Kays Translations

01-05- Now that I think about it, this is how it all started

Ashigara Yamashimiko ....., a.k.a. plain girl, came tumbling out of the inn's entrance.

“Geh, Ashima”

It was just my luck that I couldn’t help but say the nickname I had given her in my brain, thinking that it would be a pity if she called plain.

“Huh. ...... Fujima-kun?”

A tearful face turns to me.

She has a plain face, just as they say “jimiko”. Her black hair is thick and unruly. But her eyes are large and moist, and it’s hard not to feel protective of them.

“Hey, you in room 204. You’re early today. By the way, do you know this girl? She doesn’t have any money, but she’s been asking me to stay here. ...... Please say something to her”.

I'm not sure if I'm on friendly terms with the landlady, but the landlady shakes out her fantasy crimson ponytail and turns her slit eyes on me.

“Ms. Ashigara ... san, don’t you have money?”

“uuh  not...... now,” she said. “I’ll be sure to ...... pay back!　I’ll definitely pay when I succeed......!”

“I told you it’s no good. If you want to pay me, go sell your body right now and make some money. Your face may not be that great, but you can make a lot of money with that body”.

“No, not that!  I’ve never done it before!　　Please, please! Please, please, please!”

The landlady shrugged her shoulders at me, “This is it”. I had no choice but to call out to Ashima.

“Hey, what’s your payment plan, and what are you going to do?”

“I have a unique skill that is related to items. So, I want to mix and alchemize the items I get from collecting. ...... I want to have my own store and make the best item store in Eschmerde!”

“That’s a bit daunting.”

We’re not talking about today or tomorrow, we’re talking about years. When the landlady heard this, she sighed and said, “It’s not worth talking about.”

“You take care of the rest.”

“Oh, hey, landlady, oi .......”

Bang! 

Even though it was the sound of the entrance door closing, I could clearly hear the sub-voice saying, “Don’t come in until you take care of that girl.”

“Well then.”

If you miss now, you will not be able to escape from this girl, i thought so and rushed to the door ......

“Wait, wait, wait!　　Fujima-kun, why don’t you hire me?　　I may look like this, but I can be surprisingly useful!”

“I don’t need you.”

“Look, look!　I'm surprisingly strong!　　I’m surprisingly stubborn!　　If I’m around when the monsters attack, I can hold them off for 30 seconds!”

“You’re dead, aren’t you?”

She’s no good.

She was wearing the same top and bottom rags as me. In other words, a dropout like me.

The right to transfer to another world, Arcadia, is granted upon entering high school. Today, it’s been a little over a week since I entered the school. If I’m still dressed like this, I’m a failure.

I’ve managed to maintain my livelihood, but she’s fallen even further than I did.

I was aware that I was at the bottom of the pyramid, but Ashima who i thought was at the bottom of the pyramid, seemed to have been reduced to a slave carrying the stones to build the pyramid.

“I mean, you should ask one of the guys you hang out with at school.”

“Oh, you know I can’t ...... that’s mean ......”

Oh, that was very mean of me.

I thought she was one of the popular kids because she was so energetic, but in class she was the one who was often bullied, not to say ...... just bullied, but bullied a lot.

“Uu......”

“I was wrong, sorry.... So? Why are you looking for a place to sleep first?　　There are more things you need than that.”

For example, shoes.

I was barefoot, but Assimar was barefoot, too.

In my case, I bought it, but I lost it the other day when a monster killed me. Damn those Kobolds.

For example, clothes.

The cost of lodging is 20 coppers, but for 30 coppers you can buy a common shirt, a cheap piece of clothing. I felt like a beggar because of the rags I was wearing. I can’t speak for others, either.

For example, food.

I’ve been hearing my stomach growl since a while ago. How’s it for a girl?

“I mean, if we don’t have a base, if we die, that’s the end of the day.”

“Ah ... well, that’s right.”

It’s a world where you can die and be resurrected at your base two hours later.

However, without a base, there is no place to revive, so you are forced back to reality.

In order to return to Arcadia the next day or the day after, you must go to the city hall in reality and follow the proper procedures to apply for retransfer.

That way you can come back to life with 1 silver ......100 copper in place.

Fortunately, I haven’t experienced this yet, but I heard that the procedure is tedious and takes about two weeks.

“I’m finally old enough to join Arcadia, and I don’t want to be stuck here for two weeks. ......!”

“I see ......” I say with a sigh.

20 coppers per night.

It’s not an amount I can’t afford to pay for this girl who is my classmate.

But there is no reason to pay for a mere classmate.

“I’ll ask you something. What are you going to do if you can stay at this inn?”

“Well, as soon as the base registration is completed, I will go to collect! And I will earn more than 20 copper and return it to Fujima-kun.”

“Hey, wait, don’t just assume I’m going to lend it to you.”

“Ah ...! I’ve come up with a good idea!”

“Good idea?..... Oh, that’s okay.  You don’t have to tell me” 

“You’re staying at this inn, aren’t you? Can I sleep on the floor in your room?”

“I told you not to tell me......”

As I imagined, it was a stupid idea.

“Rejected. A base is usually set up in a sleeping area, so a floor isn’t a base.”

“Then, could you lend me your bed for a moment? I’m fine with the floor, as long I register it as a base.”

"Oh, what if I die then? Basically, one bed is one base."

“Uu...... then......Uu......”

Apparently, she had run out of ideas.

“Oh, you guys are still at it?”

The dazed-looking proprietress appeared with a broom.

“I’ve been thinking about giving you a double room.　　It’s only thirty coppers for the two of you, and you’ll have your own bed, storage box, and status monolith in your room. ...... Oh, there’s a large room with a workbench available right now.”

No, no,. ............ Hmm?

“It has a workbench?”

“Yes. You can do low-rank blending, processing, alchemy, and enchanting.”

“ Fujima kun, the workbench!　　Isn’t this the only way to go?”

Ashima is loud.

...... Be that as it may, I appreciate the workbench.

Epee grass is 5-coppers.

Life herbs can be sold for 7 coppers.

The two together make twelve capsules, but if you use the workbench to “mix” the two together, they become “medicinal herbs”.

According to the unreliable wiki, the sale price of the herbs is 14 to 17 coppers, which is a profit of 2 to 5 coppers per set.

With the access to use the workbench and the Assimilator ......, 10 coppers a day is not a bad deal.

"Hey, Ashigara-yama" {TN: Yama means mountain}

“Yes, sir! er, rather you also called me something different earlier but now it’s yama!?”

Does this girl really  know her position?

“You got any unique skills?”

“It’s called Atelier de Lumière, and it’s a skill that makes you good at gathering, producing, blending and alchemy. I’m also good at increasing the effectiveness of items, and unlocking the crates that appear after defeating ...... monsters. And then there’s ...... Yes, the rewards!　　The rewards for killing monsters will increase!”

“Okay, then I’ll hire you for a week.”

When I said that, I had a devilish expression on my face.

“Are you sure?”.

“Just so you know, I’m not letting you live here for free. You’ll have to work hard.”

“Yes, sir!”

And so began my shared life with Ashima..... Ashigara Yamashiko.

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