Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker - Chapter 8: The Port City of Luftla

It felt like I had seen the sunlight for the first time in a while. Inside the Great Forest, the dense leaves of the giant trees blocked the light, creating a dim and damp atmosphere. But now, we had safely made our way through the forest.

“Over here, this way! Hurry up!”

Rubure stood on a hill, seemingly excited to show us something, beckoning us.

“Please, Savior, go ahead.”

With a slight smile, Mei gestured for me to take the lead. We followed Rubure up the hill.

Spread out before us was the vast sea, with the horizon visible in the distance. In the foreground, a massive city enclosed by huge walls, armed with ballistae and cannons, sprawled before us. Numerous large ships were docked, and several gigantic buildings were visible. The bustling port city was alive with activity.

“There you see it. That’s the fortress port city of Luftla, a vital human stronghold and the first step towards the Demon Lord’s base. The people of Ludon also benefited greatly from trade with Luftla. And, Savior, it is a city that you are destined to protect.”

Entering Luftla required the same permission from gatekeepers as in Ludon. Mei, prepared as ever, showed a pass issued by the Lord of Ludon, granting us easy entry. The effectiveness of this pass was tremendous, even making it unnecessary to state our purpose for visiting. However, I wondered if that was okay.

What struck me as odd were the numerous tents and makeshift dwellings outside the massive gates and walls. At first glance, they appeared to be stalls, but they weren’t. Whatever they were seemed unimportant, so we proceeded into the city without giving it much thought.

“Now, Savior, we must secure a ship to head towards the Demon Lord’s base. However, the people of Luftla are aware of the prophecy about the Savior. With your record of defeating two Demon Lord’s commanders, revealing your identity should expedite the process.”

“Ah, about that, Mei… can we not announce that I’m the Savior in this city?”

“…? Why not? Revealing your identity as the Savior would make everyone cooperative. Normally, time-consuming procedures would be expedited. I apologize if I’m overstepping my bounds as a servant, but may I ask why?”

“Well… you know, if they find out I’m the Savior, there’ll be a huge fuss, right? I just want to take it easy and do some sightseeing first!”

“Sightseeing…? What are you talking about…? Is that related to defeating the Demon Lord?… Savior, are you truly intent on defeating the Demon Lord?”

Mei’s eyes darkened slightly. Maybe mentioning sightseeing was a mistake. To Mei, I’m supposed to be the hero who rescues everyone from this desperate situation. Talking about leisurely sightseeing could provoke anger and doubt.

“No, no, you see, Mei! As you know, I come from another world! That means… I don’t know anything about this world! I need to learn everything I can, even the smallest details! What if, in confronting the Demon Lord, a lack of such trivial knowledge leads to defeat… You wouldn’t want that, right!!?”

“…I see. I apologize. It was presumptuous of me to question the Savior’s thoughts. Please, feel free to punish me for my insolence.”

Mei offered her cheek for punishment, but I respectfully declined. She seemed to accept my explanation, though not entirely convinced. My excuses were a stretch, and I needed to establish a base of operations quickly, reveal the truth, and end this charade of being the Savior.

“…I’ll arrange for lodging. Do you see that large building over there? As the Savior, you could have borrowed a villa from one of the city’s influential figures. Still, since you wish to remain incognito, we can only use the general lodging facilities. I apologize for the inconvenience. It will take some time, so please feel free to explore the city in the meantime. The town’s guideboard is over there. Getting a room ready shouldn’t take more than a moment.”

Mei bowed deeply and headed towards the lodging facilities.

We looked at the guideboard Mei mentioned. It included a guild, a job placement center, taverns, restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, factories, and military outposts. This city seemed to have everything.

Before anything else, to settle down, I needed to find a place to live. What’s the housing situation like in this world? Is there a real estate agency, or must I apply at some office? I looked around but couldn’t find anything relevant. The next best option seemed to be the information office attached to the guild.

“…Hmm, I don’t understand human culture, but is there somewhere fun to go?”

Rubure, having looked at the guideboard, seemed unsure where to go.

“Then why not go to this ‘Amusement Place’? Sounds like somewhere fun.”

“An amusement place! Got it, I’ll go check it out!”

Good, the distraction is gone. Now, I can secretly advance my slow life plan. I’ll head to the information center.

“Why are you following me, Touko? I’m just going to the information center. It’s not going to be fun.”

“Is that so? It’s okay, Yuusha. As long as I’m with you, everything is fun.”

“No, it’s not fun for me.”

“What?”

Damn, I really should learn to hold back. Touko’s self-centered opinions, disregarding my feelings, aren’t new. Look, she’s waiting for my response with a half-hopeful look. Damn it.

“Well, you know… It’s not fun for me when you say everything is fun. It’s frustrating for the person who invites you! Troublesome!”

“Come on, you don’t need to state the obvious… Don’t worry; I’ll ask properly if I want something from Yuusha.”

Was there ever anything she truly wanted from me!? I almost blurted out a retort but managed to hold it back. What exactly is she planning to ask for…? I pondered how to escape from Touko before that time came.

“The guild is far, huh? Look, if we go through this back alley, won’t it be a shortcut?”

“I’m kind of tired… Look, this place has private rooms for resting. Why don’t we take a break?”

“There’s a boat! And it looks pretty sturdy! Why don’t we rent it? We could go out to sea where no one will bother us. Come on, hurry.”

Touko tried every trick in the book to lure me into secluded places before we reached the information center. Naturally, I made excuses every time to avoid being alone with her. And now a boat to the sea? Being in such an isolated place with her thinking about her intentions gave me goosebumps.

We finally reached the information center despite feeling like my virtue was in peril. I told the receptionist I was a traveler and inquired about settling down.

“Ah, looking to settle down, I see. I’m sorry, but you need some kind of achievement to settle here.”

According to the information center staff, Luftla, an important human defense base, has strict security measures. This means the city is safe, attracting many refugees from the areas attacked by the Demon Lord’s army. However, they only accept those with unique skills or talents to avoid overburdening the city.

So, those makeshift dwellings outside the city? They are for people who couldn’t be accepted into the city. It’s still safer than other places, so they set up residences outside the city walls.

Even worse, they’re not completely barred from entry. Although they live outside, they come in daily as workers. Essentially, behind its glitzy prosperity, the city has developed a stark social divide.

“No wonder Mei was unhappy about hiding my identity as the Savior…”

I was overwhelmed. I came here for a simple life in another world, not to live in a slum. Who would want to live such a laborious life in another world?

“Hey Yuusha, what do you mean by ‘settling down’?”

And now, the problem. I never expected settling down to be so difficult. I thought it would be fine to reveal my true intentions to Touko, but now, seeing how difficult it is to establish a living foundation… I’m hesitant to speak out.

Noticing my hesitation, Touko blushed and averted her eyes.

“Are you looking for a place for us to live after defeating the Demon Lord? That’s a bit early…”

No way, why would she think that?

Predicting what she might say, I managed to stop myself from reacting.

“Yuusha? What’s wrong? You’re covering your mouth… Are you okay?”

“I’m fine… Just, you know, a little… uh…”

The most obvious way to prove oneself here is through wealth. Some refugees become mercenaries, taking on dangerous tasks and eventually affording their homes. Mercenary work was unbelievable in my world, but here, it’s quite normal due to the threat of the Demon Lord. But I didn’t want to risk my life, so I looked for other job opportunities.

“The best-paying job? That would be a mercenary. There’s a shortage everywhere right now. You could also join the army.”

“How about being an adventurer or explorer? You can go on your own or find a sponsor. There’s a buzz about ancient weapons found recently. Want me to introduce you?”

From what I gathered at the guild, these were the options. Mercenaries and the army were out of the question… I didn’t want to throw my life away. As for adventurers or explorers, their main activity seemed to be dungeon exploration, which was reportedly even more dangerous. Even veterans could suddenly die in such unpredictable environments.

“So, working in a factory is the most reasonable option… That’s just… not different from another world…”

“Um, Yuusha, it’s okay… Once you defeat the Demon Lord, you’ll get a lot of money, and I’ll give you all the money I earn…”

“That’s what I don’t want… to be a kept man…”

“Yuusha…!”

For some reason, Touko looked deeply moved, tears welling in her eyes. Despite our long association, I couldn’t understand what struck a chord with her.