Chapter 6

Ray and Ashley walked toward the grand dining hall of Baron Atley's mansion.

(Dinner, he said, but I don’t know anything about manners... I didn’t even think about setting up manners... How did I set up the meal?)

He thought about such things while walking beside Ashley.

Ashley, walking beside him, also thought,

(What will the baron think when he sees this outfit? I’ve never seen it, but the baron must have seen the holy knights of Lux... )

The grand dining hall was a magnificent place with a large table that could seat over twenty people and a bright, large chandelier—illuminated by light attribute magic rather than candles.

However, today, it was an intimate dinner, and only five members of the baron’s family were present—the baron, a beautiful woman in her early thirties who seemed to be his wife, the eldest daughter Oriana, and two boys around ten years old.

When Ray and Ashley took their seats, the baron was surprised by Ray’s appearance but quickly began introducing his family. Then, he expressed his gratitude to Ray, and the meal began.

The meal consisted mainly of dishes made with vegetables and freshwater fish—Lux Kingdom has many lakes, and trout and other freshwater fish are famous products—both in quality and quantity, it was satisfying.

Especially for Ray, who had only had a light meal of hard bread and cheese during the afternoon break, the hunger added to the flavor, making it taste even more delicious.

White wine and a dark, foamy beer were served with the meal, and Ray, who had no experience with alcohol, hesitated about what to do.

Gathering his courage, he took a sip, and the white wine was slightly sweet, with a mild carbonation that made it taste very good.

As a result, he drank the wine at a good pace and began to feel a light buzz.

The manners he had been worried about didn’t seem particularly difficult, and he managed to eat without any problems by glancing at Ashley, who was sitting next to him.

As the meal neared its end, the baron asked Ray about his outfit.

"Your knight's uniform looks similar to the holy knights of the Holy Kingdom of Lux... Does anything come to mind?"

Ray was surprised by these words, and Ashley, sitting next to him, looked at him with interest.

"No, I don’t remember anything... The Holy Kingdom, you say... They used light attribute magic, but I don’t remember it well. Is this uniform the same as the holy knights'?"

"I’m not that familiar with it, but the emblem design seems a bit more complex. The color and overall appearance are exactly like a holy knight’s... but it might be troublesome if seen by a bishop of the Church of Light."

The baron made a slightly unpleasant face as he said this.

Ray, curious, asked, "Church of Light? Bishop? Why is that?"

Ashley answered in place of the baron.

"The Church of Light, the Temple of the God of Light, is led by Bishop Azaro, officially the High Priest. He is somewhat fanatical. While Lux, the God of Water, is the most revered here, Azaro is trying to impose the idea that the God of Light, Lucidus, is the supreme deity. He is reportedly being sidelined in the Temple of Light."

In a city the size of Morton, it is common to have temples for all eight attributes, as well as the Creator, the God of Heaven, the God of Earth, and the God of Humanity, making twelve temples in total.

In smaller towns and villages, it is not uncommon to have only the temple of the God of Humanity, Veta, but all twelve are always present in the core cities of the region due to their importance in festivals and events.

The Church of Light is a new concept that regards the God of Light, Lucidus, as the supreme deity, but it has not spread outside the Holy Kingdom of Lux.

The priests have also changed their titles to archbishops, bishops, and priests, and in the Holy Kingdom, they are even trying to exclude other temples.

In particular, the Temple of the God of Darkness, Noctis, is being treated as a heretical cult that worships demons, and a campaign to exclude it has begun within the Holy Kingdom.

The headquarters of the Temple of Light is in the Holy Kingdom of Lux, and the priests are dispatched from there, but Bishop Azaro is one of the more fanatical religious leaders.

"In other words, if Bishop Azaro sees you in this outfit, he will likely accuse you of impersonating a holy knight and cause a commotion."

Ray, coming from Japan, a country with a relaxed attitude toward religion, could only think of cult groups when it came to fanatics.

(I didn’t think about setting up a Church of Light... but being chased by a cult is not something I want. Maybe I should change my clothes... but what about the armor? Ashley seems to think it’s quite good... )

As he was lost in thought, the baron signaled to his butler, Edward, who was standing behind him.

"This is a small token of gratitude for saving my life and my daughter’s. Will you accept it?"

The baron placed a small, heavy leather bag on the table.

When Ray checked inside, it contained twenty gold coins.

(One gold coin is 100C, so 200,000 yen. Twenty coins mean 2,000,000 yen... This should be enough for the time being, but is it okay to accept it?)

He thought about it and looked at Ashley, who nodded slightly and whispered, "It’s a gesture from the baron. You should accept it."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Ray bowed to the baron and accepted the gold coins.

The baron then asked about their plans for the next day.

It seemed he intended to call the branch manager of the mercenary guild to hear an explanation for the betrayal of the mercenaries.

Since Ray and Ashley had no particular plans, they decided to stay at the mansion in the morning.

After the dinner, Ray returned to the room he was given.

He lay on the bed, reflecting on the long day.

(So, it’s really a different world trip? I was hoping that when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’d be in my futon in my room... But that’s not going to happen, is it? Besides, it was the first time I saw a brutally murdered body. And it was someone I killed... Seeing such a realistic scene, I can tell this isn’t a dream... Still, I’m glad tonight’s dinner wasn’t meat-based...)

He was puzzled by how similar this world was to the one in the novel he had written.

(It’s too similar to the world of Trinitas Mundus. It’s convenient for me, but why? I can remember the world setting, but I can’t recall the main story... I can’t even remember the protagonist’s name. It’s as if my memory is being blocked...)

The more he thought about it, the more a dull headache came on. He felt like he was about to remember something but couldn’t push through the pain.

He gave up on remembering the story and decided to think about the world setting and magic.

In his novel, there were no parameters like strength or intelligence. There were no numerical hit points or magic points.

The level was determined by the most effective skill, such as high swordsmanship making one a "Swordsman," and high archery making one an "Archer." The strength and effectiveness of the skill were called the "Occupation Level," calculated from the skill level and experience points.

(I can’t see the status, but I should be able to see the occupation level, skills, and magic... I should imagine a magic crystal and visualize what I want to see... Ah! I can see it. The level is...)

The first thing he saw was the level.

(My occupation is "Magician Spearman"? The level is "1"? That’s worse than a beginner! A new recruit should be around level 6 after training. And I’m only at "1"!)

In his novel’s setting, the typical combat skill levels were: layman 1-5, new recruit 6-15, regular soldier 16-30, veteran soldier 31-50, and the highest level commonly seen was 70-80. The strongest class of humans—knights, mercenaries, and top adventurers—were around level 150. For long-lived races like dragon people, some could reach over 200.

Next, he checked his skills, but all of them—swordsmanship, spear skills—were displayed as "??". It was unclear if they were blocked or if he really couldn’t use them.

Finally, he checked the magic and confirmed that he could use all eight attributes.

He felt relieved that being able to use magic would be a significant advantage in this world.

He then started thinking about the future.

(Using modern Japanese knowledge for internal politics and production cheats is impossible for me. The knowledge I have is too fragmented, and I can’t think of anything that can be easily turned into money. So, the only option is to become an "adventurer"... It’s not as combat-focused as a mercenary, but it’s still a job that involves killing... I might be able to kill monsters, but...)

In this world, there were guilds for craftsmen and merchants, but since they followed an apprenticeship system, it was quite difficult for a newcomer to join.

The easiest to join were the adventurer and mercenary guilds.

However, both were merit-based, so joining did not guarantee a steady income.

(I have the gold coins from the baron, the bounty from the thieves, and the compensation from the mercenary guild that Ashley mentioned, but after buying what I need, my wallet will probably be empty soon. I need to find a way to secure an income... I’ll talk to Ashley in the morning...)

The next morning, he woke up to the sunlight streaming through the window.

(So, it wasn’t a dream... I was hoping it was. Usually, a god or a divine messenger would explain things, right? I wasn’t hit by a truck or playing a game. I think they could at least explain why I was brought here...)

Although he woke up a bit grumpy because his trip wasn’t explained, he decided it was pointless to lie in bed.

He got dressed and, glancing to the side, noticed a metal mirror he hadn’t seen the night before.

Looking at his face in the mirror, he saw a beautiful young man with shining golden hair and blue eyes.

(Wow... I’m handsome... I could be an actor or something...)

He was momentarily lost in thought, staring at his face.

(It doesn’t feel like my own face. If I pay attention to my speech and attitude, I might be quite popular... But I can’t do that...)

Shaking off his daze, he headed to Ashley’s room as planned.

She was already up, wearing her armor and preparing her equipment.

"Are you getting ready for the meeting with the mercenary guild branch manager this morning?"

He asked, curious.

"Yeah, I thought I’d do some training in the backyard first. How about you, Ray?"

She held her beloved sword and invited him.

He thought it would be good to move his body a bit and didn’t want to turn down the invitation, so he agreed, "Sure. I’ll get my equipment and meet you there."

He returned to his room and put on his armor as Ashley had taught him the night before.

At first, he was confused, but once he started, his body moved naturally, and he managed to put on the full set in about ten minutes.

(What was I struggling with yesterday? It felt easier to put on than the kendo gear I wore in middle school... It’s like my body remembers...)

Heading to the backyard, he saw Ashley swinging her sword.

She wasn’t just practicing forms; she was visualizing an opponent, and her strong swings included tricky movements.

(That’s a practical style of swordplay... I should start moving my body too instead of just watching...)

He tried to hold his spear but didn’t know how to grip it or position it.

After some trial and error, he found a comfortable grip and started practicing simple thrusts.

Gradually, his thrusts became sharper, and he added double thrusts and sweeping motions.

(It seems my body remembers. It’s like when you play a game you haven’t played in years... At first, the controller feels awkward, but as you recall the old sensations, it becomes smoother...)

Ashley, watching him from the side, thought,

(At first, he was a complete beginner, no, worse than that. But his thrusts quickly gained sharpness. With that skill, he could probably hold his own against a mid-level opponent... He’s a complete mystery...)

She became interested in Ray’s training and had an idea.

(What about his sword skills? Last time, he only used the spear and magic. I haven’t seen the sword, but the scabbard looks like a high-quality piece...)

"Ray, can I see your sword?" she asked.

He stopped and tilted his head, "What is it?"

"Try using the sword as well. I didn’t see it yesterday, and I want to know what it’s like and how skilled you are."

He nodded, leaned the spear against the wall, and drew his sword.

It was a longsword, with a short grip for one-handed use, and the blade gleamed beautifully in the morning sun.

Not knowing how to hold it, he tried a half-turn stance but didn’t look natural.

"Ashley, how do I hold it? Is the grip correct?"

She used her two-handed sword to demonstrate the basic stance and swing.

Following her instructions, he swung the sword, and just like with the spear, he gradually got the hang of it.

Feeling it was getting interesting, she suggested a mock battle, but a maid informed them that breakfast was ready.

(That was a shame, but it’s fine. We can continue after breakfast...)

They headed to the dining hall in their current attire.