Chapter 68

Always thank you for reporting typos and giving your thoughts.

I'm feeling down about the number of typos, but I'll try my best to be more careful in the future.

Good morning.

The weather today is sunny.

Today is a day off after the swordsmanship tournament.

Today, with no training allowed after the tournament, I have a completely free day.

As I absentmindedly recall the past three months, I realize that my pronunciation practice has been completely ineffective.

It's so heartbreaking!

My pronunciation has improved less than the speed at which people around me understand my words!

Also, I think the words in this world are unnecessarily rolled!

My writing practice has been going very well, and I can write beautifully enough to be asked if I'm a noble's daughter, but there's no sign of my pronunciation improving.

Anne says it's fine because I'm cute, but I can't accept that!

I feel like crying, so I stop there and roll around on the bed. Sora and Haku join in and start rolling around too, and we have fun laughing and playing, which makes Arlshein and Shell laugh at us.

I feel like I'm acting more childishly because of my child's body, even though I was an adult before.

Even Jus, who is supposed to be the same age as me, sometimes treats me like a child!

Come back, my salaryman spirit!

No, even if it did come back, it wouldn't be particularly useful.

While I'm quietly sulking, Sora and Haku comfort me by patting my cheeks with their cat punches and tentacles.

These two have grown a lot in the past three months and now regularly ask to be held by the regular members.

Recently, Haku has been sneaking into people's pockets on his own, apparently enjoying the surprise.

At the dining table with Yegram, Digray, and Jus,

"Prince Arlshein and Lord Kaita, do you have any plans for today?"

Yegram asked, and when I told him we had nothing in particular,

"Why don't we go to town?"

Digray suggested.

"Town? What do we do there?"

"Nothing in particular, but I thought it might be nice to wander around town once in a while!"

"Sounds good, Kaita hasn't been to town before."

I looked at Arlshein, who is practically my guardian, with a pleading look, and he smiled wryly and said,

"Shall we go? I haven't been that often either."

"From the old days, then."

"Then I'll be the guide! But, we shouldn't use our real names, so we should think about that before we go out."

"Ah, that's right. Kaita can be Kaita, and Prince Arlshein can be... Aru?"

"Sure, that's fine. Call me Aru."

"Alright, that's easy. Kaita, what should I be called?"

Yegram looked at me with sparkling eyes, and I thought for a moment,

"Yuu-kun!"

I joked, and suddenly a field of imaginary flowers bloomed around me.

Like the effects in a game! I can see roses and a halo!

"Then it's decided, Yuu-kun! What about Taktis?"

"No, I'm from the border, so it's fine if my face is recognized. I can just use my real name!"

"Aw, I was just starting to have some fun!"

Digray laughed, and Jus nudged him lightly.

These two don't have much of a status difference, so they're quite relaxed with each other.

They became friends quickly.

The clothes I'm wearing are too fancy, so I go back to my room to change.

The clothes Shell gave me were no different from what I usually wear, but they felt rough when I put them on.

I realized how luxurious the clothes I usually wear are.

I'm very grateful.

I changed into a rough round-neck shirt, stiff suspenders with baggy pants, and slip-ons.

Shell also changed into a shirt, vest, and pants, and the feel was different.

Aru also changed into similar clothes in a different color, and when he held me, it felt rough.

The school's carriage, which can be used for free by commoners if reserved, is popular on weekends and hard to borrow, but Digray had already reserved it, so we smoothly boarded the carriage and headed to town.

The place Digray designated was in the middle of the commoner district and the noble district.

Digray explained that it's a place where commoners can stretch a bit to shop, lower nobles can use it regularly, and higher nobles can visit incognito.

We got out of the carriage and started walking around.

Walking around in a group of five men, we attract some attention, but it's not too much, and we're used to it from the school, so it doesn't bother us.

The shops are small but well-kept, and the streets have a nostalgic feel, like something from an old anime or a game.

There are vegetable shops, liquor stores, clothing stores, trinket shops, weapon shops, hardware stores, furniture stores, and more, all bustling with activity, and the faces of the townspeople are mostly smiling.

I got down from Aru's arms and climbed onto Jus's shoulder.

Jus is used to it and doesn't wobble even when I stand on his shoulder.

"Jus, the vegetables are so big!"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, they are! But the taste is the same! A bit tough, though."

"Sure, tough."

"I didn't like meat as a kid."

"Completely different from your past life, huh?"

"Indeed, I struggled to get kids to eat vegetables."

"Sure, sure, they'd spit it out even if you put it in their mouths."

"I had it spat all over my face!"

My conversation with Jus inevitably turns into an old man's talk because it includes stories from our past lives.

Jus, despite appearances, is a father of one and has experienced the struggle of getting kids to eat vegetables.

I was single, but I often had to take care of my two sisters' nephews, so I can relate to the struggle.

"Eh, in your previous world, was the meat softer?"

Digray asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it was soft!"

"Right, high-quality meat was so tender it almost melted, to the point where you didn't need teeth!"

"Eh! That's not meat, meat should have a good chew to it!"

"Sure, Digray, you haven't tried it, but it's incredibly delicious! The meat is so tender, the juices are rich, the fat is sweet and melts in your mouth, and it has a strong flavor even without any seasoning. Ah, I'm drooling just thinking about it!"

I almost drooled too.

"Hey, Kaita, don't drool on my head."

"It's fine."

I patted Jus's head.

"......Really? Eh, if you two say so, I might want to try it. Kaita's cooking is reliable, and the meat I had at the castle was quite tender. That hamburger was revolutionary! From what you're saying, the meat is even softer than the hamburger, right?"

"Right, the meat itself is so tender that just grilling it is incredibly delicious!"

"Eh, what kind of monster meat is that?"

"No, no, no, there are no monsters in our world! It's just regular animal meat."

"Eh? But animal meat is supposed to be smelly and tough, right?"

In this world, animals are scarce due to the threat of monsters. Most species are small and scrawny, and are only kept as pets by eccentric nobles; they are rarely seen.

"Ah, that's different. In some places, they eat wild animal meat, but what we're talking about is meat from animals raised specifically for human consumption. They are raised in controlled environments, fed carefully selected feed, and even listened to music. The meat is incredibly delicious!"

"......What kind of noble lady's meat is that? Spending so much money on meat is ridiculous! And there are no monsters......"

"Exactly. In our world, there are no external threats, so it's possible to raise meat luxuriously just for eating."

"Wow, what a dream world!"

"Hmm? Is it really?"

Jus said thoughtfully, and Aru reacted,

"Was it a peaceful world without external threats?"

"Ah, well, the country we lived in was considered one of the safest, but it wasn't a world without conflict."

"Without monsters?"

Digray asked, puzzled.

Jus and I exchanged a wry smile.

"......In our world, there are no other races."

"Elves, dwarves, beastmen, fairies, and so on?"

"Right, just humans and animals."

"You don't mean to insult beastmen by calling them animals?"

"No, I mean animals that can't communicate and only make sounds."

"......A world of only humans."

"Exactly. And the population is incomparably larger than in this world."

"Eh? I can't imagine that. How many people?"

"Well, the world population was around 8 billion, I think."

He looked at me for confirmation,

"According to my nephew's textbook, it was 7.7 billion."

"7.7 billion, that's about it."

"Can't imagine it at all."

In this world, there is a kind of census, but it's quite rough, and the exact population is unknown.

However, the number of humans, beastmen, elves, dwarves, and other humanoid races is roughly known.

"I think the total number of humanoids in this world is around 700 million, right?"

"Right, if we're talking just about humans, that's about it...... So, ten times that many people?"

"All of them humans?!"

"Right, in the country we lived in, there were five times as many people in a land one-tenth the size of this country."

"What, that sounds so cramped!"

"Well, that's true, and the number of countries is completely different."

"Number of countries? In this world, there are...... 21, right?"

"Right, but only those that have been functioning as countries for over ten years. Small countries often disappear or become part of other countries within a few years."

"In our world, there were about 190?"

"......About that, right?"

"......Ah, that's why you raise meat just for eating."

"Right, hunting wild animals isn't enough. To sell more, they improve the feed and environment, and to add value, they focus on the taste, which makes it more expensive."

"Ah, I see, like how rare materials are expensive."

It's a bit different, but whatever,

"Right, there are many countries with many people, and each has different languages, cultures, and even skin colors, which can lead to conflicts."

"Human enemies are humans......"

"Well, not exactly battles, but to live a better life than others, we studied at school from childhood and worked from morning till night."

"Hmm, is that peaceful?"

"Well, there was rarely any danger to our lives."

"That kind of peace, but it sounds so stifling."

"Well, when everyone around you is like that, you don't question it and just go with the flow."

"Different worlds are tough, but Kaita, you adapted pretty quickly, right? I heard Taktis had to start over from scratch, so I get it, but Kaita never cried or had emotional outbursts, right?"

"Right, never."

"Ah, this guy is a bit different! I don't think it's a good idea to compare him to me."

Jus said something rude.

"I'm normal! I just knew I couldn't go back, and even if I complained, it wouldn't change anything."

"Still, normal people would throw tantrums or cry. You switch gears too quickly! That's why your ex-girlfriend called you cold-blooded!"

"I could understand that, but it was frustrating that she expected me to listen to her whims even after we broke up."

"After the rumors spread and she was shunned by other girls, she couldn't stand it and quit high school."

"Is that my fault?"

"Well, it was mostly her fault for causing a fuss, but......"

"Pfft, hahaha, ahahaha!"

Shell burst out laughing at our conversation.

Digray also laughed, while Yegram and Aru had complicated expressions.

Not understanding their expressions, I tilted my head, and Shell, still laughing, said,

"Kaita, you're surprised and confused by the fact that Kaita had a girlfriend in the past."

"Ah, in this world, dating equals marriage. In our world, there's almost no social status difference, so relationships are free. People can get together or break up as they please, and if they don't like it, they can easily break up."

"Jus, you got married but divorced, right?"

"Shut up, that was a youthful mistake!"

"Ha, a youthful mistake at 16!"

Shell burst out laughing.

It's not about the current conversation, but it's funny because we're talking about a 16-year-old in a child's body.

Shell's laughter draws attention, so we decide to go into a nearby café.