I've been friends with Fujiyan for about a year.

　We happened to be seated near each other in class and got to know each other well when we started talking about video games.
　I like RPG games and Fujiyan likes bishojo games.
　We liked different genres of games, but we continued our friendship by lending and borrowing the games we liked.

　Nine months have passed since Fujiyan and I parted ways at the Water Temple.
　He now has his own store.
　It's an amazingly fast rise in popularity.

　We're in high school........

　We're high school students.... Among our classmates is a classmate of the Brave Man of Light who has risen to the rank of Knight Commander in the Land of the Sun (Highland), but he's too special.
　He's too exceptional.
　No, maybe all of his classmates are having great success as well.
　Maybe I'm the only one who's been left behind, taking it easy....
　I'm a little depressed.
　I've arrived at my destination.

Fujiwara Store.

　There's a big sign.
　This is it.

(I hope Fujiyan's personality hasn't changed.)

　I've been training as a magician and adventurer in the temple for the past year.
　As an otherworlder, I'm exempt from scholarships, so, to put it bluntly, I'm lukewarm and protected by the state.
　He is a state NEET.

　By comparison, Fujiyan is a minor in Japan, even though he has useful skills.
　That's how he got into the Chamber of Commerce Guild and ended up owning a shop within nine months.
　There must have been a lot going on.
　Will the conversation with me, who has been holed up in the temple for a year, really fit in?
　I'm worried.

"I'm sorry to trouble you...
　I walk slowly into the store in a whisper.

'Welcome to the store.'
　I was greeted by a female clerk.
　I turned to her.

(The rabbit-eared clerk!

　I was greeted by a brown, habit-haired, petite rabbit beast of a clerk.
　Her eyes were lovely with their fluttering eyes.

'Are you an adventurer, sir? I have some great items here.
　He smiles at you.
　A bit of an accent, though.
　The shopkeeper with animal ears.
　Fujiyan's taste is in full swing.

Well, is Fujiwara-san, the owner, there?
So you're a merchant. I'd like to see him first.
　His tone changed.

''No, not really. I'm a friend of Mr. Fujiwara's, but...''
　The clerk's eyes became sharp as he looked at me.

'A friend of your master, sir. May I ask your name?
This is Takatsuki Makoto.
Are you from another world?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, I am.
Be right back!　I'll be right back!

　He disappears into the back of the store with great speed and returns with a small tool.
　It was about the size of a cigarette and had a couple of buttons on it, which the clerk pressed.
　Then he put the tool to his mouth.

'Master!　Master!　Takatsuki-sama is here!
What?　Is he there!?
　I heard a familiar voice.

'Come in, Takatsuki Sama.'
　The clerk hands me a tool that looks like a communication device.

'Hello, Fujiyan?'
'Whoa!　You call me that!　That voice is unmistakably Lord Tuckey!
'It's been a while. I'm in town in McAllen and I'm here to see you.
We've been waiting for you.　I'd like to come back right away, but I've got a business meeting coming up, so would you mind meeting me at 6pm at my shop?
Yeah, sure. Then I'll see you later.
　I handed the tools to the clerk and told him I'd be back later.

(Fujiyan, you haven't changed.)

　With that feeling, I think I can handle the same old treatment.
　I was relieved.

　Since there are still a few more hours before the appointment with Fujiyan, I decided to explore the outside of the city.
　From what the shopkeeper told me, the forest to the north of the city is home to weak demons such as the Great Mouse.
　I want to try out the dagger that the Goddess gave me.



　◇



This is great.

　I stalled the big mouse with the Water Magic Ice Arrow and put a stop to it with the dagger.
　Almost, it's not formidable.
　It's like cutting through cloth, the blade goes right through.

"You got a good weapon.
　Let's thank the Goddess.

Thank you, Goddess.
　I clasped my hands together, Japanese style, and prayed.

(Right? You should be grateful.
　I thought I heard the goddess's voice.
　I could picture the Goddess with her chest out and her smug face in my mind.

　I skinned the big rat and went to sell it to the tool shop.
　I heard that the Adventurer's Guild also buys them, but I wanted to look around at things since it was a good time.

''It's 3,000g.''
　I exchanged it for three large rat skins.
　With the money, I buy the dagger scabbard given to me by the Goddess.

　The center of the city is crowded with grocery stores, clothing stores, weapon stores, and tool stores.
　There was even a pet shop for errand boys.
　Outside of the shopping street-like main street, it becomes a dining area lined with eateries and bars.
　The further back is lined with innkeepers, and if you go to the far end, there is a brothel lined with questionable shops.
　I don't have any money, though, so I don't have anything to do with it.

　I was most interested in looking around some of the weapon shops.
　My target was a magical sword.
　I have the aptitude for 'wizardry', but I don't have the muscle power to be a swordsman.
　That's why I can't wield a sword properly.

　However, I hear that there are holy swords and magic swords in the world that can make people of any profession become masters.
　I want to find such magical swords eventually.
　While I was looking at the products, I had the Goddess' dagger appraised.

''Customer, where did you get this dagger?''
'Well, a friend of mine gave it to me. I'm told it's valuable.
It's definitely a karma with a number of magical effects. Without examining it properly, I can't know the details. By the way, do you plan to sell it?

　It's outrageous to sell it!

　The owner of the weapon shop seemed to be aiming for it, so I hurriedly asked him to return it to me.
　Inside the shop, I look around to see if there are any magic swords.
　There were several other adventurer-like people in the store.

''Jean, you don't need that expensive sword yet.
Even so. If you want to defeat a powerful demon, the sword you have now is just too sharp.
　And there was a warrior-looking guy and a girl who looked like a monk having this conversation.
　The rear end.

'Hey, you should buy my equipment once in a while.
Well, let's give up the weapons this time and get some new clothes for Emily.
Yay, that's great!
　There's a girl entangled in a guy's arms.
　Explode.

　As I did so, I wandered around and it was time for my appointment.
　Right on time, I walked over to Fujiyan's and saw a familiar, well-dressed man hanging around.
　I hadn't seen him in nine months.

"Fujiyan," he called out.
'Tacky-dono!'
　He dosses and calls.

'It's been a while!'
You look good.
Come on, he's reserving the shop. Let's go!

　The place was a quiet, secluded-looking restaurant on a back street, one street away from a street full of restaurants.
　You know what a stylish place it is, don't you?
　It seemed to be Fujiyan's favorite restaurant, and we were shown into a private room in the back.

Cheers!

　With a thud, he hits his glass.
　Fujiyan is drinking an ale.
　I had a fruit cocktail.
　It was the first time for me to drink alcohol in a restaurant.
　In this country, drinking is allowed from the age of 13, so it's not illegal.

What do you think?
It's like a juice.
Would you like some ale?
'I don't care for ale. I used to drink it in the temple and it was bitter and disgusting.
You'll taste it one of these days.
I'm not so sure.
　While we were having these conversations, dish after dish was brought to us.
　Thick steaks, fried shrimp, sashimi of freshwater fish, pasta with lots of cheese, and soup with many ingredients.

Delicious!
Oh, I hope you like it.
It's great. It's a far cry from the thin temple food.
That wasn't very nice.
　For a while, I was tucking into my food.

But I was worried for you, as we hadn't heard from you in a year.
'I was left until the last minute of the otherworldly protection. I was the last man standing. I wasn't invited to any parties.
Is that so?
　Fujiyan gives me a sorry look.

　So I grin at him.
'But yesterday I went solo and saved a man from being attacked by a bunch of goblins.
'What?　Normally, it's said that it's usually 'Intermediate Wizard' or 'Intermediate Swordsman' who can take down a group of goblins by themselves. It must have been dangerous.
I don't know. I'm not sure. It wasn't too bad, using the skills I had on hand.
　I told him about the reception that the Goddess told me yesterday.
　Hoho,'' Fujiyan said as he listened with admiration.

''I've successfully completed my registration at the Adventurer's Guild. I'll work hard slowly from Stone Rank.''
An adventurer. I can't do it, but I do admire it.
Fujiyan is a very successful businessman.
'No, no, I'm not there yet. We had to borrow money when we built the store.
They've got bunny ears. That sounds like fun.
Whoa!
　Fujiyan blew out an ale.

'Come to think of it, you met our clerk, didn't you?
That was cute. Clerk.
Well, it's not like I picked you for a face, is it?
'It was Fujiyan's dream, wasn't it? To be able to hire a cute bunny-eared girl like that, you're a winner!
''That shopkeeper is a shopkeeper I met in the Land of Fire and hired as a bouncer. He's still a Silver-ranked adventurer.
Yeah. You don't look that strong. Not only are you pretty, but you're a top-notch adventurer.
Well, it was expensive....
What?
　Was it expensive?
　Fujiyan, what are you talking about?

"Forget about it.
No, no, no, you can't. What do you mean it's expensive?
I mean, he was a slave. He was a slave.
Ugh, wow.
　Fujiyan had bought a s*x slave!

I'm not a s*x slave!
　He talks back to me as if he's read my mind.

'She's only a business associate, you know. And I pay her a salary.
Really? So you're hiring Fujiyan.
Yes.
　That's great.
　After all, he's been through some rough waters as a working man.
　You can see that he has a lot of experience.

　Speaking of experience, let me ask you one thing that's on my mind.
　Now that we've had a few drinks, it's time to get down to business.

"Fujiyan, you're still a virgin, right?
　boohoo!
　Fujiyan blew out the ale he had been drinking again.
'Nah, what are you asking all of a sudden?'

　If you're a virgin until you're 30, you can be a wizard.
　There is an urban legend that says.

　In class, we're a virgin alliance!　I'm going to be a wizard.　We used to say to each other.
　I remember Mr. Sasaki giving me a cold look, saying, "You're not stupid.
　It's nostalgic.
　We've kept our promise, haven't we?

Fujiyama?
　Fujiyan looks away awkwardly.
　Well, no way.........

''Merchants have a lot of relationships, you know........ I've been entertained in those kinds of shops.
　Yep, just like that.
　It reminds me of the dodgy shop I just explored the city in.

"I have lost my license as a wizard.
Ugh, he's a traitor!
　I asked for the highest alcoholic fire liquor in the store, tried to drink it down and spit it out.
　My throat is hot!
　What the hell!
　It's not poison.

Oh, calm down, sir. Mister Tuckey.
'I'm calm. I'm always cool with my 'clear water' skills.
You don't look like that at all.
'But if you think about it, I was a virgin and I became a wizard, and Fujiyan, who lost his virginity, couldn't become a wizard. So that means I win.
That's not a good theory.

　I know.
　And I feel tremendously defeated.
　Let's stop talking about this topic.
　But while we haven't seen each other for a while, my friend has been climbing the stairs of adulthood....

''By the way, what did you do after you left the temple, Fujiyan?
　He seems to have been a successful merchant, no doubt, but I wanted to ask him for details.

'Oh, listen to me. I started out as a member of an organization called Franz & Co.
　The Franz Chamber of Commerce is the largest chamber of commerce on the continent.
　I heard a story about a scout from there during the Water Temple era.

''In the beginning, we were constantly being forced to use 'storage magic and super grade' to carry our belongings every day.
　Fujiyan talks about it nostalgically, but isn't that pretty hard?

"Some days, we stock up on weapons and ship them to the Land of Fire. Sometimes I stocked up on ore and metal and went to the Land of Earth to sell it. At other times, I bought a large amount of clothes from the Land of Wood and delivered them to the Land of the Sun. I didn't have much time off, and I didn't have much time to sleep at that time.
I'm sorry you had to go through that.
　So, Fujiyan grinned.

''However, I did have an 'appraisal and super grade'
　He went to various countries and found bargains at local bazaars and other places and sold them to other countries to make money.

After that, I found someone in the Chamber of Commerce who I could trust and he helped me become independent. I still can't thank him enough.
　Great.
　What a power of action and communication.
　I'll never be able to do that.

I mean, how can you make someone you can trust in a short period of time?
　No one was going to take advantage of someone like me who only had weak skills.
　On the contrary, for someone with useful skills like Fujiyan, there would likely be people approaching me who would be willing to use them.

''Actually.........''
　Fujiyan comes over to me with a hushed voice.

'Do you remember my skills, Tacky-dono?
''Let's see, 'Storage Magic,' 'Appraisal Skills' ... and then there's 'Garage Player,' right?
Yeah, that last one's a problem.
　I remember it was a skill that I remember being able to record conversations.

Once I became proficient in the skill, I was able to read their minds...
Yeah.
　Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

"You're just like a goddess.
'What?　What did you just say?
I'll tell you later. So, do you think he's still reading my mind, too?
'I can't help but wonder what Lord Tuckey said.... Let me explain my skills to you.

　Simply put, the skill in Galgeplayer is an unusual skill that originally allowed you to read the content of your conversation partner, even in text.
　When you talk to someone, a message window appears that only you can see, and the conversation flows in text.
　This is a system often seen in adventure games.
　It's just like Fujiyan, who loves gyaru-game.
　Incidentally, the text is in Japanese.

　At first, he didn't find it that useful, but he says it was useful because he didn't have to take notes when talking to people and places as a merchant.
　Also, people around him were impressed with him as someone with a very good memory.

'You're actually just searching through your conversation logs.
　Fujiyan said with a laugh.

'It was about six months ago that I noticed the discomfort, wasn't it?
　The skill used to be that the other person's conversation was just a texting skill, but now they can text to your heart with brackets.

'Hello, Fujiwara-san. You're making a lot of money today.
d*mn, you otherworldly rich bastard.

　They said it was like this.

'That's great. That's a cheat.
'Yes, well. Yeah, well.
　This skill has allowed him to find people who are saying bad things about him behind his back or who are holding a grudge against him.
　And it's also very helpful in finding your own allies.
　That's true, isn't it?

I just didn't feel comfortable inside.
　He had never told anyone that he had gained this ability.

'Are you sure you should have told me?'
'I didn't have anyone else to tell you, you know. Also, if you don't tell me first, you won't be able to tell me later.
　I said with a bitter smile.
　Indeed, it would be too awkward to be told later that I can actually read your mind.

''Wouldn't you like to draw on my abilities, Tacky-dono...?
　Fujiyan asks him timidly

'You're only the second person I know who can read minds. Oh, well, that's okay.
That's it. That's it!　I wonder what a goddess is!

　Fujiyan gasps.
　Well, it's nothing to hide.
　He can read your mind, anyway.

"Actually, last night...
　In my dream, I told him that I became a follower of the Goddess.
I show him the Soul Book.

"Hmmm, it does say 'Goddess's Attendants', but it's odd that it doesn't have a name.
'Yeah, I know. And this won't help me gain any followers.
Is that goddess okay?

　Fujiyan looks worried.
　It's like a friend you haven't seen in a while has joined a dubious religion.
　Yeah, I'm worried about that.

"Speaking of which, the goddess who became a believer gave me a dagger. Fujiyan, I wonder if you could evaluate it.
Ho!　Dagger of the Goddess!　It looks great. By all means, let me see it.

(Oh, wait, d*mn.)

　I heard a voice in my head.
　What is it?

Fujian, I've got something for you.
'Whoa!　Simple but beautiful decoration. At first glance it looks like mithril, but it's a metal I've never seen before. Clearly a rare material with magical powers!　This is quite an achievement!
It looks like she has some sort of anti-appraisal spell going on.
No, no, no!　My appraisal skills have been trained and honed!

　It's going to be fun!

　Fujiyan is looking at the knife, excitedly.
　He looked at it for a while, snorting, but after a while, he froze fast.
　He suddenly stopped saying anything and was staring at the dagger.
　Fujiyan's eyes, always smiling, are wide open.
　It's a bit scary.

''Fujiyan?　What's going on?
Mm-hmm. Mister Tuckey. You said this dagger was given to you by a goddess?
Yeah, I know.
　What is it?
　What was the result of that appraisal?

Fujiyama?　I'd like to know the outcome.
　With a very uncomfortable look on his face, Fujiyan opened his mouth.

''Tacky-dono's dagger. ''It's been appraised as the 'Evil God Noah's Dagger'.......''
....


　Apparently, I've become a believer in the evil gods.