Kays Translations

Chapter 6

Arrival at the Tiara Adventurer's Guild.

Yesterday, it was dark, and the entire building wasn't clear, but now it looks like a medieval stone mansion often seen in foreign movies.

In terms of size... it's comparable to a town hall in a rural Japanese town. The atmosphere gives off a somewhat public institution vibe.

Taran opens the door and gestures, saying, "Please."

Upon entering, it's much livelier than it was last night.

There are customers at Lily's counter. And next to her, two more receptionists are attending to customers.

 Only their hair is visible, but Lily with short hair is on the far right, the woman with semi-long hair is in the middle, and the one with a ponytail is on the left.

At the slightly distant left counter, an adventurer with herbs in hand is talking—probably selling them.

Behind the counter, some staff members are using abacuses, and others are passing by with documents, all appearing quite busy.

Inside the shop, some people are looking at the large bulletin board with posted requests, while others are sitting on benches along the walls, engaged in conversation.

The interior has low lighting, with subdued attire, no flashy costumes, armor, or swords, and no fluorescent lights.

If this were a theme park, it would get a perfect score, I think.

"It's thriving here."

"Thanks to everyone."

Expressing my impressions as I see them, I received an explanation about the guilds in this city until a counter became available.

In the city of Franta, there are three adventurer guilds: Tiara, Yomuyomu, and Arencia.

Firstly, Tiara Adventurer's Guild—located in the eastern district, it caters to beginners to mid-level adventurers. Its primary focus is on individual tasks such as escorting, deliveries, exterminating pests, and dealing with lightweight magical beasts. They also handle city job recruitment and short-term labor, attracting regular citizens to the guild.

Next is Yomuyomu Adventurer's Guild—situated in the western district, it caters to mid-level to advanced adventurers. They take on tasks such as escorting cargo wagons, large-scale extermination missions with multiple parties, and dealing with large magical beasts and monsters. It seems like adventurers gain experience at Tiara and then strive at Yomuyomu.

Lastly, there's the Arencia Commercial Union—located in the southern district, it caters to mid-level to advanced adventurers. Since it's operated by the Commercial Guild, escort missions are almost the only option. Without both strength and credibility, you might be turned away at the gate. It seems like you get noticed here if you've worked hard at Yomuyomu.

Herb collection and the purchase of monster materials are accepted at all guilds at all times, so it's safe to assume that adventurers live separately in the residential districts.

By the way, the adventurers I found were in the middle of a delivery request. It seemed to be a step-up exam, and it's unfortunate that they didn't make it.

However, judging by his tone, it seems he doesn't know much about the adventurers themselves.

"It's like... a combination of 'Hello Work,' a 'Buying Center,' and a 'Delivery Service,' I guess..."

Comparing it to Japanese job categories, it might feel something like that.

Shortly after, Lily's counter became available, and he gestured towards it.

When she saw the chief, she noticed me next to him and hurriedly stood up.

"Ah...um...I'm sorry about last night."

The apologetic voice echoed through the shop, and everyone's attention turned to me.

Feeling the awkward spotlight, I gestured with my hands, reassuring them that it's okay.

"I have the appraisal results for the herbs he brought in last night."

"Yes... But, Chief, he's not registered, so, um, according to the regulations, the payment..."

It seemed like he had anticipated this, as he suggested that I register as an adventurer.

"You'll need an identification document."

"Hmm..."

Well, in Japan, you register for memberships all the time, so it's not something to be particularly concerned about.

Upon agreeing, she nodded and prepared the registration documents.

The receptionists beside me, while dealing with the previous customer, were sneakily glancing at us from the corner of their eyes.

The chief brought someone special, and there seemed to be a reaction related to Lily—

Last night...something happened last night.

While she handled the customer with a smile, her ears were clearly attentive to our conversation.

At the top of the registration form was the space for my name... I hesitated for a moment.

Come to think of it, how does my name look when written in Japanese?!

"............"

After a brief moment of thought, I filled in my name.

"Um... can you read this?"

She looked at it and replied, "Yes."

"You're good at Marl language."

Her smiling response drew the attention of the two next to her, who had been watching intently after the previous customer left.

I see...it seems like she's writing in Marl language. But no matter how you look at it, it's Japanese.

Is my perception being manipulated? Or is the space distorted?

While hiding my surprise, thoughts about this intriguing phenomenon continued to swirl in my mind.

Next was the hometown section, and I paused again, pondering.

"If there are reasons, you can leave it blank."

"Oh, no, it's not like that..."

After a moment of thought, I wrote 'Japan.'

"Can you read this?"

When I asked her, she looked at it and shook her head.

Seeing that gesture, I became certain.

I took out my wallet from the waist pouch and laid a 10,000 yen bill below the hometown section, pointing at it.

"Do the characters here... and the characters on this paper here... look similar?"

She peered closer.

At this point, the two next to her also rushed over, peering from both sides.

Even Taran, leaning over my shoulder, glanced down at the characters—

It said 'Nihon Ginkōhijō' (Bank of Japan).

"...It looks similar. Is this the name of your hometown?"

The two still struggling to comprehend stared at me.

"What is this paper?"

Taran asked, so I looked up and answered with a slightly proud expression.

"It's a banknote... the currency of Japan."

I handed him the 10,000 yen bill and gave Lily a 1,000 yen bill.

As they examined the bills, they marveled at the texture and precision of the design, expressing amazement.

Observing this scene, I realized a certain fact.

'You can choose the language you want to use.'

Probably, without thinking, it automatically selects a language that the other person can understand.

For me alone, it's Japanese; when dealing with someone else, it's their language—however, if I decide to use Japanese, then it becomes Japanese.

For now, I've only confirmed this through writing, but I probably can converse as well.

I thought about trying to speak in Japanese just to test it out, but then I realized it wouldn't make sense—the spoken language might not be Japanese.

Next to the kanji for "Japan," I also wrote "Japan" in Marl language.

As I was reading the documents, she suggested that I only need to write where I can.

"Who is this person in the picture? Is it the king?"

Taran seemed curious about the portrait.

"Oh, that's Yukichi Fukuzawa."

"Who's that?"

"Well... he's a great person who founded an amazing school."

The ponytailed receptionist leaned forward in front of me.

"And who's this person?"

"Carol!"

The woman admonished by Lily is Carol. She appears slightly younger and has a bright personality.

The other woman is Lana. She gives off a calm and older-sister-like impression. Both of them are quite beautiful.

"Um, this is Hideyo Noguchi, Hideo-san."

"Then, is this one the king?"

"No... um, I think he's a great person who received a medal for researching a disease where many people died."

In reality, I only knew him as a doctor or scholar who received the Nobel Prize—it was something related to the eradication of smallpox, right? (*Note: It's not correct.)

All four of them were very interested in the foreign currency, and I hoped that Lily's smile had made up for my mistake from last night.

With the paperwork completed, Lily checked and instructed someone to bring the payment.

I agreed that the registration card would be provided later.

Then, Taran approached with a bit of a concern.

Well, I was prepared for it not to be just about the payment for the herbs, so I agreed.

I wonder if he's going to ask me to sell my smartphone.

Led into a conversation room, he got straight to the point.

"Would you like to work with us?"

"Huh!?"

To be invited after causing such a commotion...

"Why?"

"Your behavior was rational."

With that, he began to tell me about what happened last night.

He mentioned that I handled the distressed woman well, and I was proficient in Marl language, able to communicate politely in formal language.

He also noted that I could write, suggesting a cultured background, and he was intrigued by the remarkable magical tool I possessed.

"Magic tool?"

The familiar term from games and manga triggered my gamer brain. 

To hide the urge to laugh, I covered my face with my hand and made a gesture of contemplation to distract from it.

"Isn't it different?"

Upon reflection, I realized that there might not be a term in this world to describe a smartphone. Seizing the opportunity, I decided to go with it.

"Ah... I think the name might vary depending on the country. Probably the concept is about right, I suppose?"

"Magic tool"—my face had a grin, likely due to the thought of the existence of items using magic.

He was waiting for my response.

Being recommended for a job was quite unexpected.

I wanted to work in a job in the city, and most importantly, I desired stable regular employment.

I couldn't afford to prolong my response for negotiation tactics, so after pretending to think for a few seconds, I decided to accept.

"Sure, I was also looking for work. ... It's a win-win situation, isn't it?"

He tilted his head.

"... What does that mean?"

"It means 'satisfactory for both parties.'"

I smiled.

There was a knock on the door, and a man brought in a tray with money and a statement.

"Manager, here is the payment for the purchase."

He placed it on the table, bowed, and then left.

Looking at the tray, I could see several silver coins.

"Here is the statement."

I looked at the received statement, and at the bottom, it said in large letters, 'One large silver coin, two small silver coins.'

Seeing real silver coins for the first time made me a bit excited.

"A large silver coin! Is this a large silver coin?"

The casting technology was far less sophisticated compared to Japanese coins, but since I had never touched real silver, my face unconsciously lit up.

Then, I became curious about the value of this coin.

I recalled the four-base numerical system and began to calculate how much this would be in modern terms.

"4, 6, 24... enough for 6 nights at an inn... oh no, there are 4 people, so it's more like 1.5 nights per person... hmm, it feels cheaper than I thought. Oh, but there was a request too. If that's included, it's a bit more... hmm, but..."

Calculating the reward from the previous day's inn expenses, the amount per person wasn't that substantial.

"With this, for 4 people, the inn stay would be at most one night, right? Cost-effectiveness—Isn't the reward a bit low for a life-threatening task?"

Expressing my doubt, he explained to me about the adventurer profession.

Beginner adventurers generally don't stay in inns in the first place.

It's common for them to use the adventurer's tent plaza or simple lodging facilities with just roofs and partitions.

They cook their own meals, and there are facilities for washing and bathing.

Since guards patrol regularly, it is considered safe.

Moreover, in regular job postings—like construction sites, for example—there are jobs that include both meals and accommodations.

After finishing listening to the explanation and being pointed out that the amount is small due to the small collection volume, I accepted it.

Come to think of it, I remembered seeing a tent pitched in the adventurer's plaza.

That person must be a novice adventurer. The truth is, adventurers are just "freeters." (part-time workers)

Why does my brain translate it as "adventurer" in the first place... 

Well, it's probably because of the influence of online games, I imagine.

I've secured a job.

Coming to report on the deceased adventurer was the right decision after all... and I'm pleased that things turned out well in the end.

"Well then, I look forward to working with you, Taran-san."

"The pleasure is mine."

I promptly inquired about accommodation.

"There's a staff dormitory at the guild for you, so we'll arrange that for you."

"Thank you very much."

I've officially secured a permanent position.

"It's a provisional hire for the first three months, but please don't worry too much about it. It's just a formality according to the regulations."

I feel a bit uneasy.

"Oh... it's provisional?"

I suddenly realized that I hadn't asked about the salary beforehand. Well, I guess I can inquire about it tomorrow.

Then I was guided to the dormitory.

The room, located on the second floor, had a simple interior with a bed, desk, and closet. It was about the size of eight tatami mats—similar to my apartment.

He said he would return to his work, and I deeply bowed my head to express my gratitude.

Suddenly being transported to a different world and finding myself employed in a room in a dormitory—it's really unpredictable what life will throw at you...

Anyway, I've got some time to settle down, so I'll take a moment to organize the current situation.

Name: Mizuki Mitarai

Abilities: 

- Automatic language translation (Marl language, Catfolk language)

- Can use magic (wind, water, stone, earth, lightning), no incantations required (for unknown reasons), but it seems to emanate from the forehead (probably due to a ring).

Possessions: 

  Earth-made:

- Waist pouch, smartphone, solar-powered battery, earphones, two water bottles

- Wallet, two cigarette boxes, lighter, oil, pencil case, apartment key, T-shirt, jeans, belt, sneakers, one pair of pants

  Otherworld-made:

- Backpack, two shoulder bags, map, small knife, magic book, one shirt, one pair of pants, two underwear

Money: 

- 1 large silver coin, 2 small silver coins, 6 large copper coins, 12 small copper coins, 2 large iron coins

Occupation: 

- Tiara Adventurer Guild staff (3-month provisional hire)

I jot it down in the memo app on my smartphone—something like this.

The Adventurer Guild is like a personnel dispatch agency, and the staff's job is to facilitate that... It's probably similar to the job placement department at Hello Work or a university's part-time job placement office.

If it's an office job, at least it's not manual labor. It's reassuring that I won't have to worry about dying in the field.

However, that doesn't mean I won't encounter situations like those adventurers did.

I don't have a clear understanding of the town's public safety. The political system is also unclear... Definitely not a democracy.

For a while, I'll have to live cautiously.

And then there's magic. There's nothing more captivating for a modern Earthling like me.

But there's no place to practice.

I can't just unleash stone magic in the middle of town...

Come to think of it, I remembered that I don't have fire magic.

I probably have it—I wonder if there's also a healing type.

How should I gather information?

I wonder if the guild staff would know if I ask them.

However, I need to be careful not to reveal too much. I don't know if it's good or bad that I can use magic at this point.

Moreover... the power of the ring seems tremendous. I think if someone takes a hit from a stone, they'll surely die. It can't be used recklessly.

So, outwardly,

"I found a magic book, so I'm just reading it."

Let's go with that.

I open the window of the second-floor room, take a seat, and smoke a cigarette while gazing outside.

No electricity, no running water, no gas, no cars, no PCs, no internet.

Thinking about the future makes me anxious, and I feel like I'm on the verge of going crazy. It's not homesickness, but I want to go back home.

If I take off the ring that sucked me into this place, can I go back... Is it even possible?!

While lost in thought, I hear a clattering sound and shift my gaze.

A carriage is passing by below.

"From steam engines to internal combustion engines is still far away..."

I recall the technology tree from a certain simulation game.

Cars are probably centuries ahead... I chuckle and close the window after finishing the cigarette.

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