Reincarnated into a Game As the Hero’s Friend

Note: We have merged previously splited chapters.

“Welner, you’re really weird.”

“Don’t call me weird.”

I requested Luguentz to select the mercenaries and adventurers who are tight-lipped and used to traveling for an escort mission. We also agree to inform Gekke-san too.

After we explained our purpose for looking for escorts to Luguentz and ask for his cooperation with Mazell, Luguentz said ‘I’m looking forward to Mazell’s growth’ The famous game line and left.

And now, Mazell started to call me weird.

“I only said the truth you know. You’ve memorized towns’ position on the continent. As for me, I‘ve never even looked at a map.”

“I didn’t memorize all of them.”

Rather than ‘I didn’t memorize’ it’s more accurate to say ‘I forgot’. No one can perfectly remember the game they’ve played 30 years ago.

Well if it’s only the rough location of towns where a game event happened or towns where you can buy some good equipment I still remember it. It’s really just a rough location. Something around the level ‘go straight, turn left, turn right, then cross the river and you’re there!’ but it’s still better than nothing.

I remember complaining the King didn’t even provide a map to the hero. I ended up relying on a strategy book, since at the time internet still didn’t exist.

When I come to this world, I was told that an accurate map is a national secret because making it known can be dangerous for the nation’s defense. That’s how I understand why the hero in the game isn’t given any map.

Still, having a map is important. That’s why I worked really really hard to dig through my memory and created a rough map of the continent.

When I began to create the map, I noticed that many towns isn’t featured in the game. Ah, no, it’s the opposite. Towns that are featured in the game are only the towns where some kind of game event will take place.

The Zeavert’s household county also didn’t appear in the game. I originally thought because it’s located in the countryside, but the real reason is probably that it has no relation to any game events.

There were also no events where the hero party greets the territory lord when they visited towns. As for an event that takes place in a territory lord’s mansion… There was one. It was in a town where the lord had been replaced by a devil.

Other towns where none of the game events takes place are completely erased from the game by the developer. That’s why I’m not only relying on the game’s knowledge to create this map but also on my own knowledge after living in this world. 

Luguentz mentioned that my map can be sold for quite a fortune. I don’t plan to sell it since I know it’s going to be troublesome.

“But Welner, where are we going to get the money?”

“My house will pay it first. After that, I will make the kingdom fork out the money.”

“How do you even make the kingdom fork out money…”

Mazell commented with a wry smile. It’s an understandable reaction. But realistically, the kingdom will have no choice but to take action in the end.

I didn’t come up with this idea on my own. I consulted with father and got his approval. It’s because I told him it’s related to the Crown Prince’s request though. As a minister, father knows about the demon king’s revival.

“Anyway, I’ll do my job here, so Mazell, you’d better work hard on your training.”.

“All right.”

That’s right. Everything will end if the hero party defeats the demon king.

I kind of understand why people in a story often just wait for a hero to come. After all, it’s easier to just wait for a person that can just solve every troublesome thing, rather than doing it yourself.

This kind of ‘waiting for hero’ mindset is for a good-for-nothing person. In a sense, I, who is also waiting for Mazell and his party to defeat the demon king can perhaps be categorized as a good-for-nothing. I don’t have any choice. I don’t have enough skill to defeat the demon king with Mazell and his party. If I try, I’m going to hinder them instead. That’s why I’ll do what I can do here.

“If you go south until you reach a river then go east you will find a forest on your left side. Inside that forest, there’s a small old shrine. I heard demons often appeared in that shrine. How about testing your skill there?”

“Alright. It’s a good chance for me to train so I can be in sync with Luguentz-san. I’ll go there when I don’t have any classes.”

“Ok. Be careful.”

In the early game that ancient shrine is the best farming spot. The drops aren’t great but the encounter rate is high so the amount of experience per minute is great compared to other early game farming spots.

By the way, in this world, a week is also divided into seven days. The name of the days is based on different kinds of activities. Those days are Farm&Fish, Trade, Blacksmith, Hunt&Rear, Art, Ritual, and Nativity. For some reason, forestry is included in the Hunting&Raisingday.

Nativityday is equivalent to Sunday. There is also a belief that a certain day is auspicious to do a certain activity. For example, it’s auspicious to do a musical performance on Artday or wedding ceremonies on the Ritualday. Welp, I went off the topic.

Anyway, while Mazell and Luguentz are busy getting real-world fighting experience, I need to solve several things.

“Hmm…”

The Crown Prince is lightly mulling over my document. Today is the Nativityday, a.k.a the Sunday where even the royalty is free so I succeeded in meeting the Crown Prince.

Currently, I’m inside the Crown Prince’s office and in the midst of my one-on-one meeting with His Highness. The Crown Prince’s butler is here in the office but since he didn’t participate in our meeting he didn’t count. I know that I have no choice but to meet the Crown Prince alone this time but I’m still nervous.

“I more or less understand your plan. Can I decide after seeing the actual thing?”

“Yes. Before that, I would like to obtain your approval first.”

“I understand. Good job on telling me this in advance.”

Of course, I’ll tell you, It’s necessary groundwork. It will be troublesome if someone complained during the plan. But really, is this particular game setting so unconventional as a Japanese one because it’s a Japanese game?

“But can you really get a high-quality weapon?”

“As far as I can tell, yes. Unfortunately, I did not know how many I could get.”

“That’s to be expected.”

In the past, I’m always curious. The game started in the capital, but for some reason, the remote regions in those games sold weapons and armor that are of higher quality than in the capital.

I mean, who sent these kinds of weapons that are at least two ranks above the weapons available in the capital to the remote regions? where can you even sell these weapons there? Who wants to buy it there?

Then when I came to this world I learned a certain surprising fact. Those weapons or armor are the results of an ‘excavation’ a.k.a grave robbing.

Well, it isn’t illegal to sell excavated items in this world where ruins and labyrinths exist. But other than ruins and labyrinths, these items can be found in a mass graveyard. 

This is because in the past, at the age of the previous demon king according to this world history,  the now-destroyed ancient kingdom has the custom to bury all the soldiers and the knights that were killed by the previous demon king in one mass grave with their equipment intact.

A large amount of equipment can be obtained if that mass graveyard is dug. Since the people being buried is all soldier and knights, the equipment that can be obtained are a full set of equipment needed by armies.

Due to that, many towns and villages that specialized in selling those pieces of equipment popped out near the mass graveyard.

There was a time when I wondered if those pieces of equipment are cursed. But after I think about it more, taking that equipment isn’t that much different than taking an adventurer’s equipment that died in a labyrinth exploration, so now I don’t think those excavated equipment are cursed.

Another thing that I used to wonder is about the shop that sold the excavated equipment. How did they survive by only selling expensive stuff? Then, I was told that this kind of shop is similar to the hardware store in my past life that mainly sold kitchen knives and pots and sold excavated equipment on the side.

It does feel strange hearing everyday stuff like kettles and pots being sold together with metal armors but since it was a common practice in this world, I decided not to care about it.

Other than equipment, there are also rare items that can be excavated from the graves. Those items are grave goods[1]. One of these items is the ‘demon calling flute’ that will pull you into forced combat… I don’t understand why the ancient kingdom even bothers to create these items.

I used to think it was creepy to blow a flute dug out from a grave but the one that blew the flute isn’t me but Mazell anyway so who cares.

In the game, the flute has limited use. Not because the flute consumed a large amount of the game Mazell’s mana(It actually did consume a lot of mana but that’s not the main reason) but because the flute is so old that it breaks with few uses. After it breaks the player needs to buy it again from the store. I guess it might sense… Or is it? hm…

“I approve so give it a try.”

“Thank you.”

With this, I got official written permission from the Crown Prince. One work done. I won’t have to worry about any complications regarding permission in the future.

I also make another request to the Crown Prince. It’s regarding the reconstruction of the Veritza Fortress. I asked the Crown Prince to provide the people involved in the reconstruction works with tools for night communication like fire signals.

I told the Crown Prince that it was just in case demons attacked the fortress but actually, I know the demon will attack the fortress. For me to escape being thought of as a suspicious fortuneteller, I didn’t tell the Crown Prince about the attack.

After I told the Crown Prince everything I need to, I was told to immediately leave the room. I’m glad. It was more nerve-wracking than going to the CEO’s office in my past life. I guess that’s not strange. If it was a meeting with a CEO the worst thing that can happen is getting fired but with the Crown Prince I can lose my life.

♦

T/N

[1] Stuff that is buried together with the deceased↵