Chapter 4: Chapter 3 - The First Quest and Durnica Town
We headed towards the Guild.
I looked back and saw Iris talking happily with Ace.
Geez, they should just get together.
Ace William, another one of those Main Protagonists that can't get a clue.
I don't despise all protagonists like that since some of them are needed to progress a story's romance.
But sometimes, the protagonists being a seriously idiotic blockhead is unbearable to watch, like the one from Infinite St-... Mm, never mind.
Anyway, we enter the Guild and there we saw two people ranting about something.
They had big bodies like the Platinum bastards earlier.
[Eh... You two, please stop it. It's troubling other Adventurers...] (Karmen)
[Hah?! Tell that to this idiot right here!] (?)
[The hell are you saying, bastard?! I'll beat you to hell!] (?)
They started fighting.
They punched each other and the crowd started cheering.
Ah, I remember this...
I also remember the events before this...
Iris and Ace were both citizens from Zanuck Town.
They've known each since childhood, then later entered the same Magic Academy.
They both aspired to be Adventurers so they headed here in Ilram Town after turning 16.
But on the way, Ace saw a Mythical Boar and tried to hunt it.
He told Iris to go on ahead.
They communicated using Message Orbs that works similar to phones.
But those were only a one-time use.
They're still convenient though.
Unfortunately, the carriage that Iris rode was headed to a different town, hence, her travel got delayed.
Ace reached Ilram a day before Iris.
I also remember clearly.
Ace will stop these guys, with force, of course.
[Um, hey fellow Adventurers. Could you please argue outside or something? You're bothering the people here.] (Ace)
[Oi, kid. Are you telling us what to do?!] (?)
[Get outta here. We're Gold-Ranked Adventurers, just so you know. Don't stick your nose here if you don't want to get hurt.] (?)
They continued fighting.
[Hey, you two, stop tha- Ah!] (Karmen)
Ah, Karmen-san got hit!
Those bastards!
That didn't happen in the series, what the hell?
Ugh, I feel like it's déjà vu...
They can't beat Ace though.
He grabs their clothes and stared at them with challenging eyes.
[I don't care what Rank you are. If you hurt innocent people with your pointless fight, I'll be stopping you by force.] (Ace)
[Shut up!!!] (?)
They both punched Ace in sync, but he stopped it with his hands with ease.
He grips their big wrists and slammed them onto the ground.
With that great force, he rendered them unable to move.
He doesn't hold back, does he?
[Geez, these guys...] (Ace)
[So coool...] (Iris)
I helped Karmen-san get up as I look at Iris's face of admiration.
My, my.
Nothing is more beautiful than a face of a maiden-in-love...
Ah, how romantic.
-Scene-Change-
The hooligans were brought to custody for their inappropriate behavior.
Man, there sure are a lot of cocky bastards around in this world.
Well, there're literally Super Powers and Magic.
If you're strong, it's easy to be cocky.
Karmen-san thanked us.
The crowd inside the Guild were talking about how strong Ace was.
Well, well.
With that scenario, he'll start to get popular, just like in the series.
[Ah, so Iris-san was also with you, that's good then. Well, then how about we proceed in choosing your Classes?] (Karmen)
[Y-Yes!] (Zero/Ace/Iris)
[First off, Iris-san. Your strength is below average which makes sense based on your physique but your M.ATK that values 300 and INT that values 120 are incredibly high. You'd be a great Sorceress. You don't need a Secondary Class since your Defensive Status are all average.] (Karmen)
[T-Then... I'll be a Sorceress!] (Iris)
[See for yourself then.] (Karmen)
Iris looks at her Guild Card.
Something changed; the 'None' text in the 'Class:' part started to morph.
Name: Iris Kinsley
Race: Human
Job: Adventurer
Class: Sorceress
Rank: Copper Status:
HP: 1000
MP: 100
P.ATK: 70
M.ATK: 300
SPD: 90
P.RES: 100
M.RES: 100
AGI: 90
INT: 120
LCK: 110
T.DMG: 10%
(At the back)
Skills:
- Fireball – Active – Level 1
- Magma Pool – Active – Level 2
- Water Jet – Active – Level 1
- Aqua Cutter – Active – Level 2
- Quicksand – Active – Level 1
- Stone Grip – Active – Level 2
- Gust – Active – Level 1
- Breeze Blow – Active – Level 2
- Blinding Ray – Active – Level 1
- Javelin of Light – Active – Level 2
- Night Pulse – Active – Level 1
- Javelin of Darkness – Active – Level 2
Titles:
- None
[Haaah! It worked! Yey!] (Iris)
Iris giggled in joy.
[Eh, nice work, Iris. Then, I guess it's my turn now.] (Ace)
Ho... Ace's turn, huh?
He has a good deal of both P.RES and M.RES.
On top of that, he has a ridiculous amount of P.ATK.
I know what he will choose.
[I... want to be a Cavalier-Guardian!] (Ace)
[Going with the meta, aren't we Ace-san?] (Karmen)
Even the word 'meta' is used so casually...
[Yes. There's no point in going for Classes that you can't handle... Well, the truth is... I really wanted to become a Cavalier since I was a kid so...] (Ace)
[Yeah, you've been telling me that ever since.] (Iris)
[How admirable. Now, I guess it's my turn to choose... It's not that of a big deal but I want to be an Assassin.] (Zero)
[Heh... I thought you'd go for Hunter or Speed Caster. It's still a great choice though.] (Ace)
[It's my first time being friends with an Assassin. It feels thrilling somehow.] (Iris)
Well, the word 'Assassin' sure sounds dangerous after all.
[With that, all of you are now Official Adventurers!] (Karmen)
The way this works is for the Registry Orb to 'hear' our voices, with the intention to choose a class.
You'll only be given one chance per year to change your Class...
But right now, I'm ecstatic.
This right here... is every Otaku's wet dream!
Fantasy World, Adventures...
Ah... I've been here for a while but it still gets me dumbfounded...
[Yey! We did it guys!] (Iris)
[Oh yeah!] (Zero/Ace)
[Say, Karmen-san. Can we go out and do a Quest now? Can we? Can we?!] (Ace)
[Can we take Bronze-Ranked immediately? Or maybe Diamond?!] (Zero)
[Eh?! Ah... Uhm...?] (Karmen)
[Hey, hey calm down guys. You're scaring Karmen-san, can't you see?] (Iris)
Oops. I lost my cool for a bit right there.
[W-Well, I'm thankful about Ace-san's help... and those Platinum Adventurers that you, Zero-san, said that caused trouble at Cathedral Insomnia, you were the one who beat them, right?] (Karmen)
[Eh?! Platinum?!] (Iris)
[As expected of Zero. Hm hm.] (Ace)
Ace nodded.
What?! I thought Lichtia-sama brainwashed everyone?!
[Brainwashed?! That's rude!] (Lichtia)
Maybe someone got out before she could do anything.
I don't know whether it's a good thing that the guy told Karmen-san, but since it's not really spreading, then I guess it's fine.
[Well, well. It's not that of a big deal, right?] (Zero)
[Anyway, I've witnessed your strengths first hand. Oh, I also know about the popular Star Student of the Zanuck Magic Academy, right, Iris-san?] (Karmen)
[Eh?!] (Iris)
Karmen-san looks at Iris with a wry smile.
[So, I'll try to put in a good word for my father about you so that I can fairly boost the difficulty of Quests available for you, if that's what you really want. Your party is extraordinary, after all. But boosting your Ranks without work is out of question though.] (Karmen)
[Really?! That'd be really great!] (Zero/Ace)
[Yeah. But for now, you can do Copper-Ranked Quests as a start.] (Karmen)
[We understand!] (Zero, Ace and Iris)
Ace and I are really excited about this.
I can see that Iris also feels good about the course of these events.
In the original series, it was just Ace asking those questions, but now I'm here.
Ace with his fighting abilities, Iris with 12 Skills right off the bat, and I, will be heading for a real battle!
Man, it feels great to live in a fantasy world.
...
[So... what Quest should we acquire... for our first time?] (Iris)
[This! Slaying the Evil Dragon King of Carnulia!] (Ace)
[Nah, this is better! Purging the Cryxalis Monster Empire's Syndicate!] (Zero)
[We can't! Those are Adamantium-Ranked Quests!!!] (Iris)
...
[Karmen-san, we'll take these.] (Iris)
Damn...
We kinda got carried away.
I mean, those cool Quests...
They're every (otaku) man's dream to explore.
Iris scolded us and picked out a Quest herself.
Man, even with me here, she still picked out the one she did in the original series...
The similarities of events never cease to amaze me.
[Subjugation of the Lizardmen Invading Durnica Town. This has been here for a while. This Quest is on the difficult end for Copper-Ranked Adventurers. It being Bronze-Ranked is actually on debate. It seems like the townspeople there are suffering quite a bit so they even raised the Reward to 20 Bronze coins. This is a good choice for strong beginners like you guys.] (Karmen)
20 Bronze coins?
That's 2000 Copper Coins.
[We understand. We'll do our best!] (Iris)
[Y-Yeeey...] (Zero/Ace)
[Hey, don't look so unmotivated now...] (Iris)
-Scene-Change-
We rented a carriage with a driver near his forties named Garret-san so that we can head to Durnica Town faster.
For some reason, the two entrusted me with their money since... I was the smartest?
A-Anyway, I checked our current budget.
With Iris joining us, we'll rent three rooms in total... though I know she wants to be in the same room as Ace...
It's weird that they trust me this much.
I just met them and they would be left with nothing if I try to run away...?
Is it because Ace is confident enough to catch me if I attempt to cross them?
So, Cathedral Insomnia being a first rate inn, costs 2 Bronze coins per night.
Local inns charge 50 Copper coins so it's pretty expensive in comparison.
Meals are included in the payment though, which still makes it a pretty good deal, if you ask me.
I have 90 Bronze coins since I've already paid my fee for 5 nights.
Ace has 40 Bronze coins since we've done the same thing.
Iris still has 50 Bronze coins since she still hasn't check in.
They said that they were given 50 Bronze coins each by their towns folks as a good luck gift, while my money was from Lichtia-sama which was a Silver coin.
The fee for this carriage is 20 Copper coins per person so I guess we're fine.
[We're almost there youngsters!] (Garret)
[Woah! That lake looks great! I'm gonna go up top.] (Ace)
Ace said as he went up to the roof of the carriage.
I sat near Iris and talked to her.
[Yo, Iris.] (Zero)
[Ah hi, Zero.] (Iris)
[So, has he noticed yet? Ace, that is.] (Zero)
[Ha-...Huh-...Eh?!] (Iris)
[Woah, look at that reaction. How cute!] (Zero)
[Dummy, don't say something like that, it's embarrassing... I-Is it that obvious?] (Iris)
[Oi, oi. Even Garret-san can tell.] (Zero)
[Oh yes, I can, Oujo-chan.] (Garret)
[No waaay...] (Iris)
Iris's said as she lowered her head along with her teary-eyed face.
Garret-san and I just smiled wryly while teasing her.
Oops. I feel like a jerk... but she's really easy to tease that it's quite amusing.
Geez, she's just like her...
Really... just like her-
[Uwaa-!] (Iris)
[Wa...!] (Zero)
[Oopsies. My bad youngsters, are you okay- Oh, I guess you are...] (Garret)
The wheel hit a stone.
Because of the impact, Iris fell onto my chest and I reflexively held her in my arms.
As the sudden events gradually became clear in my head-
[Hey, you two, are you alright...? Oh, getting close, aren't we? Ahaha!] (Ace)
[I-It was an accident!] (Zero/Iris)
[A-Are you a-alright, Iris?] (Zero)
[Ye-Yes! I'm alright!] (Iris)
We immediately separated ourselves from each other.
What the heck just happened...?
Damn, even pebbles on the side of the road can't be underestimated.
I put my hand in front of my chest as I sigh.
Eh...? Wuuut...?
My heart is beating like crazy.
Our faces were partially red.
Is this-... Am I-...
Nah, it's impossible.
There's no way...
That's it!
It's probably just embarrassment.
I don't fall in love that fast, and which such a cliché incident too...
And besides, the AceXIris Ship has been established and set in stone.
As one of the great shippers of their pairing, I don't intend to be an interference.
While I was spacing out, Iris suddenly moved her face close to mine.
[Zero, are you okay? Are you mad about what happened?] (Iris)
Too clooose!!!
Get away Iris, your face is too close!
Mad?
That's what I should be asking you!
Wait, why am I getting severely embarrassed?
I turned my gaze away from her concerned face...
[Ah- I-I'm okay Iris. Why sh-should I be mad? I'm not angry or anything... No need to worry.] (Zero)
[Then, there's no problem!] (Iris)
What kind of man would be mad about that?
She clasped her hands together and made a big smile.
Damn it... my heart won't stop beating abnormally...
[Oi, youngsters! We're gonna stop by for a while to eat lunch.] (Garret)
[Ahh, 'about time we eat.] (Ace)
[So this is Gonberg Highway.] (Iris)
'Highway', huh?
Wouldn't pathway be more appropriate since it's not even a cemented road?
I'm finding the usage of these terms from my world a bit too excessive, which is certainly weird.
In the original Light Novel series, this was called Gonberg Road.
It's just a small difference so whatever, I guess.
[Yeah, I always stop by here to grab some lunch whenever I go to Durnica... but since the town was overrun by Lizardmen, travels have been a lot more dangerous in many other ways... So, I was really happy when Karmen said you guys would help.] (Garret)
Lizardmen are sentient beings as well, but they only colonize in Tribes, not Kingdoms, so invasions from them won't reach the scale of an all-out War.
[Yes. We're glad to be of assistance.] (Zero)
[I'm grateful. Now, what do you youngsters want for lunch? I'll gladly hunt it for you.] (Garret)
Garret-san said with a smile that gave us some feeling of ease and reliability.
[Woah... So cool... As expected of a former Hunter...] (Ace)
[In these regions, I think Cream Cows and Wheat Boars are the best choice.] (Iris)
[Ah, those two, huh? Great choice Oujo-chan. I need someone to help me carry stuff though.] (Garret)
[I-] (Zero)
[I'll go! I'll go! I wanna hunt some monsters!] (Ace)
[Oh? Are you sure...? Don't you wanna stay?] (Garret)
Garret-san looked at me with concerned eyes.
Iris, who was setting up the firewood suddenly had a slightly lonely expression.
I just let out a 'whatever' sigh regarding Ace's romantic stupidity...
[Am I no good...?] (Ace)
[Ah-! No, no. Let's go then. Zero-kun and Iris-chan will set up the place.] (Garret)
Garret-san just laughed bitterly while scratching his head.
Ace, who was very excited, followed him while humming happily.
...
[Are you okay, Iris?] (Zero)
[Hm...? Yeah, I'm fine...] (Iris)
[Well, it looked like you really wanted that chance to be alone with Ace... My bad... If only I spoke up sooner...] (Zero)
[A-Ahh!! That's not what I meant by my behavior! I apologize! Being with Zero puts me at ease as well... even though we just met...] (Iris)
[Eh... You're right, we just met... Ah, I know. How about I tell you a story about myself?] (Zero)
[R-Really? Then, please, I would like to know more about Zero.] (Iris)
[Well, we've known each other for just a few hours so getting familiar would be a nice idea. I'll be your comrade from now on, after all...] (Zero)
I feel like I want to be really close to Iris.
I want to root for her.
I have to earn 100% of their trust so that they'll treat me as a real comrade.
Well, it's not long before we meet a new character though...
[Ever since childhood, I was always this normal kid that never stood out in any way. There was this girl that I fell in love with, but I always thought that I wasn't good enough for her. That's why, I made myself think that what I feel was just friendship rather than love. 'I deceived my own heart.' But by the time that I realized my true feelings for her, it was already too late...] (Zero)
[Huhu... *Sobs*] (Iris)
[Wha-?! Iris, why are you crying?] (Zero)
[Be-Because... it's so s-sad... *Sobs*] (Iris)
[Oi, oi. Don't cry like that. It's making me feel embarrassed. *Sigh*... As I was saying, that's why I think you, Iris, shouldn't give up until the very end.] (Zero)
I wiped her tears with my hands.
She looked at me with her seemingly pinkish face...
[Where is she now? Didn't you tell me not to give up until the end, so how can you say it's too late?] (Iris)
[Uhh... She... She died...] (Zero)
I see her face whenever I close my eyes.
So I open them to escape from the pain.
But now that you're here, Iris, I feel like she's right in front me, once again.
...
I remember her words.
Those last words that I knew about but chose to neglect...
It hurts... It hurts... I'm the worst...
I want to die-!
[Haaah...! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being so insensitive...!] (Iris)
[-!] (Zero)
I was almost lost in the despair brought by those memories...
Damn it.
But it's okay.
Everything's different now.
[Ah, no. It's okay... But you know, you're quite like her.] (Zero)
[Just like me?] (Iris)
[You look really similar. Your attitudes are the same. The way you deal with things are also the same... Geez, the only things that I can differentiate between you two are the color of your hairs.] (Zero)
[Really? I'm honored to be of the same league as the woman you once loved... I wonder how Ace sees me...] (Iris)
Woah.
We just met, but she respects me this much?
Is it just courtesy?
No, Iris isn't like that...
Well, she happened to hear the about the Platinum-Ranked Adventurers I beat, so I guess...?
[I'm sure he thinks of you as a woman. He's lucky enough to be childhood friends with a beautiful maiden like you. You'll be fine.] (Zero)
[I-Is that so? Thanks, Zero. But you know, Ace is too much of a blockhead when it comes to these things.] (Iris)
[Let me guess. His mind is so focused on his adventures, specifically, the ultimate goal of every Adventurer to defeat the Demon Lord! Well, you knew you couldn't stop him from going, so you chose to go with him instead, am I right? And besides, being an Adventurer is your dream as well, if I were to guess.] (Zero)
[Geh- C-Can you actually read minds?!] (Iris)
[Oi, oi, that's not it. But just by being with him for a little bit, you'd know. Well, as we go on further with our adventures, I'm sure Ace will become popular, and you know what that means, right? You'll have a lot of romantic rivals.] (Zero)
[Oh! You're right! You really think far ahead, Zero. Alright, I won't lose~! G-mumumu...!] (Iris)
Wow, her eyes are burning with passion.
How admirable.
But for some reason, I feel envious of Ace.
Well, who wouldn't right?
Meh, I'm sure it's just one of those impulsive reactions of men getting jealous of other men since I don't have any special feelings for Iris.
Haha, damn, when did I become like my old friends.
Haa... recalling those three, I reminisce about my past life.
I wonder how everyone's doing...
I hope everyone's doing alright.
I'm especially indebted to Hajime-aniki (Minami's older brother).
He was a really nice big brother... but I rejected him until the end.
I'm pathetic.
...
[Heeey! We're back!] (Ace)
[Well, well... This kid went all out. We're gonna have a feast for lunch.] (Garret)
[Oh! Welcome back!] (Iris)
[We just finished preparing. It's really convenient with Iris's magic.] (Zero)
Cream Cows, Wheat Boars, Boars and a Male Antlerless Deer, huh.
Cream Cows are known for the sweet creams that they produce from their udders, similar to that of a condensed milk.
Wheat Boars aren't exactly how they sound like.
They're just currently found in forest edges or plains.
They are known for the amount of carbohydrates that almost matches the amount of protein found in their meat.
Boars are regular boars.
Antlerless Male Deers are one of the rarest wild animal that can be found in this world, apparently.
The meat they give is renowned for being one the highest quality, in terms of taste, texture and variety of uses.
Hmm, the data books written by Akuma-sensei is really helpful.
I never thought that those information would be of use for me.
In the orignal series, only Garret-san hunted the animals so the amount of loot was limited.
But here, more stuff were brought back.
I wonder what Garret has in stall for us, I'm excited.
-Scene-Change-
[Woooaaah!] (Zero/Ace)
[It looks tasty~.] (Iris)
We gulped down the said goods.
It was extremely delicious.
The meat meals, similar to that of 'don' dishes was tasty as hell.
More to that, the dessert that looked similar to vanilla ice cream was refreshingly sweet!
Bless this world for Cream Cows.
Garret-san should be a chef!
He'd make money, big time.
The quality of the meal is almost as good as the Chef of Cathedral Insomnia despite only using near-primitive equipment for cooking.
Truly impressive.
We can all see the bloom in each other's faces as we eat.
...
[Thanks for the meal!] (Zero/Ace/Iris/Garret)
[Oh, Iris, you've got a stain on your cheek.] (Ace)
Ace holds Iris's cheek gently as he wiped the stain.
She immediately turned red.
But to her surprise, Ace licked his finger with the stain.
Iris became more embarrassed.
[Wh-What are you doing, Ace?!] (Iris)
[Eh...? Didn't granpa tell us to finish every last bit of food?] (Ace)
[But-!] (Iris)
[And besides, it tasted more delicious coming from your cheek.] (Ace)
With an innocent smile, Ace finished his combo.
Woah! Iris is steaming!
She's too red, it might be a fever already.
She looked at me with pleading eyes saying; 'My Heart Can't Take This' while I replied with a thumbs up and a smile saying 'You Can Do It!'.
But man, Ace wasn't as smooth as this in the original series.
I guess some events and character development won't go the same way they used to be with me here.
I hope it turns out for the better though...
Ha! Maybe I'm the key to their ship or something?
Maybe I'll be a wingman for Ace?
C-Calm down Romanticist-Otaku-Me...
[Haaa-hahaha! It's so good to be young, doesn't it?] (Garret)
The three of us just replied with light laugh and proceeded to pack up.
We must hurry since the citizens of Durnica Town must be suffering from the losses caused by the invasion.
As far as I remember, it was a month since the scouts appeared.
There were no current casualties and the townspeople decided to evacuate...
Then... 'that' happened.
-Scene-Change-
[Ah! I can see it! That's Durnica Town, right?] (Ace)
[Yeah, that's it. Get ready youngsters. The Lizardmen might attack us anytime.] (Garret)
Iris and I nodded from inside the carriage while Ace stood up in the roof.
I'm the one who was transferred from another world, but a native settler such as Ace is even more excited than me, what a weird person I am...
I'm a disgrace to all otakus.
[Uhh... Why doesn't the Kingdom's Royal Knight's Order take care of this? Isn't Durnica a part of their territory? Protecting them is common sense, right?] (Zero)
[Ah, I agree. I don't know what the King is thinking. The citizens begged for help but nothing came. So they had no choice but to send Requests to the Guild.] (Garret)
I pretended to be ingenuous, but I know exactly what's going on.
The King is a very kind man and a very wise ruler, at that.
The problem is his General.
Not long from this point, a coup against the King will occur.
Ace will manage to save him somehow, but it still made me feel uneasy.
A coup d'etat organized by bad guys always give you that ominous feeling.
*Wooosh...!*
[Hya-?!] (Iris)
[Guh-! Phew... it's okay, Iris. I got it] (Zero)
An arrow suddenly flew out of nowhere.
I managed to catch it with my hand just before it hits Iris.
I'm glad I saved her.
These inhuman reflexes are really convenient.
The carriage suddenly shook as Ace jumped down.
Iris peeked outside as I find the archer.
[Yooou bastaaards!] (Ace)
Ace took on about 20 Lizardmen with many more behind them.
Woah, look at their sizes.
They're slightly taller than humans with a pretty big build, just as I expected.
Their scales look really hard too.
[Oi, oi. Are these guys really for Copper-Ranked Adventurers?] (Garret)
Garret-san, the answer is a big 'no'.
If I remember correctly, just as we reach Durnica, a notice will be sent to the Guild implying that the Lizardmen Subjugation will be moved to Gold, or even Platinum-Ranked.
This was due to the exponential increase of Lizardmen sent to invade.
Seems like the situation is about to get seemingly rougher...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone