Part 1The incredibly loud cracking noise from a whip on a wooden carriage knocked me out of my daze as I noticed the world that was around me.
European style housing? Horse drawn carriages? Cobblestone roads?
It"s true! I"m in a fantasy world! This isn"t an illusion! I can"t stop myself from laughing!
Some people seem to be staring at me because of my sudden bout of laughter.
"Mommy, why"s that man laughing?" asked a little girl as she pointed at me.
"It"s rude to stare, honey." Said the mother while grabbing her daughter"s hand.
I"m really in the world of my dreams! My harem fantasy is waiting for me!
Alright! First thing"s first: I need to figure out my current situation. Let"s do some checkpoints.
The first thing I need to do is find a way to stay alive. Staying alive will involve me fulfilling my three basic needs of food, water, and shelter. The only way I am going to be capable of securing those things is by getting money… which I have none of.
I need money.
I can"t just become an adventurer immediately. I have no equipment other than my bare hands and I seriously doubt I"m going to be killing slimes or goblins without a sword or magic.
I"m beginning to think I didn"t think this through enough.
This is bad. I don"t know anyone I can ask to lend me money nor do I know any way to get income here in the first place. Judging by the position of the sun, I think it"s around nine in the morning, but considering this is another world I could be entirely wrong.
The words of my mother echoed in my head. "You need to get a job!"
Even in a fantasy world I am being mentally scolded by my parents.
Considering my current situation,I need to gather a mental map of my surroundings and understand my current location as well as my current options. Considering the chill in the air right now, it stands to reason that it"s currently the middle of fall if not the early parts of winter.
I mentally gathered myself. It"s time to work. I can"t sleep outside tonight or I will probably freeze to death. I have a time limit that is counting down fast.
As I began to walk, I observed the signs of buildings near me as well as the people I was surrounded by.
The building"s signs didn"t seem to have words usually. Most of the time, buildings had a symbol like a lizard or a bird instead of letters.
Although I wanted to know why there weren"t any letters on signs, I couldn"t just ask any random person on the street. Asking people questions that would be obvious to a local would paint a target on my back for unsavory people and I can"t afford to risk that right now.
I came across many different styles of buildings. Some made of pure stone, some made of wood, I even came across a building with stained gla.s.s.
The most interesting building I found was incredibly tall, standing at over 4 stories from what I could tell. Many muscular individuals with weapons were coming and going from that place, so it"s probably safe to a.s.sume that that"s the adventurers guild, or whatever the equivalent was.
I tried to walk down a certain road and was stopped by someone that seemed to be guarding it. I didn"t want any trouble so I turned around and went a different way.
After walking for longer than I ever had to before, I had gathered a few important pieces of information. I learned that the city is surrounded on 3 sides by walls and the fourth side has no wall, but instead is open to a port to a large lake with rivers that connect to the ocean.
One of the other important things I learned was that there are things other than humans living in this city. I saw a man that resembled a lizard.
"What do you want? Sss…" The lizard… person (?) asked me.
I felt like I was in danger so I just walked away without saying anything.
I also saw a shorter than normal man as I walked around, but I"m fairly certain it would be offensive if I pointed that out.
After a long period of what seemed to be forever, I eventually came across a building with a sign in the window. The sign read "Hiring full time worker" which was exactly what I needed.
I only realized after I had read the sign that the language was absolutely not j.a.panese, but instead resembled some strange symbols. To better explain the language, it was as if one were to mix arabic with chinese. I could naturally read the sign despite the fact that the language seemed very foreign to me. Now that I think about it, I haven"t talked at all yet either. Can I speak? I should probably practice a bit before I try a job interview.
After a minute or two of thinking, I walked up to a market stall and tried to talk to the owner.
The owner looks to be in his thirties. Burly with a dark brown beard and short hair. His eyes are rather large and his nose is also big. The owner is wearing what appears to be a red vest with no unders.h.i.+rt and some baggy pants as well as some sandals to tie it all together.
"Oh, h.e.l.lo sir! Do you want to buy some igripps? I sell bundles of 3 for only 10 juns!"
"..."
I"m just standing here.
"Um, are you alright?" The man was staring at me uncomfortably.
"...h.e.l.lo…" I was able to let out meekly.
I only just now realized that the language I have been thinking in this whole time was not j.a.panese but instead this other world"s language. I have to hand it to G.o.d, this transition was seamless.
"Uh… son, are you going to buy anything?" The stall owner kept pestering me. It seemed like the owner was getting increasingly frustrated.
I"ve decided to bite the bullet and just start talking. What"s the worst that could happen?
"Yes I was wondering what that shop over there with the sign is. Do you know?"
I did it. I can talk in the language of this world normally.
"Huh? Buddy you"ve been standing outside my stall for a minute without saying a word and that"s what you finally decide to say?"
It seems that I"ve made the wrong decision.
"I"m sorry I was just…"
I"m not very good at making up things on the spot. What do I do? What do I do? Uh oh this guy looks muscular I don"t want to get my face punched.
Quick just say something!
"ADMIRING YOUR PRODUCE!" I shouted out.
Good one Kenji.
The stall keeper seemed to panic when I suddenly shouted out. Multiple people began to stare at us.
"Hey hey, what the h.e.l.l do you think you"re doing? Are you trying to make a crowd or something? You starting trouble? From how big you are and the fancy looking clothes I thought you were a n.o.ble or something, but now I can tell you"re just an idiot."
Don"t react or he"ll beat us up. Don"t react or he"ll beat us up. Don"t react or he"ll beat us up. Don"t react or he"ll beat us up.
"Hey, I"m talking to you!" The stall owner shouted out. It seemed like he was at his limit.
"I"M SORRY I WAS JUST ASKING A QUESTION!" I suddenly shouted out. I"m not very good with people yelling at me suddenly.
An "Urgh!" noise came from the stall owner after I shouted once again. People seemed to be watching. I"m about to get beat up. Uh oh I"m gonna get beat up.
"T-That"s the general store that belongs to old man Biars! Now go away!" Jutted out the shop keeper as he made a shoo-ing motion.
"Oh, thank you Stall Man-san!" I said as I walked away and waved at the stall.
"For crying out loud, why did I get the crazy guy?" I heard the shopkeeper mutter as I walked away.
I entered the general store. A quiet ringing noise came from a bell that was attached to the door.
The shelves were stocked with various things, many of which I have never seen before.
"Welcome, I"ll be there in just a moment!" I heard a gruff voice shout out from somewhere I couldn"t see.
Jarred goods, wooden walls and floors, a side door to a place unknown, and signs with words I could understand yet didn"t know the meaning of. This place was the definition of foreign for me.
"Hmph!" I heard a strange grunting noise as I saw an older man standing up.
The man appeared to be in his late fifties with short gray hair and faded muscles. I can tell this man used to be rather burly, but time has withered him as evidenced by his sunken eyes and tired face. The man"s s.h.i.+rt was fairly thin and covered the majority of his body except for his arms. His dark pants were faded from age and his shoes appeared to be simple leather.
"Welcome sir, how may I help you today?" The older man asked me while walking over to the counter.
How do I do this?
I"ve never applied for a job before and I don"t know this person. Do I just request the job and see how it goes? Is he going to ask me for a form of identification? Oh G.o.d what if I need something like a social security number? What if he demands that I fight him to prove my worth? We"re in a medieval society after all! Can I take this guy in a fight? Probably not but he is an old man. What if he-
"Um, are you alright son? Can I help you with something?" The older man asked me out of concern.
Maybe I"m overthinking this.
"UM, hi! Haha! I saw the sign on your window and was wondering if I could maybe possibly perhaps potentially be hired by you?"
Nailed it. Mental high five.
The old man stared at me for a moment.
"You can read?" The old man asked me.
What kind of question is that? Do I really look that stupid? I"ve never had a great sense of style but I don"t think the clothes I"m wearing are that bad.
Oh, it seems like the man is waiting for my response.
"Yes, I can. Is that a problem?"
"No, of course not! You want a job here and you can read? That"s perfect!" The old man announced while clapping his hands together.
"Honey!" He shouted to the side room. "Someone wants to work here, and they can read!"
I heard the sound of quickened steps coming from the side room and then saw an older woman come out of the side room door. The woman appeared to also be in her late fifties. Wearing a thin work s.h.i.+rt, the woman seemed to have an air of aged dignity about her. She had long gray hair and a skinny, short body. Age also seems to have withered her. I can tell that in the past she may have been quite attractive.
The woman is staring at me. I"m rather uncomfortable right now.
"Well, n.o.body is here right now, how about we close for a moment and interview him?" The woman asked the older man.
"Sounds like a plan!" Announced the older man as he walked to the front door and locked it.
"Please, come with us to the side room. We"ll interview you there. Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please, if it isn"t a bother." I replied quietly.
The older woman simply smiled in response as she led me into a small room with 2 sofas and a table between them.
The older man followed closely behind and took a seat on the sofa closest to us.
"Please, sit!" He said as he motioned towards the other sofa.
Now that I think about it, I"ve been standing and walking for what felt like hours. My feet hurt.
"Thank you." I said as I sat on the sofa opposite of the older man.
We both sat in silence for a while until the older woman came into the room with a small tray. On the tray were 3 tea cups.
"Here you go." The woman said as she placed the tray on the small table.
I looked at the teacups as the older man and woman each took a one for themselves. Out of politeness and thirst I took the last remaining teacup in my hand and took a sip.
...Well, I"ve had worse tea before. There"s next to no sweetness in this tea. Did the woman add any sugar? Honey? Sweetener of any kind?
Oh, I forgot I got this for free. I better act like I like it.
"Mmm! Very nice!" I said with a forced smile on my face.
"Thank you dear." Replied the woman. It seemed she was proud of herself for making the tea.
"Alright. Well let"s start the interview!" The old man declared while slapping his hands on his legs.
I forgot what I came here for. Thankfully I was reminded.
"Well, first thing"s first: introductions. I am Biar and this is my wife Reese. We"ve lived in this city for our entire lives and we have a son who is in the army in the capital fighting the demon king." The man named Biar declared.
Already something difficult. My name is definitely not normal here and I doubt most people here have a family name like I do. Should I tell them my family name too? What about where I"m from? "j.a.pan" probably isn"t an option because if they ask further I will sound like a crazy person. Worst case scenario there is a city named "j.a.pan" that is run by the Demon King and I will get arrested and executed on the spot.
What do I say…?
"My name is Kenji. I am 17 years old. I am from a city that is very far away. I have lost contact with my family."
I decided to tell them the truth, or at least, a specific version of the truth.
The couple was watching me intensely.
"Kenji, huh? I"ve never heard a name like that before. Where exactly are you from?" Asked Biar.
Oh no. They"re asking more questions about me. Should I just say "j.a.pan" and be done with it or should I tell a lie?
As I was thinking, Reese whispered something to Biar.
"It"s best not to ask too much, my guess is his home was overrun by the demon king"s army, the poor thing."
I"ve just been given a light in this dark tunnel.
I pretended that I didn"t overhear them and looked to the side acting as if what I was just asked was painful.
"The truth is… I was recently driven out of my home…" I quietly proclaimed. I made sure to look like I was sad.
"Oh you poor thing." Muttered Reese as she covered her mouth with her hand.
Biar crossed his arms and gave a small nod with closed eyes while frowning. It seems like refugees from villages attacked by the demon king"s army were common. What a perfect excuse to not talk about where I"m from.
"Well… we won"t ask you any more about that. Hmm... why do you want to work here?"
"I need money. I don"t have any and I need to be able to take care of myself."
I decided to tell them the truth. I feel a bit bad about lying to this couple already and decided to try to stay as honest as possible.
"Hmph, Naturally. Anyone in your situation would say the same. Sorry for asking such a question."
Score number 2! This is going really well so far.
"Do you have any experience working at a store like this one?" Biar asked me.
Do I say no? Do I say yes? What if they test me on my knowledge? What if they deny me the job if I have no experience?
"I… don"t personally have any experience, but I sometimes helped my friend manage his father"s store some times." I declared. This wasn"t entirely untrue. My friend s.h.i.+nji"s father ran a convenience store when we were in middle school. Sometimes I would come hang out with s.h.i.+nji at the store, though that was mostly because I would get to play video games in the back room.
...It"s probably best not to tell Biar and Reese about that last part.
"Hmm... Alright, I suppose that works." Biar said. Reese also nodded her head energetically in agreement.
Score 3! This is going great! I"m such a genius!
"Why did you come here specifically?" Briar asked.
Ah, this question may actually be fairly difficult to answer.
This was just the first place I saw that was hiring… would be my honest response, though that would probably not be good enough. Do I say that I wanted to work here specifically? Maybe I was guided by fate. What do I say…
Wait… What if I…
"I wanted to find a place that required me to read. I don"t want to get rusty while I"m in this city." I declared. This is my gamble and I"m going all in.
"Oh!" exclaimed Reese as she clapped her hands together. It seems like I made the right choice.
"Wonderful!" Proclaimed Biar. The old man was smiling. It seems like I have just said exactly what they wanted to hear.
"When could you start?" Asked Biar.
This is the question I was waiting for.
"As soon as possible." I replied.
"Could you start today?" Reese asked.
YES! I did it!
"Yes, I could. Do you need me to?" I happily replied.
"That would be wonderful! Do you have any questions for us?"
Time to open the floodgates.
"Yes, I wanted to ask a few questions if that"s alright with you. I hope that none of this sounds rude to you as I am just trying to obtain some information." I led into my actions as lightly as possible.
"Well of course, whatever you need to know I"ll do my best to answer it." said Reese. She"s probably going to be frustrated in a minute so I had best enjoy her smile now.
"Alright. First, how much will I be paid and how often?"
"Starting out we"ll be giving you 400 juns per week of work. You do not make commission."
It seems that juns are the currency of this world. I have no idea how valuable one jun is compared to a yen, but judging by the fact that 3 of whatever that fruit at the stall earlier was only 10 juns, 400 is potentially a sizable sum.
Of course, I could be entirely wrong. I have no idea how much money is worth here.
"What will my hours be?"
"You will begin work at 7 A.M. stocking shelves and end at 7 P.M. by closing and doing inventory. You will work every day of the week. Sundays your hours will be shortened to 7 A.M. to 3 P.M."
12 hour days 6 days a week and one 8 hour day a week with no days off. I think it"s safe to say that unions don"t exist in this world.
"What will my job consist of, exactly?"
"You will help stock the shelves, run the counter, do inventory, prevent shoplifting, and also help clean the store on occasion."
This sounds pretty standard. I doubt I need to worry about these things. The only part that worries me is preventing shoplifting. Will I need to get into a fight while I work here? What if it"s an adventurer? I doubt I can take on a muscular person on my own.
"Is this place stolen from often?"
"No, but it"s nice to have some extra security anyway."
I can"t argue with that logic.
"Why were you looking to hire anyone in the first place? Surely with two of you the place has plenty of employees."
"We"re getting older and Biar"s back isn"t as good as it used to be. Standing all day and bending over often is hard for him so we needed the extra help.
That makes perfect sense. Maybe I can push this a bit more?
"You mentioned you had a son, why is he in the army and not helping you run the store?"
"That… He… Had dreams of glamor as a soldier fighting back the demon king. I swear he has to grow up one day but I don"t know when he"ll do it. Honestly, that boy…"
I feel like I"ve touched on a sensitive topic. It"s probably best to not dig into this much more.
"Why did you want me to know how to read?"
"Because we need someone capable of maintaining the ledger and being able to read the labels."
I can"t argue with any of the logic this woman is giving me. I should go for broke here, literally.
"Um, this is a bit embarra.s.sing, but do you know anywhere I could sleep tonight? I don"t really have a place to go."
"Oh dear! You don"t have a place to go tonight? Oh you poor thing!" Reese exclaimed. I could feel my cheeks getting hotter by the moment.
"You just work today and I"ll see what I can do."
SCORE! Sympathy points get you places!
"Well." Reese clapped her hands together. "Time to get to work!" She made her declaration and showed me back into the store room.