Unchanged Samurai In Another World

Chapter 10: Adventurer, the Samurai, and the Journey to Town

“Hey, everybody… What do you think Cross really is?”

Franz had a slight suspicion about him.

Of course, Franz was grateful for being saved by Cross when they were in trouble with the giant, but something about him just felt different. He gave off an otherworldly air, one could say—he was rather refined. Every move he made was impeccable, even the way he ate was done with an air of elegance.

“I think… Cross might be a noble from Nihon… Or, even if the story about him coming from there is nonsense, he might still be from some noble family.”

The group seemed to share similar thoughts, as no one showed particular surprise at Franz’s question.

“I don’t entirely buy the Nihon tale either… But if he’s a noble’s son, he’s way too strong. I’ve heard that nobles of any country dabble in swordplay, but it’s more like a child’s pastime, right?”

As Barth pointed out, nobles tend to prioritize magic over swordplay. During large-scale conflicts, they usually support from the back rather than fight at the front lines.

“But he said something like ‘risking one’s life to protect one’s home is only natural.’ Isn’t that something a noble would say?”

“Hmm… Maybe he’s a knight? I’ve heard that adventurers or mercenaries can become knights if they distinguish themselves in war.”

In the Pharas Kingdom, the king occasionally grants a knighthood to those who have achieved great deeds. Officially, this title is said to be available even to commoners or wanderers, but in practice, it’s usually reserved for notable achievements. In fact, the system is more of a means to elevate young noble heirs who cannot inherit their family’s lands. While officially termed “quasi-nobles,” they are still considered nobility by the common folk.

“It seems kinda hard to believe someone his age would be a knight… Maybe it’s different in other countries?”

“Come to think of it, does Nihon even really exist? Before I came to Angila, I traveled all over the continent, but I never even heard of a place without monsters, let alone a whole country like that.”

“Ah… If it exists, it might be among the small northern kingdoms. That region is still plagued by many wars, with countries increasing or decreasing in number every year.”

The continent is made up of four great powers—kingdoms, empires, holy states, and republics—alongside countless small states scattered around them. One of these powers, the Orcus Empire, located in the northwest of the continent, is a hegemonic state that promotes its objective of unifying the continent. It constantly launches invasions against neighboring countries, and the smaller northern kingdoms, influenced by this, either submit to or fight against the empire, leading to ongoing chaos among them.

“Maybe we should just ask him directly tomorrow. Cross seems like the type who might just casually answer.”

“I don’t know… He’s been traveling for ten years, right? If he’s a noble, there’s probably some reason for that.”

There are occasionally nobles among adventurers, but typically they are either young noble heirs indulging in play, or relatives of disgraced noble families.

“Let it go, let it go. It’s uncouth to snoop around among adventurers. Whoever he is, the fact remains he saved our lives. There’s no point in losing sight of the big picture by worrying over small matters.”

“True. He seems like a good guy at heart, even if it’s hard to understand everything. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have helped us in the first place.”

“Hmm, yeah… I did think he seemed a bit scary during the fight with the giant. Oh, and Cross is pretty skilled at butchering, didn’t you notice? He handled the horned rabbits and the red-headed birds with ease during meal prep. He said he couldn’t skin the giant well, but maybe he was just being considerate so our efforts weren’t wasted.”

Franz hadn’t noticed that. If Pamela was right, Cross was incredibly kind-hearted. Franz felt a bit regretful for doubting such a person.

“I guess the origin doesn’t matter after all.”

“But man, that strength and his sword have got me curious. Taking down a giant in one hit… I can’t even imagine how much training that would take. In the end, we never did get to see his sword though…”

Barth seemed somewhat crestfallen. During their journey, he had repeatedly asked Cross to let him see the sword, even offering payment, but Cross had steadfastly refused, likely because it was a precious blade.

“Cross handled the C-Rank monsters effortlessly, so I’m convinced he’s at a high-class adventurer level.”

“His bow skills were on a whole other level too. That talk about mastering eighteen techniques might not be too exaggerated either. And the way he walks is pretty strange too.”

“Ah, that?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of unique.”

“His walk… Was there something wrong with it?”

Mauri and the vanguard had quickly noticed, but Pamela, being in the rear, hadn’t.

“Normally, people move their right hand and right foot forward together, alternating with the left, right? But Cross moves his left and right legs at the same time, which is really strange. I asked him about it during the hunt out of curiosity, and he said it’s normal in his country. Apparently, they think our way of walking is odd.”

“…I wonder where exactly he’s from.”

“Also, during meals, he hardly favored his right hand, which suggests he’s always prepared to draw his sword. That’s not something ordinary swordsmen can pull off.”

“Ouch, listening to that as a fellow swordsman stings. But, there’s actually something I wanted to discuss. This encounter made me realize how inadequate I am. I’m only alive now because of sheer luck. That’s why, if Cross were to—”

The group’s discussion continued until Cross came to call for the next watch shift.

……

“Here it is, the border city of Angila!”

After setting off at dawn and crossing several hills, familiar scenery finally appeared before Franz’s eyes.

Angila, located at the westernmost point of the kingdom, is a castle town surrounded by tall walls. From atop the hill, one can see a cityscape uniformly constructed of reddish-brown bricks, with the lord’s castle situated in the middle. The tower, built extra high to survey the surroundings, is affectionately known as the “Guardian Tower of the West” and serves as the city’s symbol.

“…Impressive. This is the largest city I’ve ever seen. To build a fortified city with walls instead of a moat… Even the famous Osaka Castle I’ve heard tales about might not measure up. The entire city looks like a castle itself. I can’t even imagine how many years it took to complete construction. That long line must consist of everyone waiting to enter. The person governing this place must be an exceptional individual, no doubt.”

With wide eyes, Cross observed the distant city with great excitement. Hearing their hometown praised, Franz and the others couldn’t help but smile.

“Alright, today looks like it’s pretty crowded. Let’s join the line quick.”

Calling out to Cross, who was captivated by the scenery, they joined the queue for clearance.

……

“Present your identification.”

When asked by the guard, Franz and the others showed their adventurer badges dangling from their necks.

“Alright, you’re good. What about you there? You don’t have identification?”

“Ah, I’m traveling from another country. I heard that if I pay a deposit, I can enter?”

“If you’re a foreigner, just pay the deposit at that booth over there. Welcome to Angila! Our city is open to all travelers!”

Following the guard’s direction, they headed to a small building on the side of the gate.

Since Franz had never paid the deposit before, the booth was entirely new to him. The receptionist was an ordinary woman, unlike the armed guards.

“Is this the counter to pay the deposit?”

“Yes, you’re at the right place. The deposit is three silver coins. Also, could you please fill out this ledger?”

“Understood. Here you go.”

“…Excuse me, are these coins from your country? I’m sorry, but we can’t accept them. Do you happen to have any Lucks currency?”

Hearing the receptionist’s confused voice, Franz looked over to see an unfamiliar, square coin that Cross had handed over. Though it seemed to be made of silver, it was clearly unusable.

“Cros, do you not have any coins from this country? They’re supposed to be round, not square!”

When Pamela pointed this out, Cross rummaged through another bag, spilling its contents on the booth’s counter.

“Is any of this usable?”

“Whoa, you actually have it! Okay, these are silver coins!”

Among the spilled coins, there was more than enough to cover the deposit. In fact, a few gold coins were also mixed in, making it a modest fortune. Franz wondered how Cross, who claimed to not know the Pharas Kingdom, could have so much money, but he was interrupted before he could voice the question.

“Franz, sorry to bother, but I can’t read the ledger. Can you help write it down?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

The ledger only required his name and country of origin—a simple task. Franz quickly filled it out with a quill pen, something he learned as a child at the Luktstra church, where he participated in a study group with other children. Though he begrudgingly attended at the insistence of his parents, it proved helpful now when reading request forms or filling out documents like these.

“Alright, it’s done.”

After the receptionist confirmed the entries, they finally passed through the gate. The wide, familiar square lined with stalls came into view, giving them a sense of returning home.

Though they had only been gone for a few days, this journey had been so eventful that the city felt especially welcoming upon their return.

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