"Bald Quest" is a retively famous early-game money-making quest among FBO pyers.

  In this world, the currency is universal and is called "zeni."

  One zeni is roughly equivalent to 100 yen in Japanese currency.

  It is also the currency used for trading with other pyers during cooperative py.

  Although the game be pyed offlihere are materials that only be obtaihrough cooperative py, including rare materials, making money essential in this world.

  Finners in the early stages of the game, money is always tight because they o buy equipment and ables.

  The initial amount of money given is a pittance, so it runs out quickly.

  Pyers earn money by pleting quests or selling materials they've obtaio other pyers, using the funds to upgrade their equipment and progress through the story.

  The method I'm about to use is ohat many pyers resort to, sacrifig their pride to earn money.

  "Ugh, I thought the air was warm, but the water was cold."

  After somehow managing to wash my hair in the cold water, I ed up a bit and shook my head vigorously to dry my hair.

  This drained a lot of my remaining stamina, but I mustered my strength, believing that the money I would earn ter would allow me to eat a full meal, ahe washing area.

  "Okay, let's see. I o head south from this washing area."

  Relying on my distant memories, I was surprised at how much I still remembered as I walked, and soon I saw the sign I was looking for.

  A sign with scissors and a rose drawn on it.

  "Ah, just like I remembered."

  The retro wooden sign uses pictures to indicate the location, as the literacy rate in this world isn't very high.

  I felt relieved to have found my destination, but now the remaining challenge was...

  I desperately reached out and pushed hard on the poorly fitted door, which slowly creaked open.

  "Well, well, a visitor at this hour? What brings you here, kid?"

  A woman's voice rang out after the sound of a bell.

  A woman with red hair cut at shoulder length and freckles.

  She gave off a lively, spirited impression, and pared to the women I knew, she seemed quite young. But sihe inal story starts about ten years from now, her youth makes sense.

  "This is a pce where young dies e to beautify themselves, not a pce for kids like you to beg for food."

  In the game, if you were pying as a male character, the dialogue would have a slightly different nuance, but it would be simir.

  If you don't trigger the event at the washing area, you'll just be kicked out, but if you wash your hair there, you get the option to sell your hair.

  "Um, I'd like to sell my hair."

  "Hmm."

  This is the in of the so-called "Bald Money-Makihod."

  In this world, among the items that be traded for money, wigs are one of the more valuable items.

  Wigs are items that allow you to ge your hairstyle when equipped, but when sold to NPCs, they fetch between 5,000 to 10,000 zeni, equivalent to 500,000 to 1,000,000 yen in Japanese currency.

  They are a high-value item that only NPCs sell, as pyers ot craft them.

  They are purely etic items used to ge the hairstyles of the protagonist and party members.

  This is one of the NP the royal capital who sells wigs, and the only character in the early game who buys hair.

  When you sell your hair, you gain the "Bald" status effect, which causes your avatar to be bald for about three months in-game time, regardless of gender.

  Iurn, this quest is famous for a substantial reward in the early stages of the game.

  It's a quest that those who care about their appearance avoid, but it's a go-to for those who want to breeze through the early game.

  For me, with nothing to my his is the only safe way to earn money.

  The female barber, realizing I had e not for a haircut but to sell my hair.

  In the game, she was simply beled as the "shop owner," but among pyers, she was known as the "Bald Queen," affeately called "Hageko-san."

  It was fio rely on Hageko-san, but there's no guarahat the same money-makihod would work iy.

  After all, this world resembles the game, but it's still reality.

  Even though I followed the event's flow, there's no guarahe event would proceed as expected.

  Hageko-san stared ily at my head.

  "Well, your hair is somewhat long, and it looks like you've washed it. The quality isn't bad either. e in."

  Thank goodness.

  It seems she'll buy it.

  Hageko-saured to the chair with her .

  If I were a girl, she might have been a bit kinder.

  She's really harsh on guys.

  With my wobbly body, I sat on the round chair and was ed in a cloth, turning into a makeshift "teru teru bozu."

  Wait, since I'm about to bee pletely bald, is this the real "teru teru bozu"?

  "Stay still, it'll be over soon."

  Holy, it's scary to see her smiling while holding a razor, but I've already resolved myself to go bald.

  "Please take care of me."

  This is my first time going pletely bald, both in this life and my previous one.

  In the game, the se only sted a few seds, but iy, it's not that simple.

  With the sound of the razor scraping against my scalp, my head gradually became shinier, and Hageko-san, perhaps because she's used to this, finished quickly.

  "Done."

  In about ten minutes, my head felt much cooler.

  I instinctively reached up to touch my head ahe smooth surface.

  In Hageko-san's hands was a bundle of my hair, ed in paper.

  My brown hair iled up, and I wondered if that would bee the material for a wig.

  "With this amount... let's say 150 zeni."

  The quest reward depends on the quantity and quality of the hair.

  The minimum is 50 zeni, and the maximum is 300 zeni.

  This time, I got an intermediate amount.

  sidering it's equivalent to 15,000 yen in Japanese currency, it's not bad.

  "Here, one silver and five rge copper s. And this is a bonus."

  For me, seg this budget means I ow afford a meal, so I gratefully accepted the s with both hands.

  In the game, the money was just dispyed as numbers, but iy, it's paid in physical currency.

  This is my first quest reward in this world.

  "A bonus?"

  "Yeah, with that head of yours, you'll get cold. Here, this around it."

  In the game, your avatar would just bee bald, and you'd receive the money, but here I also got an additional piece of equipment.

  A worn-out but usable navy blue bandana.

  She's blunt, but maybe she's kind to kids?

  I accepted the bandana along with the silver and copper s.

  "Thank you."

  "No need for thanks. e back when your hair grows out again."

  "Ah, yes. Uood."

  Could this bandaicket for another round of the Bald Money-Makihod?

  Despite my sihanks, her blunt attitude didn't ge.

  If she were a tsundere, her rea would have been more obvious...

  "Now, other ers might e, so hurry up and leave."

  At least Hageko-san isn't a tsundere.

  She shooed me away with a wave of her hand.

  If I lingered in front of the shop, I might get salt thrown at me, so I dragged my wobbly body away to look for a food stall.

  "Just a little more, and I escape starvation."

  I ed the money in the bandana, feeling a surge of energy from having earned some cash, and searched for a stall.

  "Ah, there it is."

  I thought the main street might be busy with a parade, so I looked for a pce where stalls might be set up and found one surprisingly close.

  There were quite a few people, but it wasn't too crowded to buy something.

  "Sir, I'll take this."

  "Huh? You got money?"

  "Yes."

  "How maballs do you want?"

  "Three, please."

  "That'll be 10 zeni."

  "Here."

  I found something resembling grilled chi skewers with meatballs and ordered them. Meat might be heavy on ay stomach, but I couldn't get soup without going into a restaurant.

  A kid with money is an easy target for adults, so I handed over a rge copper , received a sizable skewer, and quickly hid in a er.

  "Delicious, so delicious."

  Hunger is the best spice. Once hidden, I couldn't hold bad devoured the skewer.

  The taste of the meat, something I couldn't experien the game, brought tears to my eyes.

  I had no idea something this delicious existed in this world.

  I was so moved by the meal, perhaps even more than in my previous life.

  I chewed slowly to aid digestion, feeling the nutrients gradually nourishing my body.

  I thought meat might be too heavy for my weakeomach, but my survival instincts kicked in, urgio absorb as muutrition as possible.

  The meatballs were rge, but before I k, the st one was gone, leaving only the skewer in my hand.

  With my stomach full, I decided to take a short break.

  "Now, let's think about how to use the remaining money."

  There's a lot to sider.

  If this world is ihe FBO world, then this money will determine my future living strategy.

  "Well, I already know what to do, so it's not too fusing."

  I have 140 ze.

  It's not much, but it's enough to buy the bare minimum equipment.

  "From the earlier quest, I learhat even with some differences, my knowledge is still useful. That means the methods to grow stronger in this world shouldn't be too different."

  Regardless of whether I have the equipment or not, the energy from the meatballs has made my body feel much better than before.

  I licked the sauy lips, looking a bit uncouth, but having decided on my steps, I stood up and started walking.

  Huh, just filling my stomach has made such a differen my stamina.

  I don't know if my malnourished body will recover so easily.

  But if I slowly nourish it, it should return to normal.

  "Now, my destination... clothes and equipment, I guess."

  No one pays attention to a bald kid.

  As I walked out of the alley toward my destination, I kept an eye oreets and looked for anyone I might know.

  Just by , I could tell how this world differs from the FBO world I know.

  That road wasn't there, that road was inaccessible, that shop did, that shop did exist.

  Just by walking around, I gathered a lot of information.

  And the more I walked, the more I realized that while this world is simir to the game, it's not the same.

  My knowledge be applied, but I shouldn't overestimate it.

  Overfidence could lead to disaster.

  There's a good ce my knowledge might bee useless, but that could also lead to new discoveries, which might not be a bad thing.

  I thought I'd feel anxious being suddenly thrown into another world, but it seems my personality is more resilient than I thought.

  Despite being in a possibly familiar yet unknown world, I'm thinking positively, which is proof enough.

  "If I remember correctly, it should be around this er."

  But I haven't fotten my Japanese roots.

  If there's a man with a sword at his waist o me, I'd naturally keep my distance.

  I'm still a powerless boy with no levels.

  For now, safety es first.

  It doesn't hurt to be cautious.

  As I walked through the town, relying on my memory while keeping an eye on my surroundings, I reached what looked like a shopping district.

  This is where the protagonist first shops for basic equipment in this town.

  It's off the mai street, but it's a fairly rge road lined with shops.

  The sight of the toe, so simir to what I remember, made me smile unsciously.