Part 3: An Invitation
I had the feeling it would be all over if my eyes met hers, so I focused on my desk instead, counting the scratches on it.
The young woman introduced herself as Ellie Hitstan. She was the Rank 3 adventurer the guild had hired as the seminar instructor this time. I got the sense she wanted to say something to me, but I refused to yield to the pressure radiating from her. With a sigh, she finally gave up and started class.
She talked about the adventurer’s mindset, types of jobs, and the people who populated this world. Humans, therianthropes, dwarves, halflings, and elves were all recognized as sub-species of Humankind that could work together. In contrast, there were the Destroyers: imps, vampires, giants, and other groups like mermen and lizardmen who were treated as the enemy. The people here considered all Destroyers aggressive and destructive—in ancient times, apparently, the Destroyers had split the world into two after starting a great war against Humankind.
Some parts of the Northern Continent, where I currently resided, were still overrun with these hostiles. For example, Digland, a vast area to the north, was the nation where the giants lived. Go east from Oranz, cross a wide swath of forest, and you’d find yourself in a place called the Chaos Realm, where Destroyers fought each other to this day.
And those weren’t the only opponents adventurers fought. There were wild animals and monsters transformed by rage. There were the undead, who kept attacking even after they’d died. And then there were the bandits, who had put down roots in rougher areas and mountain roads outside the cities.
To put it bluntly, this world was ridiculously dangerous.
I thought about my life going forward. As a low-ranking adventurer, I’d gain clients’ trust by doing simple manual labor, then gradually switch to more complex work. An adventurer’s job could be divided into four broad categories. Manual labor, exploration, escorting, and hunting. If you wanted to aim for the higher ranks, you needed to take on the more dangerous jobs. But if that wasn’t your goal, you could easily make a living just by doing manual labor within a town or city’s walls.
Exploring a fantasy world sounded appealing in theory. In reality, of course, it was fraught with peril. Having lived my entire life in a safe country, violence was way out of my wheelhouse. I was equally scared of inflicting it and having it inflicted on me.
For a while, I just stared at my notebook, imagining myself living in this world. Swords and sorcery, a multitude of fantasy races, and tales of adventure. I closed my eyes quietly and shut my notebook with a soft snap, locking away the heart of my excited inner child as I did so.
In reality, I was way too timid to live as a full-fledged adventurer. That kind of life came with no guarantees if things went wrong. I began to think I should find a way to live a safe and comfortable life instead. No, I had to. It was the only way I knew how to live.
In the meantime, class ended. I’ll live in this world the way I did in Japan, an ordinary, honest life. That was the way of life that would best suit me.
I quieted my overeager heart, firmly telling myself to turn away from any risks and flee. That’s how a smart adult needs to live. I stood up, still trying to reason with myself internally. It would likely take a while before I could repay Ralf all the money he’d spent on me. It is what it is. I just needed to explain the situation to him well enough that he’d be understanding and wait.
With my mind full of realistic, grounded thoughts only, I started to walk out of the lecture hall—when a voice from behind called out to me.
“Hey, wait up! Let’s talk a little.”
It was the girl of the pair, the one who’d been trying to find the right moment to talk to me since before the seminar started. I could see her friend talking to the beast-boy behind her.
“What is it?” I asked.
Still standing, I turned around and tilted my head curiously. I immediately felt bad about my aloof attitude, which I could blame on a combination of the fact that such a young girl was talking to me and my mood, which was somewhat gloomy. I knew I should be trying a little harder to be friendly, but I’d never been good at socializing.
As for the beast-boy, he remained seated, staring silently with only his head turned in the other boy’s direction. But the boy-and-girl duo weren’t the least bit deterred by either of us. The two of them moved all our desks around until they faced each other. I was wondering why they were bothering to create a makeshift round table, so to speak, when the brown-haired boy smacked one of the desks enthusiastically with his palm.
“This means we’re in the same cohort,” he announced. “Didja guys know it’s rare for adventurers to register at the same time?”
“Exactly,” said the girl. “What he said! We should be friends!”
“Hm…” I said. “I suppose you have a point.”
I mulled over whether or not to accept their invitation. On the one hand, I didn’t know how to carry on a conversation with a couple of teenagers, and I wanted to leave this lecture room as quickly as possible to find work for myself.
But on the other hand, I just couldn’t bring myself to reject their kind overture. The boy and girl sat down again in their chairs and stared expectantly at me, practically vibrating with anticipation. Their adorable behavior charmed me and I could feel my resolve softening.
A few minutes won’t change anything. It’s important to form strong relationships with people when I’m in an unfamiliar place.
I pulled out a chair and sat down, then placed my hands on my lap and straightened my spine. Maybe my posture should be a little more relaxed when talking to kids? After I took a seat, the beast-boy also dragged his chair over to his now-shifted desk. Apparently, he’d decided to join this conversation too.