Whenever something hadn’t gone right, I’d told myself it would be okay. That was why my frustration curled into a smile, and my failures were a lesson. It was the same as the job interview. It was the same as Guiral’s interrogation. It was the same as any other droning on about my life. And so, in order to be a proper adult, I didn’t allow myself to lose face.

Qawasumi and I sat in the local bar housed within the Adventurers’ Guild. It’d been a few minutes since Guiral’s questioning and leaving that room; The employee from before had tried to console me but I dismissed her. There was no use in wallowing in pity. My sulking was only allowed in my thoughts. I just sat there with a blank face holding my composure. The rattle of metal trays and idle chatter distracted me from negative voices that bounced around my brain. There was no use to them.

A waiter came by, finally noticing our inert silence. “Have you decided on what to order yet?”

I lifted up my face, my busy mind trying to translate what her question meant. “W—”

Qawasumi raised her hand from the seat across from me. “Water for both of us, please.”

“Eh?” The waiter stepped back and turned his head to me. “Just water?”

“Yes…” My murmur soon trailed back into an enthusiastic one to ride along with Qawasumi’s order. “Yes, water.”

The person bowed and walked away. With how I did with Qawasumi watching, she knew how pathetic I was during the questioning. So I opted to stay on the bright side.

“Mister Kaizenji.”

“Yes?” I shot up quickly, as I racked myself for more words to use. “Very difficult, I think!”

“You can drop the act. Your face is just like my mother’s.” Qawasumi planted her head on her hand, looking away. “A face that doesn’t want anyone to know what they're thinking.”

“Face?... Mother?...”

“Tch. Nevermind.”

Qawasumi and I left soon after receiving the water. When they arrived in cups, I realized that it would be unwise to drink tap water from another world. Microbes, or whatever people called it whenever they went to other countries. She gave me another angry stare, but I didn’t want to risk spending a long time hugging whatever toilet was in this town. By this time, I had already decided something.

Even at Level 0, I wasn’t going to give up. If my level couldn’t be raised, then it just meant that my Max HP, DEF wouldn’t increase. Since the only stat that I could raise indefinitely was my Lingual Cognizance, focusing all my energy on that would prove more useful.

Qawasumi and I returned to the streets, where Otoko’d waited outside the Adventurers’ Guild. Leaning on the wall he got up and walked to us. His calm demeanor turned into worry as he glanced at our faces.

“Well…how’d it go?”

“...” I didn’t really know how to communicate in their language, so I shook my head. Qawasumi looked away and folded her arms.

“Does that mean—nevermind that, who examined you?”

“...”

Qawasumi stepped forward and answered for me. “Officer Guiral did, and he failed this man.”

Upon hearing that name Otoko’s skin went pale. He threw his arm around my shoulders while his eyes surveyed the junction around us. I noticed a red charm around his wrist, his fist digging a bit into my shoulder. What was he worried about? I tried to brush his hand off, to which Otoko released gently.

“Sorah?” Qawasumi tilted her head.

“Let’s head to a nearby residential district.” He eyed someone among the sea of pedestrians. The person in the crowd nodded and waved. Then Otoko, or ‘Sorah’, went ahead, gesturing for us to follow. “I’ve never seen someone be rejected from the Guild before, so we’ll head somewhere else for now.”

“Huh?! Why are we still helping him?”

“I won’t allow this lost man to fend for himself.”

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Meaningless gibberish entered my ears, since I couldn’t understand any of what they argued about. But the mere fact that everything seemed unfamiliar gave me a sense of ease. Maybe I could start anew in this world, and build my way up from zero. Sure, I wasn’t able to level up, but it was better than my mother’s cries of disapproval. To be away from her, my older brother who loathed me, and my current situation back ‘home’...just anything would be better than there.

The blue sky was void of skyscrapers and dull metal. As I looked around, a light breeze brushed my hair. Birds chirped and chased each other in the air, while laughter erupted from a nearby balcony. Even the highest buildings didn’t reach for the clouds, compared to the competing high-rises of the city. I started to think maybe staying in this world wasn’t so bad.

Sorah led us from the town center, and into the outskirts. I meant two, because from the looks of it, even Qawasumi didn’t know where he planned on going. Through the busy alleys and frolicking pedestrians I walked against the main crowd, heading further and further into less congested junctions.

Eventually the three of us neared a wooden stable just short of the town limits, where all it took was a walk down the hill and into the forest. Sorah’d just finished talking with another man, and soon approached the stable’s door. Pushing it open he urged me to enter. I headed inside.

“This is…” I held my breath to the coarse stench of the interior. Inside a few bales of hay laid about, while I couldn’t see anything else in the poorly-lit shelter. I didn’t hear any neigh of a horse or the snorting of livestock.

Turning around, Sorah faced me with a gentle expression. “Without increasing your level cap, it'll be hard for you to progress through the system. So we’re giving a temporary place to stay. Paying for this place here…I will support you.”

“Sorah—”

“It’s alright, Ruri. This isn’t on you. I’ll take responsibility.” He raised his hand to Qawasumi, before it fell to his side. His gaze returned to me. “This place may be free to you, but any income you must generate it yourself. Learn the local tongue here, and we’ll help you earn money without taking on quests. And then…”

My eyes widened. I couldn’t…understand a single word he’d said. The flurry of sentences left me lost and confused, and sweat dripped down my neck as I gave a nervous smile. Although as soon as he noticed, Sorah stopped talking.

“Learn language.” He motioned by pointing to his head, and then putting his hand to his mouth. “Learn hunting.” Sorah continued with the first motion along with the gesture of a bow and arrow. “Earn money.”

His hand made a circle with his thumb and index finger. I blinked. It seemed like a form of sign language? Pointing to one’s head…acquiring information. Hand to mouth…speech, talking, conversation. Gun—no, bow and arrow…shooting? As for the last one, I didn’t have a clue. The instant I made those connections, I felt a jolt in my head.

[System Announcement]

Lingual Cognizance UP

43 >>> 46

+3

Qawasumi leaned back and folded her arms. “Huh. Is he your younger brother now?”

“I’m doing it so he can understand. He’s a smart guy, so he knows what I mean.” Sorah chuckled and turned around. He balled his hand into a fist and pressed it to the side of his head. “Rest for today. We’ll be back in the evening.”

Just as quick as he talked Sorah left the stable, as Qawasumi watched him walk off. Her arms folded, she leaned towards me. “Tch. He’s always looking to help anyone. But if Sorah gets in trouble because of you, I won’t hesitate to turn you over to the Royal Marshal. Got it?”

“Uh…” I scratched my head. I really wished I knew the common language here. After seconds of silence, Qawasumi straightened her back and whirled around.

“...That’s right. You can’t understand what I’m saying. Whatever.” She stormed out and slammed the door.

Lowering my hands, I didn’t understand the deal with her. And why they’d let me stay here, in this lone stable. I guessed they’d done everything they could out of basic courtesy, despite the language barrier hindering our interactions. But were the people in this land nice enough to teach me these things?

Guiral—That man in the Adventurers’ Guild—had the exact opposite reaction compared to these two. Even the employee was shook when she set her eyes upon my stats. The mere fact I was Level 0…I concluded that my situation was abnormal, and the fact that I came from another world didn’t help.

I wandered around this shabby shelter, finding a mound of hay to sit on while I continued to ponder. If I wanted to survive in this world, then what benefit would raising my Lingual Cognizance give? A system that recorded your lexical power of language…there must’ve been a significance to it. I fell on my back and stared at the wooden ceiling. Lifting a hand up high, I guessed that the answers would tell with time. Those two adventurers were kind enough to try to assist me. I clenched my fist.

Everything would be okay.

A knock came from the door. A husky man’s voice sounded from outside, his silhouette outlined from the sun. “Salu. Is anyone here?”

Did they return already? The voice didn’t resemble Sorah. More muffled speech followed, as arguing with one another. I stood and grasped the hay beneath me. I didn’t know these people. If they found me here then I could be in trouble. So I tumbled into a corner stall and threw more hay over myself. The musty smell killed my nose while I held my mouth shut.

The voice grew louder, if not angrier. “This is the Royal Marshal. We are entering.”

The door creaked open, and three men walked in. While I couldn’t see, I tried to listen to their grunts and sighs. Their footsteps neared, sounding like solid boots clanking on marble. One of them whispered. “Any signs of the outworlder?”

“Non. He should’ve been easy to find…” His coat rustled in a frantic whirl. “Ce Diable des Apocryphes is a shifty being. Officer Guiral missed his chance of apprehending him at the Guild.”

“L'officier is cautious, of course. Still, even if it is his order, we run the risk of this country’s diplomatic relations by barging into random buildings…” Another distraught man muttered. They proceeded to bicker at each other endlessly.

From how they enunciated their words, it wasn’t the language I heard the rest of my time here. It wasn’t the local tongue, and I couldn’t pick up anything from their conversation. I continued to hold my breath with my hand on my mouth. I held it for so long that I didn’t know how much time passed. Still hiding under hay at the very corner of the stable, I just wanted those men to be gone.