Objective - Money, Food and Shelter!

I was with Toki then - that damn rat started the teleportation machine - then I teleported here. This place does look similar to Earth, but still it’s different in a way, like there is this huge city with a castle in the middle of it. Toma thinks about past events, trying to make sense of this situation. Kicking small rocks off the cliff and walking in circles.

“This world looks like medieval times. Did I time travel?”Toma Thinks.

But then Toma sees something flying high in the sky, and this flying thing just disappears at the horizon.

What is that? Is it a bird? But it doesn’t look like it, it has a long tail, no bird has this long, muscular tail and neck, is this -

“A dragon?” This logic didn’t have much proof, but with his deductions, he came up with an answer.

“I am teleported to another world!” His face was flushed red with excitement. He started to jump around and,

“Ohh! I barely saved myself from falling off the cliff and ending this before it could begin.”

“Calm down!” he exclaimed to himself.

“I need to think about it seriously. If it’s a different world, I only saw it in anime, and wished it silently, but now-” and he lost in thought for a good minute or two.

“First, what Abilities do I have here? I need to figure it out.”

“Second, I have to find a means to survive, like Money, Food, and Shelter. My clothes are good enough for now.”

Toma turns towards the nearest tree and extends both his hands, “FireBall!” but nothing happens. Toma was disappointed. Still, then again, he tried now with more loudly than before, “FIREBALL!!” followed by silence and a slow breeze.

“What? Am I doing something wrong? ” Toma thinks out loud, looking at his hand.

“Ohh! Now I got it!” He was again fired up, “Maybe I have some different kind of ability!”

“Water Cannon!” “Fly!” “Dragon’s breath!” “Iron Body!” Toma tried a bunch of things from his generic anime knowledge.

Then, after realising that he is not blessed with any kind of special ability, he concludes, “There is a possibility that this world is the same as mine, devoid of magic.” Toma lay down on the rock under the tree nearby to cool off in the slow breeze and get his thoughts together.

After ten minutes, he decided, “There is now only one way to find out about this world. I need to go to that city,” Toma starts to climb down the mountain. At the bottom, he finds a dirt road going towards the city gates.

After walking the whole afternoon, around sunset, he enters the city.

In the city, Toma sees people walking in the streets looking the same as humans, or to be more precise, they were also humans. Then he sees different stores and some stalls, with store names written in an unknown language.

He randomly enters one store that he finds interesting.

“Welcome to the store!” The store owner welcomes Toma.

Of course, Toma did not understand a single word; he said, but greeted him with a smile.

“I can’t understand a single word they speak, and my clothes don’t belong in this setting, sticking out like a sore thumb here. But when you can’t understand words, you can convey emotions with gestures!” Toma thought.

He takes a look around the store, and it is filled with antiquities. The store owner is an elderly gentleman in a crisp black vest, and beneath it is a clean white shirt.

Items in this store look like antiques to me, but let’s do one experiment. Toma thinks, picks one random item, and places it on the counter. From his purse places all the coins he has.

“I want to buy this. Are these coins enough? ” Toma says, but for the store owner, it sounds gibberish.

“Sorry, looks like I am not familiar with the language you are speaking,” the store owner replies.

Toma stands there clueless without any reaction, with his poker face, and he also does not understand the store owner.

“Please wait a moment.” The store owner says, but again, it was gibberish for Toma. After a moment, he comes back from the back room with a small device in his hand.

The device, made up of some silver color metal, had two hilts, shaped like the palm of a hand. In the center, the store owner placed one crystal in the holder and placed his right hand on one side, with a gesture asking Toma to place his hand.

“My name is Naro Sen . You can call me Naro. Can you understand me now? ” Naro asks.

Toma was surprised and thankful that he was finally able to communicate with locals. “Yes! Naro, I am Toma! I am pleased that I can communicate with you! Thank you!”

“It’s nothing. I am grateful that I was able to help you.” The Naro greets him again with a well-mannered gesture.

“Toma, do you want to buy this item?” Naro asks.

“No, sorry, I just brought this here so I can find a way to communicate with you. I will place it where it was.” And Toma goes and places the item in its place. And comes back to the counter.

“I wanted to ask you, will the coins I have here work here as currency?” Toma asks Naro.

The store owner picks one coin from them to take a good look at. “These coins hold no value here.” Toma was saddened after hearing it. The Naro then continued, “These coins belong to your country?”

“Yes,” Toma replies.

“Where are you from? Because I know the currency of all other places.” The Naro asks.

“I am from - ” with a small pause, Toma says, “Earth!”

“Never heard of it, must be from very far away!” Naro replies politely.

“Yes! It is located far east, and has closed borders. So maybe that is the reason.” Toma says.

“Ohh, then these coins are unique and have an excellent design. I will buy them as antiques, and give you the correct price in local currency. If you want.” Naro offers Toma.

Toma nods his head in agreement, “Yes, sure!”

Then Naro cast one spell on the coins. Some pink, shiny dust, like fine particles, falls on the coin from his hands, and coins start glowing in golden light.

“Ohh! These coins are very rare. I can give you 1 Gilden for each coin, which means 8 Gildens for all !” Naro’s offers, which Toma accepts.

“Ah! I have an offer for you. Since I can’t read or understand this language, can you sell me this device? And also, is there any place where I can stay?” Toma asks.

“Yes, you will find the inn two streets ahead on the right side. For the device, I apologize, Toma. It costs more than 8 Gilden. I can’t sell you this, and it uses a crystal which costs separately, but I have something simple.” and opens a drawer beneath the counter and places some transparent glass cubes with a pale yellow core in the center.

“These cubes will work in the same way, but one cube’s effect only lasts for an hour. You just need to break it. For 1 Gilden, I can offer you 10 cubes.” Naro explains to Toma how to use them.

Toma takes 7 Gildens and 10 cubes and exits the store, then walks into the inn two streets ahead.

MONEY ACQUIRED!

Breaks one cube.

“Excuse me, can I get a single bedroom for a night? And also dinner, please!” Toma asks the lady behind the counter.

“Yes! Welcome to our Inn! I am Lysa.” The lady in green and brown medieval corset dress warmly welcomes him. “The room will cost 1 Silvden for a day and 5 Bronzden for food!” she continues.

Toma pays with 1 Gilden. “Sorry! Currently, I don’t have enough change for Gilden.” Lady replies.

“I am from a faraway country. I only have this Gilden.” Toma says, with an awkward grin on his face, scratching the back of his head.

This is bad, Gilden sounds like a big deal, but I can’t let them find out I don’t understand how this currency works and what it's worth, or there is a possibility that I might get scammed! Toma thinks to himself and keeps 6 other Gilden a secret.

Lysa searches through her coinbox but does not find and change. “It’s a tough situation, ” but then thinks about an agreement that they could agree on.

“Yes! You are not from here, right? See, 1 Gilden costs 1000 Silvden, and 1 Silvden costs around 100 Bronzden. So, if you would like, you can stay here for as long as you would like! 1 Gilden can cover 2.5 years' worth of cost, including food. If you decide to leave before that, then I will arrange the remaining amount to pay you back, or tomorrow you can take this Gilden from the inn and exchange it at the bank, and then pay the inn expenses!” Lysa puts her thoughts in front of Toma.

Surprised by the value of 1 Gilden, he was dumbfounded, “WHAT!?” he screams in his mind. Then, keeping his composure, he agrees.

“I will exchange Gilden from the bank tomorrow and pay the cost,” and give a Gilden to Lysa.

“Thank you! Please write your name here. Dinner will come to your room!” Lysa replies and hands over the key.

“Sorry, can you also arrange some clothes and footwear, please?” Toma requests Lysa.

“Yes. It will be sent to your room,” she confirms.

Toma looks around. Now, for him, every gaze is ringing a danger bell in his mind. He quickly takes a key and runs towards his room.

After some time, one servant brings dinner and clothes to his room. After dinner, Toma thinks about a day lying in his bed, which had changed his life, and this change might even be permanent. About the fortune he owns, still in shock and alert for danger in this unknown place.

After an hour, the cube's effect wore off, and all the outside voices were again gibberish for him.

Nothing better to do, slowly he drifts into sleep in his comfy, warm bed.

SHELTER ACQUIRED!

FOOD ACQUIRED!