Chapter 29

From inside a crowded covered wagon, hello. I’m Herman. It’s just past noon, and we’re about to arrive in Nera Town. I wanted to see Nera Town from the outside, but the wagon is so packed there’s no chance. There are about 18 people crammed in here, and there’s no room to sit. Only those on the outermost edge can sit, perched precariously on the edge of the wagon. Some have even fallen off and had to run to catch up and climb back on. It’s that packed, and it’s going to be like this all the way to Nera Town. It’s really tough. I’m starting to think walking would have been better. The conditions are so bad, it’s like a packed train. I’ve only ridden on trains in my past life, but still! Anyway, we’ve arrived in Nera Town, a town where many retired adventurers live, known as the futon town, the cloud town, or whatever. It would be nice if it had a catchy nickname, but it doesn’t. Probably because tourism hasn’t really developed here. Tourism is tough, I guess.

For commoners who struggle to make ends meet, tourism is out of reach. ...No, it’s more about time than money. The quietest time for farming is winter. When winter comes, the prices at restaurants drop by one or two ranks because vegetables and other produce become scarce. The number of wagons also decreases. Even if you go, you might end up returning without doing anything. There might be some health resorts, but I doubt many commoners go there. ...Probably only nobles. There might be spiritual sites and hot springs, though I don’t know. There’s even a salt spring, so a sulfur-based spiritual site could exist. The sulfur dioxide gas is scary, but I’m sure they have some way to manage it, probably.

Well, let’s take care of one of the reasons I came to this town. I need to go to the Adventurer’s Guild to order a futon. I learned that futons are popular in the capital, but I think they’re probably popular in other regions too. If I want something more exclusive, I might have to go to the capital. ...But I’ll buy one here. I don’t need a noble’s futon. A futon at the level of a guesthouse from my past life is fine. Dried straw futons are painful, with all the pricking. I got used to it, but it’s better without. I’ll also have a pillow made. Do they even have pillows? ...Well, if they don’t, I’ll have one made. It’s more comfortable to sleep with your head elevated. I’m sure they have something like that in this world, right? If not, civilization will advance by one step today. I approach the receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Excuse me, I heard I can buy a futon here.”

“Yes, you can buy one here. Just one, right?”

“One is fine. I also want a pillow.”

“A pillow? What’s a pillow?”

“A pillow is a small, rectangular cushion. It elevates your head, making it easier to sleep.”

“I see. How thick should it be? As thick as a futon?”

“There are different preferences, but how thick is a futon? I think it should be about twice as thick as a futon.”

“Hmm, can the fabric be the same as a futon?”

“Yes, that’s fine. ...Can you make it?”

“Sure. A futon costs four medium gold coins, so let’s say the pillow is one medium gold coin. The method is the same as for a futon, and we can make it thicker by adding more cotton.”

“Got it. Five medium gold coins. I’ll take it.”

“Sure. But a pillow? If it becomes popular, can we sell it too? If there’s demand for futons, there might be demand for pillows. I’ll test it out.”

“Sure, feel free to sell it. I don’t need any royalties.”

“Oh, you’re planning to leave soon, then. Most people who buy futons settle in this town, so that’s unusual. ...But you’re still young, so it makes sense.”

Well, futons are usually bought by retired adventurers settling in this town. ...But five medium gold coins for a futon and a pillow? It’s more expensive than a sword, but I guess custom-made futons cost that much.

“Alright, here you go. Don’t lose it, or you won’t be able to get your futon. You’re probably a guest at the spiritual site, right? It will be ready by fall, so don’t die in a fire.”

“Yes, I’ll come back in the fall. ...Are fires that common here?”

“Well, last year there were fewer reports, maybe three from Louis Village. Tent fabric is cheap, so make sure to escape. If you try to save your tent and inhale smoke, you’ll die. Be careful.”

“...I don’t plan to die here, so I’ll make sure to escape. I also have a spare tent, so I’ll be fine.”

“That’s good. Preparation is key. The rest is up to luck.”

“Luck? I’m not sure about that.”

“Well, unlucky people die from that alone. But I think you’ll be fine. Your determination not to die here is clear.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem. I’ve seen many new adventurers. I think you’ll be fine.”

Well, I got some encouraging words, but luck is something you can’t control, receptionist. It’s nice that you’re worried, though. ...But fires are really something to be careful about. Once it starts, there’s no stopping it. I’m not ready to die yet. I want to do everything I can before I die, this time around. ...I don’t even know how old I was in my past life.

With the futon order done, all I have to do is walk to Louis Village tomorrow. ...Even if there’s a wagon, walking is fine. It’s a neighboring village, after all. Other adventurers probably do the same. Or they might go to a village that’s not a neighbor, which takes two more days. Logically, this wagon is probably one of the first, and some adventurers are still in town. If they’re here, they’re probably adventuring in this town. I don’t think it’s time to panic yet. ...I know how it will end. Both places will be packed. If they’re the same, I’ll go to the closer one. ...But I have to stay here tonight, regardless.

I wake up a little before sunrise as usual. ...Starting tomorrow, I’ll have to reverse my sleep schedule, which will be tough. I wash my face and start preparing breakfast. I brought extra meat this time. I won’t let a meat shortage happen. ...This town probably has livestock, right? Even if not, dried meat should come from other towns. ...Going back to the capital in winter is a hassle, so I hope I can buy it here. I’ll think about it when winter comes. I might have to return for lodging, but I plan to stay in Nera Town.

I leave the town earlier than the wagon. It will probably overtake me later with many adventurers. They’re probably going to the neighboring village or the one after that. It’s only empty at first; eventually, it will be the same. The forest near York is always packed in the fall. This forest might be even more popular, and fires are common, so it’s probably the same.

The walk goes smoothly, and I’m overtaken by the wagon, but I arrive at Louis Village. ...But the church square is already 80% full. Isn’t that too early? Who said there was still time? It’s obvious we’re late. The only option is to set up a tent. It’s dinner time, and early morning gatherers are returning. I’ll have to spend the night in a tent and sleep in the morning. First, I need to reverse my sleep schedule.

There’s no space to choose from, so I have to set up my tent on the outer edge. ...I never planned to set up in the center anyway. In case of a fire, the center is the most dangerous. I’ll aim for the edge. The center near the well is a death trap. So, I set up my tent on the edge of the church square, one row from the outer edge. I use a stone from the ground to hammer in the center stake. Everyone uses them, so there are stones in the corners of the church square. I hook the tent fabric to the center stake and hammer in the other three stakes. ...I was about to hammer them in when:

“Fire!”

“Water?”

“It’s too late.”

“Run, run.”

Hey, you guys, don’t start a fire while I’m setting up my tent. Luckily, I hadn’t finished, but I quickly gathered the fabric and left the church square. Oh, it’s burning. Slime fuel is convenient, but it spreads quickly when it gets on fabric. This cotton fabric is also flammable. If someone kicks it, it’s over. I planned to stay up all night, so I ended up working all night. Great.

Adventurers look at the burning church square. It’s a disaster. The villagers will help clean up, making it a regular event. It’s also the planting season, so the farmers are already stressed. ...We might not even get help. We’ll have to clean up the ashes. I’ll try to finish as much as possible at night and sleep in the morning. The more slime fuel, the longer it burns. I hope it ends soon. I pray for the fire nearby.

It’s just before sunrise. Normally, I’d wake up now, but today we’re all cleaning up. It’s the planting season, so the farmers probably won’t help. We cleaned up like zombies, trying to finish quickly and sleep. The sun is about to rise, and we’re finally seeing the end. We use brooms and dustpans provided near the garbage area to clean up the ashes. About a third of the tents burned, but it could have been worse. At its peak, the church square was 150% full (really?). If it was that packed, it would have burned completely.

But staying is also a hassle. Fights break out over whose tent is whose. It’s the start of hell round two. People fight over tents, and some even sleep in sleeping bags in empty spots. It’s chaos. Luckily, my tent wasn’t set up, and I only hammered in the center stake, so I just have to set it up again. I hook the fabric to the center stake and hammer in the other three stakes. Hammering from the center stake makes a neat triangle, so remember that. It’s a little skewed if you hammer from the edge, but it burns the same. It’s just after sunrise, breakfast time. I’ll eat quickly and sleep. Adventurers are responsible for themselves. Fighting and violence are allowed, but you’re responsible for the consequences. How will it end? In the dust and ashes, I’ll enjoy a noisy breakfast. I doubt anyone will claim my tent as theirs.

Whether you found it interesting or not, I’d appreciate your feedback. If you could provide some comments, it would help me improve my writing. ...Probably.