The so-called medieval European-style other world of Naropea has extremely vague historical period and geographical scope.

The Middle Ages are defined as the period from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance — roughly the 5th to 15th centuries. That’s a full 1,000 years.

When most people hear "Europe," they tend to picture Germany, Italy, or France. The townscapes depicted in comic adaptations of Naropea novels often seem modeled after northern Germany or France, or sometimes southern France and northern Italy.

However, Europe also includes Britain, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Eastern Europe. Finland, Sweden, Latvia — all of these are Europe. Some people even consider Russia part of Europe. The definition of Europe changes with the times and depends on the perspective of the person using the word.

Because the term "medieval Europe" covers such a vast region and an incredibly long period, using it to specify the stage or era of a creative work is extremely reckless and vague.

Fortunately, judging from the various scenes I’ve witnessed, the world I’m currently in appears to be set in northern France around the 13th century.

There are some unnatural elements — such as the existence of potatoes (called potito) and capybara beastfolk from South America — but overall it feels reasonably 13th-century French.

In 13th-century Europe, national borders weren’t clearly defined like they are today, and the kings’ authority was weak. Their rule didn’t reach every corner of their territories.

Therefore, calling the setting "France" might not be entirely accurate.

However, I’ve recently realized one new clue suggesting this place is northern France.

It’s the completely natural way that language works in this other world.

There should be multiple languages in the other world too. Otherworld French (provisional), Otherworld English (provisional), Otherworld Japanese (provisional), and so on.

Even if you get a translation bonus from isekai transference, a Japanese person should logically only be able to understand Otherworld Japanese. Being able to understand Otherworld Russian, Otherworld German, or any language at all is far too unnatural. And even if someone learned Otherworld European languages, would they later be able to converse with people from "an eastern country where ninjas and samurai live"?

In fiction, people usually handwave it with "God made it that way," but isn’t a proper reason for why languages are mutually intelligible necessary?

With that in mind, here’s my hypothesis: The language spoken in this region is actually Otherworld French (provisional).

In French, "masturbation" is onanisme. "Sex" is sexe. These words have similar spellings, and anyone who searches for them on adult sites naturally remembers them. It’s only natural I can understand them.

Onagre sounds like "onanism maniac," but it actually means a catapult.

A useful everyday French phrase: "Je téte ton téton." Pronounced "zhu tet ton te-ton." Meaning: "I suck on your nipple."

That’s right. I studied French because I wanted to read French Shoin bunko novels and watch French adult videos. That’s why I can understand it. I don’t consciously feel like I’m speaking French, but maybe I actually am?

And this same logic can also explain why other isekai transferees besides me can speak normally in this world.

Otherworld French (provisional) is, strictly speaking, based on the langue d’oïl spoken in 13th-century France.

To avoid inaccuracy, let’s say that in the territories under the medieval French king’s influence, there were peoples who spoke langue d’oïl and peoples who spoke langue d’oc.

Langue d’oïl later became the official language of France in the 19th century.

Additionally, William the Conqueror (a bastard son of the 11th-century Duke of Normandy) later established the Norman dynasty in England. His descendants are the modern British royal family. In other words, a French speaker of langue d’oïl became the founder of the English royal line.

Later, through complicated inheritance, Henry II (of French origin) came to rule all of England in the 12th century.

In short, because French-speaking Normans from northern France repeatedly became kings of England and continued speaking French, a massive amount of French vocabulary was imported into English. This influence remains to this day.

For example: amateur is amatrice (French) / amateur (English). Actress is actrice / actress. Adult is adulte / adult. That’s why we can understand French adult sites. (Though American adult sites made for Japanese people are so convenient that there’s rarely any need to visit French ones.)

It’s even said that more than half of English words originate from French, and that 80% of English loanwords come from French. That’s how similar the two languages are.

Their grammar is also quite alike. English puts adjectives before verbs in certain constructions, while French often puts verbs before adjectives, but the basic subject-verb order is the same. Past and future tense formations are also similar.

It takes a Japanese person about 1,500 hours to become able to speak French.

On the other hand, it only takes an English speaker about 300 hours to learn French. That’s how close langue d’oïl and English are. It makes sense — Britain and France had a long history of interaction through war, and they’re only 34 kilometers apart across the Strait of Dover. It’s a stretch, but they’re far closer than Kagoshima and Okinawa (which are only about 1/20th the distance in terms of separation). So French and English are actually more similar to each other than Japanese and Okinawan dialect.

Therefore, if a Japanese person who is fluent in English is transported to this other world, and the setting is the langue d’oïl region of northern France, it’s not that strange for them to be able to communicate normally.

One thing to be careful about with language is the treatment of troubadours. They were active in southern France and spoke langue d’oc — a completely different language from the north. The medieval European troubadours (called troubadours) were active in southern France and left behind works in Occitan. Therefore, having a troubadour singing poetry in a tavern in a town full of four-story wooden buildings that scream "northern France" is historically incorrect.

In summary, people often criticize web novels with "It’s unnatural that they can speak the language," but if the setting is a medieval European-style other world, then the language should also be medieval European-style. So if a Japanese person who received English education gets transported, it’s perfectly natural for them to understand roughly half the words at the lexical level. Of course, that doesn’t mean they can necessarily catch fluent pronunciation or grasp unique idiomatic expressions...

In other words, what I’m trying to say is that the people who can speak normally in a medieval European-style other world are those who, like me, studied French in order to read French Shoin bunko novels.

And — while I was in Sage Mode, obviously — I was on the church roof getting a handjob from Lucia and ejaculating.

Still completely naked, I cooled my cock in the chilly night air and sat side by side with Lucia, gazing at the night sky.

"C’est bon." (It felt good.)

I deliberately spoke in French. Then—

"Yeah. Let’s do masturbation together again, okay?"

It got through to Lucia.

So French (langue d’oïl) really is the language here. This is an other world set in northern France.

...Though since Lucia is a goddess, she’d probably understand any language anyway. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

I’ll have to test it on the other girls next time.

Ah, I hope tomorrow is another peaceful night like this.

A while later, we exchanged "good night"s and climbed down from the roof.

I entered the small hut warmed by the body heat of the two macho guys and slept against the wall, away from them.