DAY 18: AFTERNOON

DAY 18

AFTERNOON

♦

OMUI CITY

 

I’D NEVER BEEN outside of Japan before, so I couldn’t say if this town had a European vibe.

Nor was I born in the middle ages, so I had no clue what medieval style really looked like.

Obviously, this was my first time in a fantasy world, so I didn’t have the faintest idea what typical fantasy world buildings were like.

The buildings were mostly made of stone with no concern for architectural style, just walls made from interlocking stacks of field stones. I suspected there wasn’t a building code requiring rustic facades to draw in more tourists, either. They were just built this way because it was easiest.

They weren’t trying for a natural vibe, either. The only materials I saw were stone and wood. The town was almost entirely gray.

All of the people in the town resembled Westerners. The men had chiseled, defined features like Greek sculptures. Too many handsome guys. If they don’t mind being chiseled, maybe they won’t mind getting a pummeling either?

The women were beautiful, too. The children were cute, but the adults were downright gorgeous. This place was pretty incredible.

When the old guys led the way into town, it turned out there was an entry fee, but they accepted payment in spellstones. In fact, just one spellstone was enough to let all twenty-one of us in, with some change to spare.

My Bag of Holding was practically overflowing with spellstones, which up until now I’d had no idea what to do with. Spending one was no big deal. If only I could have paid in mushrooms—I had way more of those.

The Class Rep’s plan was to go directly to the Adventurers’ Guild, exchange for the local currency, register, and then stay at an inn. Meanwhile, we’d ask around about the nerds. If we found them, they could tell us everything they learned, too.

We all went to the Adventurers’ Guild together. The old guys led the way, eager to kick the doors in and give the Guild a piece of their mind. Meanwhile, the girl adventurers seamlessly blended in with the girls from my world.

I saw a hanging signboard painted yellow. “Wow, a real Adventurers’ Guild!” exclaimed the girls. It looked like a typical stone building, just like every other building in this town.

The old guys couldn’t wait to make their complaints to the guild. Age turns people into total grumps.

All eyes were on me as I entered the building. Uh…am I popular now?

My hopes were dashed when I realized it was just a bunch of men staring. I’m just not into boys’ love! A lot of the staring faces didn’t look so friendly, either. Were they clicking their tongues? It was an ugly atmosphere in an ugly room filled with ugly faces.

The meanest, baddest, most grizzled-looking bunch of lowlifes stood up and walked over to me, giving me a contemptuous look all the while. Ugh, what a total cliché!

Oh, is that it? They must’ve been upset that one guy had so many girls with him. Yeah, if I saw a guy with twenty girls, I wouldn’t like him either. I was pissed about two old guys traveling with four girls earlier! Typical light novel scenario: a new guy walks into the guild with some cute girls, and he immediately gets attacked.

Even if there were only one or two girls, he’d attract unwanted attention. Three or four were enough cause for a fight.

Five or six would cause an immediate brawl without any preamble.

Seven to nine girls and all hell would break loose. Even the Guild staff would take part.

More than ten would set the whole town against him. Some crimes can’t be forgiven!

This time, there were twenty-four girls. That made me an enemy of the state—no, the world. It was kill-or-be-killed! No choice, right?!

“Hey, you! With the ugly look on your face!” one of them shouted at me.

“What did you just say?” I snapped. “You’re one putrid, maggot-brained piece of stinking gutter trash with a face not even a goblin could love. Where do you get off insulting my face?!”

However gentle and upstanding I usually was, I could not abide getting called ugly by this guy. He was a grand champion of ugliness. One look from him was enough to turn milk sour.

“Call me ugly one more time, I dare—huh?”

Suddenly, all the putrid, maggot-brained pieces of stinking gutter trash with faces not even goblins could love knelt down on the ground, trembling. After insulting me, they won’t even fight? What the hell?

“Haruka-kun! Knock it off! You made everyone cry! Even the guild workers are shaking in fear! You shouldn’t glare like that!”

Huh? Why shouldn’t I glare? There’s so much to glare about! What was with this loathsome tableau? All these tongue-clicking bastards were hiding underneath their tables. Was it an earthquake drill? Was my glare a natural disaster?

My contacts were supposed to improve my expression! Besides, they glared at me first! All I did was glare back, and now I’m the bad guy? What the hell?!

The Class Rep quarantined me away from everyone else. It was like there’d been a viral outbreak of bullying.

Now I was all alone in a shadowy corner of the guild. No adventurer dared look my way.

Everyone was sitting around circular tables scattered around the room. At every table, someone was facing my direction, but everyone avoided looking at me. Some of them had to turn their necks at uncomfortable angles to look elsewhere.

This town sucks, I thought. The nerds probably got bullied and kicked out again.

No one even glanced at me. The pretty receptionist, the horde of adventurers, the few beautiful female fighters, the beefy armored knights, the shady hooded sorcerers—not a single person dared look my way. I’m so bored! Finally, those old guys came back.

The spear guy looked around with a curious expression.

“Sorry for the wait. Uh, something happen here? Don’t tell me, don’t tell me. Did y’all try to start some beef with the guy who saved our hides?!”

The spear guy gave the other adventurers a mean look, but none of them were looking at me.

“Come on, buddy, why don’tcha tell me what’s happening?” he asked me.

“Uh, well, everyone was harassing me the moment I walked in, right? Then the Class Rep scolded me. And now I’m sitting in a corner while everyone ignores me on purpose. It’s totally bullying, isn’t it?”

For some reason everyone in the guildhall shook their heads no. How is this not bullying?

The sword guy walked in.

“My sincerest apologies, but might I have a moment of your time? There were a few lingering questions regarding the encounter with the Greenwolves. Pardon, what’s with everyone’s expressions?”

“Uh, maybe they’re trying to haze the newbie.” I said. “Or they could be doing some sort of ‘bully the outsider’ routine, don’t you think?”

Again, everyone in the guild shook their head no. What the hell, this is definitely bullying!

“Who cares about the Greenwolves, anyway? They got blown to bits. What else is there to say?”

“But you caused that devastation! In truth, the Greenwolves aren’t what I’d like to discuss. If you have a moment to spare, please come with me.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but my schedule’s wide open, and I’m happy to answer any questions.”

He led me to the stairs and up to the second floor. As I walked across the room, everyone kept their eyes averted. We came to a door on the second floor. The old man knocked.

“I brought him,” the sword guy said.

A voice answered, “Come on in.”

There was another geezer sitting in the room. The encounter rate for decrepit old men was way too high. Even though I brought twenty-four girls with me, I only ever got to talk to old men.

“I’m Hakiess, master of the Omui City Adventurers’ Guild. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

He bowed his head. Why was the guild master apologizing?

“Don’t worry about it. Did you want to ask me something?”

“I want to extend my thanks to you for saving Ofter and his party. The Guild was entirely at fault for giving the wrong information regarding the mission. That many Greenwolves would have wiped out a B-class party. I never would’ve imagined that another party of adventurers would happen along. You have my gratitude.”

“It was not only that he saved us. He managed to defeat a Dire Greenwolf single-handedly,” said sword guy.

“A Dire Greenwolf, you say? We need to prepare a seal immediately.”

“You misunderstand, sir, he destroyed it.”

“I don’t follow. He rescued all of you, so what was destroyed?”

“The Dire Greenwolf. He destroyed the Dire Greenwolf and all its kin as well.”

They seemed to be talking past each other. The swordsman’s way of talking didn’t help. Clearly they didn’t have Corporate Proactiveness.

I butted in, “Gramps here isn’t exaggerating, They were being attacked by a Dire Greenwolf and thirty-six Greenwolves. All of them died, get it?”

“I thought you saved the whole party!” shouted the guild master. “Who died?”

“The Dire Greenwolf and the other wolves—thirty-seven of them in total—met an unfortunate end.”

“An unfortunate end? How?”

“How should I put it? When I went to save this old dude here, I kind of…maybe bumped into them?”

“You bumped into Ofter?”

“No, you can plainly see the geezer’s still alive and kicking! Obviously, I didn’t blow him up.”

Why couldn’t he understand? There must be a language barrier here.

“Are you being serious? What are you trying to tell me?”

That moment, the elf and the Class Rep entered. Finally, it didn’t feel so much like a retirement home.

“Kirikiru, I’m glad you’re safe,” said the guild master. “I’m so sorry about what happened.”

“That’s not important right now. Haruka here defeated them—the Dire Greenwolf and all thirty-six of the regular wolves.”

“Huh? Do you mean to tell me that Haruka defeated them in battle?”

“Not quite, it was more like I crashed into them, blowing all the wolves up like fireworks filled with wolf guts. It went something like that, I think?”

There were tears in the elf’s eyes. “I can’t understand anything he says!” That old guild master must have upset her somehow, I thought.

For some reason, the Class Rep pinched my ear and dragged me out of the room.

There I was, a loner sitting in the corner of the Adventurers’ Guild. I only answered the questions I was asked.