I’m a NEET but When I Went to Hello Work I Got Taken to Another World (LN) - LightNovelsOnl.com
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This is an extra chapter in the LN, so it’s not found in the WN.
Volume 1 Chapter 8 – A boring day for Yamano Masaru
Morning at the inn, the owners’ daughter started coming to wake me up when the breakfast is ready. She’s cute too. She’s around a high schooler’s age, her hair is tied in a pony tail and works a lot while having a smiling face. It’s something that has improved my waking up. To eat breakfast I head to the dining hall but it’s already pretty crowded. Because it’s delicious and cheap, not only those staying but also a lot of adventurers from outside come to eat. However, they are all male. They eat too, but quite a lot of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds come for the daughter here.
Of course she’s cute, I was staying here in the first place. I tried to order, but I really lost control of myself then. She left after graciously taking my order; in every direction bloodthirsty looks came flying. The guys seated on the next table conspicuously started to grab their weapons. I almost leaked. This bullying suddenly ceased the moment the order arrived. Like it’s enough of this threatening. Afterwards, they seemed to lower their guards once I started ordering through the proprietress and ignored the daughter. This inn’s food is cheap and delicious. I’ve looked at other inns in the neighborhood, but every one was fairly expensive compared to this one or having the same price, they’d be in slightly unsanitary conditions. Since I’m reluctant to part with the inn I liked, I ordered through the inn lady that day.
My daily routine is observing the adventurers that stare at the daughter. These fellow adventurers are violent, watching behind the scenes their conflict from the beginning is amusing. They keep each other at bay, at present, probably not one adventurer has effectively approached the daughter. Therefore, it seems they’re excessively vigilant of new customers like me. At first glance I seem to be the same age as the daughter. That alone looked like somewhat of an advantage. Although I have no interest in partic.i.p.ating in this war whatsoever.
After eating breakfast, thinking of today’s plans while relaxing, the inn lady talked to me.
“Masaru-chan, you’re taking it slow today, huh?”
The other adventurers seeming to have been taking a break suddenly leave, except for several people. There are lower cla.s.s adventurers that gather in cheap hotels. If you don’t work seriously, you can’t even afford to stay in this inn.
“Yesterday I got some good earnings, so I thought it would be good to rest today.”
Because of the orcs and wild rabbits hunt I have a pocket full of money. There’s no need to force myself to work.
“Besides look! I became E rank.”
Saying that I show my card.
“You already raised your rank, wonderful!” The inn lady like a parent thinks of me as a child. “Even though I look like this, I’m pretty strong.” I diligently practiced in the beginner’s training. My Stamina and Fencing skills rose remarkably, I could win against the other fellow trainees two-on-one. I was at ease against 5 orcs. “Really? But I’ve been told that being freshly ranked up is dangerous, so please be careful.” I obediently answer “yes”. There’s no need to tell me since I don’t have the intention to behave dangerously. “Ohhh, the Wild Rabbit has ranked up?” Looks like the conversation with the proprietress was overheard. It was said by an adventurer that stayed behind in the dining hall. “Well, yes.” Naturally everybody staying here knows the rumour about me. They readily call me Wild Rabbit, Wild Rabbit without even knowing my name. “You’re solo, aren’t you? We could let you join our party, you know?” An awfully… condescending att.i.tude. While thinking how to refuse, another person came. “What? Are you searching for a party, Wild Rabbit? Then join ours. Our ranks are higher than these other guys.”
“You have no more than one D rank! If you like come try here.”
“With these guys, no matter how many lives you have they won’t be enough. If you want to join one, join ours.”
“What did you say?!”
“No, well…” Disregarding me, it seems they’re starting a quarrel. Their appearance is scary on top of behaving very rude, these guys are really unpleasant. “Just stop it there! You’re troubling Masaru-chan.”
“No well, we ain’t forcing him to join, right?”
“Yeah.” However, thanks to the proprietress, the adventurers were dispersed. “I’m sorry, thanks for the help.”
“That was problematic, eh? But those guys aren’t so bad.”
“Is that so?”
“Despite their looks, because they act careful, they rarely come out injured.” But then that’s no good. If it can be done safely the better, but I wish to get more experience and I’m worried I won’t be able to act freely. “I have just become an adventurer, right? I feel it’s better I think about it slowly.”
“That’s right. There’s no need to hurry.” Yeah. It’s best I take it slowly. I’ve only been here for two weeks. “It’s about time I go out. I’ll return for dinner.”
“Take care.” If I stay here any longer, I might get involved with those guys again. Although, I don’t have a place in particular to go, so naturally let’s head to the Adventurer’s Guild. Arriving at the guild, I go review the requests posted at the hall. Escorting, gathering raw materials, harvesting medicinal plants. There’s also recruitment for part time work at construction sites and restaurants. In relation to subjugation request, a list for demons are stuck together, usually all you have to do is hunt them to get a reward. As expected there doesn’t seem to be any good requests. The reward for escorts is good, but the binding period is long. The price of raw materials and medicinal plants are all over the place, but despite the rewards being high there are set limitations by rank. The rewards that a second to last E rank can receive are shabby, to begin with I haven’t seen what all those raw materials are and also I have no idea where to find them. Applying for a part time job is out of the question. The reward from hunting wild rabbits is by far better. “Isn’t it the Wild Rabbit? Are you looking for a request?
“Yes, well.” Someone besides me talked. The adventurer knows me, but he’s someone I don’t recognize. I stealthily erased my presence so I shouldn’t be noticed, but as expected I can’t hide from someone right besides me. “Are you solo? We can let you join on a request we have.” Once again, I’m being invited with a condescending att.i.tude. Sure, I’m a novice adventurer, but why all these guys act so self-important? Even so, why? What’s with this popularity? Is it that my magnificent wild rabbit hunting skills are needed? “Certainly it’s amazing, but it’s just hunting rabbits.” As soon as I try to ask, they deny it. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“That’s to say. It’s the Item Box. You have an amazingly big one.” It wasn’t popularity, but what I could carry. Umm, boring if I have to say myself. “It’s OK if you’re put at the back.” I see. The adventurers at the inn were aiming for that? Just to make sure I try to ask what’s the payment for baggage carrying, but this is boring. “I caught 35 wild rabbits yesterday. Do you have an idea how much the reward was?”
“… Unh, Umm.” 25 Gold x 35 rabbits = 875 Gold. The adventurer is probably calculating it in his head. He’s making a somber face. “Well, that’s the way it is.” I promptly depart and leave that adventurer alone. Somehow I feel like other adventurers are catching glimpses this way. It’s OK if it is my imagination, but it’ll be annoying if I’m held again so I exit the guild. And that’s only hunting rabbits. And yet he would probably offered only a stingy payment, do they take me for an idiot? Umm, shall I go hunt rabbits today? I properly prepare my equipment, come out the gate and the gra.s.slands were a short distance away. I proceed through the gra.s.slands away from the main road. Places near the city where there are fewer number, using Presence Detection I can find wild rabbits. “Found one, so…” I approach using Stealth and Ninja Walk, lightly throw the knife and kill it. Such a dangerous beast back then, now is merely a small fry. Around the time I kill the 10th one, I take a break. This is 250 Gold. It is around 25,000 j.a.panese Yen. If it’s to earn money, this would be enough, but the problem is that wild rabbits no longer give experience! I’m sure I hunted a considerable number, but with wild rabbits, from around level 4 I haven’t been able to level up. Is the amount of experience minuscule? I’m not completely sure, but either way, it’s certainly enough rabbits to make a living. On the other hand, the forest is scary. Everyone says unanimously that it is dangerous. I was attacked by orcs practically around the perimeter, if that happened to an ordinary novice adventurer I’m sure he’d be dead. I take glimpses towards the forest. Let’s stop today. I’ve already earned enough anyways. “How many you got today? 10? The wild rabbits also invade the plantations. Please be sure to hunt them.” The gate keeping soldier said that. So there were plantations?
After asking about it, it appears they are beyond the gate on the opposite side and looks like they are very vast. I’m shocked that I didn’t know such thing. I had no business on the opposite of the city, there’s not helping it! However, I got good info about the wild rabbits. I was thinking whether he would scold me for hunting them too much, but if that’s no the case then I can keep hunting without reservations. “I’ll be going all out next time.”
“As expected of the Wild Rabbit, you’re so reliable!” Can you f.u.c.king stop calling me Wild Rabbit? “How about one?” Suddenly I had the idea and took out one rabbit. It’s to thanks the trifling info I received. “Is that ok?”
“I can catch more any time, right?” One or two rabbits are nothing. “That’s right, I should give you my thanks. We’ll have a feast today!” While doing that, the other gate guards started to gather around us. Looks like they had free time right when traffic paused. “And, so nice I’m jealous! it’s unfair only you getting that!” said some brawny soldiers when they saw us.
“Hey, please take this.” I took out one rabbit for each person. In total 5 rabbits. It now looked as if they were extorting me, but somehow I changed my opinion while giving them away, as it was OK and I really felt glad. After all it seems soldiers’ salary is really low. I didn’t enter town for the time being and just went to see the plantations. It’s still the middle of the morning, even if I return there’s nothing to do. I was told the plantations towards the south are vast, so I’m heading there. I’m walking, but not too quickly, along the city’s tall walls and come to see the plantations. A one meter high wall that stretches forever perpendicular to the city’s walls. As a protection against wall rabbits, this should be enough. A portion of the plantations should be lush green with growing produce, but rather it was mostly bare soil. Because there was evidence of ploughing, is it being prepared for produce to be sown? I get over the wall and keep advancing. It may look like trespa.s.sing, but no other roads could be seen. Several people are in the distance, I could see people working and one notices me. I wave at them as if saying that I’m not someone suspicious, and seeming lost interest they went back to work. Since it would be bad if I get in the way, I continue along the wall. One place on the wall there is compost piled up. It has a terrible stench. I don’t know what the raw materials were and I don’t want to know, but it was fairly advanced in the fermentation. I kept walking some more and the main road could be seen. The west side main road goes through cutting across the plantation, surely it’d be natural to be amazed that one day someone said they didn’t know there was a plantation here. There’s a gate, and equally there were soldiers stationed here doing checks, but for now I continue towards the outside of the city. This main road keeps heading east and on carriage it takes around 5 days to reach the imperial capital. I’ve thought of going to the imperial capital eventually, but today my destination is a river. It seems there’s a river flowing near the city and a splendid bridge spans across it. I didn’t see the bridge but soon I could see the river. It was a small stream. I knew nearby there would be a small bridge. While thinking “Is this a splendid bridge?”, continuing further a proper river could be seen. It wasn’t a large one, but it has a 100 meters width with a slow current. The previous one was a ca.n.a.l to draw water for the plantations. I could see two water wheels erected in the direction of the water ca.n.a.l. A bridge solidly built out of stone comes into view, it doesn’t seem it would move an inch from flooding waters. I saw someone fis.h.i.+ng in the middle of the bridge. Wearing leather armor and carrying sword and bow, this is indeed another world.
As it is I approach the angler. A white-haired grandpa. He has a solid physique and years of experience with his equipment. Is he some kind of retired adventurer? “Can you get any catch?”
“It is so-so. Are you perhaps interested in fis.h.i.+ng?
“Yes.” Honestly I’m not interested in fis.h.i.+ng itself. About fis.h.i.+ng, the extent of my experience was doing it in a fish pond as a child. However, I’m interested in the fish caught. “What are you fis.h.i.+ng?”
“This.” The elderly fisher showed me a wooden bucket. Inside there are two strange fishes. They are around 30 centimeters in length. What are these? I’ve seen them somewhere. “Their appearance is bad, but they taste good.” I remember. There are deep-sea fish like this. Its head and mouth are huge. Looking at it better it got some sharp teeth. “C-caught one.” While I was looking at the fish, it seems one took the bait. When I was thinking what he’d do with a rod without a reel, he lifted the fish in one go while yelling “heave-ho!”. The fish that fell next to me was struggling and splas.h.i.+ng around. “Get away from it. It can easily bite off a toe or two.” I reflexively take a step back. The angler took out a knife and skillfully stabs the fish to finish it. “Are there a lot of these in this river?”
“That’s right. It’s better if you don’t approach the river.” The guardrail is only waist high. One could easily fall if not steady or staggering. “If one falls?”
“If you’re lucky, you’d get one or two things bitten off while struggling to reach the river bank.” Scary, the river is really frightening! I’ll be absolutely sure not to approach it. I look over the river once more. Despite being so close to the city, is this the reason I haven’t seen a single s.h.i.+p? Of course there are no other people besides this fisher. When I heard the story I understood why fis.h.i.+ng is not popular. It’s dangerous outside the city, that being the case the fish caught are also dangerous. Because it can bite off a normal fis.h.i.+ng line, a high priced one is required. Furthermore, it isn’t like the price for the fish is proportional to the difficulty to fish it. And yet outside the city, this place is safe and there’s no danger if you are experienced with this fish. It’s alright if you make sure not to lose the fis.h.i.+ng line. That was all explained by this grandpa. “Why don’t you try it once?”
“I’ll refrain from it.” This isn’t the fis.h.i.+ng I know. Fis.h.i.+ng is something you do leisurely, right? “Is that so? If you change your mind you can come here any time. I’ll teach you the virtues of fis.h.i.+ng.” I reject such a deadliest catch. I bid farewell to the fisher grandpa and returned to the city. It’s about time for lunch, I’m getting hungry. The old man was carrying a lunch box, so it seems he’ll continue fis.h.i.+ng into the afternoon. When I look at the prospect of fis.h.i.+ng all day at old age, it feels like it’s not too bad, but still the opponent is a deadly fis.h.!.+ This other world is scary. I go through the gate uneventfully. They checked the card and it was finished. They don’t know my face here so it’s nice they don’t call me Wild Rabbit Wild Rabbit. It’s my first time coming here because I didn’t have business in the west side of the city, but it’s not much different than the east side. There are shops, street stalls and a fair amount of people looking busy as well as people like me who are coming and going leisurely. Well then, what should I eat? The food here isn’t so bad. With the exception that there’s no rice or soy sauce, there is bread, pasta and a variety of seasonings. Occasionally unusual ingredients come out, but if you pretend not to know when eating them, there’s no problem. The vegetables are OK. There are many vegetables I feel like I’ve seen them in j.a.pan, there are things I’m not sure, but vegetables are vegetables. They don’t feel out of place. It’s the meat! The problem. The first thing I ate after coming here was wild rabbit, but in this city the most widely distributed one is orc meat. There’s no beef or pork. Besides orc various kinds of meat come out. After hearing the name around three times, I stopped caring. The local people eat it normally and the taste is ordinary. I didn’t have digestive problems and it is futile worrying about it. I can’t keep living if I don’t eat. But, bugs! You’re not welcome! Bugs are not meat.
Seems they are delicious, but looking at huge bugs taken apart and boiled or grilled, it’s as expected, simply too much. Fortunately, they aren’t distributed in quant.i.ties, thus it’s easy to avoid them. Seems there are poor people even in another world and despite bugs not being to their liking they aren’t rejected. I find a stall with some nice smell and buy a soup. Meat & vegetables, probably also wheat are all cooked together. I provide the bowl myself. You can borrow one from the establishment, however if you bring your own you get a little bit more. The price is 3 copper coins with a quant.i.ty enough to fill the stomach. I sit on a corner of the plaza to savor the soup while I watch the flow of people. The races are really varied. The most numerous are ordinary humans, but the skin tones go from white to black. I notice that demi-humans with tails and cat ears as well as short and stout dwarf-like people are in the minority. There are elves too, but I haven’t seen one yet. Speaking of fantasy’s staple elves, certainly I want to see one someday. On the opposite side of the plaza, although it couldn’t be heard from here, there was a minstrel that was singing something while plucking the strings of a musical instrument that looked like a guitar. It’s like a European middle-ages civilization if I think about culture, but I feel it’s quite close to Ancient Roman. There are toilets and proper bath houses. The buildings and bridge are quite magnificent and I even caught sight of the water wheels. I’ve thought a bit about making money with modern knowledge, but it’s not something that can be done so easily. In the first place I’m a NEET, what I can do or what knowledge I have of is extremely biased. I have high school graduate level of knowledge, as well as anime, manga and novels. It would be nice if I could make guns or cannons, but I couldn’t remember how to make gunpowder. Despite saltpeter being made in novels of the Sengoku Period, as far as I remember it was made one way or another with straw. What came after that I had no idea. Besides, I don’t know the structure of a gun. I’d even have problems describing the intricacies of a matchlock.
One inserts the gunpowder and bullet into the metal gun barrel. Then light the fuse. That’s how, isn’t it? Do you stick the fuse into a small open hole? If you make a small hole, won’t the pressure come out from it when the gunpowder detonates? [TL: So, this isn’t gonna turn into gun-ota.] The weapons route is probably impossible. I had a look around a weapons store, but everything was elaborate and had good materials. As expected I couldn’t find a katana, but from the start I don’t know how they’re made. Something like a metal armor is by no means something an amateur can produce. Medical care is no good. medicine or medical treatment are things I’m completely ignorant. At best wash my hands, brush my teeth or getting fat increases risk of diabetes. That’s the amount I know. Long time ago I had very limited experience with agriculture, I handled something like a hoe and there was something like compost.
This route too, I think it is also no good. It wasn’t a city, but I grew up in a fairly developed countryside town and farming is not something I really did. At most I saw every Sunday the performers on TV doing farming in rural areas. Perhaps, there might be some use for that knowledge, but if I go to some farmer’s place, what could happen? “Do you have knowledge of farming?”
“Where did you learn that?”
“I saw it on TV.”
“Wha?”
“In practice I haven’t done farming, but I saw some entertainers do it every week.”
“Entertainers…?”
“Yes, they farmed rice and build green houses.”
“You don’t have experience, do you?”
“No.”
“GET OUT!”
Uhum, that won’t work. Entertainment is no good. Anime, novels and the dialogues in manga put into a book and sold might be profitable. If I also make board or card games they could also be sold. If it’s about those, I have perfect knowledge. What will happen if I spread all that entertainment to a world that will be destroyed in 20 years. For example if the demon lord were to attack and the inhabitants were addicted to Mahjong then it would be the beginning of their downfall. That would be terrible. It’d be my fault the destruction of the world began.
If it’s to profit from knowledge it must be practical. It must be something to help develop the world, but looking at it this way, I don’t really have knowledge with practical use. Suddenly it hit me. Is this perhaps the stuff I’d be forced to do if I haven’t received a cheat skill? [TL: Take in mind what follows is some long speculation of what he’d do if he didn’t receive cheat skills.] First at the start I’d be tormented to death by the wild rabbits. Even if I could do something about it, I would be stopped at the gate. I wouldn’t understand the language. Strange appearance. And no money. Even if I found my way inside the city, still I couldn’t understand the language and I’m not sure I could register with the Adventurer’s Guild. a.s.suming I could enter the Guild, still I can’t understand the language. There would be no way for me to do the requests. This is no good. It’s a route where I certainly die on the roadside. Not giving up I review another route, let’s say I receive only the language cheat. Then the money to enter the city and guild. It would be nice if it’s up to that point. Still subjugation requests are impossible. Even defeating wild rabbits would be difficult. I don’t know about medicinal plants and the gra.s.slands are dangerous. It would be instant death if orcs appeared. If it comes to that, I’d be taking request for odd jobs? Like carrying cargo or cleaning gutters. That’d be harsh. Would they let me wash dishes at the inn? I can cook fairly well too. Using recipes not from this other world, the inn would prosper and I marry the daughter. Ahh, that’s no good. I’d be killed by the adventurers. Let’s live independently. Obtain a small store and little by little make it a big one. Eventually I’d want to make a chain of stores. And make money, get a wife. Is that what I have to do coming to another world?… It would be good to work hard to open a Ramen shop in j.a.pan. No matter how much I work and expand a store, the end of the world is set to be in 20 years. Even if I work hard in internal administration or manufacturing it wouldn’t make any difference. Probably. Then I’d train myself for battle? I’d join the Guild and enter the beginner’s training. And would I become able to defeat orcs? Probably I’d against one. No, it would be close…? Under normal circ.u.mstances, I’m shabby when it comes to physical activities. Let’s use a bow. If it’s with a bow I could fight. And then would I join a party with the people I met training? I would be invited. No, I wonder what would happen. If I didn’t have a cheat, would they invite a currently clumsy me? Umm. At that moment, would I earnestly beg myself? We would be comrades that survived life-or-death situations together. It won’t be free of obstacles though. With this I would join the party and considerably safely become an adventurer. Little-by-little and not dying, earn money and getting stronger… becoming… stronger? Is this system of gaining XP to level up some kind of cheat? If a normal person gained XP would he level up? I don’t know since I can’t see other people’s Status. But it doesn’t seem a normal person levels up. Uhum. One wouldn’t. This is also a cheat. Then, no level up. Let’s leave it so if I don’t do ordinary weight training or ascetic practice, I wouldn’t get stronger. But I’m 23 years old. I’m past my growth period and even if I say getting stronger, there are limits. More or less the amount I can get stronger is no good. Almost certainly I won’t survive. That’s tough. There was magic. If it’s magic it can be used. Magic Power comes from one’s own effort, isn’t it? That part I haven’t strengthened yet and I had MP from the beginning. Let’s learn magic. Would I be able to manage this somehow? It’s possible. I feel it is considerably better than one way or another trying bow and sword. With the Fire Magic Level 3 I have now, how far could I reach? Let’s set it at ten years, no, 5 years. The option of a wizard with a reasonable talent is a good one. I don’t know if I’d be fine with Fire Magic Level 4 in 20 years time. If level 5 is impossible I could proceed with level 4. And confronting the Demon Lord? Nope. I can’t imagine it. In the first place the world is set to be destroyed in 20 years! That it’s setup is unreasonable! It’s not a story where I could proceed alone! A revision! I demand a revision! It’s cheating, seriously cheating. If not, I’d be dead. If in addition to gaining Skills, there’s leveling up and raising stats, even a small fish like me could be capable of fighting. And at the same time I understood my own incompetence. I wonder if I should have studied more. But if I had done that, I wouldn’t go to h.e.l.lo Work and come to this place. I wonder if still I should have studied more and lived my life earnestly. Then I’d had taken an ordinary life. An ordinary life? When I failed the university’s entrance exams, I was in a straight line to be a loser in life. No, there are lots of people with a proper work that are only high school graduates, was that only my incompetence? If I didn’t get a cheat, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. Ah, it’s useless. I got depressed. I got a cheat and came to a new world after all, I must be enjoying it. Besides a bit of danger to my existence and receiving some grueling training, it’s not so bad here. I have some problems there being no TV or manga, but that wasn’t unexpected. Moreover if I have a cheat, I can become considerably strong in this world. Although I was viciously beaten by the instructor, I didn’t lose to any of the fellow trainees despite being level 2. I wonder if by leveling up and increasing my Skills, I’ll become invincible. Uh hum, now I feel better. If I survive for 20 years I’ll be able to return to j.a.pan; in order not to die I won’t do the impossible, it’s OK to turn around and escape when necessary. Yeah, let’s settle for that. I stand up from the corner of the plaza I’ve been sitting on. In the plaza there were people with a lot of free time just like me, I had erased my presence so no one would notice me. While I was thinking plenty of time pa.s.sed, but is it too early to return to the inn? Should I go watch the minstrel on the opposite side of the plaza? While pa.s.sing through the center of the plaza I need to pay attention. Because carriages are going by, if you walk absentmindedly you could be hit by a horse and might happen that you reincarnate into yet another world. And also there’s horse s.h.i.+t dropped on the ground. There’s people going around cleaning and it’s left pretty clean, but still caution is necessary. Those people do it angrily while walking. One time I was nearly hit. The minstrel was a young man around 20 years old, his face is pretty normal. A wide hat with a white feather and dark green mantle. He is sitting on a sheet of something like leather spread on the ground, slowly strumming a melody with a small guitar, no, maybe a lute? “Do you have any request?”
Noticing me approaching he asked. You want me to make a request, huh. And to give you a tip. It seemed fine to be listening with nothing but an uninterested face, however a timid j.a.panese guy was there. I can’t act so shameless like others.
“Some cheerful tune, please.” Saying so, I put a copper coin tip into the wooden bowl. A copper coin equivalent to 100 yen, but it’s the thought that counts, the thought. Putting the money, I settled down on a spot a bit away and the minstrel started singing to the beat of his lute, different to the tune he was strumming until now. As expected from a pro, he’s got a good voice. The story is about a young man who rushed out of his home town and became a merchant and was successful in life? Despite hards.h.i.+ps and failures, in the end with success he became rich. Get a cute wife and lived in a huge house. Yeah, sounds like the kind of aspiration people anywhere have. I sat like that and listened to more tunes. When I added another tip for the third time, the audience had increased and the minstrel too seems to have stepped up too. Besides mine he received many tips and sung like he was extremely happy. However honestly speaking it was subtle. The voice was good, the instrumental skills should be good, but there were many songs that were monotonously lax. There were many songs that would have sold if they were released in j.a.pan, but overall they felt a bit unsatisfactory. In relation to music, it doesn’t seem it has developed as much here. I miss j.a.pan’s anime and popular songs. I’d want to introduce at least a song to them, but unfortunately I’m not as skillful in singing. I can’t play an instrument either. I know many songs that people would find interesting even if they were sung poorly, but I don’t like to stand out. And as expected I won’t be saving the world by singing. [TL: Nope, no stopping wars between humans and aliens with your singing.] Finally I reached it. Besides fighting there are extremely few alternatives. No matter the way, I’ll return to j.a.pan after 20 years. I won’t say there’s no meaning to money making, but at least in the present I feel like if I don’t prioritize getting stronger first, I’ll end up dead. However, what did he mean that it’s OK if I don’t go save the world? He said it’s a Skills test and by me giving reports and feedback, is he investing in the likely winner? It’s probable. That’s why, he might have chosen a not very useful human being like me. I’m certain he said it that time. That only people with apt.i.tude would be caught by that job offer. That is right. If he wanted to save the world, it would be better if he brought along someone stronger and more eager. Yeah, that’s right. I don’t need to do anything. If I think how to survive and live this 20 years, Surely everything will end up alright. Suddenly I noticed the spectators already left. It seems I was s.p.a.cing out a bit. The minstrel was counting the clinking money earned. “Thank you for listening to me till the end today.” Yeah, I gave him around 4 tips. But only one copper coin each time, even so that could buy two cheap meals. It’s not a trivial amount of money. “How was my singing?
“Umm. You would say about so-so.”
“That’s harsh, eh.” The minstrel said with a wry smile. Actually he’s at the level of winning an amateur singing contest. If compared to a good professional singer on Earth, at any rate he would lose though. “But I have to agree with that. I think I’m not so bad myself, but I’m not to the level to be featured in a theater.” The minstrel has his hards.h.i.+ps too. “I have composed some original pieces, but they are rather unsuccessful.”
“Should I teach you pieces from my home town?” Suddenly I had the idea and tried to mention it. Of course I’m teaching him anime songs. “Really? What kind?” Let’s sing enthusiastically the opening theme of a famous robot anime. Naturally it’s in j.a.panese. As expected I can’t sing a skillful imitation in the local language. “Wait a second. One more time. Please, one more time.” As requested by the minstrel who prepared notes, I sing it several times. “I don’t understand the language, but it’s an heroic piece, right?”
“Yeah. This one is about warriors going to war.”
“The meanings…?” Using the notes taken by the minstrel, the lyrics are translated into Razgrad World’s language. Of course the robot’s name remained as it is. In order to not make any mistakes, it was repeatedly taught the precise and accurate p.r.o.nunciation. If a j.a.panese person comes after me to this world. It would surprise him if he heard it somewhere! Taking the opportunity I also taught him many songs like the ending theme, sequels and movies. The minstrel was really delighted. “But, is it OK for me to use it?”
“Yeah. If the people from my home town heard these songs in a foreign land they’d cry out of joy.”
“If that’s the case.”
“Good luck and spread them if you become famous.”
“Thank you! I’ll do my best!”
Certainly do your best, I wish anime songs are spread in this other world. And I want to surprise the next j.a.panese person that comes. While keeping company to the minstrel it became night. It’s about time I return to the inn. Today I was able to relax after a long time. It would have been nice if I wasn’t alone. I thought about making a harem after coming here, but how in the world do I make a harem? Where would a girl fall for me? Wait, do girls fall from the sky? Nope. I don’t know what they mean by people falling out of the sky. Speaking of girls I know in this world, there is the truth officer girl, the three receptionist ladies at the guild, the daughter at the inn and one of the trainees. Impossible with the receptionist ladies. It wouldn’t be strange if they had boyfriends let alone be married and to begin with I only know them by face. The ratio of applicants for the daughter is excessive. The truth officer girl, is she too young? The trainee girl ended up going far away. Eh? Where should be best for me to pick up a girl? Pick up girls while walking down the road? It’s impossible! The inn I’m staying at is full of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and the occasional woman at the Adventurer’s Guild is the amazon type… Ermm, such opportunity in a fantasy novel, is rescuing a girl being a.s.saulted by thieves outside town, right? Is is alright if she was unintentionally traveling alone? Aiming for a girl? No way. Nope. Impossible. What other patterns were there? School life? Entering a school and be popular! Too bad I’m 23 years old! I’m not at the age to be a student. Would there be a magical academy? Probably there is. Studying magic… no way. I can acquire skills with the experience I earn. It’s a problem that I can’t level up while I’m inside a school. Which reminds me I was thinking I had to learn healing magic from somewhere. Since I thought about it, earning experience comes with the risks to my life, as much as possible I want to economize what can be economized. It’s a combat system where it’s relatively easy to level up and magic is possible in some way or another. Where can I learn it, let’s ask the receptionist guy tomorrow. Please don’t tell me I can only learn it in a magical academy. After returning to the inn, the sun completely set and the dining hall was crowded with adventurers drinking booze. Basically the inn was thriving, but it was unusual for all seats to be filled. Thinking what to do, a seat at the counter was emptied and I slipped into it.
I order the usual with the waitress, the cheapest set meal of the day. It’s called the set at the whims of the chef. At first I was nervous of what would come out. However, the inn keeper’s cooking skills sure are good. Even if I don’t know what kind of meat was used, there’s no mistake that it’s still delicious. Soon the inn lady brought the set meal. A small bread and soup. A pasta with meat piled up like a mountain. “It’s a special service!” The inn lady seems to feed me a lot. I wonder if she feeds me so I grow bigger. But I already pa.s.sed my growth phase… “Thank you as always.” However, I said my thanks then obediently eat it. If it was a normal serving I would be left unsatisfied, but I’m glad I received a bigger one for the same price. Today’s pasta was superb. So, I didn’t feel like prying what kind of meat it was. The bread was a bit hard and dry, but soaking it in the soup to eat, the taste wasn’t bad. I thought I missed rice, but not particularly. Well, it might be because I can’t no longer live so leisurely. I look around the crowded dining hall. The daughter already retired somewhere. They wouldn’t let their precious daughter keep company to drunk adventurers, right? Even if it wasn’t the case, there’s breakfast preparation early in the morning. Tonight there are several part-timer ladies, because they came to help in the dining hall and kitchen, they should have enough helping hands. By the time I finished my meal the dining hall had calmed down. It feels like the dining customers have left and the ones remaining are those who came to drink. Given that I don’t drink much, I retire. I don’t want to approach the drunk adventurers either. After returning to my room I became sleepy from my full stomach. Before going to sleep, I take around 10 minutes to write the log. The subject was centered around what happened and what I observed today. This is a dairy rather than a log. But today I didn’t hunt enough wild rabbits and it’s not like I diligently report everything all the time. I think it’s OK since there wasn’t any text from Itous.h.i.+n and I crawl into the inn’s spa.r.s.e and stiff bed.
Saying that I show my card.
“You already raised your rank, wonderful!” The inn lady like a parent thinks of me as a child. “Even though I look like this, I’m pretty strong.” I diligently practiced in the beginner’s training. My Stamina and Fencing skills rose remarkably, I could win against the other fellow trainees two-on-one. I was at ease against 5 orcs. “Really? But I’ve been told that being freshly ranked up is dangerous, so please be careful.” I obediently answer “yes”. There’s no need to tell me since I don’t have the intention to behave dangerously. “Ohhh, the Wild Rabbit has ranked up?” Looks like the conversation with the proprietress was overheard. It was said by an adventurer that stayed behind in the dining hall. “Well, yes.” Naturally everybody staying here knows the rumour about me. They readily call me Wild Rabbit, Wild Rabbit without even knowing my name. “You’re solo, aren’t you? We could let you join our party, you know?” An awfully… condescending att.i.tude. While thinking how to refuse, another person came. “What? Are you searching for a party, Wild Rabbit? Then join ours. Our ranks are higher than these other guys.”
“You have no more than one D rank! If you like come try here.”
“With these guys, no matter how many lives you have they won’t be enough. If you want to join one, join ours.”
“What did you say?!”
“No, well…” Disregarding me, it seems they’re starting a quarrel. Their appearance is scary on top of behaving very rude, these guys are really unpleasant. “Just stop it there! You’re troubling Masaru-chan.”
“No well, we ain’t forcing him to join, right?”
“Yeah.” However, thanks to the proprietress, the adventurers were dispersed. “I’m sorry, thanks for the help.”
“That was problematic, eh? But those guys aren’t so bad.”
“Is that so?”
“Despite their looks, because they act careful, they rarely come out injured.” But then that’s no good. If it can be done safely the better, but I wish to get more experience and I’m worried I won’t be able to act freely. “I have just become an adventurer, right? I feel it’s better I think about it slowly.”
“That’s right. There’s no need to hurry.” Yeah. It’s best I take it slowly. I’ve only been here for two weeks. “It’s about time I go out. I’ll return for dinner.”
“Take care.” If I stay here any longer, I might get involved with those guys again. Although, I don’t have a place in particular to go, so naturally let’s head to the Adventurer’s Guild. Arriving at the guild, I go review the requests posted at the hall. Escorting, gathering raw materials, harvesting medicinal plants. There’s also recruitment for part time work at construction sites and restaurants. In relation to subjugation request, a list for demons are stuck together, usually all you have to do is hunt them to get a reward. As expected there doesn’t seem to be any good requests. The reward for escorts is good, but the binding period is long. The price of raw materials and medicinal plants are all over the place, but despite the rewards being high there are set limitations by rank. The rewards that a second to last E rank can receive are shabby, to begin with I haven’t seen what all those raw materials are and also I have no idea where to find them. Applying for a part time job is out of the question. The reward from hunting wild rabbits is by far better. “Isn’t it the Wild Rabbit? Are you looking for a request?
“Yes, well.” Someone besides me talked. The adventurer knows me, but he’s someone I don’t recognize. I stealthily erased my presence so I shouldn’t be noticed, but as expected I can’t hide from someone right besides me. “Are you solo? We can let you join on a request we have.” Once again, I’m being invited with a condescending att.i.tude. Sure, I’m a novice adventurer, but why all these guys act so self-important? Even so, why? What’s with this popularity? Is it that my magnificent wild rabbit hunting skills are needed? “Certainly it’s amazing, but it’s just hunting rabbits.” As soon as I try to ask, they deny it. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“That’s to say. It’s the Item Box. You have an amazingly big one.” It wasn’t popularity, but what I could carry. Umm, boring if I have to say myself. “It’s OK if you’re put at the back.” I see. The adventurers at the inn were aiming for that? Just to make sure I try to ask what’s the payment for baggage carrying, but this is boring. “I caught 35 wild rabbits yesterday. Do you have an idea how much the reward was?”
“… Unh, Umm.” 25 Gold x 35 rabbits = 875 Gold. The adventurer is probably calculating it in his head. He’s making a somber face. “Well, that’s the way it is.” I promptly depart and leave that adventurer alone. Somehow I feel like other adventurers are catching glimpses this way. It’s OK if it is my imagination, but it’ll be annoying if I’m held again so I exit the guild. And that’s only hunting rabbits. And yet he would probably offered only a stingy payment, do they take me for an idiot? Umm, shall I go hunt rabbits today? I properly prepare my equipment, come out the gate and the gra.s.slands were a short distance away. I proceed through the gra.s.slands away from the main road. Places near the city where there are fewer number, using Presence Detection I can find wild rabbits. “Found one, so…” I approach using Stealth and Ninja Walk, lightly throw the knife and kill it. Such a dangerous beast back then, now is merely a small fry. Around the time I kill the 10th one, I take a break. This is 250 Gold. It is around 25,000 j.a.panese Yen. If it’s to earn money, this would be enough, but the problem is that wild rabbits no longer give experience! I’m sure I hunted a considerable number, but with wild rabbits, from around level 4 I haven’t been able to level up. Is the amount of experience minuscule? I’m not completely sure, but either way, it’s certainly enough rabbits to make a living. On the other hand, the forest is scary. Everyone says unanimously that it is dangerous. I was attacked by orcs practically around the perimeter, if that happened to an ordinary novice adventurer I’m sure he’d be dead. I take glimpses towards the forest. Let’s stop today. I’ve already earned enough anyways. “How many you got today? 10? The wild rabbits also invade the plantations. Please be sure to hunt them.” The gate keeping soldier said that. So there were plantations?
After asking about it, it appears they are beyond the gate on the opposite side and looks like they are very vast. I’m shocked that I didn’t know such thing. I had no business on the opposite of the city, there’s not helping it! However, I got good info about the wild rabbits. I was thinking whether he would scold me for hunting them too much, but if that’s no the case then I can keep hunting without reservations. “I’ll be going all out next time.”
“As expected of the Wild Rabbit, you’re so reliable!” Can you f.u.c.king stop calling me Wild Rabbit? “How about one?” Suddenly I had the idea and took out one rabbit. It’s to thanks the trifling info I received. “Is that ok?”
“I can catch more any time, right?” One or two rabbits are nothing. “That’s right, I should give you my thanks. We’ll have a feast today!” While doing that, the other gate guards started to gather around us. Looks like they had free time right when traffic paused. “And, so nice I’m jealous! it’s unfair only you getting that!” said some brawny soldiers when they saw us.
“Hey, please take this.” I took out one rabbit for each person. In total 5 rabbits. It now looked as if they were extorting me, but somehow I changed my opinion while giving them away, as it was OK and I really felt glad. After all it seems soldiers’ salary is really low. I didn’t enter town for the time being and just went to see the plantations. It’s still the middle of the morning, even if I return there’s nothing to do. I was told the plantations towards the south are vast, so I’m heading there. I’m walking, but not too quickly, along the city’s tall walls and come to see the plantations. A one meter high wall that stretches forever perpendicular to the city’s walls. As a protection against wall rabbits, this should be enough. A portion of the plantations should be lush green with growing produce, but rather it was mostly bare soil. Because there was evidence of ploughing, is it being prepared for produce to be sown? I get over the wall and keep advancing. It may look like trespa.s.sing, but no other roads could be seen. Several people are in the distance, I could see people working and one notices me. I wave at them as if saying that I’m not someone suspicious, and seeming lost interest they went back to work. Since it would be bad if I get in the way, I continue along the wall. One place on the wall there is compost piled up. It has a terrible stench. I don’t know what the raw materials were and I don’t want to know, but it was fairly advanced in the fermentation. I kept walking some more and the main road could be seen. The west side main road goes through cutting across the plantation, surely it’d be natural to be amazed that one day someone said they didn’t know there was a plantation here. There’s a gate, and equally there were soldiers stationed here doing checks, but for now I continue towards the outside of the city. This main road keeps heading east and on carriage it takes around 5 days to reach the imperial capital. I’ve thought of going to the imperial capital eventually, but today my destination is a river. It seems there’s a river flowing near the city and a splendid bridge spans across it. I didn’t see the bridge but soon I could see the river. It was a small stream. I knew nearby there would be a small bridge. While thinking “Is this a splendid bridge?”, continuing further a proper river could be seen. It wasn’t a large one, but it has a 100 meters width with a slow current. The previous one was a ca.n.a.l to draw water for the plantations. I could see two water wheels erected in the direction of the water ca.n.a.l. A bridge solidly built out of stone comes into view, it doesn’t seem it would move an inch from flooding waters. I saw someone fis.h.i.+ng in the middle of the bridge. Wearing leather armor and carrying sword and bow, this is indeed another world.
As it is I approach the angler. A white-haired grandpa. He has a solid physique and years of experience with his equipment. Is he some kind of retired adventurer? “Can you get any catch?”
“It is so-so. Are you perhaps interested in fis.h.i.+ng?
“Yes.” Honestly I’m not interested in fis.h.i.+ng itself. About fis.h.i.+ng, the extent of my experience was doing it in a fish pond as a child. However, I’m interested in the fish caught. “What are you fis.h.i.+ng?”
“This.” The elderly fisher showed me a wooden bucket. Inside there are two strange fishes. They are around 30 centimeters in length. What are these? I’ve seen them somewhere. “Their appearance is bad, but they taste good.” I remember. There are deep-sea fish like this. Its head and mouth are huge. Looking at it better it got some sharp teeth. “C-caught one.” While I was looking at the fish, it seems one took the bait. When I was thinking what he’d do with a rod without a reel, he lifted the fish in one go while yelling “heave-ho!”. The fish that fell next to me was struggling and splas.h.i.+ng around. “Get away from it. It can easily bite off a toe or two.” I reflexively take a step back. The angler took out a knife and skillfully stabs the fish to finish it. “Are there a lot of these in this river?”
“That’s right. It’s better if you don’t approach the river.” The guardrail is only waist high. One could easily fall if not steady or staggering. “If one falls?”
“If you’re lucky, you’d get one or two things bitten off while struggling to reach the river bank.” Scary, the river is really frightening! I’ll be absolutely sure not to approach it. I look over the river once more. Despite being so close to the city, is this the reason I haven’t seen a single s.h.i.+p? Of course there are no other people besides this fisher. When I heard the story I understood why fis.h.i.+ng is not popular. It’s dangerous outside the city, that being the case the fish caught are also dangerous. Because it can bite off a normal fis.h.i.+ng line, a high priced one is required. Furthermore, it isn’t like the price for the fish is proportional to the difficulty to fish it. And yet outside the city, this place is safe and there’s no danger if you are experienced with this fish. It’s alright if you make sure not to lose the fis.h.i.+ng line. That was all explained by this grandpa. “Why don’t you try it once?”
“I’ll refrain from it.” This isn’t the fis.h.i.+ng I know. Fis.h.i.+ng is something you do leisurely, right? “Is that so? If you change your mind you can come here any time. I’ll teach you the virtues of fis.h.i.+ng.” I reject such a deadliest catch. I bid farewell to the fisher grandpa and returned to the city. It’s about time for lunch, I’m getting hungry. The old man was carrying a lunch box, so it seems he’ll continue fis.h.i.+ng into the afternoon. When I look at the prospect of fis.h.i.+ng all day at old age, it feels like it’s not too bad, but still the opponent is a deadly fis.h.!.+ This other world is scary. I go through the gate uneventfully. They checked the card and it was finished. They don’t know my face here so it’s nice they don’t call me Wild Rabbit Wild Rabbit. It’s my first time coming here because I didn’t have business in the west side of the city, but it’s not much different than the east side. There are shops, street stalls and a fair amount of people looking busy as well as people like me who are coming and going leisurely. Well then, what should I eat? The food here isn’t so bad. With the exception that there’s no rice or soy sauce, there is bread, pasta and a variety of seasonings. Occasionally unusual ingredients come out, but if you pretend not to know when eating them, there’s no problem. The vegetables are OK. There are many vegetables I feel like I’ve seen them in j.a.pan, there are things I’m not sure, but vegetables are vegetables. They don’t feel out of place. It’s the meat! The problem. The first thing I ate after coming here was wild rabbit, but in this city the most widely distributed one is orc meat. There’s no beef or pork. Besides orc various kinds of meat come out. After hearing the name around three times, I stopped caring. The local people eat it normally and the taste is ordinary. I didn’t have digestive problems and it is futile worrying about it. I can’t keep living if I don’t eat. But, bugs! You’re not welcome! Bugs are not meat.
Seems they are delicious, but looking at huge bugs taken apart and boiled or grilled, it’s as expected, simply too much. Fortunately, they aren’t distributed in quant.i.ties, thus it’s easy to avoid them. Seems there are poor people even in another world and despite bugs not being to their liking they aren’t rejected. I find a stall with some nice smell and buy a soup. Meat & vegetables, probably also wheat are all cooked together. I provide the bowl myself. You can borrow one from the establishment, however if you bring your own you get a little bit more. The price is 3 copper coins with a quant.i.ty enough to fill the stomach. I sit on a corner of the plaza to savor the soup while I watch the flow of people. The races are really varied. The most numerous are ordinary humans, but the skin tones go from white to black. I notice that demi-humans with tails and cat ears as well as short and stout dwarf-like people are in the minority. There are elves too, but I haven’t seen one yet. Speaking of fantasy’s staple elves, certainly I want to see one someday. On the opposite side of the plaza, although it couldn’t be heard from here, there was a minstrel that was singing something while plucking the strings of a musical instrument that looked like a guitar. It’s like a European middle-ages civilization if I think about culture, but I feel it’s quite close to Ancient Roman. There are toilets and proper bath houses. The buildings and bridge are quite magnificent and I even caught sight of the water wheels. I’ve thought a bit about making money with modern knowledge, but it’s not something that can be done so easily. In the first place I’m a NEET, what I can do or what knowledge I have of is extremely biased. I have high school graduate level of knowledge, as well as anime, manga and novels. It would be nice if I could make guns or cannons, but I couldn’t remember how to make gunpowder. Despite saltpeter being made in novels of the Sengoku Period, as far as I remember it was made one way or another with straw. What came after that I had no idea. Besides, I don’t know the structure of a gun. I’d even have problems describing the intricacies of a matchlock.
One inserts the gunpowder and bullet into the metal gun barrel. Then light the fuse. That’s how, isn’t it? Do you stick the fuse into a small open hole? If you make a small hole, won’t the pressure come out from it when the gunpowder detonates? [TL: So, this isn’t gonna turn into gun-ota.] The weapons route is probably impossible. I had a look around a weapons store, but everything was elaborate and had good materials. As expected I couldn’t find a katana, but from the start I don’t know how they’re made. Something like a metal armor is by no means something an amateur can produce. Medical care is no good. medicine or medical treatment are things I’m completely ignorant. At best wash my hands, brush my teeth or getting fat increases risk of diabetes. That’s the amount I know. Long time ago I had very limited experience with agriculture, I handled something like a hoe and there was something like compost.
This route too, I think it is also no good. It wasn’t a city, but I grew up in a fairly developed countryside town and farming is not something I really did. At most I saw every Sunday the performers on TV doing farming in rural areas. Perhaps, there might be some use for that knowledge, but if I go to some farmer’s place, what could happen? “Do you have knowledge of farming?”
“Where did you learn that?”
“I saw it on TV.”
“Wha?”
“In practice I haven’t done farming, but I saw some entertainers do it every week.”
“Entertainers…?”
“Yes, they farmed rice and build green houses.”
“You don’t have experience, do you?”
“No.”
“GET OUT!”
Uhum, that won’t work. Entertainment is no good. Anime, novels and the dialogues in manga put into a book and sold might be profitable. If I also make board or card games they could also be sold. If it’s about those, I have perfect knowledge. What will happen if I spread all that entertainment to a world that will be destroyed in 20 years. For example if the demon lord were to attack and the inhabitants were addicted to Mahjong then it would be the beginning of their downfall. That would be terrible. It’d be my fault the destruction of the world began.
If it’s to profit from knowledge it must be practical. It must be something to help develop the world, but looking at it this way, I don’t really have knowledge with practical use. Suddenly it hit me. Is this perhaps the stuff I’d be forced to do if I haven’t received a cheat skill? [TL: Take in mind what follows is some long speculation of what he’d do if he didn’t receive cheat skills.] First at the start I’d be tormented to death by the wild rabbits. Even if I could do something about it, I would be stopped at the gate. I wouldn’t understand the language. Strange appearance. And no money. Even if I found my way inside the city, still I couldn’t understand the language and I’m not sure I could register with the Adventurer’s Guild. a.s.suming I could enter the Guild, still I can’t understand the language. There would be no way for me to do the requests. This is no good. It’s a route where I certainly die on the roadside. Not giving up I review another route, let’s say I receive only the language cheat. Then the money to enter the city and guild. It would be nice if it’s up to that point. Still subjugation requests are impossible. Even defeating wild rabbits would be difficult. I don’t know about medicinal plants and the gra.s.slands are dangerous. It would be instant death if orcs appeared. If it comes to that, I’d be taking request for odd jobs? Like carrying cargo or cleaning gutters. That’d be harsh. Would they let me wash dishes at the inn? I can cook fairly well too. Using recipes not from this other world, the inn would prosper and I marry the daughter. Ahh, that’s no good. I’d be killed by the adventurers. Let’s live independently. Obtain a small store and little by little make it a big one. Eventually I’d want to make a chain of stores. And make money, get a wife. Is that what I have to do coming to another world?… It would be good to work hard to open a Ramen shop in j.a.pan. No matter how much I work and expand a store, the end of the world is set to be in 20 years. Even if I work hard in internal administration or manufacturing it wouldn’t make any difference. Probably. Then I’d train myself for battle? I’d join the Guild and enter the beginner’s training. And would I become able to defeat orcs? Probably I’d against one. No, it would be close…? Under normal circ.u.mstances, I’m shabby when it comes to physical activities. Let’s use a bow. If it’s with a bow I could fight. And then would I join a party with the people I met training? I would be invited. No, I wonder what would happen. If I didn’t have a cheat, would they invite a currently clumsy me? Umm. At that moment, would I earnestly beg myself? We would be comrades that survived life-or-death situations together. It won’t be free of obstacles though. With this I would join the party and considerably safely become an adventurer. Little-by-little and not dying, earn money and getting stronger… becoming… stronger? Is this system of gaining XP to level up some kind of cheat? If a normal person gained XP would he level up? I don’t know since I can’t see other people’s Status. But it doesn’t seem a normal person levels up. Uhum. One wouldn’t. This is also a cheat. Then, no level up. Let’s leave it so if I don’t do ordinary weight training or ascetic practice, I wouldn’t get stronger. But I’m 23 years old. I’m past my growth period and even if I say getting stronger, there are limits. More or less the amount I can get stronger is no good. Almost certainly I won’t survive. That’s tough. There was magic. If it’s magic it can be used. Magic Power comes from one’s own effort, isn’t it? That part I haven’t strengthened yet and I had MP from the beginning. Let’s learn magic. Would I be able to manage this somehow? It’s possible. I feel it is considerably better than one way or another trying bow and sword. With the Fire Magic Level 3 I have now, how far could I reach? Let’s set it at ten years, no, 5 years. The option of a wizard with a reasonable talent is a good one. I don’t know if I’d be fine with Fire Magic Level 4 in 20 years time. If level 5 is impossible I could proceed with level 4. And confronting the Demon Lord? Nope. I can’t imagine it. In the first place the world is set to be destroyed in 20 years! That it’s setup is unreasonable! It’s not a story where I could proceed alone! A revision! I demand a revision! It’s cheating, seriously cheating. If not, I’d be dead. If in addition to gaining Skills, there’s leveling up and raising stats, even a small fish like me could be capable of fighting. And at the same time I understood my own incompetence. I wonder if I should have studied more. But if I had done that, I wouldn’t go to h.e.l.lo Work and come to this place. I wonder if still I should have studied more and lived my life earnestly. Then I’d had taken an ordinary life. An ordinary life? When I failed the university’s entrance exams, I was in a straight line to be a loser in life. No, there are lots of people with a proper work that are only high school graduates, was that only my incompetence? If I didn’t get a cheat, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. Ah, it’s useless. I got depressed. I got a cheat and came to a new world after all, I must be enjoying it. Besides a bit of danger to my existence and receiving some grueling training, it’s not so bad here. I have some problems there being no TV or manga, but that wasn’t unexpected. Moreover if I have a cheat, I can become considerably strong in this world. Although I was viciously beaten by the instructor, I didn’t lose to any of the fellow trainees despite being level 2. I wonder if by leveling up and increasing my Skills, I’ll become invincible. Uh hum, now I feel better. If I survive for 20 years I’ll be able to return to j.a.pan; in order not to die I won’t do the impossible, it’s OK to turn around and escape when necessary. Yeah, let’s settle for that. I stand up from the corner of the plaza I’ve been sitting on. In the plaza there were people with a lot of free time just like me, I had erased my presence so no one would notice me. While I was thinking plenty of time pa.s.sed, but is it too early to return to the inn? Should I go watch the minstrel on the opposite side of the plaza? While pa.s.sing through the center of the plaza I need to pay attention. Because carriages are going by, if you walk absentmindedly you could be hit by a horse and might happen that you reincarnate into yet another world. And also there’s horse s.h.i.+t dropped on the ground. There’s people going around cleaning and it’s left pretty clean, but still caution is necessary. Those people do it angrily while walking. One time I was nearly hit. The minstrel was a young man around 20 years old, his face is pretty normal. A wide hat with a white feather and dark green mantle. He is sitting on a sheet of something like leather spread on the ground, slowly strumming a melody with a small guitar, no, maybe a lute? “Do you have any request?”
Noticing me approaching he asked. You want me to make a request, huh. And to give you a tip. It seemed fine to be listening with nothing but an uninterested face, however a timid j.a.panese guy was there. I can’t act so shameless like others.
“Some cheerful tune, please.” Saying so, I put a copper coin tip into the wooden bowl. A copper coin equivalent to 100 yen, but it’s the thought that counts, the thought. Putting the money, I settled down on a spot a bit away and the minstrel started singing to the beat of his lute, different to the tune he was strumming until now. As expected from a pro, he’s got a good voice. The story is about a young man who rushed out of his home town and became a merchant and was successful in life? Despite hards.h.i.+ps and failures, in the end with success he became rich. Get a cute wife and lived in a huge house. Yeah, sounds like the kind of aspiration people anywhere have. I sat like that and listened to more tunes. When I added another tip for the third time, the audience had increased and the minstrel too seems to have stepped up too. Besides mine he received many tips and sung like he was extremely happy. However honestly speaking it was subtle. The voice was good, the instrumental skills should be good, but there were many songs that were monotonously lax. There were many songs that would have sold if they were released in j.a.pan, but overall they felt a bit unsatisfactory. In relation to music, it doesn’t seem it has developed as much here. I miss j.a.pan’s anime and popular songs. I’d want to introduce at least a song to them, but unfortunately I’m not as skillful in singing. I can’t play an instrument either. I know many songs that people would find interesting even if they were sung poorly, but I don’t like to stand out. And as expected I won’t be saving the world by singing. [TL: Nope, no stopping wars between humans and aliens with your singing.] Finally I reached it. Besides fighting there are extremely few alternatives. No matter the way, I’ll return to j.a.pan after 20 years. I won’t say there’s no meaning to money making, but at least in the present I feel like if I don’t prioritize getting stronger first, I’ll end up dead. However, what did he mean that it’s OK if I don’t go save the world? He said it’s a Skills test and by me giving reports and feedback, is he investing in the likely winner? It’s probable. That’s why, he might have chosen a not very useful human being like me. I’m certain he said it that time. That only people with apt.i.tude would be caught by that job offer. That is right. If he wanted to save the world, it would be better if he brought along someone stronger and more eager. Yeah, that’s right. I don’t need to do anything. If I think how to survive and live this 20 years, Surely everything will end up alright. Suddenly I noticed the spectators already left. It seems I was s.p.a.cing out a bit. The minstrel was counting the clinking money earned. “Thank you for listening to me till the end today.” Yeah, I gave him around 4 tips. But only one copper coin each time, even so that could buy two cheap meals. It’s not a trivial amount of money. “How was my singing?
“Umm. You would say about so-so.”
“That’s harsh, eh.” The minstrel said with a wry smile. Actually he’s at the level of winning an amateur singing contest. If compared to a good professional singer on Earth, at any rate he would lose though. “But I have to agree with that. I think I’m not so bad myself, but I’m not to the level to be featured in a theater.” The minstrel has his hards.h.i.+ps too. “I have composed some original pieces, but they are rather unsuccessful.”
“Should I teach you pieces from my home town?” Suddenly I had the idea and tried to mention it. Of course I’m teaching him anime songs. “Really? What kind?” Let’s sing enthusiastically the opening theme of a famous robot anime. Naturally it’s in j.a.panese. As expected I can’t sing a skillful imitation in the local language. “Wait a second. One more time. Please, one more time.” As requested by the minstrel who prepared notes, I sing it several times. “I don’t understand the language, but it’s an heroic piece, right?”
“Yeah. This one is about warriors going to war.”
“The meanings…?” Using the notes taken by the minstrel, the lyrics are translated into Razgrad World’s language. Of course the robot’s name remained as it is. In order to not make any mistakes, it was repeatedly taught the precise and accurate p.r.o.nunciation. If a j.a.panese person comes after me to this world. It would surprise him if he heard it somewhere! Taking the opportunity I also taught him many songs like the ending theme, sequels and movies. The minstrel was really delighted. “But, is it OK for me to use it?”
“Yeah. If the people from my home town heard these songs in a foreign land they’d cry out of joy.”
“If that’s the case.”
“Good luck and spread them if you become famous.”
“Thank you! I’ll do my best!”
Certainly do your best, I wish anime songs are spread in this other world. And I want to surprise the next j.a.panese person that comes. While keeping company to the minstrel it became night. It’s about time I return to the inn. Today I was able to relax after a long time. It would have been nice if I wasn’t alone. I thought about making a harem after coming here, but how in the world do I make a harem? Where would a girl fall for me? Wait, do girls fall from the sky? Nope. I don’t know what they mean by people falling out of the sky. Speaking of girls I know in this world, there is the truth officer girl, the three receptionist ladies at the guild, the daughter at the inn and one of the trainees. Impossible with the receptionist ladies. It wouldn’t be strange if they had boyfriends let alone be married and to begin with I only know them by face. The ratio of applicants for the daughter is excessive. The truth officer girl, is she too young? The trainee girl ended up going far away. Eh? Where should be best for me to pick up a girl? Pick up girls while walking down the road? It’s impossible! The inn I’m staying at is full of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and the occasional woman at the Adventurer’s Guild is the amazon type… Ermm, such opportunity in a fantasy novel, is rescuing a girl being a.s.saulted by thieves outside town, right? Is is alright if she was unintentionally traveling alone? Aiming for a girl? No way. Nope. Impossible. What other patterns were there? School life? Entering a school and be popular! Too bad I’m 23 years old! I’m not at the age to be a student. Would there be a magical academy? Probably there is. Studying magic… no way. I can acquire skills with the experience I earn. It’s a problem that I can’t level up while I’m inside a school. Which reminds me I was thinking I had to learn healing magic from somewhere. Since I thought about it, earning experience comes with the risks to my life, as much as possible I want to economize what can be economized. It’s a combat system where it’s relatively easy to level up and magic is possible in some way or another. Where can I learn it, let’s ask the receptionist guy tomorrow. Please don’t tell me I can only learn it in a magical academy. After returning to the inn, the sun completely set and the dining hall was crowded with adventurers drinking booze. Basically the inn was thriving, but it was unusual for all seats to be filled. Thinking what to do, a seat at the counter was emptied and I slipped into it.
I order the usual with the waitress, the cheapest set meal of the day. It’s called the set at the whims of the chef. At first I was nervous of what would come out. However, the inn keeper’s cooking skills sure are good. Even if I don’t know what kind of meat was used, there’s no mistake that it’s still delicious. Soon the inn lady brought the set meal. A small bread and soup. A pasta with meat piled up like a mountain. “It’s a special service!” The inn lady seems to feed me a lot. I wonder if she feeds me so I grow bigger. But I already pa.s.sed my growth phase… “Thank you as always.” However, I said my thanks then obediently eat it. If it was a normal serving I would be left unsatisfied, but I’m glad I received a bigger one for the same price. Today’s pasta was superb. So, I didn’t feel like prying what kind of meat it was. The bread was a bit hard and dry, but soaking it in the soup to eat, the taste wasn’t bad. I thought I missed rice, but not particularly. Well, it might be because I can’t no longer live so leisurely. I look around the crowded dining hall. The daughter already retired somewhere. They wouldn’t let their precious daughter keep company to drunk adventurers, right? Even if it wasn’t the case, there’s breakfast preparation early in the morning. Tonight there are several part-timer ladies, because they came to help in the dining hall and kitchen, they should have enough helping hands. By the time I finished my meal the dining hall had calmed down. It feels like the dining customers have left and the ones remaining are those who came to drink. Given that I don’t drink much, I retire. I don’t want to approach the drunk adventurers either. After returning to my room I became sleepy from my full stomach. Before going to sleep, I take around 10 minutes to write the log. The subject was centered around what happened and what I observed today. This is a dairy rather than a log. But today I didn’t hunt enough wild rabbits and it’s not like I diligently report everything all the time. I think it’s OK since there wasn’t any text from Itous.h.i.+n and I crawl into the inn’s spa.r.s.e and stiff bed.
