<Message from the translator:> This chapter was left at 75% done for the longest time while I was dog-sitting. It didn’t help that this chapter was a whole 15 pages either. But, now it’s up and ready, so enjoy~!
Chapter 11: First Battle in Another World
“L-look… Do you think it is a map…!”
Inside the study, I unintentionally raised my voice as I stared at this piece of paper.
“Hey, Gol! Goltarou, look at this! It’s a map!”
I turned to look at Goltarou who was supposed to be standing behind…Woah, your face is close!
For some reason, it seemed that he’d been closing the distance between us since that incident in the hole underneath the white pillar.
——————
The investigation of the hole didn’t produce any particularly new or beneficial information.
However, in the end, it did give me that last push to finally decide to leave the basin. So, I guess it technically did lead me to find new information.
After we left the hole, we held a burial for the skeleton nearby.
I thought about it for some time, but I decided that we would use the site of the [Create Pebble] disaster, which was also the area where I planted all those cranberry apple seeds.
That place was originally quite bright and had good air circulation. But the most important reason was that in the future, this land would become an orchard filled with the glorious cranberry apples. When that happens, I’m sure the body wouldn’t feel lonely anymore.
In any case, with this, I have discovered the first definitive victim of the spell [Summon the Sorcerer King of Destruction] besides myself.
The shock this gave me was unimaginably heavy.
Until that moment, I had believed I was the only victim in this situation.
That was why this revelation completely wiped away the impression I had that the summoner Luvel Zairein was incompetent as he died trying to summon a demon king.
…No, if I truly meant this, then that would mean somewhere deep in my heart, I held some kind of sympathy towards this bastard.
But, I needed to revise my conception; the man was a murderer.
The next day, I did another thorough search through the desk with the magic array-looking scribble on it.
To tell you the truth, among all the stuff in the study, I had left this one alone.
None of the documents left on top of it were legible to me. From the looks of them, they appeared to be on a level higher than everything else in the room.
Stuff like the formulas written in technical books looked like rows of characters to me. Nevertheless, there were still portions that I could vaguely make out and comprehend. That was how I could tell that these documents Luvel Zairein left on this desk were on a different level.
However, I was currently deciphering my second volume of “Introduction to Wizardry” in hopes of coming across any new information about the [Summon the Sorcerer King] spell.
In the end, I couldn’t procure any new knowledge about the summoning spell.
This may be over my head.
Also, I’ve been feeling like the number of holes popping up in my translation ability had been increasing as of late. To be honest, this was a miscalculation.
Well, duh. No matter how much knowledge I could get from these two volumes, they were only introductory books…
But, in the process of discovering all of this, I ended up uncovering the locked drawer of the desk, and that was where I discovered the map.
By the way, the lock on the drawer seemed sturdy, but Goltarou had pried both it and the whole drawer as easily as crushing a piece of tofu…
——————
Inside the room that resembled a dining room in the hidden house, I looked over the map with a porcelain cup of boiled water in one hand.
Sigh, I want some coffee… But that would be a luxury.
By the way, Goltarou had boiled this water for me.
He’s already taking care of all the simple cooking.
There does appear to be an upper limit to the precision work his fingers can do, but to tell you the truth, there wasn’t much need for that given my current food situation. At most, he would need to cut up the ingredients, boil some water, and start up a small fire.
Speaking of which, Goltarou, it’s scary how perfect you are.
He’s really good at picking up stuff. Rather, there would be times when he would know stuff that I was unaware of.
For example, when Goltarou washed my clothes in a bucket, he used soap. It looked like a beige brick, and its scent was so unique that I didn’t think of it as soap. That was why I hadn’t used it whenever I did laundry. However, Goltarou used this brick right from the start.
I was at a complete loss on how this guy knew of the soap’s existence, but golems are amazing, aren’t they…
Additionally, he cares for me so gallantly that I actually feel bad for him.
Goltarou, are you my wife…!?
This cup of boiled water prepared for me by the gentleman and butler, Goltarou—I shall drink it in a single gulp!
My gaze was fixed on a single point on the map.
“It’s a bit difficult to gauge, seeing how I don’t know the distance, but… I think we should head to the closest settlement, here: Samari.”
I muttered as I stared at the word ‘Samari’ on the map, assuming that it must indicate a location.
The map I had discovered in the desk was rather simple enough that someone like me who only understood letters could comprehend its contents. Though I couldn’t understand the meaning behind the unique topographical notations and marks written, I don’t think there should be a problem as long as I could walk there and see for myself.
I had already discerned that the only red mark on this map must indicate my current location. The handwritten letters said “3-24: Shell Basin – Final Candidate Site,” so this was probably it.
I looked at the arrangement of geographic features and guessed that this wasn’t a world map but a rather large-scaled map of a section. The rivers and stuff were drawn rather wide.
Plus, there doesn’t seem to be any oceans drawn. Does this mean that this area was quite inland? I was completely under the impression that this was near the coast, seeing how the warm temperature remained even at night…
In any case, as long as I make it to the settlement, I should be able to procure the necessary supplies depending on the situation, though actually ensuring enough to live was less clear.
I had money.
Or rather, it fell together with the map out of the drawer Goltarou broke.
There was a bundle of bills and a bunch of coins, although I didn’t know their value.
However, going by Luvel Zairein’s rather high social status, they should be worth a good amount. This could just be wishful thinking, though.
Oh, this may be unsettling info, but these bills had the flashy letters “Selvei Scrip” written on them.
I know that the accuracy of my translation ability was vague, but to tell you the truth, I had a bad feeling about them. This probably wasn’t the national currency. When I hear the word ‘scrip,’ I think of the currency distributed only within the local feudal land back in the Edo period[1]. I remember that their value was easily inflated due to their nature as a currency backed by the government’s finances. Under normal circumstances, they would be a paper bill with a varying range in terms of monetary value. Depending on how much of a time lag existed from Zairein’s death to my summoning, these could very much be just scraps of paper by now…
I returned my gaze from the bag containing money on the table back to the map again.
If I leave my current location at the basin and head south, I should be able to hit the road spanning east to west. From the looks of it, it should be big and hard to miss.
And once I get on that road and head west, I should be directed towards my destination of the village of Samari.
As such, I should aim for this.
Ah, by the way, there appeared to be an establishment called a ‘basilica’ along the way.
From the sound of it, I assume its some kind of religious facility. Without getting my hopes too high, I considered the possibility of treating this as a rest stop and hoped to replenish my supplies there.
After all, I had nothing else to go by. To be blunt, it was uncertain that this basilica would have people, unlike an actual settlement. If this place was like a temple or church, then I would appreciate it if they would accept and house us as refugees.
In any case, if I have a map, I can make it.
Up until now, I was in the dark. This map provided me a huge hope of leaving the basin.
Let’s prepare for our journey!
Even though there was enough food left, it wasn’t limitless. It wasn’t clear how many days it would take us to reach the settlement.
I wanted to leave while there was still enough.
I’ll let you in on a secret: I already had a plan to clear the cliff.
That was [Create Pebble].
Yes, the wide area-of-effect destructive spell forbidden to beginners that created the 10 meter-large pebble(?).
I would use that spell against the cliff.
At the very least, this spell wouldn’t cause earth to be splattered all over the area like the Mentos Geyser phenomenon created by [Open Sesame]. [Create Pebble] would just condense grains of dirt into a pebble(?).
Therefore, if I were to create one using the cliff as material, I could avoid getting caught up in its destruction as the spellcaster.
In the first place, the height of the cliff surrounding the basin was roughly 10 meters, and the size of the stone ball I can create with the spell would definitely be much bigger than that.
While the cliff’s thickness was unclear, I’m sure that in theory, as long as I can get several smashes in, I can shave off portions and create a way outside.
I don’t know the range of the spell, or in other words, how far away can I be until I can’t create anymore until I actually test it out.
I intend to first test it from a safe distance away.
——————
After that, I spent four days preparing.
I went through the items in the storeroom and selected foods I believed were nonperishable, as well as blankets and clothing.
Oh, and books, of course. I brought with me the introductory books I always mention as well as several other volumes of technical books that I thought could be used to exchange for money.
I took some viable items from the drawers in the closet.
But that wasn’t saying much as most of the items there weren’t of much use. What I did bring included an old rope, a big piece of cloth, wooden tableware, and such.
Ah, I should probably bring something that can hold water.
Given the climate of the area, there were probably places scattered about where I can procure water…
I had used some wood and rope to tie together a simple basket to be carried on the back and I stuffed all the items into it.
It ended up being needlessly big and the construction of it was crude and heavy, so it ended up being too much for a person to carry on the back. However, I had Goltarou hold it for me. Problem solved.
To tell you the truth, a majority of those four days were spent on creating this basket.
Including gathering the needed materials, it took me more than two whole days.
After all, I had no experience as a do-it-yourselfer. However, as surprising as this sounds, Goltarou, who up until this moment had managed to master chores and cooking without being taught, had no idea who to make a basket.
Due to the shortage of materials, it was a real struggle to ensure the basket’s strength.
But, in the end, the two of us struggled and completed it.
With this, the bond between Goltarou and me increased.
That’s right. Working together on construction is how the hot friendship between men is deepened.
On the 5th morning, I finally stood outside the house.
For my outfit, I had on the clothes and shoes taken from the hidden house.
There was fundamentally no problem with the size of these clothes. The feel of them wasn’t bad at all. There was some excess in the hem, but I could probably easily get that tailored when I reach the settlement.
Honestly speaking, I was super against wearing Zairein’s old underwear in the beginning. However, as if sensing my anguish, the kind-hearted Goltarou washed them over and over again ever so diligently.
Just the sincerity alone was enough for me.
Thank you, Goltarou. I’m fine now. There’s nothing else.
After all, these were no longer Zairein’s underwear. They were brand new, washed by you.
On top of my outfit, I wore a new and needlessly expensive-looking robe.
The one I wore before was used for the burial, so I chose a new one from the library.
Though, design-wise, they were practically the same. You know, the unique one that opens up on top like an Inverness cape.
It was a dark olive-brown robe with golden embroidery.
The color was the type you would use to desperately look fashionable.
You could say it perfectly fit me, someone who could only use Earth spe… er, I mean an Earth Attribute expert.
I didn’t choose this one because of that reason or anything like that…
The others were red or white, colors that stood out too much. Since I was unsure how I would be looked at by society once I reach a human settlement, I wanted to avoid any unnecessary looks.
There wasn’t much to the luggage I would be carrying with me.
It mostly consisted of money and valuables stuffed in a small duffel bag I found in the closet.
Incidentally, I had quite a lot of the glorious cranberry apples stuffed in as well.
As as you’ve already guessed, these were categorized as valuables.
I also had a green metal knife for crafting and possibly self-defense.
This was something I had discovered when I first entered the hidden house. I thought that it was this world’s version of a ceramic kitchen knife. This one was the only one that wasn’t rusted, so this ended up being our only piece cutlery.
I had used this whenever I cut cheese and jerky.
Oh, and Goltarou uses this to cut the glorious cranberry apple into fine and elegant pieces.
The last item I put into the duffel bag…was those lame pajamas I had from my world.
Well, this was… you know, that. Something you just can’t get rid of…
Goltarou equipped the basket on his back, so everything was all set.
Now, if he held a book in one of his hands, we could complete the Statue of Ninomiya Goltarou[2].
The escape plan had already been devised.
All the preparations should be in order.
I had my reassuring partner with me.
I can make it now.
I stood in front of the cliff slightly away from its surface.
Now, I just need to drill into this red cliff side with [Create Pebble].
“…—Alright, Goltarou. We’re going to leave here.”
I looked at Goltarou beside me.
It looked like he said, “Yes, sir,” with that reliable look on his face.
Okay, let’s go!
Goltarou gently and tenderly held me in his arms.
Is this the so-called “bridal carry[3]“?
Eh? Hm?! Huh???
Goltarou’s hands embracing me were very, very gentle.
It was almost like he was holding precious and delicate glasswork.
His fingers timidly handled me, afraid that with the slightest waver, he would damage me.
Goltarou, are you my knight in shining armor!?
For a second, it felt like Goltarou tensed his lower half as he held me.
In the next moment, Goltarou—
—jumped 10 meters into the air above the cliff top as he held me in a bridal carry.
“Wa…wait…G…OLLLLLLLLLLL!!!”
Goltarou landed without a sound.
His feet touched the top of the cliff with ease.
What exactly became of my carefully designed, desperate plan?
By the way, around the last half of my scream (the OLLLLLLLLLLL part), Goltarou had already quietly landed.
My eyes were closed so I hadn’t noticed that we were on land.
I couldn’t help it; I was scared. I mean, it was so sudden…
I’m not pathetic or anything like that… I mean, you know, Goltarou suddenly…!
Goltarou gently let me down.
I’m completely being treated like a princess.
Or should I say, Goltarou, you really are a gentleman.
If I was a young girl, this would definitely be the moment I fall in love with you.
I pulled myself together and stood firmly on top of the cliff.
I can’t remain the young maiden clinging onto her knight.
From the look of things, it appeared that the top of the cliff was flat and continued around for 50 meters.
So this was a thick outer wall of the basin.
There was nothing but auburn topsoil on top of the cliff.
Not a single blade of grass grew here. This was quite the contrast to the inside of the basin overflowing with fauna.
In short, I was currently standing on the top of the auburn donut-shaped cliff that surrounded the basin.
I wonder how such a shape was formed.
The two of us walked side by side until we reached the edge of the cliff.
I could see the surrounding area below.
But…
“What…?”
There was just an expanse of auburn topsoil, extending as far as I could see.
It wasn’t completely flatland since I could see some differences in elevation.
However, there was practically no fauna growing in the area.
What was this? There was too much of a difference in terms of vegetation here compared to the inside of the basin.
Even if it was a basin, it was just a small piece of land surrounded by a 10-meter tall cliff.
Was the soil outside that different from the one inside?
No, looking at the state of things, it could be the climate itself…
“Seriously… I don’t understand…”
My knowledge from my world didn’t comply.
This was stressful…
Nevertheless, we had to find a place where we could safely descend.
I began to search for a slope we could use, when—
Goltarou gently lifted me again.
…Well, it would come down to this, wouldn’t it? Sure, this way was faster.
Yeah, but what would you call this situation? Goltarou pressed his chin on me as he held me in his arms, most likely to prevent me from falling out of his grasp, but at the same time, it felt like he was rubbing his cheek against mine.
Goltarou’s cheek was smooth and felt almost soft.
Hm…? Wait, sof—
—Goltarou jumped down from the cliff at that moment.
“GoooOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!”
I couldn’t help but scream as I was pulled straight down to the ground.
——————
“…Listen, Gol…Goltarou. The next time we’re in such a situation, wait until I give the signal before you jump down. Until then, be a good boy and stay.”
As the two of us walked along on an auburn hill heading south, I instructed Goltarou.
Goltarou looked like he was obediently listening.
But, do you really understand?
Anyway, I think we should be reaching the area on the map where the road should be located.
My eyes went back and forth, searching for it.
Truthfully speaking, I was getting a little excited walking around like this.
According to several mentions in Introduction to Wizardry I, there appeared to be living creatures known as “mana beasts” in this world.
They weren’t something you would encounter often, but this area seemed super remote that there may be the possible chance encounter with at least one on our way to Samari.
I think they’re probably beings close to what you would think “monsters” are. At the very least, that was what I assumed from the descriptions I skimmed through when reading.
They were beasts imbued with mana and able to use various spells befitting of inhuman creatures, thus the name “mana beasts.”
Well, since the humans of this world could use spells, it wouldn’t be strange for other living creatures to be able to use a similar power.
Just a little… really only just a little, but I want to try to fight an evil monster terrorizing the poor people.
No matter what I say, I’m still the “Sorcerer King.” If the Demon Lord is the boss of monsters, wouldn’t that make the Sorcerer King the boss of mana beasts?
In that case, I wouldn’t lose, right?
By the way, I was fundamentally a man of culture and thus wasn’t the type to swing my fists around like a savage. But, there was a reason for me to consider such a concept unnatural to myself.
This was written in the introductory book: “Generally, a golem’s fighting capability exceeds that of the average mana beast.”
There you have it. If it looks like I’ll get hurt, I’m sure Goltarou would try to save me.
Besides, if they were the type of mana beasts that rarely appeared near human settlements, beginner spells should suffice… was what was written.
Probably the types of mana beasts that would show up on this road were like this. Maybe a squishy, blue jelly-type of monster, or maybe a monster that looks like a rabbit with a horn. Or maybe a cute pigeon, green caterpillar, or a yellow electric mouse would come jumping out from the tall grass[4].
Well, if we’re being serious here, I’m assuming that they’re probably some weak species that got driven out of their habitat. I could make several other inferences, but… let’s step away from revealing all my theories. After all, I’m losing confidence in the knowledge from my world…
In the end, the first mana beast—though I’m not sure if I could call it a “mana beast”—I encountered in this world wasn’t a squishy blue monster nor a slightly larger-than-normal wild animal.
Even though I was placed in quite the predicament in this world, I hadn’t realized how serious it was at this moment.
Goltarou suddenly stopped in place and dropped the basket on the ground.
He then walked diagonally in front of me.
His movements were so natural and smooth that it gave me nothing but bad vibes.
Usually, Goltarou followed diagonally behind me, though there were times when he would be beside me. His favorite spot was half a step behind. Depending on the situation, his position would change, but he never walked in front of me.
So, why now…?
It was roughly at the same time.
Something emerged from the shadows of the cliff in front as if oozing out of the darkness.
It was black. A black humanoid entity that stood on two legs.
{Heh, you noticed? Surface Detection? …No, Constitutional Detection? Your golem’s quite high-level, eh? Even though it looks like it could only be used for farm work?}
Huge. Its height easily exceeded 2.5 meters tall.
Compared to it, Goltarou standing at 1.9 meters looked small.
{Well, as I had expected. Even though you are the weakest I’ve ever seen, the golem is still a retainer of the Sorcerer King.}
The entity gave off the impression of a demon.
Its giant, jet black body stood in stark contrast to Goltarou’s snow-white body.
But, this black demon felt alive.
Its bloodshot eyes darted back and forth.
Beast-like breathing was released from the crimson red opening of its mouth.
Its muscles protruded and pulsated underneath its skin.
Its presence overwhelmed me, and its words couldn’t get through to my head.
However, the unexpectedly youthful voice coming out from its gruff appearance left a weird impression on me.
I was convinced at that moment.
He wasn’t the type of level 1 monster a person reincarnated into another world would fight first.
It was…like a boss… At the very least, it would definitely be categorized as a mid-boss, like the ones used in games to hype up the stakes.
{You made me wait a long time. So, you better—}
His cackling laughter echoed in my ears.
His voice resembled a young boy who just finished puberty.
{—let me at least enjoy myself.}
Immediately after, I was slammed with a violent bloodlust.
Thinking back on this, it was possible that this guy wasn’t really serious about killing me at that moment. I think that maybe it was like when a hungry cat plays around with a weak mouse.
But, being a modern Japanese man on top of a cultured gentleman who loved peace, I had never experienced being washed over by a bloodlust released from a body so accustomed to battle.
This was the first time in my life.
“Ugh…!”
My entire body stiffened and I unconsciously groaned.
This was probably the trigger.
—Goltarou stood right in front of me.
He was angry.
He gave off the feeling of a mama bear waking up right after hibernation, burning with rage and ready to attack a mountain climber to protect its cub.
Goltarou, are you my mother…!?
{Let me explain this to you since you were just born and clueless. My Shadow Demon standing before you is a life-form created by sorcery and specially designed for close-quarters combat. Your golem’s form is already fixed. Such a pathetic light-class golem won’t even last 10 se—}
Before our opponent could finish his scornful words, Goltarou jumped forward.
He was as quick as a bullet being shot out from a gun.
I was being overwhelmed by the demon then.
As such, it felt like the black demon was standing right in front of me.
Though in actuality, the distance between the two at the start of the fight was roughly 10 meters.
But, the pure-white golem catapulted forward like a cannonball, closing the distance between the two in a single breath—
It looked like he only took one…no, half a step.
That was how fast he was.
The black demon opened its eyes and moved its mouth.
But, in the end, nothing ever came out of it.
Goltarou’s brandished right arm, back muscles, and entire body resembled a whip.
Those weren’t the movements something made of stone should be able to make.
Following the line of motion, the white stone fist unleashed its attack.
This one blow smashed right into the black monster’s face.
Right after, the pitiful demon’s entire head was demolished by the force equivalent to a direct hit from a heavy projectile—
The spray of blood and flesh littered the air.
The headless lump of flesh flew back like a thrown rubber ball.
It crashed into the cliff with a terrible sound before falling miserly to the ground.
Stillness dominated the land.
Goltarou was completely drenched in the dark splotches of blood as he turned towards me.
For some reason, his appearance looked like a long-haired witch laughing, intoxicated by the blood and slaughter.
“Um…”
What should a referee do in this kind of match…?
Ah, right. Confirm death.
I timidly approached the black mass.
The blood-stained Goltarou followed behind me like a chick.
I observed the headless black corpse.
I picked up a branch and poked it.
No movements.
Looks like there’s no life left in it.
“It’s…it’s dead…”
And just like that, my first battle in another world lasted a whole 0.8 seconds without me even lifting a single finger.
[1] This scrip was known as “hansatsu” in Edo Japan. Just as the MC explained, they were used as a form of paper currency within feudal domains.
[2] This is a reference to Ninomiya Sontoku. You can see his statue in front of Japanese schools in reference to how he would study all the time.
[3] The Japanese term is “Princess hold”, but in English, we use the term “Bridal carry.” That’s why the MC equates Goltarou as a knight rather than a groom. I would have used “groom,” but I think knight fits Goltarou’s relationship to the MC more.
[4] I wonder how many of you guys will get the references here?
Towards the Sky 
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