Chapter 6

I thought the maintenance was at 12, but it ended at 4.

A new discovery, the holy sword is worth 4.5 billion points.

No, that's not it.

It's not time to panic yet. Take it easy, stay calm, and take a deep breath.

Breathe in deeply, and exhale.

Once you're calm, check. What did I do?

I converted the holy sword into points. So, what is the holy sword?

In an RPG, it would be the hero's weapon, essential for defeating the demon king.

Reluctantly, I was summoned as a hero. This was supposed to be mine. It doesn't seem like there's any problem, does it?

Defeating the demon king is troublesome, but according to the Pig King, the demon king possesses some treasure. It seems to be a clue to return to my original world, but I can't trust that.

Well, if I can sneak in without being noticed and want to take it, I'll go and get it. If I can defeat the demon king while I'm at it, I'll do that. There seem to be other heroes, and it's not certain that the holy sword is the only one.

What, there's no problem at all. Then, this matter is concluded.

I don't know if I'll ultimately defeat the demon king, but I need travel money. So, I'll throw gold coins into my bag.

There's no way a king would give 50 gold to a hero and exile them. Ideally, I'd want full support, but it would be annoying to have a crowd of people following me, and being close to the powerful would be troublesome. Therefore, I'll receive support in the form of money. Well, it's time for some enjoyable accounting.

“Hmm, this should do.”

I mutter while looking at the gold coins gathered in front of me. There are about 2,000 of them.

Labor costs are high in Japan, so it can't be helped. This is a different world and country, but I didn't come here because I wanted to, so I won't hold back. So, I put the gold coins in my bag.

I feel a sense of discomfort with the bag.

Until now, the bag only felt its weight, but it seems a bit heavier now. Is the capacity almost full?

I have two bags, so there's no need to worry, but I should keep in mind that the capacity is not infinite.

Well, since I've taken what I need, let's escape. Like a thief, I'll stealthily and easily collect what I want... or rather, compensation. It might be good to gather the world's wealth this way.

With my skill "Shadow Crossing," which has become a skill that no one can notice, I can infiltrate anywhere. And with the magic cards "Far Sight," "Search," and "Unlock," I can probably obtain most treasures.

It would have been nice to have a cheat that allows me to dominate, but with this, I can do it if I use it right, and it's especially convenient for stealth actions. No matter how powerful the skill is, I'm just an ordinary person. This skill, with its excellent stealth, is probably the best for now.

I was able to leave the city walls without any problems. The treasure vault, which has the highest security level in the country, being freely accessible... if this were a net game, it would definitely be fixed.

I thought I would start in a different world with only a unique skill, but I've somehow become a strong character with the best stealth ability. Life is unpredictable.

Let's not dwell on sentiment and move on to the next action. There's still some time before dawn, but if it's discovered that the holy sword is gone, the country will surely take action. If that happens, I, who is thought to have a transfer ability, will be suspected. I'll leave this country quickly.

A new world awaits me. My adventure has just begun!

By the way, the merchant who either deceived or sold me, I visited his house and received proper compensation. I hope he will do honest business after this. Whether he can continue his business or not, I don't know.

So, I was ready to start my adventure, but a problem arose immediately. Thinking about it, this is not Japan. The gate to the city is not open 24/7 like the castle gate. The gate is firmly closed, and there are no gaps to get out due to the bonfires.

Therefore, I need to find a place to climb the city wall and get down. There are bonfires on the city wall as well. Seriously, lighting bonfires like this, I can't even enter the shadows to get out.

But, is the city wall usually this bright? I thought it was pitch black at night... Are they looking for me?

The city wall surrounding the capital is huge. No matter how much time I have, it's not enough. I should have come straight here without any detours.

Damn, that despicable merchant, always holding me back!

No matter how much I curse, the situation won't change. I have to search for a place to go one by one. I considered moving from one shadow to another for a moment, but if someone sees me, my skill might be revealed. The risk is too high.

In the end, I couldn't find a place to get out and had to return to the inn dejectedly. It was already just before dawn. I decided to take advantage of the people coming and going during the day, yawned loudly, and fell onto the hard bed.

Today, there are many things to reflect on. When shopping, I should have hidden my face by wearing a hood or something. When I converted the holy sword into points, I got too excited and did it carelessly. I'm not regretting it, but it will definitely cause more trouble. And I didn't even scout for an escape route, so I ended up wasting my time.

Being impulsive isn't new, but if I keep this up, I'll make a big mistake eventually. I need to think carefully about the future.

But I'm sleepy now. Even if I leave the capital, it will be crowded in the afternoon. So, it's important to rest my body. With that conclusion, I fell asleep easily.

I hear a loud knocking on the door.

Waking up to the sound, I get up from the bed with a frown, give a casual response, and look at the small clock (from a gacha). It's 9:45... I must have slept for about 5 hours.

Since I got this clock on the second day, I thought the days here were 24 hours long, but the time on my phone is gradually getting out of sync. It seems this clock is adjusted to show 24 hours. It's a subtle effect, but very helpful.

However, making a loud noise in the morning is annoying. I need to give them a good scolding. Thinking this, I open the door without hiding my bad mood.

“Shirai Shiro, we're taking you into custody.”

“It's a case of mistaken identity.”

I tell them it's a case of mistaken identity and close the door. The person waiting outside is the captain I saw yesterday, who seems to have come to arrest me. Who is "Shirai Shiro"? That's not my name. I'm still sleepy. Let me sleep.

No, that's not it.

I reflexively reach for the magic bag, grab it, and immediately hide in the shadows. The captain and his subordinates rush into the room almost simultaneously. It was a close call.

“Transfer has been confirmed. Signal immediately and have the mages use detection spells.”

From the captain's words, it seems they will use the mages, who are already in position, to locate me after I transfer. A spell that can identify individuals over a wide area is convenient. The investigation will progress. Well, it has no meaning for me.

Since there's nothing I need to worry about in the room, I want them to leave quickly. I can't leave the inn with them around. At this time, the sun is shining in the hallway, so the shadows don't connect.

Currently, I can only wait. I change from the pajamas I got from a gacha to old clothes that look like a merchant's, which I bought in the city. If the innerwear hadn't come from a gacha, it would be unbearable to wear.

I can hear the soldiers running around in the hallway.

The floor is going to collapse. This inn looks better from the outside than it is inside.

The soldiers who arrived are reporting to the captain, but they are speaking in a low voice, so I can't hear. Report clearly and loudly.

By the way, I haven't had breakfast. Well, the food here is not tasty, so it's not a big loss... When I calm down, I'll spin the gacha I forgot to and pray for food. Thinking leisurely about food, I notice something is wrong with the soldiers. I can see the signs of panic.

Seeing the captain shout, “What's going on!” I can tell he's frustrated that he can't find me.

Life is full of things that don't go as planned, so don't panic. Well, they are the subordinates of that Pig King, so if things don't go well even once, it's dangerous. Considering that, it's understandable why they are panicking.

I'm cheering you on from a place where you can't find me. Good luck.

“Damn! I told you not to skimp on personnel!”

It seems the captain couldn't get as many people as he wanted. Even if he had more, it wouldn't have made a difference, but it seems they couldn't search the planned area due to a lack of personnel and couldn't find me.

He angrily gives orders, and a soldier starts searching the room roughly with him. The soldier accompanying him is also nervous due to the angry orders.

Is the captain angry?

Well, I thought I had a chance, but because my warning was ignored, it's “Sorry, back to square one.” It's dangerous, I'm starting to want to tease them.

So, Rubik's Cube No. 2, it's your turn. This time, you're going out as is, with the colors aligned. Under the bed, which hasn't been searched yet, I extend my wrist out of the shadow and roll it around. Well, when will they notice?

“Captain! What's this!”

They noticed it right away... but that's the clock. That's not it!

I forgot to put it back after grabbing the bag and hiding in the shadow. What should I do, it's the only one...

“What is this...?”

It seems there are no clocks in this world. I've never seen one before, and the information I gathered didn't mention anything like “opening and closing the store from sunrise to sunset.” If I say it's a “time-telling relic,” I might be able to sell it for a high price. I'll make a note of it later.

As I watch the situation, another soldier enters the room. I couldn't hear well because they were speaking in a low voice, but I can tell from the captain's reaction that he's been called.

He spits in disgust and calls for a retreat, and the soldiers leave the room.

Give me back the clock.

They took it. If they were going to take something, they should have taken the Rubik's Cube. I prepared it specially, and to ignore it is cruel.

I wanted to see the surprise and shock of “What? This is here too?” but... Give me back my expectations. Give me back the clock with it.

There's nothing I can do about what they took. They'll probably come back, so I'll leave the inn, considering it as a necessary expense. I wonder if a Japanese person can endure a life without knowing the exact time. That's my only concern.

Well, I arrived at the city gate without any problems. I moved only in the shadows, so there were no issues. What a cakewalk. Well, I didn't hope for any incidents, so it's fine.

I immediately enter the shadow of a cargo cart that is going through the procedure to leave the city. The sun hasn't risen completely yet, so I can easily move in the shadows of the buildings.

By the way, when you enter the shadow of a crowd, the shadows overlap, making the shadow area larger or smaller. The connection surface between shadows can also break, making it a kind of action game. If you fail to move, you just get pushed back, so it's not dangerous. But it was uncomfortable when I failed.

However, the procedure to leave the city seems to take quite a while. The line has been moving very slowly. I can't see well because of the poor visibility, but it seems there's some trouble up ahead. The sound is a bit muffled in the shadows, like through a wall, so I can't understand anything unless I get closer.

Well, I'm not interested, so I'll spin the gacha and wait leisurely.

Today's main achievements.

Gold: 3 cards

No new silver or gold came out. As for copper, you can imagine. And only three gold is bad luck. I think the gacha is about 60% copper, 35% silver, 5% gold, and less than 1% platinum and black. Usually, 3 to 7 gold come out, so today was bad luck. Well, getting four appraisal cards is a good thing. There are still many things I want to appraise, so I'll consider today as an appraisal day.

I wanted to start the appraisal time right away, but it seems it's my turn to go through the procedure. I need to focus on that in case something happens.

“Isn't this too high!”

As soon as I focus, I hear a villager's anguished cry. Is the customs duty too high and causing a dispute?

“Why? If you can't pay, we can't let you through.”

“But the last time I came, it wasn't like this... This is...”

It's understandable to feel desperate, but the line is holding up, so hurry up. Mainly for my sake.

But my thoughts are in vain, and the villager continues to talk to the soldier, which is meaningless. They can't say “Okay, I understand” because it's their job.

But why are there only gates to the north and south? Not being able to move without shadows is inconvenient. I wish they would consider the people who have to put up with this charade.

As expected, the villager gives up and pays the tax, walking away dejectedly. A simple villager can't go against authority. He must have known this would happen.

It seems the same thing is happening in the back, and the line isn't moving. If this continues, there will eventually be a riot. This is another reason I don't want to stay in this country for long.

The country's policy is mainly exploitation. The population is decreasing, and I've heard that villages are gradually disappearing. It wouldn't be surprising if a rebellion broke out.

I feel sorry for this villager, but this world is a place of the strong eating the weak. The strong survive, and the weak die. If you don't stand up to change that, you'll stay that way until you die.

I won't help someone who doesn't try to help themselves. If I do, they'll swarm around me saying “Me too, me too.” So, I won't do anything.

Besides, I have both power and money. I have no connection with him or his surroundings. In fact, if I get close to the forest, I can leave this shadow and go there. I'll part ways with him here. I probably won't see him again.

I left about twenty silver coins in the cargo cart as I left, but it's to reduce the bag's capacity a little.

Well, my current assets are about 2,000 gold coins and 4.81195 billion points. Losing twenty silver coins is no big deal.

By the way, before spinning the gacha, I had 4.812 billion points. I worked hard to align the numbers at the merchant's house. As a result, the valuable items in the merchant's house were significantly reduced, but it was hard to get the numbers to align. I won't accept the criticism that using copper or silver coins would have aligned the numbers immediately.

With this much, I won't need to worry about money for a while. Once I leave this country, I won't be pursued, so I'll use this money to do various things. I've confirmed that there are slaves, so I can look forward to a harem.

Welcome to the typical isekai harem. My adventure continues as I seek the dreams and romances of men.