Chapter 6

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

Thanks to Yū, the three of us managed to enter the town smoothly. However, we were taken aback by the poor quality of the food in this different world.

The "Drowsy Bear" was located in a somewhat hard-to-find spot, just as the street vendor had said.

After asking for directions several times, we finally arrived at a place a little away from the center of town, down a side street from the main road.

The exterior was a bit old, but it didn't look dirty and gave a good impression.

"Alright, we're going in. Leave the negotiations to me this time."

We nodded silently in response to Yū's words. It was a bit embarrassing, but the presence or absence of common sense does make a big difference.

Yū opened the door first and went in, and we followed after her.

As soon as we entered, we saw a dining area with tables. As expected, there was no lobby like in a hotel.

There were about ten round tables, each seating four or five people, making the space quite spacious.

On one side of the room, there was a long counter, behind which stood a rather large, somewhat muscular bearded man.

There was a staircase next to him, so it was probably the entrance to the guest rooms.

"Hello, we're looking for a room for three people. Do you have any available?"

"500 rares per room per night. If you want meals included, it's an additional 80 rares. You can use the well in the backyard for water. If you need hot water, it's 15 rares per bucket."

The man was rather unfriendly, but he did provide the necessary information.

"Understood. Then, one night with meals included."

"740 rares."

"---Here, then."

Yū nodded without any particular concern and took out a large silver coin from my pocket, paying along with the money she took from her own pocket. I remembered that Yū had also paid the tax to enter the town. So, Yū's current funds were almost zero. That's quite tough.

"The guest rooms are up that staircase, at the very back, on the right side."

The man handed Yū the key in exchange for the money and muttered those words. He was really unfriendly. It might be better not to ask unnecessary questions and risk exposing any flaws.

"Understood. Let's go, both of you."

"Alright."

We followed Yū, who quickly went up the stairs, and we also ascended to the second floor. We walked down a slightly dark corridor and entered the designated room, which was brighter than we expected.

There were four beds, a small desk, and a wooden chest that looked like a storage box. On the side facing the street, there was a rather large window.

"Wow, it's pretty nice, isn't it? Maybe even better than a cheap Japanese inn?"

Shizuya nodded, checking the bed sheets and the room's interior.

But, a cheap Japanese inn?

"Shizuya, have you ever stayed in such a place?"

"Yeah, a few times when I went on trips. There's no proper window, and the futon takes up the whole space... In that sense, this place has a better atmosphere. No air conditioning, though."

I've never even stayed in a capsule hotel.

Yū also looked a bit surprised at Shizuya.

"I've only stayed in inns and hotels, but what's it like?"

"Hmm, just for sleeping? There's air conditioning and a TV, but the shower is shared. It's cheaper, so it can be convenient depending on your purpose. I wouldn't recommend it for women, though. ...But, I'm pretty tired."

Shizuya said this as he fell onto the bed and took a deep breath. His tail swayed back and forth...

"Hey, Shizuya, can I touch your tail?"

"Eh, it's a bit awkward to be touched by a guy... But, I understand as a fellow furry, so it's okay."

"Thanks!"

Although he made a slightly reluctant face, I got permission and immediately touched it.

Wow! It's fluffier than I thought. I thought the fur would be a bit harder.

I gently stroked it.

"---Ahhhhhh!!"

Suddenly, Shizuya jumped up from the bed.

"What, what! Don't suddenly scream, Shizuya!"

"No, because you touched me weirdly! I can't take it anymore! Don't touch me!"

"Aw, come on!"

Despite my lingering desire, Shizuya firmly refused, shaking his head.

"It feels weird! It's like being poked in the back, a creepy, crawly feeling that I can't stand."

"---Yeah, that does sound bad."

After a moment of hesitation, he used that analogy.

But, with that, it seems unlikely that I'll be able to touch other beast people's tails anytime soon. I might not get another chance to touch tails or ears in this different world. It's a bit disappointing.

Seeing me looking at Shizuya's tail with a lingering gaze, Yū sighed in exasperation.

"Come on, both of you, let's go shopping instead of playing around."

"Ah, let's rest today. Both of us are tired, right? Especially mentally."

Shizuya, who had lain back on the bed, protested to Yū, who sighed and lightly tapped Shizuya's head.

"I understand, but we don't have that luxury. Shizuya, how much do you have?"

"Um... one, two... 970 rares?"

"Got it, confiscation time~"

"Ahh!"

Yū quickly took all the coins Shizuya was counting on his palm from his pocket.

She then extended her hand to me.

"Come on, Naohiro, give me all of it. We don't have the luxury to manage money individually right now."

"Alright."

There's no point in resisting in this situation, so I handed all the coins in my pocket to Yū. She wouldn't run off with the money, and it's better to manage it together.

"In total... 1870 rares. We need to prepare to become adventurers. What do you think?"

I don't know the exact prices, but it's clear that we have no room for flexibility. With only enough money to stay for two more days, we can't afford to relax on a sunny day like today.

"Um, first question, is our job going to be adventurers? It's a classic, right?"

"More like, we have no other choice, I guess?"

According to Yū's explanation, there are jobs like day laborers, which are also considered part of the adventurer's work, where you get jobs through the guild. For women, there are jobs like serving in taverns, but the pay is quite low.

If you're lucky enough to get a live-in job, you might be able to save some money, but otherwise, you'd have to resort to selling your body to make ends meet.

Craftsmen work under an apprenticeship system, and without an introduction, you can't get hired. The same goes for soldiers, and the lack of common knowledge makes it difficult.

"So, we're in a situation where we can't be picky."

Yū shrugged and sighed. Indeed, in Japan, you can't even get a part-time job without a resume. Considering that, the adventurer's guild, where we can register, might be a realistic option.

"---Any other questions? Yes, Shizuya."

Yū pointed to Shizuya, who was lying on the bed and raised his hand.

"I don't mind being an adventurer, but with our current funds, it's less than 20,000 yen in Japanese currency, right? Isn't it impossible? We can't even buy clothes for all three of us?"

In Japan, we could buy underwear from a 100-yen store and clothes from a discount store, but here, there are no mass-produced items, so that's not an option.

"Exactly, it's very tough. We won't start working today, but we need to prepare by tomorrow morning, or we'll end up sleeping outdoors."

"I don't want that! But, what do we need... Let's get a list from Yū, who has common sense, and then decide."

Shizuya got up hurriedly, and Yū thought for a moment before speaking.

"Considering the minimum, we need a backpack, a water bag, a cloth bag for gathering, and a leather bag for meat and fur. These are miscellaneous items. Then, weapons and armor, but..."

"Can we buy them?"

"...It's tough."

According to Yū, we might be able to afford the miscellaneous items, but we won't have enough for anything else. We decided to buy three water bags, one shared backpack, and one or two other bags. Yū would buy a change of underwear, and the rest would go towards Shizuya's weapon. Armor and weapons for me and Yū would be on hold.

"Even with these cuts, it might be tough to get decent weapons."

"That's understandable. Even in Japan, where we have machines, a single kitchen knife costs thousands of yen. Shizuya, if it comes to it, you'll have to use a club."

"Alright. A wooden club sounds pretty adventurer-like!"

"Actually, more like a hero."

"In reality, a metal rod would be sufficient, I think. Well, let's go shopping and see."

A rather awkward start to our adventurer life. Yū smiled wryly at our attempts to boost our spirits.

◇ ◇ ◇

Our first destination was a general store. We asked the taciturn innkeeper for a recommendation, and he readily, albeit gruffly, gave us directions, so we didn't have to hesitate.

Yū handled the shopping. She negotiated well and got a discount from the original price. We just stood behind her, looking at the items, not participating in the negotiations.

"Hey, we're not really helping, are we?"

With so few items to buy, we weren't even useful as porters.

"…Don't worry. Think of it as a way to avoid unwanted attention. It's the same in Japan, right