《Green Mountain》 Chapter 0: Prologue Prologue The alarm clocked rang and, soon after, it was turned off. It was 5:00 in the morning, the usual time for Aoyama Ken to start his day. He got up from bed then stretched his arms and legs for a while. Early mornings such as this was the only time the orphanage was quite. Ken walked through the silent halls of the house, yawning as he went downstairs to the kitchen. It was his duty to prepare breakfast for 13 people every day. For a while, only the sounds of him cooking can be heard. But as he got closer to finishing up cooking, he started hearing the noises the children made as they also start their day and made their way to the dining hall. ¡°G¡¯morning, Ken-nii-chan!¡± ¡°Morning!¡± Morning greetings were exchanged. It was a familiar morning scene for them on a school day. Everyone sat down on their usual chair and ate their breakfast heartily. After receiving some well-deserved praises regarding the food he made, Ken felt the warmth of their affection. (Although it takes some effort, this is not a bad way to start your day.) After the children were finished, Ken ate his share of the food, then, he cleared the plates off the table. As he made his way to his room, he was called by the head master of the orphanage. ¡°Ken! Come to my office before you leave for school.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± (I wonder what it¡¯s about.) Ken had some idea. He continued to his room and changed to his school uniform. Then, he entered the head master¡¯s office as instructed. Their eyes met for a moment, then, he was told to take a seat. Aoyama Jun was a man in his late sixties. He was the sole operating staff of the orphanage aside from a woman from the neighborhood who helped in the afternoon. That is why Ken had to help out as much as he could. ¡°What is it, old man? I¡¯m gonna be late for school!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just talk for a minute. This is your last year in high school. Any thoughts on what you¡¯re going to do after?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Um¡­ I think I want to work full-time and have my own place. I¡¯ve been saving for a while now. I¡¯m more than prepared already.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. You¡¯ve always been diligent around the orphanage. I¡¯m sure you can take care of yourself. But, how about college? Have you thought about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of going to college. I can get a decent salary as I am right now, the foreman said so.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the expense, you know I can help you a bit, right? I mean, you are my son after all.¡± ¡°I know¡­ But that money is better saved for the orphanage. I don¡¯t have an interest that I want to study anyway. But, can we talk about this later? I going to be late again.¡± ¡°Well, okay. But, think about what I said. We¡¯re talking about your future here.¡± Ken didn¡¯t know what to say and the head master was looking at him with a complicated expression. He then hurriedly walked out of the room and head for school. Seeing Ken like that, the head master couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the time that has passed since he first met Ken. *** It was already dark when he heard a knocked on the door. Jun, the head master, has been expecting them for a while, but, they were considerably late. When he opened the door, there were a man and a woman in their early thirties. They were the people from the social services he had been waiting for. Beside the man, seemingly being dragged by the hand, was a small boy around three years old. ¡°Sorry for the wait, Aoyama-san. This kid gave us a lot of trouble earlier. It took us the whole afternoon just trying to catch him. As you can see, he¡¯s a feisty one.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! I see! What a troublesome kid we have here.¡± He leaned down to talk on the kid¡¯s level. ¡°And what is your name, little troublemaker?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell my name to a geezer like you!¡± ¡°Ho? Is that so? Then what should we tell the other kids to call you? Should we go with ¡®Little Troublemaker, after all? It suits you well, I think.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m not little! Ken. My name is Yoshinaga Ken!¡± ¡°Ken-chan, huh? It¡¯s a cuter name than I expected.¡± Despite his protest to the word ¡®cute¡¯. The young Ken blushes a little. They were invited in the house and led to the common room where a number of other kids were playing. Jun spoke. ¡°Everyone, come and greet Ken-chan. He¡¯s going to be living here with us from now on. Get along with each other, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡±, said the children in chorus. Jun and the social services people went into his office to tend to their business leaving Ken surrounded with the other children he didn¡¯t know. The older of the kids approached him first. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ken-chan! My name is Aya. 5 years old¡± ¡°Ken. 3 years old. Nice to meet you.¡± He was then surrounded by the other children as they all introduce themselves to Ken. After concluding their talk with the head master of the orphanage, the people from social services said their goodbyes to Ken. And, that¡¯s how Jun first met Ken. His impression was, even though he¡¯s going through a hard time after losing his parents, Ken was a remarkably energetic kid. But still, there were days when he saw Ken alone and his loneliness can be seen on his face. When with the others, he was cheerful, or, when with him, he was defiant. Thinking back, he regretted that he could not help Ken to be more open with others. Ken got along great with the other kids, especially with the older Aya. They all liked Ken and they could always rely on him. When a children from the orphanage was being bullied in school, Ken is always the first to come to their rescue. He was always in trouble in school and the head master was always called in to talk with his teachers. But instead of being harsher on Ken, the head master always just let it slide. He trusted Ken wouldn¡¯t start a fight without a reason. And the reality was, children from the orphanage was always a target for bullying in school. He was relieved, in a way, that the children have a protector in places he couldn¡¯t go himself. Although, the sheer amount of troubles that Ken got into had an unexpected consequence. To prospective foster parents, he was seen as a violent, troublemaker child. And, the years went by as Ken remained un-adopted. One by one, he watched his friends leave with a family of their own. It was hard to watch even for a kid. And after ten years of being in the orphanage, he was formally adopted by the head master. Ever since then, Ken has started really helping with the chores. He stopped being the cheerful child that he had been and he turned himself to be a responsible adult. Even understanding his circumstances, he couldn¡¯t help but feel left out. He felt that he was being a burden to the orphanage and to the old man. He was in an uncomfortable situation. After some time, keeping in touch with his childhood friends had been bothersome for him. *** On the way to school, Ken had a lot in his mind. (I¡¯m indebted to the old man. I know it. But, that¡¯s exactly why I can¡¯t be hanging out in the orphanage longer than necessary. Even I¡¯m concerned about my future. But, I can¡¯t always be depending on the old man like this. That is why I have to be independent. I can worry about college later.) ¡°Ken-chan, is that you? Ken-chan!¡± He turned to the direction where his name was being called. From across the street, he saw Aya, his childhood friend from the orphanage who was 2 years older than him. Aya was adopted when she was only 10 years of age. They hadn¡¯t seen each other since, but, they recognized each other despite the fact. For a while, they maintain communication through emails and phone calls. Suddenly being called by a beautiful woman, Ken didn¡¯t know what to say. Aya was wearing a simple white shirt and a blue skirt that extend just above the knees. She was carrying a shoulder bag on the right, and, her hair was flowing gracefully over her left shoulder. She had an adult charm that Ken had rarely seen before. Her face was brimming with a smile as she waved happily towards Ken, not caring as the people around them watched the spectacle. But when she began to cross the street, the smile on Ken¡¯s face became frozen. A truck was coming down from the top of the slope and she was on the on its path. ¡°Watch out!¡± He shouted as loud as he could. As the truck sounded its horn, Aya was frozen from the sudden realization of her situation. The front tire skids, unable to gradually slow down the truck to stop its momentum. Ken moved quickly as he jumped oven the pedestrian guard rail and ran to the unmoving Aya. With all his strength, he pushed her off the road. As she fell out of balance on the side walk, she met eyes with Ken before he was hit by the vehicle. Chapter 1.1: Options Chapter 1.1 ¡°Watch out! ¡­huh?¡± In instant, his environment had changed. Ken was floating in mid-air with his arm stretched forward. One moment, he was pushing his friend off the road to save her from an incoming vehicle. The next, he was transported in a bright room seemingly floating on the center. Upon this realization, he fell on the floor. *thud* ¡°Aw¡­ What¡¯s going on? Is this a dream?¡± Recovering from the fall, he heard a voice from behind him. ¡°Well some say that life is but a fleeting dream. Although, I guess, for you, this is what happens when you stopped dreaming since your life just ended. Too bad.¡± Looking behind, Ken saw the figure of a small boy standing there. Aside from him and the boy, there was nothing else in the room, not even a window or a door. The floor, walls, and the ceiling were all white, and the room was brightly lit, even though, he couldn¡¯t tell where the light was coming from. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m dead?¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯d you expect? Jumping in front of a truck as you did, of course, you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Um¡­ So, this is heaven or something?¡± ¡°Kinda.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I thought it would be different. You know, like something up in the clouds, angels all around playing harps.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± The boy snapped his fingers, then, in an instant, there really were angels playing harps, flying around, and playing with each other. And, it looked like they were floating above the clouds.¡± ¡°Whoa¡­¡± ¡°Satisfied?¡± With another snap of the finger, they were back in the bright room as before. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Actually, you¡¯re not in heaven yet.¡± ¡°So, where am I exactly? I am really dead?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in this room. But, this room is not actually anywhere. What I can tell you for certain is that you died. Dead as a, um, a dead person.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re like the gatekeeper of heaven or something? Here to determine whether I qualify or not?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m actually a god, you know? Bask in my presence.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, you know? Believe it or not.¡± ¡°Okay then, so why am I speaking to a god?¡± ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯ve watched your life on earth, you know? Losing your parents in such a young age was tragic, yet you never was paralyzed by the misery. You have a certain strength of character with you. But, you died in such an untimely fashion. Too bad, really.¡± ¡°What about Aya? Is she fine?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. Dying moments after seeing your childhood love like that. Tragic. Maybe it was a chance to rekindle some old affection. Now we¡¯ll never know. Is that what you were thinking?¡± ¡°What? No! I just want to know it she¡¯s got hurt or not.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s fine. What does it matter? It has nothing to do with you anymore.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I guess you¡¯re right. Maybe It is better that I don¡¯t know. ¡°So, on to the topic at hand.¡± ¡°What was it again?¡± ¡°Oh right, I haven¡¯t told you. You see, you¡¯re talking with me right now because I want to give you an option that very few people has. That is, how do you want to reincarnate? You can choose to reincarnate using the traditional route based on your accumulated karma, or, I can transport your into another world, just are you are right now.¡± ¡°Transport into another world?¡± ¡°Yes. A different world that this. A world where magic is possible. If you choose the traditional route, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re reborn with better circumstances than what you¡¯ve experience. If you choose to go to another world, you can go as you are now and I¡¯ll let you retain your memories for better or worse.¡± ¡°So I can use magic in this other world?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you that talent. But, you have to learn how to use it yourself.¡± ¡°How about the traditional route?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be born to loving parents. You won¡¯t be an orphan anymore. Plus, it¡¯ll be to a wealthy family. It¡¯s not bad at all, really.¡± ¡°If that is how it is, why would I choose to go to another world? I think I have a happy life waiting for me if I reincarnate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Actually, it¡¯s more to satisfy my whim. I thought you had real potential, you know? However, because you became an orphan and you had an untimely demise, we¡¯ll never know what could have been. Aren¡¯t you curious? Don¡¯t you want to give it a try?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you god? Don¡¯t you already know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of god. I¡¯m just one of the uncountable gods that exists. I just happen to have some dominion in this world and that other one. I¡¯m not all seeing, you know.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°So? What will it be?¡± Ken gave it some thought. If he decided to be reborn, he could have the life that he¡¯d always wanted. Wealthy, surrounded by loving family. It would be a very good life. However, if he decided to be transported, he¡¯ll be as he was. He could see new things, even try magic. And most of all, he could continue his life in a way and find out for himself what he was really capable of. He had never complained about it before, and maybe he had never realized it before, but he led a limited life somehow. His circumstances had something to do with it, but the fact was, he had decided to limit himself. It was natural for him to accept that there were only so many things that were available to him. If he could be given a chance to continue, even if in a strange world of magic, he¡¯d like to give it a shot. No longer setting limitations for himself, he wanted to chase after his dreams, whatever it was. ¡°Before I choose, can¡¯t you just return me to Earth?¡± ¡°Nope. You died, remember? We can¡¯t have someone coming back to life all of a sudden. Maybe in a different world, it can be accepted, but not there. Although someone has died, your consolation is that you don¡¯t have to mourn your own death. Ha ha! But make no mistake about it, your life in has ended. It¡¯s time to start on a new one. Whichever you choose, think of it as a new life. Well, because it is.¡± Ken was silent for a moment. He really died just like the god said. The headmaster, the children, Aya, he won¡¯t be seeing any of them. But, just like the god said, you can¡¯t mourn your own death. He had no regrets. He was glad he was able to save Aya. (I will miss them. The old man and the kids are probably crying right now, but, I know they¡¯re going to be fine. The old man will take care of them as always. There is really only one thing to do now.) ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Take me to that other world.¡± ¡°He he. I had a feeling you¡¯d say that. I knew you¡¯d be up to the challenge. In that world, I¡¯m known as Altea. Be sure to visit me sometimes in one of my temples.¡± After making his decision, he was back to his normal disposition. ¡°Altea? Isn¡¯t that a girl¡¯s name?¡± He grinned as he teased the miniature god in front of him. ¡°Well, you know, even gods have complicated circumstances of our own. Anyway, it¡¯s not important, you know? I¡¯m not bothered by it, you know?¡± ¡°It looks like it bothers you a lot, actually.¡± ¡°I said that it¡¯s not!¡± ¡°Sure thing, Altea.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re still here? Buh-Bye!!¡± *** His environment changed yet again. From what he can immediately tell, he was within a forest of some sort. All he could here was the rustling of the leaves. (Wow¡­ Is this really a different world? Looks like a normal forest to me, but, this can¡¯t be a dream right? Anyway, that god was really funny.) ¡°Pffft¡­ Altea¡­ Ha ha ha ha-¡° ¡°Kyaa!!!¡± As he was laughing out loud, Ken heard a woman¡¯s scream from behind him. There he saw a girl who looked a couple of years younger than him. She was wearing a white dress that fit smugly on her body. Her chestnut brown hair was in a ponytail. She was carrying a small pack on her back and she was holding a short staff which was encrusted with some small gems. ¡°Oh, hey there! I¡¯m a little bit lost, you see. Could you show me whe-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± ¡°What?¡± (What¡¯s her deal? Why is she looking at me with fear? Wait, that doesn¡¯t really look like fear. Is there something wrong here?) And then, Ken finally realized it. He was completely naked and was standing there like an idiot. ¡°I said, don¡¯t come closer to me, you pervert!¡± ¡°Wai-wai-wait! There¡¯s an explanation for this! Really!! Hey! I¡¯m not a pervert! Don¡¯t run like that! Hey!¡± The girl run as if she just saw an incredible monster. Ken was confused on what just happened. ¡°What the heck just happened? Why am I naked? Ah is it that? Only my body can be transported here? My clothes or anything else was left behind? Wait. Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, this must be a new body right? I mean that god said that I died in that accident. He couldn¡¯t just make my body disappear from there, right? So, this must be a different body that looked exactly like my previous one, right?¡± During his ramblings, he noticed a small pack near to where he was standing. It was located in a spot that he couldn¡¯t easily notice earlier. ¡°Hey what¡¯s this?¡± He checked the contents of the pack. In it he found one trouser made of some fibrous material, one shirt made of a lighter material, one underpants, some straps, one pair of leather boots, and one dagger. ¡°I¡¯m saved! I guess that god put this here for me. Thank you, boy god! He¡¯s not that bad, I guess. Wait, there¡¯s more at the bottom.¡± Removing the other contents of the pack first, then, he took out from it a small pouch. He heard some metallic sounds as he moved it with his hand, and when he untied the strap and checked what¡¯s inside, he saw some shiny silver coins in it. But that¡¯s not all, there was a small note in the pouch. He took the note out, unfolded it, and read the contents. It was written in a strange language that he had never seen before, but surely enough, he was able to understand it as naturally as his native language. The note read, ¡°How does it feel being called a pervert?¡± ¡°What the- Damn it. He did it all on purpose. That brat! He could have transported me here already wearing clothes or to a hidden place where no one could see me, but he, argh.. I¡¯ve never had a woman look at me like that before. When I see that brat again, I¡¯m going to make him pay for this humiliation!¡± Crying at the loss of his gentlemanly image, Ken grudgingly put on the clothes. Using the strap as a belt over the shirt that was too big for him, he looked like your regular peasant from some western medieval movie. The only thing that is agreeable to him was the leather boots that were, at least, comfortable to wear. He slid the dagger in the strap around his waist. Then, he folded the now empty pack and placed it in the strap as well. Not forgetting the pouch of coins, he put it in one of the pockets of his trouser. (Well, at least I¡¯m not naked anymore. I don¡¯t have to lose my dignity as a civilized person every time I see anothe.) (Now, what to do? Hmmm¡­ I should have asked that brat of a god more about this world. All he said was that this is a world of magic. But, now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know what to expect. That girl earlier¡­ She was running in this direction. I wonder if I will find a city or town if I follow her. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll do for now.) The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. (I don¡¯t have any other motive, right? This is just me looking for a settlement or something. This is not some guy following a girl after being seen naked in the woods, right?) After walking for about 20 minutes, Ken had exited the forest. Looking far in the distance, he could see the outline of what seemed to be a walled town, so, he started walking to that direction. Not too soon after, he finally saw some other people walking in the same or the opposite direction as him. Some were equipped in leather armor or robes. Some were even wearing full metal armor. All of them were carrying some weapons like, swords, bows, daggers, or staves. (I guess this is what it¡¯s like in a world with magic. Those with staves must be wizard or mages. It reminds me of the video games that I used to play. Warrior and mages forming a party going in some adventure, killing monsters. Monster? It wouldn¡¯t be weird if there were really monsters around. I guess I should be aware of the surroundings all the time. But, I wonder what are these people doing? They are definitely dressed for battle.) He wanted to ask the people he encountered, but, he hesitated. He would appear ignorant if he were to ask something that was obviously common knowledge. So, he decided to wait until he get to the town so he could make more observations about the life there. *** When he finally reached the gate to the town, Ken observed that people were not required to show some form of identification to walk through the gates. It was a relief to him, since he didn¡¯t have any identification with him. So, he tried to copy the others and walked as casually as he could so as to not garner any unwarranted attention from the guards. ¡°Stop! Hey you there, why are walking like that?¡± ¡°What me? I am not suspicious or anything. Just doing my casual walk as always.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely suspicious when you say it like that, okay? Let us search you before we let you through.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not like I have a dangerous weapon or something.¡± ¡°A dangerous weapon? We definitely have to search you right now, okay?¡± He was taken to the side of the road and his belongings were searched thoroughly. But, it didn¡¯t even take a minute, since, he didn¡¯t really have anything noteworthy with him. Apparently, the dagger did not classify as a dangerous weapon. ¡°Well, sorry for the inconvenience, man. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been through a lot. Here, you can have this to add to your money, okay? Go to the inn and buy yourself some warm soup, okay?¡± The guard handed him a brown coin. ¡°Really? Wow, thanks! You¡¯re a good man after all.¡± ¡°Run along now. Don¡¯t get into any trouble, okay?¡± ¡°Thanks, uncle.¡± After Ken was out of their sight, the younger guard asked his senior. ¡°Sir, why did you give him a a large copper coin? ¡°He is obviously going through a hard time, okay? Just look at his clothes, they were practically rags. I found he only had 3 silver coins with him. Poor fellow, he was probably a victim of the Three Silver Bandits, okay? We¡¯ve been lax in dealing with them since they¡¯re known as a merciful bandit group that gives their victim three silver coins if they don¡¯t resist. However, they are still a menace that must be dealt with as criminals. We have to be vigilant in out next patrol of the road, okay?¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have things like this happening to our good citizens. But still that kid, even after experiencing hardship, he said ¡®Thanks¡¯ to me so earnestly. Such a good kid. You better not forget your manners even in times of hardship, okay?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Okay, sir!¡± *** Walking for the first time in that town, Ken was reminded of the European medieval towns that he saw from television, except, this town did not look as prosperous. One thing he learned from the guard that he talked with earlier was that there should be an inn somewhere in this town where he could get some food. He wasn¡¯t particularly hungry, but, going to an inn seemed the only way he could learn more about this town. Not only was an inn a place a person can hear some recent news, the staff of the inn should be used to receiving people that are strangers to this town. He asked a person nearby to point him to the direction of the inn. He was directed to a building that was relatively close to the gate. At a corner off the main road, he found it. The sign above the door read, ¡°The Fancy Goblin Inn¡±. Ken entered the inn without any ceremony. Across the entry way was the reception counter. A tall woman in her early thirties was behind the counter. She greeted Ken with a smile. ¡°Hello, are you here for a room or food?¡± It was the only inn in this rural town and it accommodated both noble and commoners a like. It had a total of 8 rooms, 6 on the second floor, and 2 bigger rooms on the third floor that are intended for the use of nobles. The first floor housed the kitchen and the dining hall. There was a drive way that leads to the stables on the backyard. The receptionist behind the counter spoke straight to the point but Ken still had a friendly impression of her. ¡°Can I ask how much are they?¡± ¡°A room cost 30 nims per night. That includes breakfast in the morning. A meal cost 5 nims.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll take a room and a meal for one. Will this be enough?¡± He took out a silver coin from his pouch then handed it over to the woman. The woman received it without wondering why someone didn¡¯t know if he¡¯s paying enough. ¡°Yes, your change is 65 nims. Here is 6 large coppers and 5 coppers. Please take a seat over there. I¡¯ll deliver the meal to your table.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ken sat down on the empty chair he was pointed to. (From the exchange, one silver coin is equal to 100 nims which seems to be the common currency around here. There are also the small copper coins that is worth 1 nims each and the large copper coins that is worth 10 nims each. There is probably a gold coin as well with a higher monetary value. It¡¯s a good thing that the woman from the counter is honest.) In his mind, he counted how much money he had left. He had three silvers originally. Then, he was given what he just learned as a large copper coin by the kind guard at the town gate. Subtract from that 35 nims he paid for a meal and a room, now, he should have 275 nims. In his pouch he had two silver coins, seven large copper coins, and five copper coins. With the money he had, he could afford to stay in this inn for 8 nights which include a room and diner every day with 30 nims remaining. He didn¡¯t have a lot to play with. He had to find a way how to earn enough for his daily expenses. And, that is when he noticed the other people in the dining room. On the table on the corner, there was a group of four men. Two of them wore full sets of metal armor, one with a longsword and a shield leaning on his chair, the other has a large sword leaning on the wall beside him. Their helmet was laid on the table. Another man was wearing light armor made of leather with a bow and a quilt full of arrows hanging behind his chair. The last of them was a man wearing an ornamented cloaked robed. His staff was leaning on the wall. Ken listened in their heated discussion. He didn¡¯t have to make an effort of eavesdropping on them as they were talking loud enough for everyone in the dining hall to hear. It seemed they were discussing a job they¡¯re about to take. ¡°Like I said, we are not ready for a quest of this difficulty. Remember last time in the Hircen Caverns? You were almost killed by a were-bear!¡± (Wear-bears? That sounds scary. Some kind of feral bear beast, probably.) ¡°I totally remember. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been improving my skills, right? Look, if we accomplish this quest, we have 60 golds to split among us. And, that¡¯s not counting the treasures.¡± (60 gold, huh. I wonder what you can buy with that.) ¡°That is if we can live to enjoy the reward!¡± (That¡¯s right, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re dead. I should know.) ¡°Come on, where is your adventurer¡¯s spirit?¡± (So, their called adventurers, huh.) ¡°Don¡¯t argue like this, you two. Eric, I understand your concerns. This would be a difficult quest for us to complete. But, with enough preparations, I think we can accomplish it.¡± ¡°A calm one, but he is siding with the loud one.) ¡°That¡¯s right! As expected from our leader. Ha ha ha!¡± ¡°Well, if you think so. But we better be extra cautious this time.¡± ¡°We will. Now, Kyle, you will prepare the camp supply that we need for a month.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Eric, you buy the potions and the rune stones that we need. Include a lot of holy magic rune stones. You can use our party fund as much as you want.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make sure we have more than we need.¡± ¡°Greg, you buy additional 2 horses. They must be suited to carrying our supplies.¡± ¡°Yeah. You got it.¡± ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll go to the Adventurer¡¯s guild to talk with other party leaders and gather more information regarding this underground tomb.¡± (Underground tomb? What sort of monsters are in there?) They seemed to have come to an agreement. After having a toast and finishing their drinks, they all left the inn. ¡°They are a lively bunch, right? Don¡¯t mind the noise. They are not bad people. Adventurers are always like that.¡± It was the receptionist woman who said that. She was carrying a tray of food which she laid down on the table. Ken couldn¡¯t help watching her as she worked. The meal consisted of a plate of meat stew with potatoes, half a roll of bread, and a bowl of salad. He grabbed the spoon immediately and had a taste of the stew. He liked the taste more than he expected. It wasn¡¯t heavily flavored with salt, and the soup was thin, but there was a sweetness in it that binds all the ingredients together. ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± ¡°You like it that much? I¡¯ll tell my husband you said so. He¡¯ll be happy to hear it.¡± ¡°Yes, please give my compliments to the chef.¡± (Che, she¡¯s married.) ¡°He he, you¡¯re a funny one. Anyway, hear is your room key. The room number is written on the tag.¡± ¡°Thank you, can I ask your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mary. My husband¡¯s name is Lloyd.¡± ¡°Mary-san, do you know how can one become an adventurer?¡± ¡°Mary-san?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing important.¡± ¡°Oh, anyway, you want to be an adventurer right? I did not think so, you¡¯re older than most novices. But, if you really want to become an adventurer, you have to go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and register. You have to pay a fee. I don¡¯t know how much it is these days. Then, they¡¯ll give you your card there.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how it is. Can you tell me where can I find the guild?¡± ¡°You can find it easy enough. Just continue on the main street from where you enter from the gate toward the center of the town. You¡¯ll see a tall building with walls made of black stoned and a high pitched roof. You can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll go there after I finish my meal.¡± Ken savored his meal. The flavoring were strange to him, but, they were very nice. After that, he exchanged a greeting with Mary before exiting the inn and heading towards the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Chapter 1.2: Adventurers and Magic Chapter 1.2 The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was located near the center of the town. Just as described to him, it was hard to miss. Its black stone walls contrasted strongly with the surrounding buildings. It has a very sturdy look to it, very fitting for the people that frequented the place. After entering the place, he saw a scene that he expected somehow. A rowdy crowd of men and women populated the lounge where they served drinks and snacks. The other half of the building was occupied by a counter were several lines were formed and a billboard with postings regarding quests was on the side. A small gathering of adventurers were in front of it. Ken decided to go see what kinds of quests were posted on the billboard. Among the people there, he was the only one not equipped for battle. Everyone else decided to ignore the noob. (It seems that quests are divided according to the type of jobs required. There are ¡®Monster Subjugations¡¯, ¡®Items Procurements¡¯, ¡®Escort and Messenger¡¯, ¡®Bounty Hunts¡¯, ¡®Miscellaneous¡¯, and ¡®Special¡¯. Here¡¯s one for goblin subjugation, Rank E. This one is for gathering medicinal herbs, Rank F. Here¡¯s one for escort of a caravan to the capital city, Rank C, with an additional requirement that adventurers wishing to take on the quest have no misdemeanor record. Oh I think this is the quest that that party in the inn was talking about, defeat the guardian of the lowest level in the Underground Tomb of Morax, Rank A.) (Hmmm. I guess there are all sorts of quests. But I wonder if I¡¯m a fit here. I¡¯ve always been confident of my athleticism. I also did Jujitsu for a short time. Without bragging, I can say that I think I can win most of the time in a brawl. However, this is a different world and what I¡¯m going to be facing the most are monsters. If I were to face a monster as ferocious as a lion, I would surely die, again.) While Ken was thinking like that, an adventurer beside him reached for the posted quests he had been staring at for a while. ¡°No offense, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re quite at the level of taking this one on.¡± It was one of the adventures that he saw in the inn. The one who was most likely their leader. Equipped with a full sets of shiny metal armor, a sword on his waist, a heavy shield strapped on his back, the man clearly stood out even amongst other adventurers. ¡°I was not thinking of taking the quest. I am not even registered yet as an adventurer. As you can see from how I look.¡± ¡°Oh, but, you are thinking of becoming one, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking.¡± ¡°So, why are you hesitating for? You look like you can handle yourself in a fight.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking about something like that quest you¡¯re taking. How can I possibly battle a monster like that?¡± ¡°Well, the simple answer is that you can¡¯t. Not yet, anyway. Everybody started off like you. You have to get stronger and improve your skills, then you might defeat a strong monster. There is nothing certain in the life of an adventurer after all.¡± ¡°How does one get stronger, anyway? I mean in a literal sense There is only so much a human can do, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, that¡¯s also why we train our body and mind, right? You seem to be like the inner magic type, so if you improve the use of the mana in your body, someday you can win a wrestling match against a bear. But you knew that already, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Right. I guess I¡¯m just having second thoughts.¡± (Inner magic type? Mana in the body? I absolutely have no idea about something like that!) ¡°I guess it can be nerve-wracking in the beginning. But you look like a promising talent. My name is Axel. I lead a party of adventurers called the Dawnbreakers¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ken. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Anyway, I have to leave soon. But, let me tell you about something I heard as a young kid. It does not matter how strong you are now. What matter is whether or not you are an adventurer in your heart.¡± ¡°Adventurer in your heart?¡± ¡°Well, it sounds better when I heard it a long time ago. But, what I mean is, there are all kinds of work you can do as an adventurer, some very dangerous, some not so much. But, the adventurers that become successful are those who has the drive to explore the unknown, see the mysteries of the world, and challenge their limits. If you have those drive in you, you¡¯re already an adventurer.¡± ¡°I think I get it.¡± ¡°Do you really? Ha ha ha. I think I said something nice just now. Ha ha ha.. Anyway I have to meet my party right now. Maybe I¡¯ll see you next month. Try not to die out there, alright?¡± ¡°You too, Axel. Good luck with your quest!¡± They parted in good terms. Ken truly wished them good fortune in their quest. He felt lucky he met someone like Axel just then. He decided to return the favor one day. Hopefully, when they return, they can speak again. (Anyway, I just heard something strange. Inner magic? Mana? I have to learn what they are fast. For now, let¡¯s register.) *** Ken saw that behind the counter were three receptionists, each one had a line forming in front of them. One of the lines were noticeably shorter than the rest. The others had at least 8 people waiting on them. He chose to wait on the shorter line with only a couple of people ahead of him. I didn¡¯t take long for him to realize why the lines were so unequal. The staff in charge where he was waiting was a scary looking man with bronze skin and bulging muscle. While, the other two receptionist were lovely young ladies. He wanted to switch lines since the scary man would probably have no patience for a rookie like him, but, they had already made eye contact. There was no retreating anymore. When his turn came, he heard a very deep voice that came out from the receptionist. ¡°How can we serve you today?¡± It was very eerie to hear him speak so politely. It made Ken shake a bit. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯d like to register as a beginner¡­ Please.¡± ¡°Then, I welcome you to the Grassvale Adventurer¡¯s Guild. My name is Claude. Registration cost 50 nims for beginners.¡± (Grassvale is the name of the town, right? I should have learned this earlier.) He handed 5 large copper coins to Claude. ¡°I¡¯ve received it. Would you like an explanation of the rules?¡± ¡°Yes. I am called Ken. Also, it would be nice if you can tell me more about being an adventurer. Please.¡± ¡°Very well. Adventurers are people who complete jobs or quests for rewards. Unlike a mercenary, they are not hired with contracts and payment are received only after successfully completing the task. These tasks varies from hunting monsters to escorting merchants. The guild accepts pretty much any kind of quests as long as it¡¯s not requiring to break the law and does not constitute as espionage of other territories. So, there are a big number of quests to choose from. However, an adventurer can only accept quests that are ranked no higher than one level above their own rank as an adventurer. For example, a ranked C adventurer can take on a ranked B quest. Of course, the risk involve is the adventurer¡¯s responsibility. The ranking goes from F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS, from lowest danger to the highest. Are you following?¡± ¡°Yes, please continue. Please.¡± ¡°Up to eight adventurers can register in to a party. The rank of the party depends on the average rank of the members. The same restriction applies where they can take a quest as a party one rank higher than the party¡¯s rank. Whether a quest is completed as a party or not does not affect the reward indicated.¡± ¡°Meaning a party has to split the reward among the members?¡± ¡°Precisely. Let¡¯s continue. A starting adventurer will be ranked F. Promotion of rank is achieved after passing a test of skill which an adventurer can be qualified after completing 3 quests that are higher than their own rank whether they did so as a party or solo. In your case, after you complete 3 quest that are ranked E or higher, you can take a test of skill here. If you pass that test, you¡¯ll be promoted to rank E.¡± ¡°Oh, so, one can¡¯t be promoted simply by partying with a higher ranked adventurer?¡± ¡°The tests was put in practice for that reason.¡± ¡°If there is a test of skill involve in promotion, can¡¯t someone start at a higher rank if they could prove their skill?¡± ¡°Most beginners who are confident of their skill think that. However, the job of adventurer does not only involve fighting. There are multitude of necessary skills that can be learn only through experience. So, everyone is required to start at the lowest rank.¡± ¡°I get it. I guess this system is in place to reduce the casualty in the field, huh.¡± ¡°Precisely, now on to the rules. Adventurers are people who enjoy their freedom the most, so there are only two rules you must adhere to. First is, do not break the law. Being an adventurer will not exempt you from the local laws in place and the guild will not harbor any criminals. Second is, respect the other adventurers. You don¡¯t have to be nice to them, but, stealing from, fighting with, or any form of mistreatment against other adventurer no matter their rank is frowned upon. Basically, you must treat the others as you¡¯d like to be treated. Breaking these two rules can result to demotion in rank, suspension, or having their adventurer¡¯s card revoked permanently, meaning they can¡¯t take any quest anymore, depending on the gravity of their transgressions. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Now, fill up this form. Only name, race, and age are required from you to write. However, the others can improve the services we can provide to you. Do you need assistance in writing?¡± ¡°No, I think I can manage.¡± Sure enough, he was able to write using the local language. For his given name, he wrote Ken, for his family name, he wrote Aoyama. For his age, he wrote 17 years old. However, he paused before writing the race. ¡°Umm. What should I put in race?¡± The receptionist raised his eyebrow on that question. ¡°Human, of course. You are human, right?¡± ¡°Oh right, right. I was thinking of something else.¡± (Does that mean there are other people other than humans?) He left the other questions unanswered, such as, hometown, combat class, specialties. He didn¡¯t really know what to answer to those questions even if he wanted to. He handed the form back to the receptionist. ¡°Ken Aoyama. Am I saying it correctly?¡± ¡°Yes, perfectly.¡± ¡°Okay. Please wait outside that door to the left. Another staff will meet you there for issuing your adventurer¡¯s card.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± He bowed as he was used to when saying thanks. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. (That Claude was very courteous despite being so scary looking.) *** Ken proceeded to wait outside the door as directed. After about 7 minutes, a young woman came out and spoke to him. ¡°Ken Aoyama?¡± ¡°Yes, I am Ken.¡± ¡°My name is Shana. Please follow me.¡± He was lead to a small room containing 2 couches facing each other and a coffee table in between them. On the top of the coffee table was a crystal orb and some papers. On the other side of the room, there was a door that lead to another room where they organize the paper works of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Ken was instructed to seat down and the woman sat across him. ¡°Now mister Aoyama. Please touch this orb for a bit. We use this magic tool in issuing your adventurer¡¯s card. With it, we can infuse your mana in this card here to make it so that only you can use it.¡± Ken did as she instructed. When he placed his palm on the orb, it glowed white. The card attached to a pocket in the base of the orb also glowed. It was Ken¡¯s first interaction with anything magical. He was rightly amazed. ¡°That should be enough. Let¡¯s see here.¡± She took the card from the base. ¡°As you can see, the card is not showing anything. Here, you hold it.¡± Ken took the card from her. After touching the card with his hand, some characters can be seen appearing. Ken Aoyama Rank F Human ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s ancient technology, you know? He he. Anyway, in case of a promotion, we will repeat this process to make the card reflect your rank.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°This card is valid in any place where there are adventurer¡¯s guild. You can use it as a form of identification. It allows you to take quests and determine what difficulty of quests you¡¯re certified to take. You are required to show it every time you take or complete a quest. You¡¯re adventurer¡¯s record can also be read from this card by any Adventurer¡¯s Guild building, A record is also kept at the Head Quarters at the capital which can be accessed by any guild. If you lose it, you have to pay 100 nims for a reissue, so, please take care of it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°You¡¯re now an adventurer. Congratulations, mister Aoyama¡± ¡°Thanks, Shana. Just call me Ken. Do you know where I do some studying before picking a quest?¡± ¡°Yes. That is a very good attitude for a rookie. As a registered adventurer, you can use the library we have on the upper level of this building.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s convenient. Thanks.¡± ¡°Good luck, Ken!¡± Ken said his thanks again and walked out of the room. He proceeded upstairs to the library. There were certain things that he wanted to learn about before taking any quest. He then searched the whole selection of the library for books pertaining to magic type, mana or anything regarding the use of magic. Skimming through all the materials he picked took him the rest of the afternoon. After which, he summarized what he learned in his mind. (In this world called Orbus, mana or magical energy exists. There are some who are able to use mana to create phenomenon called magic. Their talents can be classified as Internal Magic Type or External Magic Type. There are many ways in which magic is practiced, but the all fall into one of these two classifications. Those who are talented in Internal Magic Type can burn the mana inside their body to increase their strength, speed, or durability. Those who are talented in External Magic Type can shoot out their mana outside their body in form of spells.) (Having said that, any magic practitioner have 2 aspect in them that determine their capability in using magic. These are a person¡¯s Mana Volume and Mana Flow Rate. Mana Volume is the amount of available magical energy a person can use which is stored in his body. Mana Flow Rate is the amount of mana a person can use at a time. A person with higher Mana Flow Rate has access to higher tier spells that require high mana consumption while having a higher Mana Volume can determine how many times he can use the same spell.) Since it has become too late to begin any quest, Ken decided to go back to the inn for now. Outside the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, he saw many people were coming out of a large building. It seemed to be a temple and a mass had just finished. It reminded him that the god that sent him to that world told him to visit him in one of his temples. So, he decided to check out the temple. *** He saw a plump man in his 40¡¯s who was wearing an ornate white robe. He had a very friendly expression. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m new in town. Can I asked which god is this temple dedicated to?¡± ¡°Well, my son, that¡¯ll be the Altea, the goddess of mercy and deliverance, she who guides the lost souls and watches over the ignored. Have you come to worship?¡± (Goddess of mercy, who guides the lost souls? That brat? Yeah right.) ¡°Pfft¡­ Can I still enter the temple even though everyone has left?¡± ¡°Of course, this temple is always open for those seeking the goddess¡¯ guidance. Except after 9:00 PM, or during holidays. Ha ha ha. It¡¯s a joke, you see. Come, let me show you inside¡± ¡°Ha ha. Thank you.¡± He was lead by the priest inside. At the altar, there was a magnificent statue of the goddess Altea. It was nothing close to the form that Ken saw when he talked in person with the goddess. He made his way to the front and took a seat there. (Now then, how do I call out to god? Like this?) He pressed his hand together in front of his chest and bowed his head slightly. And then, he was, once again, in the empty room where he met the goddess, or god judging from his current form of a young boy. ¡°Hey it worked.¡± ¡°Think what you like. So, how was your first day in a different world?¡± ¡°It was fine, O great goddess Altea, ever so merciful and benevolent.¡± ¡°You¡¯re having fun now? Do you want something worse to happen than this morning?¡± Ken remembered. He appeared in the middle of the woods naked as a new born, and he was seen by a young woman while he¡¯s laughing by himself in his birthday suit. ¡°No, no, no. Just kidding around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it. So, you have something to ask right? Why else would you visit me if you don¡¯t need anything?¡± ¡°I just came to talk about this body of mine. You said that I could use magic, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve given you a talented body.¡± ¡°So, I do I go about using magic? You see, I¡¯ve become an adventurer. It would be nice if I could use magic in my adventures.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really sure myself. You know, just imagine it. Imagine it.¡± ¡°What can¡¯t you impart some godly wisdom for once?¡± ¡°Well, I know that there are different methods of magic. There are those that recites spell, or invocations. There are also those who perform rituals. And there are those who uses runes. But they are basically the same. All of them uses mana as the source of energy. Many human mage start with spells.¡± ¡°Then how can I learn spells?¡± ¡°You have to learn it from a spell tome, or find a teacher. This is basic, come on!¡± ¡°Well, I really don¡¯t know what to expect in this world.¡± ¡°One thing I should tell you, and you should be happy about this, is that I made you capable of using both Internal Magic and External Magic as they call it.¡± ¡°Really, that¡¯s great. I¡¯ll learn some spells as soon as I can, then.¡± ¡°Okay. As a token for your first visit, I¡¯ll give you a gift. When you return, you will have basic knowledge and mastery of Enchanting. Many ages ago magical craftsman are able to put enchantments to objects such as weapon. It¡¯ll be fun as long as you use it wisely.¡± ¡°That sounds useful.¡± ¡°Well, have fun.¡± He was back in the church. Actually, you could say that only his consciousness were transported in that empty room. In the physical world, he hadn¡¯t move at all from his praying pose and only about a second has passed. ¡°Wha- impossible!¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± The priest was still standing next to him. He saw Ken glowed a little bit for a moment. ¡°You received a blessing just like that? You¡¯ve just seated for a second. Then, you receive a blessing from the god!¡± ¡°Is that called receiving a blessing? I guess your right?¡± (Was it the gift of Enchanting?) ¡°I¡¯ve heard it before, but, it¡¯s the first time I saw one in person. And, you¡¯re not even a priest! No offense but, dressed as you are, you don¡¯t look that pious to me.¡± ¡°Do not judge a book by its cover.¡± ¡°Oh. Such wise words. Truly, you can¡¯t judge a person by the way they look. I¡¯m reflecting on my inexperience. For one so young as you, it¡¯s expected for a person that has received a blessing.¡± (What? I was only joking here. This guy is so serious.) ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯ve reflected. I will leave now, thank you for inviting me.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, sir! Perhaps we can talk more? We can share our praises about goddess Altea, full of mercy.¡± ¡°Perhaps some other time. There is no rush.¡± ¡°Well then, can I at least learn your name, sir?¡± ¡°You can call me Ken.¡± ¡°Ken the blessed, apostle of the goddess Altea. It¡¯s an honor. I am called Alfonse. I have the privilege of leading this humble temple to our goddess.¡± ¡°It is good to meet you, Father Alfonse. Have a goodnight.¡± (I ended up playing as some wise, pious man.)