The Tale of A Man Who Believed That His Reincarnation Had Granted Him A Japanese Sword And The Greatest Battle Sense, Only To Have The God Finally Inform Him "Huh, I Didn't Give You Any Combat Sense… That's Scary…" - Episode 27

Wriggling on the bed like a caterpillar, I deliberated several times whether to indulge in more sleep or get up, and as I recalled the events of last night in a flashback, I suddenly propped myself up on the bed.

What I see from the bed is a room in the Roiji Hotel. However, neither Laila nor Utsuho is there, just an empty and spacious room.

Last night, at Jottem’s hammer, Laila asked me if I was interested in living alone. Utsuho, somewhat puzzled, asked Laila the reason, but her answer was simple.

“I used to keep him within my reach like a precious item, but I thought it would be better for him to be able to stand on his own as an individual.”

She said that. Somehow, I could sense the intention behind her suddenly saying such a thing. She had always seen me as a product, so she always wanted to keep me within reach and was indirectly trying to put a collar on me to make me obey her commands.

However, she apologized for that and expressed her desire to build an equal relationship between people rather than between people and things. The mention of living alone when leaving Edinburgh this time was likely due to that sentiment.

However, after that, things got a bit tough. Ms. Utsuho, who had carried me under her arm and rushed back to the Roiji Hotel where I was supposed to have checked out, booked a room for a few extra days until a place for her to live alone was decided. After securing the room, she collected the clothes I had for the swordsmanship tournament and got me a replacement outfit from a nearby store that was barely still open.

After that, in order to get help with various things to start living alone, Laila-san bowed her head and asked Luise-san and Dantsu-san for assistance. Luise-san and Dantsu-san kindly promised to send someone to the hotel to help.

And then, Ms. Lyra, at the front of Jottem’s Great Hammer shop, handed over a bag of gold coins as a living allowance for her new life. Finally, she gently held hands with a hint of reluctance and hurried back to Lainchester with Ms. Utsuho, who had finished all her preparations.

“I wandered around the forest for a whole month after coming to this world, and during that time, being alone wasn’t a problem at all. But after being with someone, being alone again just feels so lonely.”

Indeed, muttering to myself, I changed into the spare clothes that Utsuho-san had prepared for me yesterday. Compared to the clothes for the swordsmanship tournament, the clothes she provided were quite ordinary. It was a shirt, pants, sandals, and a slightly short brown leather jacket.

Just as I finished changing, there was a timely knock on the door. When I opened the door, a woman with a composed demeanor and black hair was standing there.

Long, jet-black hair reaching down to her waist, a pitch-black blouse, a pitch-black jacket that looks like men’s wear, pitch-black skinny jeans, and pin heels with a crow feather design. Her face is quite beautiful, and her sharp gaze is distinctive. At first glance, she might seem like a stranger.

If you only extract the black part, it looks like someone drunk with Jottem’s hammer, but there’s no way such a reliable person would get that drunk.

“Good morning, cute boy! Luise and Dantsu asked me to come help you out with your living situation. This is the third day we’ve met, right?”

I couldn’t grasp the words of the tall, cool, lively older sister who winked with a snap☆.

No, no, no, that’s not it. Just because this cool-looking lady in front of me, who seems like a punk rock fan and came to help, got completely wasted two days in a row at the bar we went to doesn’t mean I’m a pathetic drunkard… doesn’t mean…

“Oh, I see. By the way, miss… what is your relationship with Luise and Dantsu?”

“About our relationship, you don’t have to react so coldly, kid. After all, we’re already acquaintances, right? Well, if you want me to answer your question, I guess we’re regular customers at your place.”

It’s the drunkard! They’ve only been to that bar for two days, but every time they get incredibly drunk and have a massive vomit, that person in all black is the drunkard!!

Aww… I thought, “Yay! A cool older sister came to help!” But it turns out she was that drunk person I knew… But if she’s such a dignified person, then it probably wouldn’t be anything if she didn’t drink, right? Maybe, definitely.

“Um, well then, could you please help me prepare for living alone? My name is Enri, what should I call you?”

“Call me Lito! I’ve told Luise and Dantsu to call me that too, and even though I haven’t been in this town for long, I’ve been moving around a lot. Leave this kind of thing to me!”

Once again, Lito-san winks with a snap and proudly pats her chest. Anyway, let’s rely on her for the preparations for her first solo living in another world.

“I have received money from the person who told me to live alone, so I think that will cover my immediate expenses.”

“I hear you, I hear you. You’ve received money from some well-off lady, right? Then let’s use that money to first find a place to live!”

While talking about such things, we left the room, and when I showed the bag of gold coins I received yesterday to Lito-san, his eyes sparkled with amazement at its incredible weight. As we walked towards the city center after leaving the hotel, he told me a bit about where he lives.

“When I move to a new town, I usually either rent an empty house or stay long-term at an inn.”

“With a vacant house, you need to bring your own furniture and stuff, but in the long run, it ends up being cheaper, and most importantly, you don’t have to worry about other people, so it’s really convenient. Renting a room in an inn for a long time can be quite expensive, but since it’s usually attached to a tavern, it’s easy to get meals and they even clean for you!”

I see, so the options are either an empty house or an inn. When I was with Laila, the chores were basically handled by Utsuho and the other maids, but when I’m alone, it won’t be that easy.

As I continued down the road, I reached the center of Redinbara in about ten minutes. The center was bustling with stalls and peddlers, and looking at the buildings, there were general stores, butcher shops, and weapon shops that adventurers would likely frequent. This must be what they call a commercial district.

Looking at the bustling street, I can see the café that Utsuho-san took me to before in the distance. Also, it seems there is a park with a large pond right next to the street lined with shops.

“Come on, kid! Make your choice! Experience the hassle of furnishing a rented house like your sister did, or rent a room at an inn and get kicked out for your bad drinking habits!”

“For now, I plan to stay here for about a month, so I think I’ll choose the inn. However, since I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t think I’ll be kicked out.”

“Yeah, yeah, I think a guesthouse is a good option for your first time living alone. They have all the furniture you need, and most importantly, you won’t have the sad trouble of having to sleep on the floor until you get your furniture!”

“Well then, let’s quickly secure a good inn,” Lito said cheerfully, waving both hands and swinging her long hair back and forth like a pendulum as she started walking again. She passed by a group of adventurers pondering in front of a shop lined with weapons, then walked past a girl engaged in a fierce price negotiation next to a pig hanging at the butcher’s, and finally stopped in front of a tavern, following Lito.

The tavern, with its white plaster walls and brown wooden pillars, appears to be four stories tall. It is wider than the other buildings lined up next to it, and the entrance on the first floor features a pair of heavy, impressive wooden doors that swing open. However, a sign reading “Closed” is hung on the door.

“Yes! We’ve arrived! This is my top recommendation for a tavern and inn in Redinbara! ‘Witch’s Staff Storage’! The same person runs both the tavern and the inn, and the best part is that if you run out of money, you can delay payment for up to two weeks!”

With a huff, Lito-san places his hands on his hips and stares at me as if to say, “Well, what do you think?” Were there no other selling points? Like the food being delicious, the cleaning being thorough, or the long grace period for payment delays—could those be considered selling points? I’m at a loss for how to respond.

“Since it’s a recommendation from Lito-san, does that mean Lito-san is also staying here?”

“Hmm… they’re not here anymore, they’re causing trouble for someone else now.”

“I see… um, there’s a ‘Closed’ sign hanging up, but is it okay if I come in?”

“Don’t worry! Don’t worry! That person is probably working on the first floor at this hour anyway! Let’s go in!”

“Here we go!” Mr. Lito grabbed the handle of the double doors and pushed them forward, causing the doors to swing open. Upon entering, the interior was dimly lit, with no lights turned on and only the light coming through the windows serving as a source of illumination.

The ground floor area spreads out like a wide hall, with a staircase on each side leading up to the second floor. At the very back of the hall, there is a large counter, presumably for serving food. Inside the counter, someone is standing and seems to be working on something. The person, noticing the sound of the door that Lito and I opened, left the counter and came towards us.

“Hey, hey, I thought I put a ‘CLOSED’ sign on the entrance door properly, but are you guys wild animals who can’t even read?”

“Hey! Jin-san, long time no see!”

“………… Huh, I see. Lito and their partner, huh? Well, even if they couldn’t read the sign, it wouldn’t be suspicious. Did you come to pay off the tab from five days ago?”

“I’ll pay in nine days, I will, I will~. Oh, and I didn’t come here to drink on credit today! Ta-da! I’m a valuable new customer~!”

The person who approached me and Lito-san was an intellectual man wearing square-framed glasses. He had dark brown hair with some white mixed in, styled in a mohawk with the sides shaved. He was dressed in simple black and white clothes, and he wore a slightly cute brown apron.

The man called Jin looked at me peeking from behind Lito-san, then redirected his gaze back to Lito-san.

“He’s a bit too big for your kid, did you kidnap him from somewhere?”

“Jin-san, what do you think I am? I was asked by the bartender at Jottem’s Great Hammer to guide you!”

“Did the Highmarble couple ask you to do this? I see. Good for you, kid in the back, getting guided when this guy has no alcohol in his system.”

Ignoring Lito-san, who was puffing up his cheeks, Jin-san returned to the counter at the back and took out a ledger from inside. After bringing the ledger back, Jin-san pulled over a nearby round table, placed it near me, and then set the ledger and a pen that looked like a fountain pen on it.

“Well, our policy is to not refuse those who come and not chase away those who leave, and we expect you to pay your tab. It’s 4,000 gold per night, you can order food from the tavern, cleaning is once a day, and feel free to use the room as you like. If you get drunk and make a mess, you’ll have to clean it up yourself. That’s all. If you can accept that, sign the ledger.”

Mr. Jin, with a familiar demeanor, explained the fees and rules for the stay, then opened the ledger and tapped the space for writing names with his finger. When he picked up a pen that looked like a fountain pen and tried to write his name in the ledger, he realized a shocking fact. I… I can read and speak, but I can’t write— I can’t even write my own name!

“…What’s wrong, kid? Have you forgotten your own name?”

“I-I can’t write… Speaking of which, I can’t write…”

Jin-san and Lito-san exchanged glances in front of me, who was frozen with a pen in hand.

That’s right, indeed. I’ve never experienced a situation where I had to write something voluntarily by myself. The last check was filled out by Laila for all the necessary parts, Laila handled the registration for the swordsmanship tournament, and when I went to Sophia’s shop, there wasn’t anything to write anyway.

Understanding the fact that I can’t write makes me almost speechless. This really means I need to live alone or do something to encourage independence. It’s a matter of how much I’ve been relying on Laila-san and Utsuho-san for everything other than fighting.

But, you know, if I can read and speak, I thought I could write too… but I actually couldn’t. It seems that when it comes to writing characters that remain in this world, the reincarnation perk’s translation doesn’t work.

“I see, well, since we can have a normal conversation, I thought you could write. So, you can’t write… Hey, Lito, you know our rules, right? The person themselves has to write. Hold their hand and write together.”

“Yes, yes, as you command, tavern master.”

Lito-san gently held my hand that was gripping the pen and moved it to write “Enri” in the empty space of the ledger. That was a lifesaver… but still, not being able to write is a fatal flaw. I need to learn how to write in this country’s script somewhere.

Mr. Jin, who had been watching the scene intently, stroked his chin and made the following suggestion.

“Well, you know, many of those from the countryside can’t even write. Actually, I’m teaching my kid how to read and write right now. If you’re okay with it, why don’t you join us? Of course, only if you don’t mind studying with the kids.”

“Huh!? Is that okay? That would be a huge help! Please, let me study with you!”

This is exactly what “a ship comes in when you need it” means. Apparently, Jin-san was teaching his child to read and write at just the right time. After receiving Jin-san’s suggestion, I quickly replied and bowed my head repeatedly in gratitude.

“What’s this, Jin-san? You’re so kind~. You never show such god-like kindness when you’re collecting debts from me.”

“…Even if I’m nice to you, all I’ll get back is an increased bill for the drinks.”

“That’s terrible! It’s completely unfounded!”

Mr. Jin silently pushed up the bridge of his square-framed glasses once, then delivered several chops to Mr. Lito’s head. After finishing his protest against Mr. Lito, Mr. Jin managed to retrieve a ledger with a name written in it and a pen, and skillfully added something to the ledger with a swift motion.

Mr. Jin, who had closed the ledger with a snap, turned to me and formally offered his words of welcome.

“Welcome. To the ‘Witch’s Wand Rack,’ we wholeheartedly welcome your arrival.”