Ignoring the curious gazes, we got in line, and before long, it was our turn. “Yes, what can I do for you today?” The receptionist was a beautiful woman with a calm demeanor and black hair. She was more elegant than cute. In this world where colorful hair was common, her black her stood out as the prettiest of them all. “Today we've come to register as adventurers,” I told her. She answered with a smile. “Adventurer registration, huh? Thank you very much. The registration fee is 3,000 Kurts. Is that all right?” Phew, that was a close one. If I had been too considerate and not taken the money from the old man, I would have ended up with the shameful mark of being a guy who couldn’t pay the registration fee. If that had happened, the other adventurers would have made fun of me for sure. “Yes, here you go,” I said. Cystie and I each took three silver coins out of leather pouches and placed them on the counter. Heh-heh, I already knew how currency worked. It would have been too embarrassing to ask Cystie, so I’d gotten the information from a boy I’d met in Poda. Gold coins were worth ten thousand Kurts, silver coins were worth one thousand, copper coins were worth one hundred, and brass coins were worth ten. It was very easy to tell them apart by color. I had given the boy a loaf of bread as a thank-you. “Yes, I've received the registration fees for the two of you: six thousand curts. Please fill out this form with your names and information.” The receptionist took the six silver coins, pulled two sheets of paper out from under the counter, and handed them to us. Looked like that was all we had to do. Suddenly, I wondered if I could even read or write in this world’s language? I looked down at the paper and saw letters I’d never seen before, but for some reason, I knew what they said. While they only looked like squares and diamonds to me, I could understand the meaning of these letters. Name, sex, race, age, and specialty—it was a kind of self-introduction. I didn’t know how I was able to understand the letters, but I couldn’t write them. “...Cystie.” “What is it? Hurry up and finish already.” “I can read the letters, but... I can’t write them.” “Huh? Duke, you can’t even write your own name?” Keep your voice down. It’s embarrassing. I made a small head movement that someone could mistake for a nod, and Cystie sighed. “We’ll write it at that table over there and come back.” “Sure, go ahead.” We moved to the table. Cystie moved a quill, which was dipped in ink, swiftly across the paper. What’s this? It still just looks like a bunch of squares to me. “Hey, wait a minute! I told you my gender is male! Don’t put a circle for female!” “You really can read the letters, huh?” So she was testing me, huh? What a sneaky thing to do. As I spoke aloud, Cystie wrote down what I said. My race was monster, but if I said that, the other adventurers would probably try to exterminate me on the spot, so of course I claimed to be human. “And what’s your weapon of choice?” “My fists and feet.” “I really want to tell you not to joke around, but considering how you dealt with the goblins' nest, I can't say it's entirely untrue. Are you really better with your fists than a sword?” “I can't use a sword at all. I'll try out a greatsword or something alike later.” Short swords like Cystie’s were easy to handle and use, but they just didn’t feel right to me.

Like, if I could use a greatsword that really harnessed the power of a Dullahan, that would be ideal. Not so much for slicing, but more for crushing things with sheer weight and power. I didn’t have the money right now, but once I saved up enough, I planned to buy one at the weapon shop. “Is that so? All right, I’ll write down unarmed combat and greatsword, then.” Cystie scribbled away for a while, then suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” “...Party registration.” “Oh, you mean people you want to work with?” It was a common guild policy. Maybe they were trying to make it easier for new adventurers to find partners by having them fill out paperwork. “Let’s form a party together!” Just as I was thinking that, Cystie leaned forward and made that suggestion. “Ehhh?” “Got anything to say?” Cystie puffed out her cheeks at my hesitant response. She was a smart, kind and beautiful girl. When I’d first come to this world, I hadn’t known anything, and she’d patiently taught me everything I needed to know, one thing at a time, no matter how trivial. If I hadn’t met Cystie, I probably never would have put on this helmet. I would have spent the rest of my days observing the village and living lonesomely in the Demon Forest. Even if it hadn’t been intentional, I was grateful to Cystie for that. If I could, I’d like to repay her kindness somehow, but... “Your spells don’t hit.” That’s right. This mage's accuracy was abysmall. I was a pure vanguard, and it was reassuring to have a mage backing me up. But what if that mage in the back was someone who targeted their own allies? Wouldn’t you be a little less reassured? “What do you mean?! Didn’t you see me fighting the black wolves? I did a great job!” Cystie slammed her hand down on the table and barked at me. “No, I saw you! I heard you! I was right there! That’s exactly why I don’t want to be in a party with you! That lightning bolt was just a fluke, wasn’t it? I heard you say, ‘Oh shit’! I can’t trust a mage who might strike me from behind at any moment!” “It’s fine! You’ll be fine anyway, even if my spells hit you!” Cystie retorted. “Yeah! You’re thinking that since I’m tough, it’s okay to hit me with as many spells as you want!” Oh, she’s gone and done it now. “Well, it’s true, isn’t it? You can take my full-power fireballs, after all.” “Hey, did you actually hit me with one of your full-power fireballs?” “…No, of course not. Those weren’t even close to my full power.” Cystie’s eyes darted away. Taking advantage of that momentary distraction, I snatched up the papers that were finished except for the party section and headed for the counter. “Wait! I can be useful! I feel like I can do anything when I’m with you, Duke!” Cystie grabbed my cape, her eyes brimming with tears. I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before. It’s the exact opposite of the first time we met. “Hey, let go! Don’t pull on my cape! If you don’t let go, I’m going to kick you! Besides, all the other adventurers are watching us!” I couldn’t turn my back on Cystie after all she’d done for me, so in the end, we formed a party together. Though I didn’t like the way all the other adventurers were staring at us. From their perspective, it probably looked like I was trying to abandon this poor girl. Well, there was nothing I could do about it now. Cystie would learn to control her spells sooner or later. Practice makes perfect, after all. With time, she’d become an excellent mage. By then, I’d be able to use her to my full advantage and not have to fight myself. It would be all right. I was a Dullahan. I could handle Cystie’s magic. That’s right, this is an investment in my future!