Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Escape 

By mixing in with the fleeing nobles, Ryoma successfully crossed through the castle gates. What spread out before him was a cityscape that felt like it was pulled out of medieval Europe. The castle was erected atop a small mountain, so the castle gates Ryoma was currently near were on top of a gentle incline that offered an unbroken view of the city below. 

“Ooh! This is... impressive...” An amazed voice escaped his lips. 

The cityscape before him was that orderly and organized. Firstly, the areas five hundred meters off from either side of the gates where Ryoma stood were lined with impressive houses, with gates of their own. The nobles fleeing the castle disappeared into those residences. This ward was probably populated by the nobility’s mansions. 

Five hundred meters ahead of the gates, down the main road, was another set of gates. That was likely the sector where the commoners lived. The rooftops of the houses he could make out beyond the open gates in the distance were significantly smaller than the ones he saw before him. 

For now I’m gonna need more information... plus a change of clothes. 

Ryoma decided to start by trying to blend in with the commoners’ sector. He decided that finding a crowd to disappear into would be the correct course of action for now, and he would likely be able to gather the information he needed there. 

Perhaps because he was dressed in a soldier’s attire, whenever he passed by some noble’s guard or an armored soldier, none of them seemed to spare a glance in his direction. But that wouldn’t work for long. They would trace the fire in the infirmary back to the soldier who had been carried in there sooner or later, and the armor would be the only evidence they had to seek Ryoma out with. 

I’m not gonna be able to wear this armor forever. 

Ryoma made way to the commoners’ sector, hoping to find clothes that would better allow him to blend in with people. Lowering his head at the gatekeeper, Ryoma crossed through with a rapid gait. The moment he crossed the second gate, Ryoma was hit with a kind of energy and liveliness the nobles’ sector lacked. Countless people passed in every direction, and there were many stalls and vendors around. Unlike the nobles’ sector, there was no paved road, but simply exposed earth, and the buildings were erected in a cluttered manner. 

It was the very vision of a bustling marketplace. Ryoma looked around at the people’s appearances. Many were dressed in robes and mantles. But looking more closely, some were dressed in armor, and others wore pants and shirts. One old lady had an apron on. There was a great variety in clothing depending on gender as well. In all likelihood, the former people Ryoma saw were travelers, while the latter were citizens of the capital. 

“There’s more people around here than I thought... A lot of them are armed, too...” Ryoma whispered to himself. 

Many of those clad in armor were likely mercenaries hired by the country, because their equipment was simply too different from that of the soldiers. And to top it off, many of them had the kind of dangerous faces that made it painfully obvious they were criminals, most likely bandits and thieves. 

“Yeah, this is definitely another world... Well, shit. I’m pretty far from happy about this.” 

Ryoma was certain the sight before his eyes wouldn’t have been possible in any country on earth. White and yellow shades of hair and skin color adorned the various people walking by, in a medieval European-style city environment, clothed in a wide assortment of garments. Ryoma had no choice but to acknowledge he was in another world. 

But I guess this won’t make blending in a huge problem, at least. 

Just the thought his hair and skin color wouldn’t stand out was a soothing one. With such a lack of uniformity when it came to people’s outside appearance, his black hair and eyes wouldn’t pose a problem. 

“Right, time to find some new threads...” Ryoma whispered to himself, when suddenly his empty stomach let out a contemptuous growl. 

He’d been summoned to this world on his way to having lunch, so he hadn’t eaten yet, and after that, he’d been so focused on escaping that he’d forgotten about his hunger. 

Well, there’s no going back there, so I’ll just focus on finding clothes for now. 

Just thinking about the boxed lunch he left behind in the summoning room made Ryoma salivate uncontrollably. He’d have to put acquiring new attire ahead of his empty stomach, though. The longer he stayed in this armor, the greater the possibility he might get caught would be. 

Rubbing his stomach as it growled in dissatisfaction, Ryoma hastened his stride. As he walked down the main road, he looked around, and his gaze was drawn to a sign with a drawing of a dress on it.

That day, an odd customer visited Meg Resta’s store. It must have been just after two in the afternoon when he walked in. 

“Welcome!” 

Meg greeted the customer with her usual widely beloved lively voice, but then saw the customer was a man clad in a soldier’s armor. Of course, people coming in to shop with armor wasn’t all that unusual, but a soldier going into the store in armor was a rare sight. Unlike adventurers and mercenaries, soldiers often went shopping in their normal attire. 

Maybe he’s here for some other reason? 

Meg thought so, naturally enough, but judging from how the soldier examined the outfits on display, he certainly seemed to be interested in shopping. 

“Are you looking for something? Do you need me to explain anything about our stock to you?” Meg worked up the courage to ask, despite eying the soldier suspiciously. 

But as if to make a mockery of her resolve, the man responded in an all too ordinary voice. 

“Yes, could you please get me a set of clothes I can use for an everyday outfit, along with some underwear, a robe with a hood, and a leather belt as well?” 

He’s pretty polite. Though, he is dressed in the imperial castle’s armor... 

The man’s voice caused Meg to think something was strange. Most people who came to this store were arrogant and pompous, and that held especially strong for soldiers and nobles. Those working in the imperial castle were especially conscious of their status as elites and particularly selfish, which gave them a pretty bad reputation among the store’s employees. 

This store was set up on the main street, so its prices were naturally higher than their market value. Of course, those who frequented this store had more money to spend than most, and were prideful to match, regardless of their societal standing. But from where Ryoma was standing, he simply gave a normal, natural answer. 

“Is there any particular color you would prefer?” Meg asked the man again, quieting her doubts. 

“Black, please.” 

“Very well. Please wait, I’ll have it prepared.” 

He wasn’t all that different from any other customer. He told her what he needed, and the color he wanted. Sure, his politeness was a bit odd, but Meg had to laugh at all the undue concern she held over this. 

Maybe he laundered his clothes and doesn’t have anything else to wear? Oh, drat! I forgot to ask him for his size... Well, never mind. I’ll just bring over some large sizes. 

As she pondered that, she brought over the clothes the man requested, each in three sizes. Incidentally, they all looked a bit plain but were well-tailored; they were the best clothes she had to offer that weren’t aimed at nobles. 

“Thank you for waiting. How about these?” 

“They’ll do well. Could you pack them for me?” 

Huh? Isn’t he going to check for their size? 

Few people would buy clothes without trying them on first, and he didn’t check to see if they were the right size. Meg tilted her head with obvious confusion. 

“Erm... What about their size?” Meg asked with a reserved tone. 

What a weird man... It’s like he isn’t actually interested in buying anything. Don’t tell me he’s a robber...? 

The worst possible conclusion rose up in Meg’s mind, but that concern seemed to be unfounded. 

“Oh, my size... Just give me the largest one you have.” 

It seemed to be the kind of casual attitude that displayed a desire to finish shopping as quickly as possible. His attitude was certainly suspicious, but he seemed to be a paying customer. Meg swatted her apprehensions away. 

“Very well, then. That comes to one silver coin. Please wait, I’ll go wrap it.” Meg said and bowed her head, heading behind the counter. 

“Hey, wait a minute!” He said in a panic. “I’m kind of in a hurry, so I’ll take them the way they are.” 

With that said, the man placed a silver coin over the clothes he bought. 

“This is enough, right?” 

His words made Meg eye him quizzically again. 

Oh, he’s just going to take them at that price? Maybe he’s some noble’s child. But why is he in a soldier’s armor, then? 

Few commoners wouldn’t try to barter down a cost of one silver coin, and the prices were actually set with the idea that the customer would haggle for a lower one. The only ones who wouldn’t seek a discount would be nobles obsessed with honor. 

He certainly looks every bit like a noble, but the way he’s paying... Perhaps he’s the son of some noble traveling incognito? Well, I guess it doesn’t matter, so long as he’s paying! 

Meg decided to stop thinking too hard about it. A paying customer, no matter how suspicious they may seem, is a good customer. 

“Very well, you may take it as is.” Lowering her head, Meg made her way to the counter. 

Leaving the clothier’s shop, Ryoma heaved a heavy sigh while cautiously making sure no one noticed him. 

“Phew... I got through that, somehow.” 

It was just shopping, and he was no child, so he obviously had experience going to stores. But never before in Ryoma’s life had he been under so much stress in a store. But regardless of how he managed to do it, he’d done it just the same. 

“Now it’s a race against the clock.” Whispering to himself, Ryoma made his way down the main road and outside the walls, to shake off his yet-unseen pursuers.

“Ma’aaaaaaaam, im’ma begging you, give me today’s special. Make it extra big, if ya please.” 

Ryoma was now within an establishment in a dark alley on the other side of the main street. Its name was the Sea Rumble Parlor. It was the kind of store that was visibly attached to the city it was in, and didn’t serve first-time customers. But contrary to its dirty outwardly appearance, its insides were quite clean. It served men, women and those with children, and was quite the homely place. 

It must have been just after three in the afternoon when Ryoma finally obtained his much anticipated lunch, clad in the black shirt and pants he’d bought from Meg’s store. 

I made it in time, one way or another... 

Ryoma recalled how, just as he returned from outside the walls, he passed by a small army and snuck a peek at their commanders. They were all on horseback, so there was only one objective they could have had. 

Just like I figured, they came on horses... All I can hope is that they take the bait. 

Ryoma left the capital while wearing his armor, to create the impression he’d escaped from the city. Normally, one wouldn’t bother coming back, and instead would run as far as they could. Ryoma, however, didn’t make that choice. Running away without a map and no proper equipment wouldn’t achieve anything, and wouldn’t get him anywhere. If he didn’t manage to gather some information regarding where he should go, how far it would be and how he should get there, leaving the city right now would be suicide. 

Besides, Ryoma didn’t know how to ride a horse. 

Just as most people in the modern world do not own horses, Ryoma had no experience riding on horseback. He’d seen carriages in the city, so he assumed his pursuers might use horses to go after him. With him on foot and them on horseback, they’d inevitably catch up to him. 

That was why Ryoma had left the capital while wearing his armor. The empire’s men didn’t know Ryoma’s face, and their only clue was that he was in armor, so if they heard an armored soldier left the walls, they’d have no choice but to go after him. 

But since he’d read their actions so far, coming up with a countermeasure was easy. He was worried the enemy’s preparations may have ended more swiftly than planned, but the heavens were on his side. He found a thicket of trees near the gates where he wouldn’t be seen, then removed his armor and helmet, changing into his newly bought clothes. He buried his armor in the ground, and passed his pursuers just as he returned to the castle town. 

Right... What’s my next move? 

He started formulating his plan for escape. 

“Here you are, thanks for waiting!” A cheerful voice pulled Ryoma out of his sea of thoughts. 

Placed on his table was a fairly large lunch, consisting of some kind of deep-fried meat served with sweet vinegar as the main dish, with fried white fish, a salad, and bread as side dishes. It smelled fantastic. Putting aside the question of what this meat used to be, the level of the food in this world didn’t seem too bad. 

With his appetite provoked, Ryoma’s mouth overflowed with saliva. He swiftly tore off some of the bread and stuffed his cheeks with the deep-fried meat as he recalled the faces of his pursuers. Just as Ryoma had made his way back in through the gate and started looking for a place to eat, they had come from the castle’s direction. Four men and women led the group; two among them were faces he already knew. 

Rolfe and Celia, if I recall... 

Rolfe had the appearance of a seasoned veteran, and Celia was a thaumaturgist with an air of cold intelligence. They were the two who charged into the room he had been summoned into. 

And then there was a young man and woman I don’t know... 

First was the young man who seemed somewhat weak of heart. Ryoma didn’t know his name. Ryoma thought he was dainty at first, until he noticed the cautious, sharp gaze he was scanning the surroundings with. That timid appearance was likely just acting. 

Guess each and every one of them’s a tricky bastard. But that woman was the real problem... 

They were all skilled, and while Ryoma didn’t look down on any of them, he wasn’t scared of them either. But that woman was the only one among them Ryoma felt was legitimately dangerous. 

That golden haired, blue-eyed woman. The moment Ryoma saw her, a jolt ran up his spine. The shape of her muscles, her posture, her gaze. Ryoma had years of experience in martial arts which afforded him the ability to be able to accurately discern another’s skill level from the simplest of gestures. 

But what was even more frightening than her skill and strength was the aura of a ruler she emitted. In chess terms, she was a Queen; a piece with the irreplaceable potential to decide a match. As strong as the other rooks may be, they couldn’t compare to that difference in ability. 

And besides that, her eyes... Those were more than just a warrior’s eyes. They were... 

Her eyes overflowed with intelligence and calmness. The atmosphere from her was similar to Celia, but with one decisive difference; confidence backed by experience. Her age wasn’t much different from Celia’s, but there was no doubt she was a mature commander. 

Her gaze was that of someone who had survived countless battlefields, and in a different sense than Rolfe. Her eyes told of how she conquered those battlefields on a deeper level. She had not only the importance of the queen, but also the strength of a rook. 

In Ryoma’s eyes, she was the greatest nightmare he could encounter. 

Dammit, I’ll have to slip by that woman’s gaze. Ryoma thought, as he chewed on the fried white fish. Getting out of this country just became that much harder... 

That was Ryoma’s first meeting with Shardina, the woman who would fight against him for sovereignty over the western continent. 

“Go on, drink!” 

With a cheerful voice, the Sea Rumble Parlor’s owner, an amicable woman, placed two glass jugs in front of him. The bubbly, amber-colored liquid within them overflowed, staining the table. 

“Um, I didn’t order these...?” Ryoma looked back at the owner with surprise. 

“Aw, no worries, it’s on the house. Go ahead and drink up!” The woman pulled back the chair opposite Ryoma, sitting down and reaching for one of the mugs. Evidently, she’d brought out two with the intent of having one to herself. 

“Haven’t seen you before. You a traveler?” The owner asked casually, as her round face lit up with a friendly smile. 

“You really don’t have anything better to do right now, do you?” Ryoma asked the woman, as she flumped down in the seat next to him. 

His words were steeped in caution. He didn’t actually suspect this friendly owner, but the situation didn’t allow for leisure. Being too cautious would likely invite suspicion, but he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Still, even after observing Ryoma’s caution, the lady’s expression didn’t change. 

“Take a look around you, dear. You’re the only customer here.” 

Ryoma looked around as she instructed, and found that all the other customers had left some time since he’d come in. 

“It’s that time of the day. I usually close up the lunch menu at three and take a break, but you came in a bit before three, so I left the store open a bit longer.” So said the owner, drinking from the mug in her hand in a lively manner. “Phew, that hit the spot. Nothin’ like a pint after work, eh?” 

Pleasantly wiping the foam from her lips with her sleeve, she gestured with her head to the back. 

“The guys in the kitchen already went on ahead for their break, so all that’s left is for me to clean up the store. I’ve got nothing to do but wait until you’re done. Though, you can consider chatting with this old lady as your payment for the drink, if you want.” 

With that said, the old lady pushed the untouched mug in Ryoma’s direction. 

“I see. Sorry for being such a bother. I’ll take you up on that.” Ryoma lowered his head at the lady and reached for the mug. 

The store was open, so Ryoma wasn’t at fault for going in at the right moment. And still, acting like that was obvious would be haughty and inconsiderate. So Ryoma decided to show just that tiny bit of basic consideration. Ryoma knew one kind word was all it took to smooth out the conversation. 

“No, don’t let it bother you.” Ryoma’s attitude made the lady’s smile deepen. “So, you a traveler?” 

Well, I suppose I can indulge her. I gotta try to acquire some information and all. 

The lady’s tone was friendly and amicable; she was a genuine merchant, and it was clear she enjoyed talking. At any rate, Ryoma needed information more than anything right now. 

“Yes, that’s right. It’s my first time around here...” 

“Oh, is it now? So it’s your first time to the capital and O’ltormea. I don’t know where you’re from, but traveling alone must be hard, no?” 

“No. I was traveling with my father, but... The other day, he passed away from a sudden illness...” Ryoma said and hung his head. 

The lady must have thought she touched on something she shouldn’t have, and spoke in a hurry. 

“Aaah, bother, shouldn’t have asked that...” 

“It’s all right.” Ryoma raised his head and gave a weak, bitter smile. “It was all so sudden, I couldn’t have done anything.” 

“I see... A sudden illness... What will you be doing next? Will you go back to your homeland?” 

“I was thinking of taking up residence here in the capital. I was always wandering from place to place with my father on his journeys, but maybe it’s about time to settle down.” 

All right, now for the main topic. I should talk carefully so she doesn’t get suspicious. 

Ryoma patiently waited for a chance to fish out the information he needed, understanding that panicking the owner would just make her suspicious. She seemed to take Ryoma’s story at face value. Her naturally friendly nature made her quick to trust others, and Ryoma’s story was believable enough. 

“I see... And what were your plans for making a living from now on?” 

Yes! 

Ryoma rejoiced; the topic he was waiting for came up. After all, even if this was another world, one still had to work to make a living, but an otherworlder like Ryoma had no idea what kind of professions were sought after in this world. This was also information that would be considered common sense, so depending on how he asked, it might draw suspicion to him, and since she knew his face, it put him at risk of exposing his face to the empire. 

“Yeah, about that... I’d actually been helping my father with his work up until now, so I don’t really know how to do much else... The most I can say is that I’m average with a sword.” 

“That right? Well, it’s too late for you to start learning to be a craftsman or a merchant at your age.” She nodded, taking a singular glance at Ryoma’s face. 

“So I can’t be a merchant?” 

“Never said you can’t, it’d just be difficult. Those are professions you gotta learn from when you’re a wee child. Besides, even if you can calculate money, I doubt people in the firm would hire someone without some kind of name for themselves.” 

“Really? Well, great, now what...” Ryoma feigned disappointment. 

He didn’t actually want to become a merchant, of course. 

Just like I figured, child labor is normal here. Figures, given the living standards in this world. But that limits my potential professions. 

While escaping the castle, Ryoma saw the nobles using young children as servants and maids, and while looking around the city for a clothier he’d seen children roughly ten years of age working in front of the stores with work clothes. 

From what he’d seen, the living standards in this world were overall lower than Japan’s. If nothing else, the idea of sending children to school and educating them didn’t quite exist here. Ryoma himself was knowledgeable enough, and believed that if only he were hired, he’d be able to produce results before long, but he wasn’t immediately useful. If the age where workers started working was this low, it was doubtful any business would hire Ryoma, and he didn’t have the courage or desire to learn everything from scratch with those ten year olds, never mind how unnatural that would feel. 

“You said you’re good with a sword, aren’t you?” The lady said, looking over Ryoma with mercy. “And look at that big body of yours. Why don’t you try your hand at being a mercenary or an adventurer?” 

Those were the words he’d been waiting to hear. 

“I suppose that would be my best choice... How do you start working as one of those, though?” 

“What, don’t you know?” 

“No, I’m not all familiar with it... Could you tell me, if you know anything?” 

With a completely bothered expression and a polite tone, Ryoma undid any suspicion in her heart and made her want to help him. 

“Well, I’m not exactly savvy about it. My store’s just affiliated with the guild. After nightfall, adventurers and mercenaries come to us for a drink.” 

“Please, whatever you know will do.” Ryoma said, lowering his head. 

“It’s really nothing big. You just go to the guild, have your personal information registered, and that’s that.” 

“Hmm? I actually heard somewhere that they do background checks...” 

That was what worried Ryoma the most. As an otherworlder, he wasn’t registered in this world’s census, and had no guarantors either. If they were to look into his background, Ryoma would be left essentially helpless, and his only remaining option would be to become a thief. But the lady’s response put his concerns to rest. 

“They don’t have any background checks at the adventurers’ guild. You just go over there to them on your own and complete the registration procedures. You only need to have your background checked with a guarantor if you’re trying to become a merchant or craftsman, or when you’re trying out to be a soldier.” 

Listening to the lady speak, finger resting against her chin, Ryoma’s face lit up with a smile. If what she said was true, finding work wouldn’t be that much of a problem. 

“Really?! Oh, I’m glad I decided to ask you. I remember the last person I asked told me they require a background check! I really didn’t know what to do. But I guess they must have misremembered.” 

As he spoke, Ryoma cheerfully downed his mug. The cool, amber-colored liquid quenched his dry throat. 

“I’d bet they got it mixed up with the procedure for becoming a merchant or some such. By the way, to get to the guild, take the left alley to get to the main street, and it should be straight ahead.” 

“Thanks a lot, ma’am! I think I’ll go there right now.” 

“That so? Then promise you’ll come back to tell me how it went, and have some dinner while you’re at it.” 

“Definitely! Can I have the bill, then?” 

“Sure thing. Lunch for one is five coppers.” 

“Right, five copper coins...” Ryoma rummaged through the sack on his waist, placing copper coins one by one. “Erm, sorry... This could take a minute...” 

After placing three coins, his hand suddenly stopped. 

Wait up... this is a good chance for me to figure out how much the money here is worth. 

He certainly had enough copper coins. In fact, the bulk of the coins filling his sack were copper ones, and to be fair, he would have preferred to carry less of them if possible. But paying normally like this would be a wasted opportunity. Ryoma took a silver coin out of the sack and placed it in her hand. A gold coin would definitely come off as odd, after all. 

“My, you don’t have any change?” The lady cocked an eyebrow, as Ryoma took back the copper coins and put the silver one in their place. 

“I’m sorry, I’m out of coppers. Can you do with this?” Ryoma lowered his head apologetically. 

“Hmm... Well, if you’re sure about it. But you should be careful. Even in the capital, there are stores that don’t give back change.” 

So the owner said, and headed for the kitchen. 

“There you are, ninety-five coppers in change. Make sure you count them properly.” She returned from the kitchen, placing them in groups of tens and a single line of five. 

Their weight was apparent just from the sound they made, and judging from how she handled the situation, Ryoma also realized most people wouldn’t use silver coins to pay. 

Well, I suspected as much, but I’ll have to get this money exchanged. It’ll be hard walking around with this much change on me. 

Perhaps his thoughts were apparent in his expression, because the owner smiled wryly back at him. 

“Don’t you have a card, dear? We’re affiliated with the guild, so you should use your card next time. The system’s only been around for a few years, and only other big cities like the capital adopted it too, so I guess it’s natural you don’t have one. It’s pretty convenient, though.” 

Card? Like, a credit card? 

The word felt too out of place. But not wanting to seem like he didn’t know, Ryoma played along. 

“No, I actually just lost mine. Wasn’t sure what to do about it... I figured I’d be fine for a while since I have some money on me, but...” 

“Oh, I see. Well, only the person registered on each card can use it, so you shouldn’t worry about your money. Why don’t you head for the bank and have it reissued? You can do that on the way to the guild.” 

The bank, huh? So they have those in this world... 

“Don’t they need proof of identity to reissue it for you?” Ryoma asked, just to be on the safe side. 

“They don’t. Just like when they first issue it, they just ask for your physical details and make it right away.” 

“Oh, really? I didn’t know. Thank you, you’ve really been a great help!” Ryoma said, lowering his head to the lady again. 

“Don’t worry about it, dear! Come over for another bite sometime!” 

Parting with the owner, Ryoma made his way outside the store to the main street. Just as he’d been told in the Sea Rumble Parlor, he took a turn at the alley to go out into the main street, until he saw two buildings come into view. One was marked with a sign showing a sack full of coins, and the other was marked with a sign showing a soldier clad in armor. 

Those are pretty simple-looking signs... I guess this just shows the rate of literacy around here is low... Well, whatever. I just have to deposit this haul. 

With that in mind, Ryoma walked into the bank. Eight sacks’ worth of money was actually rather heavy to carry around. He didn’t know if the gold coins were real gold, but the silver coins on their own felt around fifty grams in weight, which meant several dozen of them would come to over 500 grams. And the gold coins, which he had the smallest number of, likely weighed the same in total. Adding the silver and copper coins to that, he was walking around with almost certainly five or six kilograms of coins. 

I guess it was natural for the old man, but even the soldiers had quite a bit of money on them, so I guess I lucked out there... Still, this is pretty heavy. 

It had a certain weight in his hands, which gave him a feeling of security, but on the other hand, it was a definite burden. Ryoma wanted to unload as much unneeded weight as he could, considering he was being actively pursued. 

“Welcome. How may I help you today?” 

Ryoma crossed through the bank’s entrance, and upon entering the lobby he was greeted by a middle-aged man. It felt very much like he’d went into a regular Japanese bank. The man was dressed in black from top to bottom with a lace blouse, and wore a red bolo tie around his neck. 

A suit? Why’s he wearing a suit? 

The more Ryoma saw of this world, the less he seemed to understand it. At first he had thought it to be like medieval Europe, but there were also some oddly modern aspects to it. The mention of the card and this man’s suit were prime examples. 

It’s like a hodgepodge mix of both completely different and utterly familiar things... 

“Um, excuse me, sir...?” The man asked, flinching slightly at Ryoma’s gaze. 

“Oh, sorry. It’s just my first time around here... I’d like to open an account, please.” 

The man nodded graciously at Ryoma’s words and beckoned him inside. Evidently things like teller windows were just as needlessly complicated in this world, too. 

“Over here, sir.” 

“Thank you.” 

“He’s here to open an account. Please handle the rest.” 

The man simply gave those instructions to the girl at the teller window, and then left. 

“Welcome, sir. You wish to open an account, correct?” 

The teller girl sitting behind the counter regarding Ryoma with a smile wore a deep blue jacket and a red ribbon. It truly did feel like the kind of welcome a receptionist would give, which would have been perfectly normal... had he not been in another world, that is. 

“Yes, it’s my first time here, so I’m not really sure what to do. Thank you.” Bowing his head politely, Ryoma sat in the chair opposite from her. 

One good aspect to Ryoma’s personality was being able to ask for help when he needed it. It was a much safer bet than pretending to be knowledgeable about things he didn’t have the foggiest clue about. 

“Very well. Could you please write your name down here, sir?” The teller girl said, taking out a piece of parchment-like paper and a pen. 

Well, it certainly doesn’t look like real paper... So I guess it’s parchment? 

Stifling his curiosity, Ryoma took the pen and parchment.

Name: Ryoma Mikoshiba 

Age: 16 

He filled out his name and age without thinking about it too deeply, and left the address column empty. It was when he returned the parchment to the teller girl that Ryoma realized something. 

Wait, what I just wrote... Was that Japanese? What did I write in there? I did write my name down, didn’t I? 

Nonetheless, the girl was still working without paying it any heed. If nothing else, she seemed to have made sense of what he wrote. 

“So you’re Mr. Ryoma Mikoshiba, sixteen years of age. Is this information correct?” 

The teller girl directed a probing expression at Ryoma’s face. Perhaps Ryoma didn’t look to be sixteen years old to her, because she was looking up at him suspiciously. 

“Yes. I guess I don’t look like it?” 

Ryoma was so used to people being surprised at his age that it didn’t even annoy him anymore. 

Yeah, yeah, I know, I look old... 

He’d intended to write his name down in Japanese, but the letters on the parchment were unfamiliar. Ryoma didn’t understand the logic behind it, but the teller girl accepted his form, so he decided now wasn’t the time to question the subtleties. 

“Actually, is sixteen too young to open an account?” Ryoma asked calmly. 

That was the scariest possibility to him, but the teller girl shook her head. 

“Oh, not at all, your age won’t be a problem. It’s just... you’re very mature and calm, sir, so your age came as a bit of a surprise. I must apologize for coming off as rude.” 

Ryoma couldn’t honestly say he felt satisfied at that, but people believing him to be older than he was from his appearance was par for the course anyway. 

“Oh.” He smiled calmly at the teller girl. “It’s fine, I get that a lot. So, could you open my account?” 

“Of course. Please wait a moment while I make your card.” She said, and began to write something on a piece of paper roughly the size of a business card. 

She then placed the card between two transparent sheets and used what looked like an iron to crimp them together. 

Is she laminating it? 

It looked strikingly close to a driving license or an employee ID. Ryoma couldn’t tell if the living standards in this world were high or low at this point. They most likely had science similar to his own world. 

“Thank you for waiting. Please place your hand on this orb.” 

She placed the card into a slot at the bottom of a pedestal with a glass orb on it, and pushed it toward Ryoma. 

“Like this?” Ryoma placed his hand on the orb, and the moment he did, it began to glow. 

“Yes, that’s good. Your personal information is now registered on this card, Mr. Mikoshiba. Should you lose your card, go to any nearby bank and they will reissue it for you.” 

After the orb finished glowing, she extracted the card and handed it over to Ryoma. 

“It’s done already?” 

“Yes, your account has been opened. Is there anything else I can help you with?” 

It had ended so quickly that it almost felt anti-climactic to Ryoma. At any rate, opening the account was secondary to the main reason he had come here. 

“In that case, yes. I’d like to make a deposit to my account.” Ryoma said, placing his bag of coins on the counter. 

“A deposit, yes? Thank you very much. Place the coins here, and insert your account card into the slot.” 

She then placed what appeared to be an electronic scale in front of Ryoma. He followed her instructions without a word, placing the sack on the scale. 

“Yes, that’s perfect. The money seems to be in order. I’ll confirm the sum, then.” The teller began counting the coins and sorting them into groups of ten. 

I see... So the scales are to ensure the coins aren’t counterfeit. That’s convenient... Though she still has to actually count them by hand. 

So they had cards in this world, but no machines that could automatically count coins. The teller girl continued piling up the mountain of coins, unaware of Ryoma’s internal complaints. This took her about twenty minutes. After double-checking the coins three times, she turned to him again with a bright smile. 

“Thank you for waiting. The total sum is three gold coins, 54 silver coins, and 735 copper coins. You’d like to deposit this in full, correct?” 

Lunch at the Sea Rumble Parlor was five coppers, right? And silver coins are worth one hundred coppers, so... that’s quite a bit of money for now. 

Apparently the soldiers he slew were skeptical of the card system, but thanks to them carrying their money on their person, Ryoma wouldn’t have to worry about being able to eat for the time being. 

“Yes, please go ahead.” 

“Very well, I’ll deposit that at once.” 

With that said, the teller girl placed his card on the change plate and bowed her head to Ryoma. 

Phew, looks like I’m done with the bank for now. Now I just need to go and register at the guild. 

He’d deposited and confirmed his living expenses, but he still needed to work for a living. Ryoma left the bank and went straight into the building next door. 

Beyond the door were counters manned by receptionists. In terms of structure, it wasn’t much different from the bank. Ryoma took a seat at an empty counter. 

“Welcome, sir. How may I help you today?” 

The receptionist girl here was also clad in a uniform. 

“I’d like to register as an adventurer and look for work, please.” 

“Very well. If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a bank account?” 

“An account? Will this do?” 

Ryoma handed over his newly-issued card. 

“Yes, that’s fine. We’ve recently begun paying using the bank cards, so we request that all new applicants open a bank account.” 

“Oh, is that right? Guess I lucked out, I heard I wouldn’t need to have anything prepared to register with you.” Ryoma smiled wryly, and the receptionist replied with a forced smile. 

“Yes, some people can’t wait and come right over to us. We have to ask those individuals to return after they take care of that.” 

With that said, she inserted his card into a slot on another pedestal adorned by a glass orb. 

“There. Your registration is now complete, Mr. Mikoshiba.” 

“Huh?” He blurted out. 

Ryoma was not expecting to be called by name here, so his guard went up instantly. 

“Cards from the bank share information with guild registrations. So if you have a bank card, we can expedite the registration process by reading information relevant to us.” 

With that said, she took out a bunch of papers, or at least, sheets which looked like papers, and began reading through them. 

They share information with each other? Or, well, I guess they’re companies under the same enterprise... 

Compared to what Ryoma saw outside this building, this all felt all too foreign. Both the bank and this organization called the guild employed technology that was far too advanced, and the management at both establishments seemed far too refined. 

“Hmm, you’re going to be accepting quests while you’re here too, correct?” The clerk’s words pulled Ryoma out of his thoughts. 

“Ah, yes.” 

“Are you familiar with the guild’s system?” 

Ryoma gave an honest shake of his head. 

“Then let’s go over it. Feel free to ask if there’s anything you don’t understand.” She said, spreading out the sheets in front of Ryoma. 

“First, about our guild. It is comprised by what were originally two separate organizations, the adventurer’s guild and the mercenary’s guild. The two merged to form our current organization. We are a large scale organization with branches throughout the continent, so whenever you hear the term ‘guild,’ it will most likely refer to us.” 

The clerk beamed with pride. It seemed that from her perspective, the guild was like a massive conglomerate in the terms of Ryoma’s old world. 

“Next, about the card. Please look here.” As the clerk spoke, she pulled the card out of the pedestal and handed it over to Ryoma. 

It had information written on it that hadn’t been there when he’d first received it in the bank. 

“Its initial state immediately after registration is Level 0. Your guild rank is F, the lowest rank. You will find your rank is displayed on your card. It also doubles as your identification within the guild, so make sure not to misplace or damage it.” 

She then flipped a few of the sheets over, and pointed at a column of text that said F near the bottom. 

“Simply put, your level translates to your combat experience, and your guild rank translates to how many quests, i.e. requests, you’ve accepted and completed for the guild. Incidentally, your combat experience refers to the total amount of life force you’ve absorbed from living beings. You know about power absorption, right?” 

“Yes. When you kill another living being, you absorb a fraction of its power, right?” 

“Exactly. It’s said that if level 0 is the average strength of a human, level 1 translates to having twice that strength. Of course, age and gender can factor into this, so it’s not as simple to calculate as it may seem. Also, it doesn’t influence your pay as an adventurer, but it can affect your pay as a mercenary.” 

“I see. So if I’m at level 10, I’d get paid as much as ten people?” 

In layman’s terms, it would come down to that. But the clerk smiled softly and shook her head. 

“Fundamentally speaking, you’re not wrong, but I’ll spare you the details and simply say the highest level achievable by a human being is 7, and there’s only one person in recorded history to have gone that high.” 

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean...?” Ryoma furrowed his brow at the clerk’s words. 

I’m not wrong, ‘fundamentally speaking’...? What’s she talking about? Plus, seven’s kind of an odd number to cap the levels at... 

The clerk didn’t answer his doubts, though. 

“There’s no need for a beginner to worry about that. For the time being, it’s fine as long as you understand that you need to absorb prana and strengthen yourself. You can confirm the rest of the details with any nearby staff once you reach level 1.” 

Her smile was gentle, but her attitude was obstinate. The clerk was not intending to answer Ryoma’s doubts. Seeing him nod reluctantly, she continued her explanation. 

“Now, about your guild rank. Each time you accept and complete requests, you’re given points, and once you cross a certain point threshold your rank will increase. Once your rank is higher, you can accept more lucrative requests. However, you can only take work at the same rank as yours or lower.” 

“What about this warning?” Ryoma glanced at a line of warning text written on the page. 

“Yes, about that. You may accept multiple requests, but they are time-limited. Not completing a request within its fixed date may incur reparations on you and lower your points.” 

“So it can lower my rank?” 

“Correct. Your rank advances for every one hundred points you accumulate. But there have been cases where adventurers increased their rank and failed a mission immediately after, resulting in their rank being reduced. However...” 

The clerk’s finger then pointed at a disclaimer written on the page. 

“If the request’s conditions or contents are found to have been inaccurate or wrong, leaving you unable to complete the request, no reparations will be imposed on you, and depending on the situation, the requester may have to pay a fine. If that happens, inform the guild and it will be taken care of.” 

It seemed the conditions behind the request were decided meticulously. 

This almost feels like temp work... 

The clerk’s explanation gave Ryoma the image of a temporary personnel business. He’d only seen them on the news and the Internet, but the idea sounded close enough. The idea of the guild being an employment office and the adventurers being temporary employees was easy enough to understand. 

“At any rate, this concludes the explanation. Is there anything you need more information on?” 

Well, there is that part she left out... But if she’s not willing to tell, I guess I can’t force her. I guess I’ll just follow her advice and get to level 1 first. 

“No, there’s nothing.” Stifling his doubts, Ryoma shook his head. 

Understanding everything just from this explanation would be difficult, but he was doubtful he’d get an answer to all his questions right now, and he didn’t have any time to squander on these doubts. He’d just have to fly by the seat of his pants and figure things out as he went along. 

“In that case, please select your first job, Mr. Mikoshiba.” 

The clerk pulled out a stack of sheets from her drawer again, placing them in front of Ryoma. The rank was listed at the very top, and underneath that were countless jobs. 

“So, what sort of requests are you looking for, Mr. Mikoshiba? An adventurer or a mercenary?” 

“I could go either way, honestly...” 

This almost feels like an interview... 

Ryoma remembered going on a recommendation interview during his high school admission exams. It felt the same as when he was asked about his plans for the future. 

“Hmm. If you’re confident in your combat skills, then maybe going for mercenary work would be ideal.” The clerk said, circling a few columns in red. 

“I just circled jobs that require combat skills, such as killing wild dogs and wild bees. Since they’re jobs aimed at newcomers, they don’t have a time limit. You’ll receive the reward upon completion; three copper coins for every kill. You’ll also gain one point per kill as well.” 

Looking over the circled jobs, Ryoma decided to ask if the kind of work he was looking for was available, like escorting someone to another place or carrying supplies. 

“Is there any work that involves going to other towns?” 

“Other towns? So, deliveries, then. Unfortunately, you can’t accept bodyguard work at rank F.” 

Ryoma hung his shoulders in disappointment. 

“Bodyguard work relates directly to the safety of the requester’s life and property, so the guild prefers to only send those with abilities at a certain standard, and those it trusts have proven themselves dependable. To be exact, you would have to be at rank C or above.” 

“Abilities and trust...” 

“Yes, it takes more to be a bodyguard than mere strength. Of course, strength is quite important, but one must also be attuned to one’s surroundings and able to pick up anything out of the ordinary. Not to mention being able to defend the requester and their goods from bandit attacks. But the most important thing of all is trust. If the bodyguard turned out to be a plant by the bandits, the consequences would be quite grim.” 

“Then, when it comes to delivery work, could I take any of that work if it involves leaving the country?” 

The clerk had explained everything perfectly, and Ryoma couldn’t think of any way to argue against it, but he wasn’t going to back down without trying, either. 

“Unfortunately, that sort of delivery work is not available for those at rank F either. The most you are able to accept is deliveries to nearby towns.” 

Unlike video games, this world had a lot of limitations on which jobs one could take. Ryoma’s glance then settled on a map which hung on the wall behind the counter. 

“Are there any delivery jobs in those neighboring towns?” 

“I believe there would be; it is delivery work, after all.” 

“Hmm. If you wouldn’t mind, do you have any spare maps?” 

The clerk regarded Ryoma with a suspicious glance, before taking a folded map from the drawer and placing it on the counter. 

“Erm... Where’s O’ltormea on the map?” 

“The capital O’ltormea is over here.” 

Her thin white finger pointed at a specific spot between the center and south of the map. Right next to her finger, the words ‘The capital O’ltormea’ were written in black letters. There was also a red line separating the center from the southern sections of the map. That red line probably represented the boundaries of the empire of O’ltormea. It was fairly wide. 

Gharic, Melpheren, Girdas, Auiet... If I’m going anywhere, it should be one of those towns... 

Ryoma’s eyes were drawn to the four towns surrounding the capital. They were all a short distance away. 

“Are there any delivery jobs to Melpheren?” 

“Let me see...” The clerk examined the paper in her hands. “This one isn’t the right rank for you... This one’s already been taken by someone... Ah, here we are! Delivering a letter. The reward is 30 copper coins, and it will increase your rank by five points.” 

It seemed there wasn’t much work Ryoma could take as a beginner, especially ones where the recipient was in another city. Work wasn’t always readily available, and sometimes others might take it ahead of him. Ryoma was lucky, though. He looked at the clerk, who was flipping through the pages, with a smile. 

“I’ll take that one.” 

Ryoma immediately took the job. Being decisive could mean everything in these situations, and he didn’t have time to hesitate. 

“Very well, I’ll put you in for it... I’ll just need your card for a moment.” 

She began to seemingly type something into a glass pane attached to the glass-orbed pedestal, and then inserted Ryoma’s card into the slot. The glass sphere flickered for a moment. This equipment evidently operated much like a PC which would input the required information into the card. 

“Right, all done. You have a three day limit for completing this task. Bring the letter to Melpheren’s guild to confirm your completion. Are there any other jobs you’d like to take?” 

“Yeah, I’d like to take all those hunting jobs you mentioned earlier.” 

“Very well. Those would be hunting wild dogs, wild bees and wild rabbits. These have no time limit, so you can report the completion to whichever guild is nearest to you.” 

“Understood.” 

“Oh, right. I’d almost forgotten about this, but if it’s not specified which branch you should report to, it means you can report a request to any guild branch. I wish you good luck in your endeavors.” The clerk gave Ryoma an encouraging smile and bowed her head. 

“Yes, thank you very much.” Bowing his head in return, Ryoma made his way out of the guild. 

Ryoma had a reason for accepting those requests. He was being pursued by the Empire, and so he needed to get out of the country. But there was one problem regarding that. His pursuers would know of his intent to escape, and there was a chance he would be questioned if he were to hurry to the road now. 

So he sought a reason to leave the capital, and the job of delivering that letter happened to be rather convenient. 

And there was also a reason he chose to go to Melpheren, in the east. According to the map from the guild, the capital sat in the southeastern side of the Empire’s territories. In other words, the border to the north and west would take days to reach. The southern border was closest to the capital, but his pursuers were commanded by a wise woman. There was a high chance she would set a trap for Ryoma. 

So after weighing his options, Ryoma decided it would be safer to head for the second closest border, to the east. Of course, there was no telling whether his judgment would prove correct until he went there... 

Having completed his business at the guild, Ryoma went to the Sea Rumble Parlor as promised, to inform the owner that he had completed his registration. 

“Ah, it’s you. Did you register with them?” 

Gesturing for Ryoma to come to the counter, she handed him a glass of water and asked happily. The time was just after five in the evening, and since it was a touch too soon for dinner, there were hardly any customers in the store left. 

“Yes. I’m glad I asked you about that.” Ryoma answered with a grin. 

“That right? My, that’s just lovely, then. It was worth helping you out, then... Incidentally, how about dinner? It hasn’t been that long since you had lunch.” She cast her gaze at the clock on the wall. Opening his account at the bank and registering at the guild hadn’t actually taken that long, and even Ryoma, who boasted a relatively large physique, couldn’t do dinner just two hours after lunch. 

“Eeeh, yeah, I think I’ll have to pass on that...” Ryoma rubbed his belly for emphasis. 

His stomach was still holding that fried chicken and fish captive with elation. 

“Yeah, I figured as much.” She said, as her gaze was drawn to Ryoma’s outfit. 

There was apparently something wrong with his clothes. 

“Speaking of, dear, did you leave your luggage at your room in the inn?” 

“Huh? No, I don’t really have...” 

“Eh? You intend to go adventuring in that getup? What about your luggage? You don’t even have a weapon.” 

It seemed most adventurers carried their belongings on their person. It was safer than leaving any high value items in the inn, and made it easier to react to unexpected situations. Even commoner peasants and merchants carried at least a sword while traveling the highways. It was natural for the owner to be surprised, then. 

Ryoma glanced at his outfit; a shirt, pants and a cloak. It looked like a common outfit... At least, within the city. 

I see... I would have done it bare-handed, but that’s probably not a good idea. And she mentioned luggage, too. I won’t need to prepare to camp out since it’s just half a day to the neighboring town, but I’ll need to make preparations... Doubt I’ll find any convenience stores out there, after all. 

Fundamentally speaking, Ryoma didn’t intend to carry a weapon. Even for mere self-defense purposes, holding a weapon was extremely incriminating. Getting off with just an excessive self-defense charge would be a lucky break. At worst, one could find themselves charged with assault or murder. 

All that only applied to Japan, though. In this other world, not walking around with a weapon was seen as strange. 

“Oh, I thought I’d go check up on weapons later. I didn’t carry much to begin with, and all the requests I took were near the city, so I figured I could do without preparing too much...” 

“Well, you’re a beginner, so it’s only natural you’d think that.” Hearing his words, the woman seemed convinced somehow. 

“Was that wrong?” 

“Adventurer work is dangerous, don’t you know?” She said with a sigh. “Do you know what the prime reason for adventurers and mercenaries dying is?” 

“What?” 

“Getting killed by a weaker opponent due to lack of attention or preparation... Low rank requests aren’t hard, true, and depending on the request, even women and children can do them. But there’s no telling what might happen outside town. You should prepare for the worst case scenario... if you don’t want to die, that is.” 

The owner’s words made Ryoma sink into thought. 

I’m acting like I’m still in Japan... She’s right! I don’t know this world yet. Plus, I’m being pursued by the Empire. There’s really no telling what might happen next, and I’m being so careless... Her concern makes perfect sense... 

“I’m sorry, madam. I guess I wasn’t as prepared as I thought.” 

Ryoma lowered his head to thank her for the considerate warning. 

“Oh, no, it’s fine! See, my store serves the people who live around here in the afternoons, but during the night we’re open as a tavern for adventurers and mercenaries, so I’ve seen a whole lot of adventurers. And let me tell you, I’ve seen plenty who came to tell me they were going off on some adventure, but never came back. And when I asked their comrades who had survived, it turned out they died close to town, since they forgot to take antidotes or didn’t pack enough medicine... So I thought I’d warn you.” She said, wiping her tears on her apron. 

She’d seen plenty of adventurers come and go, and it was apparent she was warning him out of her own milk of human kindness. 

I don’t know anything yet, so I’ll have to pay heed to her warning. I can’t afford to die in this world. 

“I have time, so I’ll go make preparations and come back for dinner after that.” 

“Oh, are you now...” The lady brightened up at Ryoma’s words. “I think that’s a good idea. Do you know where the stores are? The tool shop is on the main road, after the guild. The pharmacy’s next to that. I’d stock up on medicine if you can afford it. And for the weapons shop, take a right from here and go straight. Tell the old man there that the owner of the Sea Rumble Parlor sent you, and he’ll treat you nice.” 

Spurred by the almost motherly kindness of the owner, Ryoma left the store, in search of a weapon he could entrust his life to.

Soon, he found the weapon store the Sea Rumble Parlor’s owner had recommended. The exterior was a bit dirty, but the front of the store was rather large. At the rear of the store was a large chimney that billowed black smoke. 

“Hey, ya lookin’ for somethin’?” 

As Ryoma entered the store and examined the spears and swords on display, a bearded old man called out to him. 

“Um, a convenient weapon, I guess...” 

Ryoma’s words didn’t have any ill intent. He honestly meant that he wanted to find and buy a weapon he could handle, hence ‘convenient.’ But as soon as the words left his mouth, the shopkeeper’s expression changed instantly. 

“None of the weapons I made or picked for me inventory are ‘convenient,’ ya duuuuunce! Now scamper off!” His shout echoed through the store. 

Ryoma was twice this small’s man size, but still found himself overwhelmed by his outburst. 

“Aaah, I’m, uhh, I’m sorry. They told me to come here from the Sea Rumble Parlor...” 

Upon hearing Ryoma’s hesitant words, the old man’s expression softened a bit. 

“Well, why didn’t ya say so sooner? The Sea Rumble Parlor’s missus sent you over, did she?” 

“Y-Yes!” 

“So, you a beginner? Nah... But really, you’re a novice with that mug?” He asked, eying Ryoma suspiciously. 

True, Ryoma’s physique was quite large and his face made him seem older than he was. Most people would be hard pressed to believe he was a novice. But Ryoma merely confirmed the old man’s words without panicking. Having people doubt his age was a common occurrence. 

“Yes, I just registered at the guild today.” 

Perhaps finding how instantly Ryoma answered to be convincing, the shopkeeper folded his hands and nodded grandly. His arms were blemished with countless burn marks, likely inflicted by embers during weapon crafting. Those burns stood as evidence of him being an experienced craftsman. 

“I getcha. Well, I guess that’s how it is. But that said, tyro! I don’t give two ticks about what you say in other stores, but don’t ever say somethin’ as vague as ‘convenient’ in me store!” 

“Are people who make their weapons by forging rare?” Ryoma asked, taking a dagger displayed nearby. 

“You! You can tell?!” That question made the old man’s expression swiftly change. 

“Yeah, more or less.” 

As the shopkeeper’s voice filled with astonishment, Ryoma examined the blade of the dagger in his hand. It had a polish and straightness to it which clearly showed it had been hammered time and again to remove all imperfections and nooks. 

“Oh, ya do! That’s just swell. Recently most smithies round here been mass producin’ their weapons by casting, and most adventurers think that’s good enough! Casting’s just pouring metal into a mold, ya can’t make good weapons with that!” 

Ryoma could clearly see the shopkeeper’s pride as a craftsman at work. This was probably why the sound of the word ‘convenient’ annoyed him to the point of shouting. 

And true enough, forging a weapon required time and effort, and the craftsman’s skill could turn it brittle, which made it hard to guarantee its quality. By comparison, using casting to make a weapon meant consistent quality, and it allowed for producing in large numbers, too. 

Forging yielded higher yet inconsistent quality and a smaller amount of products, while casting offered consistent quality and mass production. Putting aside the question of which one was better, given the fact weapons were disposable, it was only natural that cast weapons would be more accepted due to their price. 

The old man’s skill isn’t half bad, though. I see why the owner recommended him. Buying here might be nice, depending on the price, that is... 

Ryoma admitted the old man had skill, but that opened up a new problem. 

“So, what’re you lookin’ for? A sword, or a spear?” 

And there it was. This place sold swords, spears, even axes, but sadly there wasn’t a katana in sight. 

That’s a problem. He hasn’t crafted any katanas. This place does feel like Europe, so I didn’t get my hopes up about it or anything, but still... 

Ryoma still wasn’t going to give up on the shopkeeper, though. He wasn’t fixated on Japanese katanas, and would be able to compromise with a middle-eastern shamshir or a Chinese liuyedao. 

“Do you have any curved, single-edged swords?” 

“Curved, single-edged, you say...” He replied, deep in thought. “Are you looking for katanas, by any chance?” 

“You have them?!” Ryoma exclaimed in surprise. 

The city seemed European, and the soldiers all carried Western-style weapons like double-edged swords and halberds. 

“Sorry, but my shop doesn’t have any, and I don’t know how to make ’em, so I can’t take an order either.” He shook his head apologetically. “I know about them, though. Katanas are weapons used in the central and eastern continents, specialized for slashin’. You need some specialized trainin’ to use them, though, so they’re not common in other continents. No point in stockin’ up on a weapon no one has any use for, see?” 

“Yeah, I understand...” That was a perfectly reasonable justification. 

“If you were gonna find them anywhere ’round here, it’d be in the eastern port town, Pherzaad.” The old man said pensively, stroking his beard. 

“The port town, Pherzaad?” 

“Top place for foreign trade in the western continent, that. You can get goods from the eastern continent there, via the central continent.” 

Those words left Ryoma rather troubled. 

If he doesn’t have a katana, do I go with a sword instead? But I’ve never used one before. Do I take a spear, then? No... Maybe on the road it’ll be fine, but it’ll be hard to carry around in town. Then an axe, maybe? That’s not too bad an idea, but... Using a weapon you can only get in that part of town sounds problematic... 

Using a weapon he wasn’t accustomed to would be exposing himself to danger, and Ryoma didn’t want to compromise on something that would be so intimately linked with his life. 

But on the other hand, weapons were consumable, after all. No matter how high the quality of the weapon he used, the blade would gradually grow stained with oil and chip away. So long as he wasn’t keeping them stored away like some kind of art in a collection, all weapons would require repairing and replacing. 

The reality of it made Ryoma ponder his options, but the shopkeeper probably noticed Ryoma’s conflict, since he decided to speak up. 

“Hmm, so regular weapons ain’t cuttin’ it for ya, eh... Fine, then! I’ll show ya me collection. If ya find anything useful there, you can take it!” 

“Huh?” 

“Well, y’see, I keep all the stuff I put me eye on there, and things adventurers bring in that’re pretty impressive but hard to use. Weapons and tools I can’t sell, since no one knows how to use ’em. Maybe you’ll find something ya can use in there. I can let you have a few if you need ’em! Follow me!” 

With that said, the old man beckoned Ryoma behind the counter, towards a staircase leading down to a basement. At the bottom of the staircase was a steel door, which the shopkeeper unlocked with a key he took out of his pocket. 

“Come on in. Can’t say if you’ll find anything you want, lad.” 

When they first met he called him ‘tyro,’ but at some point he’d changed his attitude. 

I guess he acknowledges me on some level... 

The change seemed to have happened when Ryoma said he could tell the difference between a cast weapon and a forged one. Apparently, craftsmen tended to treat customers who acknowledged their work with more affection. 

“Wow, this is something...” Ryoma found himself saying with admiration. 

The room the old man ushered him into was fairly large, at around 50 square meters, and was lined with countless shelves. On top of those shelves was an assortment of weapons, waiting for the day a warrior capable of handling them appeared. 

“From the right you have swords, then spears, axes and bows. Each one of them is a fine product, made at the hands of a master craftsman. The kinds of weapons that pick their wielders, eh? Someone with considerable skill. But that’s not what I wanted to show ya.” 

The old man then led him to the leftmost shelf. 

“I wanted to show you this.” 

Ryoma turned his gaze toward the weapons on the shelf. The first thing he noticed was a wooden tonfa. There were also other unique weapons, like a three-sectioned-staff, nunchaku, a sai and emei daggers. There were even chakrams and an extendable baton. 

What the hell... Where did he get all this stuff... 

Ryoma’s surprise was understandable. They were completely out of place in this place and age. It was a mix of many cultures with no connecting thread. 

“Whaddaya say?” 

“These are too unique...” Ryoma shook his head. 

“Eh, knew it... You dunno how to use them?” 

“No, I can use them, but... I haven’t had any fundamental practice with them.” Ryoma said, picking up the tonfas, cutting through the air with them in a rotating movement. 

“Whoa there. This ain’t good enough for ya?” The old man asked Ryoma with a fascinated expression. 

“Nope, no good. I know how to use them, technically, but I can’t really apply that. I won’t get anything out of using them in real combat.” Ryoma replied, putting the tonfas back on the shelf. 

“Say, lad...” The old man asked suspiciously. “Ya really a beginner? First time I’ve served a customer like ya. I thought ya were a tyro at first, but nothing you say or do is normal...” 

“Come on, old man. I really am just a beginner. I just happen to know a lot from traveling all over the place with my father.” Ryoma answered with a wry smile. 

“I wonder ’bout that... Well, never mind. So, whatcha gonna do?” He didn’t seem convinced, but the shopkeeper urged Ryoma to pick a weapon. 

His eyes were shining with expectation. The weapons that slumbered in his storage for years might finally find a wielder. Even if these weren’t weapons he had made, it felt like he was giving his daughter away for marriage. But contrary to the old man’s expectations, Ryoma only gave half-convinced nods and advanced deeper into the room. 

“Hmm...” 

It’s not like I can’t use them at all, but I have to keep in mind that using something too unusual might attract attention... 

Weapons each came with their own advantages, but it took training to make use of them. On the other hand, weapons with unusual shapes were imposing, but also attracted the gazes of others. Since he was being pursued, Ryoma didn’t want to draw unwanted attention to himself. 

“Oh!” Having come to the end of the room, Ryoma’s gaze fell on a certain item. 

It was a chain that had weights attached on both ends. It was eighty centimeters in length and quite thin, so it could easily be concealed within one’s clothes. 

“Ah, that one.” The old man said, regarding the chain in Ryoma’s hands. “I hear an otherworlder brought this one in. Anything weird about this chain?” 

“An otherworlder?!” Ryoma raised his voice, taken by surprise at that unexpected word. 

“Yeah. Everything on this shelf is things brought or made by otherworlders.” 

Ryoma kept wondering why eastern culture seemed to be mixed in so prominently, but what the old man had just said explained everything. It was because they had been summoning people of random races and origins for so long. 

I get it! So that’s why their culture is so advanced in some places and less so in others! 

In other words, the summoned people applied their varied knowledge, and implemented it in this world. The bank card was a good example. A modern person was likely summoned, and implemented their knowledge in bank management networks. Ryoma didn’t know what they used to do that in a world without computers, but it seems they were employing something that wasn’t technology. 

Conversely, the reason they were still using parchments was few people actually knew how to make paper. Or maybe making it in large numbers was too costly? 

Paper is so accessible that few people know how to actually make it... And there’s no machinery to mass produce it. 

Ergo, fields of knowledge where people summoned had had the knowledge to further them were at a standard similar to modern society, while fields of knowledge which didn’t have such people were still stuck in medieval times. 

“What’s with you?” The shopkeeper asked, eying the deep in thought Ryoma suspiciously. 

“Ah! No... Erm, I was just thinking about something...” Ryoma picked up the chain again to shake off his thoughts. 

Not bad... Grandpa taught me how to use a weighted chain, and I can hide it inside my clothes. Besides that... 

There wasn’t a lot of value to hiding weapons in this world, where you had people openly carrying swords and spears. But that was also why having an ace hidden up his sleeve was useless. 

After some deliberation, Ryoma chose to take the weighted chain, as well as the chakrams for projectile weapons. One could best describe them as CDs with blades running along their rims. 

Ryoma picked the chakrams for several reasons, but the most important one was how bladed weapons had the greatest potential for injuring and killing. 

“Old man, I’ll take these two and a sword.” 

“I thought you didn’t like regular swords?” The shopkeeper was visibly surprised by Ryoma’s words. 

“No, but I have work to attend to tomorrow.” 

After thinking on it for so long, Ryoma decided to pick a sword which he wasn’t used to. Any weapons which were too novel would simply attract unwanted attention. 

“That right? Well, if you’re in a hurry, that’s that. I’ll pick you one you can wield with one arm. Let’s go back up for now.” 

“Thank you.” Ryoma bowed his head to the old man, who had started climbing up the stairs, in gratitude. 

Ryoma squinted as sunlight streamed in from the east. The sword he bought from the blacksmith was on his back, and the chakrams were dangling from a leather sack on his waist. His appearance was truly a valiant one. But as if to deliberately contradict his appearance, Ryoma nervously sifted through the sack he was carrying, verifying the weight of its contents. 

“Had a pretty close call back there...” 

He was referring to something that happened yesterday, after he returned from the weapons shop. While he was having dinner and gathering information in the Sea Rumble Parlor, he suddenly realized something. 

“Ah!” His voice echoed through the restaurant which, at that time of day, now served as a pub. 

The gazes of all the customers turned toward his voice. 

“M-Ma’am...” 

“What? What’s wrong?” The owner asked, rushing to Ryoma’s side with surprise. 

She was concerned there might have been a bug in his food, but judging by his expression, it wasn’t that sort of situation which had caused his outburst. As the owner asked him with a stressed voice, Ryoma responded in a hushed voice. 

“Th-The letter. The letter, I...” 

“Don’t tell me you lost the letter you were supposed to deliver?!” She asked, her expression changing. 

If that were true, it would be a serious blunder, and he’d have to pay a penalty for sure. Or rather, the penalty wasn’t that big a problem. This kind of mistake might have been forgivable if he’d had experience of some sort under his belt, but being an utter novice and screwing up like this would make it difficult for him to find more work. The guild did know to mark people who were problematic, after all. 

“N-No... I never even got the letter to start with...” 

Ryoma’s answer made the owner break into a smile. It seemed many novices had made the same mistake before. 

“Oh-ho... So you must have left without going to the delivery counter, then.” 

“Delivery counter?” 

The other customers seemed to have picked up on the situation, since they were smirking to themselves while looking at Ryoma. 

“Look at the novice.” 

“Yeah, I was like that on my first job, too.” 

“Damn guild and their bureaucracy, am I right?” 

Ryoma picked up on the whispers that erupted from here and there. 

“Ahahahaha.” The owner laughed loudly, unable to hold back her amusement any longer. 

That prompted everyone else to break out laughing along with her. 

Ryoma didn’t quite understand why he was being laughed at. But if nothing else, it seemed this wasn’t a fatal mistake, which made him just a little more relieved. All the same, his heart was still riled by doubt and irritation. 

“Aha, sorry, sorry.” Noticing Ryoma wallowing in silence while being laughed at by everyone, the owner calmed down and hid her mouth behind her apron. “I think just about every other newcomer ends up falling into that one.” 

There was still a very obvious grin on her face. 

“What do you mean?” 

Ryoma’s words prompted the customers to burst into cheering. 

“Cheers for the novice’s trial, lads!” 

“All hail the bureaucracy! They’ve claimed yet another victim!” 

“Don’t let it get to you and keep on tryin’, newbie!” 

The situation wasn’t becoming any clearer, which made Ryoma stare at the owner quizzically again. 

“Come now,” the lady said, noticing Ryoma’s gaze. “When you registered with the guild, didn’t they give you something?” 

“From the guild? Just my card, and... Hey, wait a minute!” 

Her words made Ryoma’s mind grind to a halt as he recalled. 

That’s it! After I registered, she gave me some kind of booklet! 

The clerk had handed it to him after he completed his registration. Ryoma simply threw it into his sack and forgot about it, and it was only natural he would until he was reminded of it. It was a thick booklet with over a hundred pages. No one would read it as soon as they’d received it, especially not when they’d just registered. 

“Try having a look at page three in that thing.” 

Prompted by the lady’s words, Ryoma fished the booklet out of the sack. 

“There...” Placing the booklet on the table, Ryoma saw it was titled ‘Information for Guild Beginners.’ 

It was full of essential information that people who took requests from the guild would need to know. 

“You accepted a request at the Guild’s reception counter, right?” 

Ryoma nodded at her question. 

“Well, the reception counter doesn’t do anything but reception. So after you take a delivery request, you need to go to the delivery counter and accept whatever it is you’re delivering.” 

It seemed simple when hearing it explained like this, but Ryoma didn’t quite feel convinced. He wasn’t trying to make excuses, but he felt it would likely be more efficient if they’d just give him the item in question once the request was accepted. Of course, he wasn’t in much position to say that when he’d simply tossed the booklet into his sack and forgotten about it, but he still didn’t feel like he was at fault for this. 

But it seemed this happened quite often to people. The owner probably saw quite a few beginners make the same mistake; small wonder, then, that she understood what had happened just from that one whisper of his. 

“You’re looking pretty disgruntled there. Well, the system can be a bit complicated so the guild provides these booklets, but the majority of people don’t read that far. After all, it’s their first time registering and their first job to boot. They’re so nervous, they just forget about the darn booklet. It’s like the first trial a newcomer has to conquer.” 

It seemed she understood Ryoma’s displeasure perfectly enough, and thoroughly explained things with a smile. 

“Is the guild still open?” 

The time was 8:30 in the evening. Most stores, except for pubs, were closed at this time. If the guild were closed, he’d have to squander away time tomorrow until they opened. It seemed his concerns were unfounded, though. 

“Heheheh. The guild is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. All of that’s written in the booklet, by the way, so make sure to read it.” 

Hearing that, Ryoma hurriedly gorged on his dinner of grilled meat. Leaving his money for the meal on the counter, he rushed over to the store’s exit and bowed his head to the lady in gratitude. He was headed, of course, to the guild’s delivery counter.

“Yes! Here’s the item in question. Good luck with the delivery, Mr. Mikoshiba.” A woman wearing glasses handed Ryoma an envelope covered with oil paper. “It’s sealed with wax. Do be careful with it, though; if the seal is broken, regardless of whether you’ve seen what’s inside, we will have to incur a fine.” 

Checking the information board near the guild’s entrance led Ryoma to the first basement level of the building, where the delivery counter was. Ryoma presented his card, and the girl at the counter quickly brought the letter over. Things could have ended up this easy much quicker if only he had simply read the booklet earlier, though. 

Well, better late than never, I suppose. 

While still bitterly reluctant to admit he was wrong, Ryoma was grateful for his luck. He then went back to his inn which faced the main street to spend the night, and the next morning he set out from the capital of O’ltormea. 

“Fwaaaah...” A yawn escaped from Ryoma’s mouth. 

Perhaps owing to the early hour of the day, the road to Melpheren was barren except for Ryoma. After going back to the inn, Ryoma took the advice the Sea Rumble Parlor’s owner had given him and read the Information for Guild Beginners booklet. He didn’t quite know everything, but he did have a grasp on the basics. However, since he had read it well into the night, he’d ended up going to bed at quite a late hour. 

He’d also reconfirmed the price of medicine and antidotes, only to find they were rather expensive. Judging by the explanation written on the bottle, it was rather effective at treating injuries, but financially speaking this wasn’t something he could use easily. 

If only this were a video game, those would be the cheapest items you could buy... 

Another stark difference between this world and a video game was that if he were to die, there would be no continues. When considering that, Ryoma realized that this kind of medicine was not something to be stingy about. 

Putting aside the money he would have to invest into his gear, earning a silver coin a day would guarantee him three meals a day and staying at a moderately clean and safe inn. He could cut that amount in half by compromising, but his quality of life would degrade accordingly. For Ryoma, who had lived in Japan, one of the leading developed countries on Earth, living any less conveniently was unacceptable. 

But the monsters... Will they actually appear if I stray off the road a little? 

The scenery around him was the very vision of serenity. But contrary to its peaceful appearance, the world outside the city walls was apparently rife with danger. 

The Information for Guild Beginners booklet he’d read last night contained information about how to accept and report requests, plus information regarding the habitats of creatures novice adventurers would be asked to slay, like wild dogs and bees. According to the booklet, the further one strayed from the road, the stronger monsters became. The breeding grounds of the wild dogs and wild bees he was asked to hunt this time were in a forest just off the main road. 

Well, either way, the best way to know for sure is to go and see for myself. 

Expectation and anxiety filled his body. It was his first battle against monsters. If he couldn’t handle this, he wouldn’t be able to survive in this world as a mercenary or an adventurer. Ryoma got off the road and entered the forest in search of his first prey... 

Despite being close to the highway, the forest was rather thick. After advancing for a short while, parting his way through the branches, a buzzing sound, generated by flapping wings, reached his ears. Fixing his gaze in the direction of the sound, he found five insects buzzing around a tree some ten meters away. Though, he wasn’t sure if describing them as ‘insects’ was apt, given they were as large as a medium-sized dog... 

Are those the bees? The booklet described their size, but they look bigger than I expected in person. 

In terms of shape, they looked like normal bees, but were larger than any insect Ryoma had ever seen. Those were, in all likelihood, the monsters called wild bees. According to the booklet, their large bodies meant they weren’t very quick. But they did carry lethal poison, and being stung several times could result in death. 

I suppose I should take the initiative for now. 

Realizing the enemy hadn’t seen him yet, Ryoma carefully took out chakrams from his sack and lowered his waist, as if drawing a sword from its sheath. With his right leg propped forward, he bent his waist to the left. Stretching his body like a bow, he then unleashed all the force he built up with a sharp breath. The chakram was fired off, cutting through the air as it flew straight toward one of the bees. 

Two sounds echoed immediately after. But not minding that, Ryoma fired off another chakram in quick succession. Ryoma repeated this process until the buzzing completely died out. 

Shifting his gaze toward his targets, the bees were already lying dead on the ground. Some were split in half by their torso, others had their heads lopped off, some had their wings punctured and were unable to stay aloft. They were all hit in different spots, but the chakrams seemed to have all cut through the bees’ bodies. 

Taking out his sword, Ryoma approached the bees. They all seemed to be dying. Starting with the one that was still the healthiest despite its torn wings, Ryoma delivered the finishing blows to them. 

And next is... Hmm. 

Confirming there were no enemies around, Ryoma took out the booklet. 

So I can sell their wings and stingers... 

Using the information in the booklet as a reference, Ryoma began tearing off parts of the bees’ bodies. After all, the important part of an adventurer’s job came after slaying monsters. 

Ryoma pulled out a poisoned stinger, covered in green bodily fluids. 

Whoa... This thing’s five centimeters long... 

Even without any venom, this thing was sharp enough to cause a fatal injury if you were to stab someone with it. He then went on to cut off their wings, only to realize three of the bees had their wings punctured. 

Aww, crap. If I remember correctly... 

Flipping through the booklet hurriedly, Ryoma found, as he’d remembered, a warning. 

‘Since all body parts will be used for sale, please be advised that any overly damaged parts cannot be accepted.’ 

That was fairly obvious. If they were being put up for sale, no one would buy damaged ingredients. That said, this wasn’t something you could be particular over when fighting with one’s life on the balance. Dying over being too greedy was no joke. 

In a game, you’d just pick up any items that get dropped... 

Giving up on the more badly damaged ones, Ryoma focused on the ones whose wings had been mostly left unscathed. 

You gotta be clever about it, so you don’t damage things after you’ve gone to the trouble of killing them... But that said, it’s not worth losing your life over. I guess I’ll just have to give up on money when things get really dangerous... 

This was a fairly obvious truth, and one that didn’t comply with video game logic. The harshness of it all made Ryoma heave a despondent sigh. 

Having concluded his dissection of the bees, Ryoma advanced deeper into the forest. He’d prepared his lunch back at the inn, which left him with ample time to explore. 

I need to get used to this sword. 

Ryoma couldn’t help but long for the katana he was used to wielding... Ryoma was somehow able to make use of the chakrams thanks to the skills he’d learned for throwing shurikens, but his sword was a weapon he simply wasn’t accustomed to. 

Unlike a katana, which was used by drawing and cutting, a sword was used by applying force. They were fundamentally different weapons. And having been trained to use a katana since a young age, a sword felt terribly awkward to use for Ryoma. He had no choice but to cross the border with his current equipment, though. 

His pursuers from the empire had already gone ahead of him, and were undoubtedly searching for him. At least it felt natural to assume so, given they had the mobility of being on horseback. The question was whether they had sent agents to the eastern border, where Ryoma was intending to escape from, but he was somehow confident. 

If I were them and had to track down someone whose face I didn’t know, I wouldn’t be fussy when it came to how many people I sent to hunt them down. First I’d strengthen security around the borders, and not let any suspicious people pass through. And then I’d tighten my grip on the routes leading from the capital to the borders. 

Ryoma continued thinking as he advanced through the forest. 

But since they failed to capture me while I was in the capital, I’ve pretty much already won. The fact they don’t know what I look like already puts me at a huge advantage. Now I just need to get to the border somehow... 

As Ryoma pondered things, the path before him suddenly opened up. The forest’s trees were cleared, leaving an open space in the middle of the forest. The growling of animals suddenly reached Ryoma’s ears. 

Ryoma looked ahead, catching sight of large dogs, roughly one meter in height. There were thirteen of them; likely a family. Some of them were visibly pups. 

So those are wild dogs... 

They were still only growling, trying to scare the intruder away. They weren’t trying to pounce on him, likely hesitating out of the urge to keep their young safe. 

This is my chance. 

Ryoma pulled out his chakrams swiftly, taking aim at the older dogs which stepped forward to protect the pups. Ryoma unleashed the chakrams, which cut through the air toward the dogs. They were fired at a calculated angle; if the parent dogs tried to dodge, the pups would get hit, and if they didn’t, they themselves would be targets. 

It was a cruel ploy that used their desire to protect their offspring against them, but Ryoma unleashed his chakrams with no mercy. The sound of flesh being torn filled the forest, and a yelp of pain reverberated against the trees. 

Ryoma then rapidly drew his sword and rushed toward the wild dogs, who had already recognized Ryoma as an enemy. Enraged by his harming their family, the dogs mercilessly bared their fangs at Ryoma. 

There were eight of them. The five that had been damaged by the chakrams retreated. The dog that took off first jumped up two meters ahead of Ryoma. 

Guess that’s what you can expect out of a dumb animal... 

Ryoma drove his sword between the dog’s opened jaws. Jumping wasn’t a wise decision in the slightest, since without wings it was incapable of moving in the air. The circumstances mattered, of course; a surprise attack was another story, but doing it during a frontal assault like this was nothing short of foolishness. 

Of course, the wild dogs didn’t have the intellect to understand that. They attacked Ryoma as their instincts dictated. Ryoma simply slipped by their sides, cutting their heads off one after another as he did. Each swing was a kill, as he flowed from one to motion to another. 

But as he dispatched the dogs with almost mechanical procedure, Ryoma must have grown complacent. One of the dogs didn’t leap at him, simply rushing toward his right leg with its mouth open. Ryoma reflexively kicked up his leg, driving it into the dog’s throat. As the dog crouched in pain, Ryoma drove his sword into its head. 

Phew. That was close. I almost let my guard down... 

Three dogs remained, the pups nestling up to their parents’ corpses. Ryoma stepped up to them, who jolted up, sensing the danger. 

As one might expect of creatures called monsters, even the pups seemed ferocious. Even with their parents dead, they didn’t back off, growling menacingly. There were roughly five meters between them. Ryoma propped his sword up on the left of his body, in a stance preparing to slash from the lower left to the upper right. 

As they glared into each other’s eyes, the air gradually became heavier. It was Ryoma versus three wild dogs. At the moment where both of their killing instincts were at the breaking point, Ryoma suddenly wiped his resolve away. 

The dogs, which were about to pounce at any moment, lost their aggressiveness in confusion, hesitating at Ryoma’s odd behavior. It was then that Ryoma suddenly closed the distance, making a diagonal slash from the bottom left. 

The first dog’s head was cut clean off. Ryoma then swung a second time with his sword swung aloft, tracing the same trajectory again to split a second dog’s abdomen in two. All that transpired within mere seconds. 

The third dog broke off into a sprint, running the other way. Its instincts urged it to prioritize flight over fight, it seemed. But Ryoma wasn’t going to stand idly by and let it get away. Lodging his sword into the ground, Ryoma fired off a chakram at its defenseless back. 

Phew, that makes thirteen... 

The battle only lasted three to four minutes. Since each of them was slain with a single blow, it was hardly a lengthy one. 

The chakrams are lethal enough, but... They’re not all that easy to retrieve, so that’s a bit of a turn off... 

Since they had no handle, and their rims were entirely made up of blades, the chakrams’ lethal effectiveness was certainly strong, but it also meant they tended to get buried in the opponent’s flesh. Wiping the six thrown chakrams clean of blood with a cloth, he put them back into the sack on his waist. 

Let’s see... What parts of wild dogs are... 

According to the booklet, the most valuable parts of a wild dog’s body were the two fangs growing from its upper jaw and its fur. Ryoma proceeded to skin the dogs of their furs using his sword, albeit awkwardly, since he wasn’t used to it.