Chapter 5:

The First Tasks

In Another World, Being a Servant Was Interesting, But Becoming an NPC Is Not.


The third mission was different from Ren's; Rio read it aloud:

—Go to the town and obtain at some shop or stall a small artistic figure made of iron, of “normal” quality—

After finishing reading, an open cloth bag appeared in front of her, revealing silver coins inside.

The interface showed her a message: “Resources delivered, please take them. The resources are now the property of Rio Ryuusei and will not disappear if the mission is not completed or if there is leftover upon completion.”

—Rio, your last mission is different from mine. I don’t understand it — Ren said, putting his hand to his chin as if trying to solve a detective case.

—Yes, Ren. And another thing I don’t understand is what exactly to do with those silver coins — Rio said, rubbing her head as if she had a headache.

Confused, they decided to move to the reception hallways, where apparently no one was passing by. Then, they proceeded to open the FAQ. They linked their interfaces so the orb would respond to both, as it had done before.

— Mr. Orb — said Rio — Why did I receive 5 coins upon opening the mission? —

— Missions that require resources usually grant them automatically. Since yours involves buying or trading, you were given coins equal to the average market value. To help you, 5 silver coins are about 25 dollars — the orb explained in a cold robotic voice.

Rio, after hearing the orb’s explanation, asked:

— What does “normal” quality mean? —

— Like in video games, items here have qualities from “Legendary” to “Horrible,” with “Normal” being the most common — the orb replied.

— I get it; my favorite anime talks about that too — Ren said, excited at the thought of finding rare items.

— Mr. Orb — Rio asked — Why do we have different missions? And why does he have to train in self-defense but not me? —

— This world has beasts and monsters, so even servants need to learn to defend themselves from anything that sneaks into the city or mansion — the orb explained.

Hearing “monsters” made them both uneasy, imagining dragons, trolls, and epic battles with the city’s knights.

— But so far, only a few incidents have happened: slimes, giant rats, and a couple of goblins seen in the city this year. They’re low-level monsters, and no one’s been hurt. The guards, guild, or players take care of them quickly —

Upon hearing the monsters were weak, both sighed in relief, knowing they weren’t in great danger. Then Rio said to Ren:

— Well, I think we’ve answered our questions, right? —

— Not quite, I just thought of another one, Rio. “Mr. Orb,” can we level up our combat skills like in a video game? — he asked eagerly.

— Yes! — the orb replied. — You can level up combat. When you train or take lessons, a bar fills up, and your stats update once you reach level 1. But remember, defense lessons are a precaution against beast appearances; you must still keep your servant roles. — the orb said firmly.

— Alright, thank you for clearing up our doubts — Ren replied.

They both closed their interfaces after the FAQ couldn’t answer more specific questions, like where the blacksmith, self-defense academy, or market were. So, Rio came up with a plan:

— I’ll take the instructors’ lesson first, then we’ll ask around if anyone knows about those places or shops selling artistic iron figures — she said.

To which Ren added:

— Yes! And if we get all the information, we’ll go finish the last two missions in the city by talking to new people there. If not, we’ll ask some worker in the mansion for more info —

—Good! Let’s go to the office right away!— Rio proposed, determined to complete the missions.

—Yes! Let’s go!— Ren replied energetically.

On the way to the office, they met some workers; Rio searched for the prosthetic girl without success.

Upon arriving at the office, Ren knocked on the already open door, and the instructors greeted them.

—Come in! Welcome! We were expecting you— said Instructor Laplace, gesturing for them to sit on a luxurious chair.

—Today’s lesson will be easy— Lucy commented, —It is the acclaimed “introductory lesson”—

They both settled in, received two notebooks from Instructor Laplace, and began taking notes.

Lucy explained generally who the servants are, why they are needed in a mansion, why they dress as such, and mentioned the titles of the topics she would cover with them.

Somehow, the servant pair already knew all the general information beforehand—they learned it watching the lives of servants in their favorite animes—so not even a remote doubt arose.

Less than an hour passed, but the first lesson was over, the notification interface glowed green, and the mission to take the lesson disappeared.

—... and this is all you need to know in general to introduce you to this profession. Do you have any questions, kids?— Lucy concluded.

—No, Instructor Lucy— they both said.

—Very well, kids, shall we start the next lesson?— Lucy asked kindly.

— No, instructor, the thing is we haven’t eaten yet, and we’re very hungry. I think we’ll go have breakfast, is that okay? — said Ren.

— That’s fine; the first meal will be served soon. Remember, meals are served every three hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., so be sure to be punctual in the dining hall — said Laplace.

— Thanks for your kindness, Instructor Laplace. If it’s not too much to ask, we have one more question we’d like you to answer — Rio replied.

—Yes!— added Ren, joining the conversation. —Do you know if there is a self-defense academy in town? We’re also looking for the market, especially where there is a vendor of iron figures— Ren openly asked both instructors.

Walking to the door, Laplace invited the two to the door, thinking of a place and making a gesture like “trying to remember something,” placing his hand on his forehead and rubbing it.

At the entrance, Laplace pulled a map from his right pocket and showed it to them, giving instructions and saying:

—I have a close friend who works with metal and makes hundreds of items. An iron figure is easy for him. Please visit him and mention my name; he might give you a big discount— Laplace said, winking as he said the last part.

After his explanation, a city map appeared on both their interfaces. The place seemed empty, only showing building silhouettes, but a marker titled “Blacksmith Shop, Laplace’s Friend” was added, along with their location called “Official’s Mansion.”

They both understood that when they get instructions for a place, it marks it on the map, and if they continue exploring, the city will fill with markers to ease navigation.

—Go see the Head of the Servants after eating. She knows a lot about this town because she has lived here all her life— Lucy told them, bidding goodbye.

—Of course!— the young couple gratefully expressed.

When they arrived at the dining hall, they saw the Head of Servants at the end of the line. Although they didn’t expect to see her there, they decided to ask and take advantage to eat.

—Hello, good morning, my name is Rio, and this is my partner, Ren, — Rio asked, both greeting her respectfully. — May we join you? —

—Oh! Good morning! Look who we have here! My dear servant apprentices! Nice to meet you! I saw you yesterday when Chief Loenn called me! How glad I am that you’re adapting to this, your home! Oh, sorry, I got too excited. My name is Lorelai; I’d be delighted if you join me for a meal, come! Have they explained the cafeteria rules to you already? Do you know the schedules?— said Head Maid Lorelai warmly and kindly, eager to help her dear apprentices.

The apprentice couple, bombarded by so much kindness from the Head Maid, just nodded.

Once served and seated, everyone proceeded to eat. After finishing breakfast, with Rio still savoring dessert, Ren, seeing the Head Maid had also finished, said:

—Head Maid, our instructor Lucy told us that you have lived in this town all your life. We’d like to know if there is a self-defense academy and directions to it and the market if it’s not too much trouble — Ren asked, bowing his head politely.

—Of course! No need to be formal if you have a question. Look, the market is five blocks straight from this mansion. Also, I know the martial arts dojo of Master Han; it’s one of the best dojos in town, and the first lessons are free, so you can attend— Lorelai took a notebook from her pocket, wrote an address, and drew a map with directions.

Fortunately, upon seeing the note, their maps updated automatically with all the locations she mentioned.

—Master Han holds a class at noon. You should go there if you’re interested— Loralai concluded, finishing her cup of tea.

When Rio finished speaking, they both stood, bowed their heads in gratitude and respect, and said goodbye to the adorable and kind Head Maid Lorelai. Just after saying goodbye, their mission interface turned green on their screens and notified progress (1/3) for the mission to talk to new people.

The couple then left the mansion and, overcoming the fear they had in the garden, stood in the same spot where they were transported. They turned to look at each other and smiled mutually, full of optimism. Rio clenched her fists and Ren clapped; both were ready to step out through that door…

Sen Kumo
icon-reaction-3
Lumi
icon-reaction-1
Lumi
Author: