It’s been a day since me, Aria, and Kiku left the capital. We picked up some supplies and rather unsurprisingly, I got given porter duty...

I can't complain horribly though. I still have no battle ability to speak of. My Etranger bonus is also making me stronger and fitter and more able to perform the menial labour in any case. It strangely doesn't tire me much even carrying this big rucksack.

Perhaps not surprisingly; Aria and Kiku also didn't take long to hit it off since they're both weapon swinging muscle-heads at heart. Of course, this means shy (?) Kiku is even more wary of me now since Aria has been gossiping about my antics with her. Ah well.

My simple plan, unchanged for the moment, is for us to move towards a place where there will be fighting, and observe this until I am comfortable. Also, kill-stealing where possible.

We actually explained my predicament of skill-less-ness to Kiku in a strategy meeting and she outright laughed so hard she was crying and banging the desk.

She eventually calmed down though and immediately suggested we go see one of the so called Seven Sages who on some random whims would teach people magic really quickly. Kiku explained it was usually a desperation move for magician adventurers with no proper master to learn from or no time to do so, but it sounded like a good idea given my situation.

The seven sages, in this context, were not just McGuffins for opening a castle with ominous piano music; but actually really venerable humans living directly in ancient towers built on prana ley lines and conducting magical research. Typical bloody wizards, in other words.

Kiku initially suggested a route including the Fire Sage, Tarrant, as being generally the most visited, and also the most amiable besides his riddles and pranks, but he was also the furthest away; and seriously inland, away from the demon front lines. The round trip would be too long so that was vetoed.

The only one on the way east to frontlines was the reclusive Thunder Sage. No one had seen them for years, so it was a bit of crap shoot; but we could do this on the way to a relatively safe place to fight and train, ominously called the Meadow of Lost Souls. I hope it’s not inhabited by flaming skulls because I sure as heck didn’t bring my chain-gun, or even a plushy doomguy to throw at them.

Well… worst case, be it refused entry or a stubborn old man, we gain nothing from the tower and just move on with little wasted time. Best case, we train on magic creatures there and get some instructions from a nice happy Jii-san about lightning magic. I can totally deal with that; though I'm sure Indignation costs more than a few skill points.

We've actually climbed quite high now. The capital looks majestic as ever behind us, sitting pretty on its peninsula. Though I guess it’s rather disconcerting, thinking that this seaside city could be under siege in under two years. Though I've seen some dodgy maps of this land, I still don't quite have a full understanding of the distances involved here, and I wonder just how far the border is.

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The hill is forested in stumpy fig trees; or something similar, and the whole area has a Mediterranean feel to it. Kiku has been occasionally picking peculiar fruits from these trees as we go along. They look almost like fat cartoony lightning bolts; yellow in colour. This, I think, was a milestone for me more than anything else so far in drilling it into my thick skull that this wasn't my home.

"What are the fruits for, Kiku?" I ask as she skewers another with her sword from a low branch.

She turns around with a cocked head.

"Um... you've not eaten mizris before?"

I shake my head.

"Oh... hum... it is very useful. It gives nice sharp flavour in soup. Makes tasty, zingy yellow jam or sauce when squished with sweet vanto nuts or sap from the yivenbark. Okay in salad too."

"I see. A citrus, like a lemon, then. I thought so."

"Sitt russ? Remm onn? What is that?"

"Ah, yes, fruits that are sour and juicy and grow in warm places are called citrus in my world. There are lemons, limes, oranges, and probably others I forgot."

Kiku looks like she’s suddenly charging her laser and will explode in five seconds.

"That... that’s frickin' amazing! You need to tell me about these damn fruits!"

Oh boy; thought so. Rowdy Kiku came out again. Seems she can really talk about food. That mysterious pro-chef skill she has isn't just a random bonus from her blade handling after all, eh?

"Ah... I didn't think about it before. Of course... an Etranger would have tasted weird things." She mutters to herself.

"Um... I want to hear about tasty things from your world!"

She has stopped and her eyes have lit up. I swear she should be drooling at me. I'm sure I'd be aroused seeing this pleading girls eyes like this if I didn't have the context here. Aria is looking between us like watching a tennis match, with a bemused expression.

Suddenly; Kiku snaps out of her reverie; and in a beautiful motion, draws and throws a short sword like a throwing knife. It whistles past my ear and shaves a few years off my life.

"WREEEEEEEE!" Is suddenly heard along with a slick ‘thunk’ noise.

Aria has also reacted by the time I notice, and has covered ten metres in an instant to the left to impale a small goblin-like creature that is mostly teeth up against a different tree.

"These damn fucking tree pygmies! Know your damn plate-I mean place! I wanted to talk about fruits... but now it will have to pissing wait." Kiku swears as she draws two more swords in a mighty 'shing'.

I almost fall on my ass in shock. I guess it’s the first moment of truth.