A Week Later
The expedition team that had gone to the Royal Capital returned.
In the end, even Raid-kun rode the same Cart as the orphanage group on the trip back to town.
Right after they got back, Milia-san immediately started scolding him, but aside from him, everyone else looked only mildly tired—I was relieved that no one seemed particularly ill.
The children from the foot massage crew went straight to the orphanage. Gil-kun, Luce-san, and Ribera-san also went over there with souvenirs.
Guild Master Jan-san and Raid-kun, however, headed toward the Guild branch after dropping the children off, as they needed to share information and report on the trip.
"A man-made pond installation at the orphanage, the artificial river we built in the southern farming district... well, I have a mountain of things I want to ask, but let's start with my own news."
In the Guild Master's office, the returning members finally gathered, and we immediately asked for a detailed account of what happened in the Royal Capital. Jan-san, who was the one primarily in charge, was the first to speak up.
"Ah, yes. Count-sama asked me to relay his deepest gratitude to Shin. That Wyvern was a huge help, you see."
I had heard in advance that Clot-sama and Fam-sama's engagements were decided with quite high-standing families. It was also decided that the Wyvern would be presented as a gift.
"Is a Wyvern really that rare?" I asked.
"Let me ask you in return: Did you think things like that were crawling around everywhere?" Guild Master Jan-san grumbled. " ...Though, perhaps in Shin's village?"
He rested his hand on his chin and started to ponder the question seriously.
"H-He's making my birthplace sound like a demon's den!"
I looked to Raid-kun and Milia-san, who were sitting side-by-side, seeking help—but they both, with perfect timing, deliberately averted their gazes. Wait, something is wrong; I don't have any allies here.
"Well, jokes aside—the state of the Wyvern was apparently surprisingly good. Normally, they have to patch together the best parts from several carcasses just to get one piece of leather armor or one mantle. But with that one, they could make a top-grade item from the one beast alone," Jan-san explained.
"Huh? I thought I handed over the one in the best condition, but... there were some scratches on it from catching on the trees when it fell, I think."
Hearing that, the two who had been silent listeners finally jumped into the conversation.
"I saw it too, but usually, it would have cuts from arrows or magic," Milia noted.
"That amount of damage is practically unscathed's what I said. The disassemblers in the Royal Capital were even scratching their heads about how you managed to bring it down," Raid stammered.
Ah, I see. If it were normal, something that was 'brought down'—or rather, 'fell down'—wouldn't be in that state.
I started to worry that the conversation might turn toward my involvement, but Jan-san must have sensed it because he changed the subject.
"However—you all ate the Wyvern meat that couldn't be preserved, didn't you? That's what I'm jealous of. I've only eaten it once in the Royal Capital myself... what a waste."
"Eh? Didn't you say you were leaving one for the Royal Capital expedition team?" I asked.
At my words, both Jan-san and Milia-san turned their faces toward Raid-kun.
"Huh? Didn't I tell you? 's what I said?" Raid asked sheepishly.
Instead of a verbal reply, Jan-san smiled and clamped Raid-kun's face in what looked like an iron claw.
"You. You always manage to mess up even a simple message, don't you?"
"W-Well, there was all that talk about the Wyvern being presented as a gift and everything! I just forgot about it, Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Raid yelped.
"More, please, Guild Master. This guy won't learn his lesson with just that," Milia chirped sweetly.
Seeing the scene—like a father scolding his clumsy son, with the older sister egging him on—I reflexively raised a hand to rescue Raid.
"S-Speaking of everything that happened, Raid-kun mentioned taking a test—did that go well?"
At that, the Guild Master finally released Raid-kun and eased his slightly-raised hip back onto the long sofa.
"It wasn't so much a test as a formality, honestly. I showed them the Homing Attack he can do, and even the higher-ups in the Headquarters shut up. It's rare enough to have a support-type, but one who can also handle attack magic is said to be less than one in a hundred people."
That means Raid-kun is a very valuable asset. I nodded in understanding, but then Milia-san suddenly leaned forward.
"What about Gil-chan and Luce-chan? Were there any problems with them?"
Right, they were supposed to show their faces at the Headquarters since they had reached Silver Class.
"Ah. They displayed their combined magic, too. Although, there was an objection regarding their Silver Class ranking."
"Eh!? Did they say they should be returned to Bronze?" I asked, surprised.
The Guild Master shook his head, and Raid-kun, still rubbing his face, began to explain.
"The opposite's what I said. Some of the higher-ups even suggested they could be treated as Gold Class, being a two-person team, considering the destructive power of that long-range attack."
"But I refused that. They are still immature. They haven't built up experience in actual combat, and Gold Class orders—which you can't refuse—carry a danger level that is exponentially higher. I'll make them sweat a little longer under me first."
Wow. Compared to the time when they had resigned themselves to being Bronze Class for life, their evaluation has gone way up. As their former 'coach,' I was thrilled by their growth.
"But how are you going to train them, exactly?" I posed my honest question.
Milia-san put on her administrative face again and answered.
"They'll be taking on a greater number of requests, like the escort of nobles to the Royal Capital, similar to this time, or guarding merchant caravans on their journeys. They might also take on assignments to reclaim or rescue people from villages attacked by bandits or monsters... once they become famous, they'll also start receiving Nomination Requests."
I see. The plan is to train them by tackling many high-difficulty, though perhaps not 'life-or-death,' requests.
Raid-kun, who had been there firsthand, chimed in to elaborate.
"They actually got a ton of offers in the Royal Capital, 's what I said. From nobles, their purveyor merchants, and even wealthy commoners."
"Speaking of offers... what about the children from the orphanage?"
Since the Count's son had taken a liking to one of them, there must have been similar offers for the other children too.
"Ah, there were. People kept showing up, wanting to adopt them or hire them as servants. When I told them I could use Truth/Falsehood Judgment (See-Through), about half of them just turned around and left."
At Jan-san's words, Milia-san and Raid-kun's expressions immediately turned sour.
...That was an easy deduction. It means a lot of those people wanted to take the children in and treat them practically as slaves.
"There were a few people who seemed like they would treat them properly, but... since they were almost abducted recently, I told everyone we'd wait until things settled down and declined for now. More than anything, it was the little ones themselves..."
The Guild Master scratched his cheek, his gaze drifting up to the ceiling.
"Ah, they didn't want to be separated from everyone else, did they?" Milia-san said, voicing my thoughts.
Raid-kun next to her scratched his head vigorously.
"That was part of it, but... after only a week in the Royal Capital, the kids were already saying, 'We want to go home now!' They started an absolute chorus of complaints: 'The food is gross!', 'We want the big bath!', 'The toilet's dirty!'"
Jan-san, too, held his head in his hands.
"Ribera managed to calm them down somehow, but it was tough... We felt pretty much the same way, so we couldn't scold them too hard."
The truth is, things are based on Japan (over there) standards only here and now. I truly apologize for that.
"I finally feel like I'm back home. The Royal Capital just doesn't sit right with me," Jan-san sighed.
"Right? 's what I said. My hometown is the best," Raid-kun agreed.
Like a real father and son, the old man and the young man pushed their backs into the sofa almost simultaneously, finally relaxing.
"That's wonderful to hear. So, you can start working hard right away, then, can't you?" Milia-san chirped.
With a loud thud, a pile of documents about a hundred pages thick suddenly appeared on the table.
"Uh..."
"Milia-san, what is this?" the Guild Master and his deputy asked fearfully.
"Oh my? You see, the Guild Master and his Deputy have been absent for about twenty days, haven't they? This Guild branch! I have a ton of documents that only your authority can process, and they've piled up for me!"
The two big men froze like frogs caught in a snake's gaze by Milia-san's smile, which didn't reach her eyes.
"W-Well, about that... the artificial river and everything aren't urgent matters, so perhaps we can discuss those another day..."
I decided to flee—I mean, I decided to leave the place, as it looked like they were about to get busy, and bid them farewell.
There was a certain problem with the artificial river, but it wasn't a dangerous one, so it could definitely wait until later.
"R-Right," Jan-san stammered.
"W-Well then, Shin-san, see you later..." Raid-kun mumbled.
Seeing the two men looking utterly dejected, I felt sorry for them and remembered something I needed to tell them.
"Ah, tonight—I plan to distribute the Wyvern meat that I kept preserved to everyone who went to the Royal Capital. Please do your best until then..."
"O-Oh!" Jan-san exclaimed.
"I'll look forward to it, 's what I said..." Raid cheered.
And so, for the purpose of the evening's goal, I went around to various places: getting permission to use the Purveyor Merchant's² Icehouse¹, asking the artisans for the meat disassembling, and asking Claire Age-san, the proprietress of the 'Clan' Inn, to cook the dishes.
* * *
Night fell—
The Wyvern dishes prepared at the inn were delivered to the Guild branch by Milia-san, and to the orphanage by Gil-kun and Luce-san.
When I asked Gil-kun, he mentioned the children were grumbling, 'We wanted to eat it too!' which made me glad all over again that I had kept some. Seriously, Raid-kun, you really should have relayed that message.
And finally, I went to the last delivery location myself, the Purveyor Merchant's mansion, to gather some information.
"Good evening, Carman-san."
"Oh, Shin-san. What is it? Have you come for the Icehouse¹ again...?"
I had visited him once after the Guild branch discussion to get permission for the Icehouse, so this was my second meeting with him today.
"Honestly, I feel like I've finally come back to life. Not just the foot-stamping dance, but the food, everything... this town truly is the best." He was noticeably relaxed, seemingly relieved to be back in town.
"Speaking of which, the Wyvern you presented to the Count's family... were two whole carcasses used as gifts?" I asked.
"Yes, that's right. One went to the Royal Family of Fam-sama's fiancé, and the other to the Marquis family of Clot-sama's partner... Is something the matter?" he asked, sounding slightly worried.
In response, I handed him what I had brought as a gift.
"...What is this?"
"Ah, this is your portion, Carman-san. It's Wyvern skewers, tempura, and some mayonnaise a'e."
Carman-san's eyes went wide, and his body froze. After a long pause, he seemed to 'thaw' and started moving again.
"F-For me? Are you sure it's alright?"
"It was originally kept aside for everyone who went to the Royal Capital. I was sure I told Raid-kun, but it seems the message didn't get through properly... Please eat it before it gets cold."
He straightened his posture and accepted the offering with both hands, as if it were a valuable treasure.
"W-Well, then, I shall accept it without reservation."
"Also—from what I heard, it seems the Count's family donated everything. So, I had a chunk of Wyvern meat left in the Icehouse. Could you please deliver that to the Count's family later?"
This time, only the orphanage group was eating, so I had set aside about five kilograms. Even if everyone in the Count's household ate 100 to 200 grams each, it would be enough for them all.
"Thank you for everything you've done. I've also heard you suggested the improved relationship with the Guild Master... I truly don't know how to thank you enough. If only Shin-san had been here during the time of the eldest son..."
? ? The eldest son? Was he referring to an older sibling of Fam-sama and Clot-sama?
"...Ah, I've become a bit too talkative and gloomy. Please forget I said anything," Carman-san quickly backpedaled.
"No, well, I will be taking my leave now—"
After conveying the message about the meal and the additional meat for the Count's family, I left the Purveyor Merchant's mansion.
He did say something that bothered me at the end, but I figured it was just a private family matter, and I shouldn't pry too much.
The next day, after finishing my morning fishing, I decided to formally explain the pool and the artificial river.
* * *
"Hmm... high-speed movement underwater, is it. Can't you catch fish with that?"
The next day, just past noon—
The Guild Master arrived at the orphanage, and I showed him the swimming pool, complete with an explanation.
Luce-san and Lilie-san were currently guiding the children into the deeper section where they couldn't stand and were teaching them the flutter kick. I wiped my sweat as I replied, looking at the scene.
"Catching them is a bit beyond the scope... In my world (village), the purpose was always just to know how to respond if one fell into the water."
"True, expecting that much might be impossible. Still, even with Luce and the others there, I'm surprised the little ones aren't afraid of getting into the water." Jan-san mused.
Even in Japan (over there), while some children liked to swim, swimming class was largely a form of emergency evacuation training. It wasn't unusual for children to dislike swimming.
In fact, even the children who played so freely in the water channel hesitated when the pool was first built.
However, once they got in, they seemed to understand the refreshing coolness and the fun of being able to move freely underwater. Now, with their older siblings and sisters around, they felt safe enough to enter.
Speaking of which—over the past week, whenever Lilie-san, or occasionally Milia-san or Mel-san, came to the pool, they were immensely popular with the boys.
Conversely, among the men, Ban-kun was the most popular with the girls. When he got into the pool, the girls would swarm him like beasts when bait is thrown in. It seems looks really are everything, aren't they?
I was secretly looking forward to seeing what kind of shift would occur in this popularity contest now that the Royal Capital expedition team had returned.
"By the way, are you already done with your work?" I asked.
When I stopped by the Guild branch to explain the pool, Jan-san said, "I'll go," and came along, but I couldn't help but wonder if it was really alright for me to call out the Guild Master, the highest authority, even if he did have deep ties to the orphanage.
"I finished two-thirds of it. Raid is doing the last third. After all, that was the work he was supposed to do when I made him Deputy Guild Master. He's probably being whipped by Milia right now."
While I felt a little sorry for Raid, if Jan-san did two-thirds of it, he might be coddling Raid too much. No matter what, the Guild Master must have a soft spot for the orphanage group, I realized.
"Did you say something?" Jan-san asked.
"N-No, nothing at all. More importantly, is there a situation or a job where this 'magic' could actually be useful?"
At my question, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes deeply.
"I wonder... As you know, there aren't many deep rivers or lakes around here. I'll think about that later. For now, could you make the same thing in other locations for me? It's certainly cool and refreshing."
Cooling down was one of the objectives, so that was no problem. However—there was one thing the Guild Master hadn't seen yet.
"That's fine, but... Lilie-san? Could you show us the Crawl³ for a moment? At full power."
"Ah, yes!"
When I told her, everyone else, including Luce-san, got out, leaving Lilie-san alone in the water.
"What is it?" Jan-san asked.
I walked to the edge of the pool.
"On your mark, get set... Go!!"
With that shout, a splash sent a water column more than three meters high, and Lilie-san landed on the other side, fifteen meters away, like a missile launched from the water.
It took about three or four seconds. I never thought the Crawl using Body Enhancement (Boost) could be this fast. I wondered what the world record for the freestyle was in my old world...
And she did all of this without a swimsuit, wearing only a thin, shirt-like top and hot pants-like shorts.
The Guild Master, who witnessed the entire sequence of events, pressed his brow between his thumb and forefinger for a while.
"...We need to refill the water," he finally muttered, looking at the drastically reduced depth of the pool water.
"Right? That's what I thought. Ah, Lilie-san, please be absolutely sure to caution the children not to imitate what you just did. Even though I was the one who asked you to do it, that level of speed only works with Body Enhancement," I explained.
With that, we finished the pool inspection and explanation, and I parted ways with them.
* * *
After leaving the orphanage, the Guild Master and I headed toward the water channel in the southern farming district.
"Hmm... How about using swimming for rescuing drowned people or recovering objects that have fallen into the water?" I proposed to Jan-san as we walked, trying to find a practical use for swimming.
"That's not a bad idea, but... an experienced Water Magic user can manipulate the water directly, so there's no need to actually go into it."
"What about for sailors? ...Do they have boats in this world?" I asked, checking, as I often defaulted to Earth's standards.
"They exist for transporting goods, yes, but I don't know if they're the same as the ones in your world. They're primarily sailing ships that use Wind Magic on the sails for propulsion. Sailors who take that job are typically those who can walk on water or ride the waves... Going underwater is especially dangerous. I think the notion of diving into deep water is virtually non-existent here."
I thought Yeah, that makes sense. If you can move freely on the surface, there's no need to risk entering the depths. In fact, you'd avoid it.
Besides, if they can move a sailboat by applying Wind Magic, they don't need an engine. That means only surface-level transportation has been developed. When magic is too convenient, civilization either doesn't progress or it develops in a very lopsided way, I realized, accelerating my steps toward the water channel while pondering such thoughts.
* * *
"Oh, this is my first time seeing this side. —Hm?"
Seeing the fish shadows swimming in the channel, Jan-san immediately noticed something strange.
Since building the river, I had been stocking it with fish while also fishing from it, but now there were only about fifty fish in this artificial river.
The channel, about thirty meters long, was designed to comfortably hold about one hundred of the 15-centimeter fish that are typically caught around here.
However...
"Hey, Shin. Are fish that big caught around here?" Jan-san asked.
In the artificial river before us, fish easily forty centimeters long, maybe even fifty centimeters for the larger ones, were slowly writhing their bodies as they swam. It was almost an optical illusion, like seeing salmon or carp.
This was the 'certain problem' that had cropped up.
For the first day or two after stocking the channel for cultivation, there was no noticeable change, but by the third day, they had started growing noticeably and abnormally large. I considered that the feed might be too good, but this was clearly an anomaly.
"They've gotten this big since I put them in here. Guild Master, do you know why this is happening?"
"How should I know? And honestly, I don't think anyone would know. You're the first person to ever do something like this." Jan-san replied.
Yeah, I knew that. It's a world where the skills or magic to catch fish are rare to begin with.
"Aren't there places in the Royal Capital that keep fish like this?"
"Not that I know of. If it's for eating, the only efficient choice to transport them fresh is Ice Magic," Jan-san explained.
In a world where magic is the premise and common sense, that choice would be the most efficient and natural.
Perhaps the very idea of 'raising' fish doesn't exist, and even if it did, the process of transporting live animals, water and all, to a designated location would be a huge amount of effort and labor.
If I think about it, on Earth, our ancestors repeated trial and error, using natural forces or reproducing them, to make life more convenient. If you can use that power from the start, maybe the development of new ideas itself becomes limited.
"Still, if the fish get this big, I wish those wild birds would get bigger, too," Jan-san lamented.
He was talking about the birds kept for eggs. It was only natural to hold out hope, as they were the other creatures I had started 'cultivating.'
"That hasn't happened with them, though... I find it strange what the difference is. Ah, also—we won't be using the breeding room near the Adventurers' Guild anymore. I've consolidated everything here. I haven't decided whether to tear it down or use it for something else, so could you and the others think about it, Guild Master?"
"I see. It would be a waste to tear down something we went to the trouble of building. I'll discuss it with Raid and Milia."
With that, Jan-san finished his inspection of the orphanage pool and the agricultural district water channel and returned to the Adventurers' Guild.
* * *
"Seriously, what am I going to do about this?"
Left alone, I scratched my head and went into the shade of a planted tree to ponder.
The cause of the fish's gigantism—I shouldn't just write it off as 'it worked out great,' like I did with the birds. I needed to analyze and clarify the cause. I might want to expand the scale in the future.
The key point to note was the difference from the wild birds for eggs. The environment and the feed—I didn't think there was much difference in the artificially prepared environment.
For aquatic life, it's evolutionarily correct that they could grow larger because of the buoyancy in the water, but...
The artificial river was intentionally not built deep, for safety, and was designed to be the same depth as the surrounding rivers. That means if the fish could grow this large, I should be able to find fish of a similar size in the surrounding natural rivers.
"I don't think there's much difference from the natural rivers around here... The only distinct difference I can think of is that the transparency is completely different because the water was created with Water Magic."
I muttered this to myself, and my own words made something click in my mind.
The surrounding natural river versus the artificial river. And the difference from fish farming on Earth (over there)...
On Earth, farming requires drawing water from a water source. But in this world, that wasn't necessary.
That's because anyone who can use Water Magic can secure a large volume of it.
That water—is it the same as the water that occurs naturally in this world?
Drinking water, bath water, everything is provided by Water Magic, so I hadn't paid any attention to it, but...
Maybe, fundamentally, this water shouldn't exist in the natural world? Or what if water created by magical power is saturated with magical power?
If I think about it, even here in the farming district... I heard the harvest occurs once every thirty days. That means they can harvest without waiting for the seasons. And since the watering—which is essential for agriculture—is also done with Water Magic, it would explain why the crops grow abnormally well.
As for the birds, the water for their feed is certainly provided by magic, but there's no more room for magical intervention in their environment. That's why they don't experience the same gigantism as the fish.
"For now... I should probably create a separate channel for the crabs and shrimp and move them there. The fish are big enough to eat them."
My thought process suddenly stopped there. I was so focused on the fish, but what was happening to the other creatures? Had they all been eaten already?
I hurriedly looked for rocks and hiding places in the water.
...There they were. Shrimp and crabs were skillfully tucked into the gaps between the stones.
Their bodies seemed slightly larger, but they didn't have the same impact as the giant fish. Maybe that's because they were small to begin with.
"Wait a minute?"
My eyes were suddenly drawn to the bivalves scattered on the bottom. I had caught some that looked like freshwater mussels or clams.
"Clams... Did I catch this many?"
I remembered bringing about twenty of them. However, just with a quick visual check, there were about ten of them right here.
Were they just concentrated here, or had they actually increased? Curious, I walked around the channel, scanning with my eyes.
"They've increased... yes, they have."
Their size, too. When I first brought them, three could fit easily in the palm of my hand, but now, one could fill my hand completely.
I collected four that I could hold in both hands and headed straight for the 'Clan' Inn.
* * *
"What is it this time? Are you planning to eat those, too?" Claire Age-san looked at me with a mixture of exasperation and surprise.
"Um, excuse me. Could you please prepare some water and oil for me?"
She sighed as if giving up, then disappeared into the kitchen. I followed her inside to prepare the food.
First, I put the clams in a pot filled with water. I asked her to heat it, and when the water came close to boiling—
"Woah!? It-It opened up?" Claire Age-san exclaimed.
The clam shells popped open. Once they were confirmed to be boiled, I took them out, cooled them with water, and removed the meat from the shells.
"Wow... I never knew the insides looked like that," she muttered.
Naturally, seeing the raw interior of an unfamiliar, non-food ingredient for the first time would look grotesque to her.
Next, I put an outer layer on the meat using flour dissolved in water for tempura batter and asked her to deep-fry them in oil. I had boiled them first, but deep-frying pre-boiled seafood was common on Earth, and it was certainly safer to heat them thoroughly.
Looking at the finished clam tempura, Claire Age-san remarked:
"Well, they look fine once they're cooked like this. But, what about the taste?"
She hesitated to put it in her mouth, so I sprinkled a little salt on one of them.
"I'll have a bite."
With a soft, sizzling sensation, a flavor like clam broth spread in my mouth, and an elasticity different from both meat and fish met my teeth with every bite. The unique, slight bitterness mixed with the overwhelming sweetness of the meat and the small addition of salt.
Seeing me eat, and judging that it didn't seem bad, the proprietress watched me. I extended my open palm toward her, signaling 'Please go ahead.'
She looked like she made up her mind, then popped the tempura into her mouth.
"—!"
She puffed and panted, trying to chew the still-hot tempura, and then our eyes met—we nodded to each other in mutual agreement, like we had just signed a contract.
It was the moment a new item was born at the 'Clan' Inn.
Summary:
The expedition team's return brings a humorous confrontation with Milia's mountain of paperwork for Jan-san and Raid. The chapter focuses on the Wyvern bounty—which turned out to be perfect for high-grade gifts—and the surprising growth of Gil-kun and Luce-san's combat abilities.
Shin then inspects his two major projects: the pool, which is a hit despite its modern standards, and the artificial river, which is causing rapid, abnormal growth in the fish and shellfish due to the magic-saturated water. The chapter ends with Shin successfully turning the magically-grown clam into a delicious tempura dish with Inn Proprietress Claire Age-san, marking a breakthrough in the town's cuisine.
Character Insight:
Jan-san is revealed to be highly protective of Gil and Luce, refusing a premature Gold Class promotion to keep them safe. Milia-san's administrative authority is a hilarious, terrifying force, effectively managing the high-level adventurers. Shin's internal monologue highlights the vast, often unexpected, differences between magic-based and science-based worlds, especially concerning biology and progress. His true skill might be his ability to adapt modern concepts (like cuisine and swimming) to the fantasy world.
Behind the Scene:
The term 'かいりょうり' (Kairyōri) is a phonetic play. Given the context (new shellfish tempura), it means '海料理' (Seafood Dish) and also '改良料理' (Improved/Unique Dish), which is Shin's specialty. The children's complaints about the Royal Capital (dirty toilets, gross food) are a direct comparison to modern Japanese standards of hygiene and taste, emphasizing the Isekai perspective. The eldest son's reference is a hanging plot thread, suggesting a past incident Carman-san regrets Shin wasn't around for.
T/L:
¹ [Icehouse/Cold Storage] - Himuro refers to a traditional Japanese method of preserving ice, often in underground storage, essentially a freezer before refrigeration. ↩
² [Purveyor Merchant] - Goyō Shōnin refers to a merchant specifically contracted to serve a noble or the government, like a Royal or Court Purveyor. ↩
³ [Crawl] - The freestyle swimming stroke, a modern concept Shin is introducing to the fantasy world. ↩
Notes:
• Cart - One of the three new adventurers housed by Shin, he’s a gang leader type with a grateful demeanor for Shin’s kindness. Short-haired and sporting a typical delinquent/leader look.
• Raid - A young, 'normie' adventurer who gets saddled with the job of escorting Shin. He is carefree and friendly but is instantly put on edge by Jandou's ominous warning. He has short black hair, sun-tanned skin, and wears casual adventure gear.
• Milia - The young receptionist at the Adventurer's Guild. She has short hair, tanuki-face like (cute), wears round glasses, and business attire.
• Ribera - The director of the local orphanage, deeply invested in the children's well-being. She is a middle aged woman.
• Luce - A Bronze-class adventurer, also an orphanage graduate and very close friend of Gil. She specializes in Fire Magic, but can only 'manifest' flames without projection. She has flaxen hair tied in a braid at the back, short stature.
• Gil - A Bronze-class adventurer and recent graduate of the local orphanage. He specializes in Earth Magic (Stone Bullet), but its initial power is weak. He and Luce are close, almost like siblings. He has short hair, slender build, and looks unhealthy.
• Jan - The sturdy branch manager of the local Adventurer's Guild. He is short, has muscular build, and gray hair.
• Shin - An average, middle-aged Japanese salaryman who prides himself on his common sense and average abilities. He was forcibly sent to a fantasy world by a God and granted the 'ability' to prevent anything 'outside his common sense' from occurring in his presence.
• Clot - Short, golden-blonde hair, with a more reserved demeanor, initially in fine clothing, later wearing a 'priest' costume. The young son of the Count, he is Fam’s foil—polite, proper, and sensibly excited about the new things, contrasting his sister’s spoilage.
• Fam - Short, golden-blonde hair, energetic and bright-eyed, initially in fine clothing, later wearing a 'maiden' costume. The young, spoiled daughter of the Count, she immediately demands Shin’s presented clothes and food, her reaction central to Shin’s plan.
• Claire - The sharp-witted owner of the inn 'Clan,' which was previously famous for its private bath. She is a powerful water-magic user.
• Carman - The Count's official merchant in the town. A professional, elderly man who quickly recognized the unexpected value of Shin's processed fish.
• Lilie - One of the three new adventurers housed by Shin, she is a striking beauty with waist-length silver-white hair, deeply moved by the simple kindness and good food at the orphanage. Her appearance resembles that of a young noblewoman.
• Mel - A young girl Shin hires for her Water Magic to clean his catch. She has semi-long hair, and slightly foxy, sharp eyes.
• Ban - One of the three new adventurers housed by Shin, he is gentler and more reserved than Cart, with an androgynous appearance, shoulder-length hair, and a gentle-looking demeanor.