"I'm sorry to call you in like this. It's not exactly an emergency," the Guildmaster opened.
"Oh, no, I heard from Milia-san about it, so..." I replied.
The Guildmaster had called for me suddenly, and I found myself facing Jan-san in the Branch Manager's office—a room I'd become a regular in. Behind the sofa, Raid and Milia stood by, ready to assist.
It had been a week since the Dragon Alteriese left. I had returned to my normal routine, dedicating my days to fishing, hunting, and cooking.
When it came to fish, I was supplying about two hundred to the town each week, but since successfully using Water Magic for cultivation and achieving massive size increases, the amount I needed to sell to the town has dropped to about a fifth of the original quantity. While the number of fish is only one-fifth, their body length is about three times greater, and since that's a 3D increase, their weight ratio is around six to ten times more. This means the actual amount of food is increasing.
The price stayed the same, so the profit had decreased significantly, but the business in town was never about profit to begin with. I hadn't reduced the thirty fish I supply to the Count, and since fish had a low profit margin anyway, it wasn't a problem. Carman-san had been quite surprised by my overnight-dried fish, which now exceeded forty centimeters.
The real issue was the lost opportunity to fish outside the town, which risked putting the people who helped me out of a job. But I avoided an increase in unemployment by pivoting their work to exploring new ingredients on expeditions.
"Oh, that reminds me of that outpost we set up¹—Milia was thrilled about it. She said it cut down on her work a lot," Jan noted.
"She really was! It helps so much to have the requests filtered out right at the start!" Raid exclaimed in agreement.
Indeed, the biggest change in the past few days was probably the bird-rearing facility I first built. A large new facility had been constructed in the southern agricultural district, so Jan-san and I had been puzzling over what to do with the old one left near the Adventurer's Guild.
Since I had been asked to "increase employment," I proposed turning the old facility into a police-box-like outpost. Since it was already a space and drainage system for a hundred birds, it didn't take much effort to renovate it into a habitable space.
The idea for this suggestion came from remembering the Giant Boar incident on my very first day in this world. Back then, the military and adventurers moved out in a mixed formation, but it seems that unless it's a major emergency, they don't usually act that fast.
Although there are soldiers of the Lord permanently stationed in this town, like Ron-san and Mile-san, since the military is essentially the administration, they can't simply act on their own.
When something is requested or an incident occurs, the process was split into two extremes:
* Asking the Lord (Military/Soldiers): Generally free of charge, but they are incredibly slow to mobilize, and it's not guaranteed they'll agree to the request.
* Asking the Adventurer's Guild: It costs money, but they respond immediately depending on the situation.
Therefore, we established the outpost as a "General Consulting Office" where people could first consider which party to ask, and also to take consultations on whether a request was even appropriate.
"People can request whatever they want, but sometimes the jobs that come in aren't really our business," Raid grumbled, making no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction, and Milia followed suit.
"Besides, you know, it's pretty hard for ordinary people to just walk into the Adventurer's Guild," Milia added.
Come to think of it, I was immediately accosted by a rough-looking, drunk adventurer on my first day here. It certainly must be a high hurdle for the general public.
To make it easier for people to talk to them, we had a woman or a younger adventurer work at the outpost reception, while the tough-looking individuals served as liaisons—literally "stationed" there in rotating shifts.
"Eventually, as you say, I plan to have the Lord's private soldiers dispatched there, but for now, they must be busy with Fam-sama and Clot-sama's engagement. I'll bring it up when the time is right," Jan remarked.
"Please do. And so, the matter you called me here for is..." I questioned.
In response to my question, the Guildmaster shifted, slightly lifting his hips from his seat.
"Someone is coming from the Guild Headquarters in the Royal Capital. The same people who put Raid to the 'test' are now showing interest in, or rather, harboring suspicion toward you, Shin... It seems they want to run a test," Jan explained.
Ah, right—Raid had been subjected to a kind of examination when he was named the next Guildmaster in the Royal Capital.
Seeing the explicitly annoyed look on my face, the young man and woman standing by opened their mouths to console me.
"Relax, Shin-san, with your skill, you'll nail it in one shot!" Raid offered brightly.
"That's right! Go hit them hard and show them what you've got!" Milia insisted.
In contrast to the two who were inexplicably enthusiastic, Jan-san and I, knowing the internal issues, wore complicated expressions.
"Hmm... I really don't want to stand out," I confessed with a wry smile.
"You could refuse, technically, but that might only strengthen their suspicion. Like Milia said, it's probably better to hit them hard and get it over with in one go," Jan advised.
Behind Jan-san, Raid and Milia nodded in perfect sync.
"By the way, why are the two of you present for this?" I mused.
"Raid needs to know about things like this as the next Guildmaster. Milia, as a Guild staff member, needs to handle various procedures after confirming your intentions, such as applying for the training ground," Jan explained.
I see. In that case, the discussion was technically over, but...
"Alright, you two. The main discussion is finished, so you can leave now. Shin, you stay—I need to talk to you about the expansion of the pool and bathhouse," Jan instructed.
I felt a sense of relief, hearing his superficial excuse, realizing I still needed to discuss the strategy with the Guildmaster.
"Heey, see ya later... Ow-ow-ow-ow!?" Raid yelped, just as he was about to wave his hand and leave. Milia had fiercely grabbed his cheek with one hand.
"That would be, 'Yes, sir,' wouldn't it?" she questioned, smiling brightly.
"C-Come on, what's the big deal... It's just the old man and Shin-san here," he complained.
In response, she smiled even wider. "Raid-san? You are the next Guildmaster, and it is time you learned to separate your public and private life."
"O-Okay, I get it...!" he stammered.
Milia then led him out of the room, her hand still clamped tightly around his cheek.
"...Sigh. Looks like the day I can retire is still a long way off," Jan muttered.
"Haha..." I chuckled.
Nevertheless, the relaxed feeling was welcome, and the two of us finally got down to the main topic.
"So, is the number of people coming determined?" I questioned.
"Sorry, I don't know. This isn't a formal promotion exam or anything. Honestly, it's just guys who can't personally accept the situation and are picking a fight," Jan admitted.
I thought he was being quite blunt, but the reality was probably just that.
"With your 'ability,' I'm not worried about you losing to anyone who comes. But there's a different concern we need to have," Jan continued.
"That's what I'm worried about, too," I agreed.
I didn't mind fighting or even defeating them. Since my power negates the premise of this world, most opponents wouldn't even be a problem before the fight started.
The problem was that I absolutely had to keep two points a secret:
* I cannot use any magic.
* I can arbitrarily nullify things that fall outside my common sense.
"I can cover for you and help smooth things over as much as possible, but until now, that's been limited to just this town and our inner circle. We need information. I'll let you know as soon as the opponent arrives," Jan promised.
"P-Please do," I requested, bowing deeply.
As I raised my head, Jan leaned in and thrust his face toward me.
"That aside, Shin. Can you fight? We can't cover it up if you nullify something right off the bat. You need to fight for a while first, right?" he pointed out.
It was a perfectly reasonable question and concern. Since coming to this different world, I hadn't had any real, structured combat training.
"Um... Would it be possible for me to train a little?" I asked.
"! ...It's a deal. I'm curious about fighting techniques in a world without magic myself," Jan accepted.
And so, it was decided that the Guildmaster would give me a few lessons.
It was decided, but...
"The Gold-class Guildmaster versus the Giant Boar Killer... Who do you think will win?"
"It has to be the Guildmaster, right? No matter what," someone commented.
"I don't know. He's the guy who made Raid, Gil, and Luce that much stronger, after all."
When I entered the training ground, it was somehow completely full of spectators. There must have been about a hundred people.
"Wait, why are there so many people..." I murmured, looking around in bewilderment, when a familiar voice reached me from behind.
"Well, it is Shin-san, after all! The Giant Boar Killer, the adventurer who subdued 'Bloody Axe Ogre'² Glantz, and shot down a Wyvern... Anyone would be curious!" Milia explained cheerfully.
"That may be true, but... are you enjoying this a little too much?" I asked, completely confused by Milia's attitude. Why was she so happy?
As I tilted my head, Raid called out to me from a different direction.
"Well, the Adventurer's Guild's image has improved quite a bit, too. The fact that ordinary people in town are interested enough to come watch means Milia-san is probably happy about that," Raid speculated.
Indeed, I could spot the familiar faces of non-Guild members here and there. I saw the craftsmen I worked with and parents who had entrusted their children to the orphanage as members of the Stomping Dance troupe³.
Then, my 'opponent' lumbered into view.
"We weren't exactly restricting general entry, but people were never close to us before, either. The fact that people have come to the Guild to watch, even if it's just a spar—it's deeply moving for those of us who have been involved in the operation for so long," Jan confessed.
Come to think of it, the initial image I heard about the Guild was that it was "basically the place where people who couldn't get a decent job end up..."
Now, aside from jobs that require going outside the town, it's not unusual to see mixed teams of Guild members and locals working on things like the bathhouse or construction. When people actually work face-to-face and collaborate, they'll learn the truth, and more importantly, if they have a stable income, they're not likely to cause trouble or conflict and risk losing their jobs.
"So, Shin. What will you use?" Jan asked, pointing to the various weapons stacked in the corner of the training ground, urging me to choose my 'tool.'
I walked over and picked up a staff about one and a half meters long.
When I turned back, the Guildmaster had already taken his position in the center, a wooden practice sword gripped in one hand. As I approached him, the gallery suddenly erupted in cheers.
"Hey! This is just practice! It's not a duel or anything!" I yelled, waving both my hands in protest at the gallery, but my voice was immediately drowned out by the enormous roar.
"It's no use. Just give up and consider it rare entertainment. Now then... here I come, Giant Boar Killer...!!" Jan announced.
As Jan-san assumed his stance, the clamor of cheers instantly quieted down. Taking that as my cue, I also adopted a posture.
"Hoh, it seems you have a little bit of 'training' after all," he noted.
I'd never done anything as serious as stick fighting, but I had received some basic 'instruction' from my father. I guess that was enough to tell him I wasn't an amateur.
However, the foundation I learned wasn't for martial arts or combat sports. I'd just been taught the basics of 'how to fight' because I was curious.
First, I dropped my hips slightly and turned my body diagonally. This reduces the surface area exposed to a frontal attack.
Next, I mentally placed a cross formed by a vertical and horizontal line in front of me. Of course, this was just an imaginary concept. Then, I became conscious of the four divided spaces: top right, bottom right, top left, and bottom left.
"Let's see what you can do," Jan challenged.
No sooner had he spoken than Jan-san's wooden sword was upon me. The trajectory was from the top left, relative to me... I deflected it by rotating the tip of my staff outward within that 'top left' space.
I didn't 'thrust' or 'swing' the staff, but rather rotated it in a compact circle. Instead of directly confronting the force, I let it spin away.
I continued to parry the next six or seven consecutive strikes that entered my consciously designated spaces. He must have been holding back, but I managed to deflect them all, and we both took some distance from each other.
"That's interesting. I've never felt such a strange sensation before. You're not absorbing the force, and you're not pushing it back... Are you flowing it away in a different direction?" Jan wondered, looking thoughtfully at the tip of his practice sword.
As expected, he was sharp. He had grasped that much just from our exchange of blows.
In this world, where magic and magical power are the foundation, there is too much individual variation in 'ability.' The same goes for body enhancement (boosts).
Ultimately, techniques and clever ideas are only considered when there is an assumption that skill can, to some extent, overturn a difference in power.
In other words, only when the difference in strength is within arm's reach.
If I had been a native of this world and could use a decent amount of body enhancement, would I dare to challenge Jan-san in hand-to-hand combat? Would I ever think I could win?
Even without that, he also possesses the magic of weapon enhancement. No one would even think of trying to win with petty tricks on the same ground.
That's why no one thinks of it.
That's why, when I arranged the sparring match between Raid and the Guildmaster, I made sure to emphasize long-range attacks.
"Now then, aren't you going to attack me?" Jan taunted, placing the practice sword on his shoulder and raising one hand.
I brought the staff around horizontally, hiding it behind my back, and swung it to sweep at his feet.
"...Ngh!?" Jan grunted.
The staff passed through the empty space where he had just jumped, and then I continued the motion, swinging it diagonally downwards. A diagonal strike from the shoulder⁴ immediately following a low sweep—a Naginata technique.
It's a concept that doesn't exist in this world, but it's more than just that. Watching Jan-san and Raid's fight, and the one with Glantz, I realized something: they mostly use single-instance attacks.
It's not that continuous attacks are completely absent, but they're probably not used to 'combos' or 'consecutive strikes,' as they're called in fighting games.
But more than that, he must have been feeling a sense of 'difficulty' in dealing with me.
"Haha! Hahaha! Life is a continuous sequence of surprises and discoveries! To think there was a 'way to fight' like this!" Jan roared with delighted laughter after leaping far back, creating a brief moment of silence.
"Whoa!? The Guildmaster ran away!?" a spectator exclaimed in shock.
"Did Shin do something!?" another wondered aloud.
"I don't know! He doesn't look like he's used any magic yet!" a third cried out.
During the pause in the fighting, the gallery spoke their thoughts out loud.
Of course, I can't use magic. But whether it's Earth or this other world, there are still things you can figure out.
Jan-san is Gold-class; he must be at the master level, like a Tatsujin⁵ on Earth.
When a person reaches that level, they can 'read' an attack with their gaze. Where will the next attack land? The arm? The foot? Or the head? They anticipate and move by following the opponent's line of sight. Whether they're conscious of it or not, I figured he had reached that realm.
That's why I attacked while staring directly into Jan-san's 'eyes.' To be attacked elsewhere while his line of sight remained fixed—
A person with high fighting instinct will glare back if they're glared at. They won't look away. They won't avert their gaze. That was the opening I exploited.
However—a master-level fighter should be looking at one more thing. And that is...
"Ah, snap... Of course, that's what happens," I muttered.
He silently broke eye contact and dropped his gaze down. Down to my feet... Yes. The opponent's actions can also be predicted from the movement of their feet.
I also felt like Jan-san was starting to get serious... This is just a practice match, right? Right?
When I glanced at his face, he returned a smug grin. Ah, I see what this is. He's saying, 'Is that all you've got? Show me more,'—
Oh well, I thought, as I re-adopted my stance, and Jan-san, too, pointed the tip of his practice sword at me... At the same time, the training ground erupted with excitement.
"Alright, let's go, then," I challenged.
I held the staff in front of me like in Kendo, raised it overhead, and charged. This move was intended to declare that I would definitely swing it down, with no intent to conceal anything.
Even Jan-san's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and held his weapon low. This was likely a counter to a downward strike.
"Teyaaaah!!" I yelled.
"Hooouh!!" Jan grunted.
The next moment, the staff I had been holding was spinning high in the air.
Everyone must have thought the match was decided. However, my opponent, Jan-san himself, was wide-eyed, unable to hide his astonishment.
That made sense—my downward swing of the staff must have felt completely insubstantial.
And I used that moment to slip inside his range, grabbing his right arm.
"Got you!" I exclaimed.
This was the fundamental combat principle my father taught me: 'Rotate the weapon outward, rotate the body inward.'
Up until now, I had focused on rotating the staff constantly outward. That was nothing more than to keep danger at a distance.
And 'rotate the body inward' is for a reason rooted in the structure of the human body.
Whether it's magic or a different world, as long as it's a human composed of the same two arms, two legs, and five senses... joints don't bend backward, and arms or legs don't stretch out longer.
If you try it, you'll find that if you twist an arm that is held straight, either outward or inward, the outward twist is surprisingly manageable. Conversely, if you twist it inward, the body is immediately wrenched, and freedom of movement is taken away.
All I had to do was twist his arm to stop his movements... or so I thought, but my vision was suddenly filled with the blue sky—and then I lost consciousness.
...Huh?
First, my eyes recognized a familiar ceiling, and then my back registered a soft sensation.
When I raised my upper body—
"Oh. You're awake, Shin," Jan said, speaking from his dedicated desk rather than the reception sofa.
It seemed I had been laid down on the sofa in the Branch Manager's office. As I tried to put my feet on the floor, a sharp pain shot through my back.
"Don't push it. I somehow caught you, but... I put a little too much power into it," Jan explained.
I was rubbing my back, still not quite grasping what he meant, when the door opened.
"Guildmaster, how is Shin-san...? Ah!" Raid exclaimed.
"Oh! Shin-san! Thank goodness, you woke up!" Milia cried out.
After confirming I was alright, Raid and Milia quickly approached and then turned their sharp gazes toward the Guildmaster.
"Guildmaster! That was too much, no matter what!" Raid insisted.
"Exactly! This was supposed to be a training session!" Milia backed him up.
"My bad, my bad," Jan said with a wry smile, standing up. "I was getting desperate, you know? I apologize for getting serious, but Shin is also to blame for making it impossible for me to hold back."
He continued walking while making excuses, then sat down across the table from me.
"Still, what if there had been a slight mistake?" Raid demanded.
"That's right! If something had happened to Shin-san...!" Milia joined the protest.
"No, no, I'm perfectly fine, as you can see," I said, finally interjecting.
While I waved my hands to calm them down, I honestly felt happy to realize that I had become someone they would worry about this much.
Then they continued:
"If something happened to Shin-san... what would happen to the meat, fish, and shellfish in this town!?" Raid lamented.
"That's not all! He might be making even more delicious new recipes!" Milia added.
I take back everything. Give me back my moment of sentimentality.
"Well, putting half of that aside as a joke—I'm just glad you're safe," Raid finished.
Does that mean the other half was serious?!
"Also, if I may say so, you two... Neither of you is young anymore, so please try to show a little more restraint," Milia advised.
"Ugh," both the man around forty⁶ and the man around fifty⁷ bowed their heads deeply at her words.
Then, we started fresh, and I asked for an explanation of what had happened.
"So, um, the very end... What exactly happened?"
Honestly, I couldn't remember that part at all. My memory cut off after grabbing the Guildmaster's right arm.
"It looked like Shin-san's staff was deflected high into the air, but then I heard a shout of 'Got you!!' and it seemed like you pinned the Guildmaster," Raid recalled.
"Huh? Is that right? To me, it looked like Shin-san was thrown right after his staff was flung away..." Milia offered a different perspective.
The views of Raid and Milia were different, but this was likely the difference between a combatant and a non-combatant. It had only been two or three seconds, and it was understandable that their attention would be drawn to the staff sent flying high into the air.
"But just as I thought you had pinned him, the next instant, the Guildmaster seemed to snap back to his original stance, and Shin-san was tossed high into the air," Raid explained.
Raid's explanation finally allowed me to understand what had happened to me. He had used sheer force... probably with body enhancement, to counter my move and then flung me away.
"Then, the Guildmaster rushed to the landing spot in a panic and caught Shin-san," Raid concluded.
"It was a great fight up until then, though..." Milia said consolingly.
I tilted my head at her words. "Hmm, but... it was just a fight with a practice sword and a stick. Wasn't it a bit boring?"
Raid and Milia shook their heads violently from side to side in response to that question.
"Just being able to spar with the old man like that is a miracle!" Raid exclaimed.
"Even if it was just practice—I've never seen anyone make the Guildmaster get serious, especially in close-quarters combat," Milia confessed.
It seems he has an unparalleled strength, at least in close combat. That's why the gallery was so excited.
"But... I think you two fought more intensely before. Were you holding back at first?" Raid asked.
I couldn't say that the Guildmaster was probably suppressing his body enhancement then, so I kept silent, and the man himself spoke up.
"Fighting fiercely only happens when there's a difference in skill. If the skill levels are similar, you won't be pushed back or deflected much," Jan mused.
Ooooh, Raid and Milia's gazes, filled with respect, became fixed on me. I appreciated him covering for me, but it was a little embarrassing.
"But in the end, you were tossed really high into the air," Raid recalled.
"That was what decided the match, but why only at the end..." Milia wondered.
Ah... he probably used his body enhancement at full power only for that part... I guess they would be confused about that.
As I peered up at the Guildmaster's face, he wore an expression of confident pride.
"That was my 'trump card.' For just an instant, I can double my body enhancement. It's been years since I last used it..." Jan declared.
This time, Raid and Milia's wide-eyed, respectful gazes shifted toward Jan-san, transforming into sheer adoration.
"No way!! You still had something like that!?" Raid exclaimed in shock.
"A-As expected of a Gold-class adventurer...!" Milia breathed.
I played along with the narrative, asking him in a deliberately flustered tone, "I-Is it alright to reveal something like that here?"
"Don't worry. Who said that was my only trump card?" Jan countered.
At his answer, Raid and Milia's eyes transcended respect and became pure awe.
"Well, that's the story, so don't worry. Raid, Milia. Go tell the others that Shin is safe. Tell them he'll still be cooking them delicious food," Jan instructed.
The two of them exchanged wry smiles, bowed, and then left the Branch Manager's office.
When he confirmed that the two older men were alone, Jan let out a heavy sigh.
"Hah... Honestly, I feel like I'm getting better and better at lying when I'm around you," Jan confessed.
"Well, that's your fault for getting serious during a training session," I teased.
"Yeah, well, that's true, but I was genuinely surprised back there, you know? ...What was that? That move after you swung the staff overhead—"
He had quickly understood the redirection of force and the continuous strikes during the combat, but he admitted that the 'structure' of that particular attack was beyond his comprehension.
Well, in this world where subtle tricks don't mean much, and for a person who wouldn't learn such a thing even on Earth unless they were 'unhinged,' it would be impossible for him to grasp the true meaning.
"...The whole point of that was just to grab your arm from the start," I explained.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Jan asked, leaning over the table, his body hunched toward me.
"I charged while swinging the staff overhead so that you would intentionally deflect the staff away. My goal at that moment was to close the distance with you and grab your arm—I set up that attack on the premise of letting go of the staff," I explained.
He leaned back, his back hitting the sofa, and let out a huge sigh.
"I had a strange feeling about it. At first, I thought you had lost your head after losing your weapon, but... for all that, you weren't flustered at all, and I didn't sense any hesitation. But still, how do you come up with things like that? What kind of conflicts do you have in your world?" Jan wondered.
It's true that, having received training from my father, a former Ground Self-Defense Force member, I might be closer to a soldier than the average person... but I didn't learn how to handle firearms or techniques meant for killing.
"It's probably because we don't have magic that we have to think about all sorts of methods and means," I suggested.
Jan took a breath at my answer and moved on to his next question.
"And then, after you grabbed my hand. Your body rotated at the same time you twisted my arm. Was that... another technique from your world?" he questioned.
"That's called a joint lock. It's a way to immobilize someone by utilizing the structure of the human body. Well, I thought you'd be able to break out of it with body enhancement, but I certainly didn't expect to be tossed into the sky," I laughed.
"I said I was sorry about that. I was genuinely panicking at that moment. ...Wait. You're saying you did that move even though you expected it to be countered?" Jan pressed.
I looked at him blankly and replied, "Of course. No matter how much you held back, I didn't think anything I did would work against a Gold-class adventurer. All of it was just thinking, 'I wonder if this will surprise him a little?'"
"I see. Well, in that case, you succeeded. You surprised me enough in that one training session for about ten years' worth of surprise," Jan conceded.
At that, we both finally chuckled, then burst into hearty laughter together.
"But still, I forced you to cover for me again, Jan-san... Saying it was a 'trump card' and now you'll have to keep up that lie for who knows how long—I really apologize," I said, bowing my head.
He put his hand on his chin. "Hmm? Are you talking about doubling the body enhancement? That's my actual trump card. It's also true that I have a few other hidden moves," Jan admitted.
"What!?" I exclaimed in shock.
Jan-san saw my surprised face and wore a triumphant expression.
"Hahahaha! I wanted to see that look! I can't let you have all the fun with the surprises. However, joint locks, huh... That could be useful for boosting the Guild members' overall strength, too. I'll come up with some kind of reason, just like when we made the boomerang squad, so start training them," Jan insisted.
And so, the Guildmaster and I talked for a while about the next steps, including how to handle the Guild members coming from the Headquarters.
Summary:
Shin and Guildmaster Jan, the unexpected duo, are caught between the protagonist's desire to stay low-key and the Royal Capital's suspicions. This leads to a public training match that turns into a full-blown spectacle. Shin's Earth-based fighting—using a staff to deflect, creating combos, and finishing with a joint lock—shocks the Gold-class Jan, proving that 'common sense' can beat magic. Jan's reaction, panicking and accidentally flinging Shin into the sky, shows the true danger. The recap highlights the growing loyalty and deep understanding between the two men as Jan vows to help Shin maintain his dangerous secret.
Character Insight:
Shin is determined to protect his secret, even risking an aggressive fight. His use of martial arts principles—manipulating the opponent's attention and force—shows his strategic brilliance. Jan, the veteran Guildmaster, is a sharp analyst who is genuinely thrilled by Shin's unique, non-magical techniques. He quickly shifts from a mentor to a fascinated student, revealing that his own 'trump card' is real, adding complexity to his character as an ultimate veteran.
Behind the Scene:
The conflict is establishing the high stakes of Shin's unique ability. Since his power can negate the rules of this world (nullifying common sense), his real challenge is not fighting but hiding the fight. The joint lock is a perfect example of Shin using a method from a world without magic (Earth) to counter an opponent who relies heavily on magical enhancement, highlighting the difference in their worldviews. The reaction of the secondary characters, Raid and Milia, being more concerned about the town's food supply than Shin's well-being, is a recurring comedic theme to keep the light novel tone.
T/L:
¹ Tsune-zume-sho (詰め所) is a place for staff to be stationed/present, like a police box or a guard station. It is an intentional, formal-sounding word to contrast with the Guild's rougher image. ↩
² Glantz is given the title of Bloody Axe Ogre.↩
³ Ashifumi Odori (足踏み踊り) is the name of the dance troupe Shin helped create, which focuses on energetic stomping/footwork.↩
⁴ Kesa-giri (袈裟斬り) is a diagonal strike, often one of the most powerful cuts in Japanese swordsmanship. The term literally refers to cutting across the chest, where the Buddhist scarf (kesa) is worn.↩
⁵ Tatsujin (達人) is a Japanese term for a master or a person with supreme skill in a particular art, often in martial arts, implying a deep, almost spiritual understanding.↩
⁶ Ara-fō (アラフォー) is a Japanese shorthand for 'around forty.'↩
⁷ Ara-fihu (アラフィフ) is a Japanese shorthand for 'around fifty.'↩
Notes:
• Milia - The young receptionist at the Adventurer's Guild. She has short hair, tanuki-face like (cute), wears round glasses, and business attire.
• 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.
• Jan - The sturdy branch manager of the local Adventurer's Guild. He is short, has muscular build, and gray hair.
• Alteriese - A dragon saved by Shin after he shot down the wyverns threatening her child. She can take a beautiful human form with a masculine speaking style, long black hair, black eyes, a tall, imposing build, and wears simple, high-quality wrapped clothing.
• Carman - The Count's official merchant in the town. A professional, elderly man who quickly recognized the unexpected value of Shin's processed fish.
• Mile - One of the two gate guards. He's relatively open and friendly towards Shin after their initial encounter. Wears rough leather armor, has weather-beaten face, and strong build.
• Ron - The second gate guard, usually supporting Mile. He is observant of Shin's methods, though he misinterprets them. Wears same as Mile.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Glantz - A notorious bandit known as 'Glantz the Bloody Axe Ogre' for his massive weapon and brute-force approach. He has muscular build, bushy beard and unkempt hair. He carries a massive, 3-meter axe, and Wears bandit gear.