Adventuring in Another World

by Gale-Dragon

After being transported to Another World with his classmates to supposedly save the kingdom from the Demon King, Nezumi thinks something else is up and hightails it out of the Kingdom. On the way, he runs into a Beastman and learns the ways of this New World. Now if only he could keep a low profile like he wanted.

2. Chapter 2

Adventuring in Another World. Chapter 2: Starting on the Path.

~}I{~

Gale-Dragon: Haha, guess who decided to binge on the Manga, Novels, and Anime of Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill after learning that there would be a season 2 of the Anime 😅… Still reading the novels, but well… Here's the result of that binge, hehe 😅 I had to stop myself from writing more because, well… It was getting a little long 😅… Again … Enjoy this chapter.

~}I{~

The first stop for Nezumi and Dotsuku was the Adventurers' Guild. The beastman was glad to hear that his guild card was indeed still good for one of the clerks behind the desk, and the next thing he did was register the teen as his apprentice. There was some paperwork Nezumi needed to fill out, but it wasn't too much. Although, the grey-haired teen was a little surprised that he was able to write the language in this world.

'Now that I think about it... I WAS able to read all the signs I came across,' Nezumi thought when he finally realised that little tidbit he had somehow overlooked. The teen figured that he was so focused on escaping Reijseger that he wasn't paying attention to the potential language barrier that could've happened. Nezumi couldn't help but think as Dotsuku finished the paperwork, 'Huh, now that I think about it...I think I've only read one manga that actually went over the whole language thing in its plot, every other Isekai never had that.' (1)

Dotsuku patted the teen on the shoulder, Somewhat snapping him out of his thoughts, and said, "Okay, that's done and I got us a pair of easy jobs we can start tomorrow. Now, let's head to the Merchants' Guild to register and then we'll find an inn with some place for Navi to sleep."

Nezumi nodded when he said, "Good plan."

They soon left the Adventurers' Guild. It didn't take long to find the Merchant's Guild, it was two buildings away, which was convenient. Dotsuku managed to register with the Merchant's Guild easily enough, and Nezumi had to sign a few papers. The teen watched as the beastman paid the clerk the Guild membership fee. Once they were fully registered, Nezumi asked the clerk, "Does the merchant Guild buy items from its members?"

The clerk smiled when she nodded and said, "Of course, we do. If our members are willing, we can buy and sell their items for them. But it's easier for both parties if we buy the items."

Nezumi thanked the clerk before he left with Dotsuku. Next on their to-do list is to find a place to sleep for the night.

}{

Nezumi happily flopped onto the bed on the right side of the rented room, somewhat nuzzling the pillow's fabric. The teen couldn't help himself! Having rarely slept in beds the bulk of his life made them a luxury to him.

Dotsuku didn't say anything about the teen's action as he moved to the bed on the left side of the room. He sat on a mattress before he started taking off his boots. Dotsuku then placed the pair next to the head of the bed and then took off the grey-furred cloak he wore. He looked at the grey-haired teen when he asked, "It's a little too early to go to sleep, so... Do you want me to go over the Task I got for you?"

Nezumi looked up from the bed at the beastman before he vocalised, "Oh, sure." The teen then sat up on the bed as he moved his legs so they were hanging off the edge.

Dotsuku stood up to walk over to the otherworlder before handing him the paper with the task and then headed back to his bed. The wolf beastman explained, "Nothing too complicated, just gathering some Healing Herbs that grow nearby. Should be easy for you since you've got, you know, Appraisal."

Nezumi looked over the leather-like paper for the details. It was as Dotsuku said, a Herb Gathering Mission. Not a complicated thing, but it'll probably take a while since the herbs in question were rare. There was a nicely detailed drawing of the herbs the mission wanted along with the name of them. Now that Nezumi knew what he needed to look for tomorrow, he could do this task easily enough. The teen glanced up at the beastman and asked him, "What about the one you're going to do?"

Dotsuku waved a hand when he said, "Nothing major, but it'll be easier for me to complete if you're not tagging along."

Nezumi narrowed his eyes at the line. He knew that the beastman couldn't lie to him, but something was off about what was said. Then he could order the other to tell him the mission, but he figured it would be best to leave it where lay. Nezumi looked at the herbs on the mission request when he asked Dotsuku, "Are these the asking prices for the Keanu Flowers and Mage Flowers?"

The beastman nodded when he said, "Pretty much, the Mage Flowers are harder to find than the Keanu Flowers despite being worth less, but the Keanu Flowers are a bit more potent so they're more sought after." He glanced out the window to check the position of the shadows before he said, "But that can wait until the morning."

Nezumi glanced at the window to see a darkening sky. He felt the familiar pain of hunger in his stomach and judging from the sudden sound from Dotsuku's... It was a safe bet that they should eat something before either of them went to sleep.

With pink cheeks, Dotsuku asked carefully as he avoided eye contact, "Uh... Any chance you... Saved some of the food you made from lunch? I... Kind of don't feel like leaving the room and I'm pretty sure you don't want to either..."

Nezumi had to admit... He didn't want to leave this room right now, but... He wanted to eat something..."Oh, right, I almost forgot about that,' The teen thought before he told the beastman, "No, we finished that food and I don't think it's a good idea to cook anything inside the room. But…"

Dotsuku raised a brow as he watched the grey-haired teen open his status window and then tap on something on it. The next thing to happen was the status window turning into the AEON website. Dotsuku stared at this with wide eyes.

Yeah, the whole Item Box and Appraisal Abilities were one thing, but this! This! Skill was just!

Nezumi looked at Dotsuku when he asked him, "Before I buy dinner, anything in particular you can't eat? I don't want you getting a stomach ache during the mission tomorrow."

Dotsuku stared at the screen for a few seconds with his cyan-on-black eyes still wide before he finally asked, somewhat frantically, "What in the world! What kind of!" He ended up just pointing at the Online Shopping window with that shocked expression on his face.

Nezumi was confused for a few seconds before he remembered that he'd never used his Online Shopping Skill in front of the beastman before now. So the teen gave the other a brief explanation about this Unique Skill, emphasising that he could buy stuff from his world as long as he had money.

Dotsuku carefully sat next to the teen to look at the screen when he asked, "So you can... Get things from the world you came from? Anything?"

Nezumi shrugged before he said, "Not everything. Just things pertaining to foods, drinks, and cooking from what I've been able to find out." He scrolled down the 'Dinner options', looking for something that would appeal to him when he added, "And before you ask, the price for these are more in line with what they are in my world."

Dotsuku wasn't sure what to think about this. Granted, the food he saw in the images looked delicious and hardly any of the 'meals' were over a Silver coin, but... "Are they... Safe to eat?" Dotsuku asked cautiously. After all, these things are from another world! Who knows if they're safe to eat in this world?

That made Nezumi remember the boosts that food from his world gave to those in this world. 'Well, since we're going to be going to sleep after eating, I don't think he needs to know about that just yet,' the teen thought before he told the beastman, "Well, my home country from the world I'm from puts a premium on the quality of our goods. So I can guarantee it'll be delicious on top of being safe to eat." He then asked the other, "But before I order, any foods you can't eat? I can filter foods with that item out for you."

Dotsuku thought about that for a bit wearily before he finally admitted, "Uh, well... I can't exactly drink milk or eat anything that uses it…

Nezumi couldn't help but ask, "Are you allergic or intolerant?" Dotsuku looked confused by the question. The teen reiterated, "Does drinking milk make your throat swell to the point you can't breathe or does it make your stomach very upset?"

Dotsuku seemed to understand the refrased question when he replied, "The latter in a way..." He looked away when he added unwillingly, "I... Always get sick when I consume milk..."

Nezumi thought about that before he filtered his search to exclude any foods that use milk or were made around milk and stated, "In my world, being unable to digest any type of food is called Intolerance." The beastman looked at the teen when the grey-haired one added, "The type you most likely have is lactose intolerance. Lactose is the main base of milk." Nezumi couldn't help but think that that fact tracks with dogs from his world. It made the teen wonder if beast folks had mixed biologies too. Nezumi looked at the new list of food items before he asked Dotsuku, "All these are milk or dairy-free, so they shouldn't give you any issues. I also filtered out the ones with strong smells since we don't want anyone finding out about this."

"Smart..." The beastman drawled out, still unsure about this... Unique skill... But... Dotsuku looked over the list before he asked, "Uh, are there any... Meals that use that 'rice' stuff?" He wondered if that strange grain went well with more than just the egg and bird meat the teen made the other day.

"You're going to have to be a lot more specific," Nezumi commented fatly. He then remembered that rice wasn't a common thing in this work before he explained, "In my home country, rice is one of the most popular companion dishes, so there are hundreds of 'rice meals'. Even more so if you include the ones from the other countries from my world."

Dotsuku seemed quite flabbergasted at what he just learned when he got out, "Oh... Uh, that's... Wow..."

Nezumi belatedly realised that he had given the other too many possible options for their meals. He decided to go the easy route by asking, "Do you want another egg and chicken rice bowl?" Dotsuku was quick to nod at the suggestion. Nezumi picked an egg and chicken rice meal that was both different from the one he made and was light. A good choice for something to eat before bed.

Dotsuku looked at the price of the meals when he asked, "Are those... Really just a few Irons and Coppers?"

Nezumi put the item in the cart when he said, "Some, but it's all more in line with what they cost in my home country."

Dotsuku's attention snapped towards the teen when he asked in shock. "Meals like those are that cheap in your world?!"

Nezumi replied, "I'm only aware of the price range for my home country, which these prices seem to reflect. But not all the meals are this cheap, that depends on the types of ingredients used." He then checked out the current cart before he started to find a light dinner meal for himself.

The shipping box from the Online Shopping appeared the way it always did in a flash of light. Nezumi was used to it by this point, but Dotsuku nearly leapt back on the bed in shock. The bestman's tail was puffed up, making it look like it was twice as big when he pointed at the box and asked in a shaky tone, "Where?! How?! What?! What kind of?!"

Nezumi forgot that the other had never seen this before and explained, "Oh, it's how the items I buy from my Online Shopping appear. This one has your meal." He went back to looking for his own meal when he added, "I bought your meal first so there's no cross-contamination between our meals since I'm going to get something with cheese."

Dotsuku looked between the teen and then the box before he asked what 'cross-contamination' was. Nezumi explained what that was and why it was bad for people with intolerances and allergies. The teen then added, "I know that I'm getting something with cheese, so it would be best for you if I ordered mine separate from yours." He 'checked out' his meal.

Another box appeared next to the box still unopened. Nezumi moved to open his box and pulled out his cheese-covered meal with glee.

Dotsuku wearily watched as he slowly moved to the first box, his tail still puffed up in uneasiness. He slowly opened the first box and peered inside. He saw the meal that was ordered for him. As the beastman pulled his meal out of the box, Nezumi couldn't help but compare the man's puffed tail to that of a scared cat.

Nezumi removed the seals on the packaging. Dotsuku followed the teen's lead. Then the two opened their meals. Finally, the two ate their dinner. Dotsuku couldn't believe how good the meal was! Sure, the beastman preferred the food the teen made, but this was still good! Nezumi made a mental note to order more containers of cheese for himself so he didn't have two separate purchases in the future while still getting his cheese fix.

After the food was consumed, the boxes and the containers from the food were stored in Nezumi's Item Box. The two then tucked themselves into their respective beds and fell asleep.

~}I{ The Next Morning }I{~

Nezumi bought two breakfast dishes from his Online Shopping. A small stack of hot cakes topped with melted mozzarella cheese with parmesan chased between each hot cake for him, while Dotsuku got an egg and chicken omelette. Nezumi was quick to note that the beastman seemed to like the chicken and egg combo. The teen was a little worried about the added 'Boost' that would come with the food, but given that they would be doing a pair of missions, a small boost would be fine.

After he ate, they checked on Navi and then headed off to complete the jobs they accepted. The duo quickly made their way to a nice grassy field before Dotsuku told the teen, "This is where the herbs you're looking for grow. You can collect the minimum if you want, but the Guild would like as many as you can find." He patted the grey-haired teen on the shoulder when he added, "Just leave a few for the native critters, okay?"

Nezumi narrowed his eyes at the beastman when he asked, "And you will be?"

Dotsuku looked over to an adjacent forest that was just in view when he said while pointing in that direction, "I'll be in there. For my job."

Now Nezumi was suspicious when he asked, "You wouldn't happen to be trying to leave me behind by using the jobs as an excuse? Would you?"

Dotsuku visibly stiffened when he said a little too quickly, "O-of course not! I can't do that!" The teenager folded his arms as he stared at the beastman. Dotsuku clicked his tongue when he said, "I told you last night, it'll be easier for me to do this Job when you're not around..." He looked at the grey-haired teen when he added begrudgingly, "If you feel the need to... You can order me to return after I finish..."

Nezumi kept his narrow gaze on the taller when he stated seriously, "Planning on it." with that he gave his order.

The collar under Dotsuku's cloak glowed a bit. The beastman couldn't help but cringe at the item accepting the order.

Nezumi kept his gaze on the other when he asked in that same serious tone, "Is there a reason you don't want me with you on the job you accepted?"

Dotsuku avoided eye contact when he stated unwillingly, "Because if you come along... You'll get harmed..." He finally looked back at the teen when he asked, "Your fighting skills... How are they really?"

Nezumi shrugged his shoulders when he commented, "To be honest, you're the first person I've had to use it on that wasn't part of the class..."

Dotsuku's ears pressed against his skull at these words. The beastman couldn't help but ask flatly, "Are you telling me that you've never used your fighting skills before me?"

Nezumi glanced to the side when he stated, "Aside from practising my forms and aim... Pretty much." The teen didn't feel comfortable telling the beastman about his 100 Paths just yet, he didn't trust him.

Dotsuku could tell he wasn't being told the whole story but knew he couldn't push the teen into telling him. Not like he had a choice in the matter. Dotsuku sighed as he glanced around the area. It didn't look like there was anyone else in sight. Dotsuku clicked his tongue in annoyance before he dug into a hidden pocket and pulled out a light blue crystal in the shape of an obelisk the size of the teen's middle finger. Nezumi raised a brow as the beastman held the crystal out to him while avoiding eye contact. Dotsuku's ears pressed against his skull when he explained, "It's a Barrier Gem. I'm sure your Appraisal can tell you all you need to know about it... It's a majorly rare item that I use when I sleep in unfamiliar territories that have a lot of monsters and enemies..."

Nezumi took the gem and Appraised it, and it was just as the beastman had said. The teen looked up at Dotsuku when he asked, "Cool, but why are you giving me this?"

The beastman clicked his tongue before he explained, "Not to keep! Just to use for an hour or so while I'm gone. So you don't have to worry about being attacked..." He glanced at the teen when he said, "It works better when you're asleep, but if you're awake it'll last as long as you have Mana... Should be enough for now..."

Nezumi wondered why the beastman had such an item, but given the guy was an Adventurer, it made some sense. He activated the Barrier Gem without much issue.

Navi let out a worried whinny, but when he saw the two people not being scared, he calmed down.

After a minute or so, Dotsuku left to do his job and Nezumi started on his.

Thanks to his Appraisal, the teen was able to easily find the herbs he was looking for. Nezumi made sure to keep the two herbs separated so it would be easy to bundle later, using two gardening baskets that he bought from his Online Shopping Skill for 2 Iron coins each. Cheap and flimsy, but as long as they weren't going to be used for anything other than the herb and light items, they were fine for the job.

When Nezumi started feeling tired, he bundled up the flower herbs in fives. He ended up with eight bundles of Keanu Flowers, two bundles of Mage Flowers, and one bundle of a Keanu/Mage hybrid. 'Hm, not a bad harvest,' the teen thought before yawning. He wondered why he was so tired despite not using his 100 Paths. Then the teen remembered the Barrier Gem uses Mana to keep a protective barrier up. Nezumi logically deduced, 'Ah, so it needs a constant flow of energy to work... No wonder it works better when you sleep, you recover more Mana than you use to keep the gem working.'

The teen yawned again as he stored away the baskets in his Item Box and then opened his Online Shopping, looking for something to munch on to recover his mama. He noticed that Navi didn't seem spooked by the 'screen' anymore. Nezumi brushed it off as a 'makes sense since he's seen it enough' and continued to scroll.

The teen remembered reading somewhere that people crave sweets when they're tired, so he looked for through those before settling on a bar of milk chocolate. It was 1 Copper coin, a steal given the brand. Nezumi checked the item out, got the box, and took out the chocolate bar. Of course, he squirrelled the cardboard box in his Item Box. Nezumi needed to think of a solution to the cardboard boxes and packaging he gets from his skill.

Navi was interested in the bar, but Nezumi knew that horses from his world get sick when they eat chocolate so he assumed it would be the case here. So the teen got three apples for Navi, who happily accepted the fruits.

The teen and horse munched on their snacks as they waited for Dotsuku to return. Nezumi knew the beastman would return due to the order, but since he didn't know what he was doing, he didn't know how long it would take for him to finish.

After a while, Nezumi finished his chocolate bar and Navi the apples. The teen debated on gathering some more herbs when he spotted Dotsuku coming into view with two bulging burlap bags in tow.

Nezumi raised a brow when he asked, "What took you so long and what's in the bags?"

Dotsuku hauled the bags next to the teen and horse with a grunt before he said in exhaustion, "The job ended up bigger than expected." He sat across from the grey-haired teen with a sigh before he continued to explain, "Given what I found... I don't think the Adventurers' Guild knew how big the job was..."

Nezumi glanced at the burlap bags when he asked, "Does that have to do with what's in the bags?"

Dotsuku sighed, too tired to try to avoid the question before he opened the nearest bag and showed the teen what was inside.

Nezumi peered inside and wished he didn't. "Are those... Ears?!" The teen got out in disgust as he scooted away from the bag.

Sure enough, the bag was stuffed full of green pointed ears. Just the right ears from what the teen could tell.

Dotsuku re-closed the bag, tying it tightly shut, when he explained tiredly, "Goblin ears, for proof that they have been killed... The job was supposed to be to take care of a couple of Goblin scouts... I ended up finding a whole damn settlement... I got another two bags that I need to bring over..." He stretched to get the kinks out of his back and arms when he added in annoyance, "Took longer to cut the ears off than to kill them... There were a lot..."

Nezumi stared at the bags when he got out in shock, "You killed an entire settlement of Goblins? By yourself?!"

Dotsuku nodded tiredly before he laid down on the grass when he said with a yawn as he closed his eyes, "Yeah... I'm going to have to go back for the other two bags... After a nap..."

Nezumi's brow twitched at this when he thought, 'Took longer to cut their ears off than kill them? He doesn't look like he fought off any settlement, or anyone…' The teen narrowed his eyes as he Appraised the beastman before him.

[Name] Dotsuku Tsukui

[Job] Adventurer

[Level] 57

[Health Points] 2673/2700

[Mana] 1000/3500

[Attack] 750

[Defence] 760

[Agility] 790

[Skills] Venom fangs, Venom Claws, Poison Smog, Toxin Immunity, Venom Immunity, Poison Immunity, Herbal Identification, Heightened Senses, Dagger Fighting Techniques, Venom Knowledge, Poison Knowledge, Venom Creation, Poison Creation, Poisoned Blood, Gem Identification, Gem Knowledge, Information Gathering, Deception, Anti-Venom Creation, Anti-Poison Creation.

[Unique Skill] Mad Dog's Vice.

Nezumi stared at the information box his Appraisal Skill was showing him longer than he would've liked or admitted. When he finally glanced to the side, he thought, 'Yikes! This guy has a nasty skill set! It looks like my earlier orders were more important than I realised.' The teen couldn't help but feel relieved that he had control over the beastman, because he didn't want to think about what could've happened to him if he weren't. Nezumi glanced back at the dozing adult when he commented, "Uh... Your Mana is pretty low..."

Resting his hands behind his head and his eyes still closed, Dotsuku grumbled out, "I know... That's why I'm so tired... I used too much Mana during that battle and then had to cut off all their left ears..." He cracked open an eye to look at the teen when he added, "The other bags are just as heavy as the ones here... I doubt you'd be able to get them, so don't even try..."

Nezumi raised a brow when he asked, "Aren't you worried about someone stealing the ones you left behind?"

Dotsuku closed his eyes when he said with a shrug, "Doubt it... Not with how I left the battlefield..."

"Dare I ask?" Nezumi question, not sure if he even wanted to know.

Dotsuku let out a 'humph' when he said, "Nope, it's a mess, to put it mildly."

}{

A young woman walked through the forest with a pulling trolly in tow that was filled with bags and boxes of a variety of sizes.

She had short lime-green hair with a braid tied on the left side of her head and a pair of green eyes. She wore a semi-revealing outfit similar to a samba costume with the colour scheme of her outfit consisting of the colours vermilion, orange and green. A fan of feathers was worn on the right side of her head and a thickly coated cape with a yellow heart shape located in the centrepiece covered her red top that stopped short of her midriff, showing off her stomach, wore a pair of red knee-length shorts that had an image of a rooster carefully stitched onto the right leg in black, green, and dark orange. Her knee-high boots were thickly coated with red fur until they turned yellow at her feet.

She wondered if she should buy a horse to pull the trolly but then she thought about the cost it would take to maintain a horse and decided against it.

That was when she spotted a settlement with Goblin corpses scattered about. She left her truly behind a tree before She moved to inspect the settlement. "Goodness, Niwatori has never seen such a mess before," the limette commented as she looked around the area. That was when she spotted two burlap bags that were stuffed full of something. The skimpy-wearing woman's eyes lit up in delight before she rubbed her hands together happily when she said to herself, "Oh? Did someone leave Niwatori something good?" She was already giddy with excitement at the possible treasure that had been left behind.

The limette practically skipped over to the bags in joy before her body started feeling heavy and she was having a hard time breathing. She couldn't understand what was going on until she suddenly started coughing up blood in globs. It didn't take much longer until she fell to the ground, no longer breathing.

A soft dark purple haze covered the area. Bearly moving over the bodies of the dead.

}{

Dotsuku opened an eye a crack to see Nezumi scrolling through the AEON site. The beastman stiffened at the sight before remembering what it was and then relaxed. "What are you looking for?" Dotsuku asked the teen in a tone of interest and curiosity.

Nezumi stared at the items before he scrolled down the page to the next set of items when he replied, "Looking through some energy drinks." He glanced at the beastman when he asked, "Any particular flavours you like?"

Dotsuku raised a brow from where he lay before he questioned, "I should probably ask what an 'Energy Drink' is first before I answer the flavour thing."

Nezumi's attention was back on the screen when he explained, "They're a type of drink that is supposed to help regain energy to whoever drinks it. They're good for when you're training or being super active." He stared at the screen before scrolling to the next set of items. All different brands of energy drinks.

Dotsuku propped himself on his elbows to get a better look at what the teen was doing when he commented, "Your world has potions like that?"

Nezumi nodded when he stated, "Yup, and there are a variety of them. But like any market; there are the good ones, bad ones, and the fake stuff." The teen places a hand on his chin when he muses, "But I haven't seen any of the fake ones so far. That's a good sign."

Dotsuku tilted his head to the side slightly when he asked, "Uh... That's good, I guess... But why are you looking at 'energy drinks'?"

Nezumi scrolled to the next set when he replied, "Hmm, I'm curious to see if they'll work the same here. You know, replenish Mana."

Dotsuku sat up straight when he said, "Well, that would come in handy."

Nezumi nodded as he looked at the current selection, his Appraisal activated, showing him the effects the energy drinks had in this world. 'Any of them that DON'T affect the other status,' the teen wondered as he scrolled to the next set of energy drinks, specifically looking for one that only recovered Mana. But since he couldn't search by effects gained in this world, he had to look through them manually with his Appraisal skill. Tedious, but the last thing Nezumi needs is for the beastman to find out about the Boosts consumables from his world given to others in this world.

After another minute or so, the grey-haired teen finally found an energy drink that only recovered Mana, Energex Z. Nezumi bought a six-pack set for 5 Copper coins. That should be enough for them.

Nezumi checked out and got the item within two seconds in a cardboard box. The teen took out the six-pack and shoved the cardboard with the others in his Item Box. Nezumi plucked one of the cans out of the pack, cracked it open in one swift motion, and then handed it to Dotsuku when he said, "Here, give it a try."

The beastman looked at the can in confusion, unsure about the strange container before him. He glanced at the teen.

Nezumi quickly noticed the issue and explained how the can worked, tapping on the rim of the can near the freshly made opening when he told the other that that was where the liquid came out of and was where the drinker's lips were supposed to touch.

Dotsuku was still unsure about the 'Can' canister, but it was worth a try if it meant recovering his Mana quicker. The beastman took the can carefully from the teen, then looked it over, and then sniffed the liquid through the opening in the can. Dotsuku cringed slightly at the tarty smell before he took a small, cautious sip. The sharp tarty taste stings the beastman's tongue. Dotsuku cringed at that as he pulled the can away, tilting it up so he didn't spill anything as he did. "Taste a little like over-ripened cheeries," the beastman commented in thought, trying to compare the taste to something he knew.

"Cheeries?" Nezumi asked in confusion.

Dotsuku glanced at the teen when he replied with a raised brow, "You don't have cheery berries in your world?"

Nezumi thought about that as he looked at the Energex Z he still had in his hands. More specifically, the flavour of the drink. Black cherry. This made the teen think. Nezumi opened his Unique Skill and searched for the fruit in question. He then moved to show the beastman a bundle of cherries when he asked, "Are these cherries?"

Dotsuku nodded when he said, "Those are." He looked at the price of the fruit when he got out in shock, "Cheeries are 8 Iron coins in your world?!"

Nezumi looked at the site to see what the other was talking about. The teen explained, "Ah, no they are 8 Iron coins per kilogram. They're sold by weight, not by the number of them." Nezumi then had a realisation. The grey-haired teen quickly searched for a new item.

Dotsuku watched in interest as he slowly sipped the energy drink, still cringing at the strong tarty taste.

Nezumi decided to get a three-set of composition notebooks for two Copper coins, a mechanical pencil for one Copper coin, a roll of sticky tape for five Iron coins, a roll of thick sturdy yarn for a Copper coin, and a small pair of scissors for a Copper coin. Five copper and five Iron coins total.

Nezumi checked out his purchase. He glanced at his remaining balance and realised he only had nine Silver coins left on the AEON site. The teen still had 11 Gold coins, 17 Silver coins, 20 Copper coins, and 7 Iron coins left from the coin bag he was given as hush money, but he knew it would run out soon. The shipping box appeared next to the teen within the next second.

Nezumi opened the box and took out all the items. The teen placed two of the composite notebooks into his Item Box and started on his little project.

Dotsuku watched the teen work in fascination, slowly sipping the energy drink as he did and cringing every time the taste hit his tongue.

Nezumi unravelled the yarn and measured the length of the composition notebook spine. The teen used the scissors to snip off twice the amount he measured and then placed the scissors and the rest of the yarn into his Item Box. Nezumi tied one end of the string to the end of the mechanical pencil, took some sticky tape from the roll, and used it to attach the other end of the string to the spine of the composition book. The teen then squirrelled the sticky tape into his Item Box when he was done.

When Nezumi was finished, the notebook had the mechanical pencil attached by the Yarn. Easy to grab and can write without the string getting in the way.

Dotsuku stared at the edited netbook for a few seconds before he asked to look at it. Nezumi handed the item over when he told the other not to destroy it in any way. The beastman didn't even think about that as he opened the notebook, looking at the blank, lined pages in amazement. Dotsuku carefully turned the pages when he got out in fascination, "By the Gods! I have never seen paper so pure white! And so high quality! What are these lines for?"

Nezumi raised a brow when he replied wearily, "Uh, the lines are for making sure what is written is straight and easy to read without mixing the sentence up..." The teen then thought about how the beastman described the paper.

Dotsuku's attention was on the mechanical pencil. He took hold of it in fascination when he asked, "What's this supposed to be?"

Nezumi took the notebook and writing tool when he replied wearily, "It's a mechanical pencil... You use it to write stuff..." He then opened the notebook to the first page to demonstrate, clicking the lead out before he did. The teen wrote 'Property of Nezumi' in the language of this world, which the other worlder was thankful for as well as thinking that it was a little too convenient.

Dotsuku was impressed by how well the writing tool wrote.

Nezumi made a small squiggle before erasing it as he explained how the eraser worked. Given the reaction he saw from the beastman, the teen could guess that pencils and erasers weren't a thing here in this world.

Nezumi asked the other, "So paper is a rarity here, huh?"

Dotsuku slowly nodded when he stated with a drawl, apparently still stunned by this, "Uh... Yes... Because it takes time and a lot of effort to make paper... Books are a luxury item because paper is so hard to make... Between 7 and 20 Gold coins depending on how much paper is used, what it's about, how much art, and writing is involved… Most books and maps are made from monster leather." The beastman looked at the notebook when he added in realisation, "And you... Got three of those for two Copper coins... Just... Just how... How different was your world from this?"

Nezumi started writing down what he already knew in the composition notebook when he explained, "From what I've gotten so far from this world... I'd hazard a guess that the current state would be similar to the medieval period in my world... But as of before, I got transported here..." He eyed the beastman when he added, "Timeline-wise, my word would be several hundred of years more advanced, and doesn't have magic and monsters running about."

Dotsuku thought about that for a bit as he finished up the energy drink, still cringing at the taste, and then asked, "So let me get this straight... Your world is advanced enough that you can buy things like paper and pepper cheaply? And create things like that 'Macky-cal pen-sil' to write and the strange containers you got the food you bought and this..." He held up the now empty energy drink can to emphasise what he was trying to say as he continued, "Drink holder for people, right?"

Nezumi hummed before he stated, "When you put it that way... I guess so." He finished writing when he added dryly, "But as you figured, I don't know the rough price of things here." The teen gave the beastman a sharp look, causing him to flinch, when he added sternly, "So you're going to have to help me with that so no one catches onto my Unique Skill." Nezumi narrowed his eyes when he added dangerously, "I know what you're capable of and I know the last thing you want happening is trouble that can be garnered if your 'master' gets found out."

Dotsuku didn't need to think hard about what the teen meant and he knew the potential issues that could arise from people finding out about the kid's Online Shopping Skill and the fact that he was bound to him. The beastman gave a shaky nod when he said wearily, "I get it, I'll make sure no one with malicious intent finds out about your Unique Skill..." And what he didn't say out loud was that he didn't want others to find out that he was in a contract collar bound to the teen.

Satisfied, Nezumi nodded in approval before he asked, "So how do you feel now? The energy drink kicking in yet?"

Now that the teen mentioned it…

Dotsuku stood up without any trouble and stretched as he said, "Actually, I've never felt so energised before. Those 'energy drink' potions are certainly effective."

Nezumi raised a brow before he used his Appraisal Skill on the beastman again.

[Name] Dotsuku Tsukui

[Job] Adventurer

[Level] 57

[Health Points] 2673/2700

[Mana] 3500+/3500 (No Mana Loss for 20 Minutes)

[Attack] 750

[Defence] 760

[Agility] 790

[Skills] Venom fangs, Venom Claws, Poison Smog, Toxin Immunity, Venom Immunity, Poison Immunity, Herbal Identification, Heightened Senses, Dagger Fighting Techniques, Venom Knowledge, Poison Knowledge, Venom Creation, Poison Creation, Poisoned Blood, Gem Identification, Gem Knowledge, Information Gathering, Deception, Anti-Venom Creation, Anti-Poison Creation.

[Unique Skill] Mad Dog's Vice.

Nezumi blinked as he stared at the effect of the energy drink that was not mentioned during his Appraisal when looking through the site. The teen looked down at the remainder of the Energex Z pack. The information box appeared in front of him when he activated his Appraisal Skill.

Energex Z. An Energy Drink from Another World.

Has a strong tarty black cheery flavour.

Restores depleted mana when consumed.

Unlimited Mana usage for 20 minutes if completely consumed.

However, if user overexerts themself, they will experience a mana crash.

Nezumi stared at the information box for a few seconds before it sank in. 'Shiiiiit! How did the effect change after I bought these?' the grey-haired teen thought, realising too late that he should have Appraised the drink before he gave it to the beastman and not during his shopping.

The otherworlder was snapped out of his thoughts when Dotsuku said with a grin, "I'm going to head back to get the two bags I had to leave behind." He stretched his arms over his head when he added, "Might be a good idea to use Navi to carry the ears back to the Adventurers' Guild."

Nezumi nodded when he said, trying to hide his current emotion, "Sounds like a plan. We can use the rope to keep them secure." The teen was thankful for the opportunity to be alone with the horse, to organise his thoughts.

Dotsuku told the grey-haired youth to stay put before he headed off.

As soon as Nezumi couldn't see the beastman anymore, he pulled out the little notebook he had on him when he was summoned. The teen opened it to the only page with words on it in his native Japanese Hiragana. This world's money system and the layout of Reijseger. Nezumi turned the page and wrote out what he learned so far in Hiragana.

An Iron coin = 10 Yen.

A Copper coin = 100 Yen.

A Silver coin = 1000 Yen.

A Gold coin = 10000 Yen.

Nezumi tapped the eraser end of his pencil to his chin as he thought about the larger valued coins. Given the pattern so far... Nezumi wrote his best estimation for the Large Gold coin and Platinum coin.

A Large Gold coin = 100000 Yen.

A Platinum coin = 1000000 Yen.

Nezumi turned to a new page and wrote what he learned about the effects of foods and drinks. So far, aside from the energy drink, the consumables have either a minor or major boost. This was something that Nezumi needed to keep more aware of when he buys food from his Online Shopping Skill. He shoves the little notebook back in his Item Box and pulls out the ropes he bought before he mets the beastman. The teen figured that this might not be enough, so he bought another bundle of rope.

Like everything else, it came in a cardboard box.

Nezumi frowned as he, as usual, shoved the cardboard into his Item Box. He was glad that he had the limitless space and time freeze his Item Box had, which he learned from when he was summoned, was exclusive to Heroes from Another World. 'Hm, more convenient happenstances...' Nezumi thought as he unravelled his second rope, readying it and the first rope. The teen shrugged his shoulders before he started tying the ropes to the bags and hauling them so Navi could carry them easily, and comfortably.

The horse didn't seem to mind, especially after he was given an apple.

"You really like those, don't you, Navi," Nezumi commented as he stroked the horse's muzzle. Navi gave a happy snort as a reply as he flicked his tail. The grey-haired teen couldn't help but smile at the response. It didn't take more than a minute before the otherworlder spotted Dotsuku coming into view with two more burlap bags just as stuffed as the prior two.

The difference between this arrival and the last was the fact that the beastman seemed so full of energy compared to the last.

Remember in the warning from his Appraisal of the energy drink, Nezumi told the other when he was in hearing range, "Don't overdo it unless you have something to use all that energy on."

Dotsuku seemed to half listen when he replied as he started loading the new bags on the horse, "I'm not and I don't. Just glad I got this done." As he checked the sturdiness of the ropes, he added, "Plus, all these Goblins means that the reward for the job will increase and I'm sure there's going to be extra because there was a settlement that the city no longer has to worry about."

Nezumi looked at the four bags of severed Goblin ears when he stated, "I guess, but wouldn't it take a while to count those?" The teen pitied the person or people who would get stuck with that job.

Dotsuku shrugged when he said, "Yes, but we can take advantage of that." He glances at the teen when he states seriously, "I know your orders prevent me from revealing your origins and abilities, but that only works on my end. You'll end up letting something slip if you continue with Your current knowledge of this world. Plus, if your fighting skills are as you say, that will have to change and fast."

Nezumi caught onto what the beastman was implying within a second of the words being spoken and replied with, "I know." He glanced in the direction where the town was when he added, "But I figured that we wait until we're heading to the next town. So there isn't a chance of being overheard or seen."

Dotsuku was admittedly impressed by the teen's oddly mature insight when he said as he took Navi's reins, "Good point and fair..." He motioned for the teen to follow when he added, "How about we make our plans on the way back? We'll pause on them until we're in our boardings when we get close."

Nezumi nodded as they headed off.

~}I{~

Two shadowy silhouettes within a thick forest were enjoying their kills, ripping the meat off the bones with their razor-sharp fangs.

The silhouettes depicting the two were a giant wolf while the other was a large cat.

The large cat swallowed what they had in their mouth before they asked the other, "Oi, Fel... When are we actually gunna to slip into a mortal settlement? I wanna start on learnin' 'bout them?"

The large wolf swallowed what they had in their mouth before saying, "I told you not to call me that. Had I not?" They then took a big bite of the meal.

The large cat huffed in annoyance when they stated, "Yah're avoiding the question, again." They sat before moving to lay down when they added bitterly, "I'm gettin' bored with your stupid obsession with meat and always wantin' to eat it..."

The giant wolf, Fel, looked up from their meal when they asked, "Are you done already? There's still a lot left."

The giant cat scoffed when they said in annoyance, "Of course, you didn't hear a damn word I said, Fel." Their eyes glowed yellow before a cackle of electricity shot out and burnt the rest of their portion to a charred crisp.

"Oi! Why did you do that!? The meat is delicious!" the giant wolf shouted in distress as they stared at what was once a monster filled to the brim with flavourful meat.

The giant cat scoffed once again when they stated in annoyance, "Honesty Fel, is that really your only concern? Me destroyin' my leftovers like that? How stupidly selfish are you when it comes to meat?"

Fel growled at the other when they snapped out, "What are you talking about?! There is nothing more important than eating meat and catching the ones with the most delicious kind!"

The giant cat scoffed when they stated in annoyance, "I don't know what yah're goin' on about. All the creatures we've taken down taste the damn same and none of which I would call 'delicious' as you claim, you meat slut."

"Meat slut! How dare you!" Fel gasped out, indignant that he was called such a thing.

The giant cat let out a proud 'humph' when they stated, "Considerin' all you ever wanna do has to do with meat, I'd say it's a fitting title fur yah."

Fel growled at the other when he almost sheathed out, "You! If you weren't the daughter of-!"

The giant cat was quick to hiss out, sparks emitting from her fur as she did, "Oh please! The only reason why I even bothered with acceptin' to travel with yah was because yah're Ninrir's Fenrir and have lived long enough to know where mortals dwell!" She scoffed, electricity dying down, when she added bitterly, "Yet after a mere ten years you have yet to hold up your end and travel through any mortal settlements!"

Fel scoffed when he stated, eyeing the remainder of his meal as he did, "I don't see why you are interested in how humans live. They are hardly worth the time and they taste bad."

The giant cat let out an annoyed scoff when she snapped, fed up with this banter, "And there you go again with the meat shit! It's like nothin' else matters to yah unless it involves you getting meat in that pit of a stomach!" She let out a huff when she stated, "You know what! If we Don't find a mortal settlement And go into it in mortal forms within the next week... This travelling partnership is over!"

Fel dove into his meal when he stated, "Of course, of course."

The giant cat couldn't help but glare at the other when she stated bitterly, "Did yah even hear what I said over yah meat obsession?"

Fel swallowed when he said somewhat absentmindedly, "I heard you. Let me finish before we head off." He then bit off a huge chunk of meat from his kill and happily ate it.

The giant cat could only roll her eyes, knowing that the other wasn't listening to her, again.

~}I{~

"Uh..." Nezumi got out as he watched the back staff of the Adventurers' Guild frantically counting all the right Goblin ears, trying to keep everything in order and none of them was double-counted. The grey-haired teen subtly nudged the beastman next to him when he whispered, "Is this... Normal?"

Dotsuku rested his hands on his hips when he stated back in a whisper, "In regards to an unexpectedly high number of proofs for a job, yes." He motioned his head towards another clerk on the other end of the desk, which was void of goblin ears, when he added, "Looks like she's done confirming your harvest. So you can collect your earnings."

Nezumi looked up at the beastman when he asked, "Are you sure I can keep all of it?"

Dotsuku nodded when he said, "Of course, you found all of the flowers So you can keep the money you get for them." He then ushered the teen off to the clerk when he added, "Now don't keep the lady waiting. Besides, I'm in no rush."

Nezumi nodded before he walked over to the clerk who looked eager to talk to him. When the teenager was standing in front of the clerk, she asked him if he really found all of the flower herbs by himself. Nezumi nodded when he said smoothly, "I did. I got lucky and found a nice patch of them." He already had this story planned out in case he was asked, so no one would know about his Appraisal Skill.

The clerk was still impressed when she told the teen, "You must have been really lucky. And from the amount you harvested, it must've been a pretty big patch." She then moved to ready the reward for the task.

Nezumi, on the other hand, was a little more worried about how often he needed to use the 'Luck excuse' to pass off his 'Appraisal Findings' if he kept accidentally bringing in a large number of rare items. 'I should start asking Dotsuku about the rarity of things before I collect them,' the grey-haired teen thought before his attention was back on the clerk as she placed a small bowl of coins on the counter.

The clerk then smiled, "You'll be getting 8 Silver coins for the 40 Keanu Flowers, 2 Silver coins and 6 Copper coins for the 10 Mage Flowers, and 3 Silver coins for the Keanu/Mage Flower Hybrid."

Nezumi looked inside the bowl to see a Gold coin, 3 Silver coins, and 6 Copper coins. He was a little confused by the Gold coin when he asked carefully, "Ano... How come I'm getting 3 Silver coins rather than 13?"

The clerk seemed surprised, but she smiled when she explained, "Well since you had 10 Silver coins, we decided to give you a Gold coin instead. Easier for you to carry."

"Ah, I see... Thanks," Nezumi commented as he took his coin bag off his belt, opened it enough to put the coins in, and took his reward out of the bowl. He could practically feel the eyes of some of the others in the room on him, making him glad he kept 5 Silver coins and all his Copper and Iron coins in his coin bag. The teen popped the Gold coin, the 3 Silver coins, and the 6 Copper coins into his coin bag before securely tightening the strap and attaching it to his belt, also securely. It felt a little too heavy to the grey-haired youth. 'I'm going to have to move that Gold coin and half of the Silver coins into my Item Box when we get back to the room,' Nezumi thought as he walked back to stand next to Dotsuku. The teen also figured he should move at least ⅓ of his Copper coins into his Item Box too, just to relieve some of the weight in the coin bag he wore on his person.

"Something wrong, Nez?" Dotsuku whispered when the teen was close enough, noticing how tense he was.

Nezumi whispered back, glancing at the others in the Guild, "I managed to get a Gold coin from collecting those herbs..."

Dotsuku was only slightly surprised when he murmured back, "Well, you did collect a lot, so I suppose it's expected." He then remembered that the teen usually kept the Gold coins and the bulk of the Silver coins in his Item Box. The beastman became aware of the situation when he whispered to the teen, "Ah, you want to put it in your 'space' but can't right now and everyone here saw you getting it."

Nezumi glanced at the other Adventurers when he said, "Yeah... Think we can..."

Dotsuku nodded when he asked the closest clerk, "Excuse me, is this going to take much longer? If it is, would it be possible for us to return to our lodgings for a while? And send a messenger when it's finished?"

The clerk was quick to nod a yes and asked for the beastman to write down the inn he and his ward were currently staying at. Dotsuku did just that, making sure that the clerk took the leather cloth away before he and Nezumi left the Adventurers' Guild. They untethered Navi and made their way back to the inn.

The two brought Navi to the housing attached to the inn for Familiars and transportation mounds. The horse nibbled on the hay as soon as he was in his stall. Then they headed to their room.

The moment the two of them were inside their room, Dotsuku locked the door. The beastman let out a breath before he turned to move towards his side of the rented space and said, "As soon as I get the reward for that Goblin task, we're heading off to the next town."

Nezumi sat on his bed with his coin bag in hand and ready to open his Item Box when he asked, "Why? I mean... I know we're getting a lot of attention right now but not enough to warrant us leaving right away."

Dotsuku sat on his bed when he stated, "Maybe, but we're still too close to Reisseger, and if any word about our exploits today gets to them..."

Nezumi caught onto what was being implied when he added, "They'll think I did it because they know I'm from Another World and believe that I somehow hid or altered the Skills that showed up on the Appraisal mirror they used. They would certainly want to get me back if that were to happen." He clicked his tongue in annoyance when he added, "I want to avoid getting their attention as much as possible and I'm not going back to that selfish kingdom."

Dotsuku nodded when he said, "I'm going to have to agree with you on that." He adjusted the collar of his cloak when he added bitterly, "Different reasons…Reijseger isn't exactly...Pleasant for anyone who isn't human... It would be best if we can get as far away as possible from it before we do anything else..."

Nezumi nodded when he said, opening his Item Box to put the Gold coin and 4 Silver coins in, "We should be good for a while money-wise." He felt the coins he had in his Item Box, counting them as he did. Nezumi then stated, "I currently have 12 Gold coins and 29 Silver coins total..." He pulled his hand out of his Item Box when he added, "Plus the money you currently have and the reward you're getting from the goblins..." The teen traced the air as he did his calculation before he said, "We should be good travelling for a month or so... Depending on how much we need to spend to get from place to place."

Dotsuku nodded before he remembered the earlier conversation. The beastman couldn't help but say, "I think the bulk of our money is going to be used for your Online Shopping Skill."

Nezumi tilted his head to the side when he asked, "Why would you say that?" The teen wondered if there was something the beastman knew that he didn't about their travel plan.

Dotsuku unhooked the daggers from his belt when he explained, "Given that I'm going to be training you while we travel, I'm going to assume that we might have to get spur-of-the-moment supplies from that skill, like extra water and snacks to replenish energy."

Ah, now the teen understood what the beastman was talking about, and knew he was right.

Dotsuku unsheathed his daggers to inspect them when he asked, "By the way... Did you get any weapons before you met me? I can't exactly train you for combat without one."

Nezumi pulled out the short sword he got in Kels out of his Item Box. It was a simple weapon that he could've used if needed even if he wasn't exactly skilled with it. The teen also got it because it was one of the lighter weapons he could get without setting off the salesperson's suspicions even more.

Dotsuku sheathed his daggers to look at the sword from where he sat. He raised a brow at what he was looking at when he asked, "Where did you get that cheap thing? Surely not from the royal family of Reisseger."

Nezumi was confused when he replied, "A town called Kels, it was on the border of Reisseger... Why? What's wrong with it?"

Dotsuku let out a short snicker before he asked with a smirk, "I take it you didn't Appraise that sword when you bought it, right?"

Nezumi didn't understand what the beastman was implying when he stated seriously, "I was focused on getting out of Reisseger as fast as possible and I wasn't comfortable with using my Aprasial in front of people. In fact, I wasn't used to using it at the time."

Dotsuku let out an amused hum when he said, "Alright, that's fair." He then reattached his daggers to his belt.

Now Nezumi wanted to know what the problem was with the sword so he Appraised it right then and there. The blue information box appeared in front of him and told the teen all he needed to know.

Weak Sword

Made from cheap material.

Forged by a trainee blacksmith.

Designed to break after five battles.

"Ah, that's what you meant by cheap..." Nezumi commented bitterly before he added, "I only got this because it was the only one I could lift without much trouble and could say it was for my dad." He then shoved it back into his Item Box, wondering if he would get any worth wild use from that thing.

"That explains that," Dotsuku mumbled before he sighed and added, "Looks like I'm going to have to get you a sturdy weapon before we leave town." The beastman stretched his arms over his head when he said, "Well since you're my apprentice in title, I can get you one to use. Nothing extravagant though."

Nezumi shrugged when he said, "Eh, better than nothing." He was quiet for a bit before he asked, "Are we going to get it before or after you get the reward?"

Dotsuku let out a thoughtful hum before he commented, "Given that I told the Adventurers' Guild that we'd be here, it might be better to get your new weapon after I get my reward... Plus, it'll work in our favour to show that you're not going to make things easy."

Nezumi raised a brow when he commented, "That last part felt like it was some kind of threat…

Dotsuku smirked when he stated, "Only to any would-be thieves and idiots who thought you might be an easy mark."

The teen figured that was the case.

Nezumi sighed as he opened his Online Shopping Skill when he stated, "Since we're going to be leaving, how about we stock up on a few things now so we don't have to do it later."

Dotsuku agreed to that as he moved to sit next to the teen, somewhat looking over his shoulder to see what he was doing. "Let's keep things simple for now, so just the basics."

With that, the two went over what they could need and bought it. The beastman still couldn't believe the price of the food was from the teen's world. Nezumi knew he shouldn't be getting food from his Online Shopping but he didn't have much of a logical reason to deture the other's idea. And telling him about the Boosts was completely out of the question. Nezumi may have control over Dotsuku and can essentially gag order him, but that wasn't reason enough to trust the beastman with that information.

"Hm? Why are you getting that many Arples?" Dotsuku asked when he saw the teen adding a few different kinds of apples to the order.

Nezumi paused in his actions before he looked at the beastman and asked, "Is that what these fruits are called here? Arples?"

Dotsuku nodded before he looked at the screen when he replied, "They are, I take it that apples are called something different in your world?"

Nezumi nodded as he went back to doing what he was doing when he explained, "They're called 'Apples' in my world, and I'm getting them because Navi loves them. Besides, they're also a good easy snack for us too."

Dotsuku had to admit the teen had a point but he did have to comment about the oddly slight difference between the pronunciation of some of the food that the two worlds seemed to share. Nezumi had to agree with that point.

After a few minutes of stocking up on food, and inserting a Gold coin into the 'Funds' slot, the two took everything out of the packaging and put it in Nezumi's Item Box. Since they haven't gotten any messengers from the Adventurers' Guild yet, the teen decided to organise all the 'trash' he had stockpiled in his Item Box that he can't exactly get rid of safely or without anyone asking questions. Dotsuku was confused by this request, but since it was an 'order' from his 'master', he had to help.

The cardboard boxes were broken down and flattened, then stacked on top of one another before being squirted back into the Item Box. The plastic container lids were stacked by shape and size before being tied together by the string the teen bought earlier and then placed back in the Item Box. The plastic container bases were also stacked by shape and size before being tied together by the string and then placed into the Item Box as well. Since there was only one can, there was no reason to bother with that.

Dotsuku wanted to ask about the teen's need to organise the containers that held the foods from the other world but there was a knock on the door. Nezumi quickly shoved what needed to be stored in his Item Box before the beastman moved to answer the door.

It was the messenger from the Adventurers' Guild. They finished counting the ears, and the Guildmaster wanted to talk to the beastman and his ward.

Dotsuku and Nezumi glanced at each other at that last part.

~}I{~

"That is a lot of otherworlders," The Demon Prince, Ushii, stated as he stared at a crystal ball with a live image feed of the summoned teenagers being trained by the soldiers of Reisseger. The horned man narrowed his eyes when he added bitterly, "And worse yet, they are all children!"

The demon minions wholeheartedly agreed with their lord.

One of the minions couldn't help but say, "How much does anyone want to bet that Reisseger planned for that to happen?"

"Sounds like something they would do," another minion added bitterly.

Ushii watched the crystal ball when he stated coldly, "If Reijseger chooses to use children, even those from another world, to attempt to seize any land of the Demon territory, they are going sorely mistaken." His eyes glowed red at the end of that sentence.

The minions agreed, however, they were worried about the children from Another World.

~}I{~

The meeting with the Guildmaster wasn't as bad as Dotsuku and Nezumi thought. The guy simply wanted information regarding the Goblin settlement and about the Keanu/Mage Flower hybrid.

Dotsuku told the Guildmaster what he could about how he found the settlement of Goblins and where it was located. Nezumi simply told the Guildmaster that he found the hybrid among the patch of the flower herbs he was tasked with finding and picked a few out of curiosity and thought they would be worth something.

Satisfied with the information, the Guildmaster rewarded Dotsuku for his task.

There were a total of 120 Goblin ears. Since the reward for the task was 3 Silver coins for every 5 goblins, so that would be a total of 72 Silver coins or rather... 7 Gold coins and 2 Silver coins. Plus a bonus reward of 6 Gold coins for destroying the goblin settlement and solving their recent surge of goblin problems.

The Guildmaster handed over 13 Gold coins and 2 Silver coins. Dotsuku confirmed the amount before he took the coins, putting them in his coin bag.

After that, the two left the Adventurers' Guild, untying Navi on the way and immediately heading to a weapon shop. Dotsuku was the one to ask about the specifics of the weapon he was looking for. The shopkeeper offered three different weapons that Nezumi could use.

A pair of knife daggers, a thin dagger sword, and a Kusarigama.

Nezumi looked over the three weapons. He could eliminate the Kusarigama since he couldn't use that thing without hurting himself and using his 100 Paths on just that would be too much. The knife daggers were a little too short and too eye-catching for the teen. 'So the dagger sword it is,' Nezumi thought as he picked up the thin, simple-looking dagger sword.

Unlike last time, the teen Appraised the weapon on the spot.

Dagger Sword.

Made with sturdy materials.

Forge by a professional blacksmith.

Built with fighting in mind.

Thin but sturdy.

Lightweight but strong.

Nezumi liked this list better than the last.

So Dotsuku bought the dagger sword for 'his apprentices' for 9 Silver coins and the sheath for the weapon for an extra Silver coin. The beastman handed over a Gold coin.

With that, they left the town. Once they passed the gates, the two mounted Navi and headed off.

}{

After riding until sunset, the two males and the horse stopped at a forest area with a stream.

Navi took a drink from the stream after Nezumi made sure the reins were in a position where they weren't going to slide down and over the horse's head while he drank. Dotsuku collected some dry wood, made a fire pit, and started a campfire. The teenager pulled a feeding box designed for horses out of his Item Box and filled it with the feed. Navi happily ate his food.

Dotsuku was... Getting used to having an Item Box user... He took a sip of water from the leather pouch that was designed for holding liquids. The beastman couldn't help but ask, "Um, Where did you get Navi?"

"Kels," Nezumi stated in a matter-of-fact tone before he added as he sat on the other side of the campfire, "His previous owner didn't want to deal with his 'stubbornness' and just shoved the reins in my hands when I asked how much it would be to buy Navi."

Dotsuku raised a brow at the answer. He glanced at the horse in question, only to see a happy horse nibbling on some hay. The beastman's attention was on the teen when he commented in an unsure tone, "No offence, but Navi's been the image of a perfectly behaved horse."

Nezumi shrugged his shoulders when he explained, "Yeah, I know. The only time I've seen him be 'stubborn' was when I first met him." He let out a huff when he added, "Then again, I couldn't blame Navi, given how the guy was treating him."

Dotsuku let out a low hum as he glanced at Navi, who moved to get more water from the stream. The beastman looked at the teen again when he asked, "Have you ever... Appraised Navi?"

Nezumi nodded when he said, "A little after I got him. Every stat except for his Agility was between 125 and 150. His speed was just above 200." The teen looked over at Navi when he added, "He also has a Strength Recovery and a speed Boost Skill."

Dotsuku held up a hand when he said in disbelief, "What! Hold on! His stats are that high? And he has skills?"

Nezumi stared at the beastman when he replied with a tone of suspicion, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Navi is unusual compared to other horses."

"Depends," Dotsuku got out before asking, somewhat already preparing for an unusual answer, "How old is he and what's his level?"

Nezumi thought back to that information before saying, "Hm, one year and Level 4 last time I checked..."

Dotsuku let out an 'expected' sigh when he said, "Then yes... Navi is unusual..."

Nezumi tilted his head to the side when he asked curiously, "From what I have learned so far... Apraisal items belong to the kingdoms and only otherworlders and the Royal line of the Demon King has the Apraisal Skill... So how can you know the average stats of horses?"

Dotsuku saw that question coming when he replied, "You're right, but Appraisal items and skills aren't the only way to find out the level of work animals." He picked up a thin stick and used it to draw an obelisk-share in the dirt as he explained, "When you have a clear crystal in this shape and imbue it with a charge of a minor lightning spell while it is submerged in purified water, it will be able to tell you the level and sometimes basic stats of a person or work animal when it comes in contact with them. The latter is dependent on how skilled the maker of these are." Dotsuku looked up at the teen when he said, "Most people call them Level Detecting Crystals."

Nezumi placed a hand on his chin as he put the facts together when he guessed, "And people had discovered that horses gain Skills when they reach a certain level? A high one, right?"

Dotsuku nodded when he said, "Not that high. usually around level 40, if they live long enough to reach it." He tossed the stick into the fire when he added, "Work animals don't gain experience in regular intervals to even get to level 40. Most of them end up capping at around 25 or 30 before their time's up."

Nezumi let out a hum when he asked, "Can anyone use a Level Detecting Crystal?"

Dotsuku nodded when he replied, "Pretty much, but not everyone can make them. So they usually sell for around 70 Gold coins. 90 Gold coins if they can also tell you the stats."

Nezumi admitted that that made sense, but that cast an odd light on Navi... That made the teen wonder... So he Appraised the horse.

[Name] Navi

[Age] 1 year

[Species] Sturdy Horse

[Level] 5

[Health Points] 160

[Mana ] 140

[Attack] 135

[Defence] 150

[Agility] 235

[Skills] Strength Recovery, Speed Boost.

[Unique Skills] None.

"Oh, Navi gained a level," Nezumi commented as he analysed the horse's stats. It was a small boost in stats, aside from Agility, but it was in line with a single-level gain. That made the teen remember his stats and how fast they went up in 4 levels, wondering if it had to do with him being from another world or if people gained more experience. The latter did make sense, given what Dotsuku had explained.

The sounds of growling stomachs interrupted the grey-haired teen.

Dotsuku let out a weary cough, cheeks pink, when he suggested, "Uhh... How about dinner and then sleep? We'll continue moving in the morning..."

Nezumi readily agreed to that.

As they cooked the food, Dutsuku commented that while the food from the teen's world was good, he was going to have to start eating the food from this world and learning their names. Nezumi had to agree with that, adding that the beastman was going to be teaching him all he needed to know. Dotsuku saw that response coming.

After they ate, the beastman made sure to activate his Barrier Gem and then they went to sleep.

~}I{ The Next Morning }I{~

The sun was barely peaking over the horizon, yet there were still activities.

Nezumi awoke because of the strong smell of ash and sand. The teen groggily opened his eyes to see Dotsuku burying the campfire under the sand, trying to hide any evidence of anyone staying in the area. Nezumi yawned, slowly moved into a sitting position, and asked the beastman in a tired tone, "What are you doing?"

Dotsuku's ears twitched, listening for any sound, as he said, "Making sure no one follows our trail." He seemed to pinpoint something the teen couldn't hear when he almost hissed out, "We need to head out! Now!"

Nezumi figured it would be better to go along with this than find out what had the beastman spooked. So before the sun was on the horizon, the teen and the beastman got on the horse and headed off and away from where they slept.

}{ An Hour Later }{

Dotsuku led Navi and a still sleepy Nezumi into a dense forest area before they finally stopped to rest and eat breakfast. The teen was too tired to do any cooking, so the beastman cooked the food. After the grey-haired teen took out all the cooking stuff, food, and showed the adult how to use the portable stovetops.

Dotsuku didn't do anything big or complicated, he honestly couldn't as of now, but he did what he could. Just a few different egg dishes. Two plates of scrambled eggs with a Sunny side egg and a mini omelette. Dotsuku also made sure Navi was fed his food.

Nezumi yawned as he took his plate. The teen was about to eat when he saw the beastman take out a small vile of something, open it, and pour it over the eggs on his plate. Nezumi raised a brow at this when he asked, "What's that?"

Dotsuku became aware of the teen's eyes on him as he avoided eye contact and stated, "Just... Something I sometimes like adding to my food..." He was quick to add as he closed the vile, "It's... Kind of like that shredded or powdered cheese, you're fond of putting on your food."

Nezumi glared at the beastman with a flat look, "Either you tell me directly what it is on your own or I'm making you."

Dotsuku's ears pressed against his skull at those words when he admitted softly, "Black Serpent venom..."

Nezumi raised a brow at the answer, curious and confused as to why the other was adding something that the teen assumed was some level of deadly.

Dotsuku noticed the teen's confusion and explained, "Call it a side-effect of being able to create venoms and poisons... Being immured to the stuff means I don't get the effects so it's an additional ingredient to me..."

Nezumi put those facts together when he summarised, "So you essentially crave venoms and poisons to both produce them and stay immured to them, right?"

Dotsuku nodded reluctantly when he said, "Correct... I'm... I'm not going to add any to your dishes... Just... Just mine..."

Nezumi hummed when he stated, "You can't because it'll 'harm' me, but I like eating cheese and that stuff is technically harmful to you so I guess that makes us even in terms of adding things that the other can't eat."

Dotsuku shoved some of the omelettes into his mouth when he muttered, "I guess..."

With that, they continued eating breakfast. Both thought about the conversation they just had.

}I{ A Few Hours Later }I{

The little group made good time as they entered the next town. Presenting their Guild cards as they did.

Dotsuku found an inn with a stable for Navi and already paid for a night's stay. The beastman told the teen that they would leave for their next destination in the morning. Which was fine for the otherworlder. Since they were good on money right now, their stay in this town was replenishing their supplies.

True, the teen could get what he wanted from his Unique Skill, but the whole idea is to avoid using it in front of others. Plus, Nezumi did need to learn about the food of this world, to blend in better. However, thanks to his special Item Box, Dotsuku told the teen that they could stock up on some fresh fruits, vegetables, and other perishables that usually couldn't be brought along during travels.

From what Nezumi learned, the typical foods for Adventurers during travels were black bread and jerky. The teen did tell the beastman that he was taking advantage of his Item Box Skill but added that if those were the only options for food then he didn't care all that much. Besides, this allowed Nezumi to see the different kinds of foods and what they were called.

However, the tricky thing was having to wait until they were back at their lodging to write all this information down.

}{

Dotsuku felt weird about this... Not the whole teaching the otherworlder the foods and the basics of shopping, but the fact that a lot of the foods between the two different worlds are weirdly the same aside from the slight wording difference and the kid writing all this info on clean, white papers. Dotsuku made sure to tell the teen that he shouldn't have those 'Notebooks' out when they weren't in their lodgings or if it wasn't just them when they were travelling.

Nezumi more than understood.

After all, paper was worth more than its weight in gold in this world. They didn't need that trouble.

~}I{ About Two Days Later }I{~

The body of a large, grey-and-purple bird fell to the ground with a loud thud. Blood gushed out of the large open wound that nearly severed the bird's head off.

Dotsuku let out a breath of relief as he swished his daggers through the air, the tips of the blades pointed to the ground, causing the blood on them to fly off. The beastman was a little scuffed up, covered in dirt and blood. but he managed to defeat the B-Rank Rockbird without much issue aside from a few scratches. However, Dotsuku was exhausted!

The beastman sat on top of a nearby rock, to rest for a bit before the next part of the task.

"Wow, you did great," Nezumi told Dotsuku as he pulled a first-aid kit out of his Item Box. The teen took out a small spray bottle of antiseptic from the kit and used it on all the cuts he could see on the beastman's skin. The otherworlder couldn't help but find it a little eerie how easy it was to see injuries on the man's pure white skin.

Dotsuku flinched when the antiseptic came in contact with the open wounds, but the stinging pain didn't last long.

Nezumi decided to buy a first-aid kit from his Online Shopping out of the fact that he and his company would be travelling and battling, which would inevitably cause injuries. The teen didn't know if infections could happen in this world, but he sure as hell didn't want to find out. Plus, it never hurt to be a little over-prepared. And the first-aid kit had quickly proven to be a great investment.

Nezumi was still debating whether he should come clean about the 'Boosts' that things from his word gained when transferred into this one via his Unique Skill to the beastman. Too many factors more or less caused the cons to overtake the pros, but ultimately, it came down to the fact that the other worlder could NOT trust Dotsuku completely even with all the 'orders' he gave him so the beastman couldn't betray or harm him in any way.

Nezumi watched in a slightly morbid fascination as the crimson red marks on Dotsuku's pure white skin slowly knit themselves together until they were no more. The teen glanced at the antiseptic, Appraising the item once again.

Antiseptic from Another World

Prevents injuries from getting worse.

Stops bleeding immediately.

Heals all minor injuries upon contact.

Nezumi wasn't sure if it was because all these items came from another world, or if his Online Shopping had some kind of hidden ability, or even if there was something that happened during the transfer into this world, but the teen was sure as hell making damn sure No one outside who he could trust completely learns about this Unique Skill.

Dotsuku, on the other hand, couldn't help but be impressed by the healing spray that the teen called 'Anti-sepic'. Sure, it stung like needles when it made contact but it healed all the injuries he's gotten so far and made it appear like he was never hurt in the first place. The beastman couldn't believe that such a potent healing item was being sold in another world for less than a silver! Dotsuku examined his arm, wiping the remaining blood off, and said, "Damn, that stuff works better than the potions I've used! It might sting on contact, but it's potent!"

Nezumi put the antiseptic away and placed the first-aid kit back in his Item Box as he stated Sternly, "I am Not selling any of it. Antiseptic doesn't exist here, so word of it would spread all over the moment someone finds out."

Dotsuku scoffed when he stated in annoyance, "I know, I know. Eesh, I was only commenting on how well it works." He stared at the teen when he added in a huff, "You don't have to be so paranoid about every little thing you get from that Unique Skill."

Nezumi shot the beastman a glare from over his shoulder. As much as he wanted to rebuttal that comment, he knew that would be counterproductive and would tip the beastman off to what his Online Shopping could really do. The teen let out a 'humph' as he pulled a large roll of rope out of one of the satchels they got for Navi to wear.

The two satchels were for objects that the duo needed for jobs, like ropes and basic tools. After all, the less often the Otherworlder needed to use his Item Box in front of others, the better.

Nezumi looked at the Rockbird when he asked, "Are you sure Navi can carry this? It's pretty big..."

Dotsuku nodded when he said, "Most of that bulk is the feathers and the bones are hollow. The only real weight on the Rockbirds are the meat, talons, and beak." He did glance at Navi when he added, "But I can understand your concerns about him being able to carry it."

After a few minutes, the duo hauled the Rockbird onto Navi's back. Since the monster was almost the same size as the horse it looked kind of weird. Navi seemed more irritated about the size of the Rockbird than the weight, so that was good. Though Nezumi could understand the horse's aggravation.

}{ About 15 Minutes Later }{

The duo's first stop when they first re-entered the town was the Adventurers' Guild. To turn in the Rockbird for the mission request. Which was to hunt down said monster for the material. It was a C-Rank task, even if the monster was B-Ranked but it seemed that whoever made the request thought that the adventurer who would take the request would raid a Rockbird's nest or something along that line.

With the task completed, the Rockbird was brought to the butcher. The guy would take the monster apart and separate the parts as directed. The requested parts will be given to the person who asked for them, of course, but the rest are Dotsuku's to do with as he pleases. The beastman asked his ward if he had any particular interest in any of the remaining parts of the Rockbird but the teen didn't.

So Dotsuku told the butcher to sell everything but the meat. The butcher complied and told the duo to come back in about two hours.

With that, they left the Adventurers' Guild.

Dotsuku, Nezumi, and Navi spent most of the time waiting on the butchering stocking up on fruits and vegetables while replenishing their water supply. The horse got an arple during this, as a reward for his hard work. Dotsuku bought an entire basket of fruits that were called mongeriens. To Nezumi, it reminded him of mandarins or tangerines, so he figured it would be the equivalent of one of those from his world.

After the shopping, the duo returned to the Adventurers' Guild to pick up their meat and pay. Dotsuku took the pay and saw the butcher off. Once the guy was out of sight, Nezumi quickly stored the meat in his Item Box before they left.

A couple of minutes later, the group was out of the town and heading towards their next destination. As soon as they could no longer see the town they had just left in the distance, Nezumi finally asked the beastman, "Why did you want to keep the meat from the Rockbird?"

Dotsuku's response was simple when he said, "Since I'm going to be training you, I'd figure we're going to need more energy-rich foods to help with that."

Nezumi shrugged with a 'fair enough' expression before he asked how long until they got to the next dwelling. The beastman estimated that it should take roughly a week and a half since they were going to be stopping sporadically to train.

They had more than enough supplies for the trip and if they did need to get some things, they had the teen's Online Shopping for that. So they continued on their path, unaware that there would be more in store for them.

~}I{~

To be continued.

~}I{~

1… I MIGHT be showing my age (again) with this one, but given how obscure this Manga is… Maybe not… Anyway, long story short, "From Far Away" is an Isekai Manga where one of the biggest challenges the MC faces is that she DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY KNOW the language of the world she is brought to and has to learn it from scratch. So far, it's the ONLY Isekai Manga I've come across where there's a language barrier between worlds that isn't fixed/solved due to magic, divine intervention, or plot reason. Plus, it's got a pretty good storyline. As for why Nezumi would ever read From Far Away… He read it on a dare a few years before he was summoned 😅.

~}I{~