Volume 1 - CH 4

Chapter 4 – Ship Summoning Power and Reference Room

It’s morning, huh…? The people around seem to still be sleeping. It seems I went to bed too early and woke up in the still dim light. Well, there are many things I want to do, so let’s get moving. I need to wash my face at the well, brush my teeth, and fill my water bottle with water.

When I packed my bags and went outside, it was getting a little brighter. As expected, there are no food stalls open yet. What should I do for breakfast? …I want to try the ship summoning, so I’ll just have to hold out until noon. I went out of the south gate and headed for the breeding ground of the horned rabbit.

This is a good place to go.

“Ship Summoning.”

As usual, there was a rowboat leaning with a clattering sound. Well, let’s try it… What should I try? Hmm, let’s try the boarding rejection. I throw a stone in the area where I usually stand.

“Here it is.”

Whoa, it bounced back… I can’t see it, but it’s as expected; there’s some kind of barrier. If things can also be rejected for boarding, that’s quite a cheat, isn’t it?

Perhaps, but even if it were attacked with a weapon, it would repel that weapon… What about magic? I can’t even try it right now, but I’ll have to remember to check it out eventually.

How much of the area is covered by the barrier? Let’s check the range while throwing stones close to it. Horizontally, the barrier is stretched along the edge of the boat. Vertically, the barrier seems to extend to a height of about 2 meters.

“Gasyaa!”

“Whoa!”

Horned Rabbit, huh…? I had completely forgotten that there were monsters in the area. Let’s be careful not to forget to be on guard. I quickly get into the boat, give it a smack with the oar, and even drain its blood.

It’s strange that I don’t have any worries or conflicts when I’m killing a living creature after all these times. I’m a little worried about myself.

I can’t seem to figure it out, so I continue my experiments with caution. What I do know now is that there is a kind of barrier around the ship that repels monsters and stones.

Whether people and magic will be repelled, too, remains to be seen, but people will most likely be repelled. If it can repel magic, too, that would be quite a cheat. What about the strength of the barrier or something like that?

The description only said that nothing could get in. It’s also conspicuous to test itーwhat should I do?

I continued the experiment, even though I was occasionally attacked by horned rabbits.

I threw a large stone at it as hard as I could, but it didn’t even move. I also threw a stone at the main body of the boat, but it didn’t get a scratch even though it was made of wood.

It seemed that the place where the stone repelled was not aligned, so I checked it out and found that the boat was slanted, so the barrier seemed to be slanted as well.

Also, when I threw a stone with permission to board the boat, it passed through the place where it was always repelled. When I threw the same stone again, it was repelled.

There’s no offensive method, but it’s pretty cheat-like in terms of defense. I should think of some other way to make an attack besides hitting with oars.

Hmm? The oars are indestructible, too, right? Let’s try slamming the oar as hard as possible against a nearby rock.

“Ouch!”

There is a dull sound and a numbing impact on my arm at the same time. Of course, if I hit something hard, there would naturally be a shock. Even if the oar is indestructible, my arm is not. I have to be careful.

After the numbness subsided, I checked the oar and found there was not even a scratch on it. If it’s indestructible, I can do some reckless things. I can’t think of what kind of recklessness, but I don’t want to do anything reckless that might hurt me.

I looked at the oar carefully and found that it was pretty dirty too. Maybe I should wash it when I get back…. dirt? That’s the blood of a horned rabbit, isn’t it? Is it yesterday’s blood that’s completely dry? It seems repatriation won’t clean it up.

From “Ship Repatriation”… to “Ship Summoning”…

It’s still dirty. It’s most likely just gone back in and left as is. I know it says about keeping the ship I bought in the best possible condition, but can’t it do something about the dirt? I strongly remind myself to get on the ship and keep it in the best condition…

“Oooh, the dirt is going away!”

I have to think; it’s not going to get clean on its own.

“Huh?”

I couldn’t help but think. If it goes straight back in and comes straight out, what happens if I repatriate the boat with the cargo on it?

I put some stones on the boat and used “Ship Repatriation” and “Ship Summoning”…

“There it is! The stone is still there!”

A great discovery. This is a great discovery! It means I can use it like an item box. Until now, I had to unload all my stuff when repatriating, but from now on, I can repatriate it as is. I don’t even have to carry my luggage!

Oh, if I summon the ship in town, it will definitely stand out. I guess I have to carry the luggage I use in town and the prey I exchange for cash… Well, since I don’t have to carry the luggage while hunting, it will be a lot easier, and I can think of other uses.

I can’t think of anything else to try. I’ll try it then when I come up with an idea. I’ve hunted 6 horned rabbits so far… I’d like to have 14 more. Well, I can move around without luggage, and if I try hard, I should be able to find a group of them. Then it should be manageable.

It took quite a while, and it was well past noon, but I managed to hunt a total of 20 horned rabbits. I hurried back to town, bought two grilled skewers and a loaf of bread from a food stall for three coppers, and headed for the Adventurers’ Guild while chomping down on the food.

It was well past lunchtime, and I had exercised a lot, so the skewers tasted good. I arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild with a sense of satisfaction and handed over 20 horned rabbits at the purchasing counter.

“Oh, good job, 20 rabbits, huh…? All neatly processed. I’ll buy them for 8 copper coins each, for a total of 1 silver coin and 60 copper coins. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, please.”

So now, I have 1 silver and 109 coppers in total. I can pay back my debt… Is it okay if I pay it back at the reception counter?

I go to the reception counter, but I don’t see that tough-looking old man. There are few adventurers, and I can line up at the counter with the pretty Onee-san without a care in the world! I quickly move to the just-empty counter.

“Excuse me. I would like to repay the one silver coin I borrowed when I registered.”

Wow, she’s beautiful… Are those ears? Isn’t she a beastman? I don’t think those ears are dog ears; I think they are more like fox ears.

She has big breasts, too… maybe D-cups? …My heart is pounding; I push down my inner thoughts and talk to her as politely as I can.

Very well, please present your guild card.”

“Yes.”

“Ara? You’ve never taken any requests, have you?”

“Yes? Ah, I’ve been hunting horned rabbits most of the time, so I haven’t taken any requests.”

“Horned rabbits? Even horned rabbits are subject to a request if there is a request for procurement. Have you checked it?”

“No, I asked what I should do with the horned rabbits I had when I registered and was told to take them to the purchasing counter…”

“It is not wrong, but there have been various requests. Please check the quest board frequently.”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t take a request for a month, your card will expire, so be careful.”

“Yes… Well, so it’s not enough to just bring the monsters to the purchasing counter, huh?”

“Yes, you must complete the request.”

“I understand.”

“Then, can I have the one silver coin, please?”

“Yes.”

“The debt of one silver coin on your guild card has been removed. Please confirm.”

“Was there a debt noted on the guild card?”

“Yes. Wasn’t that explained to you when you registered?”

“I was just given a booklet and told to read it…”

“Oh…”

It was like she knew in an instant who the receptionist was. I knew that old man was sloppy.

“I apologize, sir. Can you please let me explain now?”

“I’ve read the booklet, so if there are any notes that aren’t in it, please let me know.”

“The debt was filled in earlier, but you can also deposit money on your guild card. Deposits and withdrawals can be made at large guilds, such as the Adventurers’ Guild and the Merchants’ Guild, but not at stalls or small private stores. Many people deposit large sums of money in guilds and carry enough for everyday use.”

“It’s very convenient, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. Also, many newcomers want to take on subjugation requests immediately, but there are small but safe requests in town, such as requests to collect medicinal herbs. Saving money while training and equipping yourself is the basis for becoming stronger safely. I heard you were hunting horned rabbits. Are you equipped?”

“No, I was hunting with my outfit as it is…”

It’s a bit of a shock. I’m being looked at by a beautiful woman with pitying eyes… This makes me a little nervous, and I’m worried about myself.

“Where do you hunt, by the way?”

“Just outside the south gate, to the southwest, just before the forest.”

“It is indeed safe there to some extent if you can defeat the horned rabbits, but it is not absolutely certain. Goblins may come out of the forest, and wolves may appear when it gets dark. I’d recommend having at least a minimum amount of gear.”

I thought it was safe because it was a recommended place, but it was unexpectedly dangerous. That old man could have at least given me a word of warning…

“Well, equipment is important. What should I look for to be ready to take on a goblin?”

“Goblins are not a big challenge for those newcomers who are just breaking through or those with strong skills. However, considering the fact that they attack in groups and are equipped with weapons and armor, they can be quite a challenge for newcomers. It is best to start out with a minimum of equipment and experience defeating them in a party.”

“I understand. I aim to get my equipment in order first. I also want to know a lot about magic, monsters, etc. Is there a library or something like that?”

“There is a beginner’s set available at the Adventurers’ Guild store, so check there. There is a library, but you will need to pay a deposit to enter. There is a reference room on the second floor of the Adventurers’ Guild, so you might want to check the documents there first. Good luck.”

“Thank you very much.”

Well, that was pretty informative. After all, if you’re an adventurer, you need equipment. I thought I’d be okay with the ship summoning, but it’s noticeable when you don’t have even the bare minimum of equipment. I should probably buy some equipment as well; let’s check out the beginner’s set.

As for the next step, I’ll go to the store, look at the equipment, study it in the reference room, and then go shopping.

“Welcome.”

This time it’s a pretty girl… Adventurers’ Guild definitely puts a lot of emphasis on looks, though I’m glad.

“Um, I’d like to see the beginner’s set. Do you have it?”

“Yes, we do. This is a beginner’s set that includes leather armor, leather gloves, leather shin guards, a beginner’s potion, a dismantling knife, and a cloth bag, all for the bargain price of one silver coin.”

“I feel like it’s a really big discount. Are you sure?”

“Ufufufufu, it’s really a great price. If you buy it normally, it will cost you 3 silver coins. But many newcomers are not well equipped and are seriously injured or killed. So the Adventurers’ Guild gives subsidies, and you can get the minimum amount of equipment at a discount price. It’s an up-front investment.”

Oh, the Adventurers Guild is awesome and very helpful. But I have 109 copper coins… If I bought them now, I wouldn’t be able to stay at the inn, and I can’t buy underwear. I guess I’ll have to earn the shortfall tomorrow and come back to buy some more.

“Great, I’m a little tight on money, so I’ll earn some tomorrow and come back to buy some more.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Huh? You have clothes and underwear at the guild store, too, don’t you?”

“Yes, they sell quite well. There are battles, and sometimes you go into the forest. Clothes get torn and dirty, so they are quite popular. The clothes are used, but the underwear is brand new.”

“I’ve been wanting to buy one, so I’ll take a look.”

The clothes are used, I guess the new ones must be expensive… I heard that in the past, some Japanese used to wear their clothes until they were torn to shreds and used them as rags at the end, and considering the atmosphere of this world, cloth seems to be very precious.

The pants are… trunks-like, and the elastic part seems to be tied with a string. It’s a pretty decent deal, and for 5 copper coins, I can get change for one rabbit. I’ve got one I’m wearing now, so I’ll only need two.

The clothes are a cotton top and bottom. It’s not cool, but it looks good enough if I put some equipment on top. The price is 10 copper coins for the top and bottom. It’s pretty cheap, but maybe that’s because it’s used?

“The clothes are cheap, too. I’ll take two sets of underwear and two sets of cotton top and bottom.”

“We buy a lot of cheap used clothes for adventurers, so they don’t require much effort. The total will be 30 copper coins.”

“Thank you very much for the discount. I will come back tomorrow.”

“I will be waiting for you.”

Next is… the reference room. I’ve already done my shopping, so I can check it out at my leisure.

Is this the place?

“Excuse me; I’d like to look at some documents.”

“Hmm? Ah, you are free to look at them, but please take good care of them. Do not take them out of the room with you.”

“I understand.”

There are quite a lot of documents here. The ones I want to read are… information on monsters around Western City, a guide to the Kingdom of Latina, an introduction to daily life magic, the characteristics of races, and calculations even adventurers can do, I guess?

It’s not too thick, so I think I can read it all today.

＊＊＊

Phew, that’s all of it… I finished reading it pretty quickly. Let me summarize the useful information.

Information on the monsters around the Western city. It seems that there are no strong monsters around the Western city. In the meadow, there are only horned rabbits and occasionally wolves, and wolves are not very aggressive, probably because there are many horned rabbits and they are well fed.

In the southwestern forest, there are slimes, goblins, orcs, poison spiders, and some kind of common monsters.

It is a tough place for beginners, but a medium-sized party can easily get around, and it seems to be a good training ground for beginner adventurers. There were other mines where strong monsters appeared, but that’s nothing to do with me, right? 

Also, it said there were no dungeons around the Western city. There are dungeons in other places and a labyrinth city.

Latina Kingdom Guide. This country is called the Kingdom of Latina. There are nobles such as king, duke, marquis, count, viscount, baron, quasi-baron, knight, and quasi-knight, and the titles with “quasi” are limited to one generation.

The royal capital is located in the center of the country, and each count is responsible for a city in the east, west, south, north, and south. Incidentally, the Western city seems to be the central city in the western part of the country, where the Western Count resides, since it is a big city.

Dukes and marquises have fiefdoms near the capital and hold important positions in the country. The lords of the east, west, south, north, and west are of marquis level, and under each of them are counts, viscounts, barons, quasi-barons, knights, and quasi-knights, who rule the country. The nobles who do not have a fiefdom are called nobles in vestments, and they receive a pension from the government to live on.

I would like to visit the east and south of the country. In particular, I would like to go to the south as my next destination. There seem to be many dungeons in the east, and the labyrinth city with the largest dungeon is the Eastern city.

The word “labyrinth city” makes me feel romantic and longing, but I’m afraid to actually dive into the dungeon… I’ll think about it when I’m capable enough.

The main city in the south of the kingdom is a trading city facing the sea, where trade is thriving. A large river flows from the northeast of the kingdom to the Southern city, passing through the royal capital; and it is said to be a logistics hub and is also called a water transportation city.

I don’t know what I can do, but I think this is the perfect place for me in terms of my abilities.

Introduction to daily life magic… This is a magic that most people can use, as long as they can recognize and activate the magic. The way to use it is to collect magic power at your fingertips and draw a simplified magic circle for daily life magic.

The four types of daily life magic listed in the book are fire, water, wind, and light, and they are said to only cause very small phenomena, but they are useful, and everyone can use them.

Incidentally, mages are the true elite, requiring a lot of magic power, knowledge of complex magic circles, and dexterity to draw them accurately.

The characteristics of the race. They were just like templates.

Human race.

Average in strength, magic, etc.

Elf.

Good looking, good at spirit magic and archery, have lots of magic power, and live in the forest. There are also dark elves.

Dwarves.

Short and strong, dexterous, skilled in blacksmithing and craftsmanship, and fond of drinking.

Beastman.

There are two types of beastman: those who look like animals and those who look normal and have only a tail and an ear.

Demon tribe.

They used to be enemies, but now they have a delicate relationship. They are friendly in some ways, but in other ways, they are radical and hostile. They are physically strong and good at magic.

Minorities.

Fairies and dragon man has been confirmed to exist, but there is not much interaction with them.

Calculations that can be made by adventurers.

The value of coins has been confirmed, copper, silver, gold, and platinum coins, going up for every 100 coins.

That’s about it. I’ll come back to check if there’s anything else I need to know.

“Thank you very much. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

I returned to the inn for a meal and a bath.

“Welcome. Are you staying over again today? Will you have a meal as well?”

“Yes, both, please.”

“That will be 15 copper coins.”

“Yes, I’ll have my meal right away.”

The meal was again bread and stew. It seems that the vegetables in the stew are only slightly different. It might be hard if it’s like this every day. I packed a meal I was not accustomed to and took a quick bath at the well.

Bathing feels good, and the new underwear and clothes are not bad. It’s fun to see my life getting a little better little by little. I want to wash my clothes, but there is nowhere to hang them, so I ask the landlady.

“Landlady-san, I want to wash my clothes, but is there a place to hang them?”

“Yes, there is. It is behind the door by the well. Be careful not to mix with other people’s clothes. Tie this tag around it, and you’ll be fine.”

“Thank you.”

I thanked the landlady and moved on to the laundry. I washed my clothes in cold water… It must have been a blessing to live with a washing machine. Whew, laundry is done. Hopefully, it will be dry by tomorrow morning, but who knows? Well, I guess I won’t know until I try. It’s getting late, so I’m going to go back to my room, make plans for tomorrow, and sleep.

Pay off the one silver coin of debt.

Read the Adventurers’ Guild booklet. 

Ask many questions at the guild.

Check the purchase screen for skill ship summoning.

Summon skill ships and try out different things outside.

I need new underwear and clothes.

Find out about races.

Find out the value of money.

Bathe in the well.

Find out if I can stay in a private inn.

I think I have most of what I need to know. After that, I wonder if there is anything else… Oh, I need to check on skills; I’ll stop by the reference room tomorrow.

I should also check the status. Oh, my level has gone up by 2 levels. My physical strength has increased a lot, too. Come to think of it, I’ve been moving around all day, but I don’t feel too tired. As for strength, I don’t know because I only dealt with horned rabbits.

And tomorrow morning, I’ll hunt horned rabbits… at least, how many should I hunt? I have 64 copper coins left, so the beginner adventurer set is 100 copper coins, 3 copper coins for lunch, and lodging and dinner will cost me 15 copper coins, which comes to 118 copper coins. That’s at least 118 copper coins.

I am 54 copper coins short. One horned rabbit costs 8 copper coins, so I need at least 7 rabbits, or at least 10 rabbits if I can afford them, or 30 rabbits if I hold out until the evening.

Well, I made a lot of progress today. I feel like I did my best, and I think I will have a good night’s sleep. Good night.

Balance: 64 copper coins