Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~

Chapter 32 – Uncomfortable Feeling

I was impatient.

The innkeeper had indeed said.

“Come and eat as soon as the bell rings! If it’s too late, I’ll clean up, but since I’ve made the preparations, you’ll have to pay for the food!”

It’s bad, it’s bad, it’s bad.

The information about this world was so interesting that I lost track of time while listening to it.

Despite my age, I was excited to hear what was being said.

As expected of an adult and a person who interacts with Hunters on a daily basis. The amount of information they have is completely different from that of Zink-kun and the others.

The existence of the Great Palmera Forest. And what in the world is in the depths of the forest?

I can’t do anything about it, but I would like to go there in the next five or ten years… when I can confidently say that I have become stronger.

To do that, I need to raise my skill level, collect materials to buy good equipment and gather a lot of other information to gain an advantage…

That time when I only pursued strength.

One of the things that drove me was a powerful goal.

A dungeon I wanted to conquer one day. Bosses to defeat one day. Equipment I wanted to acquire one day.

To achieve this goal, I continued to make efforts every day that would be dismissed as futile if anyone were to tell me.

There is a place in this world that should be called such a great goal, isn’t it great?

Well done, Acorn-kun!

I don’t know how far I can go without any cheats.

But if I work hard, I can certainly feel that I am growing in this world.

Then I should be able to make it. I can go as far as I want. I have a track record of success in the past, even in this environment.

But that’s not the point right now! First, dinner!

Throwing away 1,200 beeke is unacceptable for a poor guy like me, and I was really looking forward to a nice, inexpensive dinner!

Whoaaaaa! I ran as fast as I could to the inn and opened the door.

“Excuse me! Is dinner ready yet?”

“You’re late, really! It’s your first day, so I’ll prepare it for you today, but from tomorrow, there won’t be any more at this time!”

“I’m so sorry!”

The aunt was furious…

I think this tone of voice is terrible for a customer, but it’s my fault, so I can’t help it.

It had been almost two hours since the evening bell had rung.

When I, a thirteen-year-old boy, said that I wanted to stay here alone, the aunt looked at me suspiciously but prepared a room for me.

Normally, she would be worried about money when such a child is alone.

I thought about paying in advance, but she still offered to pay me daily, so it would be a shame to mumble about it.

Looking around the dining room on the first floor, I saw only three men drinking around a table, perhaps having finished their meals.

The rest of the place is empty and deserted…

I doubt the place is full all the time, but judging by the number of rooms when I put my luggage in the room, the inn is probably big enough to accommodate at least 20 to 30 people.

There are eight round chairs at the counter.

There are also about 30 chairs on the floor, so I can assume that almost everyone has finished eating.

“(From tomorrow on, I’ll be punctual… but it’s better to think that there are almost no clocks in this world, so I’ll make sure to return to the inn around the evening bell.)”

With that in mind, I sat down on an empty seat, and a strange feeling came into my vision.

(Is that a pair of glasses?)

Yes, of the three people drinking at a seat a bit away from me, one of them was obviously better dressed than the other two and was wearing glasses.

Moreover, the glasses are the same type of frames as those worn by modern people, an all-too-familiar type that goes over both ears…

(What does this mean? If I remember correctly, the client’s optician told me that the glasses became like modern glasses about 200 to 300 years ago… before that, people used to hold them with their hands, similar to a magnifying glass).

I’m not that familiar with history.

So I know very little about what time period had this kind of thing and didn’t have that kind of thing.

I’m a salesman, not a historian, so it’s natural that I don’t know.

I only know enough to think, “Wow, that era must have been tough,” while reading a novel on the road.

But … even with that level of knowledge, these glasses felt too strange to me.

Paper is rare but not impossible to find.

This is what Amanda-san said, so there is no doubt about it.

The clock was not even placed in the Hunters’ Guild, and the communication with the aunt here clearly showed that she was working “somehow” based on the sound of the bell.

Even the fashion is not very flattering.

There is soap but no shampoo or conditioner.

There is not even a shower, let alone a bath, in this inn, which seems a bit expensive for this town.

As Acorn-kun had said, I already knew that civilization was far behind that of Earth.

And yet, those glasses?

…Let’s take a look around.

I don’t see anything else that looks out of place… Hmm? …Glasses?

Looking closer, I see three people drinking from glasses that are so clear that even modern people seem to use them.

Is this normal…?

As I tilted my head and groaned, “Hmm,” my food was brought to me with a shout of “Here you go!”

“(Whoo-hooo!!! It’s some kind of beef stew, and although it’s not what I had in mind, it’s bread! And a salad too! It looks so good! …But the bowl is made of wood… and the fork and the spoon are also made of wood…)”

No, no, no. I can’t taste the food if I’m thinking.

So I shouldn’t think about it right now. It’s a question that will never be answered anyway.

However, it seems that there is a different trend from that of past civilizations on Earth.

That much I can somehow understand.

Whether this is due to magic or Takuya, the hero who seems to be a confirmed otherworlder, is a mystery…

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

If I were an engineer, I might have been able to revolutionize a field in this world with the knowledge I was involved in, but unfortunately, I am a salesman.

It is impossible for me to understand the structure of a product from scratch and make it.

So, there is no point in being extravagant, and I will live with what I have and in the environment in which I live.

That’s the only choice I have.

Okay, then, let’s have the first proper meal set in this world.

“…Delicioussss―――!!!!!”

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

After filling my stomach with an expensive and very satisfying dinner, I returned to my room and collapsed headfirst into my futon.

Aaaaaaahhhhh… It’s bliss…

It’s too good to be true, Futon-sama…

Until now, I thought the greatest invention of all time was the washlet.

However, I can only thank whoever invented the futon, because the sleeping conditions in this world were miserable.

Cave is awesome! I think whoever said that should look at reality.

Even though the bed is a bit hard, it’s wonderful to have this comforter…

As someone who somehow sleeps more comfortably when there is weight on my body, I am very grateful to have a piece of cloth that covers my entire body.

Looking around the room, it was about the same size as the 4.5 tatami mat* room I rented after being kicked out of my parent’s house, with only a light hanging on the wall, a bed, a round table, and a chair. [T/n: about 7.5 square meters].

The light has a small piece of magic stone in it, and when it is used up, it is said that the light fuel for the day is finished.

I don’t write much and don’t feel the need for a light, so it’s not a problem at all.

It was the first magic tool, but I wasn’t impressed with a light that just glows, because the electrical appliances in my house have more amazing powers like magic tools that I don’t understand.

Overall, it is extremely simple compared to a modern business hotel…

But still.

I could finally start my life as a human being.

Finally…

From now on, it’s up to me to do my best.

Then I must do my best.

Thinking this, I suddenly opened my status screen.

I felt safe in the cave but much safer in the locked room where I was alone.

I know that I’m going to fall asleep quickly due to the fatigue I’ve accumulated so far, but I still look at the status screen carefully.

Name: Loki (Yuto Mamiya) <Salesman>

Level: 6

Magic Power: 40/40

Physical Strength: 23

Intelligence: 24 (+7)

Defense: 22

Magic Defense: 22 (+1)

Agility: 22 (+3)

Technique: 21 (+1)

Luck: 27

Blessings: None

Titles: None

Skills Acquired: Fire Magic Lv1, Earth Magic Lv1, Presence Detection Lv1, Different Language Comprehension Lv3, Rush Lv2

Hmm, my name changed to Loki (Yuto Mamiya) before I knew it…

I don’t know what in the world principle is playing with this content, but the fact that it reflects as soon as the level goes up suggests that God’s power is at work first.

And then there’s Earth Magic, which is a Magic Defense ability; Presence Detection, which is a skill; and Different Language Comprehension, which is a status bonus to Intelligence.

Well, I was expecting some sort of increase in those areas, so I’m not surprised.

However, the +7 in Intelligence is interesting.

I had confirmed that Intelligence was +1 when I got Fire Magic.

From there, I increased the level of Multiple Language Understanding to 3, and since it increased by +6, the increase is +1+2+3, which means it increased by one level.

I’ll make a note of that in my notebook as well.

Then there was the option to set various skills to level 1 for the status bonus, but…

But I guess not, looking at the increase.

Level 3 or 4 skills are probably more practical than level 1 skills, and it’s no problem to postpone the skills I don’t plan to use.

By the way, the details of the newly acquired skills are…

Earth Magic Lv1: Can cast earth magic that uses less than 10 magic power.

Presence Detection Lv1: Makes the user more sensitive to moving entities within a 5m radius of the user, consuming 0 magic.

Hmm.

I guess Earth Magic is as expected, and Presence Detection would be… quite excellent. The fact that it uses no magic power is wonderful.

When I try it by mumbling Presence Detection, I can sense a person moving in the room to my left.

It is a different sense from the five human senses.

It is like a sixth sense for modern people, but even if I close my eyes, I can tell if the person in the room to my left is writing something? It is a strange feeling to know that.

On the other hand, I have no feeling at all about the person who lives next door to my right.

Either the person is not there, or they are already asleep.

The explanation is that they are ‘moving beings’, so even if they are sleeping, there is probably some movement with their breathing, and perhaps the correct answer is that there is no one there.

If the radius is 5 meters at level 1, I wonder how far the radius will increase as the level increases in the future…

If it’s level 2 or 3, it should go up eventually as long as I keep defeating Hooley Mole, so I’ll leave this as a teaser for when the level goes up.

Also, I can’t sleep because I’m worried about the constant Presence Detection.

This may be a matter of getting used to it, but if I can feel a mysterious, ghostly presence moving around me even when I close my eyes, anyone would want to turn off the effect when it is not needed.

If I wanted to turn it off, I could, so let’s keep in mind that it’s possible to turn it on and off when it’s not described as a constantly active type.

The rest is… It’s the magic that’s the problem…

Whether it’s fire or earth, if I don’t know the rules for activating magic in this world, I won’t be able to make any progress.

If I had asked Amanda-san, she might have told me, but I was stuck on what Acorn-kun said about it being great because it was my handiwork, so I couldn’t ask her about the details that led to the status screen.

I guess the status screen is the only reason I can see that description.

Even if there is no particular need for it now, there will be some enemies that will change the way you deal with them if you can use magic in the future, like the Lulub Forest in the upper hunting grounds.

What words will really trigger? How many words and chants will it take to trigger the magic?

I wish I had this kind of information somewhere…

I’ll visit the reference room of the Hunters’ Guild tomorrow, just in case.

And then…

I have to decide on my immediate goals for the future and the prioritization of my skills.

Looking at each skill in detail, job-related skills such as Forestry and Farming are of no interest to me other than status bonuses.

Flavor skills like Singing and Musical Instrument, which I don’t think are really needed, are definitely on the back burner.

Various resistance skills would also be nice, but I don’t feel like I should be bothering with them right now…

I still think I should take the initiative and use the three famous cheats.

Infinite item box system, warp anywhere system, and no chanting… Right now, the most necessary one would be the infinite item box system.

But even if it exists, it is hidden in a ??? state and it is definitely not the kind of skill that monsters possess.

If I had to guess, I would say that spatial magic would be suspicious――

…I don’t even know if this spatial magic exists since it doesn’t show up right now!

Hmm, I don’t even know if there is an infinite item box system in this world or not.

Considering that, I think the Investigation that is already visible would be very useful in the current situation with no money, and the Appraisal would work to my advantage in terms of money…

Ahhhhhhh, I’m worried…

As the saying goes, “It’s when you’re worried that you have the most fun.”

I fell into a comfortable sleep, fretting and worrying on the futon for the first time in a while.