Chapter 10

Finnris was reached just before sunset.

Estel approached the entrance, slipping in at the last moment.

"Hey, Estel. I didn't think you'd be back today."

A man who seemed to be a guard standing at the gate spoke to Estel in a casual tone.

"Huff... huff... I almost gave up, thinking I wouldn't make it in time."

"You must have run quite a bit... Hey, who's that bald kid? He looks terrible. What happened?"

"Got attacked by goblins."

"Almost killed, huh?"

"Me."

"Huh? What? Estel!?"

The guard's eyes widened at Estel's words. He clearly hadn't thought Estel would be defeated by mere goblins.

(Estel must be a really strong adventurer.)

This time, Estel had fallen behind because the goblins were in a large group.

Quantity can overwhelm quality, whether on Earth or in Ealgard.

"What happened?"

"Long story. Can we go in first? I'm pretty exhausted."

"Ah, sorry for not noticing. Show me your guild card."

Estel reached into the side of her iron breastplate and pulled out a silver card the size of a business card.

"Checked. What about yours?"

"Right. Tor didn't belong to the guild, did he? Tor, do you have anything to prove your identity?"

"Left my village with nothing but the clothes on my back, so I have nothing to prove it."

"If you don't have proof of identity, it's one large copper coin to enter."

The guard held out his hand, indicating that one large copper coin was required.

But currently, Tor was penniless.

(If I can't pay the entry fee, will I have to sleep outside? In this terrible state?)

Cold sweat broke out as he imagined the unpleasant scenario. Unaware of Tor's inner turmoil, or perhaps aware, Estel smoothly dropped a large copper coin into the guard's hand.

"One large copper coin, just right. Alright, you can enter."

The guard gripped the coin and cleared the path. Seeing Estel enter the gate quickly, Toh hurried to follow.

"Wow..."

Seeing the streets of Finnris, Toh couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Immediately after entering the gate, two-story wooden houses lined the way, stretching far into the distance.

Perhaps due to a law, the walls were painted white, and the roofs were all a deep red.

The road was neatly paved with stones, and gutters were set along the sides for rainwater to flow.

(The cultural level is quite high...)

Toh, who had imagined medieval Europe, was surprised by the high technological level of Finnris.

The main street was bustling with activity.

Stalls lined the street, and shopkeepers were calling out to attract customers.

Finnris residents were crowded in front of stalls displaying colorful vegetables and large platters of cooked food.

A pleasant smell of sizzling meat wafted from somewhere.

(I want to look around! I want to eat as I walk!)

Toh was curious about what was on display and what kind of food was available.

But moving freely now would inconvenience Estel.

"Estel, about the entry fee, I'll pay you back later."

"Don't worry about it. One large copper coin is nothing."

"Really?"

Toh tilted his head.

"Oh, right. You said you're from the countryside. Have you ever seen money before?"

"Um..."

Toh had never seen money in this world. But if he said so, it might reveal that he wasn't a resident of this world.

Toh spoke carefully.

"Well, I... haven't seen money before."

"Living in a small village, you probably don't use money much. It's not strange that you haven't seen it."

"...Yeah, that's right."

Good, he wasn't found strange.

Toh breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Estel. Where is the adventurer's guild?"

"A bit further."

"Can you tell me about money while we walk?"

"Sure."

Estel nodded and pulled out a pouch from the gap in her breastplate.

She took out three types of coins and placed them in her palm.

"The unit of currency is Gard. A copper coin is 1 Gard, a large copper coin is 10 Gard, and a silver coin is 100 Gard. There are also gold coins worth 10,000 Gard and platinum coins worth 1,000,000 Gard, but you won't use them unless you're a high-level adventurer, merchant, or noble. There are also base coins, but they are mainly for children's allowances and have little value."

"I see. What can you buy with one copper coin?"

"One Gard can buy you one skewer of meat over there."

Estel pointed to a stall where meat was being grilled. The sign on the stall, written in characters Toh had never seen, read "One skewer for one copper coin."

(Oh, the <Language> skill not only helps with conversation but also with reading text.)

Toh felt the usefulness of the <Language> skill.

The skewers looked similar to yakitori. They were a size that Toh could finish in three bites.

(That means 1 Gard is about 100 yen.)

Copper coins are 100 yen, large copper coins are 1000 yen, and silver coins are 10,000 yen. Toh understood the value of Ealgard's currency.

An average person needs about five silver coins a month for living expenses.

Weapons start at ten silver coins.

Used clothes start at three copper coins, and new ones start at one silver coin.

While listening to Estel about the prices in this world, Toh suddenly noticed a large building.

A stone triangular roof peeked out from the wooden building.

"Hey, Estel, what's that building?"

"That's the Forsels Church."

"Hmm..."

(There's religion in this world. ...Could that self-proclaimed god be named Forsels?)

Toh stared at the roof, looking for any clues that might connect to the god, but found nothing.

"Is Tor a follower of Forsels?"

"No, I'm not."

Probably, he added silently.

Since Lid's memory didn't react when asked, Lid wasn't a follower.

"Then, another god?"

"Another?"

"Hehe, the six gods of Ealgard's blessings and glory don't seem to reach Tor's village."

Toh's reaction made Estel chuckle.

After a while, they found a building slightly larger than the others on the main street.

"We're here, Tor. This is the Finnris Adventurer's Guild."

"It's quite big."

The Finnris Adventurer's Guild was as large as a concert hall. The first floor was made of stone, and the second floor was wooden, making it more luxurious than other buildings.

"Finnris is the largest city in this region. Naturally, there are many adventurers and requests. A building of this size is needed to handle everything."

While talking, Estel entered the Adventurer's Guild.

Following Estel, Toh stepped into the guild, watching her ponytail sway happily.

"Wow."

The first floor of the Adventurer's Guild resembled a hotel lobby. There was a reception counter and a bulletin board with requests posted.

A bar was also set up away from the counter, where some adventurers were already having a party.

(Adventurers and bars, just as I imagined.)

As Toh peeked into the bar, the adventurers there noticed him and opened their eyes wide. Some even choked on their drinks.

Ignoring the reactions of the adventurers, Toh followed Estel.

"Welcome back, Estel."

When they reached the counter, a guild receptionist smiled warmly.

For adventurers who had completed dangerous missions, this smile was undoubtedly the best reward. She was a very charming woman.

"...Estel, who's that boy?"

The receptionist, Mary, tried to maintain her composure in front of the returning Estel.

Having worked as a receptionist for a few years, Mary had observed many adventurers.

From her experience, she could tell the strength of a person just by looking at them.

The boy Estel had brought with her, though a new adventurer, clearly exuded a strong aura.

Combined with his bloodied appearance, Mary, who had no fighting ability, almost lost her composure.

Though she didn't show it on her face, her legs were trembling.

"Yes, there was a bit of an issue. I completed the request, but..."

"Issue..."

What happened?

Murder? Mass murder!?

Mary was internally confused but hid it with her pride as a receptionist.

"...Is it related to the boy?"

"No, actually—"

"Ah, Estel. You're back early."

The man's sticky voice from behind the counter interrupted Estel's attempt to explain.