Vol. 1 Chapter 14

~I went to the market in the Royal Capital~

Translated by Raizu
Edited by Mirp

It’s been ten days since I started staying in the Royal Castle. Zondark finally told me that『Preparations are completed』 when I began to suspect that he was plotting to kill us in the Royal Palace after making us comfortable like domestic animal.

[I’m tired of waiting… but I was just eating and sleeping every day, so I have no right to complain.]

[I used to move my body regularly!]

Yes, Marl also had her sword mastery level rise to 2 after being trained by the guards.
She didn’t defeat any monsters, so her level didn’t go up. But, she was able to improve her skills through training.
Me? I haven’t changed at all. Even though I had mock battles with the royal guards many times from morning till night, hahahaha. It seems that the road from sword mastery level 4 to 5 is steep.
However, the mock battle with the royal guards was by no means in vain.
The royal guards who protected the core of the country were the elite among elites, and all of them could use not only swordsmanship but also magic, and a considerable number of them had mastered magic strike.
The average level of the royal guards in the Karendil Kingdom exceeded 30. The highest was the deputy leader, with a level of 42, and lowest was a newcomer who was just appointed this year at level 25. All of them had sword mastery at level 3 or higher, and one or two had magic skills.
If it’s one-on-one, I don’t think I’d lose, but if everyone attacked at once, the current me probably wouldn’t be able to win.

It was very tiring to play mock battles with them from morning to night, but I learned a lot.
Anyway, my swordsmanship was something that I forcefully acquired with skill points.
I was able to learn a lot from mock battles with them using actual sword technique, and the same was true for the use of magic strikes.
Until now, my method of operation was to inflict magic power into the opponent at the moment of impact, causing damage by exploding.
According to the royal guards, this technique was originally called『Penetration』, and it seemed to use magic power to『Penetrate』an opponent with armor or a sturdy shell, ignoring their defenses and destroying their bodies.
In my case, it’s more of a『Bombing Attack』 rather than a『Penetrating Attack』 because it was a method of pouring in a large amount of magical power and blowing it up.
Another thing I learned was how to use a magic strike with sword called『Flash Attack』. This is a method of slashing while emitting high output magical power from the blade of the sword.
This technique allowed you to cut through rock and metal like a hot knife through butter.
I had several actual demonstrations, and succeeded in mastering these techniques by observing the flow of magic power with my magic eye. My magic martial arts level didn’t rise, but it was really meaningful.
In return, I taught them how to strengthen their physical abilities by infusing their own body with magical power.
This seems to be quite difficult even for the guards, and it was quite a struggle, but the deputy commander and the rookie mastered it. I was secretly relieved to be in a proper give-and-take relationship.

Let’s get back on topic.
After we had an audience with His Majesty the King again and greeted him, Zondark’s subordinates took us to the inside of the third wall – the section called the Inner Wall.
The people of this city called the city outside the fourth wall under construction『Outer Wall』, the section inside the fourth wall『New City』, the section inside the third wall『Inner Wall』, and it seemed that the second wall and sections inside the castle walls are called “Noble districts”.
Before the construction of the fourth wall began, the place called『New City』was also treated as part of the『Outer Wall』.

There were various facilities within this wall.
Starting with the magic school that I went to study the other day, there were also government offices, churches, guard stations, and auction houses that sold high-priced items.
In addition, there are many large stores that sell expensive but high-quality products. Once I’ve earned enough money, I’ll definitely give them a visit.

[I’m very excited!]

[Yeah.]

We are heading towards the [Base] that I requested.
The guide seemed to have already finished the preliminary inspection, and was walking in front of us without hesitation.
Since there’s nothing that triggered the danger detection so far, we obediently followed behind them and enjoyed the cityscape.
In the end, Danger Detection hadn’t worked even once since I took it. It’s better than nothing, but I feel like I’ve been duped.

Eventually, we arrived at a mansion.
It’s a stone mansion facing the main street, and somewhat of an aging appearance. The mansion is surrounded by a wall that slightly exceeds my height.
It’s not a literally ancient kind of mansion, but a tastefully arranged one to invoke a rustic feeling.
But, isn’t it a little too big?

[Isn’t it a little big?]

[Certainly, it might be a little big for just two people to live in.]

If it’s too big, it will be difficult to clean. But, Zondark should have also hired caretakers and maids, so it should be fine.
The guide greeted us and left. That’s all he’s going to guide us through, but he told us that the manager should be waiting inside the mansion.
We passed through the gate and stepped into the front yard.
No flowers were planted. And there were traces of weeds recently trimmed. Presumably, preparations were done at a rapid pace while we were staying in the Royal Castle.
The mansion was a two-story stone building with a chimney visible on the roof. Which meant it probably had a fireplace.
There were windows, but they didn’t seem to be glass windows.
Now that I thought about it, I felt like I’d only seen glassware in the royal castle since I came to Eriard. It’s probably an expensive item.
There was a knocker on the front door, so I tried using it.

Knock Knock.

After a while the door opened.
I was greeted by an elderly man. He was dressed in tight butler clothes and wore a monocle.
Tall, with gray hair that was a mixture of black and white hair, set neatly with a sense of cleanliness. Please don’t tell me your name’s Sebastian.
As soon as he saw us, he welcomed us into the mansion and thanked us respectfully.

[Greetings. My name is Jack Mason, and I have been given the management of this mansion by His Excellency Marquis Zondark. Please call me Jack.]

[I’m Taichi Mitsuba. Thank you for your work.]

[I am Marl. Nice to meet you, Jack-san.]

[Yes…then let me show you around the mansion.]

First of all, we were now in the hall.
The hall had stairs to the second floor and several doors. On the left hand side of the mansion was a large bathroom, kitchen, and dining room.
The living room in the back had a fireplace and a sofa, which created a relaxing atmosphere. When you opened the window, you could see the backyard, and the whole room was bright.
On the right hand side of the mansion was a workshop that could be used for blacksmithing and alchemy, and in the back there were several rooms for servants.
There was also a basement, which was used as a food storage, storage room, and wine cellar.
On the second floor, there are bedrooms, guest rooms, and a study.
By the way, there were two toilets on the first floor and one on the second floor.

Speaking of magic tools, there were many magic tools installed in this house.
Not only the lighting in the kitchen and bathroom, the ones in the fireplace, and also the toilet were all magic tools.
I wonder how much money this was going to cost.
The money I had currently was about 86 gold coins, which I used to prepare travel tools and sell materials for monsters that appeared in the forest. Even if you add a small change, it’s probably worth 1 or 2 gold coins, so not even 90 gold coins.
Even if I include the living expenses entrusted to Marl, it probably amounted to about 100 gold coins.
That amount should convert to about 10 million in Japanese yen. But looking at the facilities and size of this mansion, it’s hard to imagine how much the Karendil Kingdom spent.

[How’s it going? Master.]

After looking around and returning to the hall, Jack-san asked me that.

[I imagined it to be a little smaller, so I’m honestly surprised.]

[Master, there is no need to use such words for me as your servant.]

[Oh, okay…is that what it is?]

As expected, it’s hard to get used to talking to an older man like Jack-san.
I heard that his salary will also come from the Karendil Kingdom, so it’s not like I’m hiring him.
If it’s old man Woz, I can talk to him without hesitation.

[By the way, shouldn’t there be a maid?]

[Yes, indeed. My niece will be working here, but she is out shopping now. I’m sorry that she wasn’t able to welcome you to the mansion.]

[No, don’t worry about it.]

Saying that, Jack-san bowed deeply.
At that time, the front door opened and a girl entered. Oh, it’s the maid.
She seemed to have gone all the way here running. Her face turned red as she carried a jute bag that looked a little heavy.

[S-Sorry Uncle! I’m late!]

[Maybel, it’s in front of the mansion.]

[I’m sorry! My name is Maybel, Jack-san’s niece! Nice to meet you all!]

The maid, who called herself Maybel, bowed while still holding a heavy jute bag.
Her long hair was black like mine. It was tied up in a bun at the back of her head.
She had a somewhat youthful face, and her physique was about the same as Marl’s. I couldn’t tell for exact yet because she’s carrying a jute bag, but she’s probably flat.

[I’m Taichi Mitsuba. This is Marl. Nice to meet you too.]

[Nice to meet you too, Maybel-san!]

[Y, yes! Nice to meet you! Please excuse me!]

Maybel bowed her head exaggeratedly and left for the kitchen with the jute sack.
After seeing the situation, Jack-san lowered his head.

[I’m sorry. She has a careless nature.]

[No, I don’t think it’s offensive. Rather, it’s pleasant, isn’t it?]

[Yes, I think it’s good to be lively! But Taichi-san, if you want to get involved, please tell me first, okay?]

At my words, Marl raised her eyes and cursed.
Hey, not right in front of her uncle. Hey.

[What are you saying!?]

[You say you like heroic colors.]

[Right!]

[Even Jack-san!? You guys hit it off so fast! ]

My loud voice echoed through the new house.

=====

[Hmm…! It’s paradise…]

[Oh, it feels good…]

After eating a hearty dinner of white rice and dried fish (!), we took a bath.
For the time being, I entrusted 20 gold coins to Jack-san as funds for the time being. Of course, it is separate from the living expenses entrusted to Marl.
Since we just started living here, we’d need various miscellaneous goods, and it costs money to buy our daily necessities.
I heard that the Karendil Kingdom will provide us with money, but it doesn’t make sense if we let ourselves piggyback off of them. I don’t want to owe them too much.

[What should we do tomorrow?]

[Well, first of all, we need to visit the Alfen adventurer’s guild. Weapons are fine so far, but my armor is a little beat up. I could use a replacement.]

The assassin poked my side and left a hole in it. I want armor made of light and durable materials.
As I was thinking about that, Marl shivered and gave me a slightly sulking expression.
Her wet reddish-brown hair clung to her cheeks. Somehow, her expression was too cute.

[Mmm, Taichi-san! Isn’t it okay to slow down a little more?]

[Hmmm, well… Then why don’t we go to the market in the new city? If we walk around the miscellaneous area on the outer edge, we might find a bargain.]

[Good! Let’s eat various street foods!]

[Oi oi, are you hungry?]

[Fufu, but I know Taichi-san prefers this.]

While saying that, Marl ran her finger on my chest.
Marl’s beautiful white skin that was soaked in the hot water was flushed in a cherry blossom color, and her brown eyes, the same color as her hair, were showing a provocative color.
OK OK, you asked for it.

=====

[Nfufufu~♪ It’s my victory!]

My woman, when did you learn such a technique… it’s frustrating!

[I asked the maids of the Royal Castle a lot!]

The maid of the Royal Castle… really can’t be underestimated.

=====

[Have a nice day, Master.]

[Have a nice day!]

After having a delicious breakfast, Jack-san and Maybel saw me and Marl off as we left the mansion. Our destination today was the new city.

Today, I headed to the guild to say hello, and after that I went around the market in the morning and then walked around looking at the miscellaneous streets on the outer walls until noon.
Afterwards, we returned to the new city and looked around at various shops, then headed back to the high-end shops inside the walls. That’s how I plan.
It’s not a cloudless sky, but it’s good weather.

[A perfect day for a date!]

[Well. I’m looking forward to seeing what we’ll see.]

Today, Marl had her mithril dagger at her waist, but she didn’t wear her usual leather armor.
She’s wearing normal clothes that she bought at Crossroads a while ago. The clothes I’m wearing were the clothes I bought at that time. I had leather armor on top of that.

[It suits you, it’s cute.]

[Is that so? Ehehe.]

Marl looks shy at my words. Why was this girl so cute?
I went through the gate inside the wall with the cutest girl Marl.
I feel like the guard guarding the gate was staring daggers at me.
Fuhahahaha, go fuck yourself, you losers. Since I came to this world, I’ve been going straight in the path of the normie, so your envious gazes are like praise to me.

[Taichi-san, you’re making a bad face.]

[Sorry.]

No matter what, let’s brace ourselves.
In general, troubles usually happen when you let your guard down.

=====

[Oh boy, look at you, bringing a beautiful girlfriend with you?]

[Hehe, let us use her too. Didn’t they say monopolizing something is bad habit? ]

[Gyahaha! Such a small body might break down! I’ll never be satisfied with a shaved head!]

Your head what?

After entering the adventurer’s guild in the new town, I got entangled with drunken adventurers before I could get to the counter.
Already drunk since early morning. They must have been drinking all night with the big reward they got from a recent request. The bar attached to the adventurer’s guild is open 24 hours a day after all.

I looked at their level with an appraisal eye.
The first one was level 21, the next was 19, and the last was also 19. All of them have acquired sword or blunt weapon mastery at level 2.
When I saw that there was nothing in their crime sections, I don’t know if it’s the first offense or not, but I think they’re doing well.
All of them looked like muscular daruma.

[I refuse. Marl is mine, and I won’t give her to anyone else.]

Something ran through my mind. I feel like the back of my nose is a tone.

[Oh! Playing the cool guy, huh! Oiii!]

The third man approached me with a smirk, then suddenly changed his expression to one of anger and waved his fist.

I was puzzled by the sensation that ran through my mind.

A shock to the face. Something struck me at the base of my nose.
My body bent over from the impact of the fist. However, it was not enough to hurt me.

What are you trying to do?
Are you trying to take Marl away from me and do whatever you want, huh?

I poured my magic power into the stomach of the third man who punched me in return.

“Dogaan” exploded.
The third man who was blown away overturned the tables and chairs and flew into the back of the tavern attached to the guild.

[Trash, how dare you attack me even though you’re weak.]

My nose was alright. The punch didn’t even cause a nosebleed.
I wonder if I unconsciously used magic to defend myself.

[You…!]

The second person put his hand on the handle of the mace hanging from his waist.
Oi oi, isn’t that forbidden?
I glanced at the counter, but the guild’s female employee was pale and trembling.
No way, that’s so unreliable.

Also, another sensation ran through my mind. Itchy shoulders.

I see, so this is the danger detection skill. I immediately turned my gaze back to the second man.

Perhaps seeing an opening while looking away, the second person was swinging down the mace.
I caught the pommel of the mace with the palm of my left hand, which was imbued with magic power.

[Huh!?]

The second person’s face was stained with surprise.
I put more magic into my hand and crushed the pommel of the mace bare handedly.

A shattering, glass-like noise resounded inside the guild.

I spilled the shattered metal pieces on the floor so that everyone could see it.
You scum trying to steal my Marl. Should I give you a little more pain?
They pulled out their weapons and swung them unilaterally.
A dark emotion erupted in my heart.

[Your head seems to be softer than Mace…]

I glared at the second man and took a step forward. The noisy surroundings quieted down.
The second man staggered back as if he was under pressure――and then the first man, who had retreated behind him, grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
The distance between me and the men grew.
My back felt heavy.
In order to close the gap, I put magic into my fists and legs and lowered my stance.

[Wait, wait. We were in the wrong, please forgive us.]

The first man held down the second man’s head and made him bow. And he himself was also bending his waist at a right angle and bowing his head.
I only realized it now, but Marl was hugging my waist.

[Taichi-san, I’m fine. Okay?]

Then, I saw her smiling softly at me.
I let out a sigh and let go of my stance.

[I’m sorry, miss. Thank you. Hey, pick up Saxon and let’s go.]

The first man said so to the second man, collected the third man who seemed to be someone named Saxon, and left the guild in a hurry.
I put a gold coin on the counter, perhaps as compensation. I blew it up and broke it, so I could have paid for it. They were surprisingly special.

[I’m sorry I made a fuss.]

I said that and bowed my head.
A long sigh could be heard from the guild. My bad.

[W, we, welcome! This is the adventurer’s guild of the Royal Capital Alfen!]

The female staff at the guild counter had teary eyes. No, um, I’m the one feeling depressed when you’re so frightened like that.
The other adventurers who were watching the situation fixed the chairs and desks that had fallen, and moved the broken things to the side to see what was going on.
They’re used to it.

[I’m just here to say hello today, but I’m Taichi Mitsuba from Crossroads. This is Marl. I think I’ll be working in Alfen for a while, so please take care of me.]

[Then, you must be that 『Troll Crusher』 Taichi-san? No way…]

“Troll Crusher?”

[Wait, what do you mean by Troll Crusher?]

[Rumor has it that he single-handedly slaughtered three trolls…and beat one of them to death with his bare hands.]

Was it true? asked the female employee. Yeah, I actually did, now that I think about it.
Since there were many witnesses, there was no way to hide it.

[That’s amazing, Taichi-san! Isn’t that a splendid nickname! Nice, nice.]

Marl makes a fuss while smiling.
Oh yeah, I don’t know what kind of face I should make at a time like this.

[Ah… well, I’m just here to say hello today. I’m sorry I caused a stir.]

I felt embarrassed and quickly ran away from the adventurer’s guild.
Because you felt uncomfortable with the adventurers watching you whispering to each other while looking at you.
[He’s that guy…], [As expected of a troll crusher…], [I thought he was more of a muscular macho man…], or [Uho, he’s a nice guy…]. Please give me a break.

=====

[Come on in! There’s a good small boar today!]

[I have flour! It’s pure, high-quality flour!]

[Here’s the salt! It’s just arrived from the Mischronia Kingdom!]

The market in the new city was extremely noisy.
There were many women with baskets, probably because they were here to buy food for the day.
The merchants raised their voices, insisting on how fresh and superior their products were, desperately trying to attract the attention of the women who came to buy them.
We found unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, asked questions, tried them, and bought what we liked.

[Uncle, how do you eat this vegetable? What is the flavor?]

[Oh, boss adventurer! This one is…]

[Taichi-san! This fruit is delicious! Let’s buy it!]

[Miss, I also recommend this. This is…]

I bought as many as I could as recommended.
Fortunately, my inventory was bottomless, and if I kept the items I bought in the inventory, it would be kept fresh, so there’s no problem.
Although it was a little pricey, I was able to obtain spices with flavors like curry powder and spices like pepper and red pepper.
This will allow me to have a rich diet during my adventure.
As expected, salt alone was too simple for my palate.

However, looking at it this way, there were quite a few ingredients in the other world that are similar to those in my original world.
There are some differences such as the garlic being the size of an onion, the green onion being short and thick, and the carrots being round.
The bananas were a little small, but they were otherwise the same.
And there was also rice. RICE.
Although there were differences in the size and shape of the grains, I was able to purchase rice that was similar to what I had originally eaten with Marl’s advice.

Then, I found kombucha*. I thought it was something similar, but when I tasted it, it turned out to be kelp. (TL Note: Kombucha is a fermented, lightly effervescent, sweetened black tea drink)
It seems that no one around here used it, and although it had to be purchased all the way from Geppel Kingdom, it seemed that it was difficult to sell.
I bargained and bought a lot. Now I can make kombu dashi!
And if I shaved it thinly, it should become grated kombu. I can also make tororo kelp rice balls with rice. It’s a dream come true!

By the way, I looked for it, but there was no miso or soy sauce.
I also tried looking for liquor made from rice, but it wasn’t on the market.
When I asked Marl about it, it seems that the Mischronia Kingdom had alcohol made from rice.

[There are various kinds of , such as white and thick liquor, and clear like water. Clear liquor takes more time and effort, so it is more expensive. Perhaps there are some shops that sell it on the outer wall?]

[I see. Shall we look for it later?]

Having said that, I’m not that much of a drinker, so if it’s not there, it’s fine. I was more of a whiskey person.
Alright, let’s go to the outer wall next time.