The well-Balanced Yamamoto-san Gets Caught up in a Death Game

Chapter 68

Three days of bobbing along on the ship passed by.

During that time, I received a message from Lili: “There’s an unfamiliar item among the belongings I left with Take. Could this be something you forgot, Yama?” I replied, “Ah, that’s the Mystical Regeneration Potion to restore a lost arm. If Take seems remorseful, go ahead and give it to him.” I also sent Lili a message saying, “I’ll make the Kogusuri after I return from my trip, so please wait until then.” She responded, “Where did you go, Yama? Tatsu is looking for you!” We exchanged a few more messages like that.

Finally, I arrived in the Kingdom of Farland!

Well, to be precise, we’re still offshore.

As was the case when we docked in Forzyne, the ship is too large to pull up directly to the pier. So, we have to use smaller vessels that can reach the dock for disembarking.

These “smaller” boats can still hold about fifty people without sinking, though.

Packed like sardines, I finally set foot in Secan, the second largest city and port town of the Farland Kingdom!

“We’ve arrived!” I exclaimed.

“Indeed we have,” Tsuna replied.

For some reason, Tsuna is still with me.

Aika seemed desperate to get back on solid ground, so she took the first boat to Secan. We ended up arriving on different vessels. Looking around, I don’t see her anywhere.

I hope she’s alright. Her seasickness seemed pretty severe.

Well, Yu and the others are with her, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.

Now, my first impression of Secan, the first city I’m visiting in the Farland Kingdom, is… incredibly colorful!

It reminds me of Burano Island in Italy. In the real world, they say the houses were painted in bright colors so fishermen could find their way home through the fog. Seeing all these houses painted in vivid reds, blues, and greens really lifts my spirits!

While I loved the white stone buildings of Forzyne that resembled Santorini in Greece, I’m also fond of this lively townscape that instantly puts me in a cheerful mood.

“It’s rather flashy,” Tsuna commented.

“You don’t like this kind of thing, Tsuna?”

“It’s unsettling.”

It seems people’s opinions on the cityscape vary quite a bit.

Well, I suppose there are plenty of folks who aren’t fond of such vibrant surroundings.

Now that we’ve arrived in the human nation of Farland, what should we do next?

Since I basically just ran away without a clear purpose, I don’t have any specific plans.

Oh, right.

To advance to B-rank as a production class, I need to complete some requests that involve gathering materials only found in the Farland Kingdom.

While I can create anything from junk materials using my Divine Artifact Creation skill, it might be good to see and collect raw materials firsthand. I could improve my production skills like Compounding and Alchemy while I’m at it.

Yeah, relying solely on skills when I claim to be a production class is a bit pathetic.

It’s important to occasionally interact directly with materials, enjoy local delicacies, and take in beautiful scenery to refresh oneself.

Lately, I’ve been too busy with battles and serving duties, partly due to events. It’s nice to have some downtime like this every now and then.

So, should I head to the Commerce Guild first, or secure lodging?

“Um, Tsuna?”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you want to go looking for delicious restaurants?”

I try to probe a bit.

I mean, Tsuna’s been sticking close to me as I pause at the side of the road to think things through.

It makes me wonder what he’s up to.

Tsuna responds:

“I came to this country to find delicious food.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But more than that, I want to eat EOD.”

“Huh?”

“I feel like I might be able to eat it if I’m with you.”

“…”

I don’t quite follow his logic, but I get what Tsuna’s trying to say.

Basically, he’s like a companion lured by kibi dango.

And it seems this companion intends to follow me regardless of my plans.

Sigh…

Well, Tsuna’s skills did help me during the confrontation with Iko, so I suppose I can overlook this for now.

“Fine, you can come along, but try not to cause any trouble, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Tsuna says confidently.

“If anyone’s going to cause trouble, it’s more likely to be God.”

“…”

That’s too accurate for me to argue with!

I can’t even be confident that I won’t stir up some commotion myself!

Well, I figure it’s better to look for an inn than head to the Commerce Guild with Tsuna in tow. We grab some food from a nearby stall while asking about inns known for good meals.

The friendly middle-aged man running the stall doesn’t seem to pay much attention to our appearances. He recommends an inn called “Fuuka-tei,” which is said to have delicious seafood pasta.

“Here you go, sorry for the wait.”

The stall owner hands us what he calls “scallop skewers” – scallops threaded onto skewers, grilled while being basted with sauce. I take a bite right there.

Wow! It’s piping hot, but the scallops are thick and flavorful! The sweet and salty sauce complements them perfectly. It’s absolutely delicious! The seafood in port towns really is on another level! Tsuna’s already ordered two more skewers!

At this point, the stall owner seems to realize we’re not human. He furrows his brow as he notices the two horns poking out from Tsuna’s long, wavy hair.

“You folks monster folk?”

“We are. Is that a problem?”

Uh-oh. Is this going to turn into a racial discrimination event? But it seems that’s not the case.

“If so, you’d best avoid the capital and the countryside.”

“Why’s that?”

“You know there was a war between this kingdom and the monster nations long ago, right?”

“No, I didn’t.”

I think I might know about this. Didn’t Katze mention something like that?

“Well, many rural areas still hold grudges from those times. They don’t have very positive feelings towards monster folk. It’s like they’re still passing down the fear and anger their ancestors experienced, you know? We know it’s not something that should be carried on to our generation, but even if you understand it logically, emotions don’t always follow. That’s why I can’t really recommend going to the countryside.”

“I get the countryside, but what about the capital?”

When I ask, the old man’s expression turns sour.

I wonder if something unpleasant happened there.

“You know this country has three princes, right? The second prince is the general of the kingdom’s army, and he’s known for his intense hatred of monster folk. I suppose that’s the right attitude for someone protecting the kingdom, but… Because of that, it seems the entire royal army doesn’t have a good opinion of monster folk. It’s still okay around here, but I hear it’s terrible in the capital. They say that if anything happens, even monster folk uninvolved in the incident get arrested and thrown in jail. It’s probably best to stay away if you can.”

The capital was called Sars, if I remember correctly.

Hmm. I was thinking of investigating Maris’s whereabouts, but given the situation, it might be wiser to avoid the area.

“From what you’re saying, it seems monster folk aren’t very well-liked in the kingdom as a whole. But you don’t seem to have any prejudice, old man.”

“We’re neighboring countries with Forzyne, even if there’s an ocean between us. We trade with them, so we have plenty of opportunities to meet monster folk. And when you actually talk to them, you realize there are good ones and bad ones. That’s when I noticed – ah, these folks aren’t any different from humans. So I stopped looking at them through colored glasses.”

“If only everyone were as understanding as you, old man.”

“Aw, stop it, you’re making me blush.”

Thanking the blushing stall owner, we head towards our inn for the night, the Fuuka-tei.

As we walk, I notice the stares directed at Tsuna.

I thought it might be because he was standing out in just a loincloth earlier, but it seems it could also be because he’s a monster folk.

Well, I’m pretty sure those young girls pointing and squealing at the edge of the road aren’t reacting for that reason.

“Tsuna, should we buy you a hooded outfit before we go to the inn?”

“Why?”

“To avoid drawing unwanted attention. Plus, given the negative feelings towards monster folk, we shouldn’t unnecessarily provoke people.”

“We’re not doing anything wrong, so it should be fine, shouldn’t it?”

“But in the real world, wouldn’t this violate public decency laws?”

“I didn’t realize it was wrong…”

Yeah, I think walking around in just a loincloth is problematic in many ways.

It’s practically streaking.

“I understand. Then let’s buy a hooded coat.”

That’s… quite the pervert look.

“I don’t like wearing too many layers. I prefer just one piece. It’s easier to cast off quickly.”

You know, Tsuna, with your height and decent looks, you’d probably look good in a double-breasted suit or something.

Well, if he prefers eccentric outfits, that’s his choice.

So, we stop by a clothing store in town to buy a hooded coat.

I was worried they might not have any due to the climate, but apparently, some people bundle up for early morning fishing trips. Thanks to that, we’ve managed to create a pervert look with a hooded coat and bare feet.

This guy definitely won’t be allowed into any place with a dress code.

“It’s been a while since I’ve worn armor.”

Should we try to introduce you to civilization a bit more?

Feeling like a beast tamer leading a primitive man, we set off towards the Fuuka-tei.

The pin is already set on our map, so we can’t really get lost, but the slightly secluded location reminds me of the phrase “hidden gem,” raising our expectations.

Tsuna seems to feel the same way, as his stride naturally lengthens.

If my agility wasn’t fairly high, I’d probably be left behind.

“Is this the place?”

“It doesn’t have much… atmosphere, does it?”

Rather than a quaint, refined establishment with years of history, the Fuuka-tei has a more modern, pop-like appearance, painted entirely in a soft blue.

We cautiously open the door and step inside.

Ah, that’s a relief.

There are people eating and drinking normally.

You know how sometimes when you enter a place and it’s completely deserted, you start to wonder if it’s not very popular? But there are people here, so the food should be fine, right?

“Ah, welcome!”

“We’re looking for a place to stay. Do you have any vacancies?”

“Yes, no problem at all. It’s 100 reward stones per night, or 150 with meals included. How would you like to book?”

“We’ll take ten days, please.”

That should be enough time to explore the city and gather materials from nearby areas.

If it’s not enough, we can always extend our stay.

Still, considering that Mungaga’s place was only 30 reward stones per night…

I’m reminded once again how unusual that pricing was.

“Then I’ll take ten days as well,” Tsuna says.

Is Tsuna really planning to stick with me the whole time?

Won’t he get bored while I’m busy with production activities?

When I ask him about this, he replies:

“When God is engaged in production activities, I’ll do some adventuring on my own, so it’ll be fine.”

Well, traveling with someone might be more enjoyable than going solo, so I suppose this arrangement could work out.