Chapter 4

It has been two weeks since then. There was no dramatic change, not even a minor incident. It was only natural, considering I spent most of the time holed up in the inn. Even now, in broad daylight, I am holed up in the inn, packing my belongings. Not that I have much to pack; I just need to put them in my magic bag.

I avoided going out during the day to prevent being spotted by the soldiers searching for me. At night, I ventured out into the city using the "Shadow Crossing" technique to gather information. It felt like a sneaking mission, and I got a bit excited.

To ensure safety, it was essential to gather information quickly and carefully. I avoided unnecessary conversations with the same people to avoid arousing suspicion and sometimes listened from the shadows.

After a week, I got used to it. I would buy drinks for loose-lipped individuals and gather information through casual conversation. However, familiarity can be dangerous, and my methods gradually became bolder. Three days ago, after gathering a certain amount of information and learning the minimum necessary, I tried to buy information with money. It was information about the inside of the castle.

I had entered and exited the castle several times using Shadow Crossing, but I could only eavesdrop and hadn't obtained any crucial information. This frustration led to my rash actions. However, the merchant who agreed to the negotiation talked unexpectedly freely.

What kind of official merchant can be so easily bought with money? And what was the point of all my hard work up until now?

The merchant also said, "In the end, this world is about power. Those with power can do anything, no matter how unreasonable. That's why we desire 'money' as a form of power. For survival."

The information I wanted was about myself. I wanted to know how the others were reacting to my disappearance and whether they were sending anyone after me. The result was no. They didn't seem to care much about my disappearance.

Perhaps the Rubik's Cube I left behind did a good job. Or maybe they thought that a pervert who only shows his underwear was not worth worrying about. I tried not to think about that. If I were to be used as a sacrifice, the possibility would be higher if the outcome could change based on the gifts I possess.

From the information I gathered, I realized that this world is a true survival of the fittest, much like a certain post-apocalyptic manga. If that's the case, there must be a mohawk among the thieves. It wouldn't be bad to gain wealth and fame through a mohawk hunt. I want to be in a position where I can say, "Power is justice. What a good era this has become."

As for my current power... it's "Gacha." Yes, the results of the Gacha over these two weeks. There has been significant progress.

First, the silver card "Appraisal." This revealed the names of items I couldn't identify before. The potions and stones were as expected, ranging from low to high level, mana potions, and various attribute magic stones. The short sword turned out to be a "Blessed Mithril Dagger." Unfortunately, I only learned the name. I don't know what "blessed" means or what it's blessed with. Even a partial appraisal is better than nothing.

Second, weapons. There are several, but the two most useful are a crossbow and a sword. Their names are "Curse" and "Ice Magic Sword," respectively. I finally got my desired ice sword, but it's a rare item.

However, the crossbow named "Curse" is a super-rare item, which means it came from the platinum tier. It might be a weapon with a unique name. I'm looking forward to a detailed appraisal.

By the way, there are also rings and other accessories, but I didn't have enough appraisal cards to identify them. Using them as soon as they appeared, I ended up with unidentified platinum accessories, which was a mistake.

Third, look at these modern items. Just for food, I got three types of cup noodles, yakisoba, potato chips (seaweed salt flavor), onigiri (already eaten), and a hamburger (already eaten).

I also got soft drinks and carbonated drinks, with mineral water and tea already preserved. The only carbonated drink I got was a Life Guard. It should have been cola.

I didn't get enough for every meal, but since they can be preserved, it's quite reassuring. I also got salt, sugar, and soy sauce. For some reason, it was katsuobushi soy sauce, but I expect to get other types of soy sauce.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the rice for the fried rice mix, so it will be stored for now. I don't want to disassemble the onigiri to use it. I don't have the ingredients yet. But why don't the items have any labels? I can only recognize the cup noodles by their different colors, but I can't tell what the others are without tasting them. I hope this can be improved.

Besides food, I also got some medicine, daily necessities, and clothing. It seems I can live with just the Gacha. There are other items, but these are the main ones.

Fourth, something unexpected happened with the cards.

I thought I had gotten a rare card with gold before, but that was a mistake. Cards come out frequently with gold, and there are even platinum cards, which are super-rare. I have a second copy of the temporary trump card, Thunderstorm. My current trump card is this platinum card.

"Erasure"

I don't know where to start. I even wonder if this is magic. But if it's literal erasure, it's incredibly powerful. It could be a one-hit kill against any strong enemy. The possibility of it just making you invisible is low, as there's already a gold card for that.

Of course, many other rare cards have come out, and my combat power should have increased significantly over these two weeks. I want to test them soon.

Lastly, there are fruit-like objects from gold and platinum. I don't know their names due to a lack of appraisal cards, but I suspect they are special recovery or buff items. Oh, I really need more appraisal cards. When I start complaining, it means I'm getting hooked.

Here's a summary of the notable Gacha results:

Platinum: 4 cards, 2 equipment items, 2 fruit-like objects, magic bag

Gold: 37 cards, 6 potions, 7 equipment items, 11 fruit-like objects, 7 magic stones

The platinum cards are "Erasure," "High Heels," and two "Ice Burst." The magic bag is a common item.

The gold cards include storm, lance, and sword series. There are seven storm cards, nine lance cards, and eleven sword cards. There are also three "Heal" cards, two "Invisibility," two "Unlock," one "Sleep," one "Paralysis," and two "Boschout." The latter is named after the image of a doll falling into a hole, so it's definitely "Boschout."

The fact that a trap like a pit is rare makes me a bit uneasy about the other card effects, but as a support spell, being able to create a pit on the spot could have many uses. It's not a weak card.

Looking at them all together, I feel like I've become stronger. But it's just an illusion. This is a different world, and I need to be cautious. My common sense doesn't apply here. Being too cautious is just right. However, I'm selling unnecessary items from the Gacha for money. I need money, so it can't be helped.

The low-level potions sold for a surprisingly high price, and the old man at the magic item shop even said, "Come back anytime." I thought he was a nice guy, and my impression of this world improved a bit, but later I found out that the potions I sold were being resold for ten times the price.

It seems I was treated as a clueless mark. Damn.

I don't think I made a mistake with the weapons and armor since I had samples, but I still feel like I was underpaid. If there are so many thieves around, I would think there's a demand for equipment... maybe there's an oversupply?

By the way, the currency unit in this world is "Rig." One copper coin is 1 Rig, 100 copper coins are 1 silver coin, and 100 silver coins are 1 gold coin. So, 1 copper coin is 1 Rig, 1 silver coin is 100 Rigs, and 1 gold coin is 10,000 Rigs. A gold coin is slightly larger than a 500 yen coin, a silver coin is between a 500 yen and 100 yen coin, and a copper coin is about the size of a 1 yen coin.

Interestingly, this currency is common across the continent. I wondered how a common currency could exist with multiple countries, but apparently, there was a nation that unified the continent in the past and standardized the currency. They continue to use the same currency even now.

Moreover, the technology to make the currency has been lost. This will definitely cause problems someday. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

In any case, my plan is to escape this country. I need to obtain the necessary money and food, and of course, information. I would like to get information about the surrounding countries, but I'm not sure if I have the time.

Lorenzia summoned a hero, so I'll head there first. I want to meet the hero. If they're Japanese... no, an Earthling, they might be able to help me. I tried to buy a map, but apparently, maps are military secrets and cannot be bought or sold, let alone created.

Well, I quickly learned which countries are where on the continent, so it's fine, but the ban on creation seems excessive. But this is a fantasy world, so there must be a reason. It's a very inconvenient world.

By the way, this place, "Lorentaria," is in the center of the continent, and the "Lorenzia" I'm heading to is in the northeast. The religious country "Shirendi" exists from there to the southeast. The empire "Divalites" governs the vast land from there to the western part of the continent. The territory of the demons is from the western part of the continent to the northeast.

I don't even know the shape of the continent, which seems a bit behind, doesn't it?

I packed my belongings into the magic bag and only needed to buy food to complete my preparations. Thanks to the Gacha, I didn't need to buy much.

According to the information, there is a town about seven days' walk to the north from here. From there, it's about five days to the northeast to a fort, and from there, the border. From the border, it's six days to the northeast to a Lorenzia fort, and ten days to the east to a town.

It will take a long time. Using a carriage would be better, but I think using the high-speed movement of Shadow Crossing would be faster. Traveling alone and on foot from the capital would raise suspicion, but since I'm moving through the shadows, it's not a problem. They say good things come to those who act quickly, so I'll go buy food right away.

---

Why did it come to this?

I was chased, ran around the commercial district, and somehow ended up (or was cornered) in a dead-end alley, hiding in the shadows.

At first, I noticed the soldiers pointing at me and talking. I thought they suspected me of buying food suspiciously, but then I saw a face-like drawing on a piece of paper in their hands and tried to get away from the soldiers. The soldiers called out to me and came straight toward me.

I put the food I bought into my bag and started running. The amount of food that fit into the not-so-big bag was quite noticeable, and a few people looked at me with their mouths open.

But I didn't expect to be searched with a wanted poster. According to the information, they weren't supposed to be paying attention... Could it be that my presence in the capital was exposed because of the information I gathered? In other words, was the information I bought sold?

I thought I was a bit careless, but to have the flag reset so quickly...

That damn old man, what did he mean by "I haven't heard of anyone looking for such a person"? Whether it's your fault or not, they are definitely searching for me. You're merchants, so value your reputation.

Ah... I shouldn't have said, "I understand that information about the inside of the castle will be expensive" and handed over five gold coins. And I shouldn't have acted cool and said, "Information is important (serious face)."

As I was regretting this, the soldiers arrived. This is a dead end. Go somewhere else.

"I thought you entered here..."

A soldier who seemed to be the captain, with slightly better equipment than the others, muttered in the dead-end alley where I had fled. The other soldiers followed one by one.

There were eight of them in total. It's impossible to take on eight