Chapter 4: Escape from the Country

“Haa haa haa. Fi–finally, we’ve managed to escape from the castle!”

The girl and I took advantage of a gap in the guards’ patrol, used a hidden passage in the castle, and even employed a decoy at times. At last, we succeeded in escaping from the castle.

“You’re out of breath over something like this? Do you really think you can make it as a hero?”

“I’ve said it countless times—I’m not a hero, and I have no intention of being one.”

Still, I can’t help but notice this girl. She must have been locked up longer than I was, yet she still has remarkable stamina.

“So, what now? I’d recommend leaving the country first.”

What now… huh.

It seems the girl respects my wishes. She pulled a map out of her pocket and spread it out on the ground.

“If you stay within Rekuria, you’re guaranteed to get caught. That’s why I think we should head south to Rozy. They aren’t on good terms with Rekuria, after all.”

Rekuria and Rozy are probably country names, but I have no clue about the geography or international relations of this world. The girl’s explanation is completely over my head. Still, can one really just move to another country that easily?

Judging by the architecture and the quality of the clothes we’re wearing, it’s clear this isn’t a highly developed world. In such a place, there wouldn’t be any convenient vehicles like cars or trains. How on earth are we supposed to travel long distances? I can barely walk five kilometers.

Let’s think this through calmly. What’s the best way for someone like me—destined to be a NEET—to get moving?

In a world without my parents or any family, becoming a NEET inevitably requires money. You need cash for a place to live, for food, even for entertainment. Without money, you can’t get anything; conversely, if you have money, you can get just about anything.

As someone who doesn’t want to work, my options for making money are limited. Ideally, I’d like some kind of passive income—a system where money just flows in while I laze around. That’s the kind of life I want to set up.

So what should I do first? As the girl said, moving to a country where you won’t get caught is absolutely essential. But then what?

Even if I reluctantly start a business to raise funds for my NEET lifestyle, I have no seed money. Without money, I can’t even afford a hotel room or buy food.

…Huh? Could it be that life in prison is actually more comfortable?

No way, that can’t be it. I have a cheat ability, after all. Right now, I can go without food or sleep. Sure, I’d like to take a bath once in a while, but I can’t afford any luxuries.

Yeah, with my cheat ability, I can probably manage in this situation. I decided to stop overthinking it and trust that everything would work out.

“Alright, then—let’s head to Rozy.”

“Understood. In that case, let’s head to the carriage station. Since it’s going to be a long journey, we should also stock up on provisions.”

~~~~~~

“Uuugh… Why don’t you have any money, hero!?”

The girl walking beside me was dragging her feet, looking absolutely miserable.

“Well, I was only summoned yesterday, you know. Of course, I don’t have any money.”

We had planned to buy enough food to last the week-long carriage ride to Rozy.

And that’s when we discovered a shocking truth—

Not only was I broke, but so was the girl.

Both of us wallowed in our shared poverty, trading complaints and insults.

Then, I had a brilliant idea.

The brooch hanging from the girl’s neck—couldn’t we sell that?

At first, she strongly resisted, saying it was a precious gift from her mother. But if we wanted to leave this country, we had no other choice.

So, dragging her along, I took her to a pawn shop and forced her to pawn it.

Maybe people around us saw it as a heartless act, but survival comes first.

And honestly? I don’t care if a girl I just met starts hating me.

The shopkeeper even said that as long as we reclaimed it within a month, they wouldn’t sell it to anyone else.

If she really wanted it back, she could always buy it back later.

“This bread tastes awful.”

“Hey! I pawned my brooch for that food, you know!? Could you not call it awful!?”

It was dry, flavorless, and absurdly hard.

It barely qualified as food for humans.

…Am I really going to have to get used to eating this from now on?

“By the way, what’s your name? We’ve been traveling together this whole time, but you still haven’t told me. My name’s Ao.”

As we made our way to the carriage station, we finally got around to introductions.

“Ao? Hmm, pretty bland name, isn’t it? My name is Liluria. My family and close friends call me Lil.”

She really had no problem calling my name bland right to my face, huh?

I personally thought it had some charm.

“Nice to meet you, Liluria.”

“Hmph, at least you have some manners. If you had gotten all familiar and called me ‘Lil’ right away, I would’ve roasted you with my fire magic, hero.”

I keep telling you—I’m not a hero…

But wait, she can use magic? That’s seriously unfair. I wonder if I can use it too?

“By the way, don’t you think your tone isn’t exactly fitting for someone’s maid? You are my maid, you know?”

When we left the prison, Liluria and I made a deal.

She would travel with me, and in exchange, she would become my maid. That was the agreement.

“A–A maid like me is fine, isn’t it!? Besides, you should be thrilled to have such a cute maid in the first place!”

Why did I ask her to be my maid?

Simple—so I could enjoy my future NEET life in absolute comfort.

Even a NEET still has to do housework—cooking, laundry, cleaning, and all that.

If I lived with my parents, they’d probably handle all of it, but unfortunately, I had no family in this world.

That’s why I wanted a maid—to take care of all the housework in my place.

Once I become a full-fledged NEET, I’ll be able to dedicate my entire day to my hobbies.

“Oh, and from now on, calling me ‘hero’ is banned, alright? If someone overhears, it’ll be trouble.”

“…Fair enough. I get it. From now on, I’ll just call you Ao.”

“You could call me ‘Master’ instead, you know?”

“Don’t get cocky, you penniless bum!”

And with that, Liluria gave me a light punch to the shoulder.