It's been two weeks since he started living in the other world.
　As Xellos began to get used to this environment, he noticed a problem.

　He hadn't seen the city yet, and at the same time he didn't have the currency of this world.
　He usually worked as Celestina's tutor and at the farm in the mansion, and when he had free time, he would read books in the library, scouring for knowledge, and occasionally cross swords with knights.

　How can I live in this world if I don't know how the people of this world live?
　As if he had come to an enlightenment like some powerful man, he decided to go to the city.

　He was dressed in a gray robe with two swords on his hips and a hood over his head. 　
　His shaggy, carelessly grown hair was hidden by the hood, and his haphazardly shaved beard emphasized his stench.
　To put it bluntly, he looked like a suspicious person. It would have been a little better if he had dressed up, but the result of his long bachelor life was that he was too lazy to do anything troublesome.
　More than anything else, he likes this stinky atmosphere, so he rarely dresses himself up.
　At most, he would dress up for weddings and funerals.

　He opened the door of the house and stepped out.

"Now then, shall we go?

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I'm here.
　After greeting the occasional servant, he walked out the front gate.

　Half an hour after leaving the residence of the Grand Duchess of Solistea, he finally found himself in a corner of the city.
　The city was surrounded by a vast forest with a wall, and behind it rose a sheer rocky mountain, making it a fortress that could never be invaded by outside forces.
　Beside the forest, there is a commercial district, from which you can go to the industrial district and the residential core where ordinary people live.
　Because the city was built on a mountainside, there are many hills, and a huge barrier wall was built in front of the city using the cliffs, and a transportation road was dug out to allow merchants to pass by ship.

　Naturally, with so many people coming and going, the city has a mercenary guild and a thriving business that takes on escort requests.
　Traveling is always dangerous, and criminals such as bandits and thieves sometimes appear on the roads and river brigands on the rivers.
　As long as the Knights have limited manpower, they can offer bounties to mercenaries and establish a social system to crack down on such criminals.

　The city is safe, but once you step outside, it is a dangerous zone with many dangers.
　Therefore, this peace seems like an illusion that is easily broken.

The first thing to do is to go to the grimoire store. We need to sell the magic stones to get the money.

　For the time being, I've been given a map, but it's a rough one and doesn't show the detailed locations of the stores.
　Fortunately, this town was built with efficiency in mind when it was first settled, so the streets are perfectly clear and easy to follow.
　The problem is the invisible pathways between buildings, which are usually filled with ruffians who drag residents and merchants into their homes and rob them of their money.

"There are hoodlums in every world...

　Having received information from the servants of the house, he decided to avoid going to dangerous places in advance.
　No one wants to get into trouble.

　Xelloss walked lightly towards the magic tool store.
　He was filled with a sense of adventure, as if he were a child again.
　.
　.
　.
　.
"Is this ......?　It's... it's... it's ・・・・・・.

　It's a good thing that the store is located in a corner or an arrow in the commercial district, or better said, near the industrial district.
　This is because it is not difficult to bring in materials, and most importantly, it is on a prominent road.

And the store stands out, too: ......

　The store, dyed all in black, is reminiscent of a shady mansion that defies the atmosphere of the city.
　If I had to guess, I'd say it was the kind of shady place where a witch might come out of the door.
　The impact of the shop was so extreme that it left me speechless.

"There's a live head ...... doll on the eaves of the store, are you trying to attract customers?

　There was also a doll of a girl crucified with nails, and a skull inside the window.
　The head of a goat with its eyes popping out of its head on the entrance door was so strong that it was almost too creepy.
　It doesn't look like the kind of place that would do business with customers.

　---Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

　The doorbell was a scream as I went through the door.
　Something's wrong.

"Welcome!

　The clerk was a woman in glasses dressed as a witch, and she greeted me with a cheerful tone that I wouldn't expect from the clerk of a very scary store.
　Surprisingly, the inside of the shop is quite normal, with a number of magic tools neatly displayed in cases all over the place.
　For a moment, I almost fell into a maze of thoughts, wondering what the store's exterior meant.

"Can I buy magic stones?
"Demon stones, huh?　How much are they?
"Two hundred goblins, fifty high goblins, fifteen goblin mages, one goblin king.
・・・・・・・・・ Are you insane?　There's too many of them!
I'm perfectly sane.　This is it.

　The witch clerk in front of me took out a loupe and began to appraise the magic stones, which I had stored in a leather bag.
　While she was examining each item carefully, I was looking at the magic tools in my spare time, but none of them seemed to be very good.
　I was a little disappointed, thinking that I would be better off making them myself.

　After all, he was counted as one of the strongest annihilators in the game, but he was also a former production worker and creator of many magic tools.
　I tried to appraise them, but all of them were auxiliary items that slightly improved some of my physical abilities or supplemented my magical power in a minor way.
　These items are consumables, and will quickly become useless once the magic power of the magic stone is depleted.
　They do not have any magic formula engraved inside them, and they are not processed in such a way that the magic power will not be depleted permanently.
　I was confident that I could make a much better product by myself if I were to buy it from this store.

"・・・・・・ Customer. Where did you steal this magic stone from?
"You're being rude, of course I hunted it down myself!

　That's a terrible accusation.
　No matter what, Xelloss tends to revert to his youthful tone when he gets emotional.
　In fact, he is using a different tone of voice than usual.



It's a lie!　There's no way a half-wit mage in gray robes can make it back from the Great Dark Green Zone of Furan alive. Come on, spit it out!　Where did you steal that from?
I've heard that this store is a hit, but it looks like it's not a good one.
　I don't want to buy anything from you. I will absolutely refuse to do business with this store in the future.
"Oh, no?　You're not a mage from another country, are you?
I've been in this city for a week now, and I've been taking care of you at the lord's mansion.　I'd like to report that I was treated unfairly?

　The female clerk's face instantly paled.

"What ・・・・?　You're employed at Master Creston's estate?
Yes, I met him by chance during my travels, and he was kind enough to let me take advantage of his hospitality.
Seriously?
Then why don't you check it out ...... and see what you're responsible for when the truth comes out?
No, that's a lie!　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　It's amazing that he still has the guts to persist.
　But that doesn't necessarily mean it will bear fruit.

So, why don't you check it out?　The result is all that matters, and I don't care what happens to you depending on the result.
　You already have an unpleasant feeling about this store, that's all.
　You treat people like thieves based on your own preconceived notions, and the consequences are your own problem. I have nothing to do with it.

　The female clerk began to tremble as Xelloss spoke calmly and matter-of-factly.
　She knew that Xelloss had a fishy appearance, but the only way to find out that he was under the care of the Grand Dukes of Solstice was for her to confirm the truth directly with the Grand Dukes of Solstice.
　But in order to find out the truth, she would have to contact the dukes, and if it turned out to be true, she would have insulted their guest.
　If you're not careful, you could be imprisoned for life or even executed.
　It's a complete dead end.

"What's with the noise? ....... What are you doing screaming while people are working?
Manager?
Cootie, are you ...... treating your customers like thieves again?　I wish you'd stop bringing your mystery novels to life.

　It seems that the woman who came out of the back is not a prostitute ...... but the manager of this store.
　The woman in the vermilion dress that boldly shows her breasts does not look like a mage.
　At best, she was bewitching, at worst, she was disheveled in a different direction than Xellos.

But it's a gray robe.　You say you brought back a magic stone from the Great Dark Green Zone of Fafran?
"Huh?　...... Cootie, that story ...... is probably true.
Huh?
You're making a mess of your appearance, but that robe ...... is outrageous. It's not the stuff of ordinary demons. ......
You shouldn't ask what kind of demon it is.　It could make you question your sanity.
Yeah. It's probably a behemoth. ...... I've never seen a legendary material product before.

　For a moment, the air froze.

"What, what, what?
"What are you talking about?　It's just a dirty robe.
I'll just leave it at that. I don't want to die yet either. ......
That's wise. There's nothing more unpleasant than having someone prying into your life.
I agree.

　Cootie is still in a state of confusion.
　The only people who have Behemoth material equipment are the heroes of legend.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

So, I'm going to buy the magic stone, but I'm going to add a little color to it because my shopkeeper was rude. How about it?　Will you make a deal with me?
But first, can you really afford to have such a rude person working in your store?　It's bad for the store's reputation.
That's what's bothering me, too. No matter how many times I warn him, he doesn't want to fix it. ......
Why don't you just fire him?
Why would any curious shopkeeper come to a place that looks like this?　They're valuable.
Were you aware of that? ......

　I was about to say, "If that's the case, why don't you do something about the appearance of the store?" But it seems that the appearance of the store is the result of the manager's hobby, and he has no intention of fixing it.
　The shopkeeper, Cootie, was muttering, "This is ...... such and such..." as if he was moaning.
　The shopkeeper was the manager and the clerk was the clerk.

It's okay. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one.
I'm really sorry to ...... have rudely interrupted you. Give me a minute, I'll get you the money right away. ...... Cootie, how long are you going to be depressed?　Get to work!


"Yes, yes... ------------- I'm sorry.　

　Cootie hurriedly retreated to the back of the store, and a few moments later, he heard a voice counting.
　He was probably frantically counting the price he was going to pay.
　The store left me feeling a little uneasy.

It's a good magic stone. It will inspire your creativity.
That's great. It's a coincidence, but it's worth it.
You're a mage, aren't you?　You're a mage, aren't you making magic tools?
I'll make one if I have to, but right now I'm a tenant in a mansion. When I get a house with a farm, I might be able to spend the rest of my life creating. It's just a hobby.
"Well, I'm glad we're not going to be business rivals.

　She exhaled a sigh with a strangely s*xy, languid expression, as if she was seriously relieved.
　This woman seemed to be a much better mage than she looked.

The tally is done~. This is the price of the magic stone.
"How much?
"Well, it's ......28.7 million gol.

　That's a lot of money.

That sounds like an awful lot. ......
I told you.　I'm sure you've heard of it. Most of it is the price of the Goblin King's magic stone. I never thought I'd be able to get my hands on such a large demon stone.

　The manager of the store is holding a large magic stone in her hand and her cheeks are stained with envy.
　Xellos sensed that something was wrong.

I'll take my leave now. I'll bring it to you when I get another good magic stone.
Please do. I'm Belladonna, the manager of the store, and I'm a mage of some renown in the field of magic tools.
My name is Xellos. I'll be back when I'm ready.
Thank you for your time. ・・・・・・

　As soon as Xelloss leaves the store, Belladonna lets out a big sigh and glares at Cootie.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.　Manager...
I'm not sure what to say.　I'm not sure what to make of it.
Yes, ～～～～～～～～?
It sent chills down my spine the first time I saw it!　That's the kind of person you don't want to make enemies with.　He's a very skilled man. ......
"But he had gray robes.　You're a low-level mage, right?
That's in this country!　The world is a big place. ...... Behemoth leather can't be dyed gray. And by deliberately staining it, you're deceiving yourself by lowering the value of your appearance.

　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.
　In the event that you've got a lot more than one, you'll be able to get a lot more.
　Perhaps it is the skill of [detecting magic power]. And he responded to the huge concentration of magic power by stifling his astonishment to the point of choking.
　With an overwhelming sense of defeat that said, "You can never win.


"Is it really that great?
I could kill you with one breath. ....... I don't want to see you again, if I can help it. ......
Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God!
It's too late to be afraid now. If it was a battlefield, you'd already be a corpse, wouldn't you?

　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

I'm not sure how the old ...... duke got acquainted with that guy, but it ...... shortened my life.

　And she also swears at old Creston, whom she knows.


　I'm not sure what to say.　


　In the event that you've got a lot of money to spend, you're going to want to make sure that you've got it.
　You can live for a month with about 100 gol.
　I wondered if this would be enough to live on, but apparently the prices were the same as in pre-war Japan, and food was especially cheap.
　Instead, metals were expensive, and iron seemed to be traded at a reasonable price.

　This is because many of the places where rare metals can be mined are actually inhabited by demons, and it is impossible to get enough of them without risking a lot.
　For this reason alone, they send escort requests to the mercenary guild, and after defeating the demons, they move on to mining after ensuring their safety.
　As a result, the price index of metals tends to rise. In addition, since the number of mines is limited, the price of metals, including shipping costs, is only going to increase.

　Of course, the price of potter's stone, which is necessary to make pottery, is not as high as that of metals, but it is still very expensive, and the price of tableware has also risen. Therefore, wooden tableware is the norm for ordinary citizens.


　Every country struggles to acquire these mineral resources, and the merchant guilds are in charge of balancing the sales of these resources so that they are distributed evenly among the countries.
　However, there are a few countries that have their own mines, and these countries tend to be short of food, salt, and other seasonings.
　For the commercial guilds that are responsible for the distribution of these goods, war and banditry are problems that they would like to avoid.

　War is certainly profitable, but only for a few merchants, and it is seen as a bad practice that greatly reduces the number of towns and ninja foot soldiers, and the nobles and merchants who encourage it are thoroughly disliked.
　Even so, war would only be possible after a long period of planning, building a foundation that would allow them to provide their own food and other necessities, and collecting weapons little by little.
　Of course, that is not always enough to win a war, so the surrounding nations have been engaged in a fierce information war for a short period of time.

　At the moment, there is no sign of war, but it seems that civil war due to family disturbances is more serious, and in fact, skirmishes have begun within several countries.

This is a very depressing story. Is this country going to be okay?
"Well, hey~?　The royal line of succession seems to be intact. ......
The Order of Knights and the Order of Magicians?　I heard that they don't get along well, especially the higher-ups.
Apparently. I hope they don't stage a coup within the military.
Not at all. I'd like to live in peace.

　I listened to the situation in the country while chatting with a merchant who was slowly opening a stall.
　Information is necessary for deciding one's future, and even a small lack of information can lead to a matter of life and death.
　The slightest carelessness could lead to something terrible.

By the way, aren't you going to buy some of our skewers?
"What kind of meat is it?　What kind of meat is that? It smells really good.
It's wild Holstein. I got it on a spree the other day.
I've heard the milk from the ...... thing is excellent, but the meat?
I can eat the same cow, Murder Buffalo, so I should be able to eat Holstein.

　I bought a skewer and put it in my mouth.
　As soon as your teeth bite into the meat, the juices come pouring out, and the spice and fruit sauce enhances the flavor many times over.

This is ...... a jewel box of gravy!

　It was so good that I felt like some kind of comedian.

"Are you okay?　You...
No, it was so good that I promised to ....... I'll buy about 50 bottles.
You bought too many!

　In the end, I bought 50 skewers.
　After that, he bought some more foodstuffs and spices, and Xellos strolled around the city, humming to himself.
　And then he found himself lost.

　It was a place of old houses, with a lot of adults with dark expressions and sharp-eyed hoodlums who seemed to be coveting people.

A slum?　No, more like an old town.

　For a slum, the city is well maintained, but the security of the city itself seems to be poor.
　The people passing by look at Xelloss suspiciously, occasionally talk to the man sitting on the ground, and then disappear into the street.
　I have a feeling that this is going to cause some trouble, but I can't do anything about it without knowing where I am.
　After all, the map only shows a third of the city, so it's pointless to know where we are.

Let's just take a look around, shall we?

　After walking aimlessly, we came to a square with a fountain.
　There was no water running, and the fountain, which used to be full of water, was deserted.
　There were many unpopular houses, and the image of desolation was the complete opposite of the prosperity on the surface.

(Hmm~?　Two?　Or is it three?

　With the assassin's skill of detecting the presence of others, he sensed the presence of people following him.
　The tailing was so poor that even an amateur would have thought it was not that bad.
　If he were an adult, he would never have followed her so carelessly.

(That would be ...... a child?).

　Since it was such a desolate town, it was likely that there were vagrants, and if they were children, I wondered what they wanted.
　Xelloss casually took out a skewer from his bag and put it in his mouth.

"Ochan!
"Ochan......, at least say uncle...
They're both the same, old man.
Well, yes, but ...... something doesn't add up. ....... So, what can I do for you?
Meat!

　The red-headed child who had said it with such vigor and impunity.
　She looked like a girl, but her dirty appearance and cut skin made her look more like a boy.
　Her skin is tanned and healthy, but she looks thin.

"Is it meat?　Why?
Come on, you cheapskate!
No, I don't mind giving it to a stranger, but I don't want the parents to feel bad if they get a taste for it and start collecting it from other people.
"I don't have parents. The orphanage is where we'll live!
An orphanage?　Is there an orphanage in this place?
Yes.　My lord is paying for it.

　Apparently, there's an orphanage run by the lord.
　However, from the looks of it, it's not safe, and it's not an environment where you can raise children.
　It is likely that the security of this area will deteriorate further in the near future, as the worst possible criminals will be born.



Ummm... ...... How many children do you have?
Four, including me. The other one is too small to stay home.
You're little, too. ......
I'm 13 years old!　I'm 13 years old! I'm a grown man!
No way!

　You're too young.
　His growth is probably stagnant due to lack of nutrition.
　The sight of him living such a healthy life is enough to bring tears to the eyes, but Xellos holds back.

"But you know. I'm sure they'll be upset if we eat here.　It's an orphanage, aren't there adults here?

　It's fine to give them food, but what happens after that is the problem.

I'll bring it to the sisters, too.
...... I think she'd be offended. Hmm. ...... Okay, can you take me to the orphanage?
What?　Why?

　You're a little young to be thinking like a thirteen year old, and you sound frustrated.
　But Xelloss has his own point of view.

　If he gave them skewers of meat, would the sisters really listen to him if he said he got them? That's the question.
　If they thought that the children had stolen the meat, they would be deeply hurt.
　That's not a good way to wake up.

...... I'll explain it to them. And if you fall down with such a big bag, the skewer will be ruined.
If you fall on the ground, you'll be fine for about three seconds!
Yes, yes!　You worry too much, old man.
Our stomachs aren't that soft, are they?
You mean the three-second rule?　I didn't know that existed in this world!

　Those kids were tough.
　I'm curious about their eating habits.

It's better to go with them, considering the possibility that they might try to touch you before dinner. After all, this town doesn't seem very safe.
They're good people, aren't they?
Yeah, they're not very nice to strangers.
Sometimes they even share their vegetables with us.
You don't trust people, do you, old man?

　The children were too energetic.
　The kids were too energetic. Maybe this old town was more humane than they thought.
　He decided to accept that the reason he had looked at Xelloss so distantly was because he was an outsider.

Please take me to the orphanage. If you can explain it properly and accept it graciously, it can be your meal for the day.
「「「「 Yessir! 」」」」
"Where do you learn these words ......?

　Children learn strange words without even knowing it.
　Xellos vows to make sure his children are careful with their language when he gets married.

　Well, they'll probably still learn some strange words. .......
　Anyway, the children lead Xellos to the orphanage.

　He didn't know that this was going to be a long relationship with these children. .......


　The direction of the orphanage was not clear.

　
　The direction of the orphanage is where you can see the villa of the Grand Dukes of Solstair if you look carefully.
　The castle-like exterior of the villa, which was designed to have a psychological impact on the viewers because of its royal status, was clearly visible from the old town, and we were relieved that we could return home relatively easily, even though we had been lost.
　This meant that the orphanage was located far from both the new city and the old city, which was not a convenient location for raising children.

　To get to the city, we had to take the long way around, bypassing the old city and the new city, and to be honest, the old city, with its flattering security concerns, seemed dangerous.
　There were slavers that caught my eye when I was strolling around the city, and I knew that this world was in a political state where slavery was commonplace, and it would not be surprising if there were criminals like kidnappers.
　In that case, orphans would become commodities, and there would be a possibility that there would be people who would kidnap innocent children and sell them.

　Slavery is a prerequisite for adults and criminals who cannot work, but they can also be sold as prostitutes or slaves for s*xual gratification.
　The price is determined by gender and age, and there is a high possibility that it is traded behind the scenes, and at the same time, it is not policed but tolerated.
　At any rate, orphans are regarded as useless, and if they are not educated, they will soon turn into a criminal army.
　It costs a lot of money to educate them in an orphanage and send them out into the world, but if they are sold into slavery, it costs less money and effort.

It's a hard world to live in. ......

　Xellos sighs a little darkly.
　He is not a fan of the slave trade.
　In fact, I'd say he hates it.

"Hey, over there!

　In the direction the red-haired girl was pointing, there was a rather desolate church.
　Just when I thought this church might be an orphanage, I saw a well-dressed young man and a group of knights in front of its gates.

"They ...... are here again .......

　The girl's face clearly showed her displeasure.

Who are they?　They seem to be noblemen. ......
"The lord's son here, he's such a jerk...

Seriously?　Is this a template?　Is that a God thing?



　I can feel trouble brewing in the air.
　I'd like to avoid it if I can, but I don't want my kids to think I'm one of those adults.

(I just want to live peacefully and quietly. ......)

　(I just want to live a peaceful and quiet life. ) I let out a heavy sigh as if I had given up on life, as if I had gotten into some kind of trouble.
　On this day, he sadly realized that he was destined to get into trouble easily.