Into the New World
The protagonist picked out his supplies with practiced ease. Rope, iron spikes, torches, chalk and a slate, a few daggers, medicinal herbs, and bandages. His choices were decisive and fluid. "Memorize this, so you can buy it yourself if you ever have to come alone later." After casting a glance around the shop, he continued, "It’s on the outskirts of the city, so it’s a bit of a walk, but at least there aren't many people. They supply the weapon shops in the city center, so there’s no difference in quality, and the owner is a former adventurer, so he stocks everything you might need."
"Don't try to butter me up with that feigned ignorance. I won't knock a single penny off the price for you."
"You heard that? I didn't even know you were there," the protagonist said with a grin.
"Didn't know I was there, my foot. Take it, kid." With those words, the dwarf handed over a staff. It was lighter than I had expected. I gave it a spin to check it, and noticed shallow grooves carved into it. Had he adjusted it to fit me? When I rested the tip on the ground, the other end reached exactly to my eye level. The tip was capped with iron, making a heavy clinking sound every time it struck the floor.
"Could you give it a light swing?"
"Pay first." The dwarf replied bluntly to the protagonist's request. Even so, he kept glancing my way, seemingly curious about my reaction. The gaze of that muscular man was quite burdensome.
After settling the bill, we followed the dwarf to a small clearing. In the middle of the bare, neatly weeded ground stood a tattered scarecrow.
"Let's start with thrusting. If something lunges at you, you stab it with the staff, and if it falls, you run for your life." The protagonist said this as he positioned himself behind me to correct my posture. "Lower your stance, and keep your dominant hand toward the back. That's it."
The staff I thrust forward hit the scarecrow with a sharp, satisfying *thwack*. The sensation vibrated through my hands.
"Ha, you've got a knack for it." The dwarf chimed in from the side. *No, please, go back to running your business.*
"Let's do it a few more times. After that, I'll teach you how to strike."
"Is that all? You should do each move a hundred times!" the protagonist shouted, clearly excited.
Whether he was excited or not, I silently moved the staff. Thirty thrusts. That was my limit. I’d walked a long way today, and I lacked the strength; as soon as I returned the staff to its resting position, I collapsed onto the ground. The dwarf laughed heartily, calling it "playing the victim," but after he helped me up, his expression turned serious. He grabbed my arms and wrists here and there, then flew into a rage, shouting, "The kid is nothing but skin and bones, what are you doing training them like this!"
It wasn't *that* bad. And besides, you were the one who was so excited to make me do it.
We sat in the corner of the clearing and had a quick meal. It was the stew Ameryel had packed for us. I wondered how she’d managed to carry it, but it looked like she’d tightly wedged two bowls of different sizes together. That’s true wisdom for daily life. The bread, which had spent half the day soaking in the stew, was soft and tender. I stuffed my cheeks with the stew until they were puffed out. It might have been against proper table manners, but it tasted so much better this way. It felt happy, and more natural. Is it because I'm a squirrel?
After I finished eating in a hurry, I noticed the protagonist's expression was dark. He was barely picking at his bread, his face deep in thought. I studied his complexion to see if something was wrong, and our eyes met. He closed his eyes for a moment, deliberating, before speaking to me with resolve.
"We're going to a dungeon soon."
Oh. A dungeon.
The protagonist gave me a brief explanation of dungeons. It seems the dungeons in this world are like Giant-Mimics. For some reason, when energy gathers in one place, that location becomes a dungeon, and the dungeon lures living creatures in to gain more energy. Basically, it ranges from magic stones to the equipment of adventurers who died in the dungeon. The methods used to tempt adventurers are diverse. However, the dungeons in this world seem a bit different from the concept of a labyrinth I had in mind. While there are labyrinth-style dungeons that go deep underground or tower-style ones, it seems there are cases where a place simply *becomes* a dungeon as it is. A forest on the surface suddenly infested with monsters is a dungeon, and in the past, there were even rare incidents where an entire village turned into a dungeon.
Well, those are all stories from the past, and nowadays, dungeons that have anything worth extracting are managed and preserved at a regular level. He said that’s one of the main jobs of an adventurer. It makes them sound like mere labyrinth janitors, though.
"It might not hit home right away, but you have a talent for magic."
After the dungeon briefing ended, the protagonist continued. It wasn't a huge surprise. I had expected as much. There were things I suspected about the strange sensations I’d felt since the seal was carved into me. Could this be what they call mana nerves?
"If you’re in the backline, it won't be that dangerous. Won't you help me?" the protagonist asked.
Won't you help me, he says. What would he do if I said no? Contrary to that thought, my body was already nodding habitually. A look of relief washed over the protagonist's face. He swung the bag he had slung over his shoulder, took out a book, and handed it to me.
"It's a book with the basics of magic. It might be a little difficult, but I’m sure you can understand it. I'll look into whether there's someone who can teach you magic."
The book was thin and had a leather cover. Flipping through the pages, it looked like it had been hand-copied. It must have been quite expensive; I wonder where he got it. He’s a man whose wealth is impossible to gauge.
After closing the back cover, I looked at the protagonist. His eyes were filled with expectation. I don't know much, but it seems my magical talent must be exceptional. It breaks my heart to betray his expectations, but I have to tell him one thing.
"Um... I don't know how to read."
He looked like he’d just realized his mistake.
"So?" Ameryel said.
"I was hoping you could teach Hazel how to read for a while..." the protagonist said in a voice that sounded like it was fading away.
"You could teach her yourself, couldn't you?"
Perhaps it was because it hadn't even been a day since our emotional farewell. Ameryel was looking at the protagonist with an expression that went beyond embarrassment—it was pure disbelief. Even though her eyes were closed, she was a person with incredibly expressive emotions. The protagonist couldn't find an answer and groaned for a long time. Ameryel didn't rush him, waiting for him to open his mouth as if to say, *go on, finish what you were going to say.*
"That is... I can't read either...?"
"Ha." The atmosphere turned ice-cold at the answer he finally gave.
"Go buy some dinner." With those words, the protagonist was kicked out.
A little while later, while we were eating dinner together, my custody was adjusted. I would stay at the temple for the time being and learn to read from Ameryel. However, in return, I was to help with temple chores during my free time. She seemed fully intent on making me a nun if the opportunity arose. The protagonist decided to help with my education in a different way. He would buy food for the temple and procure necessary stationery like books and paper. It was help in a material sense. The protagonist didn't raise any issues with this arrangement. Not that he could have done anything even if he had other thoughts.
He said he would stop by to learn to read with me whenever he had the time. I thought Ameryel's reaction was strangely muted, but apparently, the literacy rate in this world isn't that high. She just found it absurd that he’d come back to drop me off only a day after taking me away. I agree with her on that point. Come to think of it, I never had the chance to realize I was illiterate until now, but I suppose there aren't many shops that write things down because the illiteracy rate is so high.
However, they say I will also be exploring dungeons while learning to read. Surprisingly, Ameryel agreed with this plan as well. It seems it’s important to train by getting used to dungeons in safe ones while there's time. There was a strange sense of realism in her words that made me wonder if she had been an adventurer in the past. Perhaps there's a rule that one must serve as an adventurer for a certain period, like a military chaplain. This world was full of things I didn't know.
After coordinating all the opinions, the protagonist returned to his lodging. We’ve become like a family of wild geese. It was a bit funny.
"Take care of yourself." With those words, Ameryel hugged me and rubbed her cheek against mine. I learned a new fact while staying with her for a few days: contrary to her appearance, Ameryel was quite strong. No matter how small I am, I was tall enough to reach Ameryel's navel when standing side-by-side. I have no way to measure my weight exactly, but I must be close to 30kg. Yet, Ameryel lifted me up and down as if it were nothing. What kind of work did she do in the past? I couldn't help but be curious about her past.
I left Ameryel's embrace and moved to the protagonist's left arm. Somehow, this had become my designated seat. I gripped his sleeve tightly, feeling nervous. The protagonist tried to soothe me, saying it was fine, but I couldn't help the tension. I could feel my heart pounding. My pulse is already fast to begin with, and I worried my heart might burst. After all, today is the day I set out on my first dungeon exploration.
The dungeon we are going to today is one the adventurer's guild uses for training. The protagonist said it’s very safe because the guild has put a lot of effort into cleaning it out, and dangerous monsters don't even appear there. That’s why it’s used for the sole purpose of letting dungeon novices experience a dungeon, he explained. Naturally, there’s no such thing as treasure, so the guild even goes through the ridiculous trouble of installing chests themselves. Even after hearing that explanation, I couldn't help but feel my heart race. After all, it’s my first time.
"Hazel and her guardian, Jun. Please enter." The guard blocking the entrance said as he stepped aside.
I took a deep breath. I felt a gaze on me, so I turned my head to see the protagonist watching me with a smile. *Just leave me alone for a bit.* And what’s with the name Jun? You’re Jiun, you know. My nerves were frayed, and I felt unnecessarily annoyed. I calmed my heart and repeated to myself internally. *Alright, Hazel, you can do this. You can do it. Let's go.*
< Into the New World END >