Then she pours the drink with amber looking liquid until the bubbles spilled to the black table.
â⊠I didnât order for this, though?â Ryouma alternately looking at the mug filled with beer and the hostess.
âItâs on the house! Please drink it!â Saying that the hostess sat down on one of the chairs.
âIâve never seen your face around here before, are you traveling person?â She talked with a friendly tone to Ryouma.
âAre you on break?â Ryouma asked the hostess who has sat down on the chair.
âLook around? thereâs only you here.â
Hearing the hostess words, Ryouma looking around the restaurant, and it turned out, heâs the only customer left.
When Ryouma entered the restaurant, there were still several visitors, but it seems they had already gone back home.
âItâs the time you see. We finish lunch at 3:00. Since you come at 2.58, the restaurant was not yet closed.â
Saying that the hostess mischievously shakes one of the mugs in front of him.
âThough the kitchen staff have already started taking their break a while ago, thereâs still cleaning to be done. Nonetheless, it would be boring to stand alone until you finished eating so I decided that you will keep this auntie âs company for a bit, and this drink is your payment for that.â
After saying that, she pushes the mugs toward Ryouma. âIs that so?
Iâm very sorry. For causing the trouble.â
âDonât mind it, donât mind it~. So? are you a traveller?â
The tone of the hostess is very frank and smooth. And one can tell that sheâs a talkative person.
(Well thereâs no harm. Since thereâs a lot of things that I want to know too.)
Ryouma decide to talk about his personal history for a bit. Because what he needed the most was information.
âIndeed. Thatâs right. This is the first time I come hereâŠâ
âHe~, so you came to the Ortomea imperial capital for the first time eh? Youâre alone?â
âNo. I came here with my father⊠and the other day, my father died due to a diseaseâŠâ Saying that Ryouma lower her head.
The hostess must be thinking that she had asked about something unpleasant and therefor quickly said.
âAh~. Iâve asked something wrong ne~âŠâ
Ryouma raised his head while smiling. âNo. Thereâs no helping it for his illness.â
âIs that so?âŠSo it was an illness huh⊠then you, what are you going to do now? Going back to your hometown?â
âI think I will live in the imperial capital. Since Iâve travelled with my father here and there, I would like to settle down in this neighbourhood.â
(Here it is, the main subject. I have to speak carefully so that she wonât think of me as someone suspicious.)
Ryouma waited for a chance to hear the information he wanted to hear patiently, since he knows that if he were to be too impatient, it would only make the hostess suspicious.
The hostess seems to believe Ryouma story entirely. Since originally a good person wonât doubt others people origins; besides, Ryouma story sounds very believable.
âIs that so. So, where are you going to live?â
(Here it comes!)
Ryouma is pleased that the topic he had waited have come
First, I have to work to live. However, for Ryouma who had come from another world, he didnât know if he could get a job here or not.
Furthermore, if he did not listen properly to the general common sense and information, it will cause suspicion along the road.
And since he exposes his face, Ryouma also worried that his face would become know if he does anything illegal here.
âAbout that⊠to be honest, up until now Iâve been helping my father with his work, so in particular I canât do anything really⊠at most I can use the sword to some degree.â
âI see. Well~ in the case with your age~ youâre too young to become a craftsman and a merchant would be difficult to do~.â The hostess nodded her head while looking at Ryouma face.
âI canât be a merchant?â
âI donât say you canât, but I think it would be difficult you know? It is a job that you need to train since childhood see~.â
âIs that so?⊠Wah, this is bad huhâŠâ
Ryouma pretends to feel down.
âYou⊠You said you can use the sword? Then why not try being a mercenary or adventure~?â
âOh, I can?⊠but, how am I supposed to do to become one of those?â
âWhatâs this? you donât know??â
âIndeed. I donât know much about the details, if you donât mind, can you tell me about it?â
Ryouma polite tone makes the other ease their wariness toward him, and make them think that they should help him. In fact, in term of courtesy, the hostess will at least answer it no matter who had asked.
âThough itâs not really that detailed. At got some grasp on it since sometimes adventurers and mercenaries come here to drink, is that alright?â
âBy all means, please do tell me about it.â Saying that, Ryouma lowered his head.
âI-Itâs not something that great. You just have to go to the respective guild and register, then itâs done.â
âHuh? I heard that they need a background check and other necessities, though?â
This is the thing that Ryouma worried about.
Ryouma who had come from another world, have nothing like family registry or someone who can guarantee his identity. If that is needed, to be honest, he has no way out of it.
It would be straight line to become a highway robber, however luckily the hostess had is quite a simple answer.
âYou donât need a guarantor or proof of identity to become an adventurer.
The ones who needs those are the merchants, soldiers and the craftsman. Ne~âŠ
If you want to register at the guild alone, you can do it over there.â
Ryouma then shows smile on his whole face. It seems like he can find job at least.
âReally!? Iâm glad that you told me all this~. I thought they would need identity guarantee! Turn out it was just misunderstood in my part ehâŠâ
Ryouma said so while energetically drinks the ale inside the large mugs.
âYou must have been mistaking them when they talked about becoming merchant or something else. By the way, the guild location is just outside of this restaurant, you go toward the left side heading to the main street, and you will find it immediately.â
âThank you very much! Maâam. I will head toward that please immediately.â
âIs that so? then do come for dinner and report to me later alright?â
âSure! well then, the bill please.â
âSure! 1 person portion serving for menu A is 25 bahts.â
Hearing that Ryouma hardened. Itâs not because he does not have any money, no the reason is quite different⊠(Damn it! I still donât know the value of the moneyâŠ)
A while before when I bought the clothes, I handled it by letting the girl take the money herself so I could leave quickly, but here I canât use the same method.
Since thereâs no other choice Ryouma took one gold coin which seems to be the most valuable and put it on the table.
âW-Wait you. Even if you take out 10.000 baht, there wonât be any changeâŠâ Seeing gold coin on the table, the hostess look amazed.
âDo you not have any 100 baht silver coin?â
(Alright⊠I found the value of the money.
If one piece of Gold coin is ten thousand baht, and one silver coin is a hundred baht. Does that mean, one piece of copper is 1 baht?)
âAh⊠Iâm very sorry. Please wait a moment.â
Pretending to be in a hurry he took another money bag from his pocket.
âI probably put it in this one⊠25 copper coins right?â
âThatâs right. 25 baht.â
âAh! Here it is⊠Iâm very sorry. Iâve put my small change here.â
He put the 25 copper coins on the table while glossing it over.
âAlright! Thank you very much for your patronage.â
While the hostess put the copper coins on her apron, she asked Ryouma.
âYou, you donât have a card? since we can use card here, please use that next time.â
(Card? Does she mean Credit Card?)
He could not say that he donât know anything about that; thus Ryouma made up a story matching up with the hostess.
âAh well about that~ the truth is that I lost the card⊠but since I hold some cash, I think I wonât feel troubled for a whileâŠâ
âOh? I see, so thatâs what had happened. Well~ I guess because the depositor is the only one that can use the money it is safe, but, sometimes itâs inconvenient. How about reissuing it? There are banks near the guilds you know?â
(As expected, a bank huh? Or rather, really? A bank? in this world?)
Since Ryouma thought that it would be a waste without asking back, he asks the hostess a question.
âDo reissuing it not need any family identity proof?â
âYou donât need it you know? If you make it at the same time making bank account application, you will only require personal information.â
âOh~. Is that how it is? I donât know that⊠Thank you very much!â
After that being said Ryouma lowered his head toward the hostess.
âDonât mind it, donât mind it! Please just come back here again later.â
As she went off, Ryouma then left the restaurant and walked toward the main street.
âFirst, I need to go to the bank!â
He follows the direction that the hostess had told him about, then he saw a sign of money being stacked on the left side of the road, and he also saw a sign with a picture of a soldier wearing armour.
(Such an easy to understand signboard huh⊠to think they use pictures.)
Ryouma went toward the bank while thinking such a thing.
Honestly speaking, itâs quite heavy to carry seven bags of coins.
Especially when there are some pursuers, thus he wants to be as light as possible.
Thatâs being the case, Ryouma went toward the bank before heading to the adventurer guilds.
âWelcome. What kind of business do you have today?â
A middle-aged man from the lobby spoke toward Ryouma after he passed through the bank entrance.
The receptionist is exactly like a banker in Japan.
Black suits with white shirt. And a red necktie hangs on his neck.
(Suit? why is he wearing a suit?)
Ryouma did not understand this world for some reason.
If we think about how this world looks like medieval Europe, this place looks very modernistic. Such thing as, suits, and credit cards as well.
(I thought I went to a different place, to think it would be this similar⊠I can only admire themâŠ)
âEmm?⊠Excuse me?â
The man called Ryouma after looking at his face that seems to be flustered.
âOh, Iâm sorry. It was my first time to come to this place⊠Iâm thinking of making an account.â
The man nodded toward Ryouma and then then led him.
âItâs this reception, sir.â
âThank you very much.â
âThis person wish to open an account. Iâll leave the rest to you alright.â
After saying that toward the woman receptionist, the man left the place.
âWelcome. you wish to open an account yes?â
Navy blue jacket and red ribbon. A woman wearing her uniform sit down on the counter.
Such your ordinary receptionist.
This kind of scene would not surprise me if it had been back in my own world.
âYes. Because this is my first time, I donât know very much about the procedureâŠâ
For Ryouma, the good point is that he can just listen obediently for the things he doesnât understand.
Rather than pretending to know, this is much safer.
âCertainly. Excuse me, but, please fill in your name.â
Then she handed him the parchment and the pen.
(Why parchment?)
Ryouma suppressed the question that welled up inside of him while receiving the pen and minutes.
Name = Mikoshiba Ryouma
Age = 16
Thereâs no address column and other entry, it only needs name and age.
After being unconsciously writing his name and age, Ryouma returned the parchment toward the receptionist.
(Huh? The letters⊠itâs Japanese right? are those letters common here?)
However, contrary to Ryouma confusion, the receptionist worked on it without minding anything.
At least, it seems like he can communicate using Japanese.
âName is Mikoshiba Ryouma. Age is⊠1⊠6? Did you make a mistake here?â
The receptionist gazed at Ryouma face. She probably did not see Ryouma as a 16 years old.
She gazed at Ryouma suspiciously.
âIndeed. As you can see, but?â
I can guess that she would surprise when he told them her age.
(After all, I have such old-looking faceâŠ)
âOr is there possibly a rule saying that, one canât make an account if their age is only 16?â
She shakes her head at Ryouma question.
âNo⊠Thereâs no problem with age. Emm⊠since dear customer is very calm, I was surprised to see the age written here. Iâm very sorry.â
âOh. Itâs alright. Since Iâm used to it already. Then please establish the account.â
âCertainly. Please wait a moment as we will make the card.â
After saying that, she write down something on a card as big as a business card.
After that, she presses the card between two transparent plates.
(Lamination processing??)
He really canât decide if this world standard is high or low.
âIâm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please put your hands on this sphere.â
The card is being inserted inside the glass ball, then Ryouma being asked to touch it.
âLike this?â
When Ryouma put his hand on the glass ball, the ball begins to shine.
âYes. Thank you. With this Mikoshiba-sama information is already registered. You could make it again in the future if you lost it by coming to the nearest bank.â
While saying such thing, she handed the card to Ryouma.
âIs it done already?â
âYes. The procedure for opening an account is over. Is there anything else
I can do for you?â
âThen⊠I would like to deposit my money into the account.â
âDepositing money is it. Thank you very much. Please put the money that you wish to deposit as well as your account card on the tray.â
Saying that, she put the tray on the counter.
Ryouma thus picked 10 gold coins, 20 silver coin and 50 copper coin from the bags, then he put the remaining bags on the tray.
âThank you, we will check the amount now. Please wait for it a few minutes.â
She then took all the money out from the bags, and stacked the coins in 10âs of each type.
(Youâre going to count it by hand huhâŠ)
Even though card such as this exist, it seems like a money counting machine did not exist.
She keeps counting the money despite Ryoumaâs comment.
He waited for around 20 minute in which she finished after counting the coins three times.
âIâm sorry to have kept you waiting. After counting all of it, there are
23 gold coins, 58 silver coins, and 731 copper coins, the total sum of the deposit is 236.531 baht. Is there anything wrong with the amount of money?â
(Lunch at the Oceanic Nois is 25 baht per serving, so for now thereâs wonât be any problems with money. I Guess I wonât seems to have any trouble with inns and paying for meals.)
âIndeed. This is good.â
âCertainly. Then 236.531 baht. We officially confirm it.â
Then she returns the card to Ryouma and lowers her head afterward.
Though he feels like he has a good living expense, if he donât find work, he will be unable to keep it up in the long run.
Ryouma left the bank and went toward the guild next.
There are several counters where the receptionist is sitting behind it.
Ryouma walked over to one of the vacant counters and sat down.
The receptionist askedâWelcome. What can I do for you, sir?â
âI would like to register as an adventurer, and also be introduced to their work.â
âI understand. Excuse me, but do you have a bank account?â
âIs this alright?â
Ryouma then handed her the card he just got made.
âYes. This is enough. Recently, the payment of rewards have changed so they are being done via card, and those wish to register will be required to prepare an account in advance.â
âHe~. Is that how it is? I heard that you donât need to prepare anything.â
âIndeed. There are a lot who comes here without it. At that time, I have to ask them to come again later after having one made.â
After saying that, she put the card in the opening that opened on the glass ball base.â Here we go, the registration is complete. Mikoshiba-sanâ
âEh?â
We can share the information from the bank and the information on the guild.
Therefore, if one have the bank card, then I can just use it to read the information from it then finished.â
While saying that, she took out a bunch of paper and began looking at it.
âEmm, can you receive group mission?â
âYes.â
Ryouma nodded.
âDo you know the guild system?â
Ryouma shook his head.
âThen~, Iâll explain it alright. Please do ask if thereâs something that you want to ask.â
Saying that she took a card and a paper and put it in front of Ryouma, and pointed toward the very bottom letter on the card, a single I.
âThe initial rank after registration in the guild is rank I. In the guild ranking, a single I is the lowest rank. The rank is shown on the surface of the card. Please do take care of it, because it also serves as your identity as an adventurer.â
âYou will also start out as level 1, simply put levels as another rank that the Guild bestows to the adventurer based on their battle experience. By the way, battle experience is about how much power that you took from other creatures. Do you know about the absorbing power?â
âYes. When you kill other creatures, some part of their power will be yours, right?â
âIndeed, just like what you say. Level 1 is the average power of a human being, and when it reaches level 10, then itâs 10 times of that. There is not much meaning for adventurer based work, but if you do mercenaries work, this will raise and lower your salaries.â
âI see~. If Iâm a level 10 then is that mean I can get 10 times more salaries?â
Well~ basically. Next is guild rank, this rank will go up by accumulating your achievement point from each quest you succeeded in. The higher your rank is, the better quest will be given to you. You may undertake quest according to your rank and one rank bellow you.â
Ryouma took notice of the notes written on the paper.
âIs this the instructions?â
âYes. You may accept any number of quests at once, but the quests has a due date. If you exceed the period, then you have to pay compensation, and your achievement points will go down.
âDo your rank fall?â
âIndeed. Rank will go up every time you accumulate 100 achievement point.
In the case of Mikoshiba-San case, the order will be from I to H. The rank will fall to I again if you failed on doing a quest and the achievement point is down more than 100 points. HoweverâŠâ
Her finger pointed to one of the columns on the paper.
âIf it turns out that the quest has a different requirement that was not stated originally, then there will not be any compensation required from even if the person who undertook the quest were unable to finish it. Depending on the situation, compensation may even be requested from the client. In such case, you may contact the guild, and we will take care of it.â
(This feels like a temporary employee agencyâŠ)
âThat should be all the needed explanation. Is there anything that you have questions about?â
âNo.â
Ryouma shook his head.
âThen, I will choose Mikoshiba-San first job alright~.â
She took out a bundle of documents again then put it on the counter before
Ryouma.
On top of the paper, thereâs a single I rank, which means that everything under it were possible jobs.
âEmm. What kind of request quest does Mikoshiba-san like to do? Adventurer job? Or a Mercenary job?â
âBoth is fineâŠâ
(I feel like receiving an interviewâŠ)
Ryouma remembered the recommendation interview he received at the time of his high school examinations. Back then they asked him what his future plans where, and he thought that this is kind of the same.
âU~nn. If you have confidence in your fighting capability, then the mercenary job would be good I think?â
Saying that, then she began to make a red circle in several columns written on there.
âThe thing that Iâve circled, is primarily jobs that requires fighting alright? It is stuff like wild dog subjugation or wild bi subjugation. There is no time period, and by the end of the report it tells, that you need to subjugate the X marks, and the reward is 3 copper coin. The achievement point of clearing it is 1 point.â
Ryouma then thought of something.
Is there a work where I can also go to another city? For example, escorting someone or deliver something.
âIs there work where I also can go to another town?â
âDeliver item category is it~. Thereâs none for escort category~.â
She shakes her head.
âBecause the escorting category is directly related to the clientâs life, we will only give it to someone who has at least some level of ability. In rank, that would be around rank C or above.â
âThen if itâs delivery category, is there something that delivered to oversee?â
âHmm⊠with I rank, long distance delivery is impossible. You may only take a delivery quest to the next town at most.â
Unlike a game, there seems to be restriction here and there.
Ryouma then looked at the map stuck behind her.
âBy the way, is there quest to the other side if Iâm looking at the other town?â
âProbably yes? If itâs a delivery quest that isâŠâ
âEmm, may I borrow some map.?â
âThe receptionist gave a strange face; however, she pulled out a folded map from the drawer and spread it on the counter.
âEmm⊠Ortomea, which one is it?â
âHere is imperial capital Ortomea.â
Her finger pointed at a big mark on the center near the southern border of the map. It has the description of Ortomea Imperial Capital with thick letters.
Furthermore, thereâs a thick red line enclosing the imperial capital mark.
I guess this is the border of Ortomea Empire huh. This is considerably wide.
(Garik, Melferen, Gildas and Oitto⊠if I were to go out from here, these would be the four closest towns huhâŠ)
Ryouma eyes looked at the four towns. All are towns that can be regarded as suburbs of the imperial capital.
âThen is there any delivery work toward Melferen?â
Upon Ryouma question, the receptionist began to look at the bundle of documents again.
âPlease wait for a moment⊠emm. This one, the rank is not enough⊠this one already being picked up⊠emm⊠Ah! There is a letter delivery. The reward is 30 copper coin. The achievement point will be 5 points.â
There is not much of work Ryouma can take as a rookie. Furthermore, he decides the town by himself. Work is not something that will come conveniently after all; furthermore, there might be someone who already undertook it as well.
However, Ryouma is lucky.
The receptionist-san who finished looking at every corner of a bunch of documents, looked at Ryouma with a smile.
âThen I will take it please.â
Ryouma immediately receives that quest.
In this kind of situation, being decisive is important. Thereâs no time to hesitate.
âSure. Then please take this.â
She then writes something on a board that is connected to the ball glass stand.
Then the glass ball twinkled.
âHere we go. Itâs completed, the deadline is within 3 days. The quest will end when you are successful at delivering the letter to Melferenâs guild. Do you wish to accept another quest?â
âThen, I would like to accept the subjugation quest from a while ago.â
âSure., the wild dog subjugation and the wild bi subjugation, and the subjugation of wild rabbits, right. Since thereâs no deadline, please do report to the guild when you finished.â
âUnderstood.â
âAh right. Though it might be late for me to saying this, if thereâs no specific designation of the requested quest then you may report it at any guild. Well then, please do your best ne~.â
After receptionist-san finished instructing Ryouma she smiled and lowered her head toward him.
âYes. Thank you very much.â Ryouma lowered his head lightly and left the guild
Thereâs a reason why Ryouma accepted those request quest.
Heâs being chased by the Empire; thus he wants to get out of the country as soon as possible, however, thereâs a problem.
If we take the pursuers into consideration then itâs dangerous just hanging around while moving between towns, therefore I need a reason.
A reason to walk along the highway, in that respect, the job of delivering letters is a great excuse.
And thereâs a reason why he took quest toward Melferen located in the east.
According to the map, he saw earlier, the imperial city is located in the southeast. In other words, it would take a considerable amount of time for him to go toward a national border located in the west and north.
The closest border from this imperial city would be to the south, however, based on his prediction; the pursuers might also go there.
Thus by thinking about it in various ways, the safest way he could go would be toward the east.
Of course, it is unknown if this judgment is correct or not unless he goes and see it
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