Chapter 7

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

The three of us, after securing a room, went to the Adventurer's Guild to purchase necessary supplies.

The Adventurer's Guild was located near a different gate from the one we entered. Judging by the sun—according to Yuu, there is only one sun in this world, which rises in the east and sets in the west—we came from the east, and this gate is to the south. The guild building itself was quite ordinary, about twice the size of the inn we were staying at. A sign with text, rather than a picture, was displayed at the front.

Haruka led the way without hesitation, and we followed her. When I asked, it turned out she had confirmed the location at the general store. "Reliable as always, Haruka," I said, and she replied, "That's because I have common sense." I was scolded for saying, "It's more than just common sense," but yeah, we do rely on Haruka a bit too much.

Thinking this, I looked over and saw Toya looking at me. We exchanged glances and nodded.

"Alright, leave it to us this time, Haruka!"

"Right! We can handle this. We might be underestimated because we're guys, but—"

"Wait, wait!"

Just as we were about to step in front of Haruka, she stopped us by pulling our hands.

"Alright! I'll handle the negotiations for now! You two just do your best with everything else, okay?"

She pointed to the bag Toya was carrying. ...So, that means we're just muscle, Haruka?

"Besides, just standing behind me has its own significance. I look like a frail and beautiful elf, right? I haven't seen my own face yet, but—"

"Yeah, that's true. You look like someone who could be easily kidnapped—just in appearance, of course."

"Beautiful and frail elf—though not in reality."

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

Haruka glared at us, slightly dissatisfied, but we both shrugged and smiled.

"No, Haruka isn't frail. Even in Japan, she was strong, and now with her new skills—"

"I don't think she's masculine, but she's definitely not frail."

She used to practice aikido for self-defense. She's also strong-willed and has a few stories of helping harassed junior colleagues in her original world.

"Ugh, you can't deny it! ...No, that's not the point. It's about appearance, right? Bodyguards, please."

"Understood. We'll do our best if we can be of use. Even if it's just standing there."

So, in the end, we entered the guild with Haruka leading the way. The inside was a bit disappointing. A large hall, about two-thirds of which was occupied by counters and administrative areas, looked like a government office. The remaining space had tables arranged like a cafeteria, where adventurers were enjoying meals and drinks, chatting normally. There were no drunkards causing trouble, and the place was not chaotic at all.

Later, Haruka explained that causing trouble would lower an adventurer's rank, and severe cases could lead to blacklisting. It's like getting drunk and acting foolish in front of your boss. If you want to drink heavily, you'd go to a regular bar instead of the guild.

"Hello, we'd like to register as new adventurers. Is that okay?"

Haruka approached one of the counters, where a pleasant and approachable lady was in charge.

"Of course. Are the two behind you also registering? It will cost 900 rea for the three of you. Is that alright?"

"Yes, here it is."

Haruka handed over nine silver coins and received three sheets of paper in return.

"Please fill these out and submit them. Do you need any explanation?"

"No, we're fine."

There was only one pen, so I waited for Haruka to finish before filling out my form. We only needed to write our names, races, and a brief self-introduction. Haruka wrote "some magic and archery," so I followed with "some magic and spear." Toya wrote "swordsmanship." It's a strange feeling to write in a different script, but it's thanks to the god's power. According to the evil god, the ability to write is a rare skill, so it's a big service to be able to write normally.

"Thank you. Please wait a moment... By the way, are you all in good health?"

The lady asked while processing our forms. We were taken aback by the sudden question.

"Um, yes, I don't think we have any issues, but why do you ask?"

"Well, something strange has been happening today. Several people around your age have suddenly died... Two people here at the guild have passed away, causing a bit of a commotion."

Sudden deaths at our age. That sounds familiar...

"Wow, that's scary. Do you know the cause?"

Haruka asked, her gaze slightly wandering. She failed to maintain a poker face, but the lady, focused on her work, didn't seem to notice.

"Unfortunately, no. One person was found dead, face down on a table, and another collapsed after entering the guild and looking around. Both had no visible injuries, and there were no signs of poisoning or disease, so it caused quite a stir."

She sighed and handed us the completed cards. They were metal plates about the thickness of a credit card, with our names engraved on them. There were some decorations and the text "Issued by Lafan Adventurer's Guild." Lafan must be the name of this town.

"Here you go. Your registration is complete. Similar incidents have been reported in the city, so please be careful."

"Thank you. What should we be careful about, though?"

"Well, your health, I suppose."

"Right, thank you."

Haruka chuckled and thanked the lady, then added, "Oh, by the way, does this town accept herb-gathering requests?"

"Yes, of course. The eastern and southern forests are the designated areas. The eastern forest is recommended for beginners because there are fewer monsters—though with two elves, you might not need to worry."

The lady pointed in the direction of the gate we entered. There was indeed a forest, but it was quite far.

"Thank you for the advice. We'll be cautious and start with the eastern forest."

"That's good. Good luck."

"Thank you."

We bowed to the smiling lady and left the guild. Come to think of it, she was the first woman we've spoken to in this world, though she wasn't particularly beautiful.

—No, it's not like we'd meet beautiful girls frequently just because we're in another world. This isn't a harem light novel.

"Alright, I'll explain a bit about the guild on our way back to the inn. It's not much different from what you might expect, so I'll keep it brief."

Haruka stopped on the side of the road, a short distance from the guild, and showed us the cards she had received.

"This is the guild card. It's made of some alloy and is quite durable, but it has no special functions. It's just an ID card with your name and the guild's name. The back is currently blank, but as you complete quests and gain trust, you'll receive stamps—engravings?—and the more you have, the more benefits and quests you can access."

I see. The back's purpose wasn't obvious until she explained.

"Does it have any high-tech features, like preventing others from using it or showing your status?"

"No, nothing like that. It would be impossible to add such features to a card that costs about 3,000 yen. Anyone can register, after all."

Haruka dismissed Toya's question. No standard light novel features, huh? That makes sense, given the cost.

"The maximum number of stamps is ten, which determines your rank. We're currently rank zero, beginners. Stamps can't be removed, so if you cause trouble, you'll get a mark and your rank will drop. You can raise it again, but a marked stamp will always remain, lowering your credibility."

Like a criminal record. A permanent one sounds scary. We need to be careful.

"In most cases, you'll receive several warnings before your rank drops, so it's rare. Any other questions?"

It feels like a typical adventurer setup. Not many game-like conveniences, but that's to be expected.

"About the herbs—was that a standard herb-gathering request?"

"Yes. You can sell herbs you gather in most towns, even if you're not an adventurer. However, you can't just gather them easily near the town. No one would pay for something a child could do."

True. If it were that easy, the earnings would be minimal.

"On average, can we make a living?"

"Well... let's hope for the best with Toya's [Appraisal] and Naoto's [Eagle Eye]. We can save a bit by finding prey and using my [Dissection]."

Haruka said this with some hesitation. From her tone, it seems we'll have to work hard to make ends meet. Low-income jobs are common in this world, too. We need to earn enough for Haruka to buy clothes without hesitation, and we don't want to live hand to mouth.

"Even so, it's a slow process... The guild also sends out laborers. What about that?"

"Toya might be able to earn more, but it's not suitable for Haruka and Naoto. It's a physical job."

True, it's not an elf's kind of work.

"We could gather herbs ourselves and have Toya do the labor, but that's not ideal. It's better to stay together for leveling up."

"Speaking of which, the evil god mentioned 'leveling up.' Is that just for skills?"

Our status screens show levels for some skills, but not a character level.

"Um, in this world, skills aren't even recognized. There's no way to confirm them."

So, we can see and use skills thanks to the evil god. Interesting...

"However, there's a common understanding that you can get stronger by training and defeating monsters."

True. In our world, training made us stronger. We need to verify if the progression is faster here.

"By the way, the lady mentioned monsters. What are they like in this world?"

"Monsters are creatures with magic stones inside. They live by instinct and have no intelligence, so they're recommended for extermination. You can earn a reward for defeating them, but you need to provide proof. Also, they don't disappear when killed, so you need to dissect them to get the magic stone and materials."

"Ugh. I don't have a high tolerance for gore."

"Neither do I..."

"Me neither. I've only dissected fish. But we have to do it, right? I'll handle it for now, but you two need to get used to it!"

Of course. We grew up together and have similar backgrounds. It would be surprising if we had hunting and dissection experience. Even if we're not good with gore and only Haruka has the [Dissection] skill, we can't leave it all to her as men.

"Alright..."

"We'll do our best..."

We nodded dejectedly as Haruka stood tall and determined.