by Ryota Hori
“Here you are, thanks for waiting!” A cheerful voice pulled Ryoma out of his sea of thoughts.
Placed on his table was a fairly large lunch, consisting of some kind of deep-fried meat served with sweet vinegar as the main dish, with fried white fish, a salad, and bread as side dishes. It smelled fantastic. Putting aside the question of what this meat used to be, the level of the food in this world didn’t seem too bad.
With his appetite provoked, Ryoma’s mouth overflowed with saliva. He swiftly tore off some of the bread and stuffed his cheeks with the deep-fried meat as he recalled the faces of his pursuers. Just as Ryoma had made his way back in through the gate and started looking for a place to eat, they had come from the castle’s direction. Four men and women led the group; two among them were faces he already knew.
Rolfe and Celia, if I recall...
Rolfe had the appearance of a seasoned veteran, and Celia was a thaumaturgist with an air of cold intelligence. They were the two who charged into the room he had been summoned into.
And then there was a young man and woman I don’t know...
First was the young man who seemed somewhat weak of heart. Ryoma didn’t know his name. Ryoma thought he was dainty at first, until he noticed the cautious, sharp gaze he was scanning the surroundings with. That timid appearance was likely just acting.
Guess each and every one of them’s a tricky bastard. But that woman was the real problem...
They were all skilled, and while Ryoma didn’t look down on any of them, he wasn’t scared of them either. But that woman was the only one among them Ryoma felt was legitimately dangerous.
That golden haired, blue-eyed woman. The moment Ryoma saw her, a jolt ran up his spine. The shape of her muscles, her posture, her gaze. Ryoma had years of experience in martial arts which afforded him the ability to be able to accurately discern another’s skill level from the simplest of gestures.
But what was even more frightening than her skill and strength was the aura of a ruler she emitted. In chess terms, she was a Queen; a piece with the irreplaceable potential to decide a match. As strong as the other rooks may be, they couldn’t compare to that difference in ability.
And besides that, her eyes... Those were more than just a warrior’s eyes. They were...
Her eyes overflowed with intelligence and calmness. The atmosphere from her was similar to Celia, but with one decisive difference; confidence backed by experience. Her age wasn’t much different from Celia’s, but there was no doubt she was a mature commander.
Her gaze was that of someone who had survived countless battlefields, and in a different sense than Rolfe. Her eyes told of how she conquered those battlefields on a deeper level. She had not only the importance of the queen, but also the strength of a rook.
In Ryoma’s eyes, she was the greatest nightmare he could encounter.
Dammit, I’ll have to slip by that woman’s gaze. Ryoma thought, as he chewed on the fried white fish. Getting out of this country just became that much harder...
That was Ryoma’s first meeting with Shardina, the woman who would fight against him for sovereignty over the western continent.
“Go on, drink!”
With a cheerful voice, the Sea Rumble Parlor’s owner, an amicable woman, placed two glass jugs in front of him. The bubbly, amber-colored liquid within them overflowed, staining the table.
“Um, I didn’t order these...?” Ryoma looked back at the owner with surprise.
“Aw, no worries, it’s on the house. Go ahead and drink up!” The woman pulled back the chair opposite Ryoma, sitting down and reaching for one of the mugs. Evidently, she’d brought out two with the intent of having one to herself.
“Haven’t seen you before. You a traveler?” The owner asked casually, as her round face lit up with a friendly smile.
“You really don’t have anything better to do right now, do you?” Ryoma asked the woman, as she flumped down in the seat next to him.
His words were steeped in caution. He didn’t actually suspect this friendly owner, but the situation didn’t allow for leisure. Being too cautious would likely invite suspicion, but he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Still, even after observing Ryoma’s caution, the lady’s expression didn’t change.
“Take a look around you, dear. You’re the only customer here.”
Ryoma looked around as she instructed, and found that all the other customers had left some time since he’d come in.
“It’s that time of the day. I usually close up the lunch menu at three and take a break, but you came in a bit before three, so I left the store open a bit longer.” So said the owner, drinking from the mug in her hand in a lively manner. “Phew, that hit the spot. Nothin’ like a pint after work, eh?”
Pleasantly wiping the foam from her lips with her sleeve, she gestured with her head to the back.
“The guys in the kitchen already went on ahead for their break, so all that’s left is for me to clean up the store. I’ve got nothing to do but wait until you’re done. Though, you can consider chatting with this old lady as your payment for the drink, if you want.”
With that said, the old lady pushed the untouched mug in Ryoma’s direction.
“I see. Sorry for being such a bother. I’ll take you up on that.” Ryoma lowered his head at the lady and reached for the mug.
The store was open, so Ryoma wasn’t at fault for going in at the right moment. And still, acting like that was obvious would be haughty and inconsiderate. So Ryoma decided to show just that tiny bit of basic consideration. Ryoma knew one kind word was all it took to smooth out the conversation.
“No, don’t let it bother you.” Ryoma’s attitude made the lady’s smile deepen. “So, you a traveler?”
Well, I suppose I can indulge her. I gotta try to acquire some information and all.
The lady’s tone was friendly and amicable; she was a genuine merchant, and it was clear she enjoyed talking. At any rate, Ryoma needed information more than anything right now.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s my first time around here...”
“Oh, is it now? So it’s your first time to the capital and O’ltormea. I don’t know where you’re from, but traveling alone must be hard, no?”
“No. I was traveling with my father, but... The other day, he passed away from a sudden illness...” Ryoma said and hung his head.
The lady must have thought she touched on something she shouldn’t have, and spoke in a hurry.
“Aaah, bother, shouldn’t have asked that...”
“It’s all right.” Ryoma raised his head and gave a weak, bitter smile. “It was all so sudden, I couldn’t have done anything.”
“I see... A sudden illness... What will you be doing next? Will you go back to your homeland?”
“I was thinking of taking up residence here in the capital. I was always wandering from place to place with my father on his journeys, but maybe it’s about time to settle down.”
All right, now for the main topic. I should talk carefully so she doesn’t get suspicious.
Ryoma patiently waited for a chance to fish out the information he needed, understanding that panicking the owner would just make her suspicious. She seemed to take Ryoma’s story at face value. Her naturally friendly nature made her quick to trust others, and Ryoma’s story was believable enough.
“I see... And what were your plans for making a living from now on?”
Yes!
Ryoma rejoiced; the topic he was waiting for came up. After all, even if this was another world, one still had to work to make a living, but an otherworlder like Ryoma had no idea what kind of professions were sought after in this world. This was also information that would be considered common sense, so depending on how he asked, it might draw suspicion to him, and since she knew his face, it put him at risk of exposing his face to the empire.
“Yeah, about that... I’d actually been helping my father with his work up until now, so I don’t really know how to do much else... The m
ost I can say is that I’m average with a sword.”
“That right? Well, it’s too late for you to start learning to be a craftsman or a merchant at your age.” She nodded, taking a singular glance at Ryoma’s face.
“So I can’t be a merchant?”
“Never said you can’t, it’d just be difficult. Those are professions you gotta learn from when you’re a wee child. Besides, even if you can calculate money, I doubt people in the firm would hire someone without some kind of name for themselves.”
“Really? Well, great, now what...” Ryoma feigned disappointment.
He didn’t actually want to become a merchant, of course.
Just like I figured, child labor is normal here. Figures, given the living standards in this world. But that limits my potential professions.
While escaping the castle, Ryoma saw the nobles using young children as servants and maids, and while looking around the city for a clothier he’d seen children roughly ten years of age working in front of the stores with work clothes.
From what he’d seen, the living standards in this world were overall lower than Japan’s. If nothing else, the idea of sending children to school and educating them didn’t quite exist here. Ryoma himself was knowledgeable enough, and believed that if only he were hired, he’d be able to produce results before long, but he wasn’t immediately useful. If the age where workers started working was this low, it was doubtful any business would hire Ryoma, and he didn’t have the courage or desire to learn everything from scratch with those ten year olds, never mind how unnatural that would feel.
“You said you’re good with a sword, aren’t you?” The lady said, looking over Ryoma with mercy. “And look at that big body of yours. Why don’t you try your hand at being a mercenary or an adventurer?”
Those were the words he’d been waiting to hear.
“I suppose that would be my best choice... How do you start working as one of those, though?”
“What, don’t you know?”
“No, I’m not all familiar with it... Could you tell me, if you know anything?”
With a completely bothered expression and a polite tone, Ryoma undid any suspicion in her heart and made her want to help him.
“Well, I’m not exactly savvy about it. My store’s just affiliated with the guild. After nightfall, adventurers and mercenaries come to us for a drink.”
“Please, whatever you know will do.” Ryoma said, lowering his head.
“It’s really nothing big. You just go to the guild, have your personal information registered, and that’s that.”
“Hmm? I actually heard somewhere that they do background checks...”
That was what worried Ryoma the most. As an otherworlder, he wasn’t registered in this world’s census, and had no guarantors either. If they were to look into his background, Ryoma would be left essentially helpless, and his only remaining option would be to become a thief. But the lady’s response put his concerns to rest.
“They don’t have any background checks at the adventurers’ guild. You just go over there to them on your own and complete the registration procedures. You only need to have your background checked with a guarantor if you’re trying to become a merchant or craftsman, or when you’re trying out to be a soldier.”
Listening to the lady speak, finger resting against her chin, Ryoma’s face lit up with a smile. If what she said was true, finding work wouldn’t be that much of a problem.
“Really?! Oh, I’m glad I decided to ask you. I remember the last person I asked told me they require a background check! I really didn’t know what to do. But I guess they must have misremembered.”
As he spoke, Ryoma cheerfully downed his mug. The cool, amber-colored liquid quenched his dry throat.
“I’d bet they got it mixed up with the procedure for becoming a merchant or some such. By the way, to get to the guild, take the left alley to get to the main street, and it should be straight ahead.”
“Thanks a lot, ma’am! I think I’ll go there right now.”
“That so? Then promise you’ll come back to tell me how it went, and have some dinner while you’re at it.”
“Definitely! Can I have the bill, then?”
“Sure thing. Lunch for one is five coppers.”
“Right, five copper coins...” Ryoma rummaged through the sack on his waist, placing copper coins one by one. “Erm, sorry... This could take a minute...”
After placing three coins, his hand suddenly stopped.
Wait up... this is a good chance for me to figure out how much the money here is worth.
He certainly had enough copper coins. In fact, the bulk of the coins filling his sack were copper ones, and to be fair, he would have preferred to carry less of them if possible. But paying normally like this would be a wasted opportunity. Ryoma took a silver coin out of the sack and placed it in her hand. A gold coin would definitely come off as odd, after all.
“My, you don’t have any change?” The lady cocked an eyebrow, as Ryoma took back the copper coins and put the silver one in their place.
“I’m sorry, I’m out of coppers. Can you do with this?” Ryoma lowered his head apologetically.
“Hmm... Well, if you’re sure about it. But you should be careful. Even in the capital, there are stores that don’t give back change.”
So the owner said, and headed for the kitchen.
“There you are, ninety-five coppers in change. Make sure you count them properly.” She returned from the kitchen, placing them in groups of tens and a single line of five.
Their weight was apparent just from the sound they made, and judging from how she handled the situation, Ryoma also realized most people wouldn’t use silver coins to pay.
Well, I suspected as much, but I’ll have to get this money exchanged. It’ll be hard walking around with this much change on me.
Perhaps his thoughts were apparent in his expression, because the owner smiled wryly back at him.
“Don’t you have a card, dear? We’re affiliated with the guild, so you should use your card next time. The system’s only been around for a few years, and only other big cities like the capital adopted it too, so I guess it’s natural you don’t have one. It’s pretty convenient, though.”
Card? Like, a credit card?
The word felt too out of place. But not wanting to seem like he didn’t know, Ryoma played along.
“No, I actually just lost mine. Wasn’t sure what to do about it... I figured I’d be fine for a while since I have some money on me, but...”
“Oh, I see. Well, only the person registered on each card can use it, so you shouldn’t worry about your money. Why don’t you head for the bank and have it reissued? You can do that on the way to the guild.”
The bank, huh? So they have those in this world...
“Don’t they need proof of identity to reissue it for you?” Ryoma asked, just to be on the safe side.
“They don’t. Just like when they first issue it, they just ask for your physical details and make it right away.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t know. Thank you, you’ve really been a great help!” Ryoma said, lowering his head to the lady again.
“Don’t worry about it, dear! Come over for another bite sometime!”
Parting with the owner, Ryoma made his way outside the store to the main street. Just as he’d been told in the Sea Rumble Parlor, he took a turn at the alley to go out into the main street, until he saw two buildings come into view. One was marked with a sign showing a sack full of coins, and the other was marked with a sign showing a soldier clad in armor.
Those are pretty simple-looking signs... I guess this just shows the rate of literacy around here is low... Well, whatever. I just have to deposit this haul.
With that in mind, Ryoma walked into the bank. Eight sacks’ worth of money was actually rather heavy to carry around. He didn’t know if the gold coins were real gold, but the silver coins on their own felt around fifty grams in weight, which meant seve
ral dozen of them would come to over 500 grams. And the gold coins, which he had the smallest number of, likely weighed the same in total. Adding the silver and copper coins to that, he was walking around with almost certainly five or six kilograms of coins.
I guess it was natural for the old man, but even the soldiers had quite a bit of money on them, so I guess I lucked out there... Still, this is pretty heavy.
It had a certain weight in his hands, which gave him a feeling of security, but on the other hand, it was a definite burden. Ryoma wanted to unload as much unneeded weight as he could, considering he was being actively pursued.
“Welcome. How may I help you today?”
Ryoma crossed through the bank’s entrance, and upon entering the lobby he was greeted by a middle-aged man. It felt very much like he’d went into a regular Japanese bank. The man was dressed in black from top to bottom with a lace blouse, and wore a red bolo tie around his neck.
A suit? Why’s he wearing a suit?
The more Ryoma saw of this world, the less he seemed to understand it. At first he had thought it to be like medieval Europe, but there were also some oddly modern aspects to it. The mention of the card and this man’s suit were prime examples.
It’s like a hodgepodge mix of both completely different and utterly familiar things...
“Um, excuse me, sir...?” The man asked, flinching slightly at Ryoma’s gaze.
“Oh, sorry. It’s just my first time around here... I’d like to open an account, please.”
The man nodded graciously at Ryoma’s words and beckoned him inside. Evidently things like teller windows were just as needlessly complicated in this world, too.
“Over here, sir.”
“Thank you.”
“He’s here to open an account. Please handle the rest.”
The man simply gave those instructions to the girl at the teller window, and then left.
“Welcome, sir. You wish to open an account, correct?”
The teller girl sitting behind the counter regarding Ryoma with a smile wore a deep blue jacket and a red ribbon. It truly did feel like the kind of welcome a receptionist would give, which would have been perfectly normal... had he not been in another world, that is.