It’s an Academic Fact That Rankers Are Model Students – Chapter 134

Chapter 134: Ceram, the miscellaneous merchant (1)

Beyond the trees, all sorts of monsters were gathered.

Spotted deer, forest horned rabbits,the Black Leopards, Triple Horn Wild Boars, Ogres…….

The sight of herbivores and carnivores gathered together reminded one of an animal kingdom.

“What in the world is this…….”

It wasn’t just the gathering of monsters that surprised him.

“Kkuruk! Kkurulook!”

“Kkoggoggot! Kkoggot!”

“Kreureung…… Kreureuheung…….”

“Kkuueo! Kkuwo!”

The monsters were gathered in the center, seemingly conversing with each other.

Of course, Kyung-joon couldn’t understand their language, as it was the language of monsters.

The only thing he could make out was that they seemed to be requesting something from the one in the middle…….

“Huh? Isn’t that a person in the middle?”

In the midst of the monsters stood a dark-skinned child holding a large bundle.

No, though the height was that of a child, it wasn’t a child.

The face looked young, but it didn’t have a childish air, and to begin with, it had wings on its back.

In other words, it wasn’t human.

<Black-skinned Silva>

▼Ceram (Monster)

Kyung-joon checks Ceram’s title and name, feeling puzzled.

“A Silva?”

<A forest-dwelling wild fairy inhabiting Whale Forest. They usually have green skin due to their forest affinity, but this one seems to have undergone an attribute mutation, resulting in black skin.>

Attribute mutation.

It happened occasionally to monsters born with attributes.

Silvas were naturally born with a forest attribute, hence their green skin, but Ceram wasn’t, which explained the black skin.

“Because its skin is black…… does it mean it has an earth attribute like Mod?”

<As you said, the probability is high.>

It couldn’t be a darkness attribute, as Ceram’s black skin wasn’t completely jet black, nor did it feel evil.

“It seems like that Ceram is saying something.”

Ceram was saying something amidst the chattering monsters.

And in response, the surrounding monsters were crying out, “Kkuruk, Kkurulook, Kreung!”

He still couldn’t understand what they were saying.

“Ah, right.”

Swoosh.

Kyung-joon took out a book and handed it to Teemo.

“Teemo, upload this and add interpretations.”

World Language Encyclopedia.

The unique item he chose as the second reward from the Luxemb Defense.

If he had Teemo upload this, he should be able to understand their language to some extent, even if not perfectly.

<Uploading…….>

<Scanning and uploading all knowledge contained in the unique book 『World Language Encyclopedia』 complete.>

<From now on, I will display interpretations whenever a monster speaks.>

As soon as Teemo said that, subtitles began to appear above the monsters’ heads like speech bubbles in a comic.

“Kkuruk! Kkurulook!”

(Busy rabbit! Don’t hold me back!)

“Kkoggoggot! Kkoggot!”

(Flower perfume to charm the females! I want to buy it!)

“Kreureung…… Kreureuheung…….”

(Tools to sharpen my fangs and claws…… I desire……)

“Kkuueo! Kkuwo!”

(Key lime fruit! I want to eat it!)

Being able to understand the monsters’ language felt a bit strange.

But it seemed they all wanted to buy something?

Did monsters have a concept of trade?

Meanwhile, one voice was relatively clear.

“Greetings, residents of the forest.”

Black-skinned Silva, Ceram.

He lowered the large bundle to the ground and continued speaking.

“The reason I stand before you today is to offer you all a fine item to take with you on your journeys. Now, let’s have a look at this item.”

Ceram pulled out a wooden stick that fit in one hand and showed it to the monsters.

“Now, this stick has bristles on the end. In technical terms, it’s called a toothbrush. What is a toothbrush, you ask, Mr.the Black Leopard? Your fangs are your charm point, aren’t they? But imagine if those fangs had bits of adventurer’s bone stuck between them. They need to be sparkling clean for your skills to work properly, wouldn’t you agree? And what does this toothbrush do? It takes care of those pesky food particles stuck between your teeth with ease.”

Ceram spoke very fluently, as if he had said it hundreds of times before.

It was like watching a salesman on the subway.

“Kkirook, Kkirook!”

“Wooeoeo!”

(Sounds of praise and agreement!)

The monsters responded favorably to Ceram’s explanation, finding it amusing.

Just then, a pot-bellied ogre with a single horn stepped forward and said,

“Ceram! Shaq yaz ma’knaz qero xovi! Mauga ces seman dempo-bailtaje!”

(Ogre language: Ceram! I want the magic powder today! Mauga-nim has been waiting for three weeks!)

The ogre wasn’t just making animalistic noises; it was speaking a language.

Ceram replied in a more refined form of the ogre language,

“Oh, Chief Mauga of Humpback Hill. The magic pigment powder for you is being prepared separately. There’s been a slight delay due to unforeseen circumstances, just a tiny bit longer. Please bear with me.”

Ceram handled the ogre’s massive size without flinching, responding appropriately.

He was the very image of an experienced merchant.

Afterward, Ceram shouldered his bundle and weaved through the monsters.

“Excuse me, coming through. Oh, our first customer! Thank you, thank you. Moving along, coming through. Yes, our second customer! Much obliged, much obliged. May your adventures be prosperous.”

Ceram continued his sales pitch, skillfully navigating the monster clientele.

Exchanging goods, back and forth.

He was a true master of subway salesmanship.

“And with that, I’ve sold three toothbrushes here today. Disappointed that I only sold three? Well, I’m bloody disappointed too! But do you think I’m going to give up? Absolutely not! This Whale Forest is no small-town woodland. I’m a Wanderer, I can just go somewhere else. I can just sell there, right? This has been Ceram, the merchant of Whale Forest. Thank you, thank you.”

“Kkirook! Kkirook!”

“Kkuruk! Kkurulook!”

“Kkuwo! Kkuwoeo!”

With Ceram’s entertaining closing remarks, the monsters dispersed.

Fortunately, they all scattered towards the inner forest, the opposite direction of where Kyung-joon was hiding.

They probably went that way because it led deeper into the forest, away from the outskirts.

“Whew.”

Ceram let out a tired sigh and began to gather the bundle he had placed on the ground.

As he was about to head deeper into the forest himself……

Rustle.

Kyung-joon moved.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Silvas.

They were the wild fairies of Whale Forest, living in a tribal society.

They usually had green skin due to their innate connection to the forest, but once in a thousand births, a black-skinned Silva was born.

Of course……

It wasn’t like they were discriminated against for having black skin.

‘……Why wasn’t I killed?’

Because a black-skinned Silva was considered cursed by the Demon God and was killed on the spot.

This was an unspoken rule in Silva society that had been passed down for hundreds of years.

And Ceram.

He was a Black-skinned Silva.

“Whew.”

Ceram fiddled with the stone necklace hanging around his neck.

It was engraved with the ancient Silva language, 『Ceram』.

That was the first thing he ever saw and the first language he ever learned after he was born.

Ceram could only vaguely guess that it was left behind by his mother, whom he didn’t even know the name or face of.

‘I need to pack up and move quickly. That AngerManagementVodka might be following me.’

He hadn’t been harmed in any way so far, but that kind of human made him uncomfortable.

He didn’t look like a good person at first glance, and the way he forced himself to act friendly didn’t seem like it would end well.

As Ceram was gathering his bundle and about to move deeper into the forest…

Rustle.

“……?!”

Ceram was startled and turned around.

Rustle. Rustle.

Along with the sound of bushes rustling behind him, a human emerged.

‘Don’t tell me that AngerManagementVodka is already here……! Huh……?’

Fortunately, it wasn’t AngerManagementVodka.

It was a slender human in shabby beginner’s clothes.

He didn’t look very threatening, but Ceram didn’t let his guard down.

‘There were so many forest dwellers gathered here just now. But none of them, including me, noticed a human nearby?’

Forest dwellers had very keen senses.

Their sense of smell, hearing, and even touch surpassed that of humans.

Not only could they tell who someone was by their scent, but they could also sense the flow of air to determine the presence of enemies nearby.

Ceram, in particular, was attuned to the earth element, so he could feel the ground beneath his feet as if it were his own body.

He had been on high alert this whole time because of AngerManagementVodka, but to think he allowed someone to approach him like this……!

‘He could be AngerManagementVodka’s subordinate……’

Ceram channeled the energy of the earth through his feet and began to gather mana.

If he was AngerManagementVodka’s subordinate, he had to strike first before his location was revealed.

And then he would move to another location.

‘I hope not……’

Just as Ceram was about to cautiously try and communicate……

Kyung-joon spoke first.

“Hoho…… Howoo……? Hoho, Hohowoo?”

Kyung-joon suddenly started speaking in some sort of language.

“……?!”

But Ceram was utterly shocked.

‘He’s speaking the Silva language?!’

Because the strange words Kyung-joon just uttered were in the language of the forest fairies, the Silvas.

Ceram was greatly surprised that Kyung-joon could speak the Silva language, but at the same time.

He couldn’t figure out what Kyung-joon was trying to say.

Kyung-joon repeated his previous words.

“Hoho…… Howoo……? Hoho, Hohowoo?”

(Silva language: There’s a snake in my boot.)

“……?”

A snake in his boot?

Ceram couldn’t understand what he was talking about.

He figured he should at least respond since he was spoken to.

“Howoohoowooho Howoohohoo Howoohoowoo……?”

(Silva language: What does that mean?)

Ceram replied in Silva language as well.

Kyung-joon made an ‘Aha!’ expression as if he realized something.

“Ah, is that not how you pronounce it? Hold on a second.”

Kyung-joon asked for a moment in human language and opened the 『World Language Encyclopedia』 he was holding.

He looked like someone flipping through a phrasebook after encountering a foreigner.

After a few seconds of looking through the book.

Kyung-joon spoke in Silva language again.

This time, with clearer pronunciation than before.

“Howoohoo Hohoohoo Howoohoowoohoo.”

(Silva language: There are three cats on my desk.)

“……??”

He tried his best, but Kyung-joon was still talking nonsense.

Despite that, Kyung-joon’s botched attempt at Silva language continued.

“Howoohoo, Howoohoowoohoo, Hohoohoo?”

(Silva language: Is your mother in good health on top of your desk?)

“Howoohooohoo, Howoohoowoowoohoo, Howoohoowoo.”

(Silva language: The chick eats the chicken deliciously.)

Eventually, Ceram, unable to listen anymore……

“Puhaha!”

Burst into laughter.

Ceram clutched his stomach and bent over, chuckling.

All the mana he had gathered while being wary disappeared.

“Puheup……! Puhahahahat!”

But the laughter didn’t stop.

How long had it been since he last laughed like this?

[Favorability with Ceram has increased by 10.]

[Ceram’s guard is slightly lowered.]

[Ceram is becoming interested in you.]

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