Chapter 4
Now, being able to use a building that can shelter us from the rain and wind, even if it's a stable, is a big deal.
"Though, it's really just a room to sleep in."
In this world, horses are a valuable means of transportation.
Leaving them tied up outside would make them easy targets for thieves, so this stable, aside from having an earthen floor and a large entrance, offers a surprisingly spacious personal area.
Of course, there's no electricity or plumbing, so life here is inconvenient in that regard.
However, thanks to the kindness of the shopkeeper, I was lent straw, sheets, an old blanket, and even a large tub for washing myself and doing laundry.
With just me, a child, and these tools, the stable isn't filled up, leaving a fairly spacious corner.
Sitting on a makeshift straw bed, feeling the slightly rough texture of the sheets, I ponder my next steps.
"Though, all I can really do is go out and do that."
I don't know the reason or cause, but this is a world I'm familiar with.
So, my course of action is pretty straightforward.
"In that case, the first thing I need to know is the lay of the land around here."
Picking up a small wooden stick from the stable, I gently draw lines on the earthen floor.
"Let's see, this is the royal capital of Rendl, and the further north you go, the stronger the enemies should be. If you head south for a while, you should reach the largest port town in this country..."
The world of FBO is made up of five continents: four ruled by different races and a central continent filled with monsters.
The north is inhabited by beastmen, the west by spirits, the south by humans, and the east by dragons.
Each continent is governed by an NPC leader.
The beastmen are, as the name suggests, a mix of humans and beasts, including mammalian and avian races.
The spirit race consists of elves and dwarves who excel in eight magical attributes: earth, water, fire, wind, light, dark, thunder, and ice.
Humans include normals like me, who look like ordinary Japanese people, the small child-like race called Childe, and the giant race, who are larger than American basketball players.
Lastly, the dragon race is a bit misleading. It's not dragons themselves that rule, but rather people who have interbred with dragons in the past, resulting in a race with draconic features—essentially reptilian humanoids.
"Well, adventurers from various races can be found on any continent. It's just a matter of proportion."
Even though each race governs its own continent, you can encounter any of them in this world, except for high-ranking individuals like royalty or nobility.
In fact, the shopkeeper's wife who lent me this stable is a fox beastman, and her daughter Nel is too.
As the weakest child right now, racial abilities don't matter to me.
But I'll have to consider them later.
"Gathering companions is something I'll do after I've gotten stronger."
This game is designed to be soloable.
In offline mode, you can focus on the main story, and while there are quests that require cooperation with other players online, it's possible to solo them if you ignore the difficulty.
However, having companions or not will make a huge difference in how hard life will be moving forward.
And that will undoubtedly affect my own future.
"In that case, the best course of action is to follow the classic path, right?"
Given my current age, I can't be more than single digits, even if I overestimate.
There's only so much a small, young body like this can do.
But slacking off now will only lead to more hardship later.
"With that decided, I should get going... huh?"
Considering the money I have left, time is precious. I thought I'd go out a bit to prepare for tomorrow.
That's why I only just noticed the gaze that's been on me.
"Uh..."
"Staring..."
"I've never heard someone say that out loud before."
The door is slightly ajar, and a small shadow peeks through.
A fox-eared girl with neatly tied red hair.
The shopkeeper's daughter, Nel, has been observing me.
Even though I'm in a child's body, it's understandable that she'd be curious about a stranger suddenly living in the stable near her home. But being watched so openly leaves me unsure how to respond.
"Uh, is something wrong?"
"Strange."
"Huh?"
"You've been muttering to yourself for a while now. You're strange."
"Ugh..."
I was muttering to myself to sort out my current situation, thinking no one was around. Being overheard is a bit embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Nel slips through the gap in the door and comes inside.
"What's this?"
Is she just a curious child? To enter a space alone with a man she just met...
"Uh, a map?"
I answer, referring to the crude circles and squares I drew on the ground, which barely resemble a world map.
"Map?"
But perhaps maps aren't widely known in this world? Or maybe it's rare for someone her age to know about them?
"Uh, it's a rough drawing of the world we live in?"
"...Hmm."
She stares intently at my makeshift map.
"Is it interesting?"
"Not at all."
"O-oh, I see."
Even though I look like a child, I'm an adult inside, so I don't really understand children's interests.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
After staring at the map for about ten seconds, she points at it and speaks up.
"Do you know where I live?"
"Roughly, yeah."
"Where?"
"Uh..."
I remember the world map from the game clearly, so I can roughly pinpoint the location.
"Around here."
The royal capital of the southern continent is located further south than the center of the continent.
This is because the closer you get to the central continent, the stronger the monsters become.
The northernmost fortress of the southern continent is home to the strongest monsters in this region, so the royal capital is positioned a safe distance away.
"Hmm."
Even after learning this, Nel just stares at where I pointed with the stick, seemingly finding something amusing.
"What's over here?"
"To the south, there are a few villages and one town. Beyond that, you'll pass through several more villages before reaching a large port town."
I answer while recalling my memories, following her small finger as it points further south.
"...Hmm. What about over here?"
"Uh, to the west, there's a village..."
From there, she starts pointing all over the place, bombarding me with questions.
I don't have much time, but she's the shopkeeper's daughter.
If I upset her, I might get kicked out.
I diligently answer her questions, losing track of time.
"Then..."
Before I knew it, she was smiling and eagerly asking more questions.
Learning new things must be fun for her.
"Nel! There you are."
"Mom!"
Her fun interrupted, she looks a bit sulky.
Hearing our conversation, the shopkeeper's wife sighs, hands on her hips.
Nel runs over to her mother on small feet.
"Mom, mom, Liberta taught me so much! He said if you go south, there are these big things called ships!"
"My, you know so much!"
"When I grow up, I want to be a great merchant like Dad! So I need to learn a lot about the outside world!"
"Nel loves studying, doesn't she?"
She happily reports what I taught her.
The casual mother-daughter interaction is heartwarming, though the mother seems a bit surprised and suspicious that I know so much. But she seems relieved that I haven't taught her anything strange.
"A merchant needs to be smart!"
"That man, really, what is he teaching my daughter?"
The mother smiles at her daughter's promising future.
"Oh dear."
"Mom, I'm hungry."
"Of course, it's dinnertime. That's why I came to get you."
The girl's stomach growls adorably, bringing us back to reality.
Placing a hand on her stomach, Nel's appetite wins over her intellectual curiosity, making me chuckle.
"Thank you for keeping my daughter company. Here, this is for you."
She hands me a basket.
"Thank you."
"It's fine. It's what he decided."
Inside, there's bread and something like stew.
"Leave the basket and dishes by the back door when you're done."
"Yes, thank you."
"Liberta."
"Yeah?"
"See you later."
"Yeah, see you."
I'm happy to have secured dinner for tonight, and I'm sure I'm smiling.
So, I wave back at Nel's innocent wave with an equally innocent wave of my own.
"Now, let's eat before it gets cold."
It's still warm, so she must have brought it fresh.
"Thank you for the meal."
Grateful, I clasp my hands together and say the words before taking a bite of the bread.
"...Hard."
I don't think I've ever encountered bread this hard back in Japan.
No, definitely not.
Even baguettes are softer than this.
I almost thought my teeth would break.
"If I had levels, could this body chew through it?"
The foundation of strength in this world.
Levels, said to be a divine blessing obtained by defeating monsters, are a power all races in this world can acquire.
And the core of this world's strength-based system.
"No, no, it'd be a waste to level up just for that."
Though the thought crosses my mind that with levels, I could comfortably eat this hard bread, certain circumstances make it impossible to level up easily.
In that case, I'll just have to power through this tough enemy with sheer will.
"Maybe if I dip it in the stew, I can manage to eat it..."
The watery, lightly flavored stew with few ingredients makes the hard, black object somewhat edible when dipped.
Chewing the mushy texture, I realize that while I've made it to this world I dreamed of, I didn't expect to miss Japan's rice culture so soon.
"Sniff, Japan was really blessed, huh?"
Eating meat skewers back then, hunger was the best spice, so I didn't mind. But with a bit of leeway now, the delayed impact of those hardships is hitting me.
"I need to get stronger and change my life as soon as possible."
Taking damage and wallowing in it won't improve anything.
In fact, if I let myself get discouraged, I might as well call it game over.
"Thank you for the meal."
Surprisingly, a full stomach can lift your spirits.
In this stable, where sunlight is the only light, darkness falls quickly after sunset.
By the time I finish eating, it's almost night.
I put the dishes in the basket and leave them by the back door as instructed, then return to the stable before it gets completely dark.
"Tomorrow, I need to start moving early."
I climb into the slightly lumpy bed.
It's not exactly cold, but it's not warm either.
I cover myself with a rough blanket that wouldn't sell in Japan.
It gets this cold after sunset.
A sensation I never knew in the game.
This feeling drives home that this world isn't a game, but a real other world.
A splash of cold water on my excitement.
This must be what anxiety feels like.
No one, nothing, no common sense to rely on.
I made it to this world, and my knowledge is applicable here.
These two facts must have given me the excitement that masked my anxiety.
"Now, the real challenge begins."
Just one day, but this was the tutorial.
Starting tomorrow, it will be real deal . .
If I can do what I'm thinking, what I'm imagining, it'll undoubtedly work out.
It should work out.
The more I think, the more I realize that anxiety isn't so easily dispelled.
Until results are in, it's all just speculation.
Without any achievements, it's easy to feel anxious.
"Ah, living is really tough, huh?"
My excitement only lasted a day.
But reality pushes me to struggle if I want to survive.
Back in Japan, I lived aimlessly.
If I had a job, I could survive.
There were neighbors I could rely on.
I was blessed, yes, truly blessed.
"But..."
That blessing exists in this world too.
The quests I remember, the shopkeeper who reached out to me, Nel who smiled and warmed up to me.
"Let's try a little harder."
With that warmth as my fuel, I close my eyes and end this day, where all I can do now is sleep.