Welcome back Transmigrator

Chapter Thirteen: Awkward Beginnings

Upon their return, Andy greeted them with a worried expression and a barrage of questions. Gaige allowed the group to have their reunion while he headed straight for the room where he had ordered his subordinates to prepare bedding. However, he found them shamelessly sprawled across his makeshift bed, fast asleep.

Gaige was utterly drained. He hadn't had a chance to rest since his intense battles in the novel world, and even after returning to his original world, he had been on the move gathering information. What depleted him the most was expending his powers to assist this group of returnees.

Too exhausted to kick his underlings out of bed, Gaige settled for pulling on his red fur coat and lying down on the floor. As the five returnees chatted among themselves, their voices gradually became distant murmurs as his eyelids grew heavier.

The following morning, Gaige expected to wake up on the floor. To his surprise, he found himself next to a strikingly beautiful woman, his head nestled against her healthy chest. It felt like a reward for his tireless efforts, and he gazed at her for a moment, reminiscing about Bettine. In the past, they would find solace in each other whenever they had the opportunity, a source of rest and comfort. He noticed similarities between the woman before him and Bettine.

"Minka."

Gaige gently woke her up as he sat up. He stroked Minka's long eyelashes as her eyes remained closed.

"Please don't wake her up yet; she's exhausted from flying us here," Rowan interjected, appearing with a spatula and an apron. He gestured toward the door with the spatula, indicating it was time for breakfast.

This would be Gaige's first Earthling meal, so he carefully left Minka on the makeshift sofa bed. It seemed that Andy had carried him there since there was no one larger than him in the group.

They ate breakfast on the floor, with Rowan, despite his fancy appearance in the apron, serving the meal. Weak underlings were already devouring their food, while Howl fed them, as if they were his own children.

"What are they?" Gaige inquired. The once-arrogant weaklings now behaved like obedient children. Gaige wanted to tell them that they had bullied Andy in his absence, but it would require a lengthy sentence, so he remained silent.

"I didn't come here alone; they're from the planet where I was transmigrated. The plan was for them to drop me off here and then return to their planet, but the spaceship was destroyed by the purger."

"That's strange."

"Haha, yes. Their goal was to prevent returnees and other non-Earthlings from coming to Earth, and they were quite effective at it. We're still in the sky. Our spaceship hasn't landed yet, but the purger attacked us in an attempt to kill us, and we survived. I... I feel guilty for involving them in this mess. They can't return home because Earth's people haven't developed spaceships or discovered their planet."

"And no one believed us when we told them about our planet's location," one underling added.

The weak underlings and Howl sighed together in unison, but Axel managed to lift their spirits.

"No need to worry! We can live well here as long as we stick together!"

Gaige realized Axel's arrogance and boundless energy had a purpose after all. He motivated the group and bolstered their morale. Gaige believed Axel might make an excellent city guard but wouldn't survive as a knight.

Although it was amusing to watch the formerly energetic weaklings devour their food, Gaige soon returned his attention to his first Earthly meal. He peered at his plate on the floor, feeling touched by the simplicity of the food.

It consisted only of rice, sausage, and eggs, but after consuming raw food for twenty years, it felt like a lavish feast to Gaige.

"Don't you like the food?"

"No, I like it."

Gaige devoured the meal, eventually joining the group in their hearty consumption.

"Your food is truly delicious, Rowan. Even Gaige seems to enjoy it," Minka remarked as she approached Gaige, sitting uncomfortably close.

Everyone greeted Minka and urged her to eat breakfast as well. Gaige could feel their arms touching due to the tight seating arrangement, making him suspect he had taken Minka's intended spot. In an attempt to make amends, he offered a sausage to Minka. Forgetting that this was not the battlefield, he inadvertently made an awkward gesture with the sausage, prompting Minka to respond in an entirely unexpected manner.