Chapter 18: Rafdonia (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: Rafdonia (2)
Returning to the inn, I studied Erwen's tipsy form.
Of course, the oath I had made with her sister was never going to be broken. Although an oath on a warrior's honor meant nothing to me as a husk of a warrior, but still.
"Erwen, open up a little more."
"Huh, but even if you say that..."
Currently, I was forcing Erwen to stretch.
"Ahh! My shoulder! I think my shoulder's going to fall off!"
"Hmm."
"I-It was never able to twist like this in the first place! I swear!"
"Are you sure?"
"Y-Yes! I swear on the name of my clan!"
As soon as I relaxed my hand, Erwen immediately dropped down onto the bed.
I guess "Flexibility +4" didn't make a huge difference. Well, that was the same as in the game, at least.
"I-Is that all?"
"Yes. You can rest for now."
Dungeon and Stone was an unfriendly game; that was obvious just by looking at the stats. Physique, Spirit, and Special Ability were the three main stats. But if you clicked the [+] button next to them, thousands of detailed stats were revealed.
For example, if Strength, a sub-stat of Physique, increased, the weight that you could carry, physical attack power, et cetera, was adjusted. Flexibility? That slightly increased your chances of dodging and the rate of critical hits. Vision? The range of long-distance weapons and the character's visual range increased. Sense of Smell became a factor in related special abilities, and Accuracy Rate was exactly what the name suggested.
Therefore, even if the Physique stat was still fifty, the character's abilities could be completely different depending on the detailed stats.
And as an FYI, this was something I figured out all on my own. It was information that neither the game company nor any foreign users provided me, so I had to conduct numerous experiments and create my own statistical data, all for the sole purpose of beating this game.
Fuck, back then, I never dreamed that that passion would turn into poison and come bite me in the behind.
Err, I'm getting pissed off again.
Once again, I was going on nine years as a genuine expert. However, I still didn't know the effect of some of the stats. A prime example was "Obsession +7," found on the essence dropped by the goblin archer. Everything about that stat was a mystery, except that it was a sub-attribute of the Spirit stat.
"Erwen."
"You make me nervous whenever you sigh like that. Can you just not say whatever it is?"
"Has anything changed since you came out of the labyrinth? Like something that keeps popping up in your head, a desire that's hard to get rid of, anything like that."
"...M-Mm, I don't know. Maybe?"
"What is it? Tell me."
"Snacks...? Yes, snacks. Looking back, as soon as I came out of the labyrinth, I bought a bunch and ate them all..."
"Did you used to dislike sweets?"
"No, I loved them. Still, I think that's the first time I've eaten that much in a day."
"I see."
Perhaps Obsession made a desire grow stronger. That was why it had no special function in the game.
This made my head hurt more. It seemed that, because the game had been adapted into reality, additional functions may have been added to the more detailed stats. Or at least, that was true for flexibility.
In the game, the more natural someone's movements became, the easier it became for them to dodge an attack. If the situation was right for it, it might even be possible to move in a way that would otherwise not have been possible and inflict a fatal wound. But was that all?
Greater flexibility, for example, would make it easier to get into tight spaces and absorb shock when landing better than before. This kind of stuff had not been obvious in the game. So, in the future, I'd have to reevaluate my leveling strategy and take all of these factors into account.
"Mister, I'm sleepy now..."
Oh, did I let her rest too long?
Her eyes were already half closed. I still wanted to check if there were any issues with using an active skill, how long it would take to be able to use it again, and things like that...
"Okay. Go to sleep."
"Yes..."
I blew out the fire and lay down next to Erwen. Erwen didn't find it strange, and neither did I. In the labyrinth, we had shown each other all kinds of sorry sights. It would be weirder to be awkward about something like this now.
Honk!
Even though I had slept for so long, my eyes slid shut once again. Tersia's words not to sleep with Erwen came to mind, but...
Mmm, I don't think I need to worry about that. This is probably not what she meant, anyway.
***
[07:35]
I woke up quite early in the morning. Or, well, since I had pretty much slept for two days straight, "early" wasn't exactly the right word.
"Mister, water..."
Erwen had also just woken up, so we had a quick meal on the first floor after washing our faces. Then we headed to Erwen's place. Because the city was so big, it took more than an hour on foot just to get there.
"I'm glad it's at least in the same area!"
She was right. If it had been on the other side of the city, it would have taken a long time to get there, even in a carriage. Rafdonia may have been called a fortified town, but in truth, it was ridiculously big.
"You have to be quiet here. Okay? My sister is still the only one who knows about you."
"I will."
As I waited in an alley three blocks away from her place, Erwen struggled over with two backpacks. They were the backpacks of the leader and the crossbowman who had attacked us just before the seventh day had ended. Their weapons stuck out of the packs so they couldn't be closed.
"I'll hold them."
"T-Thank you!"
She truly doesn't know how to refuse. I swear she wasn't like this in the beginning.
"Weapons here, armor here, tools and consumables piled separately."
"Okay!"
When we returned to the inn, we spent some time looking through and organizing the items in the backpacks. It took about an hour, but because they were loot items, it was quite enjoyable. Erwen and I sat side by side on the bed, examining the neatly arranged items on the floor.
"Are you going to sell them all?"
"Except the necessities."
"Then, can I keep the leather clothes and belt that you gave me?"
This made my head hurt more. It seemed that, because the game had been adapted into reality, additional functions may have been added to the more detailed stats. Or at least, that was true for flexibility.
In the game, the more natural someone's movements became, the easier it became for them to dodge an attack. If the situation was right for it, it might even be possible to move in a way that would otherwise not have been possible and inflict a fatal wound. But was that all?
Greater flexibility, for example, would make it easier to get into tight spaces and absorb shock when landing better than before. This kind of stuff had not been obvious in the game. So, in the future, I'd have to reevaluate my leveling strategy and take all of these factors into account.
"Mister, I'm sleepy now..."
Oh, did I let her rest too long?
Her eyes were already half closed. I still wanted to check if there were any issues with using an active skill, how long it would take to be able to use it again, and things like that...
"Okay. Go to sleep."
"Yes..."
I blew out the fire and lay down next to Erwen. Erwen didn't find it strange, and neither did I. In the labyrinth, we had shown each other all kinds of sorry sights. It would be weirder to be awkward about something like this now.
Honk!
Even though I had slept for so long, my eyes slid shut once again. Tersia's words not to sleep with Erwen came to mind, but...
Mmm, I don't think I need to worry about that. This is probably not what she meant, anyway.
***
[07:35]
I woke up quite early in the morning. Or, well, since I had pretty much slept for two days straight, "early" wasn't exactly the right word.
"Mister, water..."
Erwen had also just woken up, so we had a quick meal on the first floor after washing our faces. Then we headed to Erwen's place. Because the city was so big, it took more than an hour on foot just to get there.
"I'm glad it's at least in the same area!"
She was right. If it had been on the other side of the city, it would have taken a long time to get there, even in a carriage. Rafdonia may have been called a fortified town, but in truth, it was ridiculously big.
"You have to be quiet here. Okay? My sister is still the only one who knows about you."
"I will."
As I waited in an alley three blocks away from her place, Erwen struggled over with two backpacks. They were the backpacks of the leader and the crossbowman who had attacked us just before the seventh day had ended. Their weapons stuck out of the packs so they couldn't be closed.
"I'll hold them."
"T-Thank you!"
She truly doesn't know how to refuse. I swear she wasn't like this in the beginning.
"Weapons here, armor here, tools and consumables piled separately."
"Okay!"
When we returned to the inn, we spent some time looking through and organizing the items in the backpacks. It took about an hour, but because they were loot items, it was quite enjoyable. Erwen and I sat side by side on the bed, examining the neatly arranged items on the floor.
"Are you going to sell them all?"
"Except the necessities."
"Then, can I keep the leather clothes and belt that you gave me?"
"Doesn't matter. As long as you take it out of your share."
"Then, please!"
After deciding what to sell and what not to sell, we went back out into the city. Except for extras such as watches and compasses, we decided to share expedition gear and consumables such as potions, and sell almost all the equipment. It was better to exchange the equipment for money and buy something better than to continue using something that didn't even fit. And it wasn't like I couldn't afford to do so now.
"Here it is!"
The place we arrived at was a weapon shop that Tersia had told Erwen about. The items for sale included a Japanese-style sword, two longswords, a crossbow, a two-handed hammer, two daggers, and three throwing knives.
"The total is 350,000 stones."
I had been kind of worried since this place was introduced to me by someone I knew, but I ended up selling everything here anyway because they gave me a better price than all the other stores I had stopped by for comparison.
"Wow..."
As soon as we left the store, Erwen let out the awe that she had been holding back. I felt a similar sentiment.
"Mister, is this a dream?"
Excluding the stolen mana stones, the money we had earned purely through hunting for seven days was only around a hundred thousand stones. But 350,000 stones?
We hadn't even sold the armor yet.
...Now I understood why those adventurer bastards went crazy each time they came across another person.
Equipment was money. A lot of money.
"Mister, how much is my share, then?"
A desire for money shone in Erwen's eyes.
"Wait, we still have a lot to sell."
Our next destination was the armor shop located ten minutes away.
"Here are 180,000 stones."
A majority of the items had been pieces of armor, but their total value had come out to less than the weapons. I heard that the asking price was low because it was more difficult to sell used armor, which seemed a good enough explanation to me. After all, we were also selling it because of how big it was.
"I will sell for that price."
"A straightforward personality, just like a barbarian. Please come again the next time you have something like this. I'll give you a good price then as well."
"I will."
Soon after, I stopped by a general store and sold several items that I had deemed unnecessary, and in the end, I had a sizable sum of 1.45 million stones to my name. Well, not all of it was my money.
"Here. It's forty-five thousand stones."
"Huh? Isn't that a bit too much?"
Even excluding the leather clothes and belt, which cost twenty thousand stones, I had added exactly seven thousand stones more. Not because of her pretty face, but because that was her share if I divided the mana stones that the samurai and Skinny had by our 9:1 ratio.
"I didn't know exactly how much it was, so I divided the amount we got from the samurai and Skinny."
"Oh, I see! Thank you!"
Anyway, after all the deductions, my total assets amounted to a whopping 1.4 million stones. It was a little—no, very exciting. Even in the game, I'd never possessed this much money in the first round...
"Doesn't matter. As long as you take it out of your share."
"Then, please!"
After deciding what to sell and what not to sell, we went back out into the city. Except for extras such as watches and compasses, we decided to share expedition gear and consumables such as potions, and sell almost all the equipment. It was better to exchange the equipment for money and buy something better than to continue using something that didn't even fit. And it wasn't like I couldn't afford to do so now.
"Here it is!"
The place we arrived at was a weapon shop that Tersia had told Erwen about. The items for sale included a Japanese-style sword, two longswords, a crossbow, a two-handed hammer, two daggers, and three throwing knives.
"The total is 350,000 stones."
I had been kind of worried since this place was introduced to me by someone I knew, but I ended up selling everything here anyway because they gave me a better price than all the other stores I had stopped by for comparison.
"Wow..."
As soon as we left the store, Erwen let out the awe that she had been holding back. I felt a similar sentiment.
"Mister, is this a dream?"
Excluding the stolen mana stones, the money we had earned purely through hunting for seven days was only around a hundred thousand stones. But 350,000 stones?
We hadn't even sold the armor yet.
...Now I understood why those adventurer bastards went crazy each time they came across another person.
Equipment was money. A lot of money.
"Mister, how much is my share, then?"
A desire for money shone in Erwen's eyes.
"Wait, we still have a lot to sell."
Our next destination was the armor shop located ten minutes away.
"Here are 180,000 stones."
A majority of the items had been pieces of armor, but their total value had come out to less than the weapons. I heard that the asking price was low because it was more difficult to sell used armor, which seemed a good enough explanation to me. After all, we were also selling it because of how big it was.
"I will sell for that price."
"A straightforward personality, just like a barbarian. Please come again the next time you have something like this. I'll give you a good price then as well."
"I will."
Soon after, I stopped by a general store and sold several items that I had deemed unnecessary, and in the end, I had a sizable sum of 1.45 million stones to my name. Well, not all of it was my money.
"Here. It's forty-five thousand stones."
"Huh? Isn't that a bit too much?"
Even excluding the leather clothes and belt, which cost twenty thousand stones, I had added exactly seven thousand stones more. Not because of her pretty face, but because that was her share if I divided the mana stones that the samurai and Skinny had by our 9:1 ratio.
"I didn't know exactly how much it was, so I divided the amount we got from the samurai and Skinny."
"Oh, I see! Thank you!"
Anyway, after all the deductions, my total assets amounted to a whopping 1.4 million stones. It was a little—no, very exciting. Even in the game, I'd never possessed this much money in the first round...
It was a good start.
"Then, let's say goodbye here."
"Pardon?"
Why do you look surprised? The money calculations are over, so let's go our separate ways. I have a lot of work to do now that my plans have gone awry, thanks to you.
"Well, we can head to the central square together."
"Yes..."
Suddenly, Erwen grew quiet. As we walked down the street, we arrived at the central plaza where the crossroads met.
"Huh? There are lots of people here all of a sudden."
Unlike when we had passed by earlier, a crowd was swarming the plaza. Half of them were soldiers, and the other half were criminals tied with ropes. Well, "criminals" might not have been the right word.
"Mm, hmm! Ugh! Hnnnng!"
They were not violent criminals convicted of murder or arson. The crime committed by these people, currently trembling in fear with gags in their mouths, was a failure to pay their taxes. In other words, they had no money.
That young woman in her twenties over there, that man of childbearing age, and that old man with wrinkled hands who probably lived a more diligent life than anyone else were all being sentenced to death.
"We will begin the execution!"
When the tax collector shouted this, the soldiers shoved a man's head under the guillotine.
And...
Slice!
The man's head, which had been chopped off with a terrible sound, dropped perfectly into the wooden barrel in front of him. Some of the people in the crowd standing nearby soaked their bread in the spray of blood and gobbled it down in a hurry.
Erwen started malfunctioning at the bloodshed that was suddenly unfolding before her eyes.
"W-What is that! Why? Why are they dipping their bread in human blood?"
"There is a superstition that drinking the blood of a person executed by a tax collector will bring you wealth."
Erwen frowned like she could not wrap her head around that. It seemed that was more shocking to her than chopping off someone's head.
"Erwen, how much is the first-year tax payment?"
"For nonhuman races, it's seven hundred thousand stones."
"I see."
It had been six hundred thousand stones in the game. There was a slight difference, but it was still roughly the same.
"Still, you won't have to worry, since you earned all that money."
Hmm? Yes, but... That was not something someone being supported by her big sister should say. Besides, I had no intention of saving this money for next year's taxes in the first place. And the reason for that was simple.
"Erwen, how much tax is paid during the second year?"
"I think it's eight hundred thousand stones. And there is a currency-exchange fee."
Taxes continued to increase until a certain number of years were under one's belt, which meant that now was the time to invest in myself. The first year, when exchange fees were waived and taxes were relatively low, was the optimal time for rapid growth.
"Ahh! H-help me..."
"Gag them properly!"
"Next month! I can pay the money next month—uh, uh! Ughh!"
Anyway, I was glad. Of all living beings, humans were the ones who were most reliant on visual information.
Slice!
Seeing this with my own two eyes made something clear to me.
Returning to the real world... Rather than aiming for such an unrealistic goal, it was necessary to set clear intermediate goals and strive for them instead. For example, assuming my life span was ninety years and that I couldn't find a way back home and had to spend the rest of my life in this place—
How much money do I need?
Well, I'd have to do some calculations.
To live in a house with a kitchen, receive medical treatment when needed, and be able to live a leisurely life with three puppies after retiring at fifty...
"Floor six."
By my calculations, I'd have to save like hell until retirement, so it would have to be at least the sixth floor.
Aha. So—
"Pardon? What did you just say?"
"It's nothing."
I had to make it at least to the sixth floor. Whether I would be able to go back home or not, however...
That's something I can think about later.
***
[You have been given 630,000 stones by rank six adventurer Daria Whitember di Tersia.]
[You have sold equipment.]
[You have sold equipment.]
[Your General Item Level has decreased by 43.]
[You have sold equipment.]
[You have sold...]
[...]
[...]
[TIP: Your total funds are currently 1,403,520 stones. Use this to increase your character's General Combat Power!]
It was a good start.
"Then, let's say goodbye here."
"Pardon?"
Why do you look surprised? The money calculations are over, so let's go our separate ways. I have a lot of work to do now that my plans have gone awry, thanks to you.
"Well, we can head to the central square together."
"Yes..."
Suddenly, Erwen grew quiet. As we walked down the street, we arrived at the central plaza where the crossroads met.
"Huh? There are lots of people here all of a sudden."
Unlike when we had passed by earlier, a crowd was swarming the plaza. Half of them were soldiers, and the other half were criminals tied with ropes. Well, "criminals" might not have been the right word.
"Mm, hmm! Ugh! Hnnnng!"
They were not violent criminals convicted of murder or arson. The crime committed by these people, currently trembling in fear with gags in their mouths, was a failure to pay their taxes. In other words, they had no money.
That young woman in her twenties over there, that man of childbearing age, and that old man with wrinkled hands who probably lived a more diligent life than anyone else were all being sentenced to death.
"We will begin the execution!"
When the tax collector shouted this, the soldiers shoved a man's head under the guillotine.
And...
Slice!
The man's head, which had been chopped off with a terrible sound, dropped perfectly into the wooden barrel in front of him. Some of the people in the crowd standing nearby soaked their bread in the spray of blood and gobbled it down in a hurry.
Erwen started malfunctioning at the bloodshed that was suddenly unfolding before her eyes.
"W-What is that! Why? Why are they dipping their bread in human blood?"
"There is a superstition that drinking the blood of a person executed by a tax collector will bring you wealth."
Erwen frowned like she could not wrap her head around that. It seemed that was more shocking to her than chopping off someone's head.
"Erwen, how much is the first-year tax payment?"
"For nonhuman races, it's seven hundred thousand stones."
"I see."
It had been six hundred thousand stones in the game. There was a slight difference, but it was still roughly the same.
"Still, you won't have to worry, since you earned all that money."
Hmm? Yes, but... That was not something someone being supported by her big sister should say. Besides, I had no intention of saving this money for next year's taxes in the first place. And the reason for that was simple.
"Erwen, how much tax is paid during the second year?"
"I think it's eight hundred thousand stones. And there is a currency-exchange fee."
Taxes continued to increase until a certain number of years were under one's belt, which meant that now was the time to invest in myself. The first year, when exchange fees were waived and taxes were relatively low, was the optimal time for rapid growth.
"Ahh! H-help me..."
"Gag them properly!"
"Next month! I can pay the money next month—uh, uh! Ughh!"
Anyway, I was glad. Of all living beings, humans were the ones who were most reliant on visual information.
Slice!
Seeing this with my own two eyes made something clear to me.
Returning to the real world... Rather than aiming for such an unrealistic goal, it was necessary to set clear intermediate goals and strive for them instead. For example, assuming my life span was ninety years and that I couldn't find a way back home and had to spend the rest of my life in this place—
How much money do I need?
Well, I'd have to do some calculations.
To live in a house with a kitchen, receive medical treatment when needed, and be able to live a leisurely life with three puppies after retiring at fifty...
"Floor six."
By my calculations, I'd have to save like hell until retirement, so it would have to be at least the sixth floor.
Aha. So—
"Pardon? What did you just say?"
"It's nothing."
I had to make it at least to the sixth floor. Whether I would be able to go back home or not, however...
That's something I can think about later.
***
[You have been given 630,000 stones by rank six adventurer Daria Whitember di Tersia.]
[You have sold equipment.]
[You have sold equipment.]
[Your General Item Level has decreased by 43.]
[You have sold equipment.]
[You have sold...]
[...]
[...]
[TIP: Your total funds are currently 1,403,520 stones. Use this to increase your character's General Combat Power!]