29-sai Dokushin wa Isekai ch.2

15 AUGUST 2022 ~ RAIZU

Weekly chapters (1/2)

Enjoy the chapter~

Translator: Raizu
Editor: Mirp

Chapter 2 ~ I was confused when I went to the Adventurer’s Guild ~

My first impression when I entered the city of Crossroads was that the roads were wide.
Was it because of the carriages coming and going?
The wide cobblestone road and the buildings to the left and right were all made of heavy stone.
The people who came and went all looked like Westerners, and their clothes were like those European folk costumes I’d seen on the TV and Internet.

[Hey, can you stop standing around there?]

[Oh, I’m sorry]

Of course, since I was in the middle of the street, some people would find me in their way, so I moved to the side and observed the people and surroundings.
There were various people who came and went, but it seemed that most of them carried some kind of weapon on their waists.
Aside from really small children, even children around 12 to 13 years old carried something like a knife.
The only people who were not equipped with weapons are those who wore black leather collars. Are those the slave?
As far as I could see, the streets were clean and I didn’t smell any strange odors. I wonder if the water and sewage systems were in good condition.

[Oh, I’m sorry. Where is the Adventurer’s Guild?]

[Oh, it’s right there. You see, that wooden building.]

When I stopped a decently good looking aunt who seemed to be on her way home from shopping and asked her, she immediately told me.
There was certainly a nice wooden building sitting in the place where the aunt pointed.

[Thank you sister.]

[Ahhh! You’ll be a good Adventurer! Good luck!]

Perhaps she was happy with my compliment, she laughed and waved as she left.
Alright, let’s head in right away.

=====

Adventurer’s Guild.
It was indispensable for fantasy settings.
A place where adventurers asked for requests, gathered information, and set out on adventures.
An important existence that served as a hub for all that, the Adventurer’s Guild.
The adventurer’s Guild in this world was probably the same as I thought it would be.
In the building, rough-looking people wearing various weapons gathered, looking at the request forms posted on the bulletin board and winding pipes at the attached bar.

[Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild. New face, request?]

[No, it’s registration]

When I said that, the reception counter Ossan (one that was balding too) began to look at me from the toes to the top of my head.
I’m not happy to be leered at by an Ossan, don’t look over here.

[Well, your physique isn’t bad, but… will you be okay with just that equipment?]

It’s okay, no problem.
I already knew what I wanted to say.
It wouldn’t make sense to tell this story.

[I can do swords, hand-to-hand fighting, and wind magic reasonably well. I can use a little recovery magic. I was thinking of preparing the equipment, but how much does it cost to get the minimum armor?]

[Well, well. You’re actually quite versatile regardless of appearance. If you want leather armor, it’s probably about eight silver coins.]

My current balance was one gold coin, two large silver coins, eight silver coins, thirteen large copper coins, and twenty copper coins.
I understood that it was quite expensive, but it hadn’t come to penny pinching yet.

[Can you recommend an armor shop for a budget buyer?]

[Sure, I’ll tell you later about an armor store that is affiliated with us. But register first. Please, give me your ID.]

[Is this okay?]

When I showed him the temporary ID card issued at the town gate earlier, the Ossan nodded when he saw it.
After that, I received detailed questions and explanations about the rules in a separate room.
The detailed rules were like common sense.
Don’t make a fuss using weapons and magic while inside the city, help each other as much as possible, but killing each other in general was prohibited.

[Something like that, and now all that’s left is the aptitude test.]

[Aptitude test?]

After about thirty minutes of explanation, Ossan said that.
I hadn’t heard that there was a test, wait.
I would be done if it turned out to be a written test.

[Yeah, come over here]

I was brought into a place like a large training ground.
There was a space for training bows and swords and body fitness. Adventurers could spend their time as they wished here.
Gazes were focused on me since Ossan took me here. Please ignore me.

[Okay, I’ll have you fight a suitable guy here… Hmm.]

Ossan looked around.
The number of adventurers who were curious and watching this situation was increasing.
Hey, stop fooling around in the guild building. Cut it out.

[OK, Ethan, come forward.]

An Adventurer nominated by Ossan walked in.
A young male adventurer wearing worn-out leather armor.

[Is this the weapon?]

An adventurer called Ethan tossed one of the two wooden swords he brought at me. Obviously training swords.
I caught and swung it a few times. not bad.

[Please hold it for me for a bit.]

I gave the short sword to the adventurer who was nearby and did a bending and stretching exercise.
Since it came to this, I will do as much as I could.

[Am I allowed to use magic?]

[As long as you don’t end up killing someone.]

In other words, anything goes as long as nobody dies.
Ethan was holding a wooden sword in his hand, probably because he was ready.
The betting over which one of us would win has already begun.

[Then, start the aptitude test, both sides get ready.]

Ethan held the wooden sword and entered a stance.
I also entered a fighting stance so that I could move at any time.

A moment of silence.

[Start!]

With Ossan’s shout, Ethan was closing the gap immediately.
I also closed the gap in the same way.
Ethan looked astonished for a moment, perhaps because he thought I was an amateur.

[Ha!]

The first move was mine.
My sword that aimed at the right arm was waved off by Ethan’s wooden sword, and the swing down from the upper row that Ethan had released hit empty air because I took half a step back.
Swing down, shave off, counter, hang up, and tie up with Ethan for a while.
I’m doing okay. I can react properly. I can win this.
Is it due to impatience? Ethan raised his sword up for a whole body down swing.
Seeing this as an opportunity, I received the swing down with the belly of the sword supported by both hands, and gave a strong front kick to Ethan’s undefended torso.
A certain feeling told me it was sloppy.

[Guho!]

I pointed my left index finger to where Ethan receded backwards.
My magical power converged, enough for three shots.
Then, I launched the magic while imagining three air bullets.

[Wind shot!]

The air bullets fired in three consecutive shots struck and blew off Ethan, who had not regained his posture.

…?

The training ground fell silent for a moment.
I couldn’t move with my fingertip that was pointing at Ethan.
Did I overdo it?
What’s with this silence?

[That’s gonna do it.]

The Ossan grinned and laughed.
Ethan who fell down was dragged to the corner by some of the adventurers who were watching.

[Who will go next?]

Adventurers started to swarm in front of me with wooden weapons in hand.
Oi, so many of them.

[The good ones have come in.]

[I have to taste this.]

[Why don’t you do it?]

Please stop, I will die.

[Aren’t you very popular?]

I felt murderous at the Ossan who laughed at me merrily.
Because this Ossan was amused, I was forced to deal with three more people.
The result? I lied on the floor, exhausted and battered, along with 3 more people who fainted with my training sword.
It might have been a little different if my magic power hadn’t run out.

[Did I pass?]

[Oh, sure. You passed without problem. Normally, you’ll start out from F rank, but I’ll assign you to E rank.]

That said, the metal card he gave me was engraved with my name and face, as well as the letter “E” to indicate the adventurer’s rank.
There was no particular description about the level.
The concept of ‘levels’ wasn’t too deep.

[Isn’t it good to rank up?]

Since my magical power had recovered a little, I cast healing magic on my aching head.
I acted a little lax since the Ossan had lost a good level of respect in my eyes.
After all, he did some outrageous things like urging adventurers to go against me who didn’t even wear armor.

[Well, if you reach B rank, you’ll get a lot of attention. If you’re A rank, most people will look up to you, and if you’re S rank, you’ll be treated as a Hero.]

[It’s a long way away]

[That’s right, so do your best. Oh yeah, here is the address of the recommended armor shop I mentioned earlier.]

[Please tell me the recommended inn as well.]

I’ll consider you forgiven if you do.

=====

[Welcome.]

When I went to the armor shop introduced by the guild’s ossan, it seemed to be quite prosperous, as I could see several other adventurers were checking on the equipment.
It was the woman at the counter who called out to me. A beautiful woman.
Was it the smell of iron and leather? The inside of the store was full of unique scents that I had never smelled before.
I took a look at the corner displaying leather armors.
Although it was reinforced with studs and various parts were reinforced with sheet metal, it was expensive.

[It’s important to choose your first armor, do you need help?]

I was called from behind, so I turned around and found the beautiful woman from the counter was standing there with a big smile on her face.
Hmm? Looking more closely, I realized that she had pointy ears. Is she an Elf or something?

[Oh, I’m Louise. I’m the clerk here, at your service 」

[I’m Taichi. I’m thinking of buying leather armor.]

[Hmm, which one]

Louise suddenly hugged my hand on her body.
Our position now was spot on for me to look at her greenish silver hair.
Ah, it has a nice scent――nonono. This feels somewhat immoral to do in a public area.
I think there were some customers who were fond of Louise here.
Their hot glares hurt.

[Hmm, what kind of design do you like for gauntlets and knee pads? Is it’s for this onii-san’s physique?]

[Uhm… I can do sword fighting and also hand-to-hand fighting, so I’d like something that suits it. Budget is within 9 silver coins in total ]

[In that case, it would be better to strengthen the fists, knees, and elbows with studs. It would be nice to strengthen the toes of the boots, but that would be a little over budget.]

[I don’t mind if it’s just a little.]

I looked through the armor while having such exchanges.
Then, when I looked at the counter, there was a cat.
No, it’s not an ordinary cat.
A slender cat about the size of a human child. Was it a kind of beastkin?
The cat was dexterously playing with something that looked like a smoke tube. Somehow dignified. I wonder if that was the owner, as Louise seemed to be in charge of customer service.
Repeat fitting, adjusting, trying on, and adjusting the selected armor several times.
After consulting with the budget, I decided to buy a set of leather armor that was reinforced with studs except for the torso area.
9 silver coins and 6 large bronze coins.

[Yes, thank you. Do you also need a weapon perhaps?]

[Hmm, to be honest, I want one, but I don’t have the budget. I want a sword with a longer blade, but I can also use wind magic.]

[Well, if it’s for onii-san’s physique, a slightly longer sword would be fine. But magic? What kind of catalyst onii-san usually use?]

[Catalyst?]

I tilted my head upon hearing the unfamiliar term.
Louise was laughing bitterly in disbelief.

[Is onii-san really a magic user? I heard that exercising magic without a trigger is not inefficient.]

With that said, Louise brought a wooden stick from the back of the store.
It’s shaped like a drumstick.

[This is the cheapest catalyst in this shop. I don’t know the detailed principle, but it seems that it is quite different with and without the catalyst.]

I borrowed the catalyst from Louise and tried to activate a wind bullet.
What did I think?
It was difficult to express because it is a bit abstract, but it feels like I could “grab” the magic power moving through my body.
The magic power that would spread without the use of a catalyst is now fixed in space.

[It’s certainly easier, using this. Is the function integrated with the weapon?]

It would be impossible to fight with this drumstick-shaped wooden stick.
Sword could easily cut it in two.

[There are some, but swords that can also act as catalysts are expensive though? If it’s cheap, I wonder if this suits you.]

With that said, Louise brought out a wooden stick that was a little longer than I was tall.
It’s like a staff usually used in Chinese martial arts.

[It’s a quarterstaff that can be used as a catalyst. In this case, 6 silver coins.]

[I bought a set of armor already, so can you at least give me a discount for the staff? Maybe about 4 silver coins.]

Louise looked at the cat at the counter to consult about my haggling.
The cat gave something like a block sign.
I don’t know how the cat managed with those paws, but I actually understood what it meant.

[Then, how about one gold coin and four silver coins together with a set of armor?]

That means I would still have 2 large silver coins, 4 silver coins, 13 large copper coins, and 20 copper coins in my balance.

Hmm…okay.