Chapter 4

Wrapped in a white light, I found myself in a square with a fountain. The stone pavement under my feet, the scents, and the bustling square filled with many players. The many voices, buzzing and overlapping, could be distinguished if I focused on them. The virtual reality world I was in was far more sophisticated than any game I had played before, and I was amazed.

Players of various races—beastmen, elves, dwarves, and humans—were walking around, or like me, stopping to look around, showing each other their appearances. The tallest, the broadest, the shortest, the curvaceous, the flat-chested. The hair colors were vibrant!

Looking around, I could see brown pillars and white plaster houses surrounding the square. The buildings facing the square seemed to have shops on the ground floor. It looked like a scene from somewhere in Europe, but it felt more like a theme park based on that motif. The overly neat impression made me think so.

Thinking it was nice to be pretty, I took my first step, and a log window appeared in front of me. At the same time, a somewhat flat female voice asked if I wanted to start the tutorial. Just to be clear, the flatness referred to the intonation of the voice, not the chest armor. There was no visible form!

Feeling my excitement rising, I agreed to start the tutorial. I wanted to control my scattered thoughts when I got excited.

*During the tutorial, other players will not be visible. Please understand.*

The surrounding noise disappeared. It seemed the field had changed to a quest area. The square, which had been bustling with people just moments ago, now looked peaceful with only a few NPCs walking around.

*Let's register at the Adventurer's Guild.*

*First, let's bring up the map.*

A blinking light appeared on the window, urging me to touch it. I touched the word "Map" that was glowing, and a separate map window appeared. Imagine a transparent smartphone or tablet floating in the air. The size and position could be changed as I liked. I could choose whether to display it or not, and it could be set to open automatically when there was a notification.

*This map is of the starting town, Fast.*

*For maps outside of Fast, areas you have mapped with the [Map] skill will be displayed. You can also obtain maps from NPCs.*

*Major locations like the Adventurer's Guild are named from the start, but you can register your own favorites. Create your own map as you go.*

*Let's go to the Adventurer's Guild on the map.*

A blinking circle appeared on the map during the announcement. That must be the Adventurer's Guild. The fact that only major locations were displayed suggested that smaller shops and hidden gems might exist.

The Adventurer's Guild was a particularly large building facing the square. Despite the slight disorientation from the higher vantage point and the length of the compass, I headed for the guild with a floating feeling. The hem of my robe occasionally brushed against the ground, but it didn't get dirty or frayed.

Stepping through the open door, I felt the inside was a bit dim compared to the outside light. There was a reception counter straight ahead, and another counter to the left with a sign that read "Material Trading." To the right was a spacious room with round tables, where a few NPC adventurers were drinking. The room was open, with only a third of it partitioned off by a wall. The guild's interior featured a brown floor, wainscoting, stairs, and white plaster walls. The counters and bulletin boards, which felt sturdy like thick wooden boards, were a lighter brown than the floor, but the counter tops were a darker, almost blackish brown.

There was a staircase between the wall and the counter, with a sign that read "Reference Room" on the stairs. I thought I would go upstairs later. The setup of the guild was irresistible.

Several bulletin boards were set up on the left wall, and a medium-built man was reading a posted paper. I looked at it too and saw the requests.

Request Name: Goblin Slaying (Permanent Request)

Requester: Adventurer's Guild

Reward: 100 silver per goblin

Request Name: Lulu Grass Delivery (Permanent Request)

Requester: Alchemist's Guild

Reward: 10 silver per stalk

Request Name: Find Cola! (3-day Period)

Requester: Mia

Report to: Mia

Reward: 300 silver (60 silver acceptance fee)

The top of the bulletin board was marked "Rank E." The man next to me, who looked harmless, was reading a "Rank F" request. The requests seemed similar to those in previous games. After reading a few, I was satisfied and headed to the counter.

All the receptionists were women with more subdued hair colors compared to the players. One of the three counters was being used by a particularly large, short-haired, red-haired NPC.

Perhaps because they were NPCs, I hesitated to interrupt someone in the middle of a reception procedure to get information, as I would in a regular RPG. I didn't want to approach the group of NPCs drinking and talking loudly either. The man in front of the bulletin board looked a bit timid and easy to talk to, but I wanted to avoid him. I didn't realize at first why I felt this way, but it dawned on me while reading the requests. His unadventurous appearance didn't seem fitting for an adventurer. He might be a beginner, but there was a sense of trouble. He could be an assassin set to hunt beginners.

Similarly, there was a nervous-looking woman wandering around, but she had the game trope of being a source of trouble. I would just ignore her.

I had a meeting, so I decided to go straight to the reception. I could come back after the tutorial. As I was thinking this, I heard a woman at the reception mention a man named "Galahad."

Galahad, or Galahad, is famous as the "Unblemished Knight" from the legends of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. The names of knights from the Arthurian legends are often used for game and novel characters, so I was familiar with them. The man at the counter, with his warrior-like appearance, reminded me of a red-haired warrior from a certain game.

"The 'Unblemished Knight' rather reminds me of that game character."

I muttered this softly, and the red-haired man turned to look at me.

!?

I didn't say it loud enough to be heard, did I?

Our eyes met, and I bowed my head in a Japanese manner to avoid his gaze. I aimed for the nearest window, but he called out to me.

"Hey, are you here to register as a new player?"

Yes, I was talked to by the red-haired man.

When our eyes met, his stern expression and large build were intimidating, but his smile now made him seem friendly. I was told as a child by my great-grandmother not to show my teeth when smiling, so I smile with my mouth closed. A white-toothed smile, however, looks carefree and is appealing, especially in men. I wonder when white teeth became a desirable trait in men.

I couldn't keep up with the situation, and my thoughts were running wild. Why is there a tutorial item like "New players are harassed at the Adventurer's Guild"?

"...Yeah, I'm here to register."

I hope you can forgive the slight pause.

"I'm Galahad, a warrior. Nice to meet you. By the way, you mentioned the 'Unblemished Knight' just now, right? I know it's a bit sudden, but could you tell me more? I could turn it into a request after you register if you like."

I didn't expect such a reaction. What kind of situation is this? The man who introduced himself as Galahad tilted his head slightly, looking at me.

"It's no big deal, but I don't mind."

I answered, confused.

I had inadvertently used the character tone from an RPG I used to play, which made me sound a bit condescending, but I decided to continue this way.

"Thanks! I'll pay you 500 silver for the story, and if it's useful to me, I'll pay extra."

He smiled and offered a price.

Impressive, to be able to look stern and friendly at the same time.

"Let's have a drink over there. I'll pay for it."

He gestured towards the dining area.

"Got it!"

Galahad gave a thumbs up and a wink, looking even more friendly.

Galahad, who doesn't look like a gentleman, but his wink suits him.

After agreeing, I thought, "This is a game, maybe it's a hidden quest with good rewards." I felt a bit attached to the amount of 500 silver, equivalent to five E-rank goblins, but it was too late to back out.

Galahad greeted the receptionist with a wave and headed towards the dining area.

I felt like I was keeping my friends waiting, but I had no choice but to follow Galahad to the dining area.

I didn't have a specific time set with my friends, and we had all agreed to do the tutorial, so it should be fine. They might be doing similar events. Besides, my friends and I are all good at acting independently. If they were waiting, they would probably start fighting or crafting soon. I didn't have any friends who would wait patiently without doing anything.

Galahad and I settled into a corner of the dining area, which turned out to be a bar.

This is not a dining area. It's a bar.

There were meals available, but most of the drinks were alcoholic. The only non-alcoholic options were water and a tea that seemed to be for mineral replenishment. Adventurers seemed to drink beer like water.

I should mention, I am a lightweight. Damn!

"I'm Homura, a mage."

I ordered tea, and Galahad ordered beer. We also ordered fried potatoes and thin slices of roasted tobi rabbit. Galahad added more dishes, saying I shouldn't be shy.

Smoked eggs, dried fish, three types of cheese, nuts, and dried fruits. I wanted to point out that these were for him, not me, but I wasn't that close to him yet.

The names of the meats were different from the real world, and they seemed to be from the meat of monsters. The chairs in the bar were sturdy enough to accommodate large adventurers like Galahad, making me feel like I was really in a different world, not just a game.

The food arrived, and the server left. We got to the main topic.

"So, to put it simply, the 'Unblemished Knight' is a title given to the knight who obtained the Holy Grail in the legend of King Arthur and the Round Table. The knight's name is 'Galahad,' which is why I mentioned it when the receptionist called you."

"King Arthur? Where is this story from?"

Galahad's beer was set aside after a sip. He wasn't just curious about the "Unblemished Knight."

"It's a legend from a world outside of here, called Europe."

As soon as I said "a world outside of here," Galahad's disappointment was evident, and he looked down at the table, but then he looked back at me.

"Anyway, what's the Holy Grail?"

"The Holy Grail is said to be a cup that received the blood of the Son of God or a cup used at the Last Supper. In this legend, it's known for its ability to heal diseases. Galahad searches for the Holy Grail to cure a sick king."

I read this once in high school, but I only remember the basics. The only Round Table knights I remember are Lancelot, Galahad, and Percival. Merlin is in a different category.

The reasons I remember them are:

Lancelot: Because he's the most famous.

Galahad: Because there's a character with the same name in a game I played.

Percival: Because it's the name of a Shiba Inu in my neighborhood, usually called Pearl. Named by a middle school girl at the time.

Is it a mistake to ask me?

After that, I gave up after mentioning that the Holy Grail was discovered by three people and that a holy spear appeared before Galahad in the Garden of God.

"I'm sorry, I'm not an expert either."

"No, thanks. Actually, the master of the guy I helped is under a troublesome curse. When he was looking for a way to break the curse, a prophet told him that the 'Unblemished Knight' would break the curse. I'll tell him to focus on finding a way to break the curse, not just being a knight."

It might not be a knight called the "Curse Breaker," but a knight who broke the curse, he said, taking a swig of his beer.

The roasted tobi rabbit came with bread and salad. I was unhappy about the lack of non-alcoholic options, but the roasted tobi rabbit was delicious, and the bread, crispy and soaked in sauce, was also good.

"You're eating it well. Feel free to try some of mine."

"Thanks."

I won't be shy. This is my first meal in this world, and I want to try everything. The taste seems to be perfectly replicated, and I look forward to future meals.

I decided to head to the counter to complete my original goal, as Galahad seemed to be planning to drink more. As we parted ways, Galahad said, "If you need anything, just let me know," and threw me a partner card.

Exchanging partner cards is like adding friends in other games.

I didn't expect to be able to add NPCs as friends in this game... or maybe this event was a tutorial for partner cards. Maybe I could call NPCs like Galahad, a warrior, or the other customers in the bar—A, a mage, B, a healer, and C, a thief—into my party when soloing was tough?

I thought this, but I didn't know how to exchange my partner card. As I was panicking, Galahad called out to me while drinking.

"Hey, you can't exchange partner cards until you get your guild card. Approve the exchange from my card after you register."

I shouldn't have it yet.