(004) Arriving at the town

Translator: Tseirp

I traveled from the pristine animal trail to a moderately developed forest trail, but it didn’t take much time.

I imagined that there were Lumberjacks around judging from the presence of cut tree stumps.

After walking for a while, I saw something that looked like a small hut. It looked like a hut used by Lumberjacks.

There were a large amount of wood stored at the warehouse-like building beside it.

Upon walking further, I heard the sound of wood-chopping from deep within the forest.

Looks like there are people around.

According to what was recorded in the book, I can converse normally and if I’m not mistaken, the Adventurers Guild facility would purchase the rabbits I’ve hunted.

Although the item bag seems like a fairly valuable item, there is a contractual magic set on it, making it only usable by the first person who uses it.

Only magicians who are capable of canceling contractual magic are able to allow others to use it. Incidentally, Daijiro-san placed the medication and gold into the item bag before canceling the contractual magic and removing the owners.h.i.+p.

By the way, there is also another way that the owners.h.i.+p is canceled, that is when the owner dies.

For that reason, there isn’t really a problem if the item bag is seen, but it is also not something I would proudly carry about in the open.

While ruminating the thought that the book is a memoir of Daijiro-san, I continued pressing forward on the forest trail, finally reaching a plain.

A highway large enough for carriages to pa.s.s through extended across my left and right.

The Imperial City is located on the right, but it looks like it would take 3 days to walk there.

On my left, I could faintly see a town.

Also, there were fields extending all around the town.

To cultivate fields at such a place, do they not fear the crops getting stolen or eaten by monsters?

The sun had finally arrived in the South.

To reach so quickly, it would have been okay to hunt for rabbits slightly longer, but I have to collect various information too.

The town was surrounded by a meter high stone wall and there were some large letters written on the side of the door-like entrance.

Hrmm, I could not decipher what was written but it was most likely something like the name of this town.

Even though the door was open, there was a lady standing guard holding a spear. With brown skin, she was quite a beauty. There was a crystal ball placed on the table beside her.

“Welcome to the labyrinth town, Florence.”

“Labyrinth town?”

“Yes. There is a beginner’s labyrinth within the town so the town is called the labyrinth town. You didn’t know?”

I didn’t.

Since it was not recorded in Daijiro’s book.

“Erm, could I enter the town?”

“Yes. Please place your hand on the crystal ball.”

“On this?”

“Eh? Oniisan, are you not from this continent? This is a crystal ball that examines your job.”

“In other words, you can find out what my job is when I place my hand on this?”

Isn’t this bad?

Not only would it be embarra.s.sing to let her find out that I’m still Jobless, she might even question me as to why I am still maintaining the Jobless job.

Even if I expertly divert her questions, my Jobless profession would be found out whenever I go to another town huh? So troublesome.

Moreover, judging from her words, all the towns on this continent operate the same way. Maybe it would be better to flee to another continent.

“No, this magic tool’s power is not so strong to that extent and neither is it made for that function. It merely turns black whenever it detects people with the thief, pirate, bandit and convict jobs. In addition, it will glow blue if it detects a peddler and the entrance tax will be halved.

“Ooh~ that’s convenient.”

If that’s the case then there would be no problem.

I placed my hand on the crystal ball in relief. Of course, the crystal ball did not turn color. I’m Jobless after all.

“Okay, no problems. The entrance tax would be 50 sense.”

So I’ll have to pay tax huh. I have no idea what currency the 50 sense was.

However, if it is the lowest denomination of gold then it should be the copper coin …

“Erm, 50 copper coin will be okay as well.”

“Okay.”

Looks like I was right. I split the copper coins I received from Daijiro-san in half and pa.s.sed it to the female gatekeeper.

【Ichinojo Level up】

【Job: Apprentice Swordsman is now available】

【Job: Apprentice Magician is now available】

【Job: Peddler is now available】

Eh? Ah, that’s right, Commoners acc.u.mulate experience points by paying taxes.

I wonder how much I’ve leveled up. I’ll check later.

However, since Commoners level up by paying taxes, it’s a system that makes it such that the rich can level up the easiest huh.

“Well then, I will now draft an entry permit for you. Please show it when you leave the town and if you enter within half a month, you will be exempted from the next entry tax.”

If possible I would like to pay the tax again, but I believe she would think that I am a weirdo if I said that. Well, there’s plenty of other chances to pay taxes.

“Thank you very much. Also, do you know where the Adventurers Guild is?”

“The Adventurers Guild would be the blue-roofed building straight ahead down this road. It is marked by a sword and s.h.i.+eld signboard so I believe you would not miss it.”

What a friendly Oneesan. Although I think she is younger than me. She appears about 17 years old.

It looks like she will answer any of my questions. If that’s the case, I hope to ask some slightly weird questions here.

“Erm, it’s a slightly weird question, but what year is it now on the Otherworld calendar?”

“It is now year 391 of the Otherworld calendar.”

“Ah, is that so? Thank you.”

She responded with a smile, without showing any signs of an unpleasant expression. I answered with a smile and a word of thanks to the Oneesan gatekeeper before entering the town.

If it is year 391 now, then Daijiro’s book was written 12 years ago. It can be said to be fairly recent and there is a high chance that Daijiro-san is still alive.

The town was fairly lively.

Many people were walking about and there were vegetables sold in the open air.

The smell of roasting meat from the street stalls … stimulated my stomach and made it sing a loud chorus.

Now that I think about it, I’ve not had anything to eat since morning so I’m feeling quite hungry.

Okay, let’s have food first … no wait, clothes come first.

Maybe because recruit suits are unusual, I’ve been receiving weird stares since just now.

Besides, it is too restrictive to eat in a suit.

Thus, I found a nearby clothes shop and entered.

“Welcome~! Wah, what an adorable boy, totally my type.”

The person with long blonde hair and husky voice who said that was the Oneesan shopkeeper … no, the effeminate shopkeeper.

His chin was s.h.i.+ning blue and he had bulging muscles. And yet, he had a red dress on. I’m certain that I’ve entered the wrong shop, but I have no choice since I’ve already entered.

“Er, erm, I would like to buy a set of inconspicuous clothing but … ah, how much would you pay for this set of clothing? Ah, that is if you do purchase used clothes here.”

I removed my recruit suit and showed it to the female (?) shopkeeper.

She (?) … It’s confusing so I’ll just say shopkeeper … the shopkeeper had a difficult expression when he saw me take off my top.

“Hmm, if it is for that set of necktie, pants and s.h.i.+rt, I’ll give you 30 thousand sense. Or 3 gold pieces.”

“That … seems … expensive.”

3 million yen. Even though I bought the recruit suit for only 10 thousand yen.

“That’s about 1 year of my earnings. It’s about all of my shop’s savings. When I was an adventurer, I would not be able to earn that amount even after working for a whole year.”

So the shopkeeper was a former adventurer. I am certainly convinced after looking at those muscles.

Even so, although adventurers give me an image of risking their lives, it seems like quite an unprofitable job.

“This is an excavation item (Out-of-place artifact).”

Out-of-place artifact?

“Eh? Were you wearing it without knowing? Out-of-place artifacts are items that only appear when there is an otherworld summoning. Even though otherworld summoning has an enormous cost, the stuff that appears are mostly useless. However, occasionally, those items are made using unknown substances. For example, the fibers used for this clothing. I have managed this clothes shop for a long time, but I have never seen this material before. There is a high chance that nearby researchers would buy it which explains the price I quoted.”

A chill ran up my spine whenever the shopkeeper gave me the occasional l.u.s.tful gaze, but I was convinced by the explanation.

“Erm, have there been living organisms that have been summoned via the otherworld summoning?”

“Nope, although I believe there have been dead bodies though.”

Is that so … Looks like applying the otherworld summoning technology to return to j.a.pan would be difficult. If I could immediately return, I would return and tell Miri stories about the Otherworld, and return to the regular days where she gets angry and asks “Did Onii succ.u.mb to trying some weird drug because you could not get a job again?”.

“Is that so … I will sell this whole set of clothes so please show me 5 sets of clothing.”

“I have hemp, cotton and silk clothes, which would you prefer? For a set of top and bottom clothing, it would cost 20 sense for hemp, 60 sense for cotton and 200 sense for silk.”

“Ah … cotton please.”

Even though it is 3 times the price, if it only costs about 60 copper coins then cotton would be better.

Apparently, 1 sense in this world is equal to about 100 yen. Is there no smaller change than that? But, if there are smaller change, there might be people who try to exploit it by casting their own. It’s also costly to make coins.

I entered the fitting room, put on the pale green cotton top and bottom and tied the waist cord.

Alright! It looks exactly like an Otherworlder’s apparel no matter how or where I look at it from. I also want to have armor fitted over it, but it looks like those are not sold in this shop.

Naturally.

“Thank you. It fits perfectly.”

“I’m glad that you like it. However, it doesn’t look like I can prepare the money immediately. Could I pa.s.s you 5000 sense today and give you the remaining 24700 sense tomorrow?”

Well, it is certainly true that one would not usually keep a lot of money in the shop. It’s not like a certain p.a.w.nshop.

After telling the shopkeeper that I understand, the shopkeeper wrote a written acknowledgment of debt and placed his thumbprint before handing it to me.

I totally could not read the characters at all, but I guess it’s most likely that.

After exiting the shop, I noticed that my black leather shoes subtly stood out from my clothes and I hurriedly re-entered the shop and bought a pair of leather shoes made from hide.

Hmm, since my Commoner level didn’t go up from buying items, there doesn’t seem to be consumption tax within this town.

Or maybe, there is consumption tax but indirect taxation does not give experience points?

By the way, I splurged on the black leather shoes so they were made from cow hide and hence it couldn’t sell for a great price here. So I stored it in my item bag.

While thinking about that, I murmured status open in a quiet voice.

Name: Ichinojo Race: Human

Job: Jobless Lv27 Commoner Lv15 (7↑)

HP: 39/39 (10+29) (9↑) MP: 30/30 (8+22) (9↑)

Phy Atk: 36 (9+27) (9↑) Phy Def: 28 (7+21) (5↑)

Mag Atk: 12 (4+8) (2↑) Mag Def: 11 (3+8) (2↑)

Speed: 24 (4+20) (8↑) Luck: 20 (10+10)

【Equipment】

Cotton Clothes Hide Shoes

【Skills】

「Job Modification」 「2nd Job setting」「Stone Throw」

【Acquired t.i.tles】

None

【Possible Job Changes】

Commoner Lv15 Farmer Lv1 Hunter Lv1 Lumberjack Lv1

Apprentice Swordsman Lv1 Apprentice Magician Lv1 Peddler Lv1

【Blessings】

20x experience point acquisition

1/20 required experience points

To this extent huh. Well, the 50 sense tax with 400 times experience points would be equal to paying 20000 sense … 2 gold coins worth of tax would give enough experience points to raise my level at one go.

I’m convinced. It’s about 8 months worth of the clothes shop shopkeeper.

Nevertheless, to think that my clothes would fetch such a high price, maybe I should check on the price of the rabbits at the Adventurers Guild.

Or rather, the amount Daijiro-san pa.s.sed to me was foolishly high. Is it really fine to receive 2 gold coins?

I’ve gotten my hands on a total of 5 gold coins without working at all.

It’s 5 million yen.

… It almost makes me feel like an idiot to want to work.

“Wait not good not good. I can’t become unemployed in my heart as well! Since I would become the king of unemployment if that happens.”

I cried out to myself. The surrounding people looked at me with compa.s.sionate gazes.

I’ll reflect on it.

Or rather, was it because I am a person that gets easily influenced by the mood that I couldn’t get a job until now?

For now, let’s begin by going to the Adventurers Guild and selling the rabbits.

Author’s Note:

I’ve promptly gotten many bookmarks and ratings.

Thank you very much.

A huge growth all at once will happen just slightly further ahead.