《Sukuwanakya Dame desu ka? Isekai》


 CH 1

    December 19, 2022


    I look at the time on my phone and see that it is about to be 23:00. When I look back at the train, I see that there are more than twenty passengers on the train.


    There seemed to be fewer passengers than usual, perhaps because the Golden Week vacation starts tomorrow.


    Nobody talks in the wagon. The only sound is that of the moving train.


    Most of the passengers are office workers or ladies returning home from work.


    There are five women, all in their twenties. I don''t know what they are doing, but all five are engrossed in their smartphones.


    Some are typing, others are looking at their phones with their headphones on.


    The men seem to be of all age groups. Some look like students, not unlike me, while others look close to retirement age.


    Some seemed to be working on their laptops, some were tired and sleeping, and some were drunk and dreaming. About half of them are as engrossed in their phones as the women.


    I look at the man sitting closest to me, a drunken forty-something who mumbles through his teeth.


    I''m not sure if it''s the best idea to do the search here, but there aren''t that many people around should be fine . and, if there are, they seem to be drunk, so nothing will happen to me.


    I turn on the laptop and remember.


    The other girls called her ''Hiiragi-chan''.


    She was a pretty girl, wasn''t she? It would be fun to date such a cute and nice girl. I know I''m being naive, but my heart flutters when I think of her.


    As I wait for my laptop to boot up, I reminisce - the welcome party with other newcomers - and feel a little, no, a lot happier.


    It had been a long time since I had talked to a girl for a long time. I think we were alone and talking for more than five minutes.


    The girls are talking, which I can hear from next door. They talk about the actors in the big drama. The high-flown conversations were mixed with such unimportant topics as casting who was unsatisfactory or who was a better man than they thought.


    One of them was a girl who looked like a reki jo ( NT: for those who don''t know reki jo are a kind of otaku, or people obsessed with a particular interest ).


    Pretending to grab a bottle of beer, I pluck up my courage and steal a glance at the reki-jo-smelling girl.


    What''s that, did I see it wrong?


    There was a girl with a young face and breasts, holding an orange juice with both hands.


    Why is a high school student here?¡¡And she''s a beautiful girl. She''s right in the middle. Is she someone''s sister?


    Our eyes meet.


    She looks straight at me with big eyes and long eyelashes.


    "I''m sorry if I''m wrong in assuming what you''re thinking, but I''m also a new employee who graduated from a university and I''m twenty years old."


    The first time I saw her, she was holding her orange juice in her hands and staring at me.


    In an awkwardly hasty way my words and I say. "Oh, no. I''m sorry, I also like things related to history. I just turned around somehow when the topic of history was mentioned."  I feel a little guilty for dodging the topic, but it''s not like I''m lying. If I were holding a cup, I would have been shaking from my nervousness. I wonder if I''m visibly acting strange.


    "And then, when you turned around, there was a girl who looked like a high schooler who really stood out."


    She said that in a cheerful tone, but she did it with an enigmatic smile. She wasn''t mad at me, but her charming smile worried me. She surprised me with her smile, but somehow it gave me a sense of relief at the same time.


    "That''s right, I''m sorry." There was really no point in keeping it a secret. After that, I gathered some courage and our conversation continued. I enjoyed my five-plus minute conversation with the spiteful woman Holly-chan.


    Given that Golden Week starts tomorrow, anyone can live without having conversations. Not that I had conversations scheduled to start. I plan to start on the VRMMO test server starting tonight. I''m continuing with user registration while I think about those things.


    "TEST SERVER PLAYERS LIMITED TO TEN THOUSAND."


    The text is so small it''s hard to read, are the notices usually this small? as I continue reading


    "APOLOGIES AND WARNING INITIALLY, THIS TRIAL SERVICE WAS OPEN FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE, BUT DUE TO HIGH DEMAND TO REMOVE IT, WE HAVE DECIDED TO REMOVE THE LIMITED NUMBER THAT CAN REGISTER. INSTEAD, WE WILL CLOSE THE REGISTRATION ON APRIL 28TH AT 23:59. WE HOPE EVERYONE WILL UNDERSTAND THIS.


    "Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?"


    I shout causing several people to look back. A young man sitting in the back of the train shouting to himself looks awfully suspicious.But there''s no time for that, what time is it? It''s 11:56 at night. It was barely eleven when I started.I finish the user registration in a hurry and move on to character creation. A text appears.


    "Your name in this world. the Kanji cannot be used. Use 20 characters or less."


    I don''t think there''s much point in giving too much thought to my name, I''ll simply choose the name of a historical character close to my own. However, I will do it in katakana so that it will be "Michinaga Fujiwara".


    "Choose your gender. Sorry, but only Male or Female genders are available."


    Of course I''m going to set myself as male. I wonder if there have been people who choose anything other than Male or Female.


    "Pick your age. In this world the age of an adult begins at fifteen."


    I will choose the age of eighteen. I think considering someone an adult at fifteen is a bit harsh, but there''s no point in complaining.


    "Choose from among the skills that can be used. It will be the skill that you can use in the world. Magic is also included as a skill. The skill will be maximum. There are different magic attributes available."


    This can take a while if you have the time. There are a large number of skills available that fall under the categories of "Magic kills", "Martial arts based skills" and "Production skills" When you click on "Magic skills" the familiar magic attributes of earth magic, water magic, fire magic and wind magic appear. There are no descriptions for these attributes.


    Specialized skills


    The skill systems are only listed. If you click on the magic skill to test it, the known magic attributes, such as earth magic, water magic, fire magic and wind magic, are listed in addition.


    After all, there is no explanatory text. Hmph, don''t lick a geek.


    Earth magic (50)? What are these numbers next to it, is it a level?¡¡Never mind, let''s move on.


    What I''m interested in are the special abilities.


    When I clicked on it, about fifty skill names popped up.


    A quick glance reveals three skill names that interest me.


    Skill Steal Skill Type A (5).


    Ability Theft Type B (4).


    Skill Steal Skill Type C (5).


    I knew it would be this one. I don''t know the details, but which one will I choose? I think I''ll choose all three and think about it later.


    What is it about?¡¡When I chose [Ability Robo Type A (5)], the number next to it changed from (5) to (4). Could it be that this number is the maximum number of ability holders in the game?


    I hasten to select the remaining two [Robo Skill Type B] and [Robo Skill Type C].


    Almost, as soon as I was able to select them, the number changed to (0).


    Check the skills just in case.


    Skill Theft Type A.


    Ability Theft Type B.


    [Skill Steal Skill Type C]


    The three skills I checked were reflected in the status. good!¡¡They have been acquired.


    Now it''s clear, the first one to acquire a skill wins.


    Next.


    And wait?


    I don''t want to risk getting cut off in the middle of the game.


    I decided to get off the train and get serious about making characters.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    I think it would be interesting to try subterfuge - monster taming, but I can''t do it. Let''s go easy.


    Also, is dark magic grayed out, does this mean I can''t get it?


    In the description I just read, it said "The number of magical skills and attributes that can be chosen depends on the player", is that it?


    Are there inadequate attributes from the start?


    Well, never mind. I can''t help but think about it. First of all, space magic. It''s a standard cheat.


    However, when I go to the space magic selection screen, it already shows up as (0) and grayed out.


    Too late.


    Next, recovery magic. Recovery is essential, so let''s do light magic. The rest is life and attack means.


    As soon as I picked up light magic, earth, water, fire and wind magic were grayed out. No, that''s not all. All the other skills are grayed out.


    Maybe there''s something like one point for each skill that you just can''t see.


    It makes sense if you think about it that way.


    A stealing skill is usually a cheat skill. It would be reasonable to spend more points.


    ¡ó


    ¡ó


    ¡ó


    ---- All right!¡¡Let''s put it all on the stealing skills. And light magic. I prefer to be able to use as many attributes as possible and cope with any situation, even if it seems a bit dexterous.


    Magic skills:.


    Light magic


    Special skills:.


    Stealing with skill Type A


    Stealing with skill Type B


    Stealing with skill Type C


    I feel I could have gotten more if I had removed one of the stealing skills, but the stealing skills are absolute. I want them for myself, but the risk of giving them to others is greater.


    The skills should have had levels - but so far I haven''t found any settings or notations about levels. Don''t tell me all the skills are at the starting level?¡¡I wish they would have let me choose at least the skills I was good at.


    The entry is complete, is that correct?


    Looking at my watch, it''s 23:51. As I thought, it took quite a while.


    I don''t know what''s going to happen, so let''s not do anything at the last minute. Okay, now it''s time to register.


    I clicked the register button.


    ¡ó


    ¡ó


    ¡ó


    Huh?¡¡I was supposed to be on the station platform, wasn''t I?


    When I looked around, I saw that it wasn''t an empty space ...... but a blank space with lots of people.


    A blank space does not mean that there are artificial objects like walls. It was as if a thick fog was hovering over the whole area, but the people in the distance could be seen clearly without any haze.


    It was hard to get an idea of the distance, and there were 70 to 80 people scattered around the blank space in all directions. Some clustered together and chatting, while others, like me, looked around on their own.


    I''d say 60% male and 40% female. Men in their 20s and 30s seem to be the most numerous.


    Many of them are dressed in shirts with only the tie removed, like office workers on their day off.


    Although they were of different ages and dressed differently, they all had one thing in common: they were surprised and bewildered.


    All expressed surprise and confusion. Not a single person seems to have adjusted to the place.


    It can be assumed that the people speaking in groups of several have arrived here at least before me. Their expressions show surprise and confusion, but not panic.


    I should join the group there and ask them if they know anything.


    If they suddenly came in here like me, I wouldn''t have much hope of getting information.


    What are the chances that they know anything?


    But what is this space without a view? It''s too far removed from reality.


    It''s like one of those VRMMO death games or otherworldly transfers you see in web novels and novels. Such a far-fetched and unrealistic idea crosses my mind.


    I started walking towards a group of several men my age who were clustered together.


    On the way to the group, there were some men shouting alone and others cursing each other, but I ignored them and kept going.


    The walking speed is slow.


    It''s not that gravity is too great or that I can''t go fast enough.


    It''s my own problem. I keep feeling afraid.


    My feet are a white mist on the outside.


    It makes me imagine that if I step out, I will fall.


    The soles of your feet feel the sensation that something is there.


    However, its appearance - it''s just a white fog - which prevents you from walking faster.


    I observe my surroundings while walking cautiously.


    Little by little, small groups are forming.


    Interestingly, there are few mixed groups. There are noticeably more people of the same sex gathered together. This is especially true of the women.


    It is mostly older men who are alone and confused, while women, or the younger they are, form more groups.


    Women are much younger than men. Those who appear to be in their twenties seem to be the most numerous, although here and there there is the occasional student bordering on adolescence.


    Are they twentysomethings living alone?¡¡I can''t help but notice the rather coarse or scantily clad women.


    Huh?


    Suddenly, the group of lightly dressed young women disappear from my view and a large white object jumps out in front of me.


    The large white object was an old man in his underwear. He suddenly appeared between me and the group of lightly clothed young women.


    What!!! A person just appeared right in front of me! I see, that''s how I got here.


    Where am I?


    And how did you get here?


    Why are you here?


    The questions I had been repressing until now suddenly rise to the surface of my consciousness.


    "You too just arrived, didn''t you? "


    A man dressed comfortably in a T-shirt and sweater spoke to me. Was he about the same age as me?


    "Eh?¡¡Yes, that''s right, you too?"


    For a moment, I was confused and almost distressed, but thanks to this man speaking to me, I was able to keep my composure.


    ''It''s not so much that I''m the same, it seems like everyone here is.''


    He signs my question out loud and looks at a small group of people nearby.


    " Is that so then?"


    "I''m sure it is, I can only assume it''s because of that match."


    I hear them arguing with anxious expressions.


    So is it, as they say in web fiction, a deadly game?


    "I wonder, could it be a reincarnation or a journey, judging by this space?"


    Anyway, our first priority now is to gather information and find a way to get back to where we were.


    Just by paying attention to your surroundings, you can get all kinds of information or speculate. But it''s important information at this stage.


    On closer inspection of the small group, the women seem to be huddled together and sharing their concerns rather than talking to each other.


    Many of the men talking among themselves are businessmen in their 20s and 30s. The group of women don''t so much talk as they huddle and share their anxieties.


    "Is it because of that game after all?"


    I stop and turn to the man who spoke to me.


    I can''t think of anything else, can I?


    "Maybe . It looks like some small groups are forming, so let''s go talk to them."


    the man also seemed concerned, as he looked around with a somewhat pale expression and made a suggestion.


    Yes, I was addressing that group with that intention.


    The two walked together toward the group, which consisted of people of the same age.


    "My name is Michinaga Fujiwara. My game record is Michnaga Fujiwara''."


    I told them my real name and the username of my game registration again, and extended my right hand.


    "Sorry for the delay. I am Shimura Seiichi. My user name is Sei Shim."


    The man who introduced himself as Seiichi Shimura took my right hand and we shook hands.


    "It''s time."


    Someone muttered. It must be the registration deadline. This was the signal for a flurry of interaction among the group.


    "Where are we?"


    "I knew it, this is that thing, reincarnation and all that?"


    "Maybe it''s a deadly game."


    The same kind of conversation we had heard earlier began to take place here and there.


    Hysterical voices could also be heard, which could be interpreted as anxiety, confusion and panic.


    "Ah! Mr. Fujiwara!"


    Huh?


    Suddenly, a familiar voice calls my name. What is this voice?¡¡I slowly turn around, calming myself, and as I expected, I see a familiar face.


    The first thing that comes to my mind is, "I''m not sure if this is a good idea or not. What''s going on out here in the middle of nowhere?


    I was able to look back slowly, but my feelings hadn''t calmed down at all. Being reunited with Hiiragi made my heart skip a beat.


    "Do you know her?"


    "Yes, we are co-workers."


    I introduce Hiiragi-chan to Shimura-san, who asks while looking at Hiiragi-chan and me in turn.


    The first time I saw her, I was surprised by the word colleague, but after I learned that she was 20 years old, she was chatting with me without showing the slightest sign of surprise.


    "Ooooh!"


    "How?"


    "Who is that woman?"


    A crescendo of moans and questions echoes through the room.


    I turn toward the louder voice, and on the way I catch something incredible out of the corner of my eye. A woman hovered in the air. And she''s beautiful.


    She looks like one of those Scandinavian models you see on the internet.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet while I explain the situation. "


    An inorganic female voice echoed directly in my head. Was it that woman floating in the air?¡¡Well, I can''t think of anything else, can I?


    "Hey, what do you mean? Give me a satisfactory explanation."


    "Is it a kidnapping? Kidnapping?¡¡That''s unacceptable, isn''t it?".


    "What do you want us to do? We''re free people. "


    "Tell us what''s wrong, what''s wrong!"


    "Let me go! Let me go back to my world!"


    Several people ignored the woman''s words and began to raise a ruckus.


    There were loud, overbearing, complaining men with a smug look at the floating woman, a disgusting sight to those around them. Some of the complaints sound incomprehensible.


    There is only the faintest hint of the anxiety and confusion that was there before.


    They are optimistic, perhaps because they have found someone to talk to and that person is a young woman.


    But the next moment, the men who were making the noise are abashed in reverse by countless abusive and angry shouts. They were then verbally and physically dismissed, followed by silence.


    These are all people who understand the importance of listening.


    Yes, they do. The priority now is to listen to this woman. Questions can come later. I focused all my attention on the woman''s words to make sure I didn''t miss anything.


    Thank you for your cooperation. I will now begin my explanation."


    After saying this, she began to explain to everyone.


    "First of all, you will all be transferred to another world."


    "You can''t choose which of the other two worlds you will be transferred to. It is completely random.


    Both worlds are very similar to the VRMMO you registered for tonight, so we don''t need to explain them to you now.


    We will make sure that there are no language barriers in the transfers.


    You will receive enough money, clothes and armor to survive for a year or so.


    The power you need to survive will be what you already have. You will receive abilities: the ability to read your opponent''s abilities and the ability to hide your own abilities. We will not give you more powers than you have already acquired.


    You can use the skills you have acquired by creating characters on the other side of the world.


    The goal is to save the other world and keep it alive.


    The mandatory mission is to conquer the dungeon.


    The people you fight against are your compatriots.


    "Then we will transfer you."


    I thought I heard a voice asking a question or protesting, but that voice was replaced by the sound of the wind as the surrounding landscape changed to meadows.

 CH 2

    December 15, 2022


    A meadow stretched out in front of me. The grass was up to my waist.


    A breeze, which could be described as light, was somewhat stronger than the wind in my face. It rippled the grass of the meadow that stretched across the field of vision. it reflected the sunlight and the shadows moved as the wind rippled the meadow. The scene is like a sea of green.


    Human conversation, murmurs and moans are nowhere to be heard. All that can be heard is the sound of the wind and the grass playing in the wind.


    The people who shared the strange experience a few minutes ago are gone. Of course, Hiiragi-chan is also gone.


    I was thrown into a grassy field wearing a suit.


    The suit is tight. making it hard to move.


    Looking down at my feet, my shin is bare.


    Has the suit shrunk? No, it looks different. Have I grown? It seems reasonable to think so.


    Do I grow taller? I also feel tighter around the chest and shoulders. Are the shoulders and chest muscles wider, but also the musculature in general?


    Look at my hands. They are clearly different from my own hands, which I had before. They are large and powerful-looking hands.


    My appearance has changed!


    I hastily reach into the breast pocket of my suit. There it is. It''s a smartphone. The phone I had just bought last month was still there.


    The goddess is probably right that it is a different world. The phone is out of coverage, so communication and calls are not possible, but other functions can be used.


    I take pictures of myself from various angles: face and full body.


    The man in the photo is a stranger.


    No, ...... is a lie. He was exactly as I had imagined him during the process of creating the character.


    Dark brown hair and brown eyes, his appearance is based on that of a westerner, with a slight oriental mix.


    Oh, I''m a beauty, aren''t I?


    There is not a trace of a smile. there is a reflective air.


    They''re pretty spread out - are we going to have to use this?


    The keeper bag is small compared to the number of equipment and tools that are in there.


    As soon as we''re here, are we forced to choose?


    Save another world.


    Conquer the dungeon.


    That''s what you said. By asking people to do things for you, you''re forcing them to go into hard mode.


    Are the others around?


    If possible, I''d like to meet with the earthlings - the ones I mentioned earlier - as soon as possible to discuss and cooperate.


    My mind wanders back to the girls in men''s underwear and T-shirts who were being watched by a group of girls.


    Did they bring them in those outfits? If they were in a meadow or in the woods, maybe it''s okay, but if they were in the city. if they were in the city. I''m a little, no, I''m terribly curious.


    No, this is not the time to worry about others. Now it''s about me.


    Is it this other world?


    The goddess from before, ......, right?¡¡According to the "goddess" explanation, we have been moved to another world.


    I think VRMMO was a way to get the candidates.


    We fell for it and were brought in without understanding why. ...... Also, we were scattered.


    The sun is high, maybe around noon.


    To the east, the meadows stretch endlessly and the mountain range is visible in the distance. The west side is the same.


    To the north there is also an expanse of meadows, but is there a road a few miles ahead? You can see what looks like a road stretching from east to west.


    If you say it''s a different world, it doesn''t feel that way. It is a landscape that would be believable if it were said to be from a foreign country. At least in the Japan I know, there is no such place.


    I have no choice. I guess I''ll have to hit the road and look for someone.


    Another option, is to stay here and spend a few months in the forest and strengthen myself with thieving skills.----


    ¡ó


    ¡ô


    ¡ó


    ---- With all the preparations done and my gear ready, I decided to head north.


    Yes, it''s a light load, but wearing leather armor and a sword and carrying a saddlebag on your head really makes you feel like you''re in a different world. ( for those who do not know what saddlebag is, here is a picture of it )


    The first thing that surprised me was this bag on my head.


    It is what is known as a magic bag and its storage capacity is not what it seems. I stored about five times as much as it looked, but there was still room left over.


    Next, the equipment.


    The gray base color with borders and patterns? The black leather light armor, gauntlets, gaiters and boots.


    I found no helmets of any kind.


    Armament includes a long sword and half a dozen-about five-of throwing knives. The rest of the spare long swords, daggers and throwing knives were stuffed into the head pouch, along with a leather shield, a buckler.


    I also tossed my clothes and belongings when I was thrown in here - my phone, watch and birettas - into the magica bag.


    Now it''s ready. When I''m ready to move on, I look again at the letter in the bag.


    This letter - why didn''t I notice this letter before? I am overcome with a feeling of intense regret.


    Ooooh, I want to die. My face burns when I remember what I just did.


    Luckily there were no witnesses.


    I can''t stop thinking about my appearance and the lines from before.


    I didn''t have a choice. I didn''t know how to value, hide or use my skills.


    Let''s forget the dark past and look to a brighter future.


    The assessment confirmed the skills I possessed and their effects, or at least an overview of them.


    I was unable to confirm the kind of parameters usually referred to. In the first place, there may be no such thing.


    I kept walking on the plains I was sent to this world 24 hours ago, right?¡¡Maybe it''s because I''m nervous, but I''m not sleepy at all.


    Although I''m wearing light clothes, the gear and bag are quite heavy. This doesn''t feel like a burden either and I don''t feel tired.


    Hmm?


    Did I see something move out of the corner of my eye?


    When we were about a kilometer down the road, I saw a carriage going along the west side of the road.  Okay, at this distance, if I hurry a little, I can make it in time.


    at that time.


    What the heck!


    Just as I was about to pick up speed, I felt something move behind me.


    I hurriedly turn around and unsheathe my sword. It wasn''t written in the letter that this place was safe. If the world is like in the game, there could be demons.


    A cold sweat breaks out.


    Fear and tension try to take over my thoughts and my whole body. I force myself to bend my fear by putting strength into the hand that holds the sword.


    With the sword in my right hand and my bag in my left hand as a shield, I look around me.


    But nothing seems to have changed. Is it my imagination?¡¡I slowly walk away from the place without being alert.


    Kuku Kuku.


    --?


    Just as I was about to run into the street, I heard a young girl''s laughter.


    A girl''s voice? And you say it''s laughter? Is it an auditory hallucination?


    Ha.


    Again. It''s a young or childish voice. It''s not a hallucination. I''ve definitely heard it.


    There are demons that sound like a baby''s cry. Not surprisingly, there are demons that laugh in a child''s voice.


    I''m a kilometer away from the road. Without losing sight of my surroundings, I measure the distance to the road.


    The next moment, I was running towards the road.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    I don''t remember exactly what happened along the way.


    I must have fallen and spun around, by the time I reached the carriage I had scrapes and bruises all over my body.


    "Please help me."


    Half teary-eyed, he asked for help from the people riding in the carriage, and was greeted with swords and spears.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    "Sorry, bro."


    Gahahahahaha," he says laughing loudly and slapping me on the back. I cough with all the strength I have.


    No, I was surprised. I thought a young madman with a drawn sword had attacked this merchant.''


    The guards didn''t seem to take offense and were mocking the people.


    It was lunchtime and they invited me to lunch after capturing me.


    "But I can''t believe you mistook fairies for demons and came running here in a hurry!"


    Laughter echoed around us.


    "But it''s not every day you''re lucky enough to be favored by a wild fairy."


    "Yes, you have the blessing of the fairies. I envy you."


    Apparently, like the protagonist of a novel, I''ve been lucky from the start.


    They say it''s great luck that a wild fairy likes you and wins you over on your first meeting.


    And a fairy blessing? What is it? It sounds very nice. I''ll check it out later with an appraiser.


    But the luckiest thing of all is that the people I asked for help without thinking about it were good people.


    "I''m Marielle, nice to meet you ."


    As I endure being laughed at, grateful for my good fortune, the fairy who had followed me whispers in my ear.


    "Huh? Nice to meet you. "


    I turn around in response to the soft voice and see a fairy floating in the air, smiling innocently.


    ''I like you, so I followed you . I''ll give you a proper greeting too, ehehehehe'' .


    She came close to my face and looked at me as if spying me with her eyes upwards.


    ''What do you mean you''re following me, what are you talking about, this beautiful girl?


    Yes, she''s a beautiful girl.  She''s got shoulder-length blonde hair cut short. She may be small, but she''s a beautiful girl. And she''s got wings like a bee.


    She''s a beautiful girl, but this size is impossible.


    Thirty centimeters. Well, maybe that''s a normal size for a fairy.


    "No, that''s not right. I told you, I just came in from the country and I don''t know anything. Following a man like that will only make you unhappy''.


    Address the fairies with your whole body, not just your neck. I tried to convey my message in a slow and soft tone, as if talking to a small child.


    The fairy smiles at my words.


    "Status, open."


    She''s screaming in the air, posing as a kind of squadron. That''s it. ......


    "On my command, fire on the enemy!"


    He extends a hand forward and says something at an angle. I remember it, I remember it, I remember it. ......


    "Away with the darkness."


    "Okay, I''ll take you. I''ll come with you. No, come with me."


    I gently covered Marielle''s mouth by wrapping my hands around it as she posed and delivered her lines as if she were acting.


    I didn''t want to keep being reminded of my previous image so I decided to fulfill Marielle''s wish.


    "Well, , she''s a beautiful girl."


    "But you must be very rural to have never seen a fairy before."


    "The first time you see a fairy, you must be very rural," said a stern looking guard in his forties with a large hatchet resting on his leg.


    "Yes, it''s a place called Earth, do you know it?"


    I smile warmly and tell the truth. The idea was that, instead of making up strange stories, it was better to blur the facts so that later there would be no misunderstandings.


    Now that you mention it, fairies are quite common. At least in the cities, they seem to live normally.


    "Chikyu? You don''t know, do you? "


    He ponders a bit, with a look that seems to pull up memories.


    "Well, that''s good, where are you headed brother?"


    Another escort asks from the side with a friendly expression and tone.


    He was young. Still in your twenties , aren''t you? He doesn''t seem to be that different from me.


    "I don''t have a specific job in mind, but I''m looking for work''."


    "The most important thing to remember is that you''re not a child."


    "What are you good at, Mr. Michinaga?"


    The one who asked me in a polite and mercantile tone, just like his suave appearance, was Dawn-san, the leader of this merchant troop.


    What can you do?¡¡I feel nervous or not human when I''m not asked, "What are you good at?"


    "What am I good at?"


    I reply as I heal the abrasions and bruises on my body with light magic.


    "I can use a little magic."


    People around me shouted exclaiming, ''Oh!'' People around me shouted, ''Oh!


    Huh?¡¡There are fewer voices of surprise than expected. Light magic is no big deal? Wasn''t it supposed to be a pretty rare magic in the game?


    "Bro, it''s awesome. If you can use light magic, you can eat with it. "


    "Well, if you can use that much light magic, I guess you can manage to be a healer in the city or near the dungeon''."


    One of the guards and Dawn-san alluded to the great demand for healers.


    "Is that so?¡¡Thank you for all the information you have provided. And ...... well, I''m sorry, but may I accompany you into town?".


    I thought it was a bit cheeky, but I jumped in and said.


    " Yes, that''s fine. In return, I''d like to say this, but please help me with some chores for the next two days on the way to Thor''s city."


    He nodded broadly with a good-natured smile and held up the two fingers of his right hand - the index and middle fingers - so I could see them.


    "First time I get , a new job. I''m looking forward to working with you."


    I stood up and bowed involuntarily to Mr. Dawn, who accepted me good-naturedly.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    On the way to Thor''s city, I would engage in small talk and acquire knowledge without any unusual surprises.


    He is a charming man and talks a lot to acquire knowledge. Perhaps that is why he is considered a "kind and polite brother" by those around him.


    The city of Thor is quite large in this area, with just under 40,000 inhabitants. About 10,000 of them are said to be scouts.


    The guards here are also scouts and are registered as such in the neighboring city of Garon.


    I knew they were there, scouts. It''s just like in the game.


    Huh? Has the carriage slowed down?¡¡No, it seems to stop. I didn''t hear it rest here. What''s the matter?


    "The carriage has stopped, hasn''t it?"


    Yes, I''ll ask around.


    I pull Marielle, who was playing with my hair, and move her around the back of the carriage toward the governor''s seat.


    "What is it, sir, is something wrong?"


    I check the two carriages in front of me in the Guru''s field of vision as I ask him.


    Doesn''t there seem to be any trouble?¡¡No, a tree has fallen in front of the chariot. is that why?


    "Be careful, and keep your sword with you. They could be bandits or intelligent demons. "


    As soon as I got off the carriage to help him move the fallen tree away, the guard at the end of the line warned me.


    "I understand. Thank you very much. Marielle, stay in the carriage.''


    I stopped Marielle, who was about to follow me, and equipped with a sword and shield, I headed for the head carriage.


    The escort from before asks me to be careful with the bow and arrow.


    I immediately expressed my understanding.


    But how can I be careful with the archers?


    As I approach, I clearly see the nervous faces of the guards.


    The escorts seem to give priority to guarding the surroundings, leaving the fallen tree untouched.


    I will help you clean up the fallen trees.


    I offer my help to the guards near the lead wagon.


    Sorry. and Thank you, sir. Ivan, Helmut and Milan. and my brother with light magic, you and the others will help clean up the fallen trees. The rest of you keep guarding the perimeter."


    Enos, the convoy leader, gives the order.


    Is he a bandit or an intelligent demon? Goblins or orcs?¡¡That''s the rule, isn''t it?


    Can this team win?¡¡Both merchants and guards are nervous but somewhat calm. I think we can win. At least the odds are much better than if I were to face them alone.


    I wonder if you''ll come out, demon. [Skill Robbery Type A] From what I''ve assessed, I''ve found it the most useful. I want to use this one.


    I''m not sure if it''s a good idea to use it, but it''s a good idea if you can get a little stronger before you get to the city.


    "Here they come! Goblins. There''s an archer. look out! Leave the fallen trees where they are for the moment, and take up interception positions!"


    Enos-san gave the order again.

 CH 3

    December 19, 2022


    The road was wide enough for the wagons of these traders to pass side by side with some room to spare, and the first two wagons were placed horizontally to block the road. The other two wagons were placed vertically to block the road, which was wide enough for the wagons of this troop to pass side by side with some room to spare.


    The road surface had been trampled by horse-drawn wagons and people, so it was not too bad as a foothold compared to other roads.


    A gentle breeze blowing from the left side of the road brought the scent of summer grass and tickled my nostrils. In the direction the wind was coming from, short grass grew thickly on the gentle slopes, forming a vast meadow more than five kilometers long.


    If there was to be an ambush, it would be on this side.


    When we looked away from the meadow, which did not seem suitable for an ambush, to the right side of the road, we found a dense, deep forest where an ambush might be lurking.


    Looking ahead again, we see five goblins walking along the road, cautiously watching the road.


    The distance separating us from the goblins is about five meters.


    Although they are made of simple horse-drawn carriages, we have built a position and there are many more.


    Are the goblins really so unintelligent as to stand up to such an opponent?


    Even if they had deployed ambush troops, I don''t think this advantage could be reversed so easily.


    While he has these doubts, he looks at the approaching goblins and thinks about the results of my own skill rating and that of the goblins.


    --[Skill Robbery Type A]


    The one that seemed most useful.


    No restrictions on use.


    Requires bare skin contact with the subject.


    If the skill is used ten times at level 1, it rises to level 2 regardless of success or failure.


    Above all, there is no limitation on use, and even if you fail, the level goes up. You can fail without worrying. It is a good skill. It''s a skill you should give top priority to.


    But, unfortunately, the conditions for raising the skill from level 2 to level 3 are unknown.


    And there are goblins with [Fire Magic Level 1] and [Wind Magic Level 1], and goblins with [Sword Art Level 1] and [Shield Art Level 1] in front of me.


    The other goblins either have no skills or have skills above level 2. Level 2 skills are attractive, but let''s take it slow and make sure we get the power. If you can afford it, look for skills above level 2.


    Now, how do I make contact? It looks like the opponent will die before we make contact.


    The guards around me seem reliable, so we simulate the flow from contact to steal quite comfortably.


    "Brother don''t go ahead."


    "I''m sure he''s right. you''re a light mage, so stay behind me."


    From the shadow of the carriage on the other side, I hear the worried voices of the escort people.


    "Thank you very much.  I won''t go in front because it would slow you down. But please let me stay here."


    He answered the guards and I peeked out in front with more than half of my body hidden behind the carriage.


    The street goblins slowly advance towards us, with the two in the vanguard raising their shields.


    That''s their objective, then. It''s a brazen move, as if they want us to shoot arrows at them.


    "What are you doing, brother ? Don''t you dare take a step ahead of the carriage!"


    Carla, one of the only three women in the convoy, grabbed me by the neck and pulled me back, where I could use the carriage as a shield. Apparently, I had gotten too far ahead of her.


    "I''m sorry," I said, "I''m not used to this. "


    I bowed deeply to Mrs. Cara as I half sat down to hide in the shadow of the carriage.


    The first thing you have to do is to get an idea of what you want to do. I had never been in a fight before.


    Besides, I might have been in a hurry to take advantage of the opportunity that had presented itself so quickly.


    "Brother, it''s not safe here either. Be very careful. There may be more ambushing us , especially on the forest side. "


    Carla-san said, then leaned her characteristic white spear, made of something that looked like bone, against the cart. Then she replaced it with a large bow and arrows.


    "Yes, thank you. I''ll be careful."


    In response to Carla''s words, I turned my attention to the forest that stretched to the right of the carriage.


    It is true that the forest is deep as soon as you move away from the road, . The forest was thick and green, partly due to the summer season. Large-leaved plants and tall grasses grew thickly. It was a good place to hide.


    I search the forest with my eyes, but see no suspicious activity.


    I return my gaze to the elf in front of me and simulate stealing again.


    No, there is almost no chance that I can make contact with the goblin while it is still alive.


    More importantly, there are more of them and their skill level is higher than ours. Ten members of the escort team and eleven merchants will fight, so a total of twenty-one people will take part in the fight.


    The numbers are overwhelming.


    The most important thing to remember is that goblins are not very smart. I''m not going to take any chances, no matter how great the difference in strength.


    Besides, there is no advantage to anyone but me. It is out of the question.


    I''ll have to tolerate and say that, if we''re lucky, we''ll rob them. Even that''s a very fanciful idea, when you think about it.


    Here they come. Watch out for the back three. The archers can use magic to distract them. And don''t neglect the flanks.


    Enos-san, eyes fixed on the goblins in front of him, gives another set of instructions.


    It''s amazing, I didn''t expect the three in the rear to be able to use magic. Once again, this convoy of people seems reliable.


    The two goblins in the vanguard approach this way and shoot arrows at the three in the rear.


    The goblins look surprised, as if they did not expect the attackers to ignore the vanguard and attack them from the rear.


    The three goblins in the rear are hit by several arrows each, and one of them dies.


    The other two are also dying. Please don''t let him die. As I prayed and watched, three arrows pierced my feet.


    At the same time, I felt a tremendous heat in my right shoulder.


    Had I been attacked? Fire magic?


    "It was coming from the side. As expected. There are more of them than before. Watch out."


    Enos-san''s instruction flew from the front.


    It wasn''t until I was attacked that I recognized my own stupidity and the flank attack.


    Wow, suddenly I was wounded in my first battle.


    The heat in my right shoulder was not from a fire magic attack, but from an arrow.


    I guess arrows feel hot before they wound. I thought nonchalantly, but I was actually pulling the arrow out with tears in my eyes.


    There was a return on the tip of the arrow. When I pulled it out, my flesh scraped and I felt intense pain. I felt like fainting , but it was fortunate that I used light magic while pulling it out, or I wouldn''t have shown such an abomination as fainting.


    Next to me, Carla from the escort team was looking at me with a surprised expression.


    I wondered if the scene where she was pulling the arrow out of my body, was too hard for the woman.


    I pretended not to notice Carla and healed my wound with light magic.


    Just to be safe, I also use light magic for detoxification.


    Even if it didn''t have poison in it, it was an arrow the goblin had and it was disgusting.


    The battle with the goblins that attacked from the flanks continues, but their numbers had decreased considerably and they are retreating from the path into the forest. It is only a matter of time.


    With that in mind, I assess the two goblins approaching from the front, who were but a breath of fresh air.


    They are alive. When he confirms the survival of the goblins that can use magic, I rush towards them. They are dying, I have to hurry.


    The two goblins are still alive.


    The battle continues, but it doesn''t matter. If I go, I will only slow them down. My priority now was to get the power.


    I activate the [Ability Steal Type A Skill] as written on the goddess''s letter.


    I put my hand on the goblin''s face and mentally shout.


    Type A, activate!


    I activate¡¾Skill Robbery Type A¡¿against goblins that can use¡¾Fire Magic Level 1¡¿and¡¾Wind Magic Level 1¡¿.


    failure, failure, failure, failure, failure, failure


    Five consecutive failures.


    Ah, well. I''m not going to get discouraged.


    Success! I have caught [Fire Magic Level 1]. I can feel it without evaluating it.


    I take more.


    Fail, fail, success. Well, I also took ¡¾Wind Magic Level 1¡¿ from it.


    After removing two spells from him, the goblin is of no use to me. I change the target to the goblin next to him to finish him off.


    Then, continuously activate type A on the other goblin.


    I failed continuously, but finally got it [Earth Magic Level 2].


    In addition, the [Robo Skill Type A] also leveled up and became level 2. Yes! That''s a good start, isn''t it?


    I couldn''t help but let my heart shrink.


    After finishing off the goblins that provided me with the earth magic, I turned my attention towards the forest.


    Only half of the guards were in a place I could see from here. The rest seemed to have moved deeper into the forest.


    However, judging from what I could see and hear, there was no sign of any fighting going on.


    It seems to be over.


    We headed into the forest where the guards were to see if there was any prey: surviving goblins.


    As we entered the forest, we saw the guards about a hundred yards in the background.


    "I was surprised to see them. You are all very strong."


    I called out to the guards who were in the shallower part of the forest.


    It looked like the battle was over after all. The ones who had been chasing Enos through the forest stopped around here.


    "You were able to finish them off , thank you very much."


    "No, that''s all I can do.  I''m very glad to be with all of you."


    I express my gratitude to the escort who thanked me, although I feel quite guilty. No, this gratitude is genuine.


    I look down at my feet and see only a living goblin.


    He has [Sword Art Level 1] and [Shield Art Level 1].


    Yes! He has punched me in the heart.


    I duck and grab the skill while pretending to finish him off.


    Type A, activate!


    As expected from Level 2. I only needed to make one mistake in each of the two Level 1 skills.


    After taking the skill, I finished off the goblin and set about cleaning up the fallen tree.


    "Michinaga, why don''t you take care of the work for the removal and check this side of the road.''"


    As I was helping to remove the fallen tree, Mr. Enos called out to me from the vicinity of the center wagon.


    "Yes, sir?"


    The people I was working with told me to go to Mr. Enos'' house because they had enough here, and I hurried up to the center wagon.


    "Excuse me, could you cure them for me?¡¡Of course I''ll pay you."


    Mr. Enos indicated that there were two guards with minor limb wounds and two merchant apprentices with arrow wounds.


    "Healing, right? I understand. But I don''t need any fee. I am in a position to help them. "


    I gladly accepted and, without waiting for the other party''s response, I immediately began the healing process.


    The most important thing to remember is that light magic costs nothing, it will heal until the magic runs out.


    Thanks to you, I now have a means of attack. I feel like I am more powerful. Well, actually, yes.


    I started healing them quickly.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    "I still have other minor wounds and injuries."


    "If anyone else still has minor wounds or injuries, please bring them to me."


    When I finished healing the merchant apprentice''s arrow wound, I asked for help.


    The expressions on the merchant apprentice and guard''s faces tighten at my words.


    Huh?¡¡You weren''t surprised before when I showed you how I used light magic in front of you, were you? Why are you surprised now?


    "You said you can still heal?¡¡You were healing your own shoulder just now, weren''t you, is everything okay there?"


    Carla pulled out a young merchant''s apprentice with a fresh cut.


    "Yes, I''m fine."


    "I see. Well, take care of this one for me too."


    She lightly patted my right shoulder with her left hand and I showed a relaxed expression, and Kara-san pushed the boy she had brought over to me.


    I take off his freshly applied bandages and start healing him with light magic.


    Come to think of it, light magic has been level 5 from the beginning. Is it like that for all transferees?¡¡While healing the boy, he remembered his own level of light magic.


    "You have such a high level of magical power, that alone makes you one of the best light magic users. You can get anywhere you want with just your light magic and magic power."


    "The amount of magic power is also amazing, but even deep wounds heal with great speed. why don''t you join us?¡¡You don''t have to answer right now. Take your time and think about it."


    carla-san looked at me while healing the boy and said with a serious expression on her face, followed by Enos-san, who had somehow come to my side.


    "Thank you very much. I appreciate the offer, but I''d like to think about it for a while."


    I was slightly disconcerted by the sudden rise in my own reputation, but I wanted to calm down a bit and get the information....


    ¡ó ¡ó


    I see, I''m one of the best light magic users in this world.


    If that''s the case, it''s very likely that all the people who have transferred like me have become top-notch magicians. It''s a good idea to look for the transferees I haven''t seen yet and cooperate with each other.


    Most of the fallen trees have been cleared. The caravan will be on its way soon.


    I climbed into the wagon and thought about the future while playing with Marielle.


    I don''t know what the average level of magic is in this world, but even in this convoy, which is considered very skilled, the one with the highest level of magic is the captain, Enos-san''s [fire magic level 3], and Barry-san''s [wind magic level 3]. And Barry''s [wind magic level 3]. The others, even if they have magic, they are level 1. There are more people who don''t have magic. No, there was one person who has [water magic level 2] and one person who has [fire magic level 2] among the captains.


    I guess ¡¾Light Magic Level 5¡¿ is quite high, although the sample is small.


    Sword and spear skills are slightly higher than magic, with a few people possessing level 3. The highest levels are still Enos [swordsman level 4] and Kara [spearman level 4].


    It seems safe to assume that physical attack skills are widespread, or easy to acquire, and the average level is relatively high.


    On the other hand, magical skills are difficult to master and probably not widespread. Therefore, we can expect the average level to be low.


    The actuality that I have mastered four attribute magic skills, starting from¡¾Light Magic Level 5¡¿, I can be a good explorer.


    However, it is no good to say "I have no combat experience but I have sword and shield skills. "


    I need to gain combat experience and back up my skills as soon as possible.


    I need to acquire knowledge of this world and gain combat experience. Also, we need to find and make friends with those who have moved on.


    There seems to be a lot to do.


    And, seeing that the word "level" doesn''t appear at all, there may not be such a thing as a level concept. I will be careful about this.


    After removing the fallen trees, the carts start moving.


    At this rate, we should be able to reach Thor''s city before sunrise.


    I hadn''t bathed since arriving in this world, and I was determined to find an inn with a bath while mocking Marielle who chattered about it.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    List of skills


    Michinaga Fujiwara


    Light Magic LV5


    Fire magic LV1


    Wind Magic LV1


    Earth Magic LV2


    Swordsmanship LV1


    Shield Magic LV1


    Robbery Skill Type A LV3


    Robbery Skill Type B LV1


    Skill Theft Type C LV1


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    (NT: last chapter of the day tomorrow I will upload more :D )

 CH 4

    December 20, 2022


    "I''ll be in town for a week. If you need help, come visit me."


    Mr. Dawn says anxiously, taking both my hands in his, still wearing his good-natured smile.


    "Yes, then I will ask for your help.  Thank you very much for your help this time. Thank you very much."


    I bow deeply to Mr. Dorn.


    I bow to the escorts and thank them deeply .


    Then I thanked Mr. Enos and the rest of the escort once again and took my leave.


    We arrived in the city of Thor as planned.


    The city is surrounded by walls, and there are guards stationed at the gates to control the people entering the city and the goods they bring.


    As expected, I was nervous going through the gate, but I was able to pass through easily without being asked for my ID.


    The only formalities I had to go through were the issuance of a temporary ID card valid only during my stay, the cost of the card, and the payment of the city entry tax.


    Of course, the card issued at the entrance was only temporary, so you had to go to the entrance or guard post every month to renew it.


    If you needed an official identity card, you had to apply to the municipal delegate or a guild.


    There are several guilds in the city, and any one of them serves as an identity card.


    If you have a card issued by a guild, you will be considered a member of the guild that issued it.


    However, you can change guilds if necessary, so it doesn''t seem necessary to get too nervous.


    I separated from the others and headed for the inn Enos had told me about, leisurely wandering through the town, which was brimming with an otherworldly atmosphere.


    No, that''s not it. A person and an animal?¡¡I''m with Mariel, the fairy stretching over my head.


    "Hey, Marielle. what''s the blessing of the fairies?".


    I asked Marielle, who was happily dancing a strange dance about 20 centimeters above my head.


    The fairy''s blessing was confirmed by the appraisal the goddess had given me. However, I couldn''t even tell what it was.


    It''s a mysterious ability. Or maybe it''s not an ability. It''s an ability, but it''s a blessing.


    "Do you want to know?"


    He was leaning forward with his hands behind his back, looking me in the face.


    " I want to know. "


    "Secret, heh heh heh."


    She seemed satisfied with my answer and smiled, but then she began to fidget strangely in front of my eyes.


    When I saw Marielle, who was very happy, I gave up without being able to ask her.


    "Well, tell me when you are ready."


    "Yeah, whenever I feel like it."


    After saying that, she perched on my right shoulder and sat as is.


    Is it unusual to have a fairy like that near you?¡¡Sometimes, people on the street look at me.


    I asked them : "Hey, is it unusual to own a fairy ?".


    "I don''t know. I''m a naive person."


    "I don''t know."


    I pass on trying to get Marielle''s opinion or common sense about fairies out of her.


    Well, that''s fine. I have a lot of things to gather, including common sense. I''ll take it easy.


    But most importantly, I need a place to stay and a bathroom.


    White Wolf Fang, this is it. Enos told me about this inn.


    I don''t know what the average inn in this world is, but Enos says it''s an above average inn in this town, and the only downside is that the food is bad.


    To be honest, I was a little skeptical about the bad food, but decided it would be fun to go out and find a good place to eat.


    The outside of the inn is not much different from other inns and restaurants in the same row.


    "I''d like to stay here, but do you have any rooms available?".


    As soon as I opened the door and walked in, I told the man at the counter, about 40 years old, what I wanted.


    He said, "Yes, we have rooms available. The room rate is 40 coppers per night, or 50 coppers with breakfast and dinner. The rate is payable in advance. If you are staying longer, we can give you a discount."


    It was a more polite answer than I expected.


    The money the goddess gave me as a starter kit was one gold coin and one hundred silver coins. Yes, I could live for a year if I stayed at the inn, but I wouldn''t last a year if I led a normal life.


    It seems that the standard of living the goddess had in mind was quite low.


    Considering the money I had on hand, I knew I couldn''t afford to take it easy.


    "I''ll stay for at least a week. And I have a fairy with me, is there any extra charge?¡¡Also, I''d like to use the bathroom, but I''d like to know how much it costs and how to use it."


    I didn''t want to cause problems later, so I first told them about the fairy and confirmed that I would use the bathrooms.


    "If you want to eat, there is an extra charge for it, but if you just want to stay overnight, there is no need to pay extra. The bath is an extra charge, ten copper coins per bath. Note that it is only from 17:00 to 20:00. "


    Is it a lodging book?" he explained kindly as he took out the book.


    "I''d like to stay here for a week without eating starting tonight. Also, I''d like to use the bathroom tonight, so I''ll pay for that too."


    I gave him three silver coins.


    The old man looked a little surprised, but handed me ten copper coins and a guest book.


    He had already confirmed that he could read and write. Without hesitation, I filled in the book with my name.


    "Then please come this way. "


    He rounded the counter, structured like a modern Japanese kitchen, and went out next to the guests. In his hand he carries a key and an A4-sized wooden board.


    There is no part of the counter that can be lifted, and no part of the counter has a door.


    is a very simple counter.


    Was it to keep the cost down or was there no such idea in the first place?


    I''ll ask later.


    As I learned from the conversation in the carriage, people here are not familiar with the knowledge and systems that are commonly used in modern Japan.


    It may be natural to say so, but I myself was surprised, and it seemed to me that the knowledge could be used as money as it is.


    There are a hundred people reincarnated.


    If I don''t do it, someone else will. Then the first one to do it would win. No, the one who spreads the knowledge and turns it into money would win.


    In any case, it seems that I won''t make any profit by giving away my own knowledge.


    With this thought in mind, I followed the old man upstairs, avidly observing my surroundings.


    The bathroom is on the second floor, so it''s a bit of a hassle.


    "Please come in, room 207. Here is the key. On your way out, please leave the key with one of the front desk staff. Also, here are some instructions, so please take a look at them later.  "


    The old man lightly lifted the key in his right hand, placed it on an A4-sized wooden board and held it out to me.


    I thanked him, accepted the wooden board and the key, and took a look around the room.


    The room he showed me was simple, about eight tatamis, with a bed, a chair and a closet.


    The windows were wooden, not glass. Overall, the room is dark - is it a standard room in this world? It is not very comfortable.


    "Thank you very much. I''ll be out in a little while. "


    I thanked him with a smile and entered the room, trying not to show my inner disappointment.


    I went into my room.


    "I''m tired - what are you going out for?"


    Marielle asked me, stretching over my head.


    "I was going to look around town and find a place to eat."


    I replied as I looked at the wooden board I had been handed.


    "I''m coming with you? we''re going together, aren''t we? we''re going together, aren''t we? "


    "Of course I''m going with you. I won''t leave you, you can be sure."


    Marielle pleaded, looking like she was about to cry. I felt sorry for her, but I said gently to reassure her.


    "I''m sure I can find a way to get a good price. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh.


    She danced happily in the air.


    That smile. Cute is cute, isn''t it?


    I put my luggage in the closet while dealing with Mariel flying around me. but I''m not sure if it''s a good idea to put it in the closet.


    ¡ó¡ó


    As I leave the inn, I look at the buildings along the street and casually glance at the people passing by. It is about six o''clock in the evening.


    Maybe it''s because of the season, but it''s still light outside. There are many people on the street and there is a lively atmosphere. There is a young woman walking alone, probably buying food for dinner. At least this street seems safe.


    "Let''s go for a little walk."


    "Okey."


    Accompanied by Marielle, I decided to walk around the village for a while in search of a restaurant where I could have dinner.


    The streets are wide enough for four horse-drawn carts to circulate side by side. According to what the fishmonger had told me earlier, it was a main street.


    The stores on both sides of the street are diverse. In addition to the food, household goods and clothing that are part of everyday life, there are also stores displaying weapons, armor and other mysterious objects.


    There are also many restaurants serving food. Most also function as bars.


    Ah, that. It''s quite a large building. Several horse-drawn carriages were parked in the adjoining square.


    We checked out the location of the scout guild, which was one of the objectives of our tour of the city. As the innkeeper explained to us, the guild is surrounded on one side by the main street and on the other three by the adjoining square.


    The squares on both sides, which are visible from here, are each as large as a soccer field.


    Although not visible from here, is there a training field in the back?


    "Michinaga, I''m hungry!"


    Marielle holds her stomach before my eyes, appealing to her hunger.


    It''s a little early, but let''s eat.


    "Do you want something to eat?"


    "Vegetables, I want fresh vegetables."


    Marielle answers my question with great alacrity.


    "All right, all right, vegetables."


    I pat Marielle''s head and she leans forward. As had happened during the trip, the fairy, or rather Marielle, is an omnivore, but she seems to like vegetables and fruits. She calls them vegetables, but she also eats fruits.


    ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó


    I entered a restaurant combined with a rather lively bar. It was a restaurant next to the inn. After all, I came back here. However, it''s good that it''s close by.


    When I entered the restaurant, I noticed a number of light magic tools.


    It is really different from an inn.


    I asked, "Can I eat from now on, and can I bring fairies with me?"


    I asked the clerk as soon as I entered the restaurant, just to make sure.


    "Yes, you can eat and the Fairy can accompany you".


    When the young waitress saw Marielle, she looked stiff for a moment, but immediately smiled again and assured her that there was no problem.


    She told me there was no problem. "Do you have any recommendations for today?¡¡Also, can I have some vegetables?"


    I didn''t really want to eat his recommendation, but I wanted to check if there was such a culture or custom.


    "Yes, today the grilled fish meal is recommended. Each meal costs five copper coins. The fish is dadaeng, freshly caught from the river this morning. "


    Then I''ll have a portion of that and some fresh vegetables, please. And some beer, if you have some.


    I had never heard of dadaeng before, but I hadn''t seen any strange fish in the river during the trip, and they sold it at the market, so I ordered the grilled fish dish. After playing with Marielle with a hemp string, the food arrived soon after.


    The raw vegetables were cut into appropriate sizes and placed on a plate. It seemed a bit overkill, but I pushed the whole plate towards Marielle. She immediately started biting into the vegetables. As usual, they were raw vegetables without any seasoning.


    Now for the dadang, a fish that looks like sea bass or black sea bass. This dadang and a few vegetables were served with a boiled sweet potato and a piece of bread as thin as naan.


    I was hesitant to try the grilled fish and bread combination, but I did.


    Yummy!


    Dadamg, it''s delicious, isn''t it?


    Starting tomorrow, I''ll eat all my meals here when it''s not too much trouble.


    "Marielle, I''m going clothes shopping tomorrow. I''d also like to buy clothes for Marielle, if you like. "


    I ask Marielle, who is chewing on a vegetable.


    "What, you''re buying me clothes?¡¡Wow, I''m so happy. "


    It holds a leafy vegetable such as spinach and jumps in the air. He has a lot of dexterity.


    If she has clothes that fit, that is. And I''ll have to sign up for the guild first.


    Seeing Marielle so excited makes me a little happy.


    After finishing the meal, we went straight back to the inn.


    After finishing the meal, I went back to the inn.


    I was tired from the trip and, as soon as I got into bed, I fell asleep.


    In bed, I realized that I had forgotten to bathe, but I couldn''t resist the drowsiness and fell asleep.


    I fell asleep.


    "Nooo. "


    I woke up with a small scream and half getting out of bed.


    What was that?¡¡My heart was pounding. I realized that I was pretty excited myself. I remembered the dream I had just had. Strangely enough, I can remember it clearly.


    It was Hiiragi. The cool feeling seems to still be there.


    I remember looking at my right hand. I reached out and touched that attractive, soft breast.


    I also remember what followed. Various things ...... various things ......


    At the end, after a generous tasting, I savored it.


    The sensations and voices come back to me vividly.


    What was that dream?


    I look out the window, wondering about the time. The sun is shining through the window. Is it morning already?


    Should I get up? As soon as I move my body to get out of bed, I stop moving.


    What''s the matter?


    What''s that? Oh, shit.¡¡Oh, shit. Did I do it? My underwear is dirty. Is it because of that dream?


    I can''t use water magic.


    "Good morning. How did you wake up?"


    Marielle spoke to me from above while I was changing my underwear, feeling happy, remembering my dream while feeling a little depressed.


    "''What, I''m changing my clothes, don''t look''.


    I hastily covered my front with the towel I had been wiping myself with and tried to disturb Marielle, but she didn''t care and wrapped her arms around my waist and flew to my underwear, which I had taken off.


    I was so nervous, so sensitive.


    "Hey, you can''t do that. "


    With a swift movement that shocked even me, I stepped past Marielle and defended my pants to the death.


    "Heh heh heh."


    She circles me again with that innocent smile on her face. This time at face level.


    "You''ve been busy this morning," he says. I don''t have time to take care of her.. "Can you shut up until I finish a few things?"


    Does he know?¡¡He doesn''t know, does he?¡¡No, he might. How much do fairies know about humans in the first place? The questions swirled around in my mind, but I kept my cool and relayed them in a cool tone of voice.


    "I''m so glad we succeeded."


    "What''s a success?¡¡You seem very happy?"


    I asked Marielle, who was jumping for joy.


    "It''s the blessing of the fairies. You must have had a pleasant dream."


    She smiled innocently and pointed to the dirty pants I was clutching.


    Fairy blessings? Pleasant dreams?¡¡Dirty pants...... that smile...... I get it.


    You did this to me.


    Next thing I knew, I understood everything and was yelling at Marielle.

 CH 5

    December 20, 2022


    After washing my pants and other things and feeling refreshed, I faced Marielle again.


    I used light magic to turn on a dim light in the room.


    It was fortunate that no one was awakened by the earlier screams.


    It was still dark. I consulted my wristwatch and saw that it was just after three in the morning. Fortunately, this world has the same rotation cycle as the Earth. Twenty-four hours a day.


    Water magic was not available, so I was allowed to use water from the outside well. Of course, since it was this time of day, I was not authorized, I was wrong. I will ask for permission later. I need to get the power of water magic as soon as possible.


    What kind of monsters have water magic?


    I''ll have to hurry up and acquire knowledge about demons as soon as possible. But still, there''s a lot to do.


    "So, everything you just said is true?"


    I reminded him in a stern tone as I sat on the bed.


    " Yes, it''s true."


    He continued his explanation with a bright smile on his face, as usual.


    " you can create your dreams freely. The voice and feeling are the same as in reality."


    "So, what about last night''s dream that Hiiragi-chan appeared in?"


    It is impossible for Mariel to know Hiiragi-chan.


    If that''s the case, did she look into my memory?¡¡That''s scary. Besides, there are a lot of inconveniences. I have to think about our future relationship.


    Or did he get into my dreams? Sounds like a succubus.


    Many questions swirl around me, but I try not to let my doubts and warnings show on my face and ask.


    "The girl from my dream, Hiiragi-chan. Marielle doesn''t know her, do you?".


    "I chose the girl who made the strongest impression on me of all the girls in Michinaga''s memory. I don''t know what kind of girl she is. I don''t know her face or her voice. All the girls in your dream were created by michinaga''s memories. And I let the girl do what she felt like doing the most."


    After a long explanation, unusually long for Marielle, she spins around me, spinning in circles. She even hums a song, though I don''t know what it is.


    "Or can you do a lot of things like that, like look into my memories, or my dreams, in more detail?".


    What''s that? he can look into my memories. and also into dreams?¡¡How interesting.


    When I said that, Marielle and I lay on our backs in the air, our legs spinning and laughing with our stomachs in our hands.


    I said, "Oh, yes, that''s right. You can''t enter my dreams, can you?".


    It seems my fears were unfounded.


    He smiled kindly, but confirmed what was important to me.


    "I''ll check to make sure. Everything feels and sounds just like it does in real life, right? Are you sure?"


    "It''s true, believe me. I won''t lie to you."


    So far she had smiled with her character, but now her eyes filled with tears.


    "I believe you. But to be sure, I need you to prove to me tonight in a dream that I''m right."


    I cut to the chase, acting as if nothing.


    "I can''t."


    "Why not?"


    I reflexively shouted at Marielle, who responded immediately.


    "Wahhhh very angry! You''re angry!"


    "No, I''m sorry. I''m not angry."


    The sound of her crying echoed throughout the room and I hurried to calm her down .But I''m also a little excited as I look back at the door when the cry echoes.


    "Really, you''re not mad?".


    She lets out a giggle and looks at me.


    "I''m not mad at Marielle, who I love."


    I''m not going to be mad at Marielle, whom I love dearly. I can''t let her bend. I was going to give the performance of my life. I don''t want to tell you that I got a little nervous when I saw Marielle looking at me, and that made me put on a little more energy.


    "Do you love me, you mean me, really, can I trust you?"


    What the hell do you expect, I want to ask her, her eyes shining with anticipation.


    "I wouldn''t stay with a girl I don''t like. There are men who say that, but not me. That''s why Marielle, you came with me didn''t you?".


    I''m impressed with myself.  Or maybe because she''s a little girl I can do it. Now it hit me.


    "Yes! That''s right. I chose Michinaga, "


    He jumps up in the air with a big smile, as if it were a lie that he was crying a moment ago.


    Isn''t it easy enough? This girl.


    She may now be looking at Marielle with the eyes of a poor child.


    "By the way, why can''t I have a dream tonight?


    I ask Marielle, kindly, calmly and affectionately.


    "The fairy blessing only works once every three days."


    This time, she says with a gentle twist. I wonder if she''s in a better mood now.


    What can I say, she''s a girl with a lot of emotional ups and downs.


    But still, once every three days, that''s too subtle. If I was in my thirties, maybe I would have accepted it. But now I''m 18. To be honest, I''m not satisfied.


    But let''s think about enjoying the benefits, not the frustrations.


    Yes, depending on how you look at it, this can be a great thing. As long as I have Marielle, it''s like having a harem.


    And you can choose who you want to be with, how many people you want to be with and what kind of situations you want to be in.


    She can be a girl you just passed on the street, or a princess, once you see her, you''re free to do whatever you want. You can do whatever you want in your dream.


    And the feeling is the same as in reality.


    It''s really a fantasy harem.


    ......No, that sounds a little sad. Let''s call it a dream harem.


    "I''ll think of all kinds of requests.  Now, one more nap and we''ll be on our way."


    I said quietly to Marielle, trying not to let my inner anticipation show, and decided to get another good night''s sleep until morning.


    ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó


    ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó


    ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó


    After breakfast at the restaurant the night before, , we headed to the Explorers Guild as we had planned.


    It was a little after seven o''clock.


    I had expected it, but morning in this city is early. Everyone on the street seemed busy as they rushed by.


    A few minutes ago, I passed a group of people who looked like dwarves and elves.


    Were they even drinking in the morning?


    Two dwarves and three elves, all smelling of alcohol, were chatting and laughing staggering left and right.


    I guess dwarves and elves aren''t bad friends.


    It was a moment that renewed my image of dwarves and elves.


    Still, it''s amazing that elves drink with dwarves until dawn. I know it''s a modern Japanese sentiment, but I can''t help but think about it.


    It''s not just dwarves and elves. People with beast ears and beast tails, called "beast men", also come and go as usual. In the game description there was no mention of discrimination of subhumans or beastmen.


    However, I was concerned because this is a common storyline in novels, etc., but they don''t seem to be discriminated against in any particular way.


    At least, from what I''ve seen so far, all races seem to be the same.


    I also saw several wagons. All were loaded with a great deal of goods. Of course, the items they carried varied.


    However, the most common items were food and things for livestock.


    There is not enough information to determine if the food is plentiful or not, but at least the distribution of food appears to be flourishing.


    "Clothes, new clothes. Clothes, new clothes, clothes Michinaga will buy me."


    They fly around me, saying loudly. she seems incredibly happy.


    Is one piece of clothing really a lot to be happy about?


    Well, when she came to get me, she said she left all her belongings in the nest, so I guess she''s happy to have a change of clothes.


    "Marielle, why don''t we postpone the scout guild thing and go shopping for clothes first!".


    I was looking at Marielle''s happy face and it popped out of my mouth.


    "Really? Really?¡¡Yes".


    She hugged me and smacked me on the nose.


    "Whaap! Don''t hug my face!"


    I continued to push Marielle away from my face.


    I felt sorry for her. Seeing her so happy made me want to see her face happier. I swallowed my words and nudged Marielle.


    "Look, I''m leaving you. "


    "I''m coming, I love you, Michinaga, I love you!"


    I wondered if the strange movements in the air and the way she flew were an expression of emotion, and watched her zigzag and fly after me.


    Cute is cute, isn''t it? Both in face and style. The only thing she lacks is her height. If only she were another 120 centimeters taller.


    Thinking about this, I headed to the clothing store.


    ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó


    Here or ......


    The store was located two streets away from the main street where the innkeeper was located.


    I froze in front of the clothing store the innkeeper had told me about. I didn''t dare enter the store. The store has large glass windows that allow you to see inside from the outside, and the interior is very bright. There is no window display, but it looks like a Japanese women''s clothing store.


    However, even from the outside, the store is crammed with small, fairy-sized, adorable clothes.


    Is this what a luxury store looks like? I''m not sure.


    I''ve never been in a women''s clothing store before, so this cute space was too much for me.


    After all, let''s do the scout guild first. ...... It''s not too late, is it?


    he first thing that comes to mind is Mariel''s sad face, but I''ll put my sanity first for now.


    " Sorry Mariel, but I think we should at least register with the guild first. ......?"


    I look to my side again, thinking about how to calm Mariel down, but she''s not there.


    What? She''s not there? Is she lost?


    I look around, panicking. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a familiar object hovering.


    It was Mariel.


    There she is: ...... in the store. Why are you in that place? You!


    Behind the glass, I almost shout at Marielle, who was gleefully holding her clothes in a clothing store specializing in fairies.


    Should I run away?


    Leave Marielle behind, but would a man do that?


    But I don''t have the courage to enter this store ......


    If I run away, I''ll lose my harem.


    No, it''s different. I would lose Marielle.


    I made up my mind and gently opened the door to the clothing store.

 CH 6

    December 20, 2022


    I will start correcting the mistakes of the past chapters, plus I''m looking for new projects if you have a suggestion, please leave it in the comments. ©c(''¨Œ`)/


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Following Marielle, I quietly open the door and step into the store.


    "Welcome."


    I was greeted by a quiet, calm voice.


    He seemed to be writing something down. He stopped holding the pen and looked at me with a gentle smile.


    "I''m sorry. He touched your clothes without permission, it was an oversight of mine."


    I apologize to the woman behind the counter who was writing something.


    "No, it''s fine. Please take your time to look at it. It''s fun just to look at it. "


    The woman put down her pen, stood up quickly and pointed with her left hand to the products displayed at the back of the store. She did not criticize our action, but rather recommended it.


    She had a straight back and good posture.


    A woman with good posture looks graceful just by her appearance.


    I thanked the woman at the counter with a slight nod and turned my attention back to Marielle.


    Following Marielle''s movements, the interior of the store jumps out naturally.


    The store is much larger than it appears from the outside, and there are many more products on display, both in number and variety.


    It looks like a combination boutique and luxury store.


    However, the exhibits are all fairy-sized.


    The large windows let in a lot of outside light, making the store very bright.


    There are also lots of lamps. Last night, the Atari restaurant also had a lot of lamps, but nothing compared to this.


    Glass and lights, they spend a lot of money on equipment. The clothes look expensive too.


    I was under the impression that these were doll clothes, but am I wrong? If they are too expensive, I will make Marielle cry.


    "Marielle, Let''s take a look at them all and see what you like and then we''ll decide which one you want. Besides, we''d get tired if we had to carry so many things."


    I guide her to choose the clothes in a way that causes as little trouble to the store as possible.


    "I know. Michinaga, take this."


    She put a few small garments and flew off to find other clothes.


    "I''m sorry," I said, "Can I borrow this place for a moment?".


    Apologizing again to the woman behind the counter, she folded the clothes Marielle had given her on the counter.


    "Oh, no, it''s okay. you can leave it here."


    She began folding Hada''s clothes while looking at me from behind the counter.


    She was a beautiful woman in her early twenties with brown hair. She was wearing fluffy, baggy clothes that looked like they were on display in the store.


    I was fascinated by the way she folded the fairy clothes.


    The large, taut twin hills assert their presence through the clothing, tailored with a large slit in the chest.


    The fact that she looks down from above also helps me see about half of the rich twin mountains. It''s a nice view.


    "Talia, this guy has his eyes glued to your cleavage. "


    Suddenly, words to my heart begin to fall from above.


    I look up startled and see a male fairy hovering in the air with a proud expression on his face.


    "No! Since when, who, who? "


    I was at a loss for words. It was all I could do to keep my mouth from watering as I looked alternately at the floating fairy, the employee and Miss Talia.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    "I''m really sorry."


    it''s been years since I''ve been on my knees, a long time indeed. I try to look sincere just in case.


    Marielle steps on the back of my neck like this.


    "It''s okay, please get up. I don''t mind such a thing."


    Talia''s hand touches my shoulder to wake me up as I drop to my knees, looking genuinely Confused . I see Talia-san crouched on the floor.


    "Yes, I''ll take your word for it then."


    When I look up, I see again those twin dunes, bare and abundant. My eyes are once again riveted on them. Damn it, I hate myself.


    But this is where a man shines. I lift my face and look at Thalia, the store owner.


    "Thalia, this guy was looking at your breasts again. This time he was looking at them closer than before. "


    Oh, no, I can''t help it.


    She looks at me with reddened cheeks at the words of the evil fairy who has a demanding expression on her face.


    He crosses his arms and hides his chest ...... but he''s not doing it. It''s because he''s pushing them up. The wonderful twin dunes are accentuated even more.


    "No, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to do that. I''m telling you the truth, I''m not lying."


    I desperately repeated the explanation I didn''t understand while stealing a glance at him so Miss Talia wouldn''t notice.


    "It''s okay, onni-san. Talia is dressed like that because she wants to be seen, right Talia?"


    echoed the voice emanating from the beautiful fairy.


    She whispered something else in Talia''s ear as her cheeks reddened.


    Her cheeks turned even redder at the whisper, and she twisted her body with glee.


    What the hell did he whisper to her?¡¡I''m curious. I''m very curious.


    ¡ó¡ó


    Marielle is delivering clothes and shoes of her choice to Talia, who admired her with her sensual expression.


    But what is the relationship between Talia and the beautiful fairy? I can''t help but think that this is a rather dangerous relationship.


    The fairy talking naked in front of me, whom I meet for the first time, told me about the dream. Not only that, she even told me how to request the content of her dream and what kind of dreams there are.


    Talia-san was also listening to the Fairy''s story, squirming, not stopping . She was also breathing heavily.


    Besides, the beautiful fairy was interrupting Talia''s writhings and struggling with her words in conversation. It was a good duo, or rather, a dangerous duo. I couldn''t get enough of watching them.


    In any case, they are dangerous. She is a dangerous woman in many ways. Let''s not get too involved.


    She said, "We''re like-minded people, aren''t we? I hope to work with you in the future."


    When she offered me the bag containing my clothes, she looked at me with a haunting look, her face turned upwards.


    Oh no, I label myself as the same type of person.


    I had to hurry and get out of this place, my rational mind screamed, but I couldn''t take my mind and eyes off Talia.


    Please don''t look at me with wet eyes. I''m going to lose.


    "Yes, please, I don''t know much about fairies and stuff, so I''d appreciate it if I could keep consulting you ."


    I lost, I lost.


    There I was, pretending to accept the offered bag of clothes, holding Talia''s hand firmly underneath the bag.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    We left the clothing store with its dangerous owner, "Con Hada", a store specializing in fairy clothing, and headed to the Seekers Guild.


    We were in the clothing store for about an hour. Even if we took our time, there was still time for lunch.


    I don''t know how much time I''ll have to spend at the guild, but I''ll finish checking in first or I can have lunch on the way.


    Or we could save money and have lunch at a food stand.


    In the end, we bought enough clothes, underwear, shoes and accessories for Mariel for two months.


    Anyway, I was planning to work soon, either using my modern knowledge or becoming a scout, so I didn''t mind spending a little money.


    As soon as we left Talia''s store, Marielle was hopping around the bag containing her clothes.


    Her expression is also animated.


    I think she smiles and laughs, then says something under her breath. When I think she is smiling, she twists in the air holding her shoulders with both hands, as Talia did earlier.


    Maybe she was influenced by Talia?


    She must be very happy.


    I never tire of watching her facial expressions and movements. Her cute appearance also makes me feel at home.


    On my way to the scout guild, I looked around.


    As expected, the street is not far from the main street, and there are many people passing by during the day.


    Just like yesterday afternoon, there were a surprisingly large number of women walking alone.


    As I expected, it is a safe street.


    I had heard Dawn say that it was a safe city, although there were a lot of fights because there were a lot of scouts and rough people.


    But what does it mean to be safe when there are constant fights?


    Does it simply mean that there is little violent crime or that there is but it is strictly controlled?


    As I pondered these questions that would never resolve my own thoughts, I came to the front of the Explorer''s Guild.


    The guild building is a three-story structure, with the first floor made of stone and the second and third of wood. It was striking because the surrounding buildings, whether stone or wood, were all one or two stories.


    On either side of the building is an open space the size of a soccer field. According to the information we had obtained beforehand, this square is mainly used as a parking lot for the carriages of the merchants who came to buy materials, or as a temporary market. And there are two squares of the same size in the back, one is a training ground and the other is a place to buy materials.


    From the information I had obtained beforehand, the atmosphere of the scout guild should be quite similar to that of the adventurer''s guild in the novels I had read in Japan.


    "i beg you to keep quiet in the guild."


    I reminded Marielle, who was flying by the bag containing the clothes.


    She nodded, not taking her eyes off the bag.


    Inside the bag are underwear, five changes of clothes and three pairs of shoes.


    The clothes are baggy, fluffy and elegant.


    "When we get back to the inn, we''ll change, okay?"


    "Yes."


    She responds to my words with a big smile on her face.


    She''s going to put on the cute clothes I just bought. I''m so excited. I can''t wait to see her put them on and change.


    I open the door to the guild with the scene of Marielle changing clothes in my mind.

 CH 7

    December 21, 2022


    When you enter the guild, inside there is a counter to the left of the door that divides the room in two.


    There is a gap between the counter and the wall at both ends of the counter, a gap large enough for a person to pass through. As in the inn, there was no way to flip the countertops or doors installed.


    On the wall to the right there are several sheets of paper, probably those containing the details of the requests, pasted all over the place. As the innkeeper had told me.


    The papermaking technology must be advanced.


    As I thought when I was with Dawn and the others, I realized that paper seems to be relatively cheap in this world.


    The walls are covered with applications.


    Also, if there are so many applications left, presumably there are either not many Explorers, or the demand is so good that they are not running out of applications.


    In any case, there seems to be no shortage of work.


    It may be a better city than I thought.


    On this side of the counter there were about 40 people looking like scouts.


    Maybe it was because it was mid-morning, but there were more people around than the innkeeper had told me.


    The woman at the reception desk and some of the scouts looked at us and showed mild surprise. I suppose it is inevitable that the meaning of surprise is different for women and men. Their glances go back and forth between Marielle, who hovers above me, and me.


    The meaning of each reaction was told to me earlier by the owner of the clothing store.


    The most important reason for this surprise, common to both sexes, is that fairies do not wear bondage collars.


    A bondage collar is simply a magical device to compel a slave to do as one says.


    The absence of it proves that the wild fairy accompanies you willingly.


    The fact that a wild fairy accompanies you means that the amount of magical power of its companion is extremely high.


    It is said that a wild fairy will not even look at you unless you have more than ten times the amount of magic power of an average person.


    In other words, people around the guild would assume that an unknown mage with a large amount of magic power suddenly came to the guild.


    A mage with a large amount of magical power alone would be an object of interest and caution.


    If he seems to be useful, he will be investigated. If he seems dangerous, they will keep their distance. Is it too embarrassing to think that people have that kind of thought about me?


    I headed straight for the window where the senior receptionist was standing, heedless of the curious and surprised eyes of those around me.


    Of course, internally , I was praying that I wouldn''t fight with her or tangle with her, she''s very tempting.


    However, I was sure I wouldn''t get into a fight so easily.


    "Sorry, I''d like to register as a scout.  I just came out of the field, so there are a lot of things I don''t understand, could you explain them to me?".


    When I got to the senior receptionist, I tried to look as polite as possible and spoke to her.


    She said, "Yes, we will take care of everything here. Please ask me if there is anything I don''t understand. Excuse me, but how well do you read and write?


    He was probably doing some paperwork while he had some free time, and he smiled at me as he put aside the papers he was working on.


    I had made the right decision. I was right to choose the older woman. I didn''t get flustered or stumble over my words, and she handled the situation in a familiar way.


    "Thank you very much for your help. Please start with the registration. I can read and write perfectly."


    I guess they thought I was illiterate because I told them I was from the countryside.


    I remember Dawn''s story.


    She was saying that in urban areas the literacy rate is over 60%, but in the countryside there are many people who cannot read or write.


    In terms of calculus, the situation is even more serious.


    There are a good number of people who know how to add and subtract, but when it comes to multiplication and division, even in urban areas, less than 20% of the population can do it.


    People working in the royal palace and gentlemen can do simple multiplication and division.


    Only merchants, government workers and those in the upper echelons of the royal court are said to be able to perform complex calculations.


    It seems that those of us who have moved on to a new world where we are valued only because we can do arithmetic operations.


    "Then please fill in the necessary information here."


    The woman at the reception desk smiled at me and offered me a sheet of A4 paper, a pen and ink.


    I thanked her and glanced at the form.  There were only four fields to fill in: name, age, gender and specialties.


    "What should I write in the "specialties" column?"


    "If you know how to use magic, write the magic attribute, and if you have a weapon you''re good at, write it. If you have other skills, such as production or special skills, write those in as well."


    "I don''t have to write it all down honestly, do I?"


    The receptionist responded with a soft tone and an expression that said, "I know what you''re talking about."


    Of course, this is also based on the information I got from the old man at the inn.


    "Yes, of course. It is enough that you provide the guild with the information you think they should know. However, depending on what skills the guild knows you have mastered, we can appoint someone to you . "


    He must have thought I didn''t know anything about it, so he told me without expressing surprise.


    The explanation was the same as what I had heard from the innkeeper beforehand.


    "Thank you very much. Now, please register with this."


    I filled out the form and returned the sheet , pen and ink to the woman at the counter at the front desk.


    Name: Michinaga Fujiwara


    Age: 18 years old


    Sex: male


    Specialties: light magic, fire magic, wind magic, swordsmanship, shield techniques.


    "Thank you very much. Please wait a moment. I will issue your guild card now."


    The woman at the reception desk looked at me in surprise for a moment as she checked the form, then turned her gaze back to the form and instructed me what to do without taking her eyes off the form.


    Crap. I forgot to ask her how long it would take.


    But oh well. There''s still time to eat. Let''s go look at the requests on the board to kill time.


    There are three large chalkboards on the wall. Each of them is filled with requests.


    I see that the requests are sorted and placed on each board.


    "Hey, are you a fairy lover too?"


    says a voice behind me, not very loud, but clear.


    I turn to the voice and see a man in his 30''s carrying a fairy on his left shoulder. Was it the same man who had just called out to me? I answer the man.


    "Yes, I''m a beginner."


    You can tell by the way the fairy is dressed.


    The man with the fairy on his left shoulder laughs and continues.


    "I''m Thor, do you plan to stay here long, brother? There''s a fairy lovers'' meeting next month. If you feel like it, give me a call."


    The man who introduced himself as Thor sketched a good-natured smile.


    "I''m not sure how long I''ll be here yet, but if you''re going to be here, I''d appreciate it."


    I replied kindly. Relationships are important. Especially this guy, he seems nice.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Thor. I''d like to talk to him, if that''s okay."


    "Hmm?  Oh, sure. See you later, brother."


    Mr. Thor waves his hand slightly, flashes a friendly smile and exits the place.


    A young boy interrupts the conversation and steps in front of me.


    Compared to Mr. Thor, he is much smaller and thinner.


    "Hey, you," he says to me, "you''re a beginner, right?  I''ll let you join my group if you want to."


    The boy, who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, began with a cocky face and tone of voice without any introduction, let alone a greeting.


    A fourteen or fifteen year old boy calling me "you" without knowing me? I''m supposed to be eighteen, so I''m older than you.


    Well, I''m at an age where I want to grow up, so I''ll tolerate it.


    "Thank you. But you guys seem like beginners, not that different from me."


    I was going to be indulgent, but when I saw his impish face, my mischievousness kicked in and my tone turned mocking. Forgive me, boy.


    My words were followed by the chilling voices of the people around me.


    "They''re unmasking you, Roddy."


    "Until last week, you were apprentices and only allowed to work as a baggage handler."


    "They''re taking advantage of you, Roddy."


    "You''ll never have a party of your own if you keep this up."


    The boy they called Roddy blushed at the jeers and agitation of the people around him.


    It seems I hit the nail on the head and he was a beginner himself.


    However, I do feel a little sorry for him.


    "You humiliated me because you thought I was younger than you! I''ll give you some practice. Come to the training ground."


    Suddenly he raised his voice and started walking towards the door leading to the training room.


    I was surprised by his sudden reaction.


    Oh yeah?


    Suddenly he got into a fight with an unknown wizard. Is it possible that I''m wrong? Maybe wizards aren''t something that pose a danger.


    There were about three people following Roddy. So he had friends.


    Just to be sure, I evaluate Roddy, but he only has basic combat skills.


    Really? ......


    I''m impressed that you would get into fights with this, I was at a level where it didn''t matter if the other guy was a mage or not.


    Scary to be an unprincipled young man, isn''t it?


    But still, you got entangled in a guild according to the environment, but the other side ...... seems weaker than you, and a child. I can''t help but feel that I have a terrible stench of little coming from me.


    But I couldn''t stop thinking about what I was doing and how to do it.


    And all I could hear around me was the sound of people screaming. Everybody having a good time.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    "You''re late."


    I walked out onto the training field, depressed by the faint smell emanating from me, and was greeted by my opponents yelling at me.


    People followed me onto the training field. I was pushed into the center of the training area by the crowd of people exiting one after another.


    It''s a big place.


    Walking slowly, I look around the training field. It was probably bigger than a soccer field.


    I had imagined that the training field would be modeled after various terrains and equipped with training equipment, but it was nothing more than a simple open space.


    "I''ll make it easy on you as a reward."


    Perhaps it was a phrase he had been told himself. He spoke to me with an air of smugness.


    No, that''s enough. Don''t say anything, I''m getting embarrassed listening to this.


    Besides, this is just a fight between kids, isn''t it?


    Let''s get it over with.


    I take the wooden sword and leather shield they gave me earlier.


    No, wait. I''m going to test my skill with the level 1 sword and shield.


    "Guys, get out of my way! Get out of my way!"


    Shouts and murmurs came from the guild door.


    "Guys, the fun is over. Now they''re going to duel us, holy so get out of the way. "


    A bald man entered with a stern voice.


    "Is Zack in trouble again?"


    "-Who is it?¡¡I''m sorry."


    "I don''t like him, but he''s a good man."


    I had a feeling I didn''t like him very much, but that was to be expected.


    When I looked at Roddy, he was in the field and looked pale.


    Well, he seems to know the world a little. He''s not as unprincipled as you might think.


    I sized up Zack, a man of low sentience, and he''s strong. He only has level 1 fire magic, but his martial skills are level 2 across the board: sword, spear, bow, axe, and shield.


    I wonder if I''ll be able to steal at least one of his skills. Thinking about this, I grabbed Marielle and entered the camp.

 CH 8

    December 24, 2022


    (Merry Christmas, I''ve been busy so I haven''t been able to update. Starting tomorrow I''ll be back with daily updates, thanks for your support).


    ___________________________________________________


    I hear an angry voice behind me. I turn around and see a guy with a big beard coming out of the guild door.


    Following the big mustached guy, about four people come towards us.


    Oh shit, even if I''m going to blend in with the crowd, what am I going to do if you blend in between where you''re playing and the entrance/exit?


    Cursing my own stupid behavior, I size up the opponent Zack coming towards me.


    "It''s that bastard of a Helfried!"


    "I''m rooting for Zack."


    "Go for it, Zack."


    Surprisingly, the one with the big mustache Hellfried seems less supportive than Zack. The cheers for the bald guy are getting louder, though that''s probably relative.


    More and more people are gathering on the training field, which is about the size of a soccer field.


    Looking around, there must be about a hundred people.


    A few minutes ago there were not even seventy people, including those in the practice room and in the guild building. Where did all these people come from?


    the number of people keeps growing.


    In proportion to the number of people, the cheers, shouts and murmurs get louder. Some don''t even look like scouts.


    "Is the "Helfried" heading this way at the moment, is he in any trouble?"


    I catch the twitch of his beard out of the corner of my eye as I speak loudly to the young man in his early twenties next to me, trying not to get lost in the clamor and noise of the surroundings.


    "Trouble?" That Hellfleet guy is always causing trouble. Last week he took some rookies like you to the dungeon by force and finished off three of them. And that''s not all. There''s no proof, but there are rumors that he''s been attacking other people in the dungeon."


    He started looking at me from the middle of his speech with his mustache, as if he had a grudge against me.  my voice was getting louder and louder with the help of the surrounding clamor and noise.


    "It''s terrible. the knights do nothing?and what about those four next to that Hellfried?"


    My voice grows louder as the clamor grows louder and louder.


    "The Knights don''t move without proof. Even if there is, they rarely move. Those four are the members of your group. They are all skilled. The newcomers are easy targets. They must be careful."


    He immediately answered my question. I wasn''t sure about the knighthood, but the four cronies are as I expected..


    I could see that they were all skilled. All of them have some kind of weapon skill at level 2.


    They are noisily threatening around them and pushing the audience away as they head towards the center of the room.


    They may be trying to intimidate, but they are also waving their weapons around while shouting.


    What a bunch. They walk through the crowd as the others make way for them.


    They must be flaunting their power. I once saw monkeys doing the same thing on TV on Earth.


    Frankly, I want nothing to do with this thing.


    I was trying not to make eye contact and a stern mustached man walked past me.


    What a depressing and annoying thing to watch.


    As he patted my chest in relief, one of his companions swung his spear lightly over my head.


    Cack


    "What the fuck are you doing?"


    A small scream is followed by the sound of a man''s angry voice. It was the man wielding the spear. He was looking at us with a terrible look. But still, these people have been looking here and there for a few minutes now.


    I reflexively grabbed the spear that was being wielded at Marielle.


    Marielle hides behind my back. Well, she doesn''t seem to be hurt, and she seems to be safe.


    "I''m sorry if I was rude. But this fairy is mine, could you please not be so rough with her?"


    I bowed my head, slowly removed my hand from the spear and slipped a silver coin into the man''s palm.


    He said, "Hey, kid, you think you can get away with this?".


    The spearman smiles and his voice is just amazing, as if he thought he might get more for my answer.


    "No, this is just to settle the matter. I''ll send you my apologies later."


    He smiled politely and bowed his head again and again.


    "Hey, guys, come on."


    The spearman was in a good mood as he said this and headed towards the center of the room with his sternly bearded cronies.


    "Michinaga, are you all right?"


    "Hello, brother. I''m not going to tell you anything bad, just get out of town while you can."


    Marielle who spoke to me worriedly, was followed by several people calling me worriedly.


    "Thanks, but I''m not sure, But I''m fine."


    I thanked them for their concern and called Marielle to reassure her as well.


    "Mariel is fine," I said, "You have nothing to worry about. Everything is going is fine."


    I assured Marielle that she was not hurt.


    I''m probably looking very proud of myself right now, or maybe I have a malevolent look on my face.


    Despite the concerns of those around me, I check my own abilities.


    Swordsman level 2


    Type B, 1 level of Swordsman and 1 level of Squire are consumed - new power taken from the sacrificial victim.


    Art of theft level 2


    igot is continuously activating the type A. although, it still has a low success rate.


    Shield technique level 4


    This is the skill that caught my attention the most. Maybe that man is the tank or shield of this group. I was able to catch him with type C. It was fortuitous. It can only be activated once every hundred days, but I got him with one shot.


    I don''t know what to say after taking someone''s ability away, but considering the difference in skill levels, I don''t think I would lose in a one-on-one fight with Hellflet''s group members right now.


    Besides, I have level 5 light magic.


    Most wounds can be healed quickly.


    Yes, I''ve grown a lot, haven''t I?


    All I have to do is be careful not to be outnumbered. Hopefully, like I did before, I can sneak up on them with a little money, sneak up on them and steal their abilities.


    Once the abilities are taken, they are mine , and the rest is up to me.


    But we don''t have the numbers. What are you going to do?


    Hellflet has one more.


    Group fight? You mean a group battle?No, in this case, a team battle. It''s kind of like a boys'' manga.


    Looking at the center, a bald guy and a big bearded guy were looking at each other as if facing each other.


    A circle of spectators had formed as if to keep them at a distance.


    The spectators kept a great distance from them, as security from the damage that could be caused by a magical attack, a stray fireball, for example.


    "I''m going to fuck them all."


    Said the big bald man loudly as he stared at the stern mustached man, and the audience fell silent.


    The audience falls silent and, in contrast, the stern mustached man''s party erupts in laughter.


    "Hey, you can get fucked without getting fucked, don''t get me wrong."


    Urges the member of the severe mustache party amidst the echoing laughter of his friends.


    "Um, I''m new to this kind of thing, so I was wondering if you could tell me. are you guys going to fight life and death ?"


    "It''s a duel. Well, it doesn''t usually take a life, but you''ll still be severely wounded. Of course, even if you die, I can''t complain."


    I asked the young man next to me in a whisper, and he answered as I expected.


    "Are there always duels?".


    "No. Only idiots duel. There aren''t that many idiots."


    I asked him, with a sense of dread, what he was talking about.He told me with a sense of sarcasm.


    Apparently, I asked a stupid question.


    However, I don''t feel sadness or excitement when I hear people killing each other. What there is is a bit of fear and a euphoria that overcomes it.


    Has the atmosphere poisoned me? Have I ...... changed myself or is it innate ......


    I can''t help but think about it.


    There is fear, of course. But the euphoria far outweighs it. Let''s follow this euphoria for now.


    Still, I thought I couldn''t be so sweet for, to be able to get a high level of skill without much effort.


    No, it''s a "delicious" stealing skill I''ve acquired, but it''s more than I expected.


    I hadn''t realized that desire could so easily overcome fear.


    "Hey, Michinaga. I''m scared. Let''s go home. Let''s go home and get dressed."


    My thoughts are interrupted.


    Still, you make it sound like you''re naked.


    Am I forgetting that I still have a confrontation with Roddy''s boys, or am I blurting it out because I want to get away from this place? Marielle wants to leave all the time.


    "Don''t worry, don''t be afraid."


    I call to Marielle, lightly touching her head.


    "Hello, brother, can you give us some coins too?".


    As I was observing the situation going on in the center, I was suddenly met from behind with a disturbing and unjustifiable comment.


    As I turned my attention back to my surroundings, I realized that I was surrounded by two people to my right and one to my left before I knew it. All three were in their 20s?


    "What the hell are you doing? Let''s go outside."


    With a smirk and a prickly laugh, one of the men on the right points his chin towards the door, revealing a knife.


    I see, he saw the exchange with the spearman earlier. He seems to have understood that if he threatens me, I''m an easy target to hand over the silver coins.


    They are very dynamic when they take action, as you just did.


    Is this it? If you show weakness, they will take advantage of you. This is exactly how bullies behave.


    That means I''m the target of bullying, even though I don''t have to be.


    I certainly value all three of them, but they are useless. They don''t have any remarkable skills. They all have throwing skills, but other than that, only one of them has dagger skills, and all of them are level 1.


    The Roddy guy from earlier also has throwing skills.


    Maybe he was throwing rocks between luggage and baggage? Does that mean those goons were also throwing rocks for real?


    It''s a junk skill , but I was thinking of robbing them for a sacrifice, but decided against it. I felt a little sorry for them when I imagined them desperately throwing stones while carrying luggage.


    However, I don''t want them to keep asking me for money. Besides, there is no guarantee that others like them won''t show up.


    I have no choice but to try a little harder.


    "Excuse me. I''m two people short, but could you let me do it?".


    Mr. Thor and others stopped me, but I thanked them and headed straight for the thugs.


    He said to me, "What are you doing, kid?"


    the bald one asked me, looking at me with a terrible expression on his face.


    "I have a lot of things to tell you, could you not go into details?".


    I told him as if I held a grudge.


    No, in fact I do hold a grudge.


    It is true that I had to throw myself into the duel because I gave that spearman a silver coin.


    More than anything else, the spearman aimed his spear at Marielle.


    He said to her, "You''re going to die, you know that?"


    Said a stern, bald man, looking directly at me with sharp eyes. He wasn''t staring at me, but his eyes were very powerful.


    "Thank you for caring. But I''m not going to die. I know what I''m doing. I can even use magic."


    The sad thing is that it''s something I got from taking away a skill, not from a training or battle royale.


    "Here, the brash and the cocky don''t live long. You are both. You have enough potential for an early death. I can''t be responsible for what happens to you, but you''re okay with that, right?".


    He confirmed in a stern tone. Oh? That''s surprisingly good, isn''t it?


    "Yes, I''m fine. I don''t intend for anyone else to take the blame."


    On the surface, I try to appear calm and collected, but does it work?


    In any case, my heart is not only pounding, it''s racing inside. It''s a miracle my legs aren''t shaking.


    "He''s calm and says he''ll do it. Let him try."


    One of the stern bald men said something extremely ruthless and irresponsible.


    I remember this guy. I''ll get even with you later.


    "Hmm. I''ll let you choose your partner. Who do you want? You must have a grudge."


    "Thanks."


    I thank the stern bald man and point the sword at the man who had just taken away his abilities.


    "Let me get that guy with the short spear."


    "Are you an idiot?"


    The voices of the stern bald man and his friends overlapped.


    He''s the most troublesome of them all. He''s a first-class shield manipulator, even for a guy like that.


    I wouldn''t come up to his heels when it comes to handling a shield.


    I continue with a confident smile.


    "Don''t worry, I have magic, so I''ll take care of it."


    I reply in as cheerful and light-hearted a tone as possible, so as not to let my inner anxiety and fear show through.


    Besides, that guy is the weakest right now, so if I want to be safe, it''s still that spearman.


    I''m sure he can''t hear our conversation, but the spearman is looking at me with a red face. You don''t think he''s the best, do you? The latter is preferable, because we want to see how the others fight.


    While I was praying, a man with level 1 fire magic came out from that side.


    Fire magic, come to think of it, I haven''t seen fire magic yet. I wonder how good level 1 is. Will we see it in this match, I have high expectations.


    On this side, he''s a standard sword and shield user with a light warrior aspect.


    At the signal to start, the Light Warrior unleashes a series of slashes, keeping the enemy at bay at all.


    In terms of skill level, ours is superior to his. If there is an element of defeat, it depends on the effect of fire magic.


    "No!"


    "Aah!"


    The sound of my gasp and Marielle''s scream echo.


    I jump back, rolling with Marielle in my arms. A fireball lands where I was and the flames spread.


    "Whew!"


    I roll even further to escape the spreading flames, but I don''t make it in time. My right leg was engulfed in flames.


    "What are you doing?"


    Zack, who was hiding behind a large shield, cursed.


    I didn''t quite make it out, but I heard the others curse as well.


    "No, call me careless, maybe, but the other party was to blame, wasn''t it?"


    I''m not sure if it''s their fault or not.It was a big fire. ......


    Marielle, the only one who was worried about me, looked at my right leg and was speechless.


    I couldn''t believe that fire magic suddenly flew at me.


    "It''s a team duel, it''s normal for attacks to come at you."


    In the middle of my sentence, Zack''s furious voice overlaps to drown it out.


    Is it obvious?


    If you look closely, you''ll see that everyone is on alert, equipped with shields, except me, both friend and foe. I see, it seems I was just ignorant.


    I''m sorry, I didn''t know.


    "You didn''t know? You didn''t become a scout yesterday or today, did you?"


    Zack, who became even more heated at my words, shouted angrily at me as if he wanted to hit me.


    "No, I just filled out the application. My guild certificate should be in the process of being prepared."


    I speak sincerely while healing everything but the surface of my leg with healing magic.


    Zack is speechless and his expression hardens. The expressions on the faces of not only him, but also those around him change as they look at me. Apparently, they are quite surprised.


    It''s the kind of surprised look you often see in novels.


    In any case, it''s the first time they''ve been so surprised since he came into this world, isn''t it?


    We bring awareness back into the game for Zack and his team.


    But still, they''re terrible people to suddenly shoot fire magic at us. No, the rules are even worse than that. It''s not even possible to calmly observe the game.


    The guy who shot the fireball was offering me to surrender with a smirk on his face. Was this what he had planned to say from the beginning?


    Or, is it possible to surrender in this duel? There are so many things I don''t know.


    "Walk away. I can''t leave it to an amateur like you."


    Zack, who has regained his composure, starts shouting again and, at the same time, the second fighter of the enemy walks to the scene of the fight. It is the spearman.


    I pretended not to hear Zack''s shouts and headed for the fight.


    The burn on my leg, fully healed except for the skin, was not something I needed to let my opponent know.


    Performance is important.


    My face contorts and I walk towards the center of the room, dragging my right leg.


    I face the man with the spear.


    I had planned to finish this spearman off at once with a preemptive magic attack, but I have changed my plans. I will not spare you all. Especially you, the fire mage from before, I will burn both your legs.


    I''m going to catch you off guard and shoot fire magic at those waiting behind you.


    "Yo, brother, is your leg all right, this time it won''t be worth more than a silver coin."


    "What? Oh, yeah."


    "Well, I''ll be glad to talk to you. You decide the price of your life here and now."


    The spearman smiles and says, without even raising his shield, what he thinks he''s good at.


    The price of life. A gold coin, perhaps? I''m a little curious.


    "How much is it? A gold coin is the best I can give you."


    My response was met with a laugh. Apparently, I had failed. Apparently I didn''t understand the market.


    "If you sell yourself as a slave, you can get five gold coins, even if you''re like my brother. What do you think, wouldn''t it be better than dying here?"


    I see... five gold coins - that''s about 5 million yen in modern Japanese money, the price of life, or the price of living. That''s pretty cheap (Equivalent to $67,000).


    Even as a spearman, I''d rather trade my life for money than kill myself here.


    It is probably waiting for my response, and even when the signal is given to start, there is no sign of attack.


    That''s convenient. Let''s give them a good show.


    I fire seven fireballs at those waiting in the rear. The image is dynamite, exploding as soon as it hits the target.


    They probably didn''t think I would attack with magic, let alone attack the group waiting in the rear. I was able to catch them completely off guard.


    Seven fireballs fly low and fast, hitting the reserve group in the rear. As soon as the bombs landed, they made a cloud of earth, blowing up part of the people, who had been relieved.


    Some hands and feet seemed to fly in different directions, but they didn''t care and unleashed the next spell.


    Three blades of wind struck the spearman.


    The right arm holding the spear is severed from the shoulder, the right leg is severed from the thigh and the left leg is severed from the ankle.


    Only the groans of the men who fell prey to the magic echoed in the training hall.


    I stood mute at the sight of the magic and its devastation, only to stupefied stare at them. Not only the stern beards and their friends, but also the gallery and me.


    I myself was frightened by what I had done.


    The magic is so incredible qje even at level 1. I thought about fire magic with dynamite image, but in the end I didn''t do it.


    In the distance, someone announced the end of the duel.


    Of course, it was. There was no one on the other side who could continue fighting.


    They got a hand and a leg blown off, and that''s all they can do. Some have had both legs blown off and the lower half of their body is a mess.


    Frankly, it''s a miracle they''re still alive.


    I watched the people scurry about, feeling the cheers and awe of those around me as if it was a world away.


    Marielle cried and gave me a hug in the face.


    _____________________________________________________


    Michinaga Fujiwara


    Magic Light LV5


    Fire magic LV1


    Wind magic LV1


    Earth magic LV2


    Swordsman LV2 [New]


    Shield Art LV4 [New]


    LV2 Body Art [New]


    Ability Robbery Type A LV3


    Ability Theft Type B LV1


    Ability Theft Type C LV1

 CH 9

    December 27, 2022


    The pressure of Marielle''s crying body brought me back to reality, and I checked my surroundings again.


    The spear man with the members of his group are rolling and shouting.


    The man with the big beard and his companion, standing behind him, seem to be doing their best to groan. At least they are moving, which confirms that they are alive.


    And Zack and the others? I turn around to check, but there is no movement.


    They just look at us. They look surprised. I think they are even more surprised than when they found out earlier that I had only today registered with the guild.


    Amidst cheers and murmurs, several people point and stare at me.


    So many people.


    There are more people than when I checked just before the start of the duel. To the naked eye, there are more than two hundred people.


    Most of those people have shocked expressions on their faces. No, maybe "astonished" would be a better word than "surprised".


    Did I overdo it? I think so.


    What about the power of this magic? It''s level 1, but the difference is too abysmal.


    I''m frightened by the power of the magic I''ve unleashed. To be honest, I never imagined that the magic would be so powerful.


    It was so powerful that it completely overturned my expectations.


    Once again, I asked myself, is level 1 magic that powerful, if so, then a mage would be an incredible power, wouldn''t he?


    What kind of power will Mr. Enos'' level 3 fire magic have?


    Several questions arise.


    No, but the fireballs they released were not that powerful.


    Was he gentle with me? No, I don''t think so.


    I remember the fire magic my opponent unleashed on me.


    It was a napalm-like fireball. The fire spread as soon as it landed. (napalm is like a type of fuel, but I''m not sure how to explain it. Here is an image )


    What is the difference?


    Is there a difference between the kind of flame that spreads like napalm and the kind that explodes like dynamite?


    The image of magic after landing? The amount of magical power?


    That''s the only difference I can think of.


    I thought I was getting stronger.


    The most important thing at the root of this is the prominent level - light magic level 5.


    Also, level 4 shield art and level 2 sword skill back it up.


    Most of my opponents, even the so-called skilled ones, had level 2 skills - at level 4, there was only one.


    The skill that the enemy relied on, and the allies were wary of, level 4 shield art.


    The moment I managed to steal it, I felt strong. I felt stronger.


    I got stronger by weakening the fiercest fighter the enemy had, and in addition to this, I also have offensive magic. I thought I could win.


    But that''s not the point.


    It''s the power of fire magic.


    In any case, it would be better to gather information about magic in a hurry.


    If the power of the previous battle had been greater, there might have been injuries in the audience.


    No, it was fortunate that the bullet landed where he had aimed , but if the point of impact had been deflected, it could have been a major incident.


    "Michinaga, Michinaga! Are you okay?"


    Marielle pulls my hair and looks at me with a worried face .


    The first time I saw her, I thought she was a bit calculating, but it seems she wasn''t.


    "I''m fine. Everything is fine."


    I say gently, lightly patting Marielle on the head to reassure her.


    "Get out of the way!"


    "Please move out of the way."


    Several people in guild uniforms approach us as they move the audience. No, they are heading toward the wounded. They are holding something resembling a gurney.


    It looks like they are going to give them, treatment.


    I run toward the waiting group, who groan as if something is pushing them.


    "Are you okay?"


    I think it''s a silly phrase, but I couldn''t find other words at the same time.


    "The match is over. Any further acts of combat will be punished."


    "I can use light magic, so I thought I''d help you heal."


    Did I think I was going to finish him off? I put my body between the healer and the wounded man as I turn to the guild officials to clear up the misunderstanding.


    "I don''t know what to say, can you do that for me?"


    After a moment of slight surprise, I express their approval with a look of relief.


    "Let''s start with the most seriously injured."


    Unlike at the beginning of the duel, I feel slightly evasive about the possibility that someone might die here.


    The most seriously injured were the guy with the big beard and the fire mage.


    This is not good. I think at the moment I see the guy with the big beard.


    The guy who has lost both legs from the thigh down. The lower half of his body is a mess. Parts of his internal organs have burst and burned.


    I have no specialized medical knowledge.


    However, I intuitively know how far I can reach with my light magic to heal him. I feel I can heal him if I inject him with a lot of magic power, but I am not sure.


    There is no point in overdoing it. Let''s do what we can within a reasonable margin.


    "I''m not sure I can do it, but I''ll try."


    Both legs must be attached and unable to regenerate. When I told them that the only thing I could do was to stop the bleeding, relieve the pain and close the wounds, the guild official expressed his understanding with a look of relief.


    The guild official expressed relief and agreed. "Can you heal wounds like this?"


    The guild official said with a relieved face that he agreed.


    "Why did you treat them, why didn''t you finish him off?"


    "Hey, you can''t talk like that. The duel is over."


    I continue to try as I tell Marielle, who expresses her anger with her whole body, while correcting her.


    The most important thing to remember is that you can be a target for grudges if I did what Marielle said. I heartily thank Marielle for being an antagonist.


    After attending to everyone, I left my opponents and Zack and the others, who were looking at me with complicated expressions, and headed inside the guild.


    "Michinaga, your face scares me."


    Marielle looks down at my face from below with concern.


    Oh shit, I''ve been thinking about it again.


    "I''m sorry. I was thinking. Well, let''s go ask if the guild certificate is ready."


    I smile at Marielle and nudge her.


    If you''re a serious thinker like me, you''re not going to get a good answer.


    Anyway, here''s today''s challenge.


    Magic is more powerful than I thought. I don''t know how strong magic is in this world, but the magic I use is a threat even at level 1. I don''t know why.


    If that''s the case, I will make use of my skills to strengthen my magic.


    "Next."


    Unlike martial arts skills, magic skills are easily recognizable if you lose them. If I''m not good enough, will they suspect me?


    I don''t want, people to know that you can take skills from others. it''s too risky to steal from people.


    It would be better to stick to stealing from demons and strengthen the skills I have.


    Now, having decided this, it''s time to look for information about demons and find some work.


    When I turned my attention to the counter, there was the receptionist from before. First of all, I have to complete the registration.


    "Excuse me, is my guild card ready?"


    "Yes, it''s ready. Here it is. Please check the details.


    He hands me a metal plate the size of a credit card with a small hole on one side through which a chain is threaded.


    "Excuse me, could you please explain? After all, I''ve never seen a guild card before. "


    I don''t even know what to check. I asked for explanations without hesitation.


    "On the front side are listed the date of your registration, your name and your current rank in the guild. On the back are the skills you have declared. ''Prove that you can use sword and shield, fire, wind and light magic''.


    Each of these is explained in detail, pointing to the part listed.


    On the front were letters and numbers, and on the back were engraved the marks revealing each skill.


    And the rank of explorer is apprentice.


    "They can''t undertake the work on their own. They have to help someone or join a team."


    "I''m new to this town, so I don''t know anyone. is there any way to help some scout or something?".


    I ask, glancing at the board on the wall where the application forms are hanging.


    "What do you mean, if you''re Fujiwara-san, you''re in high demand. The commotion that just occurred will soon spread. Besides, a light magic user will always be welcome on good terms''."


    After a moment of mild surprise, she looked half disappointed, but then regained her previous smile and explained.


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes."


    The woman''s face and body were also very pale, but she looked very happy.


    "Hey, bro. You were great. You''re an apprentice at the moment, right? Would you like to come to our party?  I''ll give you all your share.


    Thor. And are those your party mates in the back?


    Three men and three women are watching us from the back.


    No, if you look around, you''ll see that other scouts are watching us too.


    As the receptionist says, have we attracted attention?


    Well, I have no intention to hide my skills and live quietly.


    I was going to make full use of my modern skills and knowledge to get a well-to-do life, I will open up here.


    "Thank you very much. I''m thinking of taking it easy for a couple of days and then start working. is that okay with you? And I''ll decide whether or not to ask you depending on what kind of work you''re willing to accept."


    I bowed deeply to Mr. Thor and the people behind him and then said.


    It seemed a bit cheeky to me, but there was no point in following them if I don''t consider it worthwhile.


    Besides, I want to prioritize the proper work to strengthen the magic. ''No, before that, I also need to study about magic and demons.


    "Hoh, as expected from a guy who is confident in his abilities."


    A man in his thirties, who was standing behind Mr. Toll, said laughing.


    Was I too cheeky?


    "Mr. Beck, that''s good."


    Mr.thor He turns around and tells the man, who had spoken before him.


    "That''s good," he said to the man. "I''m looking forward to working with you."


    I take the man''s hand and shake it.


    "I''m sorry for being so cheeky."


    After that, I was briefly introduced to the members of Thor''s group.


    "By the way, they are waiting for you a while ago, what do you want to do?"


    After the greetings, Mr.Thor turns his gaze towards the corner of the guild.


    Following Mr.Thor''s words , I turn my gaze towards the corner.


    It''s Roddy. I forgot about him. If he still wants to fight or ...... he''s a pain in the ass.


    "Aniki, I''m sorry. Please forgive me."


    As soon as I turned to them, they all ran to me and bowed.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    After saying that Roddy''s boys, who often apologized, that they''d had enough and didn''t care, left the guild as if running away.


    Then, watching Marielle change clothes - no, no. I hurried to the inn to see her in her new clothes.


    With the clothes she bought at Mrs. Talia''s store in her hand, she remembers what happened in the store.


    Mrs. Talia, that dangerous shopkeeper, told me many things.


    Yes, she tells me many things and makes me hallucinate about many things - no, she makes me think of many possibilities, that''s why I want to go to see her often.


    Somewhere in the back of my mind, an alarm bell rings. It complains that I''m in danger.


    Looking at Talia, the depth - nay, darkness - of fairy lovers makes me hesitate .


    It makes that beautiful fairy appear in her dreams with a figure of one hundred and eighty centimeters.


    She likes to dream that she goes there and forces her to do various things, or rather, that they force her to do various things.


    Her cheeks redden and she whispers in my ear. "Don''t tell anyone," she tells me. The harshness of her breathing also helped, and it was strangely glamorous. After all this time, I''m not sure what the secret is.


    However, I care to remember the situation more vividly than the content of what he taught me.


    But his words made me look at whether to look ahead.


    If the problem is small, make it bigger. I won''t say anything extravagant like making it a hundred and fifty centimeters bigger like Talia''s. Just make it a hundred centimeters bigger.


    The question is, can you say that to Marielle?


    Would she be attracted if you said that? Would she pull away?


    I imagined Marielle''s cold stare, like she was looking at a garbage worm. I can''t, I can''t stand it.


    Let''s be mature and put up with it by watching her change clothes.

 CH 10

    December 28, 2022


    I decided to cancel my planned sightseeing tour of the city. I decided to devote my time to attending the Explorer''s Guild and limit my tour of the city to a meal and some shopping for a change.


    The library was located on the second floor of the Explorer''s Guild.


    It looks more like an elementary or high school library, slightly expanded to be a library.


    This library can be used as long as you are enrolled in the Explorer''s Guild. or you get a permit, you can use it all day.


    The books on magic are not as good as those of the Wizard''s Guild, and the books on production are not as good as those of the Production Guild and its specialized guilds.


    If what you have here is not enough, you can ask permission from the relevant guild.


    Provided permission is granted, you can view books from other guilds.


    The windows of the library are made of glass. Several desks were lined up next to the windows, probably to provide space for reading books.


    Books are stored away from sunlight, as books must be expensive.


    The number and variety of books is greater than expected.


    Each one is sorted and stored on a shelf. There are not only books about magic and production, there are also about mixing medicines and blacksmithing, there are also books about everyday life.


    There were also things About the types of weapons and armor and how to care for them.


    There are also picture books for children and romance novels for women, which are probably entertainment novels.


    The quality of the paper used for the books varies. Roughly speaking, the paper quality of magic books is good. On the other hand, the paper quality of books such as entertainment novels is poor. Some of them could even be described as poor quality.


    After all, it seems that the papermaking technology of this world is considerably more advanced than other technologies.


    The finest paper was used for maps.


    Not only the maps of the kingdom, but even those of the very scarce demand for maps around this city were made of the highest quality paper.


    Most surprisingly, there were even maps of other countries.


    Is it okay to put maps of your country and other countries in a place where anyone can see them? Aren''t maps military secrets?


    I look at the map in my hand.


    The map is amazing, but its accuracy is more than disappointing. Surveying technology is less than spectacular compared to the development of papermaking technology.


    This is probably due to the lack of widespread development of mathematics.


    As I felt while traveling with Mr. Dawn''s traders, the people of this world have a low level of knowledge about calculus.


    They can do simple addition and subtraction, but when it comes to people who can do all four arithmetic operations, they are a rarity. These are the so-called valuable human resources.


    Even these valuable human resources have poor numeracy skills.


    They would waste many sheets of paper to do written calculations for ledgers and to write down the food they consumed.


    It could be profitable to manufacture and sell an abacus.


    As he put the map back in place, he averted his gaze to a shelf filled with books about demons.


    ¡ó


    ¡ô


    ¡ó


    In the end, I spent three days in the guild library.


    You can only do so much in three days. I put common sense aside and devoted myself to cramming myself with knowledge about magic and demons.


    Thanks to that, I should have acquired some knowledge about demons and magic that I mastered.


    In the process, I discovered that the power of my magic is extraordinary.


    I don''t know why. I don''t know, but ......


    I stop thinking and assess Marielle, who flies a little dizzily in front of me.


    Synchronization Level 5.


    This is a special ability that Marielle possesses. The effect is "increases the effectiveness of magic on certain opponents".


    I don''t know anything more than that.


    The other thing is that I''m a reincarnate, right? I wonder if being a reincarnate gives me preferential treatment, like greater magical effects than the people of this world.


    I''ll think about it later. Let''s concentrate now on exploring the dungeon.


    I''m here in the first level of the dungeon as an apprentice in Beck''s group. No, it would be more correct to say that I was brought here.


    I look around again.


    Is this the northern labyrinth? The dungeon corridors are quite wide. And the ceilings are high. Above all, the moss-like growths on the walls are bright.


    We are on the second floor of the northern labyrinth, we walk around observing the surroundings.


    The passageway is about eight meters wide and less than five meters high to the ceiling. This is enough to wield a long-handled weapon.


    He looks again at the party members.


    In the first row are Mr. Thor, Ms. Dalina and a temporary member looking like a warrior.


    In the second row are the leader of this party, Mr. Beck, Mr. Schley and myself.


    The third row is a group of ten, consisting of L¨¹ri and Dita, a temporary hired man B who is an archer and a temporary hired man C who is a baggage handler.


    All but the three of the temporarily employed men can use some kind of magic.


    Even in the usual formation, six of the nine members can use magic. The proportion of people who can use magic in this party is high. The fact that there are more mages means that the attack power is much higher.


    In fact, this party, with Beck at the head, has been recognized as one of the best parties in recent years.


    I''m surprised at my good fortune. Suddenly, we are among the top and exploring the labyrinth. But what surprised me most was to learn that the four women were slaves.


    When I was informed that they were slaves during the self-introduction, I honestly had no reaction.


    I knew slavery existed because it was mentioned in the game description. I was able to confirm that slaves existed while gathering information in the city.


    However, the surprise was another when they told me again in front of me. In case you are wondering, Thor''s slave is Dalina and the other three are Beck''s slaves.


    "Do many scouts include slaves in their group?"


    I asked Beck, who was walking beside me, looking around with interest.


    "Hmm? Yes, there are many. There are even parties where everyone except the leader is a slave."


    He laughed and told me that even though it was a maze I should relax, it was probably because we were close to the entrance, and they didn''t seem to be wary of their surroundings.


    I seem to be the only one who is nervous or wary. Everyone is very relaxed. Marielle hums and flies by my side.


    It''s not just me who has brought fairies, but Thor as well.


    Bringing fairies into the labyrinth seems to be a common practice, and it was accepted as normal.


    I heard that fairies are welcome because they can use some kind of magic, and it increases the rate of object appearance.


    Still, the appearance of objects in the labyrinth is like a game isn''t it?


    No, it''s already like a game because of the use of magic and the different worlds. Until now, I had accepted it as normal.


    Except for the leader, that means everyone is a slave except him, right? He''s like the protagonist of a novel.


    "Nowadays I usually come in with Thor, but depending on the schedule and content, sometimes I come in with just the slaves. I didn''t bring them today, but I left a couple more at home."


    There they are, there they are, there they are!¡¡Here''s the man I''m going for.


    And he doesn''t brag about it, he just talks about it like its small talk.


    I can''t help but look at Beck. I''m sure I''m looking at him with respect right now.


    "Beck''s slaves use magic to fight, are they expensive?"


    I asked fearfully. Are you interested?¡¡There are many places where you can arrange slaves to be your companions, without putting them at a party. Besides, slaves for scouts don''t come on the market very often. If you want to increase your forces quickly, you''d better form a group with other explorers. Slaves that can help you in your fight are rarely available." That is also true. So why do you organize a party with slaves only? It''s not because you want to change slaves every night, is it? Then you should have a dedicated slave for that. "The biggest advantage of forming a party with only slaves is that you don''t get into trouble over the sharing of materials and items obtained during the quest." "I see, that''s certainly a good idea." "Well, that''s not something you think about while you''re an apprentice. Well, that''s not something you think about while you''re an apprentice. Now all you can think about is getting out alive." Beck continues, having said something quite reasonable to me. "So, what kind of slave do you want?" "Preferably a pretty young woman who can do magic, combat and housework." I answered without reservation to Beck-san, who asked me with a smile. "What, you too? I thought you were content with having a fairy, but you''re as greedy as Thor." After laughing out loud with a gahaha, he whispered so that those around him couldn''t hear him. "Huh? Are there many people who are content with just fairies?". "No, not many. But those who bother women are satisfied. I thought you were one of them." You''ve hit the nail on the head. You''re a good judge of character, Beck. I''m impressed, but Beck continues. "But the one you want now is wanted by everyone, which means they''re few and far between and expensive. Now, take it easy and do what''s best for you, ......." Beck''s tone becomes confused, and then everyone draws their weapons at the same time. What, a bellicose stance? When I look at Thor-san, who is in the lead, he stops just before the corner that turns sharply to the right, puts away sword and shield with a nervous expression and takes cover by the wall with bow and arrow at the ready. Marielle had already taken cover behind my head. Indeed, she was in the wild. She seems to have good crisis-avoidance skills. Is she a demon?¡¡From my position, I can''t see the presence of a demon. I am also nervously alerted by the atmosphere of the others. Thor''s fairy - Crystal - tells me to shut up with a block sign using her whole body. Dexterity, and it''s helping. Is that an enemy you can kill in one hit from a distance if you use the bow and arrow? Thor suddenly moved. He shoots three arrows in a row when I thought he jumped out of the corner. It''s a rapid fire I''ve never seen before. Did I finish it? Before Mr. Thor turned and gave a failure signal, Crystal was giving a failure signal overhead. "It didn''t do any good. That''s the third time in a row I''ve failed." He shakes his head and looks rather disappointed. "They use space magic, you know. Don''t worry, consider it lucky if you can finish him off." Beck patted the dejected Thor''s shoulder and urged him on. Space lizards? In this dungeon, it''s a demon that possesses space magic. Besides, they appear on the lower floors. Even in the books, it was written that it was difficult to kill it, but seeing the exchange between the two of them now, it might be even more difficult than he imagined. There''s no point in being greedy. First, I''m going to start by removing skills and progressively strengthening them. I advanced through the dungeon, remembering the knowledge about demons and magic I had learned in the past three days.

 CH 11

    December 29, 2022


    The second layer does not differ visually from the first. The main difference is the presence of springs and the appearance of cracks. A crack is literally a point from which demons sprout. On the second and lower levels, cracks appear and disappear randomly. Demons spring from the cracks that appear. These cracks can also appear suddenly in combat or during movement. In fact, a rift appeared behind me during a battle, and I was suddenly attacked from behind by demons and hit. That was a few minutes ago. As you can imagine, I was scared. What kind of ambush is that? I was almost killed by panic. But that''s what the main party was for. Everyone but me handled it calmly. They''re trustworthy people. The quest to this point has taught me something. As powerful as your skills are, it''s another thing to master them. I''ve learned that I need experience and mental fortitude, as well as calmness and composure, or rather the lack thereof. Gaining experience and acquiring knowledge: this is what I am urgently in need of doing now. ¡¡¡ó ¡ó Marielle reacted when we had made good progress on the second layer. "Someone is coming from the front, there are eight of them." Marielle flutters a little beside me, pointing ahead. Marielle''s warning makes, Everyone goes on alert at once, waiting for the leader, Beck, to give the order, a single movement without a stitch of disorder. It''s great, isn''t it? I''ve grown up after a few battles since I went down to the second level. It''s an open secret that the main reason for my growth is not combat, but Beck''s lectures - or rather, guidance. "You''re dressed like everyone else. You look like a scout." The additional information provided by Marielle does not make us any less vigilant. The previous gaffe comes back to haunt her. As soon as I let my guard down after learning they were also scouts, a rebuke flew from Beck. Fortunately, the other party was known and nothing happened, but it was a situation where you could have been caught by surprise. Beck says you have to be more careful with scouts than with demons. We live in a very harsh world. "Hey, we''re Black Flame, We don''t intend to fight!" He called from a considerable distance. No intention to engage, it''s a sign of friendship. "Understood. This is the Wind Blade." Thor-san tells the other party in the same loud voice. "Let your guard down, we''ll be fine." Beck instructs the whole party. It appears to be another party of acquaintances. When they are within recognizable distance, they greet each other by slightly raising their left, non-dominant hand. According to Thor''s explanation, this is one of the top ten parties in town. They are a very attentive group of people, and Mr. Toll was once a customer of theirs as well.


    They get close enough to be visible to my eyes. According to Marielle, there are eight of them, all men. There is one young man, but the rest appear to be in their thirties. "It''s unusual for you to have a young man with you." Thor-san speaks to one of the other members of the group with a smile. "Hmm? Yes, that''s right, I thought I had learned my lesson with you." A man about Beck''s age, walking at the front of the group, answered Thor-san''s question, looking back. The young man at the other end of the line of sight was about eighteen, not much older than me. "''That''s terrible''." At the sight of Thor-san, who responded with a wry smile, a laugh escaped from the members of the Black Flame. "This boy is a promising newcomer." He points with his chin at a young man near the center of the party, just like me. The young man, perhaps realizing he was the topic of conversation, moved slightly closer to Mr. Beck. He may have been nervous, but he was expressionless and quiet. "Well, isn''t he a fearless looking young man?" Beck continued, looking at the young man, who was said to be a promising newcomer. "We also have a newcomer." Is that so? Well, they hoped he was. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have oriented me that way. He looks back at us and continues. "Marielle." "Hi, nice to meet you." Marielle, with a cheerful response, raises her right hand to make her presence known. "The Fairy is the promising newcomer? Isn''t that you?" "No." You said it out loud yourself, Beck-san. After that, the exchange of information with Black Flame''s people proceeds without any particular correction. Even though it''s an exchange of information, it also serves as a rest. Four female slaves prepare a light meal and hydration. Then, the temporary members went into action smoothly, as if they had been alerted to their surroundings and their roles had been decided in advance. Meanwhile, I turned my gaze and attention to the promising newcomer from the other side. He has a calm and well-defined appearance, but I perceive a certain keenness in his eyes. I value the young man. Can''t I value him? Huh? Not at all. To make sure, I try to look at him again, but I see nothing. Is he a reincarnate? I look at the young man in surprise, and he looks at me too. Without a doubt, he looks just like me. You''re the first compatriot I''ve met since I came into this world. I knew they were here, but it makes me nervous to see him in front of me. I was a little, no, very nervous as I walked towards the promising newcomer. "You say you''re a promising newcomer? It''s like we''re suddenly off to a good start''." I tried not to pretend to be annoyed that I hadn''t been called a promising newcomer, although it was inevitable that I would show my nervousness and joy at meeting a colleague for the first time. "I didn''t mean that. I seem to have some skills that gave me a slight advantage over the others." The other party also showed some nervousness, but responded by smiling, not looking particularly sarcastic about being called a newcomer with high expectations. "My name is Michinaga Fujiwara, I arrived in this city four days ago. Pleased to meet you."


    I look the person straight in the eye and offer my right hand. "I am Robin Hood. Please use just Robin if you can. To be honest, I''m sorry for being serious , so please don''t ask me any more questions." He interrupts me with a lack of desire expression and takes my right hand. "Please call me Michinaga too." I thought of telling him : "Don''t worry, I know many people who regret their names. You''re not that bad," But I swallowed the words of comfort and shook his hand. "Here you go." Dalina offers me a small plate of food and a glass of water. "Thank you." I bowed to her, thanked her and accepted the snacks and water. Is it just for me? I look at Robin and he looks at me curiously. "Sorry, he seems to have forgotten Robin''s part. I''ll ask him to have it ready for you right away." "That''s not good." She grabs my arm as I try to follow Daria-san and keeps talking. "Water and food are precious in the dungeon. It''s customary not to share it with anyone outside the party except in case of emergency." Robin grabbed my arm and quickly explained in a whisper. I see, I was about to be scolded by Beck again. I should be grateful for Robin''s concern. "I didn''t know that. Thank you." "And I don''t think it''s right to bow to a slave, even if it''s a natural way to say thank you, it must seem strange, to those around you." As I thank him, Robin''s caution is announced to me again. To be honest, I didn''t really care for the way slaves were treated or how they were treated. It may have been a mistake to put off studying common sense. "Well, as it turns out, I also thanked and bowed to an employee/slave at a restaurant I went into for lunch, and I was warned by the owner of that restaurant." Robin let go of my arm as he said this and shrugged his shoulders in amusement. "''---- Anyway, it was an unscheduled incident, so I decided to leave early.''" "It was a disaster, But I didn''t expect those two to get hit on the fourth layer." Mr.beck was talking to some people. "Did something happen?" I asked Robin, since I couldn''t break into Beck''s conversation. "Two scouts we hired temporarily were hit on the fourth layer. They both said they were veterans, but maybe they let their guard down." He was unfazed by the death of his companions, indifferent. I wonder if they didn''t have a feeling of camaraderie from being temporarily employed. It''s not in good taste to talk about the death of a colleague. So that I''ll leave the subject here. "By the way, have you met any compatriots? For my part, Robin is the first time I''ve met any of my people." I lean closer and whisper in his ear so the others can''t hear me. "As for me, Michinaga is also first acquaintance. I didn''t pass the qualification before, so I was a little surprised and nervous''." He lets out a chuckle and whispers the same. He hides his mouth naturally with his right hand. "I see. I wanted to expand my network of friends and share information with you. " "Your friends, then? That''s probably better than saying you''re a reincarnate. " "So you''re one of mine. Nice to see you again." "Yes. I''m looking forward to working with you." You both whisper in each other''s ears. From the outside, it could look a little dangerous. The most important thing to remember is that you can never be too careful about what you say or do. You really seem to have an unflappable personality. "By the way, was the demon tough?''" I thought it would be better to continue the conversation in whispers, so I asked him about a normal topic, with a normal voice volume and at a normal distance. "I don''t know, I don''t know yet how strong the demons are either. The enemy is a giant spider. From the looks of the others, I don''t think it was very strong. In fact, even after the other two were killed , the rest fought to defeat the demons."


    Robin brought up the subject of the death of the party member who had just been interrupted. "Well, maybe I let my guard down after all:" I couldn''t force Robin to change the subject when he talked about it, so I adjusted the conversation conveniently. "All right, we should get going." Beck motions for us to start moving. "Well, let''s have a drink and exchange information when we get back. Oh, you''re okay with a drink?" "Yeah, I''m good. I''m looking forward to it." I heard a clanking sound behind me. When I turned around, Robin was looking at his right hand, ''What''s wrong? "What''s wrong, are you okay?" A temporarily employed archer talks to Robin as he picks up the spear lying on the ground. ''That spear, it''s Robin''s. ''Shall I take the spear from him? "Robin, what''s wrong?" He walked over to Robin, calling out to him. "Thank you." Robin thanked Mr.temp.worker C, as he took the spear from him and shook his hand. "What''s up?" I asked again as I walked over to Robin''s side. "I''m sorry to worry you. I seem to have hurt my right hand a bit in the battle. It''s nothing serious. I''m fine." "Well, if you want..." I can use light magic to heal it. As I was about to say it, Beck-san called out to me to hurry up. They''re calling you. You''d better get going. "Yeah, I''ll see you later." Robin nudged me and I ran to Beck.

 CH 12

    December 30, 2022


    (Last update of the year, I will try to continue with this next year. I wish you all a happy new year !)


    "The first and second ranks attack while slowing them down. The third rank must use bows and magic to mop up the enemy rear, one after the other."


    The battle began under Beck''s direction.


    Wind magic and arrows are shot from the third row.


    Apart from magic, the accuracy of the arrows is not very high.


    The temporary archer C is especially mediocre.


    When he experienced a crack for the first time in the battle of the second layer, Temporal Employee C injured his right hand.


    It should have been treated with light magic, but was it insufficient?


    He used my shield to catch the oncoming orcs, bounced them off and used his upper back to strike with his shield from above, knocking them to the ground. I demonstrate my level 4 shield art without remorse.


    Beck seems to approve of my shield art and allows me to do something very close to the heart of his defense.


    Yes, I''m glad I have it. It''s the most useful skill I have at the moment.


    However, I was a bit surprised that it''s not much different from Beck''s Level 3 Shield Technique.


    Apparently, I don''t have enough experience, to make full use of the skill.


    Well, this is a feature or something that people don''t like, so let''s not worry about it.


    And I''m good at offensive magic.


    I don''t know why, but it''s more powerful than people of my same level. Also, I can do things that are normally hard to do, like parallel activation and high-speed continuous firing. I don''t know why.


    "I''m going to fire a fireball at the orcs in the rear."


    In response to my words, the vanguard takes half a step back and readjusts their shields to hide their bodies.


    The two orcs being grazed by the shields are slaughtered by the wind magic, and five explosive fireballs are fired at the orcs in the rear.


    The wind blade pierces the neck of the orc in front of him and splashes fresh blood into the air. He is dying, but still breathing. Behind him, the limbs and chunks of flesh of the orc on which the explosive ball landed burst into pieces.


    Explosions and shouts in the rear stop the orcs in the vanguard. The orcs in the rear are panicking. No party member would miss such an opportunity. The next moment, a simultaneous attack is unleashed, resulting in the total destruction of the orcs. They close in on the one orc barely alive. I hold the orc with my left hand and thrust my sword into its neck. The dying orc looks at me with empty eyes, as if he has already made up his mind. Type A, activation. A success. I obtain my long-awaited Level 1 Water Magic, and finish him off. "Michinaga, you''ve done perfectly this time. Well done." "Thank you." Today, for the first time, Beck praised me. "That''s really great magic power," he said. And "you''re so skilled at being able to use more than one spell at a time. What kind of practice have you had?" "I''m not quite sure, but I''ve always been able to use it that way." I say I lie smiling at Thor-san''s words. I''m so impressed with myself that I come up with one appropriate word after another.


    I''ve heard that when you tell a lie, you tell lie after lie so that the lie won''t be discovered. I feel like I am becoming a great liar. By the time I realize it, I won''t have fraud skills, will I? "Master, here is a dropped object. A spear." When I was collecting magic stones from the orcs, Dita-san picked up a short spear. I hadn''t seen that before, a fallen object. Come to think of it, the armors that the kobolds wore before and the orcs this time aren''t called falling items, right? In this case, falling items refers to items that sprout from cracks. The drop items aren''t in treasure chests or anything like that. While I admire the trivial, I''m intrigued by the objects I see falling for the first time. "It''s a karma item, isn''t it? Keep it." "Aren''t you going to try it?" I asked Beck-san, who was about to hand over the object of handing over the short spear, to the temporary worker C-san. "I''m too scared to use a weapon that I don''t even know what kind of magic it has." Temporary worker C looked at him, as if the gift he had just received had never occurred to him. "Oh, well, that''s right." I still feel like I''m playing a game. The most important thing to remember is that you should never use a weapon you don''t know how to use. ''Was the treatment of your right hand insufficient?'' I offer Mr. C, a temporary worker, to treat it again with light magic. "Thank you. But my right hand seems to be fine. It''s been a long time since I''ve had an injury, so maybe it''s psychological''. I see. "Well, if you feel anything wrong, please let me know at any time." Having said that, I assessed Mr. C, temporary worker, and looked at him. He has level 2 artillery. I think it would be better for him to engage the first or second line with a spear rather than a bow, with which he has no skill. "Do you want water?" Marielle arrives with a cup. "Oh, please." I receive the cup and ask one of the mages to fill it using water magic. I could use the water magic I just received, but I''ll restrain myself here. While drinking the water, Beck-san moved. "Everyone, no one is injured, right? Let''s go down to the fourth level." "Yes, sir." Everyone''s responses overlapped with Beck''s words, and we resumed our activities.


    ¡ó ¡ó "As for the objects you mentioned earlier, how do you find out what magic they are endowed with?" While advancing in the lead, he poses a question to Beck-san, who is standing next to him. I enter the fourth layer leadership was exchanged with Thor-san. The current leaders are Beck, Dita and me. However, we are not in the lead because of our search and rescue ability. It is just a coincidence of numbers when the first leading group got tired and took over. It is impossible for a newcomer like me to be entrusted with the all-important task of searching in the direction of travel. In charge of scouting the direction of travel is promising newcomer Marielle. I am sad, but I have no choice but to accept it because this is the reality. "You surprise me again and again, but you don''t really know anything." "I''m sorry." the guild appraiser will take a look at it. That usually clears things up. If you still don''t get it, you can ask a test store to do it." Proof store? What kind of place is it? I vaguely imagined it, but I asked. It sounds like a dangerous profession. "They literally equip slaves and test the effects." What''s that? I''m scared, it''s much more dangerous and scary than I imagined. "Huh? That''s very dangerous, isn''t it?" "That''s what slaves are for." They don''t seem to care about the four female slaves here. "Actually, this is the first time I''ve seen a slave person. I don''t know many things about them. other than ...... slaves are miserable, aren''t they? I''ve never heard of their treatment and all that." I swerve in surprise and confusion. "Oh, well, what the heck, be careful not to fall into slavery." Huh, fall into slavery? What''s that, am I now in such a dangerous position? As I try to ask Beck, something suddenly pulls my hair. "There''s a lizard in front of you. It''s the one Mr. Thor let go." Marielle whispers in my ear from above my head. "Give me the exact distance and position." Marielle asks for information, making the hand signal for the whole group to be still and quiet. Space lizards, I''d really like to get a near-death shot and get some space magic. I use Qualification towards the darkness ahead just to be safe. Got it, grading. The distance and position are perfect. And I can confirm space magic level 1. At this distance, the probability of an accurate shot is too bad. Let''s fire a volley of rock bullets. "The distance is about a hundred meters?" and "The location is on the rock on the right." "Thank you, Marielle." With that scant information, I can''t hit it properly. I thank her and activate my earth magic. Countless stones scattered like projectiles , hitting the space lizard in the face. "Okay, did I get it? Use the appraisal." "You did it, you''ve killed the space lizards." "Space Lizard?" "You can even use earth magic?" Mariel''s voice was followed by Thor''s and Beck''s. ...... looks like I killed it. Nothing to be seen in the appraisal. In other words, they were either dead or on the run. As for Marielle''s report, I must have killed him. While everyone is praising me, I head over to where the space lizard was with mixed feelings. I can''t say anything until I check the lizard I killed, but I think the projectiles were too much. Let''s think about it. Next time, I''ll use the orthodox wind blade or hit it with magic like a jackhammer to knock it out. As I was thinking these random thoughts, good news suddenly fell from Marielle on my head, "There''s another one, lizard." "Where is it? Distance and position, please." As before, I ask for information, while using my own assessment to determine distance and location. It crawls along the wall. Conditions are better than the previous one. Hoping it would be better this time, I hit it with the ground hammer . There was no response. Did I get it? The earth hammer was a random idea before, but now it seems like a great idea. Apparently, I haven''t lost the habit of being strongly influenced by my most recent thoughts. "You got it, you got it again!" Marielle is beaming. Dying or dazed?¡¡Whichever it was, he stopped moving while he was alive. Following Marielle, I repressed my urge to jump and ran towards the lizard I had, level 2 space magic.


    "Stop running!"


    "Watch out!"


    "Stop!"


    some voices tried to stop me from behind, but I ignore them and run towards the space lizard, mentally apologizing.


    It''s okay, it''s alive. I can see it, space magic level 2.


    Type A, activated.


    Level 2 space magic disappears from the space lizard in front of me. The next moment, it stabs my sword.


    I have the space magic I always wanted.


    "This one I killed too."


    Deep down I was really excited, but I didn''t show it, I pretended to be calm and lifted the corpse of the space lizard and showed it to everyone.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    "You idiot!¡¡I know you''re glad you killed it, but what''s wrong with you that you''re running around freaking out!"


    Beck''s angry voice echoed in the maze.


    As if the special achievement of killing the space lizard never happened, he is being scolded, or rather, instructed by Mr. Beck.


    I''m on my knees apologizing. Yes, even if you think about it, it was a thoughtless act.


    Mr. Beck is right. It''s too much to think about leaving the group alone in the maze and running forward.


    Depending on how you look at it, it''s suicide. I can''t say anything, I can only apologize.


    Deep down my guts are churning. I have level 2 space magic and I''m thrilled. I''m afraid that if I find myself in the same situation, I''ll be left with nothing again.


    "Sorry, sorry."


    Beck-san who is guiding me and I who am apologizing.


    The other team members, led by Thor, are also laughing as they watch us.


    "I know how you feel, you killed two space lizards in your first maze. I understand, but it''s not enough, no matter how many lives you have. From now on, be careful. Now, get up. Let''s go"


    After saying that, he lightly patted me on the shoulder and started walking forward.

 CH 13

    January 03, 2023


    I just finished my first labyrinth quest and am in the guild for formalities. But I''m an apprentice, so I have nothing to do. I''m waiting for Beck, the party leader, to finish the formalities while drinking tea.


    It''s a good status if you think about it.


    You explore the labyrinth for the first time with an escort from the best party in town. The chores and baggage are done by scouts and slaves specially employed for that.


    After revealing that I could use the item box, I put my luggage in the item box, but that''s about it.


    Naturally, as a trainee, I didn''t do any of the formalities. At most, I would have watched out of the corner of my eye as the paperwork was filled out.


    The first time you reach the sixth level of the labyrinth and two days and one night of exploration with camping. I think it was relatively difficult for a first time.


    Lots of things to reflect on and think about, but there is a sense of accomplishment, of having achieved it.


    However, no one praised me for it, so maybe I''m not pleased with myself, or maybe I''m wrong.


    "Mr. Thor, by the way, what was the slave fall you were talking about in the labyrinth?"


    I whisper to Thor, who is drinking tea next to me.


    The four slave girls are still standing, while the two fairies are sitting at the table drinking tea.


    Looking at all this, the slaves seem to be treated worse than the fairies.


    "There are four main ways to be a slave. The first is crime. Depending on the severity of the crime, you have to spend a certain number of years as a slave. Most involve hard labor and you may die in an accident before you are released. The second is captivity due to war or slave hunting."


    He began to speak in a normal voice without paying attention to the fact that we were whispering.


    By reflex, we looked at the four slave girls. But they are standing by the wall, waiting, not reacting.


    But still, what is a slave hunt, let alone a war? Is there such a thing?


    "The third is debt. Young explorers like Michinaga are especially common. They sell themselves into debt through alcohol, women and gambling. And there is still more. They get injured through carelessness, and they can no longer continue as scouts and so they sell themselves."


    He leans over the table and continues in a whisper.


    "Well, Michinaga can use light magic, so I guess he can get by even if he retires as a scout."


    He seems to whisper because he mentions that I can use light magic.


    I should learn from him in this area as well.


    "The last thing is dueling. In Michinaga''s case, what I''m most concerned about is gambling and dueling.''"


    Unlike the way he had spoken up to that point, his speech changed from a chatty to a revealing style.


    "I don''t like it, I wouldn''t duel or gamble."


    Would you duel and fall a slave? ''I''m not interested in gambling and would be scared of dueling.


    "Hey, isn''t that the line of the guy who jumped up and participated in the duel a few days ago?"


    He looked at me with a disgusted look on his face.


    "That happened, I''ll be careful."


    Yeah, that''s right. I did, the duel. I apologize for Thor''s insistence.


    When I''m with these people, I feel like a child. He looked eighteen, but he was a new member of society after graduating from college, and he was proud to be a respectable adult. That confidence is pouring out day by day.


    If you think about it, there is no basis for my confidence. I felt I was an adult simply because I finished college, started working and got paid on my own.


    After completing the check-in procedures, Beck gestured with his left thumb toward the door leading to the shopping area as he walked toward us with some documents in hand.


    "This one is done. Next is the purchase, let''s move on."


    ¡ó ¡ó


    The magic stones and materials collected at the purchase site are lined up.


    I also take the materials out of the item box and arrange them in the same way.


    "Fujiwara-san, you can use the item box, and I was surprised that it wasn''t on the list when you registered?"


    A female guild employee asked. She was the woman who was in charge of my registration. I didn''t know her name.


    "Well, it might have been good to include the item box."


    Following Beck''s instructions, I let it go like it was nothing.


    The clerk said nothing more and went on to appraise the magic stone, materials and thrown items.


    Beck told them beforehand that there would be no problem if it was known that the box of items could be used, so he told them to leave it alone with a nonchalant face.


    He also warned me not to carelessly reveal the magic I could use, even if I was a member of the same group.


    They said that revealing the magic you possess is not conducive to confidence, and that you will be seen as light-spoken and thoughtless.


    As I prepared to camp in the labyrinth, Thor asked me about my ability to use earth magic.


    As soon as I said that I could use water magic at this time, Mr. Beck reprimanded me. Then, I went straight to the training time.


    It''s about the background of your power not being known.


    The reason why only magic is mentioned is probably because other things like swordsmanship and shield techniques are not clearly recognized as skills.


    "Fujiwara-san, you have to get a reward for the duel the other day, could you go to the counter?"


    Another young female employee called out to me from the door that connects the main guild building to the shopping area.


    Rewards for dueling, is there such a thing?


    "You are supposed to split your opponent''s fortune or the money that was bet between the participants. You are duly entitled to it."


    Just as I was about to ask what the duel fee was and confirm if I could leave the place, Beck nudged me to leave.


    "Yes, I understand, what about Marielle, do you want to come with me, or are you staying for a ride?"


    After answering Beck, I turned to Marielle and asked.


    "Can I stay and watch?"


    I say, wondering about the valuation and movements of the guild officials.


    Okay. Then wait here. I''ll come back when I''m done. Stay close to Mr. Beck and the others. Now, if you''ll excuse me. Mr. Beck, Mr. Thor, please take care of Marielle."


    After indicating to Marielle that I understood and giving her my attention, I asked Beck and Thor to take care of Marielle and ran to the clerk at the entrance/exit.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    As I look at the young employee behind the counter checking the number of gold and silver coins and documents, I think about the duel the young employee had just told me about.


    After all this time, it was inconsiderate of me to say that I knew nothing about it.


    I threw myself into the duel without understanding the dueling system, or rather without checking it out.


    From the outside, I would have looked like a simple idiot. If I looked at me then, I would still look like an idiot.


    The point is that a duel is a fight for each other''s lives, and even if you are saved, you lose your property. If you don''t have more than a certain amount of property, you have to sell yourself into slavery and give the money to your opponent. This peddling is the downfall of the slave.


    In other words, there was a good chance that it would happen to me. It is really scary.


    I''m lucky to be safe like this now and to get my reward. I''ll try not to duel again.


    "Michinaga, are you back already?"


    A familiar voice spoke from behind me.


    "Robin, is your right hand all right?"


    I turned around and, sure enough, Robin was there.


    "Yes, it''s fine now. It looks like it was a bruise. And you, Michinaga, weren''t you injured?"


    "Yes, not exactly unharmed, but enough to get by with light magic."


    "That''s good to hear. And the others?"


    "They''re having the guild officials, appraise the magic stones and other materials at the buying station."


    The most important thing is to be aware of what you do and how you do it.


    "Fujiwara-san, here is your reward. Please sign here after confirming the amount.''"


    When I turned around, a young female employee was holding out the money and documents to me.


    "Sorry, I''ll finish my business first."


    I said to Robin in my voice as I glanced at the documents.


    "No, it''s fine. I''m going back to the labyrinth tomorrow, so why don''t we have dinner and drinks tonight?"


    "Great, sounds good, how about we meet at the guild tonight at seven?"


    I turn around at Robin''s invitation and respond immediately.


    "Yes, that would be fine."


    With a grand wave of her hand as she turns around, she leaves her approving response and turns back to the Black Flame members.


    Thank goodness. I''m glad they don''t know we''re dueling. I knew it would be embarrassing to have my stupidity known.


    Inwardly, I signed the documents with a sense of relief.


    "Yes, I have confirmed the amount, may I sign it?"


    I put the bag with three gold coins, fifty-two silver coins and several dozen copper coins into the box of items and handed the documents to the young clerk.


    One gold coin equals approximately one million Japanese yen. If you combine the silver coins with the ones you have on hand, it adds up to about five million Japanese yen or more.


    There is no problem with our immediate expenses, so we can get weapons and armor. I will also buy more clothes for Marielle.


    This time it was the same clothes as before because we were exploring the labyrinth, but I want clothes that can be used in exploring the labyrinth.


    "Yes, I checked. It''s fine."


    When I was told that they had checked the documents, I thanked the receptionist and headed back to the shopping area.

 CH 14

    on January 10, 2023


    When I returned to the store, I saw Mr. Beck signing the papers. Apparently, the appraisal was completed.


    Mariel was playing with Beck and the female staff member is chasing Crystal, Thor''s fairy and gurgling over their heads.


    "I''m back now."


    As she briefs Mr. Beck, she beckons Marielle over here.


    "Oh, we just finished, and this is your part this time."


    As soon as Beck-san finished saying that, he released a small leather bag with an underhand throw.


    The bag was released with a downward throw and traced a smooth parabolic line towards my chest, and when I caught the small leather bag with my left hand, I heard a small "jingle" and felt the coins in the leather bag rub against each other in my hand.


    "Mr. Beck, this is too much. The promised reward should have been ten silver coins. Even that is a bargain for an apprentice. And yet here is one more gold coin."


    I rummaged through the leather pouch and found a gold coin so polished that it reflected the light, and ten well-spent silver coins.


    "There is no mistake. It is a just reward. Ten silver coins for the lease and a gold coin as a reward."


    He explained the reason laughingly, as if amused by my panic.


    "The reward for an employment contract is paid as an obligation of the employer, regardless of whether the search was successful or not."


    In addition, it is customary to add incentive pay if the results are significant. The extra pay is determined by the leader, in this case Mr. Beck.


    "Still, isn''t that a gold coin too much?"


    "All right, Michinaga. In this quest, we have killed two space lizards, just the big ones. Also, there is a drop item, a short spear. The short spear was purchased by the guild for nine gold coins."


    Thor answered my question.


    I see, that spear was sold for that much? No, wait a minute, nine gold coins is nine million Japanese yen. What kind of magic was granted to it? That interests me more. (That would be approximately 68,300 dollars).


    "Over all, Marielle did a good job. I have added it to the payment."


    Saying this, Beck-san pats Marielle on the head.


    Was Marielle''s part included in the reward?


    Marielle was so happy to have been praised that she was jumping up and down, bursting with joy. She is an honest girl with a lot of emotional expression.


    I remember Thor''s words in the labyrinth.


    It seems that when I entered the guild, I attracted a lot of attention because I had Mariel with me.


    Of course, I attracted attention as a fairy lover, but more than that, scouts value fairies and want to have their owners as members of the group.


    This is said to be because scouts in general recognize the usefulness of fairies and the increased chances of obtaining and dropping items.


    "Thank you."


    I thanked him sincerely and decided to accept my reward.


    "Buy something for Marielle, will you?"


    "Yes, I will."


    I immediately respond to Beck''s concern for Marielle.


    "How about joining me for dinner tonight?"


    Beck''s subsequent invitation to have dinner with me hardens me, but only for a moment.


    Well, I wouldn''t be surprised if we were in the habit of holding some sort of pitch or review meeting. I remember my earlier date with Robin and again regret my lack of consideration.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, but I promised to have dinner tonight with Robin - the promising newcomer from Black Flame . I''m so sorry."


    "What, don''t worry about it. It''s important to socialize with people your age, feel free to have fun."


    Beck-san replied in a nonchalant manner without seeming annoyed.


    "Well, in that case, I''ll tell you now. We''re going on a ten-day round trip. As an apprentice, you can''t accompany us on escort duty. In other words, I can''t take you with me. Do you have any plans or projects while we''re away?"


    He looks at me with worried eyes.


    I sweep my eyes around the other party members, who look at me with the same worried expression. Are we that unreliable? No, well, I''m not that reliable.


    "I didn''t really think about it. For now, I was planning to go tomorrow to check the weapons and armor, buy some household items and also some more clothes for Mariel. I was also planning to go to the guild archives to study about demons and magic."


    Actually, I was referring to the immediate actions I had in mind when I had just received a large sum of money.


    No way, I plan to go around asking people on the street back and forth gathering information related to skills and magic.


    "I see. Normally I would have introduced you to another party, but it seems like all the people I know well are out. If you want to spend some time studying and resting, that''s fine too."


    "If you wish, you can submit to being a healer in the guild''s waiting room. We will handle all the negotiations and formalities for the price, so Fujiwara-san will take fifty-five percent and the guild forty-five percent."


    The employee made the offer with a proud face, as if it was a good idea.


    Does she have the authority to say so much here, this staff member? Or does the discretion of the guild staff members have a lot of discretion?


    "I appreciate it, can I ask you to do that, Michinaga, are you okay with this?"


    An expression of relief spreads across Beck-san''s face, which had been worried up until now.


    "Huh? Yes, thank you. As long as it''s not every day, it''s fine. Also, I''d like to do some simple work, is that okay with you?"


    I thank Beck and check with the employee.


    "Yes, that''s fine. The guild also welcomes users with light magic. If possible, it would be helpful if you could decide in advance the day and time you wish to be here."


    The clerk looked mainly at Beck and, while understanding my request, spoke to me about this and that.


    "Yes, that''s fine. It would be better for Michinaga if we had a fixed schedule."


    Like a mother, Mr. Beck expressed his understanding.


    My will and my opinion no longer existed there.


    I appreciated it, but I watched what was happening and felt a little sorry for myself.


    ¡ó ¡ó


    The story was decided.


    Starting the day after tomorrow, I will be working at the guild every other day from six in the morning until six in the evening. In my free time, I will study in the guild''s consultation room or train.


    As much as possible, I accompany newbies with requests that last no more than a day.


    Preferably with a group like roddy''s.


    The female guild staff said they would be happy to help me. ...... "as far as possible" and "desirable", but somehow I feel it is an obligation.


    The female guild staff member said, "Leave it to me!" I think I heard her whisper to Beck, while clenching her fists.


    After saying goodbye to Beck and the others, I stayed at the guild with Marielle, as there were arrangements and various treatment-related paperwork to be done tomorrow. I think I''ll kill time at the guild and wait for Robin. I followed the clerk as I thought about those immediate plans.


    "Then, I will ask you to be there at the agreed time, starting the day after tomorrow. Please check the documents."


    She handed me the documents and continued.


    "After I have finished checking and signing those documents, next, I would like to ask you for the documents related to your remuneration."


    I check the documents you hand me and the documents you present to me. The content is simple.


    Marielle also looks at the documents over my shoulder.


    "Can you read it?"


    "I can read it, but I don''t understand the math."


    She scratches her head and shakes the air, perhaps thinking she is expressing her inability to understand the calculations.


    "Yes, I checked the contents - did this sign it too?"


    I pose the question as a question as I hold out the two documents I have already signed.


    ''Why are you using two documents for this very simple content?"


    "What, you ask?"


    The employee looks at the documents I have presented to her with a surprised expression.


    "Ehhh, you didn''t do the math. How did you know about calculations and such when you didn''t do any calculations, Michinaga?"


    Marielle asked observantly, as if unconvinced.


    "Calculate without having done the math, you mean ''did you know the amount of money without having done the math?'' I''ve figured it out. It''s okay."


    I say mockingly, correcting Marielle''s funny words.


    "Why, why..."


    ''I did it from memory, I calculated it in my head. It''s easy to make these kinds of calculations without writing them down on paper."


    Marielle remains unconvinced, so he reveals the secret to her.


    "What, you can do calculations mentally? Wow!"


    Marielle jumps in the air in surprise.


    I put aside for the moment Marielle, who is surprised as she leaps into the air with dexterity, and turn to the employee to finish the procedure.


    She''s frozen, staring at me with an even more shocked expression than Marielle''s.


    "Um, I''ve read it and signed it. It''s okay, right?"


    I confirm to the frozen employee that the documents I just returned to her are complete.


    She''s still frozen.


    "Um, I''m good at calculations, and with that level of calculation, I can calculate it in my head without writing it down on paper."


    I had no choice but to come out and say I knew how to do math by heart.


    "I see ... That''s enough to get you going. By the way, what other special skills do you have?"


    "It''s a secret."


    I returned it with a big smile to the female staff member who asked with a friendly smile....


    The most important thing to remember is that you can never be too careful when doing this.


    "Rather, are there any recommended restaurants or taverns where you can eat and drink?"


    Asking for recommendations of places to eat, I told him I was going to have a friendly meal with Robin.


    "Two apprentice scouts in a bar? Please be careful not to get tangled up with strangers and cause a ruckus.''"


    He told me and showed me some stores near the guild.


    The most important thing to remember is that you are not the only one who can help you.


    "Isn''t that big brother Michinaga?"


    I look back with a very unpleasant feeling at the familiar voice. ''There you are, Roddy boy.


    "Ah, Mr. Roddy. You''ve come to the right place. I have a request, or rather a favor to ask of you."


    "Come quickly!" The female staff waved the boy over.


    ? ?


    "So, it''s Beck''s request, and I want you to accept it somehow."


    "Leave it to me, I''ve agreed to be Michinaga''s older brother''s support.


    "Thank you, that helps, Fujiwara-san has no objections, right?"


    "Yes, please."


    Mr. Beck cared about me and took me into consideration. I have no objection. ......


    So, my plans for tomorrow were largely decided.


    "Brother, I will be with you. I look forward to working with you."


    The voices of Roddy and his friends overlap. The voices of the boy and his friends overlap.


    A female employee looks at them as if smiling.


    Mariel says it''s going to be lively. I don''t think anything about it.


    Well, tonight''s plans are pretty much decided. I spend a few minutes in the guild waiting room, thinking of excuses for Robin.