A Former Police Officer Who Died And Get A Second Life!-Chapter 98: An Unexpected Kidnapping

"Mayo~"

"That’s right. Because Hofmann fixes things so nicely like this, everyone is helped."

When he explained to Mayo who tilted what could be called his head, Hofmann looked over at them with slight surprise.

"Is something wrong?"

"...You can tell?"

"No? I wasn’t as skillful as you to begin with and my personality is rather rough too, so I usually just thinks ’it’s fine’ until something completely breaks."

When he said he really wasn’t suited for repairs at all, Hofmann shook his head.

"No. That’s not it. What I meant is the words... Can you understand them? That one’s."

Apparently, he wasn’t talking about the work process, but was asking whether Qiong Xing could understand Mayo’s words.

"Hmm... sort of, I guess?"

"...I see."

Of course, Qiong Xing didn’t actually understand Mayo’s words, so it was more like a vague feeling of "maybe this is what he’s saying?"

Perhaps Hofmann gave up pursuing it further as he returned to his work.

"Ah, by the way, Hofmann, can you make ornaments?"

"?"

"Um, here... This magic stone. And, well, I’d like to make something Mayo can wear."

When Qiong Xing took out the magic stone keepsake from his bag, Hofmann looked at him in surprise, then took the stone in his hand and examined it.

Although there wasn’t really anything to examine, it was genuine.

"Where did you get this?"

"It’s Mayo’s mother’s keepsake. So I’d like him to be able to carry it..."

"Mayo~ Mayo~"

Perhaps understanding Qiong Xing’s words, Mayo wrapped himself around Hofmann’s wrist that was holding the magic stone and rubbed his head against the stone.

Mayo had never seen his mother, but even so, perhaps he could tell... He seemed somehow happy.

"This child is still small, so it’s not for right away, but once he grows a bit more, I’d like to ask you."

Right now, he would probably drag it rather than carry it, but once he grew, it would surely be an appropriate size.

When Qiong Xing asked him to please make it when that time came, Hofmann nodded in agreement and Qiong Xing smiled.

"Is there anything you like, Hofmann?"

"?"

Qiong Xing tilted his head as Hofmann tilted his.

"...Why?"

No need to be so suspicious.

"I was thinking if there’s something I could do as thanks for making Mayo’s ornament."

"Nothing."

Oh dear.

Nothing at all.

"Well... I’d just get in the way if I tried to help with work, so... hmm, do you have any favorite foods? Something sweet, something spicy, meat or vegetables would be fine."

Qiong Xing wasn’t particularly confident, but if it was something he could cook, he thought he’d at least ask.

"...Potatoes."

It was an answer given after careful thought, but being told simply "potatoes" was rather broad.

Potatoes? Sweet potatoes? Taro... he wasn’t sure if taro even existed here, but when he asked, apparently any of them was fine.

"Is sweet okay? Or would you prefer something spicy?"

"Anything is fine."

It seemed he didn’t have much of a preference when it came to flavors.

Just learning his favorite food was enough.

"Potatoes are delicious, aren’t they? I used to eat them often instead of meals in the past."

He had liked roasted sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, steamed potatoes, and potato salad.

"Huh?"

Hm? Had he said something strange?

"You’re human, right?"

Human, yes.

Unless he had somehow changed without realizing it.

He quietly touched his head, but as expected, there were no beast ears.

"If you’re human, why are you eating stuff like that?"

"Eh, human here don’t eat potatoes?"

He felt sorry for answering a question with a question, but he was too surprised to think about manners.

They were so delicious, why wouldn’t people eat them?

"...They do eat them, but mostly beastmen like us, or humans without money."

I see.

In other words, he seemed to be saying that someone like Qiong Xing who presumably had money wouldn’t be eating such things.

A considerable misunderstanding.

"I’ve been wondering for a while, do you all perhaps think I was some kind of noble? I wasn’t."

"...You’re not?"

It seemed there really had been a misunderstanding.

He wasn’t a noble, nor was he even a person from this world.

If he had to say now, he was an unemployed commoner.

"I wasn’t. Ah, maybe it’s the way I speaks? It’s just a habit, so it would be nice if you didn’t mind." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"...."

Hmm, was there something else?

"Or is it this because my small body? That’s something I can only hope improves in the future... come to think of it, Hofmann, you have nice muscles too. How could someone become like that?"

"...Impossible."

That was unfortunate.

"Right. It wouldn’t be something you could teach so easily."

"Huh?"

"Please don’t worry. I have plans to deepen our friendship and become closer first, then ask you to teach me. Until then, I’ll keep coming here to get to know you better..."

"Just go home!"

And so, driven out of the room by Hofmann who rarely raised his voice, Qiong Xing was forced to leave.

There was no one who heard Qiong Xing mutter, "The road ahead is long."

...

Dear everyone, how have you been?

As each day grows steadily hotter, Qiong Xing feels his strength fading little by little and in the midst of being in such a weakened state, he committed the blunder of being kidnapped by bandits.

It is truly unfortunate, but since being abducted is already a done fact, he has resigned himself to it and is currently thinking about ways to escape.

"At least the one saving grace is that I was the only one who got taken."

Today, Cari and Mayo were staying behind, so they weren’t together; he had come with Elias, just the two of them, but while he was resting with Elias, several men abducted him.

At first, Elias had desperately resisted and trying to protect Qiong Xing, but they were caught off guard for a moment from behind and Qiong Xing was captured.