NOVEL NEXT C14
C14: Ledar Town
It had been several days since we left the village of Ledo. When we were almost out of food, the town of Ledar finally came into view.
“I can barely see………damn it, I can’t believe it’s so far away when it’s only an inch or so on the map…….Haaa, I’m really tired.”
“Sensei, your muscles are showing signs of fatigue. I suggest you rest.”
“No, I’m going to keep going. I’ll get lodging in town and then do some shopping. Brünnhilde, we’re going to have some good food today!”
“Sensei, my energy comes from sunlight, and I only consume food in emergencies.”
“Just go with me. It’s not natural for me to eat and you not to eat, right? It’s better if people don’t know you’re an android. It’s also important to act like a human.”
“I understand. Mode conversion. Solar system restricted. Switching to external energy ingestion mode.”
“………”
It’s kind of an exaggeration, but oh well.
I’ve been walking with Brünnhilde for the past few days, and I’ve come to understand something. Brünnhilde is an android, but she’s not completely emotionless. That’s all I need to know. If I teach her, she will learn. She should be able to behave like a human being. More importantly, the town of Ledar is right in front of us now. It’s been a while since I’ve slept in a bed.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
We arrived at the town of Ledar. There were no checkpoints, we simply bowed to the gate guards and entered the town. The town is of medium size, with brick houses and a variety of people on the street, including residents, children, and a group of stout adventurers.
To put it bluntly, it’s no different from the Kingdom of Ostrode, though on a smaller scale. The men of Ledo’s village said that all the inhabitants of Ostrode’s kingdom are magic soldiers or something like that——I still don’t think so.
A country is only possible with the existence of its people. If the magic soldiers are to perform the same activities as before they were born, they should be moved as they remember. Whatever they do, they will need money, and they will need to make money by distribution and commerce.
When war comes, they can be used as magic soldiers, young or old, male or female. And if there aren’t enough of them, they can be replenished. It’s a depressing thought, even though I’ve just entered the town.
“Okay, let’s change our mindset. Let’s get lodgings and eat first.”
“Yes, sir.”
“——and yes?”
Here I noticed glimpses of attention from the people around me, and———I was immediately convinced. Brünnhilde stood out like a sore thumb.
“Uh———well, you know.”
“Sensei, it seems that we are the center of attention but I don’t know why.”
“You figured it out pretty quick, didn’t you?”
“Does———sensei have a high performance sensor?”
“No way.”
The reason is simple, because Brünnhilde is pretty. Her beautifully shimmering silver hair, her overly toned goddess-like appearance, her sculpted body that looks like it was created by a god, and her warrior maiden armor that fits her body perfectly. The residents, as well as a party of what looked like adventurers, were glancing at her. Maybe they want to invite you to their party or something.
“Anyway, let’s get a place to stay and eat. Then we’ll shop.”
“Yes, sir. Sensei.”
Brünnhilde and I found a nice inn in the center of town and paid four silver coins for three nights. The room was on the third floor and was quite spacious, with two beds and a shower. I thought about taking a shower, but my hunger was getting the best of me, so I decided to eat first.
The first floor of the inn is also a cafeteria, and I ordered two of today’s recommended lunches, and a freshly grilled steak gozen-like dish was brought to me.
“Oh, that looks good.”
“Ingestion. Commence.”
“No, put your hands together and let’s eat.”
“Let’s eat with our hands together.”
“No, put your hands together. Remember that.”
“Yes, sensei.”
Brünnhilde’s knowledge is just data. She is not familiar with these commonplace things and common sense. That’s why, since I’m called “Sensei,” I have to teach her well.
Brünnhilde didn’t touch the food that was brought to her, but was watching my movements closely. Unaware of her gaze, I used a knife and fork to cut the meat and put it in my mouth.
“Yeah, it’s good. What’s up with——?”
“Got data. I’ve acquired the use of a knife and fork.”
“——You didn’t know how to use them?”
“Yes. Ingestion is for emergency energy. I’ve never had an emergency since Brünnhilde started moving. This is the first time I’ve eaten food.”
“———-”
I think I have a lot to teach you.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
After the meal, we went out to do some shopping. First of all, I had to sell my military uniform in order to get some funds. So I bought some shirts, pants, and underwear at a Western-style clothing store, and threw away the old underwear.
I tried to buy Brunnhilde some clothes, but she said, ‘I have no particular need for clothes. First of all, my body is not contaminated by waste products. And equipment can be converted into particles and stored in the internal unit. Any damage or stains will be automatically cleaned and reloaded, and it will be as good as new. Well, to sum it up, I don’t need it because I don’t get dirty.’
Our next stop was the armor shop. My goal, of course, was to see how much I could get for this military uniform. When I was in the Kingdom of Ostrode, they prepared all my equipment for me. There’s no way to calculate the price of this thing. I might get cheated, but if the price is high enough, I’ll sell it. I’ve lost a lot of money buying clothes and underwear.
We went to an armor shop in the center of town, not far from the inn. The store was spacious, with shields and armor lined up. It felt like another world. I went to the man who seemed to be the owner of the store at the reception counter with my military uniform in hand.
“Welcome. How may I help you?”
“I’d like to sell this, please.”
“Bring me the merchandise.”
“Yes.”
The armor shop uncle picked up the military uniform.
“————Hmm.”
“————”
“————”
Hey, what’s with the “hmm”?
I stared at the uncle in silence, and Brunnhilde stared at me in silence. After about three minutes the uncle said,
“Brother, where did you get this?”
“———”
“——Well, a guy who comes to a remote place like this. I’m sure there’s a thing or two you can’t tell me.”
No, I was just trying to think of an excuse, but his interpretation was favorable to me.
“As you can see, this thing has been enchanted with the magic of ‘stretchability’. The buttons are made of pure silver, and the fabric is made of first-class bullsheep body hair.”
“———–”
“This kind of magic can only be used by a C-level magician or higher. The only C-level sorcerers around here are the sorcerers of the Magical Lycée Kingdom.”
The Magical Kingdom of Lycée, it’s probably a kingdom ruled by one of the Seven Demon Lords. The map I received had only seven kingdoms written on it, so I’m pretty sure it’s one of them.
“So, how much are you willing to pay for it?”
“I don’t see many magic clothes like this. Let’s see——150 gold pieces.”
“One hundred and fifty.”
“——you’re not satisfied? How about 200?”
“——All right, let’s do it.”
“Hold on a second.”
The shopkeeper retreated to the back. He probably went to get some gold coins. Anyway——I was a little surprised and got 50 coins more. Then the owner brought out four cloth bags and a shoulder bag.
“Come on, it’s not cool not to have a bag. Take it.”
“Thank you very much.”
Sure, the clothes and underwear I bought are in my handbag, and I don’t have any luggage. I’ll take this shoulder bag gratefully.
“What are you going to do now, brother?”
“I’m going to——uh, the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“The Adventurer’s Guild——Are you going to be an adventurer, brother?”
“Yes, I need to earn money, and there are places I need to go. Also, as an adventurer traveling the world, I can get all kinds of information.”
“I see——That’s right, adventurers are perfect for that. Here’s my advice. When you become an adventurer, first of all, you should take requests together with senior adventurers. The adventurers in this town are all good guys, and they’ll be kind to you if you’re a beginner.”
The uncle smiled, he seemed like a nice guy.
“Thank you. Bye.”
“Be careful.”
I went outside with Brunnhilde, who didn’t speak at all until the end.
“Alright, I’ve got the money. Next, let’s go to the weapon shop to buy Brunnhilde a sword and go to the adventurer’s guild.”
“Yes, sensei.”
With a large sum of money in my hands, I was in high spirits. Walking through the streets of another world with the expressionless Brunnhilde. But——I was naive. I was an idiot.