CH 9

Chapter 9 – First Magic, New Inn, and Whole Roasted Horned Rabbit

It’s morning… I get ready, take in the laundry, and head to the guild.

I check the request list on the quest board and see… Yes, there are a lot of requests to deliver horned rabbits. I pick up one request and head to the reception counter. Today, it was the beautiful human Onee-san. I feel like this is the most enjoyable time of the day.

“Good morning; I’d like to take this request, please.”

“Yes, can I have your guild card, please?”

“Yes.”

“You have been ranked up. Congratulations. Your request has been accepted. Good luck.”

“Thank you very much. I will do my best.”

I was told, “Congratulations on your rank up.” Compared to the scary-looking old man, the response was totally different. The scary-looking old man didn’t even congratulate me.

I want to be able to enjoy more conversation with the receptionist, but I can’t find a topic. Just that smile and good luck would be enough to get me excited, but the longer I have a good time, the better. Unfortunately, the happiness at just reporting the completion of a request is being crushed by the scary-looking old man. Let’s find something to talk about next time.

I bought breakfast for three coppers and headed to the hunting ground, thinking of something to talk about. …I couldn’t come up with anything. I was afraid to talk about my skills and even more so about the other world. The only other topic I can talk about is the horned rabbit.

But, you know, what can I talk about with the receptionist’s Onee-san and the horned rabbits? The ecology of the horned rabbit? How to beat the horned rabbits? Two people happily discuss horned rabbits at the guild’s reception counter in the early morning. What kind of miracle would make it happen?

I’m getting kind of sad. Let’s do my best to hunt horned rabbits. If I hunt many rabbits when there is no scary-looking old man, the beautiful lady at the reception counter might praise me; I felt inspired.

At any rate, I summoned a hut boat and put the stove, tea, and tableware I bought yesterday. I might also want a small table and a small cupboard; I find something I want every day.

After sending back the hut boat, it was time for the routine work. Find a horned rabbit, summon the boat, beat it, drain its blood, and send the boat back, but today is a little different; the routine is disrupted! Small changes in routine are stimulating and delightful, aren’t they?

Today, during the draining of blood, I will try my first attempt at daily life magic. For the first try, let’s try the easy-to-understand fire life magic.

The magic can be activated by drawing a magic circle using the magic power collected at your fingertips. Simplified daily life magic is a very simple magic circle. Fire magic can be activated by drawing a triangle in a circle. Even a child can draw a magic circle and will not fail. Let’s give it a try.

Gather magic power at my fingertips and carefully draw a magic circle…

“Pop!”

A small sound is heard, and for a moment, a fire appears. It’s activated! It’s hard to call it a success, but it was definitely activated. Fire magic is a magic that will keep burning for about a minute if it is not extinguished, so it was a failure that it went out in an instant. But the magic worked. Just like that, my tension skyrocketed.

I would have liked to try it again right away, but I decided to use the magic only when it was time to drain the blood, so I hurried to find the next horned rabbit.

I find a horned rabbit, beat it to death, and try magic while draining its blood. Daily life magic consumes little magic power, and fire, water, and wind can be used with only one magic power consumption. On the other hand, light requires three magic power consumptions.

Fire: Triangular magic circle in a circle, makes a small fire appear for about 1 minute, one magic power consumption.

Wind: Square magic circle in a circle, makes a light wind blow for 1 minute, one magic power consumption.

Water: Circle within a circle, produces a glass of water, one magic power consumption.

Light: Pentagram magic circle within circle, illuminates the surroundings with a ball of light for about 1 hour, three magic power consumption.

A fire spark sets a dead branch on fire, and the wind makes the fire bigger and boils the water put out by the daily life magic. That is well done.

I hunt horned rabbits and practice magic, and when I get tired, I take a rest with a cup of tea in the hut boat.

“Ah, what a fulfilling experience!”

I enjoy myself so much that I repeat hunting and practicing magic enthusiastically. After working a little harder and a little longer, I achieved the highest record of 70 horned rabbits!

It was getting dark, so I hurried back to the city and entered the guild, hoping that the scary-looking old man would not be there. …I was heartbroken by the stares I got from the scary-looking old man. Damn it, why is he there?

I took the request list for 70 rabbits from the quest board and eventually went to the scary-looking old man.

“Here is the request list for 70 rabbits, as well as the 70 horned rabbits and my guild card.”

“Oh, wait a minute.”

After I finish this, I’ll ask the carpenter if I can order a small table and a small cupboard.

“Oh, thanks for the wait. Seventy high-quality horned rabbits will accomplish what you asked for, and that’s seven silver coins.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Seven silver coins, that’s about 70,000 Japanese yen. I wonder why the request for horned rabbits is not popular when you can earn that much even if you have a job. Maybe people would start doing it if they knew.

Today I left around 5:00 a.m., and it’s about 7:00 p.m. Now I’ve worked for 14 hours. I didn’t even notice it because I had so many interesting things to try out today… Huh?　Maybe this is the effect of the level-up? My physical strength has almost doubled, and I feel less tired, so I may have been pleasantly active for 14 hours…

＊＊＊

“Hello.”

Feeling the effects of the level-up, I arrived at the carpenter’s workshop with light steps.

“Oh, is the last hut still in good working order?”

“Yes, it’s working great. I wanted a small table and a small cupboard to put in the shed. Sorry to drop by so late.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. If you don’t mind, I have an apprentice piece for you. Take a look.”

If it’s an apprentice’s work, it’s going to be cheap, and that’s more than welcome. Besides, a shabby hut boat wouldn’t look good with fancy furniture. I gladly check out the furniture the apprentice has made.

“…I like this little one; I want that one for the cupboard; how much do you want for it?”

“It’s an apprentice’s practice piece. I’ll give you 30 coppers for the whole set.”

“I’ll buy it. Thank you very much.”

Thirty coppers would be an instant decision.

“Do you want me to carry it for you?”

“No, I can carry this much by myself. Thank you very much.”

I made a good purchase. With a relieved look on my face, I moved to a secluded place, summoned a hut boat, and put the furniture into the hut. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow, when I go out to the meadow, to put it in its proper place. I return to the inn, eat dinner as usual, do laundry, and practice daily life magic.

It’s time to do a status check and go to bed. Whoa, my level went up to 8. All my hard work today wasn’t in vain. I’m going to have a good dream today. Good night.

＊＊＊

In the morning, I did my usual routine and headed to the guild. It’s nice and easy when the workplace is next door. I have to walk to the meadow from there, though.

I check the quest board, take one of the request forms for the horned rabbit again today, and head for the beautiful human Onee-san.

“Good morning. I’ll take this, please.”

“Good morning. Can I have your guild card, please?”

“Yes.”

“Your request has been accepted. Take care, and good luck.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Well, there’s nothing to talk about. On the contrary, we talked about almost the same things as yesterday, except for the rank-up thing. I bought breakfast for three coppers and headed for the meadow, feeling a little down.

I arrived at the meadow. First, let’s set up the small table and the small cupboard I bought yesterday. I summon the hut boat, set up the table, and put away the dishes in the cupboard. As the hut becomes more usable, my slightly depressed mood improves.

It’s time for routine work. Spot a horned rabbit, summon a boat, beat it up, drain its blood, and practice daily life magic, repatriating the boat. Let’s hunt around for the horned rabbit!

…The day ends without any disturbance. Today, I hunted 50 rabbits… This is going well, but I wonder if it’s okay to have such a peaceful life after falling into a different world. I think there’s more happening in a light novel or something. …..Well, I think it’s time to go home.

As I enter the guild, I get a look from the scary-looking old man… I give up on a lot of things already and head for the scary-looking old man’s counter.

“Here are 50 horned rabbits, the request form, and my guild card.”

“Oh, wait a minute.”

“Yes.”

Yes, I will have 20 silver coins when today’s request fee is paid. I can move into a private inn. Shall I ask the scary-looking old man for a recommendation?

No, I want to say goodbye to the landlady, so I’ll stay at my usual inn for the rest of the day. Tomorrow morning, I’ll ask the beautiful lady at the guild for a recommendation. It’ll give us something to talk about and also kill two birds with one stone, right?

“Thanks for waiting. Fifty high-quality horned rabbits and the request is done. Here’s your reward, five silver coins.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

I had saved up 20 silver coins. I should go back to the inn and thank the landlady.

“Landlady-san, I’d like to stay overnight, with dinner included.”

“Yes, fifteen coppers.”

“Yes, and, Landlady-san, I have saved up enough money now that I have risen in rank, so I am thinking of changing my inn tomorrow. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Yes. You worked hard every day, so I’m sure you’ll be fine, but don’t waste your money and don’t come back to this inn. Take care of yourself.”

The landlady patted me on the back and encouraged me. It’s an inn next to the adventurer’s guild, and I’m sure she’s seen off many newbies like me. And probably a few of them have come back after running out of money. Her words are filled with real feelings.

“Haha, I’ll try my best somehow.”

I bow my head and part ways with the landlady.

Well, this is my last night at this inn. That doesn’t change what I have to do. I’ll eat as usual, wipe myself, do laundry, and practice my daily life magic.

I’m looking forward to a private room inn tomorrow…

I’ve done everything I need to do, check my status and go to bed. My level was… It just went up yesterday and hasn’t gone up as expected. Well, good night.

＊＊＊

It’s morning. This is probably the last time I will wake up in this room… I take in the laundry, get ready, thank the landlady, and leave for the guild.

I select one of the requests to deliver a horned rabbit from the quest board and head to the counter. It’s the fox-eared Onee-san today. It feels like it’s been a while.

“Good morning. I want to take this request, please.”

“Good morning. May I have your guild card, please?”

“Yes.”

“Your request has been accepted. Take care.”

Up to this point, it’s just the usual flow of things. But today is different. There is a topic that I couldn’t find until now.

“Yes. Well, I’m thinking of changing the inn today, and I was wondering if you could tell me where I could stay in a private room with good food.”

“An inn? …Well, if you are looking for an inn with good food, the Bear Inn is a popular choice. The price is 40 copper coins per night. Would you like me to draw you a map?”

Forty copper coins per night… That will be four times more than what I have been paying so far. Including meals, it will be about 50 to 60 copper coins per day. Sixty copper coins are equivalent to six horned rabbits. I think it is a little extravagant, but if I can earn enough money at the current rate, I can save up money, and it should be fine. I’m also interested in a good meal, so let’s go there.

“Yes, I’d like to go to the Bear Inn for now. Can I have the map, please?”

“I understand. Please wait a moment.”

I received the map from the fox-eared Onee-san and left the counter. We didn’t end up talking that much. But if the food is good, we can talk a little more about the inn. I’ll just have to wait and see.

Next, I usually go hunting for horned rabbits in the meadow, but I heard it was very popular, so I might as well reserve the inn first. Well, it might be too early in the morning, but let’s go to the inn and then go hunting.

Checking the map that the fox-eared Onee-san had prepared for me, I walked through the western part of the city. Let’s see, it should be somewhere around here… oh, the sign also says bear inn, so I’m sure it’s this inn.

“Excuse me; I’d like to stay at the inn. Can I get a room now?”

I enter the inn and ask the woman at the counter. I wonder if that’s bear ears? So maybe that is why it is called a bear inn.

“Welcome. We can get you a room even now.”

“That’s glad to hear. I’m sorry it’s so early in the morning. I wanted to go hunting after I decided on a place to stay.”

“No problem, it’s only 40 coppers per night, and if you stay ten days or more, breakfast is free. We also provide hot water and laundry services for five coppers each, so please let us know if you would like to use them.”

Oh, so if you move up in rank in the inn, you can ask for hot water and laundry? However, if I ask for both, it will cost me one night at the inn next to the adventurer’s guild… Well, I’ll do my own laundry and just ask for hot water.

“Then I ask for ten days with hot water. That would be four silver coins and 50 copper coins in total, right? Also, I came to this inn because I heard the food was good.”

My life has stabilized enough to be able to stay at a decent inn. It would be okay to be extravagant, at least for tonight.

“Yes, I will take the four silver and fifty copper coins. Also, it was a whole roasted horned rabbit, wasn’t it? I’ve been getting wholesale from the guild a lot lately, so I’ve been submitting requests. However, I don’t know if they will be able to fulfill the request for this inn, so I can’t say with certainty that I will be able to offer it to you.”

Did the bear inn also submit a request? I didn’t know that because I never checked the client’s name. But that’s a good thing.

“I’m the one who has been hunting horned rabbits lately. If you don’t mind, I’ll bring a horned rabbit to you, so is it possible to have it made for me?”

If bringing my own rabbit is not a problem, the possibility of being able to eat it is very high. I feel that the flow is coming to me.

“Ara, so the customer is the one who wholesales the horned rabbits. Until now, it’s been hard to get requests accepted, so everyone is happy. Thank you.”

“No, no, it’s because you all give me requests that I am able to make money. Thank you very much.”

A funny conversation ensues. It’s like a businessman in a business manga.

“So, can you cook the whole roasted horned rabbit?”

“Of course, if you can bring the rabbit, we can serve it. We would like to have some other rabbits wholesale if you can afford it.”

“Yes, unless something unforeseen happens, I think I can bring back the horned rabbits; would five be enough?”

“Yes, that would be very helpful.”

Alright, I guess I can eat the whole roasted horned rabbit with this. Somehow it developed into a small talk from there, but I could hear something about the demand for horned rabbits, and I also found out that this woman was the inn’s landlady and that she had bear ears, so it was a good time.

＊＊＊

“Well, I’m off to hunt.”

“Thank you very much, and be careful.”

I waved to the landlady and left the inn. The room was clean, and I heard the food was good, so I was looking forward to it. Besides, the daily cost of living would be only 45 copper coins plus the cost of dinner. In addition, it would be great if they could make lunch for me. I’ll check with them at night.

I arrived at the meadow with a lot of things on my mind. Since it was late when I left today, and I wanted to go home early and eat a whole roasted horned rabbit, I would return to the inn after I had hunted thirty-five rabbits.

Well, the routine work begins as usual.

…Now I have thirty-five rabbits. I’ll go home early and get a whole roasted horned rabbit! I’m having so much fun that the time has flown by. I quickly packed my stuff and headed back to the guild at a quick pace.

I received three silver coins at the reception desk of the guild and returned to the inn with five horned rabbits without lowering the tension of the receptionist.

“Here are five horned rabbits, Landlady-san!”

I proudly held up the horned rabbits and handed them to the landlady.

“Thank you very much. It’s 40 copper coins. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine. So, when can I eat it?”

“It’s a dish that takes a while to cook, so could you give me two hours?”

Ohh, two hours from now… Well, it definitely tastes better when you’re hungry. Let’s get ready between now and then and taste the whole roasted horned rabbit at its best.

“Two hours from now. I understand. And can I have some hot water to wash off my sweat?”

“Yes, I will bring it to your room. Also, I would like to offer you a free dinner today.”

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary.”

“No, no, we will have it from tomorrow, and it is our thanks for supplying us with high-quality horned rabbits wholesale.”

Free dinner! That sounds good.

“Well, I will take the offer then.”

I thanked the landlady and went back to my room. I felt at home in this private room. It’s nice not to have to worry about being seen.

“I brought you some hot water.”

I was so careless that I was surprised.

“Y-yes, thank you.”

Somehow I managed to keep my composure and received the hot water. It’s been a while since I’ve had hot water… and I’d love to take a bath. If I could buy a luxury liner, it would have a bath, right? Well… if I have enough money to buy a luxury liner, I can make as many baths as I want.

I’ll wipe myself off and practice my daily life magic until dinner. It’s nice to have a private room so I can practice until the magic is ready to be activated.

“The meal is ready. Please come to the dining room.”

“Yes. I’ll be right there.”

Finally, it was time for the whole roasted horned rabbit; I was looking forward to it so much. I prepared quickly, went to the inn’s dining room, and took a seat.

“Here it is, the whole roasted horned rabbit.”

Oh, it’s roasted. The horned rabbit, which I always fight with, is roasted with its horns pointed out. It looks delicious; it looks so delicious. What is that smell, too, garlic? Basil? The aroma of what seems to be various herbs, combined with the smell of the meat cooking, makes me want to bite into it.

The bear-eared cook cuts the meat right in front of me. The cook also has bear ears! But I can’t help it because I’m already thinking about the whole roasted meat.

When the knife is inserted, there is a crisp sound, and juices pour out at the same time. It seems that the belly was stuffed with herbs, so the delicious smell of the meat is even more overwhelming. I can’t wait to eat it.

I devoured it, devoured it. Crispy roasted skin, juices, the meat is light, but I can eat as much as I want with the herbs and salty juices. I devoured one rabbit and two pieces of bread. I must have hunted such delicious horned rabbits every day. I was getting more and more motivated.

“Thank you for the food, Landlady-san. It was very delicious.”

“I am glad you liked it. My husband is also pleased that you enjoyed it so much.”

“By any chance, the cook who was cutting up the rabbit was your husband?”

“Yes, he is my husband.”

“Please tell him it was very delicious. Thank you for the food.”

Did I eat a little too much? I returned to my room with a pleasant feeling of satiety. I’m going to check my status and go to bed.

Good night.

Balance: 2008 copper coins