Chapter 2: The Harsh Reality of Another World

Two Months Later

Irumi was crouching at a street corner, his stomach growling with hunger.

This wasn't a dream or the afterlife. It was, without a doubt, another world. After two months, Irumi had finally come to accept this.

Because in a dream, you wouldn't feel this unbearable hunger or exhaustion.

"I'm screwed. I've got nothing left to sell…"

He had sold everything he was wearing that had any value. His tie and tie pin fetched a decent price, and his wristwatch, considered rare, sold for a good amount. But his suit jacket, deemed too slim, went for cheap.

With the money from selling everything, he bought grains and vegetables, rationing them to survive. Without a steady job, once his current money and food ran out, it was over. He limited himself to one meal a day.

In his chest pocket, he kept a packet of instant miso soup he'd meant to drink during a lunch break at work but never got around to. He couldn't bring himself to sell it, saving it for when he craved a taste of his original world.

Strangely, despite the language of this world being completely different from Japanese, he could understand it and read its writing. If he couldn't, he'd likely have faced even greater despair. Yet, this convenience made him wonder if it was all just a dream after all.

After two months, he learned he was in a country called Helzheim, in a town called Krumto, far from the capital. There was no science, but magic existed. At night, streetlights lit up the town center, though only a few people could use magic. Otherwise, the atmosphere was much like the medieval Europe Irumi imagined—complete with its architecture, poverty, and rampant crime.

He'd thought endlessly about returning to his world but found no way back. For now, he looked for work to survive, but without a registry or a clear background, the only job offered was selling his body, which he was flatly refused.

Left with no choice, he went door-to-door to houses and shops, offering to do odd jobs like cleaning for a day's pay. Most turned him away, but occasionally he got grueling tasks like cleaning soot-covered hearths or chimneys stained black with magic stone residue.

His face and body were covered in soot, and at night, he couldn't stop coughing.

Wealthy households had maids, so Irumi only got work from poor families who could barely afford to pay. Their wages were pitifully small. Even walking from morning to night, doing backbreaking labor, he earned less than enough for a day's food.

Some employers were violent, often refusing to pay. Protesting got him beaten, and with no police, he had no recourse but to accept it.

"Another world is supposed to be fun, isn't it? What is this hell…?"

His brothers had told him as kids that other worlds were places where you got special powers, became a hero, or lived a leisurely slow life. So far, Irumi had no such luck.

His only ability was emitting a mysterious warm light from his hands when he focused. He'd tested it extensively, but all it did was produce that light—nothing more.

He'd hoped it might heal wounds. Excited at the thought of becoming a doctor, he tried it on a cut, but nothing happened. The only time he used it on someone was during a robbery. It didn't defeat the attacker; it just startled them enough for Irumi to escape. A thoroughly underwhelming ability.

(I really have no redeeming qualities, do I?)

His brothers were academically gifted and talented in sports like soccer and track. As their caretaker, he was proud, but he felt a bit ashamed of his own lack of anything special.

(Yuto and the others… I wonder if they're doing okay…)

Thinking of his brothers, Irumi hung his head. In his original world, he'd lived solely for them since childhood. Now, in a world without them, he didn't know why he was enduring this suffering.

(Maybe it's enough. If I just die here… they're grown now, aren't they?)

He recalled the last phone call with his eldest younger brother, Yuto, who was attending a prestigious national university and starting his job hunt. He wasn't at the interview stage yet but was busy researching companies and attending internships.

"Yuto? How's the job hunt going?"

"Eh, normal."

"If anything comes up, call me anytime. I'll always listen. Are you eating properly? Even if you're busy, make sure you have three meals—"

Yuto cut him off with an exasperated sigh.

"Look, I'm exhausted from an internship today. Get to the point."

"S-Sorry. For New Year's, when are you coming back? I'll call Rikuto next, but let me know the date so I can cook and shop. I'll make your favorite shrimp tempura."

"…Nah, I'm not coming back this year."

"What? You didn't come last year either. We're family, so at least once a year—"

"Family? I'm 20 already. Rikuto says it's annoying to gather every New Year's just because. He's busy with his part-time job, too."

"Annoying…?"

"I'm really grateful to you, Irumi-nii, but… this kind of thing is getting overbearing. Later."

"Hey, wait!"

The call ended, and Irumi let out a deep sigh. That's just how brothers are, he supposed. Still, having raised them so devotedly, he couldn't help but care deeply, like a parent, about their lives.

He'd eagerly bought snacks, looking forward to seeing them after so long, only to realize he was the only one excited. Worse, they found him annoying. It wasn't just shocking—it felt profoundly empty.

His only concern was their tuition, but he'd set up savings accounts in their names for emergencies. He wasn't sure if his body was dead in his original world, but he had life insurance. Even if they didn't want contact, their mother would likely cover the rest of their tuition if needed.

If they had no financial issues, they could live without him. It was Irumi who needed them. With that thought, as hunger made him dizzy, he felt it might be okay to collapse here. His role was over.

In a place with such poor safety, falling asleep here could mean being killed by morning, but exhausted, Irumi began to close his eyes.

That's when it happened.

"Hey, you. How much?"

Looking up, he saw two middle-aged men standing over him. Thinking it might be a job offer, Irumi quickly raised his head.

(Damn… why was I about to sleep in a place like this?)

Snapping back to reality, his heart pounded. Suppressing his panic, he forced a smile.

"Uh, depends on the job. For cleaning hearths or chimneys, 50 lepi if possible. If not, a bag of mijal and some mona eggs would do."

Helzheim's currency was the lepi. Mijal was a grain like a cross between rice and wheat, a staple here. Mona eggs were twice the size of chicken eggs, cheap, rich, and seemingly nutritious. Irumi survived on egg porridge made by boiling mijal with salt and mona eggs almost daily.

Hoping for cash over goods, he looked up. The men scanned him from head to toe, sneering vulgarly.

"Not that. How much for that cute ass of yours? We'll have fun with you till you pass out."

(…Is this an American prison?!)

In the two months since arriving, despite seeking legitimate work, he was often mistaken for a male prostitute. Thinking back, even in Japan, during late-night shifts in high school, men occasionally approached him with such intentions.

"No, my ass isn't for sale…"

Confused, he declined. The men stared at his face.

"You're dirty, but you've got a pretty face. That rare hair color's nice. 3,000 lepi—no, 4,000."

Irumi was stunned by the amount. Misinterpreting his reaction as agreement, one man continued.

"Deal. Suck us off, and we'll add 1,000."

"Sorry… really, I can't."

With a strained smile, Irumi fled. Usually, that ended it, but the men chased him, laughing.

This world's laws, if they existed, barely functioned. There were no police stations or convenience stores to escape to. Extortion and assault were common, so he avoided narrow alleys, but with his backside targeted, he had no choice but to dart into one.

(They're too persistent!)

Chased for what felt like forever, half-crying, he finally lost them and sighed in relief. Ahead, in a small plaza, he saw a well.

Thirsty from running, he approached to drink when a shout rang out: "Monster!!"