Chapter 10

Starting from the foot of the Spirit Mountain, four days later, our group finally arrived at a new town. According to Real, it's a fairly large and lively place. For me, this was the first real town I had visited. I had only glimpsed the town below the royal castle from the air while riding a dragon, and the village at the foot of the Spirit Mountain was quite small.

The town's appearance was heavily influenced by the medieval Western style I often saw in manga. The building materials were mostly brick, unlike the wooden structures in the village. The citizens' clothing also seemed more colorful and cheerful. Come to think of it, in the real world (my original world), Italy still retains much of its old townscapes.

"Perhaps, no matter the world, the way things develop is the same everywhere."

Our plan was to stay in this town for a few days to replenish the supplies we had used up on our journey. If possible, we also wanted to acquire some convenient gadgets that we couldn't get in the village. A town this size would likely have trade with other places, so there would be a lot of goods flowing in.

"I wish we could get a horse."

"Can we afford it with what we have?"

"Horses vary in price. We might be able to manage a cheap one. If not, we'll have to make do, but having one would make the journey much less tiring."

Indeed, while riding a horse, we could rest our bodies. This way, if we encountered monsters or bandits during our journey, we could be in a better condition to fight back. In fact, we were attacked by a group of monsters just as we were about to sleep one night during the past four days. It was quite challenging to fight them while both mentally and physically exhausted. Although there were no heart-stopping moments, fighting after walking all day was exhausting.

"By the way, can Kanna handle horses?"

"I'm a city kid. The last time I rode one was during a school trip to a farm when I was a kid."

We searched for an inn that would serve as our temporary base. Since it was a large town, there were plenty of inns. However, while inns varied in rank, I, being naive, left the decision to Real.

"Let's stay here today."

The inn she chose was a three-story building that looked quite impressive. The signboard listed the room rates, which were slightly higher than the other inns we had passed.

"Aren't they a bit expensive?"

"Probably, but we're not just ordinary travelers. Cheaper inns might easily leak information about their guests. On the other hand, these higher-end inns will keep their guests' personal information confidential if they are paid properly."

"We're buying safety with money, then."

"Exactly. For those with a criminal record, staying at a higher-ranked inn is a common strategy, which suits us well. It's better to spend a bit more on safety than to be stingy and risk trouble. Of course, if we were threatened by state power, it would be impossible, but we don't want to cause a commotion."

I had no criminal record, but I swallowed my small indignation and opened the inn's door.

After negotiating with the reception, we each rented a single room, separated by gender. We planned to stay for two nights and three days. The price was a bit high, but considering the safety, it was a reasonable expense. The rooms had locks on the doors and even safes.

Each room even had its own bath. Being able to soak in a tub without worrying about the opposite sex was a big plus.

—Actually, while staying in the village, I once ran into Real right after she had taken a bath.

She wasn't in her usual armor but in a thin undergarment. It was quite a sight. The way her hair was damp and her flushed skin were alluring, but what really caught my attention was her figure, which was even better than the old lady's. Words like G and H floated through my mind. I wondered how she managed to fit such a large mass inside her armor. Moreover, she was indifferent to it, which only made it more frustrating.

With her elf ears and cool beauty, plus that hidden large chest, it was almost unfair. If she were thrown into a certain otaku's holy land, there would be a chorus of joy and excitement.

So, during our stay in the village, I was very careful to avoid running into Real in the bath. If I saw her body in person, my young, hormonal self might lose control. Thanks to my efforts, I avoided any situations that would have made my libido surge, though the risk of an accidental outburst did increase.

It's like an eroge plot, but it's surprisingly stressful. If anything happened between us, it would be very awkward.

Moving on.

After placing our luggage in the inn, we went out to discuss our specific plans and have lunch. The inn provided meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the dining room wasn't open all the time like in the village. We arrived at the inn a little after noon, and the time passed while we were organizing our belongings.

We chose a cozy open-air terrace for lunch. The specialty was pasta with a sauce, similar to meat spaghetti.

"First, I'll take my equipment to the blacksmith for maintenance. The armor is fine, but the sword hasn't been properly maintained since it was taken from me. While I'm there, I'll also look for some equipment for you. Wearing those clothes as we go forward would be too risky."

My current equipment consisted of simple cloth clothing, a leather chest plate, and gauntlets and greaves. While it could protect against minor cuts, it would be almost useless against a sharp blade. I had learned some defensive techniques from the old lady, but I wasn't sure if I could use them in a pinch. Increasing my natural defensive ability was essential.

"During the week we spent in the village, I trained you, and over the four days we traveled to this town, it seems you have a good foundation. Equipment that prioritizes mobility would be best. I didn't ask, but do you have any martial arts experience?"

"I grew up with a troublemaker childhood friend and another friend who was a karate black belt, so it came naturally."

"Karate?"

"It's a martial art practiced without weapons. Skilled practitioners can break bricks with their fists."

In Misaki's case, she could break five bricks with her fists and twenty with a heel drop, she boasted proudly. I wondered if that was something to be proud of as a woman.

"Wow, that's interesting. I'd like to spar with you sometime."

Real's lips curled up in a combative smile.

"Ultimately, this is a peaceful world. Real, who can knock a fully armored soldier off their feet with one swing, would be too much for me. Besides, the premise is unrealistic."

After all, we were separated by dimensions.

"Still, playing around with such friends naturally makes your body move. Casual physical contact can be quite painful. If you don't avoid or defend, you'll end up with bruises."

Mainly, it was Yuzuki who ended up with bruises, but that was mostly her own fault.

"Thanks to that, I've developed the courage to move my body in emergencies. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?"

"Indeed. At the very least, we should be grateful to those troublemakers and karate friends for now."

—Later.

It turned out that the troublemaker was the root of all evil, but we didn't realize that at the time.

Before heading to the equipment shop, we went to a pawn shop because we were short on money. Of course, we were selling the precious metals we had borrowed from the castle. We excluded items with any engravings or elaborate designs and prioritized selling simpler gems and decorations. The former could be the work of a famous craftsman, and if they appeared on the market, our existence might be discovered.

By the way, I had explained how we came to possess such treasures, but I hadn't explained how we managed to break into the treasure room where they were stored. Normally, such valuable items are kept in rooms with heavy doors and locks.

According to Real:

"That door had no keyhole. It was likely a special magical device that only opened for those with registered magical power. If someone else tried to force it open, some kind of security mechanism would activate."

Well, we just opened it normally.

"The craftsman who made that magical door probably didn't anticipate someone without magical power. Most people, regardless of who they are, have some magical power. Your existence was truly unexpected. In fact, a regular lock might be more effective for security in your case."

The drawbacks of high-tech (?) seem to exist in any world.

After providing this additional explanation, we exchanged the stolen treasures for a considerable amount of money.

In this world, money circulates in the form of coins, with gold, silver, copper, and iron coins in descending order of value. The highest value, a gold coin, is worth 100,000 yen. A silver coin is worth 10,000 yen, and so on, down to 1,000 yen and 100 yen. The standard seems to be that a loaf of bread sold at a street stall costs one iron coin.

We exchanged about thirty gold coins, which is roughly 3 million yen. This is equivalent to the average annual salary of a Japanese salaryman. The average annual income of a typical household in this world is about ten to fifteen gold coins, so this was a significant amount. Moreover, we didn't exchange all of it, only a quarter of the total. This means we have about three times as much, or at least twice as much, in savings.

The reason we didn't exchange everything at once is that bringing such a large amount of precious metals to a pawn shop could raise suspicions.

Holding the weight of the leather bag containing thirty gold coins, we finally headed to the equipment shop.

"Alright, Kanna, I've taken my sword to the maintenance shop, so let's look for your equipment... What's wrong?"

I was speechless at the prices of the swords hanging on the wall of the equipment shop.

A longsword, which I assumed was a two-handed sword, cost three gold coins, or 300,000 yen. A short sword next to it cost one gold coin, and a shorter sword below it cost five silver coins.

"Are weapons this expensive?"

In RPGs, early-game weapons usually cost around 1,000 yen. Mixing reality and games isn't good, but I realized I had some similar expectations.

"They are tools that people entrust their lives to. The makers put a lot of effort into them. Practical weapons that can withstand combat are generally priced at the same level as those on display. Cheaper ones are likely to be of poor quality and material."

"Adventurers aiming for a big score isn't just a joke, then."

"Artifacts from ancient ruins and rare materials from monster corpses can fetch high prices. Despite the danger, the rewards are worth it. That's why the supply and demand for weapons are balanced."

That makes sense. There are sellers because there are buyers. The prices of these weapons are set to be reasonable for adventurers' incomes.

"Out of curiosity, how much is Real's sword worth?"

When I asked out of interest, Real put her hand to her chin and thought.

"Hmm... At the very least, it would be around a hundred gold coins."

"What? That's really expensive. You were swinging something like that around?"

It's like carrying a gold bar on your back. And that's the minimum price. At least it could buy a house.

"It's a family heirloom passed down from my grandfather's generation. While I may be biased, a sword with such durability and sharpness is rare. However, my grandfather and father, while considering it a family treasure, always took it to the battlefield. I've never had it appraised, but this is my estimate."

"Is it safe to leave it with them?"

"I understand your concern. If the equipment shop lost a weapon they were entrusted with, their reputation would be ruined, and they would go out of business. They would also earn the wrath of the adventurer who entrusted the weapon. It would be even worse if it belonged to a famous adventurer."

This fantasy world is very realistic when it comes to business, I learned. Trust is important.

For this shopping trip, my equipment was changed to iron chest plates, gauntlets, and greaves. Following my request and Real's assessment, we ordered items that wouldn't hinder movement but would increase defense. I chose gauntlets that covered my fingers when I made a fist. While they might be cumbersome when holding a sword, they were fine for direct punches. The increased weight and protection of my hands and feet also improved my attack power. Real's equipment remained mostly the same, with only the sword maintenance. However, the maintenance cost was quite high.

The total cost of the equipment was eight gold coins, or about 800,000 yen. It was a reasonable price for necessary expenses, but it still felt like a lot of money to me.

I hope this sense of money doesn't carry over when I return to the real world. This small worry increased.

The prices of weapons are just estimates.

In the next story, Kanna will be a bit more relaxed.

I've been posting this in one go, but the story will run out in a few more chapters. In that case, I'll aim to update at least once a week.

7/7---Adjusted the prices of weapons. They still seem high, so I lowered them.

11/15---Comment about Real's chest size being known from the castle's prison. At that time, I was too busy to notice her figure properly.