Chapter 42 Himezaki Rieslett ⑨
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I returned to the dormitory one last time. I folded my uniform and cloak, placed them neatly on the bed, and walked out. My outfit was back to what I’d worn when I first arrived in this world: knee-highs and leather shoes. If I had actually graduated, I could have kept everything but the cloak, but since I was dropping out ¹, I had to return the gear.
Well, the school shop sells the socks and shoes anyway, so they let me keep those. In a way, I was reverting to being a total shut-in.
Though, can you really call yourself a “shut-in” when you’re currently walking out into the world?
I made my way toward the school gates. It had only been a month, but so much had happened. There were fun times, sure, but only the bitter memories seemed to stick in my mind. I was just about to step through the gates when a voice called out.
”Himezaki-san! Wait! Wait up!”
Someone was trying to stop me. I turned around to see Professor Philneed running toward me. She was decked out in a classic witch’s outfit-a brimmed, jet-black pointed hat and a matching cloak. She was clutching a bag in her arms. Despite the sprint, she didn’t seem winded at all when she reached me.
”Oh, Professor. Um… I’m sorry I’m leaving so suddenly, for such selfish reasons,” I said.
”It can’t be helped,” Philneed replied. “But the kids in your class… they’re going to be lonely.”
”I’ll still be in this city for a while, so I’m sure we’ll run into each other again… well, except for one of them,” I said.
That “one” being Jessica, obviously.
”By the way, did you need something?” I asked.
”Oh, right, right. Here,” the Professor said, handing me the bag she’d been carrying.
”What’s in it?”
”Something usually given out at the graduation ceremony. Think of it as a special exception,” Philneed explained.
I pulled the item out. It was a black cloak tailored specifically for mages. The craftsmanship was different from the student version, and it felt like it had been enchanted with sorcery-damage reduction.
”Um, I’m a dropout. I didn’t graduate,” I said.
”That’s why it’s a ‘special’ exception. Tell me, how many elemental attributes have you learned?” Philneed asked.
”Let’s see… Water, Ice, Wind, and Lightning. Though I’ve only mastered the basic spells for each,” I replied.
”Mastering that many in a single month is unheard of. Normally, students are lucky to master two by the time they graduate,” the Professor said.
Apparently, my learning pace was freakish. Maybe it was some kind of Hero’s blessing.
”Besides, as long as you have that, you can still use the Academy’s facilities. Like the library,” Philneed added.
Okay, that was actually a huge plus.
”And take these, too,” Philneed said, handing me a small cloth pouch and a sealed piece of parchment. The pouch was surprisingly heavy for its size.
”You’ll need money to survive from here on out. There are thirty silver coins in there,” she said.
”Thirty silver coins?! I know I need the money, but I can’t take this much!” I protested.
”Just so you know, that’s not my money. It’s from the Board Chairman. He said it was an ‘apology.’ And the other paper is a letter of introduction, so you won’t have to worry about finding a place to sleep,” Philneed explained.
”An apology… but even so…”
I could guess what the apology was for. It was hush money-or rather, a settlement for what Jessica had done to me. I had a rough idea of the local economy and what that amount would be worth in yen. With thirty silver coins, I could live comfortably for half a year if I wasn’t reckless. It felt like too much for a kid to be carrying, but then I remembered-in this world, I was technically an adult.
I guess I might as well accept it.
Then there was the letter of introduction. I definitely needed a place to stay. It turned out to be for a very high-end inn-basically a hotel. And with the letter, the stay would be free.
”Still, it’s a shame. I was hoping you’d graduate and take over for me one day. You would have made a great teacher,” Philneed said wistfully.
”Ahaha… I don’t know about that,” I replied with a strained smile.
The idea of me being a teacher was impossible to imagine.
”Well, if you ever feel like it, you’re welcome back anytime. Or hey, do you want to be my apprentice?” she asked.
”Hmm. I’ll think about it,” I said.
”I see. Well, you can learn all sorts of magic that way, so I don’t think it would be a bad deal. Anyway, see you later,” Philneed said.
”Yes. Thank you for everything,” I said.
I gave a bow, turned on my heel, and left the Academy behind.
* * *
Thanks to the letter, I had a place to sleep, but I couldn’t just lounge around every day. To be honest, I really didn’t want to work.
I really didn’t want to work. I’d rather be a professional slacker.
It was important, so I made sure to remind myself twice. But even with thirty silver coins, a little luxury would make that money disappear in a heartbeat. I needed to start making a living as a Monster Hunter. And for that, I needed gear.
Armor, potions, and other consumables. My current setup was pathetic. I had no weapons, and my only defense was a mage’s cloak. I decided to use my current funds to see what I could find.
”Huh? Was this shop here before?” I muttered.
I’d explored this city plenty of times and knew the layout fairly well. I’d walked this specific street before, but I didn’t remember this place at all.
**General Store Dekoboko** ²
That was the name on the sign. It had the insignia of the Merchant Guild ³, so it was officially licensed. There were pictures drawn for people who couldn’t read, showing off what was for sale.
Being a general store, it didn’t have everything, but it seemed to carry armor, weapons, and essential items for hunters. There were even pictures of food, so they probably sold groceries too.
Well, might as well check it out. Since it was authorized by the Merchant Guild, it probably wasn’t a total scam, but if the quality was crap or the prices were a rip-off, I’d just turn around and walk right back out.
I pushed the door open, and a small bell chimed to announce my arrival.
The shop was reasonably spacious. On one side, a variety of fruits like apples, oranges, and mangoes were displayed alongside staples like potatoes, onions, and carrots. On the other side, hardware like kitchen knives, pots, and frying pans sat near an arsenal of weapons and armor-swords, spears, shields, and full suits of plate mail.
…What even is this shop?
”Welcome!” a girl’s voice rang out.
As soon as she spoke, the owner of the voice appeared. She was a tiny, adorable girl-barely hitting 140 centimeters tall. Wearing a light-blue apron dress, she had straight blonde hair that reached down to her waist and big, round blue eyes. Her lips were thin, set in a pleasant smile. To put it bluntly, she was the kind of girl who’d be a magnet for every lolicon on the planet.
”Are you shopping for something?” the girl asked. “Vegetables? Fruit?”
”Ah-not that side. I actually came to check out the weapons,” I replied.
”Oh, so it was that side! Please, please, stay and look as long as you like!”
She guided me over to where the weaponry was displayed.
I picked up a sword that had been shoved carelessly into a barrel. At a glance, it didn’t look like anything special, but it wasn’t a shoddy piece of junk either. It was just an extremely ordinary sword. Even when I used Appraisal⁴, the window simply read: Iron Sword +1.
…Plus one? Despite how it looks, is this actually a decent find?
I tried Appraisal on the other items. Most of the weapons and armor were labeled with a +1. The prices were… well, they were being sold at the standard market rate for ordinary gear.
This place might be a total goldmine.
But then, I saw something on the shelf with an even stronger presence. It had a “Not for Sale” tag attached. Even though Appraisal told me it was just a normal sword, I recognized that shape. I knew it from a game.
”The Sword of Er○…” I muttered.
It was that sword-the one equipped by the Hero in that famous, legendary RPG. Beside it was the massive, wide greatsword swung by the protagonist of the seventh entry in a certain series, and even the Gun○lade from the eighth. Naturally, the Gun○lade couldn’t be used like it was in the game, but the others seemed perfectly functional.
Though I doubt anyone could even lift that Bu○ter Sword; it was way too heavy.
”Hey, can I meet the person who made these?” I asked the girl.
”Um-that one’s not for sale, so I can’t sell it to you, you know?” the girl said.
”Ah, it’s not that I want to buy it or anything. I just really want to meet the smith. Is that okay?”
”Hmm… well, you don’t look like a bad person, so I guess it’s fine. Hey-! Ko-chan-! A customer wants to meet you!”
It seemed she was going to let me. Still, “Ko-chan,” huh? I figured they were probably a fellow “Visitor” like me, but I wondered if they were still just a kid.
”Mine personage has little desire to show his face, de-gozaru yo…”
A voice drifted from the back. At the very least, it wasn’t a child’s voice, but…
Soregashi? Gozaru? Why did that sound so familiar?
”But she’s a beautiful blonde lady!” the girl shouted back. “And she called that thing the ‘Sword of Er○’!”
”Nnh? A beautiful blonde who knows of that, de-gozaru ka? No, it couldn’t be… She wasn’t there during the Summoning, but… could it…?”
Yeah. I definitely knew that voice. I remembered that eccentric way of speaking all too well. After a moment of hesitation, the back door finally opened and a man stepped out. He was tall for a Japanese person but gaunt-skin and bones-wearing glasses. He looked like a character straight out of a game, and his face was one I knew instantly.
”I knew it,” I said.
”…Hm? Wait… H-Huh?! Reese-dono?! Is it truly you, Reese-dono, de-gozaru na!”
It was my old otaku friend, Tatei-kun-better known as Tate. We both broke into wide grins, reunited after so long.
”Man, I never dreamed I’d run into you in a place like this, de-gozaru! Or rather, is Reese-dono here the same way we are?” Tate asked.
”Yeah. Abducted by a self-proclaimed ‘Goddess.’ Since I was the only one missing from the group, I guess I got teleported somewhere else.”
”I see… No, it is a blessing you weren’t summoned with the rest of us, de-gozaru yo.”
”Is it? Anyway, where are Yokoo and Sasaki? You guys are together, right?”
When I asked about Yokoo-kun and Sasaki-kun, Tate’s expression darkened.
”Yokoo is out for a bit. He’ll be back soon, de-gozaru yo. As for Sasaki-dono… he is… dead, de-gozaru…”
”…………What?”
My smile froze solid.
What did Tate just say? Sasaki is… dead? It was a sick joke. But the way he bit his lip, the way his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists-he wasn’t joking.
”You’re lying… right? Tell me you’re lying… There’s no way Sasaki is dead!”
”Mine own heart wishes it were a lie, de-gozaru yo. But from everything I’ve heard, there is no other conclusion…”
According to Tate, during a practical combat exercise, they ran into a powerful enemy they couldn’t handle. Sugita-kun-no, that piece of trash Sugita-kicked Sasaki toward it, using him as a decoy to save himself. Sugita later claimed the monsters swarmed Sasaki instantly, making survival hopeless.
To make it worse, Sugita pinned the entire accident on Sasaki.
”What is wrong with him… That’s just too much…”
”That was the final straw for us. We turned our backs on them and came here, de-gozaru yo. I just never expected I’d find Reese-dono here too.”
”I guess… Yeah. That’s the only good thing to come of this. So, the two of you decided to start a business here?”
”Indeed, de-gozaru,” Tate replied with a nod.
Still…
”You’ve only been here three days and you have all this? It’s incredible. And the produce is so fresh… wait, I’ve never even seen mangoes in this world before.”
”Those are things we created or summoned using our Skills, de-gozaru yo.”
Apparently, Tate’s Unique Skill, Materialization Alchemy⁵, lets him craft anything he can imagine. Yokoo’s Unique Skill, Materialization Summoning⁶, also pulls items from his imagination. However, if the mental image is fuzzy, the result is shoddy, so it drains a massive amount of mental energy.
”Well, Yokoo and I are both used to it by now, de-gozaru yo,” Tate said.
”By the way… who’s the girl?” I asked.
”Alice, de-gozaru ka? She was also brought here by Yokoo’s Materialization Summoning.”
”Heh. So Yokoo is a lolicon after all. Which version is she? Wonderland?”
”Setting aside the ‘loli’ suspicions, she’s based on the ‘Red’ and ‘Black’ versions, de-gozaru. He designed her with that in mind, so she can do similar things. In terms of raw combat power, she’s stronger than Yokoo or me, de-gozaru yo.”
…So she was the Majin⁷ version.
—
Summary:
Rieslett officially leaves the Academy and says a quiet farewell to Professor Philneed. She receives a severance package of thirty silver coins and a high-end lodging recommendation. Determined to become a Monster Hunter, she discovers a mysterious new shop called ‘Dekoboko’ in the city.
Reese discovers a strange shop filled with both fresh produce and powerful gaming-inspired weapons. She reunites with her otaku friend Tate, only to learn the tragic news that their mutual friend Sasaki Natsu was sacrificed as a decoy by a classmate named Sugita.
—
Trivia:
- Rieslett is considered an adult in this world despite her ‘child’ appearance.
- She learned four magical attributes (Water, Ice, Wind, Lightning) in just one month.
- The cloak gifted to her grants sorcery-damage reduction and academy access.
- The thirty silver coins are technically compensation for the trouble Jessica caused
- The weapons in the shop have a ‘+1’ modifier visible via Appraisal.
- The shop contains replicas of the Sword of Erdrick, the Buster Sword, and a Gunblade.
- Alice is not a real human but a summoned entity based on video game characters.
- Tate and Yokoo abandoned their original group due to Sugita’s betrayal.
- The skills Materialization Alchemy and Summoning are limited by the clarity of the user’s imagination
—
Character Insight:
Rieslett struggles between her ‘hikikomori’ instincts and the practical need to work for survival. Her acceptance of the money shows a shift from her Japanese-rooted hesitation to a more pragmatic survivalist mindset.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Philneed – Female Homeroom teacher at Greedia Academy of Sorcery. Appears to be the same age as Rieslett despite being over forty.
• Jessica – A girl with a refined speech style and an intense, obsessive devotion to her sister. She has pink-blonde hair styled into vertical ringlets, green eyes, and short stature. AA chest.
• Reese – Jessica’s sister, currently asleep. Identified as a ‘beautiful blonde lady’ by Alice.
• Tatei – Tatei Kozoo. Height 186 cm, weight 52 kg. Natsumi’s otaku friend. Originally a tall and sturdy man, but he became skin and bones due to anorexia. Possesses the skill ‘Materialization Alchemy’. Created equipment for the class.
• Tate – Male Otaku friend of Reese. Gaunt and thin, wears glasses. Possesses Materialization Alchemy skill.
• Sasaki – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
• Yokoo – Natsumi Sasaki’s otaku friend. His appearance is based on ‘Yoko’ from ‘Comic Party.’ Possesses ‘Materialization Summoning’. Accompanied by a Living Armor.
• Sugita – The leader of the Sugita gang and the primary bully of Natsumi Sasaki. His grandfather is the Superintendent General and his father is a Police Superintendent, so the two of them covered up all his crimes. Because of this, he does whatever he wants wherever he goes.
• Alice – A small, adorable girl summoned by Yokoo. Based on the ‘Red’ and ‘Black’ Majin versions. Stronger than Tate or Yokoo. Celadon Rank Monster Hunter.
• Rieslett – A half-Japanese, half-Swedish girl with a youthful appearance. Often mistaken for her mother’s sister. A blonde or brunette girl. Currently wearing a black cloak over a white shirt, accented with a red ribbon tie. A navy-blue, knee-length pleated skirt, black knee-highs, and brown leather shoes.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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