Chapter 4

"Take off that outfit! I'll confiscate it!"

"Hey, Lieutenant Dornth..."

Major Thunder was exasperated by the foolishness of his subordinate. It was obvious to anyone that the purple outfit I was wearing, having just been thrown into this world and still ignorant, was about to be taken from me. At the very least, this wasn't how a noble should act... perhaps privilege corrupts in every world.

"The purple outfit can only be worn by those granted permission by His Majesty! Confiscating it is a matter of justice as a soldier!"

If you had the time, you could go hunt a sand beast... Is it because he's a noble that he doesn't do such dangerous things?

"However, this is my only possession. I was summoned in the middle of the night, you see."

Besides, I have no interest in taking off my clothes in front of men.

"That's not my problem! Hand over the clothes!"

"Viscount Dornth, if I recall correctly, you haven't been granted permission by His Majesty to wear purple clothing..."

Baron Stein came to my aid, suggesting that even if he took the purple outfit from me, he couldn't wear it himself.

"Are you perhaps planning to wear it secretly in your mansion?"

"I would never do such a thing!"

Of course, it's a lie. He only started nitpicking with me because he saw an opportunity to take the purple outfit from me to wear in his mansion.

"I'll have you change into other clothes immediately, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"Major Thunder, that's too late!"

"Is it?"

This Lieutenant Dornth. Clearly incompetent, but he's probably dissatisfied with being of lower rank than Major Thunder, a commoner. He should have been promoted quickly just for being a noble, but he lacks patience. Is the kingdom's military filled with such fools?

If this continues, it will just be a tiresome back-and-forth. This outfit was bought for 980 yen tax-free from a nearby store that sells bankrupt items. It's not that valuable, so it's all about the negotiation now.

"Lieutenant Dornth"

"What is it, 'Reformer'?"

"So, Lieutenant Dornth, you're confiscating this outfit for His Majesty, correct?"

"Yes. You understand well, despite being a foreigner."

"Indeed. You nobles who support this country are truly efficient."

"Indeed. I've heard you're a noble from another world, but a noble should contribute to the state like me."

You're in a good mood now, I see. I hope not all the nobles in this country are as naive and foolish as you.

"However, I was summoned to this world with nothing but the clothes on my back. It would be a problem if you just took my clothes. As a noble, Lieutenant Dornth, wouldn't you feel sorry for me, a fellow noble, living a hard life in this world?"

"Hmm... Indeed... The honor of disposing of this outfit for free..."

As expected. Lieutenant Dornth is incompetent, but his noble birth has made him somewhat soft. He thought about the honor of confiscating and disposing of the unauthorized purple outfit for the king, but he was also starting to feel guilty about taking it for himself. For better or worse, Lieutenant Dornth is a pampered noble.

"Then, how about this? I'll pay you five million dorks to ensure you can live comfortably after training."

The currency in this world is called dorks. I don't know how much five million dorks is worth, but it seems to be a considerable amount. Both Major Thunder and Baron Stein were surprised.

"Why such a large sum? ...I see!"

Indeed. When I first met the king, he didn't take my clothes. Given his high pride, he probably thought it was something his subordinates should handle.

Or perhaps the rule about purple clothing had become a formality? No, if that were the case, Lieutenant Dornth wouldn't have come to take it from me. It might be that nobles can wear purple clothing in their mansions, but not outside. Maybe they thought I would be taken care of by other nobles, so they left me alone. If that's the case, other nobles might come. I decided to offer five million dorks to avoid negotiations with other nobles.

"Should I push a bit more? Baron Stein"

"What is it?"

"The currency in this world is different from the one in my world, so I don't know how much five million dorks is worth. Is it a reasonable amount?"

"I don't know about the currency in your homeland, so I can't say. I need more details to make a judgment."

"Is that so? Then..."

I started explaining the currency of Earth. Of course, this was just to buy time, so I dragged it out as much as possible. It was clear that Lieutenant Dornth was getting anxious, probably to avoid competition from other nobles.

"The average annual salary for a regular soldier is about two million dorks. The annual pension for the lowest-ranking knight is twenty million dorks, not including allowances. By the way, a baron's annual pension is one hundred million dorks. Oh, I heard you're a baron, Taro."

"Yes."

Judging by the amounts, one dork is roughly equivalent to one yen. A baron's annual pension of one hundred million dorks, plus allowances, is quite rich... though maintaining a household would be expensive, it seems they have the means to fight over purple clothing. Lieutenant Dornth is the heir to a viscount's family, apparently.

"Since I was summoned to this world with nothing, I need various things. Major Thunder, how much clothing and equipment can you provide?"

"Underwear, everyday clothes, and the minimum necessary equipment and weapons. According to old records, most 'Reformers' earn a living as hunters after training, due to the significant impact of level-ups."

"I see."

This time, I started a time-wasting conversation with Major Thunder. Lieutenant Dornth was clearly getting anxious, probably fearing that other nobles might arrive at any moment.

"It would be good to have funds in case I don't get stronger through training. I'm not a noble in this world, so I have to earn everything myself. It's tough..."

"Alright! I'll give you twenty million dorks! Is that good enough?"

"Agreed. Let's settle for twenty million dorks."

"Great! Twenty million dorks it is!"

Pushing any further might invite other nobles, and I didn't want to make an enemy of Lieutenant Dornth. I handed over the purple tracksuit to Lieutenant Dornth and successfully obtained twenty million dorks.

"You handled that well. You controlled Lieutenant Dornth's greed."

"Many nobles want the purple clothing, but I have no interest in it."

I lost the clothes I was wearing, but it wasn't a particularly meaningful outfit, and I got a large sum of money, so it's fine. More importantly, I need to train and level up to survive. I sincerely wanted to start Major Thunder's training as soon as possible.