Chapter XXI – Of matters related to our hero’s return and his most overdue apology.

…Where is this? Oh right, it’s the guest room. That TIA employee must have kept their promise.

Our hero was back to being alive after a minor case of sudden cardiac death. Or, to be more accurate, he was actually alive in the last chapter’s generic fantasy world too but he was now back to being alive in this low fantasy world. Which also meant that he was dead and alive at the same time, since he was still dead back on Earth.

…Portal fantasy is complicated business, dear reader. Let us not ponder about this topic too much lest we go insane needlessly racking our brains. What is important is that Watanabe was alive, and he was (mostly) well.

“[Create Anything: Assault Rifle]!” shouted Watanabe with a voice full of hope.

Yet, nothing was heard other than the metaphorical sound of Watanabe’s dreams being crushed. Well, didn’t hurt to try. Watanabe, along with losing his skill, had also lost his stats as he came back to this systemless world. He was back to being the poor schmuck he always was.

A poor schmuck that had some hint of character progression, to be more exact. He wasn’t exactly the same as he was three chapters ago…

Hopefully he wasn’t the same or else the last four thousand words will have been for nothing.

Watanabe heard the sounds of someone running into the guest room. “Sir, are you fine?” shouted the young boy from yesterday.

“Morning, I was just shouting to do some voice training, I am fine as I always was. More importantly, do you know where Rabanowicz is? You know, the woman that was with yesterday.” asked Watanabe to the boy.

“She told me that she’d went to the markets, sir, and that she’d be back to eat her breakfast here.” replied the boy.

So, there’s some time before she comes back. What do I do then?

Watanabe decided to head out for a little bit to catch some fresh air. Going out, he noticed that the air wasn’t the freshest, the city’s plumbing and public hygiene was a bit lacking, especially in the poorer neighborhood he had found himself in. Watanabe’s nose sensed odors that needn’t be described in detail.

Now that he wasn’t being potentially chased by evangelists, our hero was able to take note of how the surrounding neighborhood looked. Unlike the affluent core of the city with its well-plastered and orderly buildings, the outskirts consisted of unplanned slums. Most of the houses were a simpler combination of brick, adobe and thatch similar to those of Sherifeld. The only well-maintained building that Watanabe saw in the vicinity was a temple. The people here, unable to afford spending their money on frivolous textiles, only wore conservative clothes of linen and wool. Here Watanabe looked even more out of place, while his suit made of cheap polyester was quite cheap back on Earth, compared to the people here he looked like a nobleman.

Watanabe slowly loitered around, making sure to stay close to the inn so he wouldn’t be lost. He used this idle time to gather his thoughts.

I have been assured by Rabanowicz and that TIA employee that no systems or magic exist in this setting. I think I’ll have to concede that I can’t become overpowered that way and move on. Since the big bad evil guy of this setting is not going to be awakening for a really long time, my goal can’t be to go defeat him in fair combat either. Plus, there is no adventurer guild for me where I can climb the ladder and reach the top, so that is out of the question…

That leaves me with… What? What does that leave me with, what can and do I want to do here?

Great, he’s having another existential crisis. Please just find an answer to your internal problems already so that we can move on with the plot. The readers are expecting action and adventure Watanabe, not your pseudo-philosophical ruminations.

Before Watanabe could ruin the tone of this story even further, he chanced upon a small bookshop. Or, what he assumed to be a bookshop since he couldn’t read anything on display. What had caught his attention at the bookshop was a book that seemed familiar to him.

“Hello sir, how may I help you?” asked the shopkeeper upon noticing Watanabe.

“This one” he pointed towards the familiar book “what is its title?”

The shopkeeper was confused as to why someone who couldn’t read would be interested in a book, but decided to oblige as the customer was always right. “That one is… It’s titled ‘The Secrets of Nature and the Arts; or the Most Extensive Encyclopedia of Men’s Knowledge’.”

Right, this was the book stolen by the not-ghost woman! I remember Rabanowicz wanting to borrow it, but she never got around to doing so as far as I know.

“How much for this book?” asked Watanabe as he didn’t even try stating its title. I still have six seeds, it’s not like I need them that badly. It’s a good idea to not apologize empty-handed, I’ve learned that much from dealing with my boss.

“This one… It’ll be six- seven seeds.” replied the shopkeeper. This odd, rich foreigner is probably ignorant of the value of money, this should be an easy and profitable sale.

Just my luck. “What a shame, and I thought you were an honest-to-Brassicus shopkeeper! I thought I’d support grassroots business but you cruelly fleece me and disgrace yourself so!” said Watanabe in the most eloquent way he could. “I’ve seen this same book go for five seeds back in… the next town over!”

Start with an offer that’s way underpriced.

What difference would two seeds make for you?! “Ah, excuse me sir, but I’d bankrupt myself if I sold it at that price!” said the shopkeeper who refused to budge.

“Then sir, you’ll be bankrupt further when I tell the good gentleman of my entourage that here lies a fiendish fleece!” replied Watanabe. “Let’s agree at six seeds, it’s still overpriced, but I am a benevolent gentleman who’ll forgive the grave transgression you’ve committed.”

And then declare the price you wanted all along as if you’re conceding to them.

“You- You drive a hard bargain, sir. Six seeds for this book, and we have a deal.” said the shopkeeper.

Start with an offer that’s way overpriced, and then declare the price you wanted all along as if you’re conceding to them. Good job buying the book that I had gotten for just three seeds!

Having been sneakily out-fleeced by the veteran shopkeeper, Watanabe, smugly smiling thinking he had won, handed him the six seeds as the shopkeeper handed him the book.

The book he now had; it was honestly hard to determine whether Watanabe could call it a book. It was more like a thick stack of paper that had some strings attaching it together. Is this really as expensive as my hat? I guess printing books must be hard, thought Watanabe in ignorant bliss.

By now, Watanabe had caught enough “fresh” air. I’ll just wait for Rabanowicz to come to the inn, thought Watanabe. making the short journey back to the inn. There, he found that Rabanowicz had already taken a seat. She was engrossed in some book, which again Watanabe couldn’t discern what that book was due to being illiterate.

“Doctor… Doctor Rabanowicz.” said Watanabe as he approached his current employer.

“Hm?” replied Rabanowicz as she turned her head away from the book.

“I- I have come to sincerely apologize.” said Watanabe as he bowed down in apology. “I should have been the one that was grateful after you saved me from those evangelists.”

“Monsieur, I do appreciate your humility, though I do implore you to stop bowing for that is too grand a gesture to make for anyone but the Divine.” replied Rabanowicz. “I’d wish to make my own apology as well, for I was tired and in a choleric temper, in a state in which I had assumed the worst about your character. Hesitation, especially in times where one must go against a greater foe, is to be expected. I had been unjustly angry with you for showing the slightest of hesitation against two armed men when you can’t take on even one unarmed person.”

I think ‘slightest of hesitation’ is a bit of an understatement, thought Watanabe.

“With a clearer head, I now notice how you shook in fear yesterday, clearly having to summon all your willpower just to stand up.” continued Rabanowicz. “Unlike the dozen cowards in that inn who sat with their idle bums, you actually did something… Ahem! Let us put yesterday behind us and thank the Divine for guarding us so that we can see another day.”

I can’t tell if she’s dissing or praising me, thought Watanabe. But I guess I’m in the clear now?

“By the way monsieur, I’ve noticed that you’re holding a stack of paper. May I inquire as to what you are holding?” asked Rabanowicz noticing Watanabe holding the book.

“Ah, this? This is that book with an overly long title that you wanted to read. I- I thought you’d like it so… So, I bought it for you.” replied Watanabe. He handed the book over to Rabanowicz.

“R-Right, I was just reading this.” said Rabanowicz as she pointed at the book that she had been reading prior to Watanabe’s arrival. “I had managed to borrow a copy, but owning a copy myself is certainly better. Is it really fine if I keep this monsieur?”

“Yeah, it’s… Think of it as a gift, it’s my way of thanking you for beating up those evangelists.” replied Watanabe.

“Really? Thank you so much!” replied Rabanowicz. Her mood suddenly and visibly changed for the better.

“Umm… Doctor, are you crying?” asked Watanabe.

“Right- Right. Sorry, it’s- It’s just been a while since anyone’s gifted me anything.” replied Rabanowicz as she wiped the small tears that had formed. “I’ve been travelling from place to place all alone the last ten years, so- So nobody has cared enough to gift me, a so-called ‘heathen’, anything.”

Then, Watanabe saw a rare sight. Rabanowicz was smiling, not smugly smiling like she had while theorizing about the ghost-woman, but smiling out of genuine happiness that she rarely got to experience.

Wait, aren’t I raising a relationship flag for Rabanowicz? Surely not, her design is too plain for her to be a romanceable character. I want to go with the harem route, not with the Rabanowicz route if that even exists, thought Watanabe pondering things that’d be incomprehensible to anyone else in the world that he currently was in.

Before Watanabe could fill the narration with further romance game tropes that don’t belong in this serious LitRPG isekai power fantasy story, his ruminations were interrupted with the arrival of an armed guard to the scene.

“Sir Watanabe of Nihon, you are ordered to appear in court!”