After crossing the hill, I could see a stone wall that must have been at least ten meters tall. Oden Town was surrounded by a circular stone wall with a circumference of about forty-seven kilometers and a diameter of roughly fifteen kilometers. They said the town had a population of fifty thousand, with the lord’s manor at the center and the rest of the town spreading out from there.
We were heading for the West Gate – one of four gates located at the cardinal directions. In a big town like this, you almost always found gates in all four spots. At night, monsters became more active, so the gates opened at dawn and closed before dark. There were two gates side by side: a large one wide enough for three carriages to pass through, and a smaller one for people on foot.
We paid four Copper Coins to the gate guards and got permission to enter the town. The questioning was simple – they just asked what our business was in town. Aina and her group could get in just by showing their Adventurer’s Guild cards. Guild members of any kind were exempt from the entry fee, so I was advised to register with some guild if I planned to operate in this town.
Most of the buildings were two stories tall, built with timber and plaster on top of stone foundations – they looked a lot like the buildings you’d see in Switzerland. A few three-story buildings were visible further in, probably inns. The streets were lively and crowded with people coming and going.
The guild was located just off the square in front of the gate. It was a large three-story building made of red brick, with a big warehouse attached and a courtyard out back where carriages could be parked.
”Let’s get Yu-san registered as an adventurer first, and then we can sell our materials,” Aina said, stepping through the guild doors.
I followed close behind. The first floor was huge – maybe fifty meters by fifty meters. On the right side were several round tables where you could get food or wait to meet up with people. On the left were several large bulletin boards covered in request slips. At the back was a reception counter where the staff were bustling around. Next to the counter, I could see a few small rooms.
I’d been expecting the classic ‘senior adventurer hazing’ routine, but nothing happened. I was more disappointed than anything, but I also felt kind of lonely that nobody even reacted.
There was one window for new registrants, so we headed over to handle the paperwork.
”Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild, Oden West Gate Branch,” the receptionist said with a bright, professional smile. “My name is Sofia, and I’ll be handling your registration today. Are you here to sign up?”
Sofia-san greeted me with a refreshing smile – and she was incredibly beautiful.
Her long champagne-blonde hair was braided in a single plait that hung from her shoulder down to her chest. Her skin was smooth and pale white. She had slender eyebrows, deep green eyes, long lashes, and a perfectly straight nose – an absolute beauty. Her chest was about a C to D cup, which was very much to my liking. On top of all that, her ears were long… she was an elf! There it was. The other world’s elf lady, making her appearance at last.
”Yayoi-tan. Sorry, but I’m going to live in another world,” I muttered under my breath.
My inner thoughts were spilling out without me noticing. Sofia-san tilted her head at my incomprehensible comment, her expression adorably puzzled.
Ah, what an adorable gesture. I was already falling for her.
While alternating my gaze between Sofia-san’s beautiful face and her chest, I explained my situation.
”The truth is, I was working as an explorer in another country and got caught in a Teleportation trap in a dungeon,” I said, forcing myself to focus. “I have no idea how to get back. So I thought I’d register as an adventurer to make a living.”
”Oh my, that sounds dreadful,” Sofia said, her elegant features softening with sympathy. “Registration is certainly possible, so first, please fill in the necessary information on this form. There have been a few reports of people called ‘Lost Ones’ who were caught in Teleportation traps in dungeons and sent to other locations. Please do your best, all right?”
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. What a sweet girl. I was completely smitten.
Summary:
Yu arrives at Oden Town with Aina and pays the entry fee at the West Gate. He observes the town’s architecture and guild hall before beginning his adventurer registration. At the guild, he meets Sofia, an elf receptionist who explains the registration process and acknowledges the existence of “Lost Ones” like him.
Trivia:
- Oden Town has a circular stone wall with a circumference of 47 km and diameter of 15 km.
- The town population is 50,000 people centered around the lord’s manor.
- There are four gates in total, one in each cardinal direction.
- Gates open at dawn and close before dark to avoid nocturnal monster activity.
- Each gate has two passages: a large one for carriages and a small one for pedestrians.
- Guild members are exempt from the town entry fee of four Copper Coins.
- The guild building is a three-story red brick structure with an attached warehouse and rear courtyard.
- Sofia is an elf with champagne-blonde hair, green eyes, and C-to-D cup bust.
- There have been documented cases of “Lost Ones” transported via Teleportation traps in dungeons.
- The term “Yayoi-tan” is a nickname Yu uses for himself when flustered.