Chapter 5

Summary of the previous chapter ------------------------------------------------------

It was discovered that there are differences in the number of character creation points among individuals.

After confirming Yu's excellence and each other's skills, we all headed to the town.

Walking for about an hour while asking Yu about the common sense of the other world, we arrived at the gate of the wall surrounding the town.

The wall is less than 3 meters high, built by stacking blocks and filling the gaps with plaster or something.

Looking to the left and right from the gate, the walls curve and extend for quite a distance, so it must be a fairly large town, right?

The gate is a sturdy double door made of wood, and it is now wide open.

The width is broad enough for two carriages to pass each other, but not many people are passing through, so there doesn't seem to be a need to wait.

In front of the gate, several soldiers stand, each with a sword at their waist and a spear longer than their height in one hand.

"Well, let's go. I'll handle it, so you guys stand behind me and don't say anything, since you don't know the common sense here."

"…Understood."

Well, it's true that we don't know the "common sense of the other world," but the way you say it makes us sound like we're uncivilized, doesn't it?

I think it's better to let you handle it, so I won't say anything.

"Hello~"

Yu speaks to a young man, who looks a bit older than us, among the several soldiers greeting people entering the town. His perfect business smile makes the soldier's lips curl.

Her beauty has increased, even though her figure is more modest! If I weren't her childhood friend, I would probably be deceived too.

"Ah, hello. Um, are you... adventurers, perhaps?"

The soldier looks at the three of us, tilting his head as if he can't quite decide.

"No, we haven't registered yet, but we plan to."

"Is that so? But you don't seem to have any weapons..."

"Well, we lost our wallets in the previous town... So we sold our belongings for travel money and came here. In this area, we should be safe with just our magic."

"Hmm. With two elves, that makes sense. But, is the tax okay? One large silver coin per person. By the rules, we can't let you owe it..."

The soldier nods in understanding but looks worried, speaking to Yu. We don't seem to be getting much attention, which is a bit annoying but also convenient, so I'll hold back for now.

"Yes, we can manage that."

Yu answers and hands over the tax for all three of us. The soldier nods with a smile and steps aside to let us through.

"Sure, I think you'll be fine if you can use magic, but be careful. Adventuring can be dangerous."

"Thank you."

Yu smiles and bows, and we follow suit as we pass through the gate.

"Hey, you guys!"

A few steps later, we are called from behind, and we stop abruptly.

Yu quickly corrects her slightly tense face into a smile and turns around.

"Um, is there something?"

"Have you decided on a place to stay? I recommend the 'Drowsy Bear' inn on the right side of the square ahead! Also, my name is Cass. If you need anything, feel free to ask!"

The soldier says this in a friendly manner. It's probably out of genuine kindness, though there might be a bit of interest in Yu's beauty.

After all, his gaze is fixed on Yu.

But honestly, I don't have the mental capacity to deal with that right now.

"Thank you. We'll consider it!"

Yu responds cheerfully, while Shizuya and I struggle to keep our faces from twitching.

We're nervous.

We start walking again and continue in silence.

After we are a fair distance from the gate, we look at each other and let out a big sigh.

"Phew~. I didn't say anything, but I was tense."

"Right! Without Yu, we would have definitely been suspected!"

Looking at the people passing through the gate, none of them were like us, carrying no luggage and wearing only cloth clothes.

Even those in light gear had sturdy leather clothes, small backpacks, and at least a knife.

Considering this, being unarmed outside the town could easily raise suspicion.

"It worked out. The excuse wasn't great, but even if they were a bit suspicious, as long as we don't cause any trouble and act as serious adventurers, it should be fine."

"By the way, can we be denied entry to the town?"

"Sure, it can happen. Usually, as long as you pay the tax, you can enter unless you're a clear criminal. But you might face a long questioning or be asked to provide your accommodation, which can be a hassle. You can praise me for handling it well, you know?"

"Of course, Yu!"

"Yu, you're so cool!"

Yu puffs out her chest with a "hmm," and we join in, praising her. Then we all look at each other and laugh.

The tension eases a bit now that we've reached a safe place—

Gurrrr~

"Oh. Haha, I'm hungry!"

Shizuya's stomach growled. He seemed a bit embarrassed, scratching his head with a wry smile.

"Right, it's around noon, so it's perfect. Let's buy some food and head to the inn that was recommended."

I realize I'm pretty hungry too.

Well, before I died, I had breakfast and got on the bus, but I don't remember having lunch... But then again, my body is different now, so it might not matter.

"Do they have the habit of eating lunch?"

"It's fine. Usually, common people have a light meal at street stalls, but it's better than just two meals a day. As a former modern person, it would be tough to suddenly reduce it. I wonder what the food in this other world is like~"

"I think it's better not to expect too much."

Yu mutters this to Shizuya's excited back.

"Hey! That place is cheap! Bread and soup for 30 rea. Let's go there!"

Without noticing Yu's mood, Shizuya points to a stall happily. At the stall, a large pot of soup is boiling, and bread is piled up beside it.

The bread, slightly larger than a palm, is a bit black. Is this the famous black bread from fantasy?

I've had rye bread before, but this is my first time with pure black bread. It might be interesting.

"Well, we don't have much money, so it can't be helped."

Yu seems reluctant but reluctantly agrees. We pay happily and receive the soup and bread.

Yu stops us from eating immediately and leads us to a spot a bit away from the stall.

"Got it? Dip the bread in the soup to soften it. Leave a little bread to wipe the bowl clean at the end. The bowl must be returned. OK?"

"Right. This bread does look hard."

We nod at Yu's explanation. Black bread is known to be hard.

Let's see, dipping it in the soup...

"Hard! What? It's even harder than I expected! And... doesn't it taste bad?"

"It's a bit sour, and the soup is just a little salty and not very tasty, right?"

After Shizuya says this, I try the soup alone, but it's just a bit salty with some vegetable and meat... maybe scraps.

We complain with wide eyes, but Yu eats silently without changing her expression.

"Yu, isn't it bad?"

"Of course it's not good. I knew it and was prepared."

Right, she said not to expect too much.

I thought black bread was a bit of a fantasy staple, but it doesn't seem to suit the average Japanese palate.

"Seriously~. I thought it would be better while reading light novels..."

It seems Shizuya feels the same way, looking at the black bread sadly and sighing deeply.

"There are some benefits. It lasts a long time, so it's perfect for storage... or rather, there are no other options."

"I think rice is the best for storage. It lasts a long time, and you can cook a delicious meal with a campfire and a pot."

"Then, wouldn't rice balls be the best?"

"Ah! Like in classical literature!"

"Right. You can eat them as they are or just add water."

"Even in modern times, they sell alpha rice."

"Is that rice balls? When I tried the disaster food, it was almost the same as regular rice after adding hot water."

I've tried the disaster food, and it was quite tasty.

Of course, it's not as good as freshly cooked rice, but it's good enough to eat regularly.

"I think that's improved by modern technology. But unfortunately, rice is not in my 'common sense'!"

"So, if we're going to be adventurers, we have to get used to this bread, right?"

Yu nods solemnly in response.

"There are other storage foods, but they don't taste good either."

"Hmm, I'll think about it when we have some spare time."

"Sure. I'm not good with this taste either, so I'll help when the time comes..."

After that, the two of us, defeated by reality, eat in silence.

Yu collects our empty bowls and returns them to the stall owner while asking, "Sir, we're looking for a place to stay. Do you know any good ones? We prefer a room with a private space."

"Depends on your budget... "

The owner looks us over, and we don't look rich.

"We were recommended the 'Drowsy Bear.' What about there?"

"The 'Drowsy Bear'... Ah, that place. I remember they had rooms. It's not bad. The owner is a bit grumpy, but it's in a bit of a confusing alley. When you reach the square, go a little down the main street on the right and ask for directions."

The owner points down the road while taking the bowls.

A few hundred meters ahead, there's a slightly wider area.

"Thanks! We'll come back!"

Yu smiles and waves at the owner, then urges us to follow her.

"Will we come back?"

Yu shakes her head with a wry smile.

"Probably not. Unless we have money."

"That's a relief. The bread was bad, but what about that soup?"

"In Japan, even instant food is well-made. A 10-second consomme soup can be quite a challenge to make from scratch. I'm not sure I could make a good soup with just salt."

"Is that so? You're pretty good at cooking, Yu."

I've had the chance to eat Yu's cooking from time to time, as we're childhood friends.

I don't know how other high school girls cook, but Yu's cooking is quite good.

"Thanks. But that's because I have all the seasonings. It depends on how well the dried ingredients are available."

Dried ingredients... like bonito flakes, kelp, and wakame.

Dried shiitake mushrooms and roasted soybeans are also dried ingredients.

Thinking about it, dashi (Japanese soup stock) is important for dried ingredients.

I usually just throw in powdered dashi when I cook, but in cooking shows, they use a lot of bonito flakes.

Using dried ingredients at that level, dashi might be quite a luxury.

My confidence in living in this world has just plummeted.

I hope Yu can somehow manage to make delicious meals at a low cost.