Chapter 6: I, Garen, Demand Payment

“Huh?” Just like his experience with outdoor survival and swordsmanship, Garen had zero experience dealing with beautiful girls.

The sudden arrival of this lovely young woman beside him threw Garen into a predicament he was utterly unprepared for. Rising to the occasion with the chaste spirit worthy of an FFF member, he blurted out, “Why did you come and sit next to me?”

The smile on Miss Nami’s face froze in an instant. It was the first time she’d met such a clueless, rich fool—so much so that she couldn’t entirely suppress her emotional reaction.

Nami discreetly glanced at the ornate greatsword resting on the table, drawing strength from the massive blue sapphire set in its hilt—the strength she needed to keep up this act. As long as she could keep this wealthy upstart on the hook and get him to share his financial information… Then overnight riches, buying out the village, and finally gaining her freedom would all be within reach.

A few seconds later, Nami’s smile bloomed once more, sweet as ever. She smoothly followed Garen’s awkward attempt at conversation, keeping the dialogue going.

“I’m just curious, Sir Knight—who is this girl you said resembles me?”

“Oh…”

Guided by Nami’s simple prompting, Garen finally regained his composure. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “That girl isn’t real—she’s just a character from a comic book back in my hometown.”

“A comic book, is it? How interesting…”

Nami feigned interest, but her opinion of Garen dropped another notch. There were comics in the world of pirates too, but given the underdeveloped communication systems, such entertainment was only found on large, prosperous islands with a big enough market. Most readers were immature children, and the stories themselves were juvenile. After all, in this world, any child with a hint of ambition would look to the supernatural heroes who truly sailed the seas, not to paper-thin fantasies.

“Speaking of which…” Garen failed to notice the faint disdain in Nami’s heart. Instead, reflecting on his strange predicament in this unfamiliar world, he suddenly grew wistful. “I’m afraid I’ll never get the chance to see the ending of that comic.”

“What a pity…” Nami forced herself to play along, though inside she was cursing furiously: Here I am, a beautiful girl sitting right in front of you, and you’re still talking about children’s comics?

Yet her patience paid off. At the very least, she’d left Garen with the impression that she was easy to talk to.

For Garen, who had just emerged from the wilderness of the mountains and now found himself completely alone in another world, this approachable and attractive young lady was the only person he could call an acquaintance.

He decided to make her his first friend in this strange world—and maybe glean some basic knowledge from her about how things worked here.

Indeed, he’d already pegged Nami as the tutorial NPC in his new-player village.

Regardless of the local customs, Garen gave her a broad, friendly smile and extended his large, callused hand.

“My name is Garen. May I ask, miss, what is yours?”

Finally, the conversation was taking a normal turn. Nami readily placed her fair, delicate hand in his, still maintaining a touch of reserved grace as she replied, “Nami. My name is Nami.”

“Even your name is the same?” Garen blurted out in surprise.

“What?” Nami was momentarily caught off guard by his reaction.

Garen hastily withdrew his hand, embarrassed, and explained, “The comic book character I mentioned—her name is Nami, too…”

“Is that so… Haha…” Nami’s fake smile was growing harder and harder to maintain: I’m being so cooperative, and yet this blockhead still only wants to talk about children’s comics?

Meanwhile, Garen’s recollection of that comic book triggered a flash of deductive reasoning—like a high-IQ detective.

Three-meter-tall bears, a wild variety of plants, bizarrely shaped humans—he was clearly in another world. And yet, the world had a distinctly Earth-like flavor: katanas, flintlock pistols, Western-style buildings, English signage, Chinese calligraphy… And then, the orange-haired girl in front of him, who seemed as if she’d stepped right out of a comic book.

All these strange elements matched the details from the comic in his memory.

Moreover, his current body was that of a game character. So, crossing over into a comic book world wasn’t all that hard to believe.

Weighing all these clues, Garen couldn’t hold back his curiosity. He tentatively asked the girl before him, “Miss Nami, may I ask where we are right now?”

“Where?” Nami replied, a bit perplexed, “Samwell Island…”

“Could you be more specific? Which region is Samwell Island in?” Garen pressed on.

Nami was thoroughly disoriented by this strange man’s unconventional questions, replying only out of sheer devotion to the idea of money, “The East Blue—one of the Four Seas.”

“East Blue…” Garen muttered, then continued, “Do you know about the Grand Line, Pirate King Roger, and One Piece?”

“Of course I do!” Nami’s voice now carried an unmistakable note of irritation. Anyone would know such basic facts—was he a fool, or just mocking her?

“So it really is the world of One Piece…” Garen was swept by a wave of confusion, quickly replaced by excitement. “Doesn’t that mean the girl sitting in front of me is…”

“The real Nami?”

Garen’s eyes sparkled, staring at the orange-haired girl as if she were a rare and exotic creature. Such a look was bound to be misinterpreted as the predatory gaze of a lecher.

Nami, however, breathed a silent sigh of relief. She didn’t know why, but at last, the big oaf in front of her was behaving like a normal, lustful nouveau riche. That made him much easier to dupe.

She decided to take the initiative and draw closer.

“Sir Knight, from your questions, are you not from East Blue?” she asked.

“No!” Garen answered cheerfully. He was an introvert with a bold streak—reserved as a noble lady among strangers, but a shameless speedster among friends. And now, having figured out where he was and who the girl before him was, he saw Nami as a “friend.”

His curiosity and excitement now shone openly on his face, no longer masked by the awkwardness he’d felt with strangers. Of course, in Nami’s eyes, that expression was nothing but the lewd longing of a depraved man.

“Are you from a great kingdom, then?” Nami asked pleasantly, not really caring what the answer was, and complimented him lavishly, “From your attire, you look so noble and valiant…”

“Hm…” Garen thought for a moment, then replied calmly, “I’m from the Kingdom of Demacia.”

There were countless kingdoms on the sea, and Nami had no idea where this Demacia was. Still, she played along, “So you’re a noble from the Kingdom of Demacia?”

“That’s right…” Garen fully embraced his role. “I am the leader of the Dauntless Vanguard, a close friend of Prince Jarvan, and a warrior honored with the title ‘Might of Demacia.’”

It sounded like a tall tale, but his expensive armor didn’t look like a fake. If he truly was who he claimed to be, he’d be nothing less than a walking ATM.

So Nami continued her act, beaming with admiration as she listened to his boasts.

“My family are hereditary nobles of the kingdom, with vast lands and estates…”

“I also have a gifted younger sister, affectionately known as the Radiant Lady…”

Garen was on a roll, but suddenly shifted the conversation. “However… right now, I find myself stranded in a foreign land, all alone…”

“Don’t worry, Sir Knight,” Nami replied, feigning concern. “If you need anything, I’ll do my best to help you.”

Heh… I’ll do my best to help you spend every last coin in your pocket.

“Really?” Garen exclaimed, delighted. “That’s wonderful!”

“As you know, I’m a Demacian noble stranded abroad. I’m in a bit of a tight spot and need some cash to tide me over. If you could help me cover the cost of this meal, I promise—when I return to Demacia, I’ll have my friend Prince Jarvan grant you the title of Count as a reward!”