Chapter 2 - The Citadel City of Misley (Patreon)

Mari felt the consciousness gradually return, and slowly opened her eyelids while that was covered by her thin fingers. 

She was standing on a large plaza with two fountains, surrounded by a number of buildings, and a magnificent four-story building at the front when looking towards the east. There were a lot of people coming and going, so maybe it was some kind of office.

Her consciousness was not yet that clear, and then she finally noticed. The streets and the clothes of those who come and go are completely different from those of Japan, and there are even those who have weapons and armor.

Where is this? Looking around slowly while thinking so, she turns and found white majestic castle in the north, and for some reason she knew the name of that place.

「Misley Castle…… then that building from before was the Adventurer’s Guild?」

If it’s an Adventurer’s Guild, then they would the one managing those armed people that was coming in and out of that building. Looking at the surroundings once again, you could find the Inn, weapon shop, tool shop, bar, general store and others…… and everything was in a position that I knew.

「There is no doubt, this is definitely the fortified city of Misley and I’m in its commercial district!」

Citadel City, Misley

It is the name of the city in the world of the game she has been playing for many years. It’s the capital of the Sacred Country of Mistrel located north of the Aldecia continent, and is a huge fortified city centered on Misley Castle. Its circumference extends to around six kilometers. In addition, the downtown area spread outside of the citadel, and it was more vibrant than the inner part of the citadel.

According to the game settings, the population is around 100,000. This world is really similar like many the bustling people around and I’m really excited hearing the voices of merchants who buy and sell and the laughter of women who were chatting. 

After listening to such noise for a while, she finally realized that a strange feeling. The people of the city do not speak Japanese, but she could understand the meaning of their words, and it is on the level if common everyday conversation. Mari reassured herself after feeling relieved, and began to look around to fully understand the situation.

Was I transported into the game world?

She then gazed at herself. Her clothes were simple, townsman style, and different from what she wore in my room. However, I knew it from somewhere.

「Oh, this is the clothes that you get when you log in the game for the first time.」

After realizing that, she rushed to one of the fountains and look at its surface. What was reflected was beauty with lustrous black hair and emerald eyes……

That’s right it was the beautiful face of the Goddess that she admired.

Mari then understood that she was reincarnated as the game character that she was using.

Ahahaha…… she sat down while laughing weakly. It was not because she was scared or upset. It was because she was elated that she became the goddess that she longed for and couldn’t help losing her strength knowing so.

Reincarnating is not something that I should be happy about! ……though that didn’t sound as if she was upset at all, it couldn’t be helped but she still can’t stop the joy coming out inside of her.

While sitting in front of the fountain, she was happily confirming her figure with her hands, and then she finally noticed the cold gaze of the people around her. She immediately stood up, swept away the dust from her skirt and left the place without looking at the people.

Mari was walking inside the crowd of people, but then realized the difference once more. Different from the world of games, you can’t easily reach locations just by walking around.

「Ah, the scaling of the place is different from inside game. The buildings look bigger, and finer details could be seen along with the distance of each building.」

After all, it was all real now…… she enthusiastically explores the streets while uttering such nuances while she was looking around.

After walking around for quite some time, she found the temple. There where priests and priestesses wearing similar uniforms as the one she saw in the game.

She wondered if they were now heading for their morning worship……Mari wanted to talk to one of them, but felt that it was no good to interrupt them. She then silently left the place.

Walking further, she reached a really tall wall of about 15 meters in height. Looking around the place, she found stairs the lead to the top of the wall where she climbs up. The cold morning which stimulates her skin was very pleasant for her.

Reaching the top, Mari stretched as she looks outwards to the north. There she could see a wide harvested wheat field and farmers preparing the field for the next plantaion.

She was a bit disappointed that she was not able to witness the the wide golden field that she usually see in the game……She continued looking ahead while thinking so, along the way were forests, rivers and continuing on is a wide mountain range. It’s white peaks shine from the sun that was rising from the east, and the mountain range spreads out from the east towards the west.

「Aah, it’s the Aldecian Mountain Range!!」

The northern end of that continent was an over 8,000 meter tall mountain range called the Aldecian Mountain Range. Among the several mountains in the range, Mount Aldea is among the highest, with a height of more than 10,000 meters with a magnificent snow white peak covered perpetually in snow and was also deemed as a sacred mountain.

Mari thought about the things that have happened as she gaze at the majestic mountain range.

She felt as if she knew about a lot of common things, yet she also felt strangely new about everything.

She wanted to explore this world and know more.

She clutches her fist placed in front of her chest and「Alright!」.

「Now that I think about it, this time, did I receive the initial money that you would normally receive in the game……」

Thinking so, she checked her body and belongings but didn’t find any money.

「I guess, my first adventure will be looking fo9r a job」

Fortunately, it was a vibrant city and there will likely be a lot of job offerings. The day has just started, so there’s plenty of time for her to explore and if she did her best then she would definitely find one. She then lightly steps down the stairs.

Thus, Mari’s new adventure starts.

◇◇◇

Mari who started her job hunting immediately fell into a serious predicament. It was a big problem that couldn’t be overcome by determination alone.

「Is there a Public Restroom around here…… I should have expected this because it’s not a game anymore」

What should I do?

「Should I try looking for a bar? But I am penniless, so I wonder if they will lend it to me」

She kept on walking around without thinking about anything else which gradually changed to a light run. Then after going to a back alley, she enters a bushy place where she immediately hides to do her business. And when she was finally about to leave the area, she realized the situation she was in.

The place where she is right now is the back alley of the warehouse district, and the security in that area is supposed to be really bad. A young woman like her should never get close to such a place. Because of Mari’s impatience, she didn’t realize the place she ended up going to such a place.

Feeling chills crawling down her back, she secretly tried to move away from the place but the route that she tried to pass through was blocked by four rough looking men. 

「Hehehe, we found an ojou-san. Would you like to play with us for a bit, we won’t be rough」

With a nasty laugh, the men were looking at Mari as if they found some prey. Mari turned red because of her embarrassment thinking that she might have been seen earlier, but that quickly turned into fear and she started trembling.

As the men approached her while holding bare swords, she crouched holding her head and closing her eyes.

（Ahhh, goodbye. My new days of adventure……）

It was at that moment!

A sharp and dignified voice echoed in the surrounding.

「What are you all trying to do there!!」

The men looked back at the source of the voice, the same with Mari opening her eyes looking in the same direction.

What they found was a young woman with a red soldier uniform and a long-sword in her waist. She had slender long legs protected by tight white pants and long boots. Her face was crisped, with short blond hair and clear blue eyes while having a light tan skin tone which makes her more attractive. She has a short stature but gives off a mysterious presence. 

The knight then continues.

「If everyone disband calmly, then I will overlook this, but what will you do?」

「Hehehe, got it. Fine, we don’t want to fight against a knight」

Each of the men then slowly walked passing by the knight, then at the time the last one passed……he turned around and swings his sword!

She has a sword but her armor is only light. Perhaps they were thinking that she was only a naïve soldier. Blood splattered immediately after hearing a dull sound!

It was the man who fell down after being being cut by the woman with her sword.

「You did it!」

「You’re the one who started it!」

The woman answers back, but her hand moved faster easily swinging her sword to attack. There was a clear difference in power. The men cursed for their careless decisions and their opponent was ferocious and was laughing as she tries to slaughter them.

The third man throws a knife at her, but the woman attempted to dodge without showing any expression…… however, in the next moment her expression changed!!

She noticed that there was someone in line of sight where the knife was thrown.

（If I let this be, that ojou-san will be hit by the knife!）

The timing to parry with her sword was already missed. The knight then received the knife using her left shoulder as a shield. Severe pain rushed through her body for a moment, and then the fourth man followed up slashing her right shoulder from the top, and inadvertently fall down to her knees.

Mari screamed at the scene, but she attempted to use healing magic. However, unlike in the game where she would click icons with her mouse in order to use her skills, she currently doesn’t know how to use it in reality!

（How am I supposed to use heal right now!?）

Even while confused, Mari imagined how heal was casted and tried. The next moment, the knight was swallowed by a dazzling swirl of light.

She was on the verge of losing consciousness, but when she was exposed to the light, the intense pain she felt disappeared as if it was a lie, then she immediately jumped out of the way and retaliated. The thugs tried to follow up once more but this time, they were easily annihilated.

In the silence, Mari was just stunned from the events that happened.

In front of her was a knight and four barely breathing men.

She was still in a confused state and didn’t remember what she actually did.

The female knight then approached her and spoke.

「Are you alright?」

「Yes」 Mari nodded as she replied.

Mari was relieved, but the female knight continued staring at her as if she was ascertaining something.

She wondered what happened……then tilts her neck not understanding the situation.

After that, with a serious face, the female knight asked her.

「You, are you a virgin?」

*Paaa―――――――――n!

The sound of a slap immediately echoed throughout the silent warehouse district street!

After confirming the death of the four, the post processing was immediately finished, and the case came to a close. This was a natural result given the knight’s position and the men’s identity. Mari was finally released from the investigation and was silently walking behind the female knight.

「Ummm, are you still angry?」

「I don’t care」 but was obviously showing an angry expression.

Her left cheek was still swollen red from Mari’s hit completely ruining her beauty. She then overtook the knight with a fast trot saying「I’m sorry!!」 and murmured a spell. A dazzling light escapes her right hand hitting her cheeks, and the swollen cheeks was healed immediately after a dazzling light flashes.

She smiles at her who was surprised but was able to smile back.

「Your heals are really flashy, you know?」

「Um, weren’t heals supposed to be like this?」

「Well, it is very different from the heal that I use to know」

After thinking for a moment, she then immediately turned to Mari once more.

「By the way, I am Sophia Stanbul. You may call me Sophie」

「I’m Mari, Mari Mido. I’m also fine being called Mari」

「Is that sou, then I will call you Mari then」

Mari smiled at Sophie who also immediately smiled back.

Sohpie guided her to an Inn. She conveyed to Sophie that she was broke where Sophie laughed at her and was given some extra money after having a meal. Mari was grateful because she hadn’t eating anything since morning and couldn’t help but bow to her a lot of times to show her gratitude.

She wanted to eat with Sophie, but Sophie needed to make a report about the incident and had to return back to the barracks. She did promise to meet with her at the tavern again tomorrow morning before deciding to leave.

◇◇◇

Sophie returned to her dormitory and changed from her bloody outfit before reporting. She checked the places where she got wounded but found not even a single scar not to mention that even old scars that remained in her body were also removed.

「I have been healed over and over before, but that was just amazing!」

She murmured as she caressed her shoulders that have suffered many times from blade injuries.

It was a high-level healing that gives of a dazzling glow. Sophie knows of only one person that would be able to use such magic. It was a goddess of chastity that was known in the legends of Ardesia that could manipulate sacred magic called the 『Saint』. Because of remembering this, it was the reason why she asked Mari 『Virgin?』.

Sophie who have been thinking for a while came to conclusion.

「Thinking about stories of legends was stupid」

After arranging her thoughts, she headed to the knight commander, thinking about she would explain this incident.