1-3. 「For the time being, let's try to survive」

「Haa…what am I going to do next?」

Sighing from the top of my lungs, I wandered around the busy streets of this kingdom. If I remember correctly, the King-dude introduced this country as the name Kriste. He also said something about this being at the northern part of human lands.

Recounting all of my plights, I concluded that I’m quite screwed. No, I’m definitely screwed. I mean, even though I did have some life experiences from running small errands with my freelancing father, I’m still just a normal student living off of his mom’s money. What can a guy that can only earn pocket money to buy himself lunch do in an otherworld where the risk of losing his life to monsters is so high?

「But I can’t just whine forever either…」

Let’s think hard about this. In a situation where common senses are already blown away such as this, first of all, I should not think normally. Level and Magic exist in this world, that’s why I need to get rid of a lot of common sense in my head to survive.

Then regarding how should I proceed from now on to keep myself from dying in some dark and gloomy corner of the back alleys…should I just think of myself as some kind of light novel protagonist then? Yeah, I think even though it sounds stupid, it’s still better to have some kind of background knowledge to base my thoughts on.

「Then, as expected, the Guild it is huh…」

Whenever this familiar plot line comes up in Light Novels, the protagonist usually goes look for the Adventurer Guild. Being an adventurer, one can earn some money to at least keep their basic daily lives going. That is exactly why I asked the people around and walked towards the Guild.

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「But apparently, I’m still dead screwed…」

I smiled wryly, looking at the information board standing right on the side of the Guild building’s entrance door.

It clearly stated that the level requirement for a person to join the Guild is 15.

Seeing that, what could I do more but laugh like an idiot? I mean, this situation is ridiculously dire for me. While other people are happily living and enjoying their simple lives, I’m here sensing all kinds of death creeping up on me. Did I somehow anger Mother Nature with my manly charm? Am I too much of an existence for her to handle that she decided to screw me over?

Argh…enough bluffing, I don’t think this is time for jokes, though. If I can’t earn money within 2 days I might starve to death. That goddamn royal palace, what the hell were they doing, kicking me out bluntly…

Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk. Even though I said that, my stomach isn’t sitting well with this. No, I’m not too bothered being kicked out, but I’m getting a bad premonition about those words the Knight-dude spoke about sending us back home…

Is there actually something fishy behind this? I’m not too sure, it’s just my baseless guess that there’s something wrong about them refusing to send me back to my original world.

Yes, I agree that they might’ve told the truth about it costing too much resources to perform a summoning ritual. But still, I’m not too sure but, my guts tell me that it’s just fishy. The Knight-dude’s face when he spoke about this looked pretty stiff, though…

But then again, I was kicked out, that means I’m already screwed, so let’s not care about that and worry about my own life from now on. I’m trying to survive on my own after all…

Argh…they say kids normally go out on their own after they’ve become 18 years old, but I’m still 17. Well, I guess becoming independent one year early isn’t all that bad…except for the fact that I’m in a fantasy world with swords and magic right now!!

「Haa……what should I do n—hm?!」

I looked at another paper pinned on the information board of the Guild and found beams of hopes shining through my irises.

『Red Goblin Subjugation. No level requirement. Unofficial request, meaning the Guild will not take responsibility for anything happened…』

The reward for that so called 『Unofficial Request』 was 6 silver coins for each Red Goblin killed. They also explained the reason why it was an unofficial request. It’s because Red Goblins are unpredictable, they sometimes are just single monsters, sometimes they have a whole group that can pose a huge threat. Unable to classify them, the Guild dropped this request down to an unofficial one for wandering mercenaries.

There was a map pinned on the board, right next to the paper of the request itself. Seems like Red Goblins usually gather around the outskirt of Es’anore Forest, southern of Kriste Kingdom.

According to the map, there are also smaller countries around the vast forest. I should come to those countries once I have the chance. Information gathering is crucial in a survival situation, but right now let’s focus on this new hope of my life.

I subconsciously grasped the sword the Knight-dude gave me, which I was hanging on my waist, tightly and turned my heels, walking towards the southern gate of Kriste Kingdom.

Just as I took a few steps, I saw something quite hard to believe.

「Excuse me, did you see a young man this tall with black hair and……」

「E? What the heck is she doing here?!」

I was dumbfounded as I see the beautiful girl in our school female winter uniform asking around with a slightly panicking face. Her jet black hair reached her shoulders, her youthful and girly look betrayed her overall sexy figure that of a woman. A promising beauty that would definitely turn into some kind of model when she grows up a bit more.

I massaged my temples as I felt like I was having a headache. At long last, when my brain finally processed the scene in front of me, I called out:

「Oi, Yui!! Over here!!」

「Eh? Ah?! Onii-chan?!?!」

My little sister ran up to me with beads of sweat rolling on her forehead. I used the sleeve of my jacket to wipe her white and smooth skin clean before asking again:

「Why are you out here?」

Yui is a smart kid, I was sure she knew that following me wouldn’t do her any good. Rather, she should’ve stayed in that castle and act as my spy or something. Wow, ain’t that sound super cool? Me mixing my secret agent little sister into an organization and destroy them from within. That sounds exactly like some kind of shounen manga…

Anyway, I was surprised because I didn’t expect her to actually left and go look for me instead of staying with the others. I’m pretty sure we’ll meet again soon even if I got kicked out.

「Haah…umm, well, Yui doesn’t want that to happen again…」

「That…?」

Seeing the color of emotions inside Yui’s eyes changing, I noticed what she meant by that.

「…oh yeah, right, that…but this and that are different y’know?」

「I-I know…but still…I don’t want it…」

She’s referring to 10 years ago when we were separated. Mind you, we reunited 8 years after that and have been living under the same roof again for 2 years recently.

I was seriously troubled, since I was on the verge of not being able to provide for myself alone. That’s why, far from just it being difficult, it’s just impossible for me to take care of Yui and myself while being in a situation like this.

It is not that I look down on Yui, but it’s because she’s only been going to school and back home all this time, she’s doesn’t really have any life experiences. Unlike me, who came into contacts with gangs and shitty people while following my father around. I’m just generally worried as a brother. I can’t depend on her being higher level than me and let her do all the work either, my pride doesn’t matter, but forcing things like this on my little sister and make her shoulder it do.

「You see, in this situation—」

「I don’t want it!」

…

Oops, there we go. That’s the original Yui that I knew 10 years ago. She hasn’t been showing her spoiled and stubborn self since we met again. Who spoiled her? Of course I did. It’s not necessarily bad that I spoil her, because Yui definitely deserved it. She’s always been trying hard to be a good girl after all…

That aside, knowing Yui, I guess I can’t sway her no matter what. This girl is just that stubborn to begin with.

I smiled wryly and was about to speak when

「C-Could it be, perhaps, me following onii-chan is, um, a bother to you?」

My throat was blocked for a second. I was quite bewildered because I didn’t really think that she would take it that way. Of course, my answer was clear since the beginning:

「Idiot, you have never been and will never be a bother」

Saying so with a firm voice, I stroked Yui’s cheek to assure her, feeling her soft and smooth skin through my own rough and ugly skin. I’m starting to regret a little, just a little, about following my pops around, running freelance errands.

Well, that couldn’t be helped, because our family was lacking severely back then with two kids. However, though I said that I followed him, I was just a little kid back then, so all I did was selling some candies or cleaning the floor. Then after my dad died, I continued those little work until I was able to run bigger errands as I am now…at least before getting summoned to this world.

Oh wait, shit, I got side tracked and whined about my life again!! Had it been a life of a strong willed hero of some sort like in those shounen manga, I could’ve bragged more. But since it was dull, I’ll stop.

As I saw Yui smiling with teary eyes, I swore in my hear that I’d take good care of her now that I actually let her follow this worthless brother…