Episode 4: "Withstand the Guild Interview with a Steely Mentality"
We walked for about ten minutes along the path shown to us by the gatekeeper.
Still, my impression was that there really are very few men in this town.
It's not that there are none at all, but it's clear that it's rare to see them. Also, everyone was walking furtively on the side of the road, looking ashamed. And they were all middle-aged or older men, and I didn't see any young men at all.
Instead, young women were strolling through the middle of the road as if they owned the place. They acted as if they were the main characters of the town, and the elderly, men, and children seemed to be trying not to get in their way... or rather, not to get involved with them.
I suppose all the young men have been drafted and are no longer in town, but it still seems unnatural to see a woman acting so arrogantly.
Since I didn't want to stand out too much, I followed the others and walked to the side of the road towards the adventurer's guild. The women were giving me strange looks, but they didn't seem to say anything to me. Maybe they thought it was strange that all the young men were supposed to be sent to war, or maybe they found me, a pure-blooded yellow race, unusual.
Ah, the people in the town have Caucasian skin, but their features aren't too plain. They have the kind of faces you often see in Japanese fantasy, and it's hard to tell they're Western or Japanese. Ah, it makes me feel like I've come to a fantasy parallel world.
By the way, the main streets are mostly made of brick, giving it a Western European feel, but there are gas lamps here and there. It may be a civilization with quite advanced technology. It doesn't seem to use electricity or have cars, so I wonder if it's about as developed as the late Middle Ages?
Also... the city smells a bit. It smells like it's coming from the drains on the road. People who have been living here for a long time may not mind it, but it's a bit strong for a modern Japanese like me. I wonder if I'll get used to it after a while.
Thinking about this, I walked and walked until I finally found a sign that looked like an adventurer's guild. It had a traveling pigeon pattern on it. If it wasn't an adventurer's guild, a sign with a design like that would probably be a post office.
All right, thanks!
"The guild registration fee is five silver coins."
"I'm broke."
"Please leave."
The cold-hearted man at the reception gave me a cold response when I asked to become an adventurer.
Um, can you please listen to me a little more?
Honestly, I wonder if they're even taking money!? I mean, I'm the one doing the work for the guild and getting paid for it, so isn't it weird that they have to pay a registration fee?
When I complained about this, the receptionist sighed.
"Sometimes people misunderstand us like you, but we are a union. In order to keep the organization healthy, we need to raise some funds for the guild, and we have to turn away shady people like you. Do you understand?"
"But isn't it an organization that acts as a sort of social safety net, handing out tedious jobs like collecting medicinal herbs or cleaning sewers to people who are struggling financially?"
When I confronted the receptionist about the knowledge I had gained from reading online novels, he gave me a displeased look.
"Well... it's true that we do take on cleaning work that the government can't handle, but that's just the result of the process. It's not our intention to support low-level workers. Our raison d'être is to exterminate dangerous monsters, and we want all guild members to eventually be able to do that kind of work."
According to the receptionist, the adventurer's guild is nothing more than a monster extermination company, and the Jack-of-All-Trades are just sub-contractors who work to feed the inexperienced guild members. Well, I guess cleaning the town is supposed to be a government job after all.
"So."
The receptionist gives me a cold look.
"There's no job to assign to a naive man like you who has just run away from home. Being an adventurer is a tough job. If you understand, go back home and raise your children. It's for your own good."
Huh? Do they think I ran away from home?
I have no home to go back to! I have to hang in there no matter what...!
"Please wait, I'm from another world! If I can't get a job here, I'll starve to death... please let me into the guild!"
"Ise, Kai...?"
The receptionist blinked her eyes and looked me over from head to toe again.
"Ah, yes... I have heard that on rare occasions, people claiming to come from another world will come knocking on our door, wanting to become adventurers..."
It seems that I wasn't the first person to be reincarnated into this world.
But that was the quick solution. I eagerly leaned forward onto the counter.
"That's right, I am that reincarnated person!"
"...Well, I have heard of it. It was just idle talk over drinks, though."
"Huh...? But then he rose to become a legendary adventurer."
"No. If he had, it would have been passed down as a heroic tale. The fact that it ended up as just idle talk means that he either died somewhere or retired without achieving much."
"I have no dreams..."
Well, if an ordinary person is sent to another world with nothing but the clothes on their back, they're bound to die. I think the protagonist is someone who suddenly shows heroic qualities and rises to power. Unfortunately, I'm just an ordinary person like anyone else...
The receptionist let out an exasperated sigh and gave me a sharp glare.
"Why don't you stop dreaming and look for a job that's a little more down to earth?"
"What is a job that puts your feet on the ground?"
"…Well, I think it would be best to get married and settle down at home. A single wife would probably be a tough financial situation, but if there were three of us working together I think we could somehow make ends meet."
"...He's a gigolo!"
"I'm a househusband!"
Oh my goodness, this receptionist has a straight face but is actually crazy!
Of all things, he advised me to become a gigolo and make a living!
Is polygamy the norm in this world? Even if it is, what's the morality behind it? This other world is scary.
In this world, the birth rate for men is 25%, meaning that only one in four people are born! To begin with, it is a society with a chronic shortage of men! Therefore, it is common for low-income people to either buy the sperm of a male prostitute and raise the child as a single mother, or for several people in a household to share one husband !place・Yes・ By the way, it is a society with inequality, so in the wealthy classes, one woman often has multiple men as her servants! ≫Feed・Education・ The man at the reception desk stared at me and tried to persuade me with a serious look on his face. "I know I should really say this, but you should give up on being an adventurer. With your abilities, I'm sure you can find a better job." "But I really want to be an adventurer!" Reincarnated as an adventurer with cheating abilities and being OP is a pretty standard template. Don't you actually want to try it at least once? "At the very least, let me take an adventurer aptitude test or something like that!" "...I see you know a lot. That kind of thing is actually part of the guild membership registration and costs money." Letting out a sigh for the umpteenth time, the receptionist pulled out a crystal ball from under the counter. "Okay, I'll let you take the exam. I'll lend you five silver coins as a personal loan. In return, if you don't have the talent, you'll have to give up completely." "Yay! Thank you!" Despite her cold face, the receptionist was a very nice person. I've always wanted to try this ability check. Isn't it the classic scene where it's revealed that the character has incredible potential, the crystal explodes, and you're like, "Whaaat is this...!?" I excitedly held my hand over the crystal and shouted "Wooooooh...!" as I tried to send out a mysterious aura. I wonder if it came out? Aura. The receptionist said matter-of-factly, "That's fine," then looked at the crystal. "Th-what is this...?!" Oh! This is the kind of situation that makes me terrified at my potential! The receptionist blinked as if she couldn't believe her eyes, then muttered in a low voice. "...I've never seen someone so unsuited to be an adventurer before..." "Huh!?" That's ridiculous. This is my idea of a basic set for an otherworldly adventurer! I packed it with otherworldly languages and resistance skills. "Look closely, I have lots of resistance skills!" "Ah, there are certainly a lot... This is the first time I've seen someone bestowed with so many resistances. But even if you have a lot of resistances... Besides, you have zero magical power, don't you? How do you plan on defeating monsters with this?"Blessinggift "Magic power...? But I'm going to be a front-line player so I don't need it, right?" "What are you talking about? It's obviously essential for the vanguard." "Huh?" "Huh?" According to what the receptionist said, everyone in this world is born with innate magical powers. Magic power is not only necessary for rear guards to use attack and recovery magic, but front liners also use it to boost their strength and explosiveness in battle. Not only that, they also unconsciously use magic power to reduce the damage caused by enemy attacks. The only ones who don't need magical power are support classes such as rogues, but even they still use magical power to sense traps and the presence of enemies. In other words, with absolutely no magical power, I have no right to take part in battle. That can't be helped! Because there is no magic in modern Japan! ...Ah, maybe if I hadn't inherited the power and had been reborn as a local, I would have been able to have magical powers? But, even if that meant losing my personality... Damn, this is how my life as an adventurer has been cut short before it even began...! ...No, wait a minute? What came to my mind was a sentence from the Flame Dragon set that had crossed my mind before I left the white space. Maybe I can buy cheats from that vending machine later? I had 15 Great Sage Qualities, but if I was okay with weaker magic powers, I should be able to buy them cheaper. At the moment, I don't have a single coin left, but if I perform well in this world, I'm sure I'll be able to get some new ones. So, I can't give up on the path of an adventurer now. "Please, I still want to be an adventurer!" "Well, didn't you promise to give up if there was no hope? You have zero magical power, and your strength and speed aren't that great either... You won't be able to become an adventurer like this. I'm saying this for your own good." "Are there really no monsters I can hunt?" "Hmmm... I think a big horned rabbit would be okay... No, it's no good. Just give up quietly. Adventurers are reckless." "So let me ask you the opposite question: what can I do?" "If you become a male prostitute you can rule the world." Exotic Asian looks! Although he has no common sense, he is an educated person from another world who possesses advanced knowledge! With [International Language Conversation] you can have everyday conversations with VIPs of all nationalities! A body that will never contract a sexually transmitted disease due to [Disease Resistance]! [Drug resistance] provides complete resistance to alcohol and dangerous drugs! [Pain Tolerance] gives her the durability to withstand any unpleasant customer or rough play! A mentality that doesn't mind being held captive in a brothel due to [Mental Resistance]! Furthermore, he has a slim, muscular, toned physique that was inherited from his previous life! This makes Otokojima Yuuji the perfect male prostitute! He is truly a natural-born prostitute sent by God! "I have no intention of selling my body!" "Eh... really? I think it's much better than being an adventurer." The receptionist had a really strange look on her face. No, this was even more strange. Is male prostitution really that popular in this world? Are there women who would buy it? To begin with, my chastity is by no means cheap. If I died without graduating as a virgin in my previous life, I would have received 25 coins, right? This is worth 2.5 pieces of the Explosive Dragon set. I don't know if I'll be able to be reincarnated with my ego intact in the next life, but if possible, I'd like to remain a virgin in this life and secure the 25 coins for the next life. I don't have parents in this world, so I won't be offset by being unfilial. Of course, if I found a girl in this world that I really liked, I wouldn't mind losing my virginity, but I want to ask myself if this girl is worth 2.5 sets of the Explosive Dragon. I won't be interested in her unless she has a really good figure, a cute face, and a personality that I like. …Well, I guess you're just a lame guy who never had a girlfriend in his previous life and thinks he is. "Well, that's why there is no seat available for you in our guild, so please leave." "Do something about that! Magic power will start to grow in you soon!" "It won't grow! A person's magical power is determined from birth! There's absolutely no way that someone who has no prospects now will be able to do anything in the future!" Hmm... What an unreasonable receptionist! I know she's turning me down because she's genuinely worried about me, so it pains me, but I can't give up now either! Or rather, if it doesn't work out here, I'll have no choice but to seriously sell my body... though I don't think there's any demand for it. And so, while I was clinging to her and the receptionist was trying to pull me away, we were arguing about this and that... "Oh? I haven't seen you before... Is there something we can do for the guild?" I turned to face the voice behind me, and there stood a cool, beautiful woman wearing glasses. She had a smart, slender face and was wearing a luxurious robe, and looked to be in her late teens to early twenties. She was about my age, but she already had the air of a capable female boss working hard at a top company. She looks at me with a smile that doesn't match her somewhat cold features. "Oh, so you're from the East... I hear you live in a country at the very edge of the East. The Great Vrishav Empire has also expanded its colonies to many different lands, so we've had more opportunities to see people of various races recently. So, what was the matter that you were arguing about?" "Ah, Master. Excuse me, but this person over there... who calls himself a person from another world, is being stubborn and asking to be let into the guild." "Wow... I see. It's an honor that you would choose our guild." Judging from the way the receptionist spoke, it seemed that this girl was the guild master here. She must be quite capable, being in charge of the guild despite being a woman. He's smiling in a friendly manner, but well... The receptionist clenched her lips as if she had just tasted something bitter, and held up the crystal ball. "No, it's just that... I don't think this person's abilities are good enough for him to make it as an adventurer..." "Oh, let's see." Looking into the crystal ball, she snorted, then suddenly burst into a smile. "Oh, that's great! You have [Disease Resistance] and [Poison Resistance], which are wonderful blessings for an adventurer. There are plenty of jobs that only you can be entrusted with!" "Eh..." The Guild Master clapped his hands in delight. Oh, this is a great feeling. The receptionist has a pale face. I wonder if she's shocked that her superior rejected her character judgment? "We've been looking for someone like you! Would you be willing to lend your support to our guild?" "Of course! Thank you!" Well, I guess people really do watch it after all! I returned the smile to the Guild Master. …If things are going this well, can I get a little carried away? "Well, you see… the truth is, I've only just arrived here and I don't have any money at all… If it were possible, I'd really appreciate it if you could lend me some money for the time being to cover my living expenses and buy some equipment…" "Oh, I see. It can't be helped if you're from another world. Of course, I'll lend you about 20 silver coins from my own pocket. As for equipment... Wes-kun, I'm sure there were some equipment left in the warehouse by the bronze class party that didn't return the other day, right? Lend it to me." The receptionist, who was called Wes, nodded, his face showing no sign of confusion. "Yes, there is one, but... to be honest it's not in very good condition, since it's been left abandoned for quite some time." "Still, that should be enough for fighting the Great Horned Rabbit. If you start out as a beginner and use high quality equipment, you'll miss out on the fun of growing. Don't you think so, Yuuji?" "That's right! There's a feeling that starting from the very bottom makes you rise up!" Oh, do you know my name? Maybe it showed up in the crystal ball earlier. With that in mind, I looked into my crystal ball, but the language was one I couldn't read. Doesn't [Otherworld Language Conversation] cover writing? I guess I messed up a bit. But, well, I didn't have enough coins, so it can't be helped. The Guild Master nodded with a smile and looked in a good mood. "We will prepare a room for you on the second floor of a bar that our guild is friendly with. Of course, you will have to pay for the lodging yourself…" "Of course, I can't cause you that much trouble!" "You are well aware of your position. I'm sure you will achieve great things. You may have some difficulties at first, but there's no need to rush. I'm sure one day you'll rise to success. Until then, I'll be cheering for you." He's such a nice guy! He's definitely a guild master! This is what a leader should be like. Oh, it's an easy reincarnation game in another world! ======= ===== ==== After Yuji left the guild in high spirits, the man at the reception desk, Wes, barged into the guild master's room with a gloomy look on his face. "What are you planning, Master? Welcoming him as a guild member... He has no ability to fight, he'll die sooner or later." Deabolica, the master of the Adventurer's Guild, lights a cigar and takes a puff, exhaling smoke along with an icy breath. "He won't die. I don't have any intention of giving him any job that could kill him. I'd give him jobs like draining sewer pipes, picking medicinal herbs, and hunting rats... or even big-horned rabbits. Give him only those kinds of low-class jobs. Don't let him take on any jobs that could put his life in danger." "...? If I'm treated like that, I'll get sick of it and quit being an adventurer. Anyone who wants to be an adventurer will more or less dream of defeating dangerous monsters and becoming a hero." "Yes, I'm glad you quit. In fact, I wish you'd quit sooner rather than later." Deabolika gave a cruel grin. Wes is unable to read his boss's intentions and his expression suddenly becomes confused. "...What do you mean?" "If he quits, I'll be able to introduce my husband to a promising adventurer." "So, I had planned on making him give up from the start..." "Yes, that's right. Being an adventurer is not an honorable job. Even if an adventurer is known for their skills and has some savings, it's difficult for them to find a husband. After all, it's a job where you never know if you'll end up dying, and no matter how much money you make now, there are few men among the general public who want to become the husband of a woman who is likely to become a widow." It is common knowledge among the average citizen of this world that young men are highly valued by their families. They are considered valuable assets, and marrying into a wealthy family creates powerful connections. So young men are kept locked up in their homes until an arranged marriage is arranged, and are rarely allowed out. In such a social environment, there is little room for free love, and adventurers are often second or third daughters who have been kicked out of their homes, and often don't even have the connections to arrange a date. For these adventurous women, marriage to a young man is the very mark of success. Deabolika chuckled low in his throat. "I never would have expected such a convenient man as an orphaned young man to come along. Now I can't help but worry about who to marry." "..." As a fellow man, Wes couldn't help but sympathize with Yuushi. Being born as a man in this great Vrishab Empire means there is no freedom. Wes, who was born into the aristocratic class, has been able to fulfill his wish to go out into society and work, but he is destined to eventually marry someone arranged by his family. The moment he is born a man, he is essentially deprived of the right to live freely. Even though I knew that, I still felt guilty seeing a man's life being toyed with by an evil woman. Seeing Wes's expression, Deabolica shrugged his shoulders. "Oh my, don't look at me like I'm the devil, Wes. I'm painting a picture that makes everyone happy. The adventurer who has been starved for men is happy to be able to marry the handsome young man of her dreams. Yuuji, who gave up on the adventurer's path, is happy to be the husband of an adventurer and live a life of luxury. And the guild is happy to have earned the loyalty of the adventurer who has given him a husband. Isn't it a happy story that wins all three parties?" "Everyone is probably happy except for Yuuji, who will have to do tough, painful work until he gives up on the path of being an adventurer." As Wes spat those words out, Deabolika gave a twisted smile that was typical of a Brishav noble. "Remember that, Wes. Only a nobleman who can handle these kinds of tricks can be called a leader." "...Yes, I learned a lot. I'll take it into consideration." Ignoring Wes's sarcasm, Deabolica excitedly pointed the cigar in his mouth at the calendar. "Well, Yuuji, how long do you think you can mentally last doing such hard, smelly, and menial work? A week? Two weeks? We have some money here, so I hope you can last at least a month...hehehehe...!!" --And then six months passed. "Phew! I'm done cleaning the sewer! It feels good to do work that helps people!" Yuji was completely fine!!