Chapter 2
A World of Swords and Magic【Earthclear】
In this world, death is governed by the concept of HP.
The rules are simple: when your HP reaches 0, you die.
As long as even 1 HP remains, you will never die.
That said, HP isn’t some game-like mechanic. It simply indicates a person’s state of health. Someone with 1 HP is still alive, but has suffered a mortal wound and could die at any moment. Or their vitality has declined due to illness or old age.
Therefore, attacking someone doesn’t necessarily reduce their HP. For example, even if you flicked someone in the face a dozen times, it wouldn’t do any damage.
HP only decreases when someone suffers damage that puts their life in danger.
Kagami had heard from his mother that, long ago, a great wizard had made people easier to manage by turning their abilities into Status displays.
But Kagami didn’t care about any of that.
Knowing what was happening all over the world while lounging around at home, crossing to the other side of the world in half a day aboard some strange contraption called an airplane, having to do things like run and do push-ups to get stronger—those things belonged in the realm of myth.
They had nothing to do with the world he lived in now. Kagami understood that the reality right here, right now, was his world.
That’s right. Kagami understood that reality all too well.
“Whoa, that’s amazing... This guy’s incredible! That’s his forty-eighth win!”
And Kagami also knew how to make the most of that reality.
Money.
Money accounts for ninety percent of the entertainment in this world.
Kagami had known that for a long time.
That was why, as a child, he had sought strength in order to earn money.
But Kagami also understood his own weakness.
There was a limit to how strong a Villager could become.
No matter how hard a Villager tried, their Status could never compare to that of people with powerful Roles. That was, at least, if they were the same Level.
Once your Level rose high enough, you could gain the strength to pulverize even Green Slimes—which were considered a threat to Villagers—with a booger.
So until his Level went up, Kagami kept taking down Green Slimes with ranged attacks like bows and arrows. During his first battle, he’d realized that if an enemy only attacked at close range, he could defeat it without taking damage by playing it safe and attacking from a distance.
Of course, the world wasn’t so easy that he could get strong just by doing that. There was a limit to how strong he could become by defeating Green Slimes alone. He also had to defeat monsters far more dangerous than them—but anyway, for twenty whole years, Kagami had relentlessly hunted monsters every day, as if possessed, without even sparing time for sleep.
As a result, Kagami’s Level had reached 999.
Now, Kagami was visiting an arcade—a holy ground that, due to its high energy consumption, only the rich could afford to play at these days. Apparently, back in the mythological age of long ago, it had been entertainment that anyone could enjoy.
“Who do you think that guy is...?”
“Beats me. But judging by how much he’s played, he seems to come here a lot... Maybe he’s got a powerful Role and makes a living hunting monsters, or he’s some merchant’s spoiled brat.”
In town, people generally didn’t make their Status public, aside from their Role. Levels and other Status information could lead to discrimination when people were trying to talk as equals. It was considered bad manners to reveal who was superior and use that to rank people.
A simple example: it used to be common for shops to refuse to sell weapons to Villagers.
For that reason, people only revealed their Role when it was truly necessary, such as when conducting business, attending an audience or official meeting, or taking on a mercenary job.
But Kagami hid even his Role.
The reason was simple. If people found out he was a Villager, they’d look down on him mercilessly. But revealing his Status would be bad manners. So he didn’t bother showing it. As long as he had money, he could get by without anyone knowing who he was. That was the answer.
“Hey... you guys.”
Kagami scratched his head and spoke quietly to the spectators behind him, who had done nothing but watch and heckle.
“How about you stop watching and play against me?”
Kagami was starved for entertainment—for anything he could enjoy.
“D-don’t be ridiculous! We’re just merchants! There’s no way we can afford a game that costs 100 silver per play! We’re only here because we’re on a break from work!”
Kagami had been coming to this arcade as one way to reach that goal. Normally, paying 100 silver to play a game that gave you nothing in return was absurd. You could spend that much on five nights at the finest inn, the kind nobles stayed at.
But Kagami loved games. And he had enough money to spend on them. Of course, he liked gambling, too. He tried his hand at anything he thought might be fun.
After all, now that Kagami’s Level had reached 999, making money had become too boring to count as a hobby.
He earned money, but there was no joy in it. He earned money to create things he could enjoy.
The average person earned 50 gold over their lifetime. Kagami currently had a little over 5,480 gold. Frankly, there was almost nothing he could do with any more money. There was a limit to how much land he could buy, and in the capital’s residential district, each person was restricted to two homes.
Besides, Kagami wasn’t interested in owning a home. Whenever a monster-hunting quest was issued, he was constantly traveling all over the world. He’d considered other ways to spend his money, like hiring a personal maid, but decided against it because dragging her around with him would be unfair. He’d also considered running a casino, but even though it would increase his wealth, he’d earn more by beating up monsters, and he’d concluded that playing at a casino was more fun than running one. So he gave up on that, too.
As he searched for other ways to amuse himself, Kagami kept on earning money anyway.
If someone asked him whether there was anything he wanted, Kagami would answer, “No.” Even so, he had another reason for continuing to earn money.
That’s right. There was something he was curious about.
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“Let’s see... Completing a total of 34 quests comes to 5 gold! Thank you for your hard work!”
Kagami left the arcade, which he’d only entered because it happened to catch his eye, and made his way to the counter of the Quest Guild, his original destination.
The Quest Guild was an organization authorized by the king to issue monster-hunting requests from all sorts of people as quests. It was funded by support from the kingdom and the nobility, as well as fees paid by those who posted requests. It was indispensable to anyone who made a living as an adventurer.
Adventurers completed quests and received their rewards through the Quest Guild.
After spending a week in the forest completing one quest after another, Kagami had come to the Quest Guild to collect the large sum of 5 gold.
Five gold was a lot of money, but it wasn’t unusual for people in the Quest Guild to have that much. The tough ones worked hard, taking down large monsters to earn it.
Usually, Kagami would sneak around while hiding his money pouch, but here he carried it openly.
He strode right past the burly warriors coming and going, and the men grunting as they studied the new quests pinned to the board.
“...Another 4,515 gold to go. I’ve still got a long way ahead of me.”
Then, after glancing once at the parchment posted above the Quest Guild counter, Kagami left.
The parchment listed items, weapons, and armor that could never be obtained through ordinary means. The kingdom offered them to help adventurers and give them something to strive for.
They required a fortune to buy, but each item was worth the price.
The wares ranged from ordinary potions to weapons and armor imbued with special magic, houses in prime locations, limited-edition furniture, some rather risqué toys, pets, personal maids and butlers, noble ranks, and even the right to own slaves.
But the prices were high: personal maids started at 20 gold, slaves at 50 gold, a home in a prime location cost 1,000 gold, and noble rank cost 2,000 gold. The more valuable the item, the steeper the price.
Among the wares was a legendary sword, priced at 5,000 gold, that supposedly would never break and could cut through anything. But no one had ever bought an item that expensive.
Above it were legendary items priced at 6,000, 7,000, 8,000, and 9,000 gold, but Kagami had never heard of anyone buying one.
The reason was obvious. People could get by without them.
Even if they were going to defeat the Demon King, who would risk their life for the world and spend a fortune on something like that?
No one was that foolish. But there was someone even more foolish.
That person was Kagami.
Kagami had made it his goal to buy something with a price tag of 10,000 gold.
That’s right. Something.
He had no idea what it was. The kingdom had declared that it would hand over something in exchange for 10,000 gold, but nobody had ever seen it.
【10,000 gold: ????????】
Kagami had never seen anyone obtain this item. It had no name listed; all he could say was that it was unknown.
It was 【something】 you could only get by paying the earnings of 200 lifetimes. No one would reach for it, let alone make it their goal, when they didn’t even know what it was.
Kagami had made it the greatest source of enjoyment in his life.
Something unknown that no one had ever obtained. No other item could make his heart race so much.
The prospect of being the only person to know something that surpassed even the legends no one could obtain.
Just imagining the sense of superiority, excitement, and wonder he’d feel when he got his hands on it gave him the motivation to earn money. Perhaps it could become a new “sign” in Kagami’s life.
But that was only Kagami’s ultimate goal. He wasn’t going to scrimp and save, working tirelessly to reach it. His way was to save steadily at his own pace while treating himself to the occasional wasteful indulgence. After all, he didn’t even know what it was. More than anything—
He was afraid that once he got his hands on it, he’d lose all motivation.
“Today... I know. Sushi.”
And he was planning to spend the 5 gold he’d earned today in grand fashion.
He apparently couldn’t forget the taste of the ridiculously expensive sushi he’d discovered recently, which cost 1 silver per piece. Kagami walked through town, drooling as he imagined it.
The city of 【Valman】 was said to be the eighth-largest in the kingdom. It lay west of the capital.
The city had grown because it faced the sea, drawing in trading merchants, and in turn, traveling peddlers came there as well. Merchants on the road flocked to the city to procure and sell rare goods.
Naturally, people who made a living hunting monsters gathered there, along with members of the various guilds, mercenary bands, and adventurers.
The capital had a much larger population, but when it came to liveliness, this city, Valman, was its equal.
Kagami didn’t use this city as his base, but he visited often. There were lots of interesting things here. The arcade was one of them.
Interesting goods and “people” gathered here all the time.
“Man, this city really is something. It’s so interesting.”
On his way to the sushi shop, Kagami spotted some soft-serve ice cream and started licking it as he spoke.
In the city plaza, guild leaders often gave speeches and handed out flyers to recruit members, while adventurers confident in their abilities did the same to recruit parties for quests.
There were a few people calling out to recruit party members today, as usual, but something was a little different.
An unusually large crowd had gathered around the podium in the center of the plaza.
“Everyone! Don’t you want to change this world? Don’t you want to become a legendary hero, whose name will be spoken of for all eternity? I do! And... I want to free this world from suffering!”
“Woooooah!”
“Why do monsters never disappear? Why must the capital keep issuing quests? Why do we have to hire mercenaries just to travel from one town to another?!”
“Woooooah!”
“Why must children... take up a sword from such a young age? Why must they rely on the strong? Because monsters are here!”
Standing on the podium was a handsome young man with blond hair and a jeweled circlet. He looked like the sort of person who was easy to get along with.
He was well dressed, wearing an elegant white outfit, trousers, and boots, with protectors covering the parts that needed protection. His spotless cape completed the polished look.
The young man, who didn’t look particularly strong, was passionately addressing the adventurers.
Normally, someone who was merely well-dressed and polished like that wouldn’t be taken seriously. But this man was an exception.
That was because the Status Window displayed beside him clearly showed his Role: 【Hero】.
It was an extraordinarily rare Role, with only a handful of people in the world said to possess it.
A Hero’s initial Status and growth in every parameter were said to be three times that of a Villager’s. It was a Role blessed for battle—in other words, the sort of person called a genius.
Few people would ignore a speech by someone you were lucky just to meet, which was why such a crowd had gathered.
“Man, he’s loud. What about the neighbors?”
That was Kagami’s reaction to meeting such a lucky person.
Giving a speech was fine, and it was interesting to see someone with the rare Role of Hero, but he wished the guy would think about the people living nearby. Remembering the old man in his neighborhood who used to be unbelievably loud, Kagami thought as much.
“The Demon King rules over the monsters! That’s right—peace will never come until we defeat the Demon King, the source of all evil! I’m looking for capable people confident in their abilities to fight alongside me and defeat the Demon King!”
“Woooooah! I’m with you! You don’t get a chance like this every day!”
The burly men in the plaza were fired up. No one had ever accomplished the feat of defeating the Demon King.
But there had been parties that reached the Demon King’s castle, and even parties said to have cornered the Demon King. Every one of those parties had included someone with the Role of Hero. That was why everyone was so excited.
They were thrilled at the thought that they might accomplish a historic feat and make a name for themselves in history. But that wasn’t the only reason for all the excitement.
“Man... What a beauty. A chance to make history, and getting to travel with a woman that gorgeous? It doesn’t get any better than that...!”
“That’s not all. Take a look at that girl’s Role. She’s a Sage! Not only does the party have a Hero, it has a Sage, too. They’re going to take down the Demon King this time for sure!”
Standing on the podium with the handsome blond young man was a woman with long indigo hair, looking timid and uneasy. Her chest was full enough to show through her clothes, while her overall build was slender and graceful. She was a head shorter than the blond Hero, and her appearance had a youthful quality to it. She was still young enough to be called a girl.
She looked a little sleepy, but she was beautiful enough that people would turn to look if she walked through town. She wore a revealing white robe favored by mages and a miniskirt designed for ease of movement, showing off her pale skin. No healthy man could help getting worked up over that.
And this woman was a Sage.
If a Hero was an all-rounder suited to close combat, with above-average toughness though not as much as a Warrior, above-average strength though not as much as a Martial Artist, above-average speed though not as much as a Thief, and above-average skill though not as much as a Hunter...
Then a Sage was an all-rounder among the backline Roles, combining the strengths of a Mage who excelled at attack magic, a Priest who excelled at healing magic, and a Shaman who excelled at sustained magic like terrain manipulation and traps, as well as delayed-effect spells. Of course, they were said to be unable to match the power of those who specialized in a particular Role.
Even so, being able to fill in for a wide range of Roles all by yourself was powerful.
Those two all-rounders were recruiting party members.
Naturally, people wanted to join if they could.
“Still, there’ve been parties with both a Sage and a Hero in the past, right? And they still couldn’t beat the Demon King. Just how much of a monster is he?”
“Idiot. Heroes and Sages aren’t perfect. The rest of their allies must’ve been weak, right? There’ve even been parties that made it all the way to the Demon King’s castle without a Hero or Sage!”
One of the burly warriors in the plaza said that, then muttered, “I’m pretty strong myself,” and laughed loudly.
In reality, a Hero wasn’t necessarily required to defeat the Demon King. People had simply come to believe that they couldn’t fight him properly without one.
That was how tremendous the power of a Sage and Hero was... but in the end, everything depended on the party’s composition and ability.
“Hey, Hero! I’ve spent 25 years making a living hunting monsters, and I’m confident in my strength! How about it? Why not take me along?”
At that moment, a huge man with arms like tree trunks raised his hand.
The Hero on the podium immediately looked at the Role displayed beside the man.
“...A Warrior, huh? Hmm. What’s your Level?”
“Heh, prepare to be impressed... 86! I definitely won’t hold you back!”
The Warrior proudly opened his Status Window to show it off. The people gathered around the plaza cried out in admiration.
“86... No. Next.”
“W-what?! H-hey! Don’t mess with me! What do you mean, no?!”
The huge man shouted loudly, apparently unable to accept such a blunt rejection.
Most of the people gathered in the plaza seemed just as confused, grumbling, “Yeah, that’s right!”
“Hmph. A Warrior, huh... If we’re talking about a Role that fights at close range, I already have that covered. If you want to join my party, I can’t take you unless you can contribute more than I do.”
The Hero said it plainly, then revealed his own Status Window.
It showed a Level of 90.
The Warrior was left speechless at the number. That meant the young Hero had put in more effort than the huge man, who had spent 25 years honing his skills as an adventurer.
“I don’t know what kind of life you’ve led, but I’ve made up my mind and come here, too. If you’re willing to come with me and have a Role suited to close combat... I won’t take anyone below Level 100.”
At that declaration, many people realized they didn’t qualify, and anguished cries rang out from all around.
“Hold on! Then what Level is that Sage over there?”
“Her Level is 42. That’s good enough, isn’t it?”
“G-good enough...?! That’s not even half my Level!”
“She’s a Sage. She’ll definitely become someone who can support me someday. The potential I see in her is completely different from what I see in you. Besides... she’s a princess of this country.”
At that casually revealed fact, everyone in the plaza except one person opened their eyes wide in astonishment.
One person was licking soft-serve ice cream, looking as if none of it mattered.
“She is the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Hexaldoria, a distinguished woman who accepted her destiny as a Sage from a young age and continued her training. If the Demon King is defeated... and the one who defeats him is of royal blood, then the world’s order will be secure, won’t it?”
With a tone that reeked of political convenience, the Hero declared. After hearing all that, the Warrior had apparently lost the will to say anything back and fell silent.
“Also, I’ll only be recruiting two people! As I’ve just made clear, we need to grow stronger. For that reason, we can’t set out on a journey with a large party! We’ll recruit again when the time comes for the decisive battle. If all you want is the honor of having taken part in defeating the Demon King, you can gather then!”
With that declaration, half of the adventurers who had gathered there left the plaza. The rest were people who were simply curious, or those hoping to get into the party even though they didn’t think they had a chance.
By the way, experience could be gained by defeating enemies under certain conditions. Once enough experience had accumulated, it was converted into Levels, which directly increased your strength. But when you formed a party, the experience was divided among its members.
That applied even if you’d only participated in the fight a little. For that reason, parties usually consisted of four people. Only when the goal was simply to defeat a powerful enemy did large groups join forces.
“Th-then take me! I’m a Level 80 Priest!”
The next to speak up was a slender, middle-aged man with a beard. After raising his hand, the middle-aged Priest revealed his Status Window.
“No. Next.”
“W-why not?!”
“There’s a good chance this will be a long journey. It might take years... or even decades. It’d be a problem if you suddenly started slowing down after a few years... Also, your Defense is way too low.”
The middle-aged Priest murmured, “B-but...” and crumpled to his knees. A person’s Role and Status weren’t necessarily one and the same. Their living conditions, training that didn’t grant experience, age, diet, and other factors could all cause slight changes in their Status. Even Priests could learn different magic and Skills from one another.
If the Hero had made that judgment after seeing through all of that, Kagami thought he must be quite skilled—but—
“Th-then what about me? I’m 20 years old and a Level 73 Priest!”
“No. Next.”
Another slender man stepped forward, this one a youthful-looking Priest. The Hero turned him down on the spot, and Kagami changed his mind.
“W-why not?!”
“I can’t picture you becoming stronger in the future. Sorry, but you’ll have to give up.”
Honestly, it was normally impossible to see that much. No, it was impossible. That meant Kagami began to suspect the Hero had one of the same standards he did... prioritizing fun.
“U-um... what about me? My Level is 50, though...”
The next to speak up was a very young girl, not even as tall as the Sage, with light green twin tails that reached her shoulders.
She wasn’t exactly beautiful, but her big, endearing eyes gave off an aura that made any man want to protect her.
“Hmm... You’re in. I’ll welcome you into the party.”
At the Hero’s words, the Priest girl’s face lit up. At the same time, a storm of boos erupted. One of the onlookers asked why, but the only explanation they got was the mysterious, “She has a lot of potential.”
This was only Kagami’s opinion, but the Hero was probably willing to take anyone whose Role wasn’t suited to close combat and whose Level was at least 40. But only women.
To the Hero, a fun trip meant a harem journey surrounded by beautiful women. And the honor he’d gain by defeating the Demon King. It was probably that. And he was almost certainly right.
That’s right. The Hero was a closet pervert.
“Hey, hey! What about me? I’d be useful!”
Just to test him, Kagami raised his hand with only his Role displayed.
“A Villager? Hah... You’re probably raising your hand because you want to get close to the princess or me. Why don’t you learn your place? One more spot.”
As expected, the Hero dismissed him outright without even asking to see his Status.
Normally, if a Villager dared to raise their hand, the Hero would at least check their Status to see if they had some reason for doing so. But he didn’t even try. Being a man already made his chances pretty much zero.
Unless he was exceptionally strong, the Hero probably wouldn’t let him join the party anyway.
Completely put off by the Hero, who had an impressive Role but reeked of small-time villainy, Kagami left just as a voluptuous woman with the Role of Mage was chosen to fill the fourth and final spot.