Chapter 311

Before even entering, they were burdened with various rules, and feeling exasperated, they passed through the tunnel of the town wall to complete their entry.

As soon as they entered, the brown-paved ground, indicating the Lower-Class Citizen District, came into view.

The buildings were mostly five-story apartments, resembling stacked wooden row houses that seemed easy to build or demolish.

“They call them Lower-Class Citizens, so I was imagining something much worse, but it’s surprisingly normal—actually, everyone seems quite lively,” Tatsuro remarked.

“Yeah, I thought there’d be people treated like slaves or something,” Ai added.

Since this was the Lower-Class Citizen District, many people naturally wore brown cords and plates signifying their status as Lower-Class Citizens. While some wore slightly worn clothing, they were bustling about, setting up stalls or street vendors, or heading to the Adventurer’s Guild with freshly hunted game, all brimming with energy and vitality.

Moreover, there was hardly any litter on the streets, making the area very hygienic. It didn’t feel at all like a place for so-called Lower-Class Citizens.

“Um… oh, there’s a section in this book about the citizen class system,” Leah said.

Having previously ignored the section on citizen classes due to lack of interest, Leah, now curious, took out a book from her Item Box and began explaining to the others.

Apparently, in this country, a citizen’s class is determined by the amount of taxes paid in the previous year.

Thus, those who work hard and contribute significant taxes to the town can rise to Upper-Class Citizen status, even if they were once Lower-Class Citizens.

However, many Lower-Class Citizens don’t aspire to become General Citizens or Upper-Class Citizens.

Lower-Class Citizens hold no Command Authority in this town, but they are content with a carefree lifestyle—working when they want to earn money and relaxing when they don’t.

Moreover, as long as they are physically able, there’s always some kind of work available daily for both men and women, so they never lack employment.

If their class rises, they’d have to work harder and pay more taxes to the town, so many deliberately calculate their earnings to stay below that threshold.

On the downside, committing a crime results in harsher penalties compared to higher-class citizens, and in cases like disease outbreaks, their medical treatment is often delayed, among other disadvantages.

Still, the so-called Lower-Class Citizens were satisfied with their current lives.

Thus, it might be the General Citizens who are getting the short end of the stick in this country.

“Hmm, it’s kind of like the people of Edo in the Edo period. Living day-to-day, not holding onto money overnight” Tatsuro mused. (T/N: This is a reference to a carefree, spend-as-you-earn lifestyle)

“I thought this was a harsh country, but it seems surprisingly easygoing,” Nana commented.

“Then I’m fine being a Lower-Class Citizen too!” Athena chirped.

As they lingered and chatted a bit away from the gate, an artificial sound—PIRIRIRIRI—rang out from behind, specifically from the direction of the Noble’s Private Gate.

In response, everyone from Upper-Class Citizens and below hurriedly cleared the main road stretching from the gate to the town’s center. Those running stalls or street vendors swiftly packed up and moved aside.

“What’s that—oh, that gate’s opening,” Leah observed.

“Here comes the Noble, huh?” Ai quipped.

With a creaking gigigi sound, the Noble’s Private Gate began to open, and in sync, the road stretching from the gate to the center automatically changed color to a purple carpet, as if unrolling.

“Ugh!”

“Eek!”

Three minutes after the gate fully opened, a creature pulling a lavishly decorated purple carriage entered the town, causing Ai to let out a croak-like scream and cling to Tatsuro’s back. It was the same beast that had startled her.

The creature was a three-meter-long insect-type monster with a glossy black body, painted purple to match the carriage. With long antennae, a flat body, and three pairs of legs scuttling along, it effortlessly pulled the massive, heavy carriage. Frankly, it was a cockroach in every sense.

“No way, no way, no way, no way!” Ai wailed.

“Calm down, it’s tamed, so it won’t attack or come near us,” Tatsuro reassured her.

“Ugh… tell me when it’s gone, Tatsuro…” Ai whimpered.

“Got it,” Tatsuro replied.

“Why do they keep something like that?!” Ai groaned.

As Ai pressed her face into Tatsuro’s back, refusing to let the creature enter her field of vision, Tatsuro recalled the first time he went to Ai’s room to deal with a cockroach she’d cried about—a slightly bittersweet memory.

Squinting, he vaguely watched the G-carriage trace the purple ground and disappear. (T/N: The term “G-carriage” was used to describe the carriage pulled by the Kasakafajo, reflecting Ai’s reaction to it resembling a cockroach (G for “gokiburi,” Japanese for cockroach))

“It’s gone now. You okay?” Tatsuro asked.

“Really? It’s really gone?” Ai pressed.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Tatsuro assured.

“—Hah! The evil is gone,” Ai declared, peeking cautiously from behind Tatsuro’s shoulder to check left, right, and ahead before clinging to his left arm with a relieved expression.

“This country’s Nobles use such terrifying monsters!” Ai exclaimed.

“Are they really that scary? They don’t seem much different from other insects,” Leah remarked.

“My mother could take it down in one hit,” Nana boasted.

“It’s not that kind of fear. My instincts just hate that thing,” Ai insisted.

“That bad, huh?” Athena questioned.

“Well, since they don’t have those here, you probably wouldn’t get it. Some people even said, ‘As expected of a splendid monster fit to pull a Noble’s carriage,’” Tatsuro noted.

“It’s too splendid—it’s gross!” Ai retorted.

Tatsuro was right—this world didn’t have cockroaches. To the people here, it was just another type of insect monster among many.

This particular monster, called Kasakafajo—a Big Cockroach—had considerable strength, moved quickly, and boasted high endurance and durability. Though not its forte, it could even fly. Docile by nature, omnivorous, and content to eat even garbage, it required minimal feeding costs.

As such, it was fairly common in this country and wildly popular among mid-level tamers in Casapisti.

“I’m definitely looking up that monster’s name so I don’t accidentally pick it for a subjugation quest!” Ai declared.

“Alright, alright,” Tatsuro replied, gently hugging and patting the head of a pouting Ai, finding her adorable.

Nana, Leah, and Athena were used to their antics, treating it as an everyday scene, but onlookers cast jealous, envious, or exasperated glances at the couple openly flirting in the middle of town.

Immersed in their own world, the two even started kissing lightly, ignoring their surroundings, until Leah intervened, deeming it inappropriate, and they finally returned to normal—though they still held hands tightly.

“Let’s take a quick look around town and check if anything strange is going on,” Tatsuro suggested.

“Alright!” Ai responded, her mood fully restored after her moment with Tatsuro, raising her hand energetically.

With that, Tatsuro and the group finally began moving.

“Hmm, nothing particularly unusual in the Adventurer’s Guild or the quest listings,” Tatsuro noted.

“Kasakafajo. I’ll never forget that name!” Ai declared.

They first visited the adventurers’ hub, the Adventurer’s Guild, to get a feel for the atmosphere and skim through available quests, but nothing stood out as unusual.

Meanwhile, Ai cornered the receptionist, described the cockroach monster’s traits, and jotted down its name.

They couldn’t find any clues explaining the odd behavior of the soldiers at the border, but Ai seemed satisfied, clutching her note with a determined huff.

They circled the Lower-Class Citizen District, grabbing snacks from stalls and browsing street vendors, when Leah suddenly stopped.

“These are low-level, but they’re genuine Dragon Scales, right? And this is a Claw Fragment,” Leah said.

“Sharp eyes, little lady,” the Street Vendor replied.

Using her All-Seeing Eye, Leah identified a necklace made of low-level dragon scales and claw fragments, casually placed on a cloth spread out by the vendor.

“I can’t say who or where, but I’ve got a buddy who knows about dragons. They collect naturally shed scales or claw shavings from when the dragon’s away or sharpening its claws. It’s the real deal, just a bit pricier than the rest. What do you say?” the vendor offered.

“Hmm, I’ll pass,” Leah replied.

“Aw, too bad,” the vendor said, playfully smacking his forehead with an “oops” gesture, unfazed as if he hadn’t expected her to buy.

“But there are dragons around here, huh?” Tatsuro mused.

“Hey, don’t go looking to hunt them down. Dragons are dangerous—scary! Better not,” the vendor warned.

“While saying that, you just don’t want them hunted because you’d lose your material supply, right?” Tatsuro teased.

“Well, yeah, that’s true. For regular adventurers, it’s a no-go, but for skilled ones, it’s a dragon they could handle. So I’m definitely not telling you where!” the vendor insisted.

“Got it. We won’t press you,” Tatsuro assured.

With that, Tatsuro and the group left the stall.

“I wanted Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi to learn Dragon Slayer, but since people’s livelihoods depend on it, let’s not hunt them down,” Tatsuro decided.

“Those scales are so weak they’d probably break with a light punch, so fighting them sounds boring anyway,” Athena added.

“Still, it’s interesting that you can get dragon materials that way,” Leah noted.

“Seems so. Even in Holmes, some people don’t hunt dragons but study their paths or lairs to collect high-value materials. Apparently, dragons with systems installed sometimes sell their own scales or ask for weapons to be made from them,” Leah explained.

“Dragons selling their own scales? That’s surreal. I’d love to see that,” Tatsuro said.

While discussing this, Tatsuro briefly wondered how much wealth they could’ve gained by selling Jeanne’s scales, but since materials from Magical Entities like Cardina dissipate after a while, it was impossible.

(Even if it were possible, I wouldn’t do that to my precious girls.)

While normal creatures shed naturally, Magical Entities like dragons don’t lose scales unless injured, and Tatsuro dismissed the idea of harming his beloved companions.

Having grasped the Lower-Class Citizen District, they decided to head to the General Citizen District.

However, only one companion per person was allowed, so in a secluded spot, Athena, who volunteered, returned to Tatsuro’s body before they proceeded.

The boundary between the Lower-Class and General Citizen Districts was marked by a one-meter-high wall, with gaps every ten meters or so for entry.

There were no guards at the gaps, making entry easy, but patrolling soldiers checked Identification markers, so lingering too long was difficult.

“Well, we’re in the General Citizen District now, but… everything looks pretty ordinary—buildings and all,” Tatsuro observed.

“Yeah, not much excitement here. Inns, eateries, maybe a laundry shop. Convenient for living, but not tourist-friendly,” Ai added.

“Then let’s take a quick look and head to the Upper-Class Citizen District,” Leah suggested.

“Sounds good,” Nana agreed.

Since the architecture was similar to what they’d seen in Heldamdo, Tatsuro, Ai, and the two young girls trailing closely behind quickly toured the General Citizen District before moving on.

The wall to the Upper-Class Citizen District was two meters high, made of metal instead of stone, with fewer gaps for passage, making it harder to find an entry.

After some effort, they entered and found, as expected, grand mansions lining the area, home to Large Merchants, high-earning adventurers, and Commoner officials like the Mayor involved in town governance.

Incidentally, unlike in Heldamdo or Libelhight, the Mayor here wasn’t elected but chosen by Nobles from among Upper-Class Citizens, effectively making it hereditary.

“It’s a cold climate, so there’s a lot of warm clothing”

“Yes, the thick, fluffy clothes for cold regions are cute”

“Well, less skin exposure is nice. No other guys get to see, and it’s fun to peel off”

“Pervert!”

“Such a pervert”

At a Merchant Guild shop in the Upper-Class Citizen District, high-class items were predictably abundant.

Ai and Leah eagerly bought local clothing, soaps, lotions, and creams, while Tatsuro picked up some high-class daily necessities.

Having never worried about money in his previous world, Tatsuro marveled at the experience. (T/N: Author’s mistake here. I think they meant in this new world)

As they explored the Upper-Class Citizen District, Patrol Guards repeatedly warned Nana and Leah to stay close to Tatsuro and Ai.

“And this is the entrance to the Noble District, huh?” Tatsuro said.

“Looks like it,” Ai replied.

Access to the Noble District from the Upper-Class District was limited to four points: one extending from the Noble’s Private Gate, one opposite it, and two perpendicular to those.

The wall was six meters high, made of an even sturdier material than the metal walls separating General and Upper-Class Districts.

At each of the four entrances, burly Guards stood watch, glaring warily at Tatsuro and his group as they looked up at the wall.

Since they were only sightseeing and had no intention of entering, they ignored the guards, took a good look, and concluded there was nothing unusual in the town. They then set off for Banratesimo, a town near Banramonte Mountain, and flew out of the city.