By the Grace of the Gods: Volume 1
Page 9
After I replied, Eliaria asked me a question.
“Ryoma, what do alchemists actually do?”
How was I to answer this...?
“I don’t know other alchemists... so I’m not sure. All I can do... is purify rock salt.”
“Rock salt? The rock salt harvestable in that area has poison, so it’s worthless. What can you do with that?”
“The rock salt... contains many minerals... poisonous when consumed. But if you separate... minerals from rock salt... you can eat it. All I did... was remove minerals... making it edible.”
“You can do such a thing?!”
“Yes. The meal when you stayed over... The salt in that was... all harvested from the cliff’s rock salt.”
Reinhart started to grow excited at that, but immediately calmed down.
“That’s amazing! If that’s possible, then you could sell that salt as a product... Ah, no, nevermind. The rock salt in that area has been infamous for several years as being inedible. No one would think of buying it.”
“Really?”
“There was this one adventurer who wandered deep into the forest and harvested the rock salt, then sold it under the name of a different production area. With the exception of certain regions, hunters and gatherers are permitted to harvest freely, so greedy nobles would try to monopolize the rock salt deposits in their domain. The adventurer probably wanted to avoid that, so they lied about the production area to keep all the profits for themselves. Thus, the rock salt was sold widely to a great number of people who then fell sick, and that adventurer was executed. It caused a huge uproar, so now the entire kingdom knows that you can’t eat the rock salt from the Jamil domain’s Forest of Gana. Luckily, we never dealt in rock salt to begin with, so it didn’t affect our trade...”
So people lied about production in other worlds, too...
“That cliff... only had a little rock salt to harvest... Not enough to meet demand. If you take to market... will lose to areas that can produce lots of safe salt. But should be enough... for the House of Jamil and nearby villages... to harvest and use.”
“I see, that’s a shame.”
Just by discussing trifling matters, I was gaining more and more information. The carriage rocked me comfortingly as I lent an ear to the relaxed chatter flowing around me.
Chapter 1 Episode 8: The First Town
The carriage proceeded with the occasional breaks, until it was time for the sun to set.
Ten coins were lined up before me.
They were grouped into: three bronze coins, three silver coins, and three gold coins, which I held in my two hands.
Each group within was split into small, medium, and large coins, with the small being the equivalent of a Japanese 5 yen coin, medium 100 yen, and large 500 yen.
On top of that, Elise had a white metallic coin the size of a 1 yen coin in her hand.
“We’re missing the last two coins, but what you have there are bronze, silver, and gold coins. I have here a platinum coin. These four types of coins each have a small, medium, and large size. This total of twelve coins make up the currency used in this kingdom. Their value starts the small bronze coin, where one coin is 1 sute. A medium bronze coin is ten times that much, 10 sutes. Large bronze coins are another ten times that, making them 100 sutes. Silver coins are a little different, as the small silver coin are five times that much, at 500 sutes; while the medium silver coin is two times that, at 1,000 sutes. It continues in a pattern of five times, two times, all the way up to large gold coins. Then the platinum coins go up in factors of ten again.”
In other words, it was like this:
Small Bronze Coin — 1
Medium Bronze Coin — 10
Large Bronze Coin — 100
Small Silver Coin — 500
Medium Silver Coin — 1,000
Large Silver Coin — 5,000
Small Gold Coin — 10,000
Medium Gold Coin — 50,000
Large Gold Coin — 100,000
Small Platinum Coin — 1,000,000
Medium Platinum Coin — 10,000,000
Large Platinum Coin — 100,000,000
“The cost of living for a regular citizen starts at 100 sutes, so the most commonly used are the bronze coins. Silver coins are used by small stores and for savings, while gold coins are mostly used by large stores and nobility. The platinum coin in My Lady’s hand is not commonly used by nobles, and is mostly used when making large purchases or negotiating between kingdoms.”
Good, there was no discrepancy between the value of the coins and what I knew already. While I was comparing my knowledge with what they had told me, the man driving the carriage called out to us.
“Everyone, the town of Keleban has come into view. We will be arriving soon.”
We must have arrived at the stopover town. I actually thought we were going to be camping today... Wait, hold on. I had no proof of identity on me, was that okay?
“Umm...”
“Is something the matter?”
“Proof of identity... I... don’t have one... is that...?”
Calm down, me! I had been getting so much better compared to two weeks ago! The second I panicked, my speech became all broken again...
“Don’t worry. Those without an ID will be issued a temporary one. It’s a simple examination, so it won’t be a problem.”
Oh, thank goodness. But I really wanted to do something... about this speech of mine.
As I thought about such things, I found myself sighing unconsciously, which Elise noticed.
“Are you okay? There’s no need to be worried, we’ll protect you no matter what. The town isn’t scary at all, okay?”
“Ah...”
She seemed to have misunderstood something. I should clear that up.
“That wasn’t... just now... It wasn’t... about the town.”
“Really? Then what’s wrong?”
“It’s... my words. They’re strange, right? The way... I talk... right now.”
“...Hmm...”
“For three years... I didn’t speak. Then two weeks ago... when Mister Reinhart came... I couldn’t form my words. Even I was surprised... So for two weeks, I kept talking to my slimes... to get a little better... But it’s still weird... It just won— hrgh!”
What?! M-Ma’am?! She suddenly hugged me.
“It’ll be okay, Ryoma! Let’s take it slowly, step by step. You aren’t alone anymore... sniff.”
She was crying?! ...Now that I looked around, not only Elise, but Eliaria and all the men had watery eyes too?! Why... Well, I suppose objectively I sounded like a very lonely person.
Spending three years without talking to anyone, until I couldn’t form my own words and had to practice talking to slimes...
“It’s fine! I was the one... who decided... to live in the forest.”
Everyone was a little gloomy for a while after that. My insistence that it was all right seemed to have no effect as Elise hugged me all the way to the gate.
Sebas and Reinhart stepped out on our behalf at the gate, and after a short exchange with the gatekeeper, were led to the office, along with the rest of us. I was the only one actually called, but Elise was worried and came along. However... now the gatekeeper and supervisor were stiff with fear over my identification.
I’m sorry you were involved because of me, people who I don’t know...
“N... N-N-Now then, p-p-please place your hand against th-th-this crystal.”
Not only did he stutter all over the place, his voice cracked too. Well, I wasn’t one to pick at other people’s speech.
“Yes, sir.”
The moment I obediently placed my hand against the crystal, it lit up with a blue light. At the same time, the gatekeeper’s eyes flickered between me and the crystal in utter shock.
“Y-You, boy, come with me for a moment.”
Was something wrong? A blue light should have meant an innocent verdict... Which was when Sebas and Elise stepped in.
“The light was blue. That should mean he isn’t guilty of anything, no?”
“Y-Y-Yes, it was blue! But, a reward! He has a record of defeating a bandit with a bounty, so I need to confirm that and pay out the reward!”
The two adults accepted that. But it was decided that the confirmation and payout would take place where they could see me.
“Th-Then I must ask you, boy, were you the one who defeated the bandit?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The information on the crystal says that you defeated Melzen of the Red Lance, is this true?”
Umm, I wouldn’t know. Who was that, even?
“I don’t know... who... that is.”
“If I told you it was a man with a crimson lance and similarly red armor, would that ring any bells?”
One man came to mind at those words. I believed the lance was a good item, so I had shut it in my Item Box immediately.
“It does. I have the lance... Would that be proof?”
“If you have it, I’d like to see it.”
After he said that, I took the lance out of my Item Box and handed it over. The supervisor who took the lance looked all over it... then poured magic energy into the lance, upon which the speartip burst into red flames.
What?! So the lance had such a function to it... Could I do it too? I should give it a go next time.
“There’s no mistaking it. A red lance, a magical weapon that releases flames. This belonged to Melzen of the Red Lance. Your reward shall be prepared immediately.”
The man gave an order to the soldier who led us here, and the soldier ran off in a hurry. While I was watching the soldier leave, the man called out to me.
“But wow... That Melzen, defeated, huh? That man had escaped the grasp of so many adventurers and knights, he was definitely skilled. If it isn’t too intrusive, may I ask how you defeated him?”
Even if you say that... I didn’t do anything in particular...
“An injured bandit attacked me... and was mumbling about... a partner that betrayed him... before dying. I couldn’t rest easy with someone like that... nearby... so I searched... and found him drinking in a cave.”
“And you attacked him there?”
“No. I’m a tamer. I sent a poison slime... to his wine barrel.”
“Ah, I see. So that’s how you defeated him. I got it. Thanks for telling me.”
Just then, the soldier from earlier returned with the reward, which I accepted with my temporary ID before leaving the office. The escorts had been ordered to head to the lodgings first, so they weren’t outside when I left. Apparently we were going to walk around the town to let Eliaria sight-see for a bit.
For the record, the reward for Melzen was 700 small gold coins. It was quite a hefty weight to throw into my Item Box, making me suddenly rich.
What to do...
Because of my lifestyle for the last three years, I had no idea how to use it. For now, I should thank everyone who came along with me.
“Thank you very much, everyone.”
“It’s fine, no need to be humble.”
“But to think you were the one who finished off that Melzen... Hmm...”
“What’s more important is the town right now!”
“Elia, calm yourself.”
“But this is my first time seeing a town so big!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Like I said yesterday, this is my first extended trip. There’s nowhere I can walk like this near me, and most importantly — this town is the largest trading city in the Jamil domain, you know? You won’t find many places with more people than this!”
“I see...”
While there were many people around, it didn’t feel like a lot, having experienced Tokyo. This was practically nothing compared to a metro station or fully packed train.
...Come to think of it, I didn’t feel particularly moved by my first town in another world. While the old-fashioned buildings were a curious sight, they weren’t anything to make a particular fuss over, and I couldn’t see any other species of people like beastmen or elves...
Wait, the young lady was in too much of a rush. She was being whisked away by the flow of people. It was obvious she wasn’t used to walking through these kinds of towns. Since it was dangerous, I hurried to catch up to her.
“This way, Miss.”
“Th-Thank you very much. There are so many people, I nearly bumped into them.”
Every time she spotted something interesting, Eliaria would stop and gawk. Since she was displaying her naivety for the world to see, she had caught the eye of some ruffians. One woman was walking towards her from behind, on course to bump into her, so I pulled Eliaria out of her way.
“Watch out.”
“Grr... Tch.”
When the woman was prevented from bumping into the young lady, she glanced at me and clicked her tongue in irritation. She must have been a pickpocket after all.
“Thank you very much. Oh? What is that?”
Not again... This time it was someone in an alley we were about to walk past. I caught her just before she stepped before the alley and pulled her towards me.
“Look before walking.”
“Huh?!”
“Whoa!”
Because I had pulled her towards me, the man messed up his timing and tripped on his way out of the alley.
“People will walk... out of alleys. Be careful.”
“Th-Thank you very much...”
After giving Eliaria a word of advice, I approached the man.
“Are you okay...? You’re not hurt, right...?”
“The hell do you want, brat...?!”
The man I had called out to tried to grab me by my collar, but I subtly deflected that incoming hand upwards and grabbed it with my right hand. At the same time, I reached my left hand under his elbow and used my body to block Eliaria from seeing me twist his arm and topple his balance. The man had stopped talking when he realized he was about to roll, but I supported him just before that and met his eyes once more.
“I said, you’re not hurt, right?”
“Y-Yeah... Sorry about that, thanks for the hand up...”
“Take care, now.”
When I let go, the man rubbed at his arm through his clothes and departed promptly. Honestly, just because you messed up doesn’t mean you can pick fights with kids... though I was an old geezer on the inside. I wasn’t even sure whether I was a child or an old man myself these days.
“Ryoma! Let’s go over there too!”
Again?! And the criminals were following too, damn it!
After that, I spent some time going through great pains keeping the young miss safe from pickpockets, extortionists, kidnappers, and thugs with all kinds of intent. Even though the members of the ducal house were ready to handle things at a moment’s notice, they chose to leave things to me for some reason.
Really, wasn’t this town’s safety kind of terrible...?
Chapter 1 Episode 9: In a Town Inn
??? Side
The bodyguard duty over Eliaria that Ryoma had taken on continued until Sebas called her back to the inn. Now, they were back at the inn’s lobby and confirming their booking.
“Ow-ow-ow...”
“Are you okay, My Lady?”
“Yes, my feet are just a little tired. Also, from the carriage... Were you all right with it, Ryoma?”
“It wasn’t a problem.”
The fatigue of the journey and a little pain down his backside from the rocking carriage was nothing to Ryoma. When Eliaria realized those were his true feelings, her shoulders slumped a little from comparing herself with the same-aged Ryoma. One of the maids noticed that and immediately called out to her.
“That’s normal for a first journey, My Lady.”
“Araune.”
“You will grow used to it as you ride in carriages more. Master Ryoma seemed fine with it, but was this your first experience riding a carria
ge?”
“This was... the first.”
“Oh, really? You seemed unaffected, so I assumed you had ridden one before.”
“I haven’t... but I’ve run alongside them, and pulled them before.”
He had ran parallel to man-powered rickshaws as part of his daily training during his school days, and outran them several times. Eventually he ended up scouted by the rickshaw owner, and out of nostalgia for his rickshaw-pulling job, those were the words that fell out of his mouth. However, Eliaria and Araune mistook the words as Ryoma being forced to pull the carriages in place of horses. The conversation came to a halt at the sudden misunderstanding, the air growing heavy.
...What? Did I say something weird...?
Speaking too much about his past had a high chance of creating holes in his story. That was why Ryoma was meant to make others think he had a past that was hard to intrusively question, but his utterance this time had been accidental, so Ryoma himself wasn’t aware that his words had caused the sudden pained look on Araune and Eliaria’s face.
He tried to bring up a new topic in his confusion.
“Umm... have you never... gone out before, My Lady? You didn’t... seem familiar with the carriage... so I’m curious.”
“Oh, no, I have gone out before, but until now, whenever we had business in other towns I would ride the familiars of my mother or grandfather. I would ride carriages in the towns, but only for short durations.”
“I see.”
But there was no way a man who had been terrible at socializing for over 40 years would suddenly possess the conversational ability to break out of the situation so easily, and the conversation trailed off into silence.
The one who eventually broke the silence was Reinhart, who returned from discussing tomorrow’s plans with the escorts.
“Good work today, everyone. Elia, we won’t be camping tonight, so get some proper rest.”
“Yes, Father.”
“As for Ryoma, I wasn’t able to get a room like ours for you. I’m sorry, but you’ll be staying in one of the servant rooms for the inn guests.”
“That will be enough.”
“It’s a big room, but Sebas is going through the procedures to put you in the same room as Zeph and the others. I’m sure you’ll feel more at ease with familiar faces around.”