Chapter 15 - Chapter 14: Ninetiana 2
Several days had passed since I first spoke with Ninetiana.
During that time, I spent most of my abundant time talking with her.
I went to listen to her stories every day, and Ninetiana never made a displeased face; she would always entertain Mika.
It seemed Ninetiana had taken time off work to care for her newborn child, so she had plenty of free time.
(...In my previous world, they said raising children is incredibly difficult. But Ninetiana-san really seems so relaxed. What's the difference?)
When I went to listen to her stories, she was sometimes washing clothes by the well or doing other chores, but basically, she said, "Come anytime."
Sometimes she would tell me, "Keep an eye on this child for a moment," and leave, but she would return immediately, and it was never absolutely necessary for her to need my help.
So I asked if childcare wasn't difficult.
"It's not like that at all? Rather, I'm worried because I have nothing to do. It would be a help if you could be my conversation partner."
That was what she said.
Listening more closely, it seemed that living as an adventurer was the main reason.
First, the physical strength itself is different.
As an adventurer, I traveled through various lands, but the basic mode of travel was walking.
During expeditions, it was not uncommon to move for a full day and night without stopping.
There were some breaks, of course.
Ninetiana seemed to have been a "Scout," always walking at the front of the party, constantly wary of traps and ambushes.
And sometimes, battles would occur.
If a battle broke out, she would fall back temporarily so the front-line fighters could fight more easily, but as a mid-line fighter, she would move around to intimidate the enemy or cause confusion.
She had continued such a life for over ten years.
Ninetiana laughed, saying, "Night crying is easier than a night raid?" She was so robust that she was completely unhelpful as a reference.
And then, the very concept of housework and childcare is different.
In my original world, the cultural level was high, so perhaps the required standards for housework and childcare were too high?
The house was always clean and tidy, and perfect childcare was taken for granted.
If even a little bit of that was compromised, I would blame myself, "I must be more careful," which became stressful.
Even if no one else said anything, I would push myself, feeling "expected" to do better, feeling "blamed."
Everyone else is doing it properly, but I...
Well, there are probably people who blame others without understanding the difficulty of housework and childcare.
But, to put it bluntly, childcare in this world is more "careless."
It is taken for granted that newborns will die; it seems the infant survival rate is only about 50%.
This is influenced by the thin concept of hygiene and low medical standards in this area.
Although there is a cheat skill called [God's Miracle] in this world, it originally costs money.
Unless it's a wealthy family, ordinary families cannot use it so easily.
That 50% figure includes even those wealthy families.
It goes without saying that the survival rate for ordinary families is lower than that.
So, what kind of childcare would it be in such a world?
Of course, they raise them with care, but deep down, they are always prepared.
Prepared for them to die before growing up.
What is required of childcare in this world is simply to keep them from dying as much as possible.
A world where dying is unimaginable, where growing up is the norm, and where one seeks more than that... versus a world where even surviving depends on God.
If they are growing up healthily, that is enough to be grateful for; "What more could be needed?" is what they say.
Today, she said she would take the baby for a walk, so we came to the river together.
Ninetiana's child is a boy named Dur.
His eyebrow shape and mouth resemble Diego, while his eyes, nose, and ears resemble Ninetiana, but honestly, I couldn't tell much.
He is about six months old, so perhaps he won't have distinct features until a bit later.
Dur seemed to recognize me to some extent; when I peered into his face, he said "Ah" and patted my face with his hands.
(Does he already recognize faces? I have no childcare experience, so I have no idea.)
When we arrived at the riverbank, he seemed interested in the light reflecting on the water surface and was desperately reaching his hands toward the river.
(How do a baby's eyes work at this age? Is it okay to look at bright light?)
The light reflecting on the water surface was dazzling even to me.
Staring at it continuously would likely have a bad effect, regardless of age.
"It's a bit hot, shall we go under the bridge?"
When I pointed to the bridge, Ninetiana agreed, "Yes."
I don't know about UV rays, but I think enduring strong summer sunlight would be tough for a baby.
Under the bridge, the wind blowing from upstream passed through.
We sat facing each other on large stones, and the usual question session began.
Ninetiana really teaches me all sorts of things.
About the Kingdom of Ektrem where I am, about Rish Village within the domain of Baron Limpēre.
About adventurers, about the Adventurer's Guild, about towns and villages other than Rish Village.
Not just beastmen and monsters, but about other creatures as well.
Small villages like Rish Village don't have them, but if you go to a slightly larger town, there seems to be an Adventurer's Guild.
In large cities, the Adventurer's Guild buildings are large, and some even have attached taverns or standing-drink izakayas.
It seems there is a demand not for heavy drinking, but just for a drink when one is thirsty.
If you're thirsty, you should just drink water, but it seems there are quite a few adventurers who don't drink anything but alcohol.
Some even put alcohol in their water bags and go on monster hunts; it's astonishing.
(...Now I understand why Kifrod calls them thugs. They aren't just alcoholics, are they? And they carry swords, too?)
Since people whose heads are numb from alcohol carry weapons, to ordinary people, adventurers and thugs are probably not much different.
Moreover, adventurers should be used to fighting to some extent.
If someone got drunk and started picking a fight, you'd want to sigh, "What a day!"
"Are all adventurers drunkards? It must be full of trouble, like that."
When I asked that, Ninetiana gave a wry smile.
"There are just some adventurers like that. The majority are proper adventurers. The taverns inside the guild are mostly 'to celebrate the safe return of adventures'."
That was what she said.
It seems the standard pattern is to toast to successfully complete a request, finish the report to the guild, and then hold a celebration at an outside restaurant or tavern.
Also, adventurers who cause too much trouble seem to face penalties.
There are disciplinary actions like suspending request acceptance, fines, demotion, or expulsion, but in reality, it seems these aren't very effective.
"If you expel an adventurer who causes too much trouble, what do you think happens to that adventurer?"
"They'll probably act even more freely than before?"
Ninetiana nodded vigorously.
Anyone with the noble heart to say, "Since I was forced to quit being an adventurer, I'll work normally now," would never become an adventurer in the first place.
Thug-like adventurers would just become real thugs.
Such people are used to fighting and are aggressive; some even become notorious bounty targets as bandits or mountain robbers.
If you impose too strict a punishment, they might say, "Fine, I'll quit," and that would only push such people further.
Treat them too leniently, and they get arrogant; treat them too harshly, and they become bandits.
Adventurers are truly troublesome, I think.
"...If it's like that, the Adventurer's Guild's reputation would hit the ground. How can it still exist?"
"Oh my, why?"
According to Ninetiana, the responsibility of the Adventurer's Guild is accepting and issuing requests, and handling the payment and distribution of rewards.
There are many other details if you go into them, but what individual adventurers do has nothing to do with the guild's reputation.
Rather, if such adventurers handle requests carelessly, they are punished, and the guild reissues the request to other adventurers to ensure it is completed properly.
When reissuing a request, it seems the guild adds to the reward from its own funds or compensates for the requester's damages.
"That's impressive, that they can still exist like that."
Where does the funding come from for adding to rewards and compensating damages from their own pockets?
Do they have a main job or side business with ample funds?
When I was pondering, "Hmm...", Ninetiana looked at me with an exasperated expression, wondering what was bothering me.
After that, she also taught me about currency.
Mika, who doesn't receive pocket money, rarely sees money in daily life.
I have gone to shops on errands, but Amalia pays later.
Mika just goes to the shop, tells the shopkeeper what is needed, and receives it.
That's all there is to it.
In such a small village, everyone knows everyone's face.
At worst, everyone might be relatives.
"The unit of currency is Rats. There are six types: copper coins, large copper coins, silver coins, large silver coins, gold coins, and large gold coins, with values increasing tenfold in order."
"Yes. If you just grab something lightly at a stall, you can eat for about five copper coins. If you eat at a shop, you can get a meal for two or three large copper coins. Well, it depends on the shop. There are cheap places where you can eat for that much."
By the way, one copper coin is worth ten Rats, and there is no currency equivalent to one Rat.
It's hard to grasp the value with just this, but roughly, one copper coin is worth ten Rats, equivalent to about ten to fifteen Japanese yen.
If that's the case, the value of a large gold coin would be between one million and one and a half million yen. Do such currencies really circulate in the market?
No matter how you think about it, you can't imagine getting change from a stall if you pay with a large gold coin.
Is it a currency used only for high-value transactions, moving only between banks and large stores?
Or maybe there are money changers.
When I asked with such predictions, it seems large gold coins are indeed not common.
However, there are no money changers, but there are banks that handle deposits and exchanges.
"The value difference between gold coins and large gold coins is ten times, but is there a tenfold difference in size? Without a tenfold size difference, the value wouldn't match, right?"
"Large copper coins and large silver coins are the same, but the size difference is at most two sizes... maybe three times?"
"Then, if I melt down three gold coins to make a large gold coin, I'd make a huge profit, wouldn't I? Is that okay?"
When I said that, Ninetiana made a very uncomfortable expression.
"......Mika-kun, don't say that to anyone else? Even planning currency counterfeiting carries a sentence of over ten years of hard labor, and actually making them results in crucifixion."
"Eh!?"
I just voiced a thought, but it was a terrible crime.
I understood that counterfeiting and using currency was a serious crime, but sentencing ten years of hard labor just for planning it?
I don't know how much "planning" includes, but depending on the interpretation, it might be possible to be arrested immediately upon thinking of it.
What a terrifying law.
Isn't it a free-for-all for framing people?
"There isn't a tenfold difference in size, but the value difference is apparently around ten times. I don't know the details, but they look different in color."
It seems the composition differs between copper coins and large copper coins, silver coins and large silver coins, and gold coins and large gold coins.
This is clearly visible to the eye.
• Large copper coins are darker and have a whiter luster than copper coins.
• Large silver coins are whiter and have a bluer luster than silver coins.
• Large gold coins are redder and have a blacker luster than gold coins.
The "blacker luster" of large gold coins is very intriguing.
What does that mean?
I'd like to see the actual gold coins and large gold coins, but it seems I won't have the chance for a while.
After calming down, we returned to the topic of adventurers.
"Anyway, how does one become an adventurer? How did you become an adventurer, Ninetiana-san?"
"How? I just went to the Adventurer's Guild and registered."
"Isn't there anything required? Registration fees, or needing someone to introduce you?"
"No, not really. You go to the guild and say you want to register as an adventurer, and they do it immediately. If they have time, registration alone might take about five minutes."
"Just registration? Isn't that all there is to registration?"
When I said that, Ninetiana took out a card from inside her waist belt.
The card was connected to the waist belt by a chain so it wouldn't be lost.
"Explaining about the guild, explaining about the guild card, etc. Depending on the person, it takes different amounts of time to hear those."
"Guild Card!?"
Mika's gaze was fixed on the card she took out, and Ninetiana moved the card left and right mockingly.
Seeing her shiny eyes follow the card left and right, Ninetiana gave a wry smile.
"Does this interest you that much?"
Saying that, she handed the Guild Card to Mika.
Mika took the card, and a sound of admiration, "Ooh...", escaped him.
The card was silver, made of a material reminiscent of stainless steel.
It had scratches here and there, suggesting a certain age.
At the very top, it was written "Adventurer's Guild," and below that, Ninetiana's name, and in the rank section, "C" was written.
That was all that was written; there was no information like gender or date of birth.
It was very simple content.
"Are you Rank C, Ninetiana-san?"
"Yes. From C, you are considered a seasoned adventurer, a proper adventurer."
"Ho... What are the other ranks like?"
When I asked, Ninetiana explained simply.
"Everyone starts at F. If you complete a few simple requests there, you become E. E is like a beginner. Then you become D, but D is still considered half-baked. From D, dangerous requests start to increase, so if you train there, you can rise to Rank C."
"So, you train at D, and by the time you reach C, you become a proper adventurer?"
"Yes, yes. Rising from D to C is really difficult. After all, requests that can be completed by half-baked people are mixed with those requiring proper adventurer-level skills. Some people stay at Rank D for over ten years and still can't rise to C."
"Is it because they fail requests?"
"Yes. If you fail, it affects the judgment for promotion. Even if you have strengths and weaknesses, if you are going to rise to C, completing D-level requests should be a given. You can't rise to C until you are judged as such."
"That sounds like a truly strict path."
Rank D is a training ground for those who have just risen from the beginner Rank E until they are judged capable of handling Rank C, a proper adventurer.
If it were a simple point system, it might not be that strict, but since failures also affect it, careful request selection seems to be the key to promotion.
One needs to clearly grasp their own specialty and avoid requests they are not good at.
Or rather, cultivating the intuition for such request selection might be one of the goals of Rank D.
"What are the criteria for ranks above C? If C is a proper adventurer, then more is required above that, right?"
"B... There are many troublesome people there."
"Hai?"
Ninetiana made a bitter face.
It seems Rank B is full of veterans, old-timers, or adventurers with quirks.
Only adventurers who have been active for over ten years at Rank C can reach it, and they need a record of having achieved extremely difficult requests many times.
In an extreme case, even if the whole party is wiped out, they are survivors who have completed the request.
It seems only such tough adventurers exist there.
"That's... I'd rather not get involved if possible. Then, what about A?"
"I have no idea about the criteria for rising to A. But adventurers who become A are famous enough that you've heard their names even if you aren't adventurers. Before they even become A."
"So, only people who have been that active can become A?"
"That's right."
I don't know what kind of activity makes an adventurer known to the general public, but it seems they become Rank A in a form of retroactive approval for such adventurers.
(...Do they even defeat the Demon King?)
I don't know if they exist, but I couldn't think of anything less than defeating the Demon King.
Anyway, to summarize simply, the adventurer ranks are as follows:
• F Rank: Chicks. The starting line of adventurers.
• E Rank: Beginners.
• D Rank: Half-baked. A training ground. A dumping ground for the masses.
• C Rank: Proper adventurers. The thickest layer.
• B Rank: Veterans, old-timers. A collection of oddballs.
• A Rank: Super-class, heroes.
That's the gist of it.
Mika looked at the Guild Card again.
(It only says name and rank, but what if there are people with the same name? With just this, surely someone will try to "impersonate".)
As I thought and gazed at the card, there was one conspicuous spot.
A part of the edge of the card was bulging out, feeling as if almond chocolate was stuffed inside.
The back was similarly bulging, as if something like almond chocolate was really inside.
"Why is this bulging? Something seems to be inside."
"There's a magic stone inside there. I haven't checked it myself, but that's what they say."
"Hee..."
Shaking it made no sound, but it seems magic stones are embedded in the Guild Card.
Magic stones are what I was taught are characteristics of beastmen and monsters.
When I asked why they were embedded, she taught me about the card's functions.
"It seems to store information identifying me personally in the magic stone inside. So others can't use it freely."
"Oh, security is properly considered. Moreover, it's surprisingly high-tech."
According to Ninetiana, the security of this card is perfect, and "impersonation" is impossible.
At least, as far as she knows, such a thing has never happened; rather, because it is strictly limited to personal use, it sometimes causes trouble.
First, the user's mana is registered in this card.
I was told by Radi that everyone has mana, but the quality, or wavelength, of mana seems to be completely different for each person.
Is it like fingerprint or iris authentication?
Through this mana registration, the card becomes exclusively for the individual, and no one else can use it.
And this card is very multifunctional.
If quest rewards are pooled at the Adventurer's Guild, it seems possible to pay for purchases using this card.
There are other functions, but the most troublesome situation arises from this reward pooling function.
For example, a party takes on a quest.
Suppose the party leader dies for some reason during the quest.
If the quest is completed, the reward can be received by other party members.
But, if the quest failed? And what if the party's money was managed by the leader?
There would be no quest reward, and the money managed by the leader using the Guild Card could not be used.
Due to the death of just one leader, all party members would be left stranded.
Of course, there are relief measures.
Through tedious procedures, members of the same party can withdraw the pooled funds, but this takes a very long time.
If it could be withdrawn easily, there would be no meaning to strengthening security, so it seems the guild intentionally makes it take time and effort.
Therefore, the guild recommends managing party funds in at least two separate accounts, and if possible, instructs them to manage them separately among all members.
Even so, situations where the entire party is wiped out, except for one or two members, often occur, and it happens frequently that the surviving members have no money and suffer greatly.
(...It's a simple crisis management problem, right? Why does it turn out like this?)
Even after hearing Ninetiana's explanation, I couldn't understand the reason for such a situation at all.
"Wouldn't it be enough to distribute the reward among the members from the start? Even if the party's activity funds are managed by the leader, why do they suddenly run out of money?"
"......It is exactly as you say. If everyone could think like you, Mika-kun, they wouldn't be in such trouble."
Ninetiana gave a wry smile.
"There are quite a few adventurers like that. People who, when they have money, can't help but spend it. I was like that too, so I can't speak arrogantly..."
Ninetiana's eyes grew distant.
(...Ah, this. Ninetiana-san has definitely experienced this, absolutely.)
I couldn't help but look at Ninetiana's profile with a cold eye.
Ninetiana lifted Dur up to her face to escape that gaze.
Dur flapped his arms and legs, cheering happily.
"Mika-kun is really interested in adventurers, isn't he?"
Ninetiana said while soothing Dur.
"Yes. I know it's too early, but I am considering it as one of my future options."
"You're already thinking about that? It's still a long way off."
Ninetiana seemed impressed, but I felt she didn't agree much.
"...So you oppose it? It seems Father Kifrod opposes it too."
"As a priest, he would oppose it. It's a business where one deliberately sticks their head into danger. Moreover, adventurers can spread that danger. If a priest sees Mika-kun trying to go down that path, they would surely stop you."
Patting Dur's sleepy head, Ninetiana looked straight at Mika.
"My reason for opposing is the same. It's dangerous, after all, being an adventurer. I was lucky to survive, but if I continued, I might have been monster food somewhere by now. Honestly, I'm even surprised I'm still alive."
Saying that, Ninetiana stood up.
She would probably go home soon.
I walked alongside Ninetiana.
"Oh, I've already thought 'it's no use' more than once."
Saying that, she waved her hand in front of me.
"...Then, why do you teach me? About adventurers. About beastmen."
When I asked that, Ninetiana looked a bit troubled.
"I wonder why. At first, I thought I should warn you a bit. It's dangerous."
Saying that, Ninetiana gave a wry smile.
After the beastman attack, she felt that Mika, who suddenly started pestering Diego and began listening to the Vigilance Committee members, was in danger.
"But, they would rebel, right? Me and Diego were like that too; if adults just say 'no' without listening, they will surely hide and do something. After all, you can't make a child who can make such a face in front of the first Agu Bear they saw listen, even if you stop them."
Ninetiana seemed to remember that time and chuckled.
Mika, on the other hand, was inwardly shocked to be told he was similar to young Diego and Ninetiana.
(Huh? Am I that much of a brat? I do practice magic in secret, but... I'm quite shocked.)
I had a slight awareness that I didn't follow orders very well, but I didn't think it was that bad.
"When we first spoke, I was truly surprised. It's rude to say, but 'is there a child like this?' I thought then. I thought, 'If I don't guide this one properly, they will surely do something terrible.'"
Did I do something when we first spoke?
Rather, at that time, Ninetiana's unknowable nature left a stronger impression on me.
I had no recollection of doing anything wrong.
"You tried to go to Kotontesse alone and almost died. You weren't afraid of the first Agu Bear you saw. And now, you've started showing interest in beastmen."
Ninetiana said one by one, as if confirming.
"I thought, 'This might be a problem if left alone.' Don't you understand?"
(Grrroooooo... Here comes that again.)
Mika couldn't help but squat on the spot and hold his head.
Fainting on the road was a regrettable incident for Mika, but the shock it caused to others was not comparable.
Because of that one incident, it seems I jumped to the top of the list of "persons of interest who might do anything."
(Everyone... please forget that incident already...)
Mika looked up at Ninetiana with tears in his eyes, but Ninetiana just gave a wry smile.
It had been less than two months since Mika collapsed on the road.
The village adults couldn't possibly forget.
It seems people think Mika tried to go to Kotontesse because he was interested in the world outside the village.
And staring down the Agu Bear is thought to be because he admires adventurers, and he encouraged himself, thinking, "If I were an adventurer, I wouldn't be scared of beastmen."
In reality, I went to Kotontesse because I had just arrived in this world and didn't know about Rish Village.
I stared down the Agu Bear to protect my family, to ensure the single "Fireball" hit accurately.
I didn't go to Kotontesse or challenge the Agu Bear because I was interested in adventurers or beastmen.
Mika became interested in adventurers and beastmen after the beastman attack.
The facts are reversed.
But, whether it's a misunderstanding or not, if the reasoning is consistent, it's better to go along with it.
Regardless of the facts, there's no way I could tell the real reason anyway.
"Um... I won't do such a thing again. Will you teach me about adventurers again?"
I asked timidly.
"Yes, it's fine. But don't do such things again, okay? Promise."
Mika stood up and nodded firmly.