Chapter 5: The Guild
I stared at the map I received, contemplating where to go next.
The largest place is the Royal Capital. Following that are the port city and the mining city, along with a frontier town adjacent to a forest inhabited by Demon Beasts, which is highly recommended for earning money and growing stronger.
I think I’ll head to the frontier town of Kanum since it comes highly recommended. I have the identification card I was given, but I’ve heard that registering at the Adventurer’s Guild makes it easier to enter and exit the town temporarily. On the other hand, without an identification card, I can’t stay long in places where the Guild isn’t calling for adventurers.
Since areas with frequent Demon Beast appearances are always under Guild summons, adventurers naturally gather in Kanum.
With my destination set for Kanum, I used Teleportation to the nearby forest, showed my identification card, paid the required fee, and passed through the city gate. Rishu stayed behind to watch over things.
Despite being called a city, it felt smaller than I expected. It seems that only places with city walls and gates are recognized as cities.
Given that this place is prone to Demon Beast attacks, a sturdy city wall surrounded it. In other cities, I would have to fill out simple paperwork, but here, with the high volume of people coming and going, and the desire to attract as many adventurers and merchants as possible, the screening process is lenient. As long as you can defeat the Demon Beasts that attack, it seems they don’t mind a rough background.
I strolled through the town, shopping while aligning the knowledge I had gathered about this world. It was as I had heard, but I still felt a bit disconnected from it all.
First, my clothing. While the style is typical, everything is brand new, making me stand out. My appearance probably adds to that as well. I quickly bought a clean-looking hooded robe at a second-hand shop to cover my face and attire. I also asked where I could find a shop that sells bags for flour, as I needed a new one for food storage.
Wandering around, I bought dishes and farming tools. The garden was still bare, allowing me to plant whatever I wanted. I noticed a beautiful vine of grapes climbing the wall, so I tipped the owner and asked for a cutting.
Kanum is a mixed town. There are adventurers, merchants who trade with adventurers, and peddlers who buy goods to sell in other towns. Despite the significant danger from Demon Beasts, farmers are drawn here by the prospect of claiming land for themselves.
The houses within the city walls are cramped, with buildings stretching upward, adding to the chaotic atmosphere. In contrast, the wheat fields outside are vast and refreshing. However, if Demon Beasts were to emerge from the forest on the opposite side, it could all go downhill quickly.
I decided to check out the shops in the Royal Capital for linens like sheets and towels later. The ones here seemed rough and unappealing. I also needed a regular sword and armor.
Walking around felt just as I had been told. Prices were high, and while the cost of goods was steep, the value of labor was low.
In some places, slaves are bought and sold, and terrifyingly, some are even for food. Crop yields are heavily influenced by weather and the damage caused by Demon Beasts, making stability hard to come by.
Fortunately, or rather, as I had chosen, the area around my house enjoys a mild climate, ensuring stable crop yields, and the sale of slaves is prohibited in this country.
Demon Beasts are said to be ordinary animals possessed by malevolent Spirits. Animals possessed by benevolent Spirits are called Sacred Beasts. If they begin to speak human language, they are referred to as gods or evil gods.
It’s merely a matter of whether they are convenient or inconvenient for humans.
Now, where’s the shop that sells weapons? When I asked the woman who gave me the grape cutting, perhaps due to my tip or my face, she immediately gathered a few neighbors and started asking around, telling me about three shops that had good reputations.
One was a weapon shop, another sold leather armor, and the last dealt in metal armor. She also mentioned a blacksmith, but since I already had a sword, I felt a bit guilty asking for something similar in weight and length.
At the weapon shop, I chose a sword that could be wielded with one hand or two, thick and sharp. It looked like something straight out of a fantasy manga—maybe a bit long? I swung a few different swords, both one-handed and two-handed, and quickly made my decision.
The balance was good, and it was easy to swing, but it would be pointless for me, who has only ever touched the Zanzenken, to overthink it.
Some great swords are designed to be used for blunt force. I noticed swords made of unfamiliar metals displayed on the wall behind the counter. I used Appraisal while listening to the shopkeeper’s explanations, but I couldn’t quite determine if they were suitable for me.
I got the sword along with maintenance tools and a belt for sheathing it. I also picked up two knives.
Next, I headed to the leather armor shop. According to the information from the woman, metal armor is unbearable in the summer. Imagining frying an egg on a car hood made my choice clear: leather armor it is.
I initially intended to buy a chest plate, but since it was cumbersome, I opted for a slightly more expensive but highly protective leather outfit. It was made from the hide of a goat Demon Beast.
The shop seemed to carry all sorts of leather goods, including boots, gloves, bags, and a waist pouch. I also added a belt for attaching knives and leather maintenance tools.
The bag was a cylindrical leather pouch with a tied end and a belt, which could open up quite large. It’s perfect for storing the rabbits and boars I might hunt in the forest. The inside is smooth, making it easy to clean off any animal blood.
I bought a healing salve, some linen, and alcohol for disinfection, completing my preparations. There was a potion that promised to heal injuries instantly, like those often found in games, but it was ridiculously expensive. Perhaps there are few people who can make it, or the materials are costly.
For now, I decided to use Appraisal on it. If I keep an eye on it, I should be able to identify what I can craft when I find the materials.
I’ll head to the Adventurer’s Guild in this outfit, but that’ll be tomorrow. I bought an apron, so today is for grinding flour.
To avoid raising suspicion by frequently entering and exiting the town, I booked a room at an inn and used Teleportation from there. I want to try the food in this world, but I should research it first to avoid an upset stomach.
When I used Appraisal on the street food in Kanum, I found a significant chance of encountering botulinum bacteria in the sausages… I have Healing, but I’d rather avoid that.
I planted the grape cutting near the support beam of the shelf outside the living room. After sprinkling a pinch of Growth Powder, it quickly took root, sending out vines and lush leaves. It’s still too early for fruit due to the season, but I’ve created a beautiful grape arbor.
After lunch, I ground flour as planned in the afternoon. After threshing, I poured the grains into a funnel-like device above the stone mill, and they gradually ground down into flour.
There were replacements for the stone mill with different groove counts, but I decided to use the one that was already attached for now. It seemed to be interchangeable based on whether I wanted to grind the grains finely or coarsely.
The flour fell into a funnel-shaped receiver below, where a bag was set up to catch it. Since the amount wouldn’t overflow the bag, I decided to leave the grinding to the waterwheel and explore the forest instead.
The forest in the mountains is filled with beech and oak trees, but there are also wild chestnuts, apples, pears, and apricot trees scattered about.
Using Appraisal, I noted that acorns could be fed to pigs, mushrooms tend to grow under certain trees, and I should clear some surrounding branches to let in more sunlight. The details about food sources are incredibly precise.
As I walked through the forest, I noticed last year’s chestnut husks and dried leaves blanketing the wet ground.
Red Japanese plums hung in clusters, and there were also flat peaches that looked different from the ones in Japan. The plums were sour when I tried one, so perhaps they’re meant for jam. The peaches were pleasantly sweet and quite delicious, so I stored a few in my pouch.
The area around my house is gently sloping, but there’s a significant temperature difference between the top and bottom. It’s still warmer than the island, though.
I managed to grind some wheat and gathered various harvests.
I prepared wide fresh pasta with plenty of Gorgonzola cheese. The cheese clung perfectly to the pasta, and I hurried to eat before it cooled and solidified. For dessert, I had one of the flat peaches from earlier, which made me crave the ones from Japan. I hope Rishu gets to enjoy some meat soon.
I wondered if I should try some wine. I’m not twenty yet, but what’s the legal drinking age here?
Though my university experience was disappointing, I unexpectedly found myself in a life where my food, clothing, and shelter are guaranteed, and I’m feeling quite elated. For a while, I’ll enjoy my freedom and do what I want while avoiding things I don’t.
There shouldn’t be anyone who would harm me, but just in case, I made sure to close the iron bars on the window that reaches from floor to ceiling.
After taking a bath, I climbed into bed, and the bedding was far better than what I had at the inn. Rishu looked up at me.
“Feeling a bit better? That’s good.”
She hardly moves from the basket, and as usual, her eyes remain closed, but the tear stains around them have started to fade.
I gently stroke her head and drift off to sleep.