Chapter 7

0904 correction.

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Elves and dark elves being endangered species is a shocking new fact.

In the RFC, they were a very popular race. There were so many of them that if you threw a stone in a town or village where many players gathered, you would hit one of them. What could have happened?

The possibility that this world is very similar to the RFC's world view is growing.

Just then,

"Armit? What are you doing? I told you to bring the adventurers, didn't I?"

A woman's voice came from the doorway behind Armit.

She is Armit's mother, the innkeeper where we originally stayed. It seems Armit was sent by her to call us.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Really, I'm sorry, Armit.

Aren't you both hungry? Even though there's nothing... No, nothing left in the village, I've prepared breakfast for you to eat."

Lowering her gaze slightly with a hint of sadness, the innkeeper invited us with a gentle voice.

Now that she mentioned it, a pleasant smell was wafting from somewhere.

Let's leave the complicated matters like Isato being a rare species and whether this is the RFC world for later. Let's have breakfast now. I suddenly feel very hungry.

Glancing at Isato, who nodded in agreement. It seems I'm not the only one who wants to eat something.

"Then—"

"Ah, wait a moment."

Just as Isato was about to walk towards the innkeeper, I grabbed the collar of his shirt.

Isato let out a short, mysterious sound as if protesting.

When I lifted him slightly, he hung limply like a kitten by the scruff of its neck.

I'm aware that I have a good build, and since there are no women in my family, I'm not quite sure how to handle this—...

But I'm starting to think it's okay to treat Isato roughly. I think Isato himself is asking for this kind of treatment.

Isato seems to prefer being treated casually, as in the online game days, rather than being treated with decorum as a "woman."

Even now, if Isato really didn't want to, he could easily escape with the force I'm using to hold his collar.

"Um, if it's not too much trouble...

Could you sell this person some clothes?"

"Clothes?"

"This person messed up his clothes on the way here."

"Oh."

It seems the innkeeper just noticed this.

Was Isato walking around in a shirtless state, being mistaken for a pervert?

"That's what I thought."

"...How much of a exhibitionist do you think I am?"

Isato groaned at the innkeeper's words.

To be fair, the summoner's outfit Isato was wearing might have contributed to this impression.

The ceremonial-looking coat made of creamy fabric, which is somewhat too short, could be mistaken for a mini-dress.

I, too, had imagined her as an evil female boss.

"To the adventurers, it might not be suitable, but..."

"Anything will do as long as it covers. If Elria can access the warehouse, there should be something to wear."

"Huh. Isato, you have women's clothes?"

"I only had men's as my own equipment, but I have a few from drops. And some I made for a friend but never gave."

"......I remember you have the clothing skill, don't you?"

"I do."

Isato puffed out his chest proudly, even though he was still hanging from my hand.

"...I remember Remone complaining about an old man making clothes and never coming back."

"Because the clothes I wanted didn't drop."

Isato pouted at my exasperated tone.

Isato is the type who, if she can't get something, will make it herself.

At first, I thought she was a hardworking person who would put in effort to get what she wanted, but now I've concluded that this old man just can't wait.

For example, if I wanted a certain piece of clothing and couldn't get it on my own, I would first rely on money. Drop items, no matter how rare, always circulate somewhere. If there's demand, supply will always follow. Next, if I can't get it with money or it's not on the market, I would turn to family. Family members at the same level are likely to have the items I want. They often keep them in stock before putting them on the market. I do the same. If I can't get it even then, I would consider making it. But I would prepare the materials and ask a friend with production skills to make it. I wouldn't try to get production skills myself.

But the old man can't wait.

The "waiting time" while waiting for a response from a friend is unbearable for the old man.

I want it now.

It's frustrating to have something I want and not be able to do anything but wait.

If you think about the actual time it takes, it would take longer to get a response from a family member than to get the skill and make it myself. But for Isato, the "tens of hours to get the skill and make the item" is less bearable than the "few hours of waiting for a response."

It's refreshingly honest to be so materialistic.

"So if you have the tools and materials, you can make even high-level equipment?"

"...You really can do anything, Isato."

"Compliment me more."

"I'm not complimenting you."

That's why her main job level isn't improving.

Honestly, if Isato's main job is assumed to be a "spirit mage," her combat power is negligible compared to mine.

Isato's level as a "spirit mage" isn't that high.

If she switched her main job to "spirit mage," it would be difficult for her to even form a party with me in the RFC system. In the RFC, if the level difference is over 30, you can't form a party. This is to prevent cheating, such as farming, where the experience points are pooled and multiplied by 1.1 or 1.2. So, hunting with the same level band is more efficient in terms of experience points. However, this can also lead to conflicts over who "sucks" or "gets sucked."

Anyway, if we have to stay in this world for a while, I need to consider raising Isato's level as a "spirit mage."

The reason is that no matter how much she levels up as a "summoner," it doesn't directly strengthen her physical body or combat power.

The summoner's level increases based on the experience points gained from defeating monsters that the summoner commands. However, the experience points from defeated monsters don't go directly to Isato.

Most of it goes to the summoned monsters. In return, the summoner gains experience points even if they don't defeat the enemy, just by summoning and giving commands.

In this sense, a summoner is more like a skill than a job.

As the summoner's level increases, the skills and strength of the summoned monsters also increase.

However, the summoner's own growth is minimal.

Isato can one-shot a monster 10 levels higher than herself, but she can also be one-shot by a monster 10 levels lower.

Still, Isato is a high-level summoner.

She won't be one-shot by the monsters in this area.

But... the man I encountered last night.

His attack even got through to me.

There might be other beings like him who don't fit the game's knowledge.

Also, the equipment is a problem.

Without proper equipment, she's basically wearing "paper armor."

Summoner equipment is designed to compensate for the summoner's weaknesses by adding some defense.

Without it, Isato's defense is significantly lower.

...

The tragedy of last night flashes in my mind.

Armit, cut down in front of me.

The despair and shadow of death in her wide, confused eyes.

The spilling red.

If that had happened to Isato... I don't think I could remain calm this time.

"...Hey, Akiya."

"Huh?"

"Stop holding onto someone's collar and thinking deeply."

"Ah, sorry, sorry."

Isato called out to me, and I quickly let go of her collar.

While I was lost in thought, Isato had apparently already made arrangements with the innkeeper.

"I'll go change, so... you can have Armit show you to the food."

"Got it."

"Akiya-sama, this way!"

"Whoa!"

Smiling wryly, I let Armit lead me to the dining area.

The village in the morning sunlight looked worse than I had imagined in the darkness of the night. Many of the adobe buildings were blackened and crumbling.

We might be partly responsible for that.

Last night, Isato used spirit magic to summon water to extinguish the fire.

These buildings are in an area with little rain. They might have been weak to water, or the combination of water and the heat from the fire might have been too much.

In the center of the damaged houses, in a square-like area, food was prepared.

It was more like a communal meal.

They probably gathered all the safe food from around the village.

Not only me, but the villagers were sitting around, quietly sipping thick soup.

The atmosphere was heavy.

We can't leave this place until Isato is ready, but it's not a place I want to stay long.

As I watched Armit run off to get my portion, I thought about the situation.

"Ah, you're the adventurer who saved the village last night. I'm Amal, the village chief."

"Hello, I'm Akiya, the adventurer."

I felt a bit odd calling myself an adventurer, but there's no other choice here.

Saying I'm from another world would just complicate things and solve nothing.

The village chief, a well-tanned, middle-aged man, approached me.

"Thanks to you and your companion, the mage, this village was saved from those bandits. Not only that, you used a valuable potion to save Armit's life... I don't know how to thank you."

"No, it was just the situation. And the potion was my companion's. I think she'll probably trade it for clothes."

I was a bit absent-minded, so I don't know what kind of deal Isato made, but I think that's the gist of it.

But it seems I was the only one who thought so.

"Huh?"

The village chief's eyes widened in surprise.

"But... there's no clothing in this village that could match the value of that high-level potion..."

"Well, as long as it covers, I think she'll take anything."

For Isato, the area covered is more important than the defensive power of the equipment.

If there's no other choice, she'll have to wear a shirt until we reach Elria.

I'm starting to think it might be fine as it is.

"That potion alone could buy a dress suitable for a royal banquet..."

The village chief's eyes were distant, still in shock.

To bring him back, I changed the topic.

"So... do bandit attacks like that happen often?"

"...They've been increasing recently, and it's been a problem."

The village chief sighed, recalling the situation.

Apparently, such a bold attack had never happened before.

Occasionally, some ruffians would come to the village and take food and items they liked, but it was more like a nuisance.

In our terms, it's like a group of delinquents who used to just hang around and extort money suddenly committing an attempted robbery and murder.

"Why did they suddenly...?"

The village chief's voice sounded lost.

Perhaps he knew them to some extent.

Maybe he thought they would eventually see the light and become decent people.

"Maybe they got too confident as a group."

Even if each individual doesn't have malicious intent, the group psychology can lead to terrible actions, as we've seen in our world.

"So, what about the bandits?"

"They are all locked in a shed that can be locked from the outside. We've sent a messenger to Elria, so the military will come to take them away soon."

"I see."

As we talked, I remembered the creepy man who disappeared in the flames last night.

"...It would have been better if we could have caught all of them."

I heard that no bodies were found at the fire scene yesterday.

Honestly, I'm more disappointed that we didn't catch that man. I felt a good sense of accomplishment, but he managed to escape.

If the bandits who escaped turned over a new leaf because of this, it would be for the best... but the creepy man's presence is still bothering me.

Normally, you'd have to fear revenge from someone whose comrades were captured, but that man didn't seem to have such human emotions. That's why I regret not catching him. Why was he among the bandits?

My thoughts were interrupted by the village chief's confused voice.

"Bandits should all be captured...?"

"..."

I let out a surprised sound.

All the bandits were caught?

"Was there a man in a black robe or someone with a wound on his back among them?"

"No... I don't think there was such a man. Would you like to check?"

"Yes, please."

I don't know why, but I'm very curious about that man.

I feel like I can't just leave it alone.

The discomfort I felt when I saw him is like a thorn that won't come out.

...

The village chief led me to the shed where the bandits were being held, but... that man wasn't there.

In fact, the bandits' reaction to seeing me was strange.

If they were prepared to kill and steal, they should be prepared for the consequences, but they seemed to be afraid of me.

When I asked them threateningly, they all said that everyone in the shed was part of the bandit group.

So, who was that man?

It's a mystery.

Could it have been some kind of hallucination that only I could see?

No, that's not possible. The pain I felt on my cheek was real.

I gently traced the now-healed cheek with my fingertips.

Shaking my head, I returned to the village square, where Armit had brought a bowl of soup.

Here you go, she said, offering the soup.

Thank you, I said, and she smiled happily... but then her stomach growled.

"Hey, Armit, haven't you eaten