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 29

Having fulfilled my duty as the nap mat for the cute triplets, I was heading to the Adventurers’ Guild in Redinbara with Lito-san, who had come to pick me up. As we walked along the cobblestone streets of Redinbara with the sun setting, I threw out a question.

“Lito-san, I’ve fought against people called adventurers, but I actually don’t really understand what exactly adventurers do.”

“Oh, really? I thought you might have heard it from someone, but if that’s the case, leave it to me. I’ll give you a thorough explanation before we get to the guild.”

Lito-san, with a happy “fuh-fuhn!” turned towards me and began explaining what an adventurer is.

“Adventurers, as the name suggests, are people who embark on adventures. They risk their lives to defeat monsters, find treasures, and sometimes help others.”

“But, you see, adventurers can easily become mere bandits or robbers, violent machines that harm ordinary people if they take just one wrong step. So, the country decided to manage them!”

“And then, what was created was the kingdom’s adventurer guild. There are adventurer guilds in other countries too, and while their structures might differ, what they generally do is pretty much the same.”

The country manages adventurers, huh? Indeed, calling them adventurers is a nice way to refer to them, but if they were to point their swords at ordinary people, they would just become outlaws. It would be troublesome if there were no one to fight for us, but it would also be troublesome if they wielded their power too freely, so it seems they gave them the title of adventurers to control them.

“Thieves who use violence for their own sake, adventurers who wield swords for a commission, and knights who handle spears for the sake of the king, honor, or tradition—all of them are essentially the same in the end. Isn’t it a bit strange, or rather, ridiculous, how one’s existence can change so drastically just based on how they fight?”

“Especially knights, you know? It’s like, for their lord, for their clan, for pride and honor, or just fighting because the king says so—it’s kind of not really like that, you know?”

Her tone when talking about thieves, adventurers, and knights had a somewhat mocking quality to it. When I glanced at her face, I could see a hint of resignation in her expression. Noticing my gaze, she hurriedly composed herself, brushed her hair back with a grin, and laughed.

“Lito-san, how should I put it… do you dislike knights or something?”

I was curious about her mocking tone, so I casually threw a question at her. To answer this brief question, she stopped in her tracks. With her arms crossed, she looked up at the sky gradually turning to sunset for a good minute, then gave a short reply.

“I don’t know. Maybe I hate it, but maybe I don’t.”

She looked at my face and replied with a troubled expression. Then, in a deliberately playful tone, she said, “Alright! Let’s go before the sun sets!” and resumed guiding me. It took less than five minutes of walking with her to reach our destination.

“Come, come, you cute boy who is about to become an adventurer. This is the place where your adventure begins, the Redinbara Adventurer’s Guild, ho ho ho.”

Behind Lito, who spoke in a posture reminiscent of an old man bending over to impart wisdom to a hero, stood a magnificent mansion. In Redinbara, there are splendid buildings that exude a sense of age and grandeur, but the mansion behind Lito gives off an air of dignity and majesty even among them. The visible mansion is wide and appears to have depth, seemingly four stories tall at a glance.

Around the mansion, which appears to be the Adventurers’ Guild, there is an outer wall that encircles the entire property, with only one entrance visible on the outer wall. At the entrance, two men holding spears, presumably guards, stand watch, suggesting they are on duty.

“Good, good, we made it before closing time~. Alright, let’s get moving quickly! The Adventurers’ Guild in Redinbara closes early, you know.”

Lito, swaying in her all-black outfit, skipped forward and passed by the two guards standing side by side to enter. When I tried to follow her into the premises, the two guards glared at me.

“Hey, that boy over there is with me. Just let him through.”

“An acquaintance of Kurobane Kurobane, huh? …You can come in as you are.”

Hearing Lito’s words, the two guards returned their gazes to the front and allowed me to enter. Catching up with Lito, who had moved ahead, I entered the premises of the Adventurers’ Guild, where several stone statues lined the path from the outer wall to the mansion.

A statue of a person holding a sword, a statue of an elf-like person with long ears drawing a bow, a statue of a beastman-like person with sharp claws, and then… and then, what is this? A statue of something that looks like a small person floating around. In total, there are four statues lined up.

Mr. Lito stopped and, looking at the statues, gave a brief explanation about the row of statues lined up in the grounds.

“Enri, are you curious about this statue? Indeed, it’s placed right on the path leading inside, so it’s hard not to be curious, right?”

“This, you see, a long time ago, even before the kingdom was founded, there was a bad guy who ruled this area. The first king and the goddess defeated him, and this statue commemorates the building of this mansion with various races.”

“Well, it’s good that we took down the bad guy, but you know, we also created a place where people started jumping off because of the inquisition that was held just because they looked like him.”

I see, so it’s like a monument commemorating the defeat of the entity that once ruled Redinbara and the construction of the mansion by everyone. …If that’s the case, I think quite a bit of time has passed, but it doesn’t seem to have weathered or deteriorated from exposure to the elements at all.

“Lito-san, how long has this statue been here?”

“Hmm? … Well, about a thousand plus a little over a hundred years.”

“A thousand years!? A thousand years, you say? Does that mean a thousand years have passed!?”

“That’s right~, a thousand years means a thousand years have passed~”

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, the architecture technology in this other world is amazing. How can they create things that don’t deteriorate at all even after a thousand years? Just when I was wondering about that, Lito-san gave me an additional explanation.

The small, floating, humanoid stone statues seem to be “fairies” that helped during the construction, and it is said that these fairies created special stones, which were then used to make statues that do not change in condition.

By the way, it seems they also provided bricks imbued with magical power, and the Adventurers’ Guild hall is said to be built using those bricks.

After receiving the explanation and closely examining the exterior wall of the mansion, I could clearly see that it was indeed a meticulously and regularly stacked gray brick wall. Since I had the impression that bricks were usually bright colors like orange or red, I didn’t realize it was a brick wall until I got closer.

“Alright then, let’s quickly go inside and get registered. If it’s just the registration, hmm… I hope it won’t take too long.”

“It’s not that it won’t take much time, it’s that I want to believe it won’t take much time.”

“Enri, pray that it ends soon so we can drink some alcohol☆”

Lito and I approached the mansion and opened the large door made of dark chocolate-colored wood at the front. Upon entering the mansion, the first thing we saw was a spacious entrance hall with a high ceiling, filled with many adventurers.

The floor of the entrance hall is made of stone with a smooth texture resembling marble, and the walls are covered with beautiful wine-red wallpaper with a black base. If you look up towards the upper part of the entrance hall, you can see the second and third floors, and you can also see people who appear to be staff members busily moving back and forth in the corridors.

I wonder, this place is about three times more stylish than I imagined. I was expecting something like a typical government office, but it feels more like a hotel lobby or an airport lounge.

“How about it? Enri~? The atmosphere here at the Redinbara Adventurers’ Guild is quite nice, isn’t it? When it was first built, it was used as a diplomatic venue, you know. It even has the nickname ‘Reception Hall’ here.”

“It seems like it’s three times more stylish than I imagined, and I’m getting nervous.”

“Hahaha! You don’t need to be nervous, come on! Let’s hurry up and register as adventurers!”

Muttering “I want to drink some sake soon,” Lito-san entered the back of the entrance hall with a familiar demeanor. Following her hesitantly, I saw a curved counter forming a semicircle, with several people who seemed to be staff members inside.

From the looks of it, the staff’s attire is quite formal, with men typically wearing black suits or jackets and women donning formal dresses. Additionally, everyone is wearing hats with feathers resembling berets.

As Lito and I approached the counter, a woman seemed to notice Lito and came over to speak to him.

“Oh, good evening, Mr. Lito from [Kurobane]. We’re about to close soon, but are you here to check the quests on the board?”

“Good evening~. I came here today not for myself, but to register this child behind me.”

“Um… good evening.”

I bowed my head to the woman who had greeted me with a slight bow. After a brief pause, the woman who had attended to me calmly asked Mr. Lito for confirmation.

“Lito-san, that kid behind you… is that the one who participated in the swordsmanship tournament?”

“Yes, that’s right~”

The woman in front of him, having received confirmation from Lito, shouted loudly with a cheerful smile to the other staff members working behind the counter.

“……..Everyone!! Surround him!! That kid from the Grosvenor family who made it to the finals of the swordsmanship tournament is here!!”

Glaring! The gazes of all the Adventurer Guild staff pierced my skin from every direction. As if seasoned Spartans were forming a formation to surround their enemy, all the staff present at this place abandoned their duties and gathered around me.

Piercing gazes, excited breaths, and the sight of Lito-san, grinning and watching from afar. I find myself slightly escaping reality, thinking that this is what it must feel like to be the food thrown into a pond full of koi.

“Thank you very much for coming to the Third Branch of the Adventurers’ Mutual Aid Guild today. I see that you are Mr. Enri, participating in the swordsmanship tournament on the recommendation of the Grosvenor family. Today, at our Third Branch, you will be registering as a new adventurer, is that correct?!!”

“Yeah, uh, yes, that’s right, but…”

The moment I uttered the words of affirmation—my body floated in the air. I was utterly powerless against the rushing guild staff, who, with joyful voices saying, “A future S-rank adventurer!” carried me deeper and deeper into the guild. Like a calf being taken to the market, “Dona dona dona dona.”

I was thrown into a room with a nameplate marked “Inspection Room” along with the staff member, and before I knew it, the procedures were underway. From the staff member handling the procedures, I could sense a murderous determination to complete his registration at our branch before he changed his mind, leaving me no time to resist at all.

“Your name is Enri, and your age is… around fifteen, right? Your accommodation is… the witch’s staff storage? Good choice. As for your guarantor… oh! Kate, isn’t Lito in the entrance hall? Please convince him to be your guarantor!”

“Um, let’s skip this, and this too. This can be noted later without any problem, and this one we can smooth things over later… Kate-san! How about you, Lito-san? Good? Okay!!”

“Is it okay to register him without checking with headquarters? You know… just following the rules will only get the adventurers to run off with the headquarters’ stuff. It’s fine, it’s fine, I thought it would be okay to confirm later based on the on-site judgment.”

“Ah, my apologies, Enri-sama. Just here, here, and… oh, and here for your signature… Ah! Thank you very much! Someone with a free hand, please take this application form to headquarters! Use the highest priority express for confidential documents! Hurry, hurry!”

In the cramped, square room, while answering a few questions and signing documents, people come and go in rapid succession, and the procedures progress at a terrifying speed. It’s like the movements of a securities company trying to capture a new major client and somehow turn them into a regular customer. It feels eerily familiar. By the way, the company I was with in my previous life often engaged in fraudulent sales practices.

“Yes, then, your provisional registration is complete! Here at the Redinbara Adventurers’ Guild, we assign dedicated personnel to promising adventurers… please hold on a moment.”

The staff member with a cat-like voice bowed repeatedly and hurriedly left the room. Because they left in such a hurry, the door was left half-open, and the conversation of the staff member who went into the hallway was spilling out.

“Is there anyone available? Why aren’t you on standby! … Ah, no, Evans-kun can’t take on more guidance. Lloyd-kun too, he can’t handle important adventurers yet. … Kate-san, can you go? You can, okay! Come here!!”

The person who entered the room was a serious-looking woman with a somewhat babyish face who seemed weak against pressure. She was wearing a hat that resembled a beret with eagle feathers, a long beige long-sleeved top, a long dress with a black skirt, and a cardigan over it.

“Uh, um… I, uh, have been assigned to Mr. Enri starting today. My name is Kate Kinia… n-nice to meet you.”

“Why me…?” Kate-san sighed in despair, bowing her head in confusion. I bowed my head as well.

“Um, I’m really sorry. I came by suddenly, and it seems like everyone is busy.”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s not often that someone like you comes to register at our branch… Well then, let’s move to the registration room. There, we will issue a guild card, and that will conclude today’s procedures.”

Leaving the examination room where I was completing the procedures with Kate, I walked down the somewhat dimly lit corridor. As I walked down the corridor, I came across a simple iron door with a nameplate that read “Registration Room.” Kate took a set of keys from her pocket, tried a few, and after finding the right one, she inserted it into the keyhole and unlocked the door.

“I haven’t opened this place in a while, so I can’t remember which one is the registration room key… I’m sorry.”

“No, I don’t mind. It’s all good.”

“That’s right, Kate, Enri doesn’t get worked up over stuff like that!”

Suddenly, I heard Lito’s voice and when I turned around, I saw Lito holding a wooden mug and looking like he was already tipsy, saying “Ahh!” as if he was enjoying something. Why are you drinking alcohol?

“R-Lito-san… um, um, too much alcohol, um…”

“All good! All good! I’m not drunk yet! Ahh~ I just remembered there was a bar nearby that served delicious beer, and they said I could take the mug back if I wanted to… glug glug glug… phew~!”

It seems that Lito, who is enjoying her beer, is about to enter the registration room together. Kate tried to say something to her several times, but after pondering for a while, she seemed to give up.

The room called the registration room had a simple interior. There were a few chairs and tables, and a small indoor lamp on the ceiling dimly illuminated the room. Looking at the floor, there was what seemed to be a magic circle, with overlapping circles, straight lines, and curves drawn in multiple layers.

“The magic stone for lighting is about to run out, I need to replace it later… Ah, Enri-san, please stand in the center of that magic circle. We will check your status… what skills and magic you can use, and write it on the back of your guild card… Lito-san, please sit in that chair at the edge.”

After guiding Lito, who was already starting to stumble, to a chair in the corner of the room and having her sit down, I moved to the center of the magic circle. Kate let out a sigh and stood outside the magic circle, extending her hands towards the formation.

“Guardian goddess of the kingdom, reveal the truth of that person, full open.”

The magic circle emits a faint glow. There is no sensation of tingling or pain, no such stimuli at all. The room is completely silent, and only the groaning of Mr. Lito, who is getting tipsy, can be heard.

About thirty seconds later, the glow of the magic circle disappeared, and Kate, who had been holding her hands up, seemed to let out a sigh of relief. She approached the desk in the room and took out a laminated card from the drawer. This was probably what they called a guild card.

“If I touch the guild card with this… wait, huh? …the status isn’t showing…!?”

Kate-san’s eyes widen in confusion. It seems the spell she used to check my status didn’t work properly.

“Eh, what, but the procedure is all right, and I used the magic circle to cast the advanced spell… ehhh! Whyyy! It’s almost time to clock out!! Eeeek!!”

“Enri~! Give me some sake~! More sake!!… Ugh…”

“Lito-san! No! Don’t do it here!!”

Kate-san, who keeps wiping the anxious sweat streaming down her face with a handkerchief pulled from her pocket, and Lito-san, who suddenly bends forward despite having been happily making a fuss with a wooden mug, give me a bad feeling the moment he bends forward, so I rush over and force him to look up.

“Ahhh!! I don’t know the cause! I don’t know the cause! If I come home late again today and make her wait for our date, she’ll definitely get fed up with me!!”

The sound of the closing bell, “Ring-gone, ring-gone,” can be heard from the entrance hall. The record room has truly become a chaotic mess.

In the end, after calming Kate down and keeping Lito’s face upward, they discussed and decided to check the reason why the status magic didn’t work well tomorrow. …Kate, it seems you have a date planned.

I temporarily handed over the guild card to Kate-san, then lent my shoulder to Lito-san and dragged her out of the Adventurers’ Guild building. Once we somehow made it outside the Adventurers’ Guild premises, Lito-san let out a loud release right in front of the guards who were getting ready to leave.

The guard seemed accustomed to her “behavior,” gently placing a hand on my shoulder as I apologized profusely, telling me not to worry. After venting everything, Lito brushed her black hair aside and stretched, looking quite pleased. Looking up at the sky, the sunset had already turned more than half of it a dark blue, with night approaching rapidly.

“Wow! We were super busy today, huh? We decided on an inn, registered at the Adventurers’ Guild, and it feels like we were together almost the whole time.”

“…I’m glad to see you’re feeling better. That aside, thank you for staying with me all day today and helping with everything.”

Receiving the words of gratitude, Lito-san, with a dignified smile, shyly replied, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing.”

“Don’t worry about it, Enri. I’ll be staying in this town for a while too, so let’s keep getting along, okay?”

With the setting sun sinking on the horizon behind her, she looked both shy and happy. Then, as if she suddenly thought of something, she said this.

“The fact that Enri is here means that no matter how drunk I get, she’ll come to pick me up and take care of me, right…? If that’s the case, then today, I think I’ll challenge myself to try the moonshine that’s said to be used when talking to our ancestors in the Elf tribe, whether I should or not!! Poshake~!!”

“Lito-san! Please don’t get too drunk and make a scene! And also, hurry up and return the mug!!”

She ominously laughed, “Muhuhuhu~,” and it seemed she couldn’t suppress her desire for alcohol. The moment she mentioned moonshine, she dashed off to the city as if wings had sprouted from her feet.

Three hours later, after using the advanced technique known as “sign” to check out of the Roiji Hotel, I was approached by a female elf tavern owner I had never met before, and it goes without saying that I ended up having to care for her in her pitiful state.

“Splish, splash… Ugh, ugh, ughhh…”

“Please don’t drink while throwing up, Lito-san!!”

Carrying a lot of expectations for the unknown, a bit of anxiety, and the great sorrow of having to take care of Lito-san from now on, my first day living alone in Edinburgh ended up being covered in vomit.