Registering as an Adventurer

Hearing what Yoru Machi said, Yousuke's eyes lit up instantly, and he looked at Yoru Machi as if seeing a kindred spirit. "Exactly! Like in Guardian Hero, the protagonist grows step by step and becomes a hero in the end. You know that one, right? Sega's super famous game—you must have played it too."

"Ah, I think I've heard of it..." Watching Shimada Yousuke suddenly brimming with fervor, Yoru Machi forced a reply. After they reached the city, he planned to part ways with the other.

Yoru Machi didn't know how many transmigrators existed in this world, but going by the usual script, Shimada Yousuke might well be this plane's Child of the World. From what he could see, though, Yousuke's Power Level was really... If he had to wait until the guy grew strong enough to dominate the world, Yoru Machi had no idea how long that would take.

For now, he knew nothing about whether this world was connected to his original one, whether he could ever go back, or if there was another version of himself in the Soul Reaper World after returning. Yoru Machi was completely in the dark.

Yousuke didn't object to Yoru Machi's suggestion of splitting up. As a fan of various games, he understood that if their strength gap was too wide, teaming up wouldn't help either of them—it would only become a stumbling block in clearing this world. Clearly, Shimada Yousuke was still treating this otherworld like a game and hadn't realized the importance of a powerful ally.

To keep Yousuke from kicking the bucket before the world's protagonist could even grow up due to his weak stats, Yoru Machi gave him two pieces of advice. First, find something to hide his face for now. Strictly speaking, Yousuke's looks were merely average, not ugly, but in this otherworld where handsome men and beautiful women were the norm, his appearance was basically on par with a subpar Half-beastman.

As for the second point, it concerned Yousuke's cheat ability, the Omni-Sayer. Yoru Machi figured that since the Omni-Sayer's power was to communicate with all things in the otherworld, maybe the targets of that communication weren't limited to visible beings. If Yousuke studied and understood it properly, he might stumble onto some unexpected surprises.

Leaving his advice behind, Yoru Machi departed. Right now, he couldn't even clear up his own confusion about this world, let alone help Yousuke with his. Because Yoru Machi could understand the local language, he at least avoided the awkward language barrier Yousuke faced.

As for where to gather information, Yoru Machi chose the local Adventurer's Guild. In a fantasy world of Swords and Sorcery, adventurers were a staple, and where there were adventurers, there was naturally an organization like the Adventurer's Guild. Leveraging his outstanding looks and smooth tongue, Yoru Machi quickly found the guild and, with just a few words as a "newbie adventurer," charmed the receptionist girl at the counter into a daze.

This otherworld was called Gran Bahamar. It was inhabited by humans much like the real world, along with other races like elves. Everyone had good looks—even passersby and ordinary villagers were generally handsome or beautiful. That was why Shimada Yousuke had been mistaken for a Half-beastman earlier.

The world's currency came in three types: Copper, Silver, and Gold Coins. One Copper Coin was roughly worth 10 sen (0.1 yen), and the exchange rate between Copper, Silver, and Gold was 10,000 to 1. Yoru Machi also learned that there was currently no Demon King in this world, meaning the boss he wanted to defeat probably wasn't a Demon King but some other creature.

As for gods or similar beings, the girl didn't seem to know much—she was just an ordinary receptionist at the Adventurer's Guild. Still, one thing cheered Yoru Machi up: basically, anyone in this world with enough knowledge and skill could use magic. Magic power wasn't innate; it could be strengthened through training, and there existed something called "spell seals" for shortening incantation times—sealing magic into talismans for one-time use.

"Yoru Machi, this is your adventurer's certificate. Keep it safe. If you lose it, you can get a replacement, but the paperwork is a hassle. Since you just registered, you're only an E-rank adventurer, the lowest level. Do you want me to find some low-risk E-rank quests for you?"

Yoru Machi used to not believe that good looks could put food on the table, but now he was deeply convinced—and he had to admit, eating soft rice might taste even better. "Miss Sonya, I know I'm a new adventurer, but please don't underestimate me. I actually have some combat ability; I just never registered before. So, could you use your authority to help me take on some higher-difficulty quests?"

According to Adventurer's Guild rules, adventurers could only accept quests matching their rank. This was partly for the employer's safety and partly for the adventurer's own good—taking on tasks beyond one's strength came with a very high mortality rate. "It's not that I don't want to help you, but it's too dangerous. Over the years, I've handled plenty of newbie adventurers. Many claimed they were excellent hunters or had great talent, then took quests above their rank from me. Unfortunately, their endings weren't pretty—some died to monsters, and those who survived ended up permanently disabled. Yoru Machi, the outside world is more dangerous than you think, and the monsters are stronger than you imagine. Let's just take it step by step and raise your strength, okay?"

Hearing her persuasion, Yoru Machi let out a big sigh. It wasn't that he was in a rush to raise his adventurer rank, but without some income soon, he feared he'd be sleeping on the streets. Both he and Shimada Yousuke had been dumped into this world with no local currency. The adventurers from earlier were broke too—their so-called "mental compensation" was just a big bag of Copper Coins. Yoru Machi had thought he'd struck it rich, but after splitting it fifty-fifty with Yousuke and paying the registration fee at the guild, his share was down to a handful of copper coins.

With one Copper Coin's purchasing power at 0.1 yen, Yoru Machi figured those few coins probably couldn't even buy the cheapest, lowest-quality bread...