Hey everyone! It's been awhile, hasn't it?
This is a story I wrote (over the course of a month, give or take) like a year and a half ago but never really touched for the longest time. I recently got back into Shield Hero with the coming of season 2 and felt compelled to do some rewriting because this story is very near and dear to me for a lot of reasons.
Keep in mind that I'll be uploading chapters as I rewrite them. Most of the actual story is already complete, but I'm going back to do a lot of editing to make it really feel amazing in 1st person POV.
This story follows a character that ISN'T Naofumi and ISN'T a carbon copy of canon. In fact, this story has very little to do with any of the canon timeline for quite awhile.
Hope you enjoy it!
We've all seen the story before; a random teenager is fed up with life and meets an untimely death, only to wake up in another world as some destined savior. He or she goes on an adventure, meets a bunch of absurdly attractive people, maybe falls in love, and saves the world. That's how all the stereotypical isekai anime go.
But I'm not a teenager; I'm in my mid-twenties. I never died as far as I can recall, unless opening the refrigerator for a late night drink somehow ended in my death. That'd be an embarrassing way to go.
"Laf hielstani va naeol! En chaffi don lor da vus, eh? Hahahaha!"
And finally, my companions are arguably the least attractive group of individuals I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. I always thought "a face that only a mother could love" was just a figure of speech, but boy did these guys prove me wrong.
I cringed as my travel companions - though I should call them my captors - laughed jovially at something or the other. Despite my relatively keen sense for language, this was one I couldn't understand in the slightest. The only thing I could understand was their tone. Ever since that day, my ability to understand anyone in this place was stolen from me along with just about everything else.
Let me introduce myself, though. My name is Samuel Blackwood, though I've always gone by my middle name of Flynn. I was dragged here - against my will, I might add - to be one of the Seven Star Heroes, more specifically the Hero of the Axe. My job was to protect the world from disaster as some kind of superhuman, at least until my Axe was stolen from me by some snooty blond guy at a party.
From there, everything went downhill.
The carriage hit a pothole and lurched sideways, throwing the back of my head against the wall of my cage. I rubbed a hand against the back of my head, wincing and pulling away as the pain flared. Whether that pain was recent or from being beaten over the head with a club a few days ago, I couldn't be sure. The wound had never quite healed, and I had no way to inspect the damage at the moment.
You may be wondering exactly how I got into this mess. As I mentioned, I was summoned to another world to be a Hero that protects it from some vague threat. The threat itself was unknown even to the people who summoned me, which didn't fill me with much confidence.
Do they just summon people because they think something bad is going to happen? That usually doesn't end well.
I hadn't given it too much thought at the time since it was like a dream come true. I'd gotten an opportunity to leave behind my dull, unfulfilling nine-to-five job and explore an entirely new world. A crappy job, very few friends to speak of, and a distant family. Loneliness and depression were nothing new to me, but I toughed it out because I knew that one day, my day would come when I broke free of all of those things.
My day came and went a little too literally. It lasted a day and not a second more.
I was given a pair of adventurers to be my party members very shortly after I was summoned. Lina and Braden were their names, and though I barely knew them for over a day, I'd started to get attached. Attached enough that their deaths felt like more than just an acquaintance's to me, anyway.
Lina was a beautiful woman with blazing red hair and broad features. Despite her appearance being closer to that of a viking or a barbarian, she had the personality of a strict, snooty white knight. She was punctual, well-mannered, and dedicated to protecting people. A noble person, if I had to summarize her in a single word.
Braden was a young man around my age, perhaps a bit younger, but his personality was completely different from Lina's. He was crass, sarcastic, and had probably broken plenty of laws in his lifetime. He complained constantly while I worked through the initial awkwardness of fighting, even though he'd apparently volunteered himself to be my companion in the first place.
I'd never been in a fight my entire life, so I'd been as green as I could be. Not in the best shape of my life either, but that was far less of a concern because of how this world works.
You see, in this world - which doesn't have a name, at least as far as I was told - everyone has something called Status Magic. Just like the popular RPGs I used to play back home, you have stats like HP, MP, Strength, Defense, and a variety of other miscellaneous stats that are on the minor side. As you level up or get better equipment, your stats will increase accordingly.
The Axe was special in more than just its appearance. It had this odd ability to absorb things and unlock new Axe forms which might increase stats or give special skills. The tradeoff was that it was the only weapon I could use. Not a bad deal in most cases, since those forms were considerably stronger than any average weapon I'd find this early. It was like one of those item sets built specifically for leveling a new character that would get stronger along with you.
No use dwelling on it now, I suppose. I'm just as average as anyone else, if not below average now that I can't communicate with anyone.
We hit another pothole and my head bumped the top of the cage, aggravating me yet again. The quiet rage behind my eyes still burned as hot as it had that day; the day that a party aboard an airship ended with my companions dead and my weaponless body dumped on the side of the road somewhere.
I've lost track of how many days it had been since then. I was picked up by my personal chauffeur almost immediately afterward, and we've been on the road ever since with little more than a scrap of stale bread every morning and night to keep me alive.
I could still recall that man's final words; the final words that I could understand.
"I'm the only Hero this world needs! Weaklings like you should be happy I'm letting you live!"
He wasn't wrong about the second part, but if that's how a Hero is supposed to be, maybe I'm better off as I am now. I didn't even catch his name, only that he'd come from some city called Faubley once he'd been told of my summoning.
If he was going to take my weapon away, why didn't they just give it to him in the first place?
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
My head shot up as a shriek pierced the air. Almost immediately, the carriage stopped and my captors could be heard scrambling in panic. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I curled up into a ball, head tucked between my knees, and I prayed. I was never a religious man, and I never believed in God or anything of the sort. It always felt like an excuse.
But when you're in some other world where monsters and giant beasts could appear out of nowhere and kill you in an instant, believing in something you can't see doesn't feel so ridiculous.
I mumbled prayers to myself as the screaming began. Every few seconds, I'd hear the flapping of wings, a screech, and a fading scream to go with it. It sounded like something was swooping down from above and snatching up the bandits who'd captured me. Their panicked shrieks were occasionally accompanied by some kind of liquid splashing against the carriage. I had to assume it was blood, but the carriage itself was covered with a thick tarp that kept me from seeing outside.
Not that I'd rather be out there than in here right now.
The screams were quieter now. Where before it was joined by the combined roars of bravery and screams of terror, the beast's shrieks were all I could hear. If I had to compare it to something I recognized, it was like some kind of giant hawk or an eagle. The sound it made was far too loud to be something that simple though. It was impossible to tell exactly what it was, but I just hoped and prayed that it left me and the carriage alone.
One of the bandits must have hit it with something since the pained screech it made was different from the rest. Almost immediately, I felt the carriage tip over on its side. My cage, along with an empty one beside me, crashed together with a metallic clattering. The miscellaneous pots and other objects in the carriage shattered against the carriage wall.
I fought the urge to yell and I clutched my arm, staring at the wound as my body trembled. A stray piece of broken pottery had lodged itself into my forearm. I didn't have time to think before I heard another whoosh and a blood curdling scream that was unlike anything I'd ever heard. A few seconds later, my eyes widened in terror as I realized the screams had completely stopped. Whatever was out there had killed every single one of my captors.
That meant I was the only thing left for it to find.
My heart pounded so hard that I swore I could hear the blood rushing through my veins. The chomping and chewing noises from outside the carriage felt loud, but my heartbeat felt like a drum pounding in my ears. I almost wanted to see what was outside, if only to know what was about to kill me.
All of a sudden, my cage slipped past the empty one and hit the wall of the carriage with the clattering of metal. I panicked and forced myself not to move in fear of the consequences. I couldn't hear the beast outside anymore, but somehow I knew its attention was on me. Is this what prey feels like? So defenseless, without anywhere to run and no way to fight back?
Everything I do is too loud! Stay quiet, dammit!
The ground shook with each of its footsteps and the flapping of wings confirmed that it was some type of bird monster. As it neared my covered prison, I stilled my breathing as much as I could. My heart hammered in my chest and I worried that it would hear it. There was a tiny part of my mind that prayed these metal bars would protect me, but I knew it was false hope.
My heart stopped as a clawed foot scratched its way around the entrance to the carriage. It was big, really big. That one foot was probably bigger than myself, and like I'd predicted, had a massive set of talons to boot. I laid there, motionless as it felt around the entrance to my cage. It let out a few squawks and caws, toes curling and uncurling in front of me. As its talons caught the edge of my cage, I slapped my hands over my mouth to hold in a scream of terror.
Seemingly interested, the beast gripped the edge of the cage and pulled, taking the door of my cage straight off. It felt around once more and grasped something else near my feet, pulling it out of the cart. I could hear it chewing something that sounded meaty. After a moment of confusion I remembered that there was meat in the cart that I'd completely forgotten about in my panic.
It had always been out of my reach during the trip, so the easiest way to ignore it was to forget about it entirely. Salted or not, raw meat didn't exactly smell appetizing to me anyway. It just stank up the carriage, to be honest.
With shaking hands, I grabbed a small slab of meat and gently dropped it closer to the edge of my cage. Maybe if I gave it all of the meat, it would leave me alone?
The beast screeched and flapped its wings as it snatched the meat from right in front of me before going to town on it. The amount of wind pressing against the side of the carriage was no joke. Whatever this monstrosity is, it's on a whole different level - no, a different scale entirely - compared to those wimpy little Balloons I'd faced before. Even if I still had my Axe, I wouldn't want to come within a mile of this thing.
After I'd exhausted my supply of meat, I huddled in the back of my cage and listened. The beast cawed and walked around a little, consuming something that I didn't want to think about, and eventually it left the carriage alone long enough for me to breathe a little. Before long, I struggled to hear anything from it. Just to be safe, I decided to stay still even longer.
And so I waited.
And waited...
I counted the minutes as they passed to make sure I wasn't going crazy. Thirty minutes later without a single noise from outside except for the regular chirping of birds, and I decided that it might be safe to come out. If I was immediately torn apart by that creature, I only had my own stupidity to blame. I carefully took my first step out of the cage, bare feet landing on soft grass. Gingerly, I slipped out of the cage and took in the carnage with widened eyes.
Blood and gore was everywhere. Any bodies that remained were in pieces, and even those were few and far between. Feathers littered the ground around us, presumably from the murderous beast that attacked. It was so disgusting that I felt bile rise in my throat until it forced its way out.
I wretched pitifully, gagging as the sight burned itself into my eyes the same way the vomit burned my throat. Whatever scraps of food I'd eaten were gone now, but I couldn't muster the strength to feel hungry. I actually preferred these people alive compared to...this. Even if they were awful people who abducted me after I'd already lost everything I had, surely they didn't deserve such a fate?
Wiping away the remnants of bile from my lips, I took a ragged breath through my mouth. It still burned as if I'd swallowed a gallon of hot sauce, but at least the pain kept me from having to smell anything. I could just barely see a large city off in the distance. If I had a car, I could probably make it within fifteen to twenty minutes. By carriage, maybe a few hours. On foot?...Well...
It wouldn't exactly be a leisurely walk, but it was my only chance. Nature is too dangerous for someone like me, especially with things like that roaming around for food. And apparently I count as food here.
I forced my eyes away from what remained of my captors, instead focusing on the supplies that were scattered all over the grass. Whatever monster attacked us had no interest in weapons or the like, so everything would probably still be usable. With any luck, I could find something to defend myself with.
I walked over to a sword that was stabbed halfway into the dirt. I grimaced at the blood that covered the hilt, but I tried to pick it up anyway. The key word here is "tried". Despite its relatively small size, it was impossibly heavy. A small warning appeared in front of me.
Warning: Level Requirement not met.
Ah, I see. It's impossible for me to wield the sword since I'm still only level 1. With how game-like this world is, I guess it makes sense that I wouldn't be able to just use any weapon I conveniently found on the side of the road. It would be a little broken to be level 1 with a legendary weapon, after all.
Wait...that's basically what I was before all of this. I'd only gotten half a day's worth of fighting in before it was taken from me, though, so it didn't feel like I was cheating.
I tried lifting an axe, a spear, and a club all to find that my level simply wasn't high enough for any of them. The bandits were strong enough to beat me unconscious without much effort, but that wasn't saying much considering my level. Theirs were undoubtedly higher than mine, but to what extent I wasn't sure. With a sigh of resignation, I searched through the carriage for anything I could take with me. There was no sign of whatever creatures had been pulling the cart, so I'd have to go on foot.
Thankfully, the bandits had allowed me to keep wearing my clothing until we got to...wherever our destination had been. My trusty purple hoodie and jeans were in relatively good condition despite their age, but my shoes were covered in blood. I scrunched up my nose as the stench assaulted me, and I tossed them aside.
Maybe white sneakers were the wrong color for an isekai adventure.
I begrudgingly forced whatever scraps of preserved food I could find down my throat. Even though my stomach churned from the mere thought, I knew that I would need every ounce of energy I could spare if I wanted to survive the long trek back to civilization. It had been at least four days since I'd eaten a proper meal and I could feel my body weakening from starvation, so I grit my teeth and forced my mind to ignore the carnage around me.
After the least satisfying meal of my life, I gathered what few supplies remained and began my journey. I made sure to stay on the dirt path as I walked toward the city, hesitant to stray too far off in fear of being attacked and devoured by other wild beasts. Much to my relief, the monster from before wasn't anywhere to be seen. I almost laughed at the possibility that I'd be picked up by another merry band of misfits and taken to another random location against my will.
Come to think of it, an abnormally large number of things have been happening against my will lately. Getting summoned to another world, having my only real connection to the world stolen, and getting abducted by bandits all within twenty-four hours. What ever happened to consent? My musings aside, I had plenty of more important things to concern myself with as I journeyed far and wide.
Was that the threat to the world? Probably not, unless that creature was far stronger than I thought.
Also, who the hell was that guy who stole the Axe from me? He never gave me his name, but he's the only person I've seen with an airship since I've gotten here. It shouldn't be hard to find someone like that, right? If most people use carriages and horses here, I seriously doubt that a blimp would be hard to spot. If I could still speak the language, I bet I could walk into a mostly abandoned town in Bum-Fuck Nowhere and someone could tell me his name.
Do I want to find him again, though? He was strong enough to decimate my group of remarkably powerful adventurers with no effort at all. Lina and Braden had both been around level 40 at the time, strong enough to handle just about anything with ease. Someone with that kind of power can basically do whatever they want and everybody else just has to deal with it. Plus, I'm lucky that he didn't see me as anything more than a cockroach too weak to bother killing. He might not be so merciful a second time.
It's probably best to keep as far away from that guy as possible. If I see an airship, I'm hiding like a rat in a sewer until he leaves, pride be damned.
Pride means nothing if you're dead.
I cringed as a cough forced its way out. My throat felt like sandpaper, and there wasn't a source of water anywhere to be seen. I need to hurry up and get to that city or I might not survive. How long can someone go without water before they die? Two days? Three?
Never in my life did I think I'd need to remember that kind of thing, but I regret not paying more attention to those little factoids on the internet. One way or another, I have to beg someone for water or I won't live long enough to appreciate this life that was so mercifully spared.
But how am I supposed to ask for water if I can't even understand anybody? And how would they understand what I'm asking for? I'll have to figure out some way to communicate with people nonverbally or try to find someone who miraculously speaks English.
Ha, I doubt it. But looking like an idiot is better than dying of thirst.
My feet dragged like anchors through the dirt, too weak from thirst and stress to find the strength to jog. I occasionally tripped and fell from a rock in the path, struggling to pick myself back up to keep walking. My head pounded and all I wanted was to lie down somewhere and rest. But falling asleep means death, especially out here in the wilderness. If I fell asleep, I probably wouldn't wake up again.
So I continued my death march. Aside from the minor wound in my forearm from the pottery and the dull throbbing in my head from being clubbed, I was physically unharmed. It was a cold comfort considering everything else I'd been through, but it was the only silver lining I had to hang onto.
The sun dipped and eventually hid itself below the horizon, blanketing the world in darkness. I thanked the weather gods for the clear night sky. If it rained or worse, I'm sure I'd get lost and die in a ditch somewhere. Just being able to see clearly at night is a blessing.
The city was closer now, maybe a mile or two away. I'd ignored it before, but what am I going to do next? On the first night where I was summoned, the city was pretty quiet at night. If I show up and everyone is asleep, how in the hell am I supposed to get help? A random, homeless and helpless stranger with no money at all wouldn't be welcome anywhere, especially if he couldn't even speak the language.
My motivation waned at the thought. No...I need to hang onto hope. That's all I have left.
I found my eyes shutting on their own as I walked up to the gate. Two people in metal armor stood guard, leaning on their spears lazily. They snapped to attention as I approached.
"Lun vasser di treema schment, jalone?" one asked. The way his lips moved to form the words felt unnatural, completely unlike anything I'd heard before. The very roots of the language were different from anything on Earth. Based on the pitch of his voice, I could tell it was a question of some kind.
I blinked. "I have no idea what you just said," I responded, trying my luck. However, he raised an eyebrow and held his torch closer to me. I flinched and blocked the light with my hand as he inspected me. It's too bright! And hot!
"En santor?" the second guard asked the first.
"Dio," he responded, shaking his head. They continued their conversation as I tiredly glanced between them. Are they just going to keep me here forever? I suppose I do look a bit suspicious, but c'mon! I need help here!
I decided to wave my hands in front of their faces. "Hey, listen to me," I said, grabbing their attention. "I. Need. Water," I pointed to myself, then my open mouth, then tilted my head back and pretended to drink a cup of water. They might not have understood my words, but one of them muttered something to the other and left for a moment. He returned with a mug and held it out toward me.
I gave a thumbs up and nodded as enthusiastically as I could with whatever smile I could muster. He handed it to me and I drank greedily, completely forgetting my manners or leaving any for him after it was gone. I couldn't help the sigh of relief as my body met one of its needs, and handed the cup back. It was more like tea than water, but it would do.
"Thank you so much!" I said, bowing my head repeatedly.
They asked me multiple questions that I couldn't comprehend. With each question I shook my head and shrugged without understanding. The guards must have given up, since they eventually allowed me into the city without much of a fuss. My unusual clothing and language probably made them think I was some kind of foreigner. Maybe strange people coming and going in the middle of the night is normal here.
Regardless, my thirst was quenched for now and I was (hopefully) safe from the perils of the outdoors. Now I just had to worry about the perils of the city, which could be equally as dangerous if one wasn't careful. I wandered aimlessly through the darkened streets. It was far too dark to see much of anything, with only an odd lantern here or there to illuminate my surroundings. Even the moon was little help with buildings blocking most of its light.
Luckily - or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it - I was pretty much alone on the streets. I'd been worried that I might get mugged. Not that I have anything worth stealing, but I'm sure that wouldn't stop some desperate sod from trying his luck.
Well too bad! These clothes on my body are all I have left, and I'll fight anyone who tries to steal them from me!
...Not that I'm in any condition to fight anything. I'm having enough trouble fighting the urge to pass out on the ground right now..
My body shivered uncontrollably for a moment. "Guess I'd better find somewhere safe to sleep. Not much I can do this late at night," I mumbled to myself, searching for an unoccupied area. I had nowhere to go and no money to pay for even the cheapest of beds. Maybe tomorrow I could scrounge up some spare change off the ground if I'm lucky, but for now I'd have to make do with whatever I could find.
Eventually I found a bench. The wood was horribly warped and had a few nails poking out on one side, but it would hopefully be better than sleeping on dirt. I laid down and curled up, shivering as my body tried to force me to rest.
A sign hanging over my head swayed back and forth like a pendulum, lulling me to sleep.
"Tua, niyo."
The sound of someone's voice forced me to crack open my eyes only to shut them immediately with a groan. The sun was already up, its light bearing down on my face with a vengeance. "What do you waaaaaaaant?" I muttered.
Whoever stood over me let out a sigh of exasperation and said something else. Now that my eyes had adjusted to the light, I could see who was bothering me. The dark-skinned man was tall, with a beard and a few scars on his face. His bald head reflected the light from the sun so much I might be able to cook meat on it, and he wore a brown apron over a white shirt. Thick gloves covered his hands.
I sat upright, rubbing my eyes and blinking a few times to clear away the spots in my vision. "Sorry, I...uh...can't speak your language," I said, scratching the back of my head and looking away in embarrassment. I need to get used to being the odd one out in this world or I'll never get anywhere.
Another sigh was his response. "Um basada y dro glora, eh niyo?" His indecipherable question made me scrunch up my face in confusion. What in the world is he asking me?
I stood up to be polite, but the man was still slightly taller than myself. I'm pretty tall compared to most people I've seen in this world so far, just below six feet tall. This guy was even taller than that, so to them he must be some kind of giant.
Suddenly he did something I could understand. He poked me in the chest, then gave a thumbs up. His hand tilted sideways, then he turned it completely upside down. His face held a curious expression. The creases in his face made him seem old, but he was far too muscular to be that old. Maybe he was in his forties or fifties at most. Either that, or he's one of those old men who are insanely fit all the way up until they die.
I gave a thumbs up and made an uncertain face as I slowly turned it to the side. "I'm doing okay, sort of," I mentally said to myself, hoping he'd understand. He nodded and pantomimed himself putting something in his mouth and chewing, then putting an invisible cup up to his lips.
"Are you hungry or thirsty?" was his wordless question.
My growling stomach gave it away as I nodded. I must look pitiful. I've always been told I'm an open book because I can't control my facial expressions very well. Coupled with my generally battered appearance, I can only imagine just how bad I must look. Thank God it's too early for many people to be walking around to see it.
"Yeah," I nodded.
He grabbed my shoulder and led me into the building that I had slept in front of. If it hadn't been so dark last night, I would have instantly recognized what it was from the sign outside. Everywhere I looked, there were weapons and armor of all shapes and sizes. It was a bit larger than the one I'd visited in Zeltoble. The sets of armor ranged from leather all the way up to full suits of scale or plate armor, polished to perfection and beyond. The weapons were separated by type, though I couldn't tell much of a difference between them other than the color or metal they were made out of.
Some were curved, some were straight, some had flashy hilts or accessories. There were even a few blades that shimmered with an unnatural light. Even my old Axe didn't glow like that, so maybe those are magic weapons or something.
"Iken, niyo," the shopkeeper's voice shook me from my thoughts as he waved me into the back room. That word was one he used often, Niyo. I wondered what it meant. Maybe it was some kind of demeaning nickname like "Bum" or "Good-for-nothing"? I can't imagine how it would fit into any sentence otherwise, unless its meaning changed based on context.
Hell, I'm no linguistics major. I'll stick to my mime routine. It seems to be working pretty well for me so far.
Closing the door behind me, I saw what appeared to be a kitchen. There was no refrigerator, obviously, but there was a sink and table along with cutlery. A crude stove as well, which meant that technology in this world had some similarities to my own in some ways.
The bald man pointed to a chair at the table and gestured for me to sit. I did as he told me, looking around at what passed for "normal" in this world. It was a quaint little house. Nothing way too special as far as I was concerned, but it had all the necessities for comfortable living. Seeing as how he was a blacksmith, he probably made quite a bit of money.
It was nothing compared to the castle I'd been summoned in initially, but it felt like home. I could see myself living in a place like this. The castle was a bit too stuffy for my tastes.
A bowl of stew was placed in front of me, along with a wooden spoon. I looked up to see the man roll his eyes. "Niv baugol, Niyo," he said, pretending to eat with an imaginary spoon. Following his lead, I dipped the spoon into the stew and took a bite. The hunger within me came awakened with a vengeance, forcing me to shovel the meal into my stomach as fast as possible. After the initial burst of hunger-driven energy wore off and I could think clearly, I blushed at how rude I'd been acting.
He really didn't need to go through this kind of trouble for someone he didn't know. I'm just a bum who was sleeping in front of his shop. The guy had every right to shoo me away without another thought, but he chose to feed me instead.
Maybe he'll make me work off the cost or something. I wouldn't object, of course, but I'm not exactly sure how I'd be of any help when I can't understand a word he's saying. I'd just get in his way.
I smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "Thank you. It's delicious," I said. Even though he couldn't understand, he returned my thumbs up with one of his own. The man sat down across from me, fingers tapping against the wooden table as I ate with more control than before. The stew was tasty, with hints of spices and rich meat inside the heavy broth. It was healthy and hearty, two things my body desperately needed after days without real sustenance.
The bowl was empty before I knew it. I picked it up and walked to the rustic sink to wash the dishes myself, much to my host's surprise. He probably expected me to bolt as soon as I'd gotten a free meal out of him. Once I was finished, I merely left the cleaned bowl on the counter for him to put away later.
With my basic needs met, I let out a deep sigh of relief. Finally, I could focus on something other than survival. Every moment in this world has been a roller coaster of emotions, stress, and danger so far. Knowing that I wasn't halfway through death's door anymore was enough to make me chuckle.
I probably look like a delirious maniac, laughing to myself, but I couldn't bring myself to care.
"I'm Flynn Blackwood," I said, pointing to myself. He seemed to understand, to an extent.
"Elhart," he said, pointing to himself. So his name is Elhart? That's an interesting name for sure, but I'm not one to judge. At least it's distinct enough to remember. If I get lost in this city, I could probably ask for his name and someone could point me back to this shop.
Even though I knew he couldn't understand me, I responded with a smile. "Thank you for your generosity. I'll pay you back somehow."
Elhart huffed with a smirk and rolled his eyes again, saying something in his native language. I couldn't tell exactly what he said, but in my head I assumed he said something like "You'd better pay me back."
Don't quote me on that, though. I have no clue what he actually said.
I stood and moved to leave, but Elhart stopped me before I reached the door. He grabbed an old, worn out sword and held it out to me. Taking charity had its limits, and this felt like it was going too far. Still, I needed something to defend myself with. With a look of uncertainty, I took the blade in my hands. My Status Magic called it an Iron Shortsword.
At least the Status Magic is still in English for me. I don't know if I'd manage if my stats and information were illegible too. Also, I actually met the requirements to wield this one even though I'm level 1. This might be my only opportunity to get a usable weapon for free, so I'd be an idiot to decline.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked, concernedly looking from the sword to his face. "This is too much, Elhart."
He merely smiled and pushed the weapon closer to my chest, as if to say "Keep it." I sighed and relented. That's another debt I have to repay somehow. At this rate, I'll be drowning in favors.
Assuming I'm not drowning in a pool of my own blood by then.
Elhart slid the blade into a leather sheath and pushed me out the door with a wave. I took a look at my surroundings to remember them as best I could. The sign outside his door had an anvil with some text underneath in bright red paint. Easy enough to remember, but there were no other landmarks to go off of in case I was lost. This city is big, so at some point I'll need to take notes on how to get around.
What do I do now, though? I need to find some kind of way to make money or I'll be forced to mooch off of someone's goodwill again. Not exactly a reliable means of survival, so money has to be a priority.
But...how?
From my limited experience with Lina and Braden, I know that most major cities have a Guild that offers jobs to adventurers for pay. The only problem with that plan is that I can't read, nor can I understand what the request itself would be for. That, unfortunately, ruled out anything regarding the Guild.
Farming isn't an option for a ton of reasons. I have no clue how to tend to crops, for one. The plants and fruits in this world might not be anything like what I'm used to, and I doubt I could just plant some seeds somewhere and say "This is mine" and people would be okay with it. This place isn't so primitive that land belongs to whoever pisses on it.
It's not like I could explain my situation if they asked, so that idea gets nixed too.
I could try working at Elhart's shop. It pays off some of my debt...sort of. Blacksmithing was something that always seemed cool but it's way more complicated than I'm able to learn on my own. And again, I'd probably just be a nuisance even if he was generous enough to pay me for my work. I'd rather do honest work and get paid for genuine effort rather than pity.
But that still begs the all-important question: what could I possibly do to make money?
I passed by a well-equipped man holding the carcass of some rabbit-like creature by the legs. It was much larger than any rabbit I'd seen before, maybe the size of my torso. Its floppy white ears dangled lifelessly. The man stopped at a merchant's stall to my left, exchanging some words and handing the body to the merchant. In return, the merchant slid some silver and copper coins across the table, which were pocketed by the seller.
Aha...so I could sell monster corpses or monster parts to guys like this for money? That sounds promising! Once I get past the language barrier a little, it's a job any random schmuck could do for cash!
I stopped in my tracks.
But that involves killing the monsters myself, which requires being strong enough to kill the monsters without the guarantee of death. My encounter with that thing was still fresh in my mind, murdering my enthusiasm. What do I do if I run into something like that while trying to hunt small fry? Do I run, or helplessly try to fight back?
The memory of feeling trapped and powerless nearly brought the stew back from my stomach, but I forced it down. There's no reason to panic. If that bird creature was common, surely those bandits would have been more prepared to deal with it...right?
Hopefully that was the case.
In the end, it all comes back to being strong enough to survive in this world. Hero or not, the best thing I can do for myself is to get stronger and raise my level however I can. Later, when I'm strong enough to fend for myself, I can worry about what to do with my life.
It's interesting to see how my priorities have changed drastically not once, but twice since I'd arrived in this new world. Humans really are adaptive creatures.
With a goal in mind and the means to start chasing it, I made way for the town gate. The guards I passed were different from the ones last night, so they did nothing but give me a passing glance. A short distance from the city walls was a field not unlike the one I'd trained in outside of Zeltoble. Just like before, the tall grass rustled and orange Balloons flew at me one by one. Their movements were erratic and their teeth were sharp. Whenever I missed them with my sword, one would usually clamp its jaws down on my arm or leg.
It hurt, but not enough to kill me unless there were a hundred more.
I grit my teeth and held one that was attached to my leg before stabbing my shortsword through its body, popping it into scraps of leathery material. After repeating the process with the others that were still attached to me, there were only a few Balloons floating around me. With my limbs no longer encumbered and fewer enemies to focus my attention on, I could try to force some semblance of technique into my attacks.
Keep in mind that I'm no different than a rookie with a sword. I know to keep the pointy end toward my enemy and how to swing it, but that's about it.
As a Balloon flew overhead, I swiped my sword at it. It dodged at the last moment, and I barely managed to dodge another one that came from my side. They may not be extremely strong, but they're persistent little buggers.
I tried a different strategy, waiting for them to attack and meeting them with my blade head-on. It sliced through the leathery nuisance and granted me a whopping 15 EXP for my effort. That isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it's a sign of progress in more ways than one.
The battle - if one could really call it that - was likely a pretty pathetic sight to behold, all things considered. Most of my slashes were dodged and my clothes were starting to look a bit too much like swiss cheese for my liking. Still, the EXP and scraps of balloon corpses kept me motivated enough to keep at it.
Thank goodness these things don't bleed, or my outfit would have gotten ruined beyond repair. Being penniless is one thing; being penniless and naked is a much bigger problem.
After an hour of fighting, I felt a little more comfortable with predicting the Balloons' movements. At first I'd thought they flew around randomly, but as a group they had a tendency to go for a one-two punch style attack; one would attack and force a response while the other would attack from a blind spot. It wouldn't work against someone with some experience in combat, but against someone as green as me, it was a little overwhelming. Once I'd seen it enough times, though, I started to figure it out.
It was like a game of chess, but my opponent only had pawns. There were only so many moves they could make.
I spent the rest of the afternoon out in the field until the sun began to turn a darker shade of orange, signaling that dusk was approaching. With pockets full of Balloon Scraps and an unhappy stomach, I returned to...whatever the name of this city is. I know for a fact it isn't Zeltoble, at least. The architecture is entirely different and I haven't seen a single demi-human since I'd arrived.
On my way back I contemplated their existence. Some demi-humans looked just like humans but had animal ears or tails. Others that I saw in Zeltoble looked more like animals than humans, and only had a bipedal form to give them any human-like qualities. I'll never admit it to anyone, but I really, really want to touch a cat demi-human's ears. They just looked so fuzzy and enticing and some instinctive feeling in me demanded that all fuzzy ears get pets.
I think Lina might have known, though. She seemed good at reading people, back before she-
No...Don't think about it too hard. I've got to keep my mind focused so I don't make a fatal mistake.
On another note, I'd reached level 2 in a single day of work. That may seem like a minor achievement to some, but to me it was proof that I have what it takes to survive. Even when my chest heaved with exhaustion from swinging my sword, I managed to pull myself together and keep fighting. The Balloons certainly didn't give me much of a chance to relax, anyway.
A cursory glance at my stats told me that my improvement was more mental than physical. My stats at level 1 had been abysmally low, with Strength being my only stat in the double digits.
All but two of them are at least two digits large now. It's not much, but it's better than nothing.
I entered the city and retraced my steps back to the monster trader's stand. It looked like he was closing up for the evening. His face lit up as I approached his stall with a confident smile.
"Ah jalona! Yusoya! Combeda vu hesz?" he asked. His tone and smile seemed well-rehearsed, as any self-respecting businessman's pitch would be.
"How much for this?" I asked, pulling a single Balloon Scrap out and laying it on the table. The man's expression soured almost immediately, seemingly insulted by my contribution to his business. He slid ten copper pieces across the table and glared at me to leave. He didn't even respond verbally.
If someone showed up at closing time with what basically amounted to garbage for sale, I'm sure I'd be furious too. Forgive me, trader guy. I had to know what it's worth, and you gave me extremely valuable information.
If one scrap is worth ten copper pieces, that's a surprisingly valuable piece of garbage. I already knew from Lina and Braden that a hundred copper pieces was equal to a single silver piece, and a hundred silver pieces was the same as a gold piece. If I was converting it into USD like I was accustomed to in college, a single copper piece was like a penny and a silver piece was similar to a dollar.
Except that a dollar could apparently buy a lot more than just a candy bar in this world.
My thoughts were a mystery to the merchant, who impatiently waited for me to leave him in peace as I pondered exchange rates and currency values. I pulled out the remaining Balloon Scraps and counted them myself before handing them over. The man seemed slightly less irritated with me now that I'd actually brought a reasonable amount to sell, and was happy to count them up and hand over the equivalent in currency.
Now that I'd earned the pay from my "second-first day" of work in this world, I now had just below two silver pieces. I'm not sure exactly how much a room at an inn costs, so I should be conservative with my spending until I know for sure. Even a crappy room without a bed is better than sleeping outside on the bench like a bum. My clothes may be warm enough to sleep outside if I absolutely have to, but it's not exactly comfortable.
I smiled and shook the merchant's hand. "Flynn," was all I said, pointing to myself. He seemed to understand the bare minimum of what I was trying to say, and responded with his own name.
I forgot it within seconds. The syllables were strange and hard to remember after hearing it only once. Oh well, I'll just call him the Monster Buyer to keep it simple.
With my pockets filled with a single silver coin and a ton of copper coins, I made my way back to Elhart's shop. It wasn't too hard to find from the Monster Buyer's stall, only being a few streets away from the main road. Now that I could actually see in the daylight, I realized that this city has a single main street that leads from the gate all the way to the castle. Pretty much everything seems to branch off of it as long as you follow the few turns and bends it makes along the way.
A bell above the door jingled at my entry, and Elhart's welcome was cut short as he recognized me.
"Ah, Flynn! Yusoya devo!" he said with a broad smile. His apron was stained with oil and had a few char marks that weren't there this morning. A few other customers were busy examining various weapons and pieces of armor off to the side of the shop, and they barely batted an eye when I arrived. It seems that Elhart keeps his shop open relatively late into the evening.
"Elhart! Good to see you again," I said. This time, their heads snapped in my direction. I'll have to get used to being the center of attention whenever I speak, or I might lose my mind from the pressure. I'd never been one to get social anxiety, but this was too big of a culture shock to simply ignore.
The larger man pointed to me, then made a thumbs up with a questioning look. I nodded and we shared a smile. He sighed in relief, glad to hear that I was okay. Not one to beat around the bush, I gently grabbed Elhart's hand and placed my only silver piece in it.
"Niyo..." he muttered in shock, before shaking his head and trying to give it back. I refused, shaking my head as well and pushing it back before stepping away from him. After I pretended to eat food with an imaginary spoon, and held up the sword he'd given me, I had a feeling he understood what I was trying to say.
"This is returning the favor for giving me food and a weapon."
The blacksmith let out the most exasperated sigh I've ever heard, one that didn't fit a man of his age...whatever his age is. Whatever he said next was unknown to me, but it sounded like he was accepting my offer without much of a fuss. The fact that he put the coin in the pouch behind the front desk confirmed my assumption.
I decided to take my leave, but not before asking where the nearest inn was by folding my hands together and laying my head upon it. He pointed to my right and held up four fingers. That could be interpreted as four houses or four blocks, but I'd have to find that out for myself. Thanking him, I waved and returned to the streets.
I looked toward where Elhart had pointed, but couldn't see any buildings that stood out to me. Fewer people were out on the streets at this time. That feeling of loneliness crept in once more, but I pushed it down the best I could. It was a different kind of loneliness that only someone with intense culture shock would truly understand. Even finding your destination felt like an arduous task.
The only thing I could do was walk. Along the way, I passed various types of buildings. Most were probably houses, while others had wares displayed in the windows. There was no sign of an inn, though.
Why couldn't it have a giant sign prominently displayed outside? You'd think that would be the best way to attract customers. Those inns off the highway always had signs you could see from a mile away.
The aimless walk through the city reminded me of home. Most of my time was spent indoors, either for work or for relaxation. Any time I'd be out late was usually just to get from point A to point B with very few stops along the way. I never went out too often just to go out; I always had somewhere to go or something to do. Once that was done, I went home.
The three men laughed loudly as they tripped over their own feet. Their steps moved them to the side just as much as they did forward, and I chuckled quietly to myself as two of their heads bonked together. The men merely laughed it off and continued, ignoring it entirely as "part of the fun". I was stuck walking behind them as I continued searching for the inn, so I spent my time making up an imaginary scenario to fill in the blanks of what they said to each other.
It was the only way I could keep myself from feeling so isolated in this world. Sometimes I just have to pretend that I can understand them. Still, it's refreshing to see that drunks act the same way here as they do back home.
My entertainment was cut short as the trio turned and walked into a building together. The sounds of raucous laughter could be heard from outside, and it was one of the few buildings with the door wide open. Curious, I took a peek inside. Lo and behold, it appeared to be some type of tavern. If it wasn't so bloody expensive, I might consider buying myself a drink to see how it tastes.
I always did have a thing for good alcohol.
As it stands, I need to save every penny - sorry, every copper piece - that I can. In retrospect, giving Elhart a whole silver piece in return for his help was probably a little excessive. But it felt right, considering he didn't have a clue who I was or if I would ransack his business or something.
Unless he's at such an absurdly high level that I couldn't touch him even if I wanted to. I wonder what the average person's level is? Thoughts for later, I guess.
Even with my current penny-pinching mentality, I decided that it didn't hurt to take a look inside. As soon as I entered, the smell of alcohol assaulted my nose along with the heavy scent of fresh food. There were two parts to the establishment. On one side is the tavern, and on the other it appears to have a hallway with rooms. My luck was starting to turn around, it seems.
A middle-aged man stood at the front desk, exhaustion clearly written on his poor guy is probably tired from dealing with outrageous drunks all evening.
I pitied him, but I myself was tired from a long day of fighting. Right now, I want nothing more than a somewhat comfortable room to pass out in.
"Excuse me, how much for one room?" I asked, holding up one finger to help the man understand me. His head tilted to the side and one eyebrow shot upward.
"Eh?" he asked.
"Uh...One room? One night?" I tried again, using the same gesture that I had with Elhart. Pretending to fall asleep on my hands then holding up one finger again seemed to do the trick. The man made a noise of understanding.
"Ah! Aei bulio," he said, pointing to the sign behind him. The characters made no sense to me, though I imagine it was the standard rate for a room. I scratched my head, thinking of a way to work through the language barrier once again. I'll have to get creative. Hmm...
Maybe I could just pull out money and ask how many? But that could easily be misunderstood. Oh well, it's worth a shot.
I pulled a copper piece out of my pocket and pointed at it. "How many of these for one night?" I asked, pointing the finger upward to signal "one" again. The man's face scrunched up in confusion once more, unsure of what I was trying to say. After a few seconds of staring at me, he held up all ten fingers.
"Juyo," he said, shaking both hands to emphasize. I hummed in affirmation and nodded. So "juyo" means ten? That's something I need to remember.
In fact, every interaction with someone gives me a small piece of information that I'll undoubtedly need at some point. Maybe all of that critical thinking nonsense back in grade school isn't so stupid after all. I just have to remember as much as I can.
He swapped to three fingers. "Bona," he said, then switched to ten fingers again. "Juyo. Bona Juyo."
I pulled out thirty copper pieces and placed them on the table. "Is this right? Bona Juyo?" I asked for confirmation. The man emphatically nodded and smiled.
"Iken, iken!" he exclaimed, waving for me to follow. Little by little, I felt like I was starting to learn this mysterious world's language. They were just bits and pieces, but they were enough to help me and that's all I cared about.
It's kind of exciting! If learning French back in high school had felt this satisfying, I would have actually tried a little!
Innkeeper - as I planned on calling him from now on - led me to a room near the back and opened the door using a key before dropping it into my hand. We shared a smile of understanding. Between Elhart, Innkeeper, and Monster Buyer, it seems there are plenty of decent people in this world.
That blond guy who stole the Axe and those unsavory bandits must have been the exception.
I took in my temporary living space for the night with a sigh of both exhaustion and relief. The bed wasn't huge, but it was big enough for someone of my size. A small table and chair sat in the corner, presumably to eat a meal or read a book if one desired. A lantern was placed on a nightstand beside the bed, and a single window allowed a somewhat decent view out onto the street. I made sure to close the curtains just to be safe. I am on the first floor, after all.
My gaze gravitated to the bed and my body quickly followed suit. The sheets were soft but the material was a little itchy. Still, I buried my face in it and breathed in the strange smell with a smile.
My clothes were filthy and I probably smelled twice as bad, but I'd done a lot in one day. I'd made it to safety, found a new job - so to speak - and managed to find a sleeping situation that was actually not too bad. Food, water, and shelter were all my important needs, and they were all covered in one convenient location.
Considering the Innkeeper's positive attitude and flexibility, I should keep coming here from now on. Even if we can't fully understand one another, a repeat customer puts a smile on any business owner's face.
The fact that the price is easily affordable is just another plus. With just one long day of work, I could probably afford a few days of food and lodging. That doesn't account for anything other than the bare necessities, though, so I probably need to keep some money in reserve to buy some new clothes or armor. Anything that'll last longer than my current clothes.
I rustled around until I slid underneath the thin sheets. My eyes felt heavy with exhaustion, already dragging me toward the abyss of sleep. With any luck, I'll get a good night's rest and be ready to go back to the field tomorrow. For once, the thought of going to work didn't fill me with dread. Ironic, considering my life is actually in danger in this line of work.
It'll be hard - very hard - but it's doable. My life in this new world has only just begun.