Episode 6: The Other World is Unsafe
Uta was transported to a back alley and then emerged onto the main street of the castle town.
Then, a lively scene unfolded before my eyes.
"Oh, what a fantasy."
What he saw there was a townscape that could truly be called fantasy.
The main street is lined with Medieval European-style buildings with triangular roofs, and many people are passing by.
Among the ordinary humans, there were also elves, dwarves, and beastmen walking about, creating a fantastical scene overflowing with an exotic atmosphere.
"They're cheap! They're cheap! apples are cheap!"
"Ma'am, take a look at these fish. They're just caught and fresh."
You can hear the voices of shop owners trying to attract customers from the shops lining the street.
When viewed this way, the fantasy world doesn't seem much different from a shopping street.
Both places are inhabited by large numbers of people and seem to be going about their daily lives.
"Oops, sorry."
"Wow."
I was staring blankly down the street when someone bumped into me.
That person leaves an apology and quickly disappears into the crowd.
"...Hmm, I guess the security situation isn't that good."
Uta muttered softly.
My wallet was stolen.
Although I call it a wallet, it's actually a bag of gold coins I received from the king.
"Here goes."
"fart……?"
He gathers some energy and uses his strength... and the pocketpicker who stole his wallet appears right in front of Uta.
The pocketpicker looked confused as to what had happened, and in his right hand he was holding the bag of money he had stolen from Uta.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Sorry, I'm in trouble without this so I'll ask for it back."
"a……"
Uta took the bag of money from the pocketpickers's hand and put it back in his pocket.
As long as I get my money back, I don't care what happens after that.
He leaves the pickpocket behind and tries to go away.
"Oh, hey! Wait!"
However...for some reason, the pocketpicker persisted and grabbed Uta's shoulder.
"That's my money! Give it back!"
"Oh, what a bold thief, literally. He steals something from someone else and calls it his own."
"Shut up! Hurry up and do that..."
"You should stop, there are a lot of idiots in this world."
"Huh...?!"
Uta uses his power again.
The man who was holding his shoulder, from his wrist to his fingertips changed to dust .
"I'm not in such a bad mood right now, so just your left hand will be fine. Take good care of your right hand."
"Huh... Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!?"
"Get out of here, hurry up."
The screaming man attracts the attention of those around him, but Uta pretends not to notice and blends into the crowd to leave the scene.
That pocketpicker picked the wrong person.
That's all there is to it.
〇 〇 〇
"For now, I guess I need to fill my stomach. Let's eat something."
Uta strolled down the main street leisurely.
There are many stalls along the streets, selling grilled skewered meat and some kind of soup.
It would have been fine to leave it at that, but... suddenly, a spicy smell hit my nose.
"this is……"
Uta's gaze turned towards the direction of the smell and saw a small dining room.
That's where the spice aroma comes from.
"Yeah, that's good."
The store is beautiful, yet it doesn't look like a high-end store.
It seemed like a good place to have a quick lunch.
When Uta enters the store, the burly owner calls out to him from the other side of the counter.
"Come on in! Sit in any empty seat!"
"Ah, yes."
Uta sat down at the counter.
There was something that looked like a menu on the counter, so I picked it up.
It was the first time I had ever seen the characters written there, but miraculously I was able to understand their meaning.
"Curry...?"
As expected.
The source of the smell was "curry"...in other words, it seemed to be curry.
No wonder it whets the appetite.
The menu includes dishes such as "vegetable curry," "chicken curry," and "seafood curry."
"Okay, chicken curry then."
"Hey, what would you like to drink?"
"Um, water will be fine."
"Yes, water. The price is to be paid in advance. Five hundred and fifty Pateshey"
"Uh, well..."
I don't know the currency.
Uta took out a gold coin from the bag and placed it on the counter to see the shopkeeper's reaction.
"Ah, 10,000 Pt gold coins. Do you have any smaller ones?"
"Sorry. This is all I have today."
"Oh well. I'll bring you your change, so just wait."
The shopkeeper takes the gold coins he received and disappears into the back of the store.
He returned soon after and handed Uta a dozen coins.
"Yes, check it out."
"Thank you"
Uta checks the change he was given.
Nine large silver coins, four small silver coins, and five copper coins.
And... earlier, the store owner had referred to the gold coins as "10,000 Pt."
(One gold coin is 10,000 points, so in decimal terms, a large silver coin would be 1,000, a silver coin 100, and a copper coin 10?)
I don't think the value of Pt is much different from that of "yen."
Considering that chicken curry costs 550 yen, that seems pretty reasonable.
(The bag the king gave me had about 100 gold coins in it... so that's a million points.)
Apparently he gave him a fair amount of money.
Perhaps it's because they're going to kill him anyway and take it back.
(Thank goodness for both of us. If it had been too small, we would have had to go back and get the money.)
If that were to happen, the King would certainly be plunged into the depths of despair.
He would once again meet the demon that had aged him extra twenty years.
"Yes, chicken curry. Please wait."
"Wow, that looks delicious!"
While I was thinking about it, the food seemed to be ready.
A plate of curry and naan is placed on the counter seat.
The smell of spices that made my mouth water became stronger, and my stomach began to complain of hunger.
"Thank you!"
There are many things to think about, such as what will happen in the future, but for now, the thing I need to do is fill my stomach.
Uta tore off some naan, dipped it in curry, and then put it in his mouth.
