IGTL Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – Being Asked for Welfare in a Game World Turned Real Was Not My Problem (1)

After the Adventurers’ Guild bought my Advanced Recovery Potion at a ridiculously low price, I left the Adventurers’ Guild feeling completely deflated.

“This is what they call a price crash, huh…”

A price crash sounded great when you were on the consumer side, but, once you were the producer, it was a whole different story.

The fact that a top-grade, highest-quality Advanced Recovery Potion worth ten million Col per bottle dropped to a measly one hundred thousand Col per bottle the moment the Adventurers’ Guild got involved was just… wow.

No wonder nobody sold to the Adventurers’ Guild.

Well, if I were the one using it, I wouldn’t exactly feel like popping a potion that cost ten million Col either, so maybe, from the user’s perspective, that price range made sense?

Still, Advanced Recovery Potions only came from mid-tier dungeon bosses or from high-tier dungeons. Considering the risk, one hundred thousand Col felt way too cheap. Then again… maybe that was exactly why the “alchemist” job existed in the first place.

“Hmm… wait a second?”

What had the receptionist said back then?

Didn’t she mention that Advanced Recovery Potions all ended up flowing into Midgard Holy Nation?

I glanced at the paid item “Move Yggdrasil” that allowed for use of the Transfer Gate “Yggdrasil” without restrictions.

“With this, I can go to Midgard Holy Nation, can’t I?”

Thinking about it, “Move Yggdrasil” was an item for crossing national borders. If I had “Move Yggdrasil,” I could easily jump to Midgard Holy Nation.

And if Midgard Holy Nation was where the Advanced Recovery Potions were going, there was a good chance they’d buy them at a higher price.

“I’ll go check it out…”

So I headed straight for Transfer Gate “Yggdrasil,” opened the menu bar, and selected the country I wanted.

“Transfer. Midgard Holy Nation.”

The moment I shouted that in front of the gate, a blue light settled over my body, and I transferred to the neighboring nation, Midgard Holy Nation.

When I looked around, white buildings lined the streets, and when I lifted my gaze, a gleaming white tower rose high into the sky.

“So this is Midgard Holy Nation…”

Everyone walking the streets wore white robes.

The only person dressed as Mob-Fenrir was me.

Their stares hurt. It felt like one look after another was pelting me like bullets.

I’d come here to sell Advanced Recovery Potions, but this was clearly beyond me. I was not ready for this.

The away-game vibe was unreal.

I turned back toward Transfer Gate “Yggdrasil,” opened the menu bar again, and chose another destination.

“Transfer. Central Kingdom.”

Blue light wrapped around me again, and I transferred back to Central Kingdom.

The moment I returned, I let out a sigh.

“…No. Reset. Clear my head.”

My Mob-Fenrir gear was my lifeline. More than that, it was currently my strongest equipment.

Now that DW had become reality, I couldn’t afford to casually unequip it.

So then what was I supposed to do…?

I was standing in front of Transfer Gate “Yggdrasil” with my head in my hands when someone called out from behind me.

“Huh? Kakeru? What’re you doing here?”

“Hm? You’re… Kyle. And what’s with you being covered in blood?”

Wait, seriously?

He was drenched in blood to an absurd degree.

How was he acting so normal in that condition?

If I were in his shoes, I’d have sprinted to a hospital without even thinking.

“And… huh? Am I seeing things? Who’s the girl next to you? Did you kidnap her because you’re so desperate for women?”

I immediately aimed the Mob-Fenrir Bazooka at Kyle.

Kyle just flashed a grin.

For some reason, that expression irritated me, so I fired a single rubber round.

The shot was instantly split in two by a knife that appeared out of nowhere, and the pieces smacked into the ground.

“…Wait, for real?”

“Hey, don’t hit me with ‘wait, for real?’! Why’d you suddenly shoot me!? Because you got annoyed!? Was my smug grin really that shootable!?”

“Yeah, kinda. Anyway… that girl, is she Merry?”

When I said her name, Merry held up a V-sign with the knife still in hand.

“‘Yeah, kinda’!?” Kyle snapped, then sighed like he’d given up. “Whatever. You’ve always been like this. Always. This cutie is my new sweetheart, Merry!”

“…Seriously.”

This guy had actually gone and materialized the yandere girl.

How did he even do that?

“…Wait, what? Don’t tell me you and Merry are dating now.”

Kyle pulled Merry close by the shoulder and beamed.

“Yeah! That’s right! She’s adorable, isn’t she? My Merry!”

“Y-Yeah. You two look… great together…”

If he could put his arm around her like that, she had a physical body.

This was legitimately insane.

“So why are you soaked in blood?”

“Huh? This? It’s called the ‘Blood Covenant’ and— guh!?”

The instant Kyle tried to explain, Merry stabbed him straight in the stomach.

Kyle immediately healed it with a Basic Recovery Potion, then forced out a shaky grin between breaths.

“…Yeah, no. I can’t tell you. Just know it’s something you need if you want to materialize Merry-chan.”

Right. Got it.

He’d called it a “Blood Covenant.” He probably used his blood as a medium to manifest her. Something like that.

“Okay, whatever… More importantly, do you know anywhere that’d buy recovery potions at a high price?”

Kyle looked away, awkward.

“Sorry. I got out of the recovery potion business…”

He was talking like he’d quit dealing drugs.

It wasn’t that kind of evil, was it…?

Then again, this was the guy who’d sold his potions for pennies through Mami-chan at a hostess club. I’d probably just dug up a painful memory.

I felt vaguely guilty.

“…Okay. Fine. If you hear anything, let me know. Also, this is a gift from me. Take care of Merry, alright.”

I pulled an envelope from Item Storage, tucked in 100,000 Col, and handed it to Kyle.

“Huh? Th-This is…”

“…Don’t say anything. Just be happy.”

After that, I left like I was running away.

Because, yeah, a guy being genuinely possessed by a ghost was terrifying.

My judgment was absolutely correct.

Still, now that the game world had become reality, Merry’s power was undeniably rare.

If anything, blessing them and tossing in 100,000 Col as a congratulatory gift should pay off in the future.

Or at least, I really wanted it to.

While I was thinking that and walking toward Drowsing Inn, I spotted a familiar guy getting chewed out by adventurers on the road.

“Even as an adventurer, that kind of pathetic attitude is unacceptable. Hurry up and come grind levels in the dungeon! We’re not free, you know!”

“We’re doing this because it’s the Guildmaster’s order, tagging along to help a low-rank adventurer like you level up! And you’re chickening out and trying to hole up in an inn? What are you thinking!? Are you trying to waste the Guildmaster’s goodwill!?”

“…Th-That’s just the Guildmaster saying stuff on his own! I never asked for this! Leave me alone! I want to shut myself in at an inn, not deal with anyone, and live a lazy life!”

As expected of the veteran player “AAAA” who’d spent forty years in the real world as a shut-in living off his parents. The weight behind his words was different.

But did he actually understand the situation he was in?

That with only one million Col, he’d be broke in a few months…?

“Huh? What are you even talking about? If you shut yourself in an inn, what are you planning to do?”

A completely reasonable question.

I wanted to ask the same thing.

Hey. You. The laziness specialist, “AAAA.”

What have you been saying this whole time?

Did you actually understand your current reality?

This world had become real!

Now that the “parents” leg you used to chew on was gone, if you didn’t work and earn money, you were going to die!

There wasn’t even welfare in a game world!

Also, could you please rename yourself from “AAAA”? It was hard to say out loud!

“I-It’s none of your business! Just leave me alone! I want to be a shut-in!”

He was intense. I could at least feel his passion for shutting himself away no matter what.

Even the adventurers chewing him out looked exasperated.

“Hey, let’s stop dealing with this guy. Saying the right thing to someone with zero motivation is pointless.”

“…Yeah. Sorry, Guildmaster, but this one’s done. He’s not even worth the conversation.”

Couldn’t agree more.

“…Let’s go. Sorry for the pointless meddling.”

With that, the adventurers walked away from AAAA.

“…Hmph. I’ve got a secret plan to live without working! Mind your own business!”

“Yeah? And what secret plan is that…?”

When I spoke from behind him, AAAA flinched hard.

“…Oh. It’s you, Kakeru. Thought you were some random stray Mob-Fenrir.”

What a way to talk to someone.

Whatever. That didn’t matter.

It was AAAA, after all. Taking him seriously was a mistake.

If I started taking everything this type said at face value, my brain was going to melt down into gestalt collapse. His words were best taken at half value.

“…So, you said you had a secret plan. What’s this brilliant ‘live without working’ plan?”

No, seriously. What was it?

Did something like that actually exist?

If it didn’t, then in a few months his life was going to hit a literal game over.

While I waited, AAAA put on a smug, confident look.

“Heh-heh-heh. Well, you’ve helped me out, Kakeru, so I’ll tell you. The secret to living without working… is applying to the country for welfare!”

“W-Welfare!?”

Wait.

Did he mean the welfare from Japan’s original world… the system that supported people who couldn’t work for various reasons, or whose income was extremely low, so they could still maintain a minimum standard of living?

I stared at him, dumbfounded, and AAAA snorted arrogantly through his nose.