Volume 1, Chapter 1 – Let’s make a serious effort starting tomorrow
First of all, let’s check the Items.
Wild Rabbit Meat x5, Wild Rabbit Fur x5
Normal Clothes, Boots, Knife, Beginner’s Potion x10
Current garments are a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans, footwear are sandals. I take out the clothes and boots from Items and change to them. The clothes are a bit stiff but the fabric is strong. The boots look pretty ordinary. The size fits perfectly. It’s described as Normal Clothes, so maybe they won’t stand out in town. The Camping Set has a water canteen which was refilled with water magic and quenched my thirst. I was finally able to calm down.
“In the meantime, it’s the town. Even a rabbit could be unwelcome coming down to attack there.”
Walking around 30 minutes, at a distance a wall could be seen. It appears the town is surrounded by a high wall. Approaching it on the left side I could see something like a gate, so I head there. Getting even nearer there’s a road and two spear bearing soldiers stood at the gate. They have finely chiseled features, to all appearance they look like foreigners.
“Identification Papers.”
The effect of having the Razgrad World Standard Language Skill meant that I effectively understood them.
“What’s up? You don’t have Identification Papers? Then come over here.”
I was taken by one of the soldiers to a building next to the gate.
“Can you write? Write your name and origin here.” [TL Note: person’s origin (town, city, country, parentage, etc.)]
While saying that, he took out a notebook. I can read the writing and given I felt like I could write, I took the pen and tried writing my name. I can write like it was normal. I can understand it too. I was bad with English, but if one was proficient with language studies it would be something like this? Because of the Skill it seems I can read and write at the same level as my j.a.panese. What should I do about my origins? In the meantime let’s write the place at my parent’s house.
“Yamano Masaru? Umm? I’ve never heard that kind of name.”
“Yes, it’s from the country side, hehehe.”
Somehow it appears they are satisfied with just that. So easy.
“What brought you here?”
“You came from the country side to become an adventurer?”
The soldier stares rudely and scrutinizingly.
“The town’s entrance fee is 10 Gold. If you’re issued Identification Papers from the Guild and show them, entrance is free. We’ll ask just in case, you don’t have criminal records, do you?”
“No, I don’t have.”
I open the Menu thinking of [10 Gold] and they were placed in my hand. They look like copper coins. Since there are 10 copper coins, one coin is one Gold? I hand them over to the soldier to count.
“Alright, welcome to the city of Siory. The Guild’s location you’ll know once you go through the gate and continue straight ahead. Don’t draw that sword on your waist inside town. Fights with weapons or magic in the town are prohibited.”
Inside the town it was pretty crowded. Near the gate street stalls are side by side, food and other unknown stuff were being sold.
“Hey, you lad over there, won’t you buy some? This freshly grilled rabbit meat is delicious. One piece for a Gold.”
Which reminds me, I haven’t eaten anything today since I left home. I take out one Gold from Items and get a skewer. It smells good. The salty taste and softness of the meat spreads in my mouth. Since I liked it I bought 5 skewers to eat while walking. I can communicate in the language and the food isn’t bad. Based on one skewer for one Gold being 100 yen, then 2000 Gold is 200,000 yen. At present, my livelihood is alright. [TL Note: So basically 1 Gold = $1 USD, or around 1 Gold = $0.81USD @ current exchange rates.]
Around the time I finished eating, I could see a big prominent building. Siory Trade Guild was written on the signboard. Furthermore, next to it was another building with Adventurer’s Guild written. Some armed rough looking guys were going in and out. While hesitating at the entrance, I was stared at too much and without thinking I made a U-turn. Let’s leave the Adventurer’s Guild for tomorrow, uhum. First some lodging. It’s okay, because I’ll make a serious effort starting tomorrow!
I walked back down the street and asked the middle-aged man in the grilled skewers cart if he didn’t know some good lodging. I was informed about a lodging used by adventurers called the Dragon Breath Pavilion. One night stay, breakfast included, cost 20 Gold. Day and night there’s a dining room, so you can eat there as long as you have money. Seems they serve inexpensive and delicious food.
Soon after I found the establishment. This city, is it because of the prudent town planning? The streets were laid out straight and thanks to this helpful design even if it’s your first time visiting it’s impossible to get lost. [TL Note: For some cultural background the streets of the major cities in j.a.pan are laid out like a (#!%$ maze with twisting roads and very hard to navigate.]
The inn is a two-story building and the interior is pretty s.p.a.cious. Are there around 50 people seated at the counter and tables? There are around 5 other seated people scattered around. I was greeted by an older woman with some presence once I entered.
“Welcome. Take any free seat.”
“Dear, there’s a customer here for lodging!”
From the interior a bald lanky old man came out.
“One night is 20 Gold, breakfast included. There’s the dining room day and night, you can order over there.”
The details are just like I heard them, I paid 20 Gold for one night and was guided to a room on the 2nd floor. It was a small room with a single bed, but I was relieved it was thoroughly cleaned. The sheets seem to be have been neatly washed. There’s no lock but inside there’s a bolt so I have peace of mind. I take off my boots, lay down on the bed and open the Menu.
Text stats from the WN
Yamano Masaru, Human, NEET
Level 1
MP 25/35
Stamina 5+5
Skill 11
Magic Power 17
Skill Points 9P
Fencing Level 2, Physical Enhancement Level 2, Skill Reset, Razgrad World Standard Language
**************************************
HP & MP are recovering. Seems it recovers as times pa.s.ses. I must examine this stuff too.
But first priority are the Skills.
【Fencing Level 2】
【Physical Enhancement Level 2】
+100% bonus to Strength, Stamina and HP.
As a special service these two were a.s.signed, both are pretty useful Skills. There are only 9 points left, I can think of two options. Raise my current Fencing and Physical Enhancement or raise to a high Magic Power and learn magic. Fencing from lv 2 to 3 takes 3 points. Level 4 will take probably 4 points. For magic, it cost 5 points to gain Fire Magic and raising it to level 2, it all totaled 7 points. Even if I can learn magic, the problem is the MP consumption. Should I investigate a little bit?
Among the 3 Life Magic spells, fire and water can’t be used in the room, so I tested with Cleanup Magic. Currently I have 25 MP. First of all I try cleaning up my body. Uhum, somehow I feel refreshed. The smell of sweat seems to have disappeared. 22 MP remained. I remember I haven’t brushed my teeth and try Cleanup inside my mouth. In an instant my mouth felt refreshed. This is convenient. My teeth became all smooth. MP dropped to 21. Does it change depending on the area cleaned up?
I wonder if the whole room could be cleaned up? Although the room is fairly clean, because of my muddy feet the floor has been dirtied. Basing it as an area of 5 bodies, could around 15 MP be enough? I use Cleanup on the floor and it became sparklingly clean. It’s in a state where it’s alright to lie down on it. Exactly 15 MP were consumed leaving 6 MP. It seems it’s simple to control the MP consumption. It seems that if it isn’t designated, automatically the necessary amount will be consumed and it also feels like if an amount is designated that will be respected.
I try to use the remaining 6 MP to clean up the clothes I’m wearing. The moment I used it my knees lost strength and fell, I lost conciousness while collapsed on the floor.
Once I woke up on the floor it looked like it was already dusk. My head feels heavy. Did I faint because I used up all my MP? The Cleanup of the floor was a blessing in disguise. 3 MP have been recovered. Exhausting my MP is dangerous. Let’s pa.s.s on learning magic till I’ve increased my MP a bit more.
Two points remaining after I used 7 points on Fencing. Searching if there’s anything else, I put 1 point in a Skill called Clock and the date and time were displayed on the Menu. According to it, today is the year 613, 9th month, 22nd day, 17:08 hours. [TL Note: Since j.a.panese use all numbers for their dates, it’s unclear to me if in this Parallel World the dates just use numbers like in j.a.pan or follow a Western Gregorian Calendar. I’ll keep it in j.a.panese format in the meantime.]
If this was j.a.pan it could be the end of summer? Come to think of it, it feels like an autumn-like climate with a gentle temperature.
【Clock】
【Fencing Level 4】
Sword handling skill. Befitting of a top cla.s.s knight.
I take out a copper coin from Items. I throw it up towards the ceiling. I draw my sword, cut the copper coin and sheath it back into the scabbard. The so-called Iai. [TL Note: Iaido or Iai ]
The copper coin that fell on the floor was perfectly cut in half. I thought that skill was no doubt worthy of being called top cla.s.s.
“Incredible. I’ve never done Kendo before, yet I can do this at level 1!”
10 Points to Fencing Lv 5? The next fencing level seems to be the limit.
Somehow high hopes welled up.