Chapter 10

After completing a week of work at the Reible farm, Bruno asked me if I would extend my stay for another week.

Moreover, with the daily wage raised to 600 helts, there was no way I could say no.

Apparently, the massage I gave everyone to help with their fatigue recovery had a significant effect, greatly improving work efficiency.

Oh, to have one's efforts recognized is such a joy.

Back in Japan, I was so useless that I only remember being scolded, so I thought, maybe I don't need to go back after all.

The Reible harvesting is almost over next week, so it might be a good time to wrap things up.

I agreed to the extension of my employment, but I need to inform Amanda, the landlady, so I decided to return to town today, which is a day of rest.

The Reible farm is located on the opposite side of the Demon Forest from the Volzard fortress, so it feels like I'm returning to town after a while.

Actually, I haven't seen much of the town yet, so after telling Amanda about the extension of my work, I plan to take a stroll.

Also, Fred has returned from his reconnaissance, so I need to hear his detailed report.

Let's listen to Fred's report while returning to town.

"Fred, did you find where everyone is?"

"I found them... They weren't far from the summoning site..."

The place where we were summoned is a wasteland between a large river and the Demon Forest, uninhabited by people.

My classmates were taken to a military garrison in the city of Lastock, across the river.

They are receiving training as soldiers there.

"How are the conditions?"

"Not good... but not the worst..."

They are given the minimum food and sleep necessary to make them usable as soldiers, but the treatment is not as good as that of regular soldiers.

"But some... better treatment... especially the Holy Maiden."

Ah... So the class president is treated as a Holy Maiden.

There are few people with the Light attribute, and even fewer with a large amount of magic power, making the class president extremely valuable.

Others with a lot of magic power, like the handsome basketball club member, are also treated better than regular soldiers.

I'm not sure if it's a meritocracy or an attempt to win over the powerful, but it's a relief to know the class president is safe.

"Indeed, the Holy Maiden was amazing... but Lord Kent is even more impressive..."

"No, no, I think the class president is stronger, with a different innate talent."

"No... that's not the case..."

Fred feels this way because he was summoned by me, but it's embarrassing to be told I'm better.

"So, did you find out the Evil Princess's purpose?"

"Unfortunately... not yet..."

Camilla Riesenburgh has instructed her subordinates to turn our classmates and teachers into soldiers, but she hasn't specified who they will fight.

However, from the way she frequently looks at a map of the Riesenburgh Kingdom and the Lanzhelt Republic, it seems likely she plans to attack us.

I'll interrupt Fred's report to hear from Basten as well.

"Basten, what kind of person is the lord of Volzard?"

"Well, he's quite an interesting character..."

The lord of Volzard is a man named Klaus Volzard, in his late forties.

Originally, his brother was supposed to be the lord, and Klaus was an adventurer, but his brother died in an accident, and Klaus took over.

He wasn't very enthusiastic about it, but with no other siblings, he had no choice.

Klaus, with his experience as an adventurer, was familiar with the town's underbelly and boldly reformed the town to prevent shady businesses, creating the current Volzard, which is popular among the people.

"Wow... What kind of reforms did he make?"

"For example, he set a cap on interest rates for moneylenders, imposed restrictions on gambling establishments, and provided aid to poor children, dismantling the slums."

"That's pretty impressive... But it seems like he would have a lot of enemies..."

"Yes, normally it would create many enemies, but he managed to get along with the so-called dark street people and persuaded them to do honest business."

"Wow... He must be quite a capable person..."

"Yes, but he has a mysterious and unpredictable side, so caution is also necessary."

"Umm... I feel like someone like me wouldn't be taken seriously at all..."

"No, no, with Lord Kent's talent, any person would respect you."

An adventurer-turned-lord and a useless kid... there's no contest.

Of course, I have no intention of opposing him, and just hearing about him makes me want to support him, so in some cases, it might be better to tell him everything and seek his cooperation.

Returning to the town of Volzard, I headed straight for Amanda's boarding house.

The early mornings at the farm have become a habit, and it's still early, plus today is a day of rest, so the town is slow to wake up.

Amanda's shop is open even on days of rest, and preparations were underway.

"Amanda, I'm back."

"Welcome back, Kent. Oh, you seem to have grown stronger."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't get much sun exposure before, so I got tanned."

"Really, you're completely tanned. When you first came, you looked so pale, but now I'm relieved."

"By the way, Bruno from the farm asked me to work for another week, so I'll be staying there again next week."

"Oh, then my discount on the rent was for nothing..."

"No, no, it's not a problem. It just happened this way."

"Alright, what are you planning to do today?"

"Yes, I'll take a walk around town and return to the farm in the evening. I'll come back here on the next day of rest."

"Got it. Take care of yourself."

"Yes, see you later."

"Sure, take care."

With last week's wages in my pocket, I have enough for my stroll.

Thinking about where to start, the first person who came to mind was Karlz.

I need to thank him for believing my false background and taking care of me.

Since I'm working and earning money, I should bring a gift to put his mind at ease.

On the main street, many shops were just opening.

Some stores work on days of rest and take a break on dark days, similar to a department store that's open on Sundays but closed on weekdays.

Signs hang outside the shops, making it clear what they sell.

A boot shape for a shoe store, a comb and scissors for a barber, and so on. I saw a magic circle sign...

"Reinhardt, what kind of shop is this with the magic circle sign?"

"This is a magic item shop."

"I see, so they sell tools with various magic circles engraved on them?"

"Exactly, the prices vary depending on the material."

In a world of swords and magic, magic items are essential.

I have to check them out.

"Hello, can I take a look around?"

"Of course, please come in. We have a wide range of items, from affordable to high-end. Feel free to browse."

Opening the glass door, I was greeted by a tall, thin young man with round glasses.

I expected a quirky old man or an ageless witch, but it's a regular shop.

The cheaper items are near the entrance, and the more expensive ones are in the back.

"Reinhardt, what's this magic circle paper?"

"Magic circle paper is a disposable magic circle. It's a magic circle drawn on paper with special ink, and it activates when you touch it and channel magic power."

"Wow, it's disposable."

There are various types of magic circle paper, such as fire, water, ice, wind, light, and levitation.

"The fire type ignites when you channel magic power, and the water type produces enough water to fill a pot."

"Wow, it would be convenient for camping... Oh, so this means I can use magic outside my attribute with this magic circle paper?"

"Exactly, and there are also unique spells for lighting and weight reduction, which are different from attribute magic."

In this world, there's a magic system using magic circles in addition to the six attribute magics, often used for daily life rather than combat.

Come to think of it, the magic that summoned us used a magic circle.

"Looking for magic circle paper?"

"No, not exactly..."

"Our magic circle paper is of high quality, with long-lasting effects for fire and light, and enough water to fill a large pot."

"Is that so? So there are good and bad magic circle papers."

"Yes, the quality of the ink, the precision of the circle, and the quality of the paper greatly affect the effect."

"How can I tell the difference?"

"Um... it's a bit difficult for ordinary people. The best advice is to buy from a trustworthy shop."

Nott, the young man with round glasses, is the third generation owner of the shop.

His father, the previous owner, preferred making magic items to running the shop and left it to Nott to focus on his workshop.

Nott prefers business to making items and is not unhappy with this arrangement.

Incidentally, his sister is passionate about making magic items, so the succession is not a problem.

In Japan, women often handle sales while men inherit the craft, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

"The quality of magic items is determined by the material and the precision of the circle, but high-end items also have artistic value, with intricate designs and beautiful appearances."

Since it was early and there were no other customers, Nott explained and showed me various items.

The cheapest magic circle paper is 10 helts, and the most expensive, a mechanical clock, is 500,000 helts.

The mechanical clock uses a magic stone as a battery and plays music and makes a doll dance at certain times.

Personal clocks are like pocket watches, but high-end and practical models have different shapes.

Practical clocks are made for adventurers exploring dungeons, designed to be durable and not break easily.

High-end clocks, on the other hand, have intricate designs on the case, dial, and hands, competing for beauty.

Nott explained a lot, but I don't need any magic items right now.

Feeling guilty for the explanation, I was considering buying something, but Nott said there was no need to force it.

"Magic items are only truly valuable when needed. For example, if you have fire magic circle paper but don't travel or cook, you won't appreciate its true worth."

"True, I might not understand the value of fire magic circle paper while helping at the farm."

"So, come back when you need something, and feel free to consult us if you have any questions."

"Thank you for your help."

A customer arrived, so I thanked Nott and left the shop.

Yeah, I'll definitely come back when I need something for dungeon exploration.

"Actually, I don't think you'll need many magic items for dungeon exploration, Lord Kent."

"What? Why? Don't you need various equipment to explore a dungeon?"

"Regular adventurers need weapons and camping gear, but you don't need light, and with shadow travel, you don't need to camp."

"Oh, right... You can return mid-way and start from there again."

Yeah, it's like having a save function, which feels a bit unfair, but hearing that, I have to explore a dungeon.

I'll think about it after next week's farm work.

Exploring a dungeon is a must in a different world.

Magic items... dungeons... I'm getting excited.

Leaving Nott's shop and walking around the town again, weapon and armor shops stand out.

I rarely see such shops in Japan, and they look just like those in games and anime, drawing me in.

However, I have no idea what to buy, so I just peek from the outside.

By the way, I forgot to get a gift for Karlz.

What should I get? I'm getting hungry... I stopped on a street corner to think, and a guard in uniform approached.

One of the two patrolling guards was Karlz.

"Karlz! It's been a while."

"Kent! Wow, you're quite tanned."

"Yes, I've been working at the farm this week."

"Good to see you're doing well."

"Yes, I was planning to visit to thank you, so how about I treat you to lunch?"

"Kent, I was just doing my job, so there's no need to thank me... But, sure, let's have lunch together. If you become a new customer at my favorite place, that's enough."

The other guard, Bart, nodded, so it doesn't feel like a proper thank you, but I decided to have lunch with them.

Bart is a member of Karlz's squad.

"Am I intruding?"

"Not at all! I'm glad you're here, Kent!"

"Huh? Really...?"

"Sure, with just the captain and me, it gets a bit awkward..."

Bart had a mischievous smile, and Karlz looked a bit embarrassed.

Karlz is so obvious, like a boy in his teenage years.

"Karlz, who's this young man?"

"Oh, Kent just arrived in Volzard last week. He's the sole survivor of a merchant caravan attacked by monsters in the Demon Forest."

"Oh... Poor thing... That must have been tough..."

"Um... Gah..."

I was hugged as if it were a Volzard tradition.

Oh no, Karlz looks like he's about to kill someone.

"Gah... Gah..."

"Oops, sorry, that must have been uncomfortable."

"Y-Yes... I'm fine..."

I'm fine, but please protect me from Karlz's glare.

Bart, stop stifling your laughter.

I thought we'd have an awkward lunch, but thanks to Bart's efforts to get Karlz and the waitress, Merine, talking, Karlz's expression quickly relaxed.

Karlz is so obvious.

That's good, but it's lunchtime, and there aren't many customers.

Could it be that Karlz is scaring away men who try to hit on Merine?

But even older customers should come, right?

I was wondering why when the food arrived, and I immediately understood.

Yeah, it's not very tasty.

Compared to Amanda's cooking, it's two levels lower.

"How is it, Kent? Tasty, right?"

"Y-Yes, it is..."

I glanced at Bart, who nodded again.

Ah, Bart is probably often dragged here by Karlz.

Will Karlz's efforts pay off? I should ask Bart when Karlz isn't around.

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