastmen kingdoms?" Ren asked, watching Wendy closely. If he had to go through some kind of trial or prove himself, he’d rather know ahead of time.

But Wendy could only give him a sheepish smile, stirring her spoon absentmindedly. She genuinely had no idea. "Uh... I don’t know either. Sorry, I’ve never left this kingdom before, so I can’t really tell you."

Ren was silent for a moment before letting out a small smile and shrugging casually. Wendy’s lack of knowledge wasn’t a big deal to him.

"Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s fine."

Wendy glanced at him, slightly surprised by how relaxed he was. She had expected him to be frustrated or at least a little annoyed. But his expression remained calm, as if this was just another puzzle to solve.

"Aren’t you worried?" she asked, tilting her head. She wanted to know if he was truly confident or just hiding his concerns.

Ren chuckled, resting one arm on the table and casually twirling his spoon. "Well, if I stress over problems that don’t have answers yet, it’ll just give me a headache." He paused briefly before adding in a relaxed tone, "Besides, we still have two weeks to gather information, right?"

Wendy let out a small sigh of relief, a faint smile forming on her lips. She wasn’t sure why, but Ren’s calm attitude somehow made her feel at ease.

"That’s true... I sometimes forget that you’re the kind of person who prefers looking for solutions rather than complaining."

Ren raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. "And you’re the type who worries too much, huh?" His teasing tone was enough to make Wendy react.

"Hey! That’s not true!" she huffed, puffing her cheeks slightly, making Ren chuckle softly.

She knew she tended to overthink things, but still—did he have to say it so bluntly?

Watching her pout, Ren suddenly felt that this moment wasn’t so bad. No matter how complicated their journey ahead might be, at least for now, he could enjoy this peaceful dinner.

Even though their conversation had its serious moments, in the end, the atmosphere remained lighthearted.

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