I had defeated the B-ranked mercenary, Dox, and was being carried off by a bunch of happy onlookers, but now I was being interrogated at the guard station.
Well, it's no surprise.
Without going into details, I had gotten into a fight right in front of the guards. Fortunately, the guards seemed to be quite sympathetic towards me.
"You don't have to be so cautious, Kou-san. What you did was clearly self-defense, and you will not be charged with a crime. However, we really need to question the people involved… I'm sorry, but I need your cooperation."
The interrogation was so relaxed that I almost forgot the meaning of the words. The fact-checking went on and on, and in the end, it was almost like a casual chat.
"I can't say this out loud, but there's actually been an increase in the number of troubles involving the mercenary guild lately."
"Is that so?"
"The Adventurer's Guild is a tight-knit organization, but the Mercenary Guild is a bit…"
"Could it be possible that the mercenaries may try to avenge Dox?"
"It's okay. Dox was hated by the other mercenaries as well. The mercenary guild's members must be overjoyed right now."
Hey, hey, is that okay with the mercenary guild?
In many ways, it's a good-for-nothing organization…
* * *
By the time the interrogation was over, it was already late in the night.
Normally, you would need some kind of identification to enter the city, which I didn't have. Fortunately, thanks to Chrome-san's help as a guarantor, I was able to enter the city of Aunen.
"Thank you, Chrome-san."
"You saved my life, Kou-sama. It is only natural for me to do this. Please stay at my mansion today."
"Are you sure it won't bother you?"
"No, I'm fine. It must be difficult to find a place to stay at this time of night, so don't hesitate."
If he said this much, it would be rude to refuse. I decided to head to Chrome-san's mansion.
As a side note, while I was being interrogated, Chrome-san reported the incident to the mercenary guild and told them that he would never work with them again.
I thought that was a good idea too.
When I left the guard station, I saw a neat little carriage parked there.
An elderly man in a butler's uniform stood beside the carriage and bowed politely when he saw Chrome-san.
"Grand Master, I have come to pick you up."
"I'm sorry for the trouble. …This is my butler. Kou-sama, let's take the carriage to the mansion."
The streets of Aunen were more modern than medieval, with magical lights illuminating the night. It was already late in the night, but there were many people walking around.
The people's clothes were quite sophisticated, and from my modern eyes, they didn't look out of place.
It seemed that the level of civilization in this world was reasonably high.
As soon as they saw this carriage, the city residents rushed to clear the way, and I wondered if Chrome-san might be a very influential person.
When I thought back at the city gate, the guards were very polite to Chrome-san as well.
If I considered that I had such an influential person feel indebted to me, my life in another world may be off to a relatively good start.
I'm grateful for that.
The carriage soon entered a quiet residential area. It stopped in front of a magnificent building amidst a row of large mansions.
"Well, let's go, Kou-sama."
"Um, sorry for the inconvenience…"
When I entered the mansion, I saw that the entrance was lined with men and women who appeared to be servants.
As I thought, this guy is really rich!
* * *
After returning the luggage and the wagon to Chrome-san from the [item box], it was time for dinner.
The menu was quite luxurious, starting with appetizers and soup, followed by fish, meat, and dessert ─ like a full course of French cuisine. The meat dish, "Aunen Roasted Chicken," was incredibly delicious, with the juices overflowing with umami every time I bit into the tender chicken.
I stayed at the mansion for the night.
The guest room was as luxurious and spacious as a high-class hotel, and the bed was very comfortable.
I laid down to relax and thought about the future.
"If you ask me if I want to go back to the modern world, hmm…"
Even if I could go back to Japan, what awaited me would be the busy life of being a company employee. I don't have a girlfriend, and my parents died a few years ago.
To be honest, I didn't have any regrets about that world.
"This world is much more appealing than modern Japan…"
Going to a video game-like different world and having a great adventure that couldn't be done in modern life…
I'm sure everyone has imagined such a situation at least once.
I myself am thrilled beyond belief at this point in my life.
Now that I'd been released from the company, I wanted to travel freely and enjoy the other world. However, that's a goal for later.
I'd just arrived in this world and lacked common sense.
First of all, I should get used to living in this city and getting accustomed to the other world. Now's the time to solidify my foothold.
"Oh, well, I need to think about a house, too."
If I wanted to live here, naturally I'd need a place to live. I don't want to stay out in the open or live on the streets.
Oh, that's right. I also need to find a job. Without money, I couldn't make a living.
There were many things I had to worry about, but I couldn't figure out all of them by myself. There were just too many things I didn't know.
I felt bad for Chrome-san, but I'd have to trouble him with some more questions tomorrow.
The next day, after breakfast, I asked Chrome-san for advice.
As for accommodation, to my surprise, Chrome-san said he could get me a place to stay for a month.
"This is my way of thanking you for saving my life. You've been living deep in the mountains for a long time, so you probably don't know much about life in the city. It may be difficult for you to start living alone suddenly. How about spending some time at the inn first and getting used to the atmosphere of the city?"
Chrome-san's suggestion made sense to me. Living alone in a strange place was very unsettling. In that sense, using the inn as a base for living was a good idea.
If I have any problems, I can just ask the staff.
"Since the inn is run by my trading company, I can guarantee the quality of service. If you have any problems, you can always ask me."
That's reliable… I mean, his trading company?
When I asked the question, I got an unexpected answer. When we first met, Chrome-san claimed to be a merchant, but in fact, he was not just some ordinary merchant.
He was the chairman of a large trading company called the Scarlet Trading Company.
The reason why he was traveling alone like a peddler was that he wanted to "remember the feel of the field itself." He was very self-conscious.
However, this incident prompted him to decide to hand over the position of chairman to his son.
"The gods in heaven must have prepared a relationship with Kou-sama as a 'retirement gift' for me."
"I'm not much of a good person, you know. It is just that I have good skills…"
Chrome-san complimented me greatly, but it was difficult for me to accept such praise straightforwardly.
After all, it's all thanks to my skills.
When I was summoned to the other world, I just happened to have strong skills that allowed me to play an active role. It's not something I've worked hard to achieve.
I feel a little guilty, and I sigh a little.
Then, Chrome-san said with a serious expression.
"As an old man, I would like to advise you that there is a big difference between 'drawing a good hand' and 'mastering a good hand.' There are plenty of people who are blessed with skills but can't use them, or can only use them in ways that make the people around them unhappy."
When I heard this, I immediately thought of the mercenary Dox.
Even if he has the [Swordsmanship] skill, it will be the end if he abandons his client.
"But Kou-sama is different. You used your superior skills and even saved my life. You should be proud of that."
"…Thank you very much. I'll keep that in mind."
As I bowed my head, I thought about the values of this world. The concept of skills existed in this world, but it probably had more to do with people's values than I thought.
Now that the talk is over, I'm going to ask him about work.
I also told him that I would like to see the world.
"If that's the case, I think it would be best to register with the Adventurer's Guild. With your abilities, you should be able to climb to a high rank in no time, and you should be able to live an above-average life."
Also, once registered with the Adventurer's Guild, an adventurer's registration card would be issued, which also served as an ID.
"I understand. I will register with the Adventurer's Guild."
"I think that's the most suitable way. …Oh, yes. I heard from a veteran adventurer that you should wear armor when you register. If you look weak, you will be treated poorly by others. You should also avoid using honorific or polite language."
Since being an adventurer was a yakuza kind of business, I guess it's important to keep one's reputation…
If that's the case, the suit is a bit delicate, and I'd like to get some armor somewhere.
As I walked back to my room after leaving Chrome-san, I had a flash of inspiration.
"Armored Bear… If I were to put armor into Japanese, it would be armor…?"
[T/n: He used Katakana アーマー at first and Kanji 鎧 at the later.]
I know it sounds like a pun, but could I make armor out of Armored Bear?
I opened the [Item Box] in my mind.
The [Item Box] contents are quite chaotic, including weapons made of hikino materials and dishes, tables, and chairs. The corpse of the Armored Bear is also stored there.
First, I activated [Dismantle] as a preliminary step.
In addition to the Armored Bear's head, I also obtained about ten Armored Bear pelts and Armored Bear steel shells. The steel shells were probably the metal-like material that had covered the Armored Bear's body.
Now that I had new material, a corresponding recipe came to mind.
…Apparently, as expected, the Armored Bear's materials can be used to create armor.
Hmm, my hunch is not completely abandoned.
Feeling a bit proud, I activate [Creation].
After a few seconds of pause, a new item was added to my [Item Box].
Armored Bear Armor: Armor made of Armored Bear material. The armor is not very heavy, but its strong steel shells provide a high level of protection.
Granted Effect:"Physical Defense Enhancement A+""Monstrous Strength S+""Hearing Enhancement A"
The"Physical Defense Enhancement A+"can be considered as a positive adjustment to defense, while the"Monstrous Strength S+"can be considered as a positive adjustment to attack power.
I'm also grateful for"Hearing Enhancement A". It seems to be able to detect the approach of a monster right away.
In summary, this is equipment for battle.
"For now, let's get dressed."
I was about to take out the Armored Bear Armor from the [Item Box].
At that moment, an inorganic voice echoed in my mind.
Would you like to equip the Armored Bear Armor?
It's a very RPG-like message…
I said "Yes," and then something unexpected happened.
The suit I was wearing seemed to disappear, and the next thing I knew, my entire body was covered in leather armor.
My chest, shoulders, elbows, and knees were heavily protected by the steel shells.
The instantaneous change of attire was like a hero's transformation. I've never worn armor before, so it's nice to have it automatically equipped for me.
There was a mirror in the room so I could check my appearance.
"…It looks wild."
On my left shoulder was the lifeless head of the Armored Bear.
This was a decorative stuffed animal, hollow inside. It has nothing to do with the armor's defensive capabilities, but it has an angry expression on its face and is very intimidating.
If I wore this, I wouldn't be taken lightly, and it would be the perfect outfit for my debut as an adventurer.