Infinite Possibilities

"This orb will fetch a good price for you. Though it would have been better if we could bring in the body as well."

Apparently, panther orbs were in high demand, not due to rarity, but because of the elusive nature of the creatures. They were incredibly cautious, almost cowardly, fleeing at the slightest threat. Additionally, their clone abilities posed challenges in forest environments. While AoE (Area of Effect) attacks were effective, the user had to employ a magic element that didn't harm the forest. The dryads in the area would retaliate if the forest was damaged, after all.

Therefore, we were quite fortunate to have Airi, who could unleash AoE attacks with natural elements.

Dealing with creatures like panthers was challenging from the start, and our strategy was to eliminate them before their clone abilities activated. We didn't want to take any unnecessary risks this early. However, if we failed, Airi would step in to handle the situation. Thanks to this approach, we managed to secure an additional orb to sell. Oddly enough, the orbs from the clones didn't differ much from the real ones.

We set out in the afternoon and decided to return in the evening. After all, our venture into the forest was solely due to Ulvuna's invitation.

Upon arriving at the eastern gate, which didn't differ much in shape from the western one, Ulvuna waved her hand at one of the guards in the tower while shouting in a language I didn't understand. Shortly after, the gate opened.

Stepping inside, we were greeted by the bustling sights of various buildings, shops, and street stalls, all enthusiastically serving customers. It appeared that this east gate led to the market district.

"Jienor, is this the only village in Shadow Forest?" Keisei inquired, always eager to gather information. Ulvuna simply shrugged her shoulders without offering an answer.

It had been seven days since we arrived in this world, Ishtanmal. Much had transpired during that time—or perhaps not. Our activities primarily revolved around practicing self-defense and learning about this world in the village. We were still at the starting point of our journey.

Jienor, the name of this village, comprised three main districts with a population of over three thousand. There was the residential district in the west, the market district in the east, and the throne district located to the north. The residential district housed various types of houses, reflecting the diverse populace. The market district boasted an array of shops, and in the throne district, organizations called Guilds offered instruction in various skills such as magic, sword techniques, and hunting. It was also where Ulvuna's main military headquarters was situated. This place served as our training ground and the primary source of our knowledge about this world.

My train of thought was interrupted as we arrived at a two-story stone-walled building with a slate roof and a tiled mosaic floor. The yard surrounding the building was adorned with statues of mythical creatures. The shopkeeper, a short male half-elf named Gery Mynge, greeted us. Ulvuna entered the shop with her trademark carefree demeanor, her small leather pouch containing orbs slung over her shoulder.

The room was unremarkable, featuring seating along both walls and a counter at the center. Behind the counter was a half-door revealing various animal cuttings and hangings. I assumed Gery Mynge specialized in animal-related goods or services.

Ulvuna exchanged a few words with Gery for a brief moment before presenting the small pouch containing orbs to him. The short dark elf, who appeared as though he could fall asleep at any given moment, widened his eyes slightly at the sight of the pouch's contents. Excitedly, he chattered on about who knows what to Ulvuna, who seemed uninterested and lazily gestured toward us.

"They're the ones who killed it. Or, to be precise, that wizard girl there. She took down the panther and its clone at once with AoE magic," Ulvuna said, fixing her gaze on Airi.

"Oh? A wizard, you say?" Gery looked genuinely impressed.

Airi, in response, shrank back shyly under his scrutiny.

In this world, individuals possessing the talent to become a wizard were exceptionally rare. Once they emerged, they carried a formidable magical power within them, capable of mastering various forms of magic in this realm. However, even they had to progress gradually in their studies. Nevertheless, their infinite potential makes them formidable figures to be reckoned with.

"Can I have it?" Gery cut to the chase.

"Well, that's why we came here. But in exchange for money, of course," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, right. Money, huh?" Gery reached behind the counter and tossed a larger leather pouch towards me. I instinctively caught it and checked its contents. Inside were numerous round, thin, hard-to-the-touch objects.

'I always had this thought on the back of my mind but, where did they get it?'

"Silver coins, huh..." I mumbled.

"Indeed, 10 silver for each, making it 50 silver. How about that?" Gery confirmed.

The members of the Ayanokouji Group seemed surprised by the price.

"That's quite high, isn't it? The price, I mean," Akito exclaimed in shock.

Gery responded with a snort, "Not really. While the orb has several applications, such as the resistance cloak and the black katana that brown-haired boy over there has, the one you brought was mediocre at best. Possibly even lower."

Indeed, between the hilt of my sword, there was a black orb akin to the one Gery held. Similarly, my robe's collar at the back contained another one, explaining how I could deflect the panther's black lightning strikes.

"Such equipment offers convenient effects, but crafting them and acquiring the necessary materials is quite challenging, hence the high price. Also, hunting down panthers like the one you dealt with is no small feat due to territorial challenges. Still, there are materials far superior to these. Have you heard of the golden-horned hind? The horns from those creatures can fetch up to 5 gold."

Before I knew it, the pouch I was holding had vanished.

"Huh?"

"We'll take it," Haruka stated firmly, her hand now holding the pouch.

Since when did she take it from me?

While I was baffled, Ulvuna chimed in.

"You folks from the other world used to carry some strange items, right? Like cell phones or whatever. Just so you know, those can be sold too. I have a few eccentric acquaintances who love researching and developing such things."

"Cell phones, huh...? Unfortunately, none of us happened to be holding one when we were transported to this world," Keisei replied, adjusting the frame of his glasses.

"We've already got quite a lot of money to cover our poverty, so let's just fill our stomachs!" Haruka chimed in.

"Haruka, aren't you tired of constantly wearing full armor?" Akito asked curiously.

"Hm? No, I'm already used to it."

I had to admit I was impressed, although I still wondered how she managed to take the pouch without my noticing.

'Not that it really mattered.'

We bid farewell to Ulvuna and Gery and made our way towards a local street stall. After obtaining the silver coins, we had already spent over 30 of them. Ulvuna had informed us about the Guild's existence, and we had decided to register for our own good.

However, it came at a price: 1 silver. It might not seem like much, but that's how much it cost. For that single silver coin, we were only required to learn the basics over a period of 5 days. During those 5 days, we spent 250 copper coins for lodging and 150 copper more for breakfast and lunch. Daily necessities also consumed over 3 silver.

Following that, we had to buy our own equipment. Except for Keisei, who had been given his from the start, and Airi, who received a high-level wand directly from the Guild Master himself, we had to purchase everything. Airi also had to buy her clothes, costing 3 silver. Akito had been given a hunter's uniform from the Guild during training, but its lack of defense forced him to buy several leather armors, amounting to 5 silver. My set of robes with the black katana totaled 30 silver, and Haruka's full armor and her bastard sword cost a total of 50 silver. All in all, it added up to almost 100 silver.

Now, you might wonder, how were we able to afford all of this despite our lack of money? It's simple — we went into debt. Since this was another world, the way debts worked here differed from our own world. While the sun was no different from the one on Earth, the moon in this world had a dark blue hue that could be quite eerie, depending on how you looked at it. A year here was equal to 10 months and 318 days. A day here was 20 hours long, and the number of days per week remained the same as Earth. However, the number of weeks in a month here varied from 4 to 5 times.

I had been given 3 weeks to pay off my debt, while Haruka had 5 weeks. I made a down payment of 5 silver, leaving me with 14 silver to repay. Haruka had paid 10 silver down and owed 40 more. And all of this was incurred in a single morning.

"Ohhh, it's sooo delicious!" Haruka shouted excitedly, savoring the meat skewers in both hands. She had removed her helmet to eat, but the rest of her armor still adorned her body.

We had found a stall named Seredy on the street side of the market district. The name apparently meant 'deer' in the human language, and true to its name, the stall served a variety of deer meat dishes. We sat on small stools there, enjoying our well-deserved meal.

"Somehow, this isn't the isekai I expected..." Akito muttered quietly to no one in particular, skewers in hand.

"What were you expecting anyway?" Keisei replied as he blew the meat soup inside his bowl, or to be precise, his spoon.

"Drinking at the tavern, slaughtering humanoid monsters, and chatting with other adventurers in some sort of guild, maybe? But the fact is, we're already struggling enough to talk with ordinary citizens alone. You damn well knew how hard it is for us to try to find a shop we could visit to buy our daily needs."

"You're being too delusional there. Well, not that you're not wrong. We're having a hard time finding shopkeepers who speak the same language as us in the beginning. More than half of them were assisted by Ulvuna-san."

"I'll have a special dish, ma'am!" Haruka suddenly interrupted.

"Coming!"

The dark elf woman with the name of Nery became a little excited serving that one particular order.

"Make it two, ma'am," I said briefly.

Airi smiled wryly at the scene.