Chapter 15: Smiles, Revenge, and Life Magic
By the time Jin returned to town, it wasn’t even four o’clock yet. For now, he decided it would be best to deliver the freshly gathered herbs to the guild while they were still in prime condition, so he made his way straight there. Soon enough, he arrived and approached Aria’s desk.
"Aria-san, I’m back. Here are the herbs for the request. Please check them."
He handed over a bundle of Chiriru grass and a small pouch containing Mel grass seed heads. Both came straight from his bag, not through the Gate. Apparently, the Item Bag couldn’t store living things, which meant freshly harvested plants couldn’t be put inside.
"Yes, I’ll check them now," Aria replied.
For a moment, her face flickered with surprise—probably because of how quickly Jin had returned—but she soon smoothed it back into her usual calm expression and began inspecting the goods.
The five stalks of Chiriru grass had their roots carefully wrapped in a towel and bound together, still covered in soil and nearly as fresh as when they were growing. The Mel grass seed heads had been placed in a pouch designed for delicate collection, keeping them from being crushed. It was as close to perfect as possible. Normally, such requests had long deadlines and were fulfilled "whenever convenient," so herbs rarely arrived this fresh. And handled so meticulously? Almost unheard of.
"Five stalks of Chiriru grass, ten Mel seed heads… everything is here. The condition is perfect, so I’ll approve a 25% bonus on the reward. Please take this document to the cashier’s office in the back for payment."
Aria handed him a signed slip.
"Thank you very much."
His very first request was complete, and he even received a glowing evaluation. That alone was enough to make him happy.
"Jin-san, forgive me for asking out of curiosity, but… may I ask you something?"
"Eh? What is it?"
"How did you manage to find the herbs so quickly?"
It had only been about four hours since Jin left the guild. It was natural for Aria to wonder. Jin considered his answer.
He couldn’t exactly tell her about Map. Mentioning Appraisal might be possible, but explaining how he suddenly learned it overnight would sound suspicious. Besides, he wasn’t even sure if the skill was entirely "normal." Still, he didn’t want to outright lie to Aria either.
He raised his eyes, letting his gaze wander for a bit before turning back to her with a mischievous smile.
"That’s… a secret."
Aria’s eyes widened in shock behind her glasses, round with surprise at the unexpected reply.
"Hehehe. I thought I’d try practicing what you taught me right away, Aria-san."
Jin added with a carefree grin. He was referring, of course, to her earlier advice: Don’t share your information too easily.
"Fufu… if it’s a secret, then I suppose I can’t pry."
Aria replied, hiding a small smile behind her hand.
It was the first time Jin had seen her smile—and he found himself captivated. Though her expression quickly returned to its usual neutrality, to him it still felt as though a faint trace of warmth lingered.
"Hahaha. Well then, Aria-san, I’ll see you again tomorrow. Excuse me."
Reluctantly, Jin tore himself away from the soft atmosphere, though he wished he could stay longer. After saying his farewells, he headed to the cashier’s office to exchange his slip.
Without issue, he received his first payment: three silver coins and seventy-five copper coins. Leaving the guild, he walked through town with a grin that was equal parts cheerful and giddy.
And that smile wasn’t just because of his first reward. What filled his thoughts most was Aria’s smile.
(A woman’s smile really is the best. Aria-san looked so cute…)
For his eighteen-year-old heart, it was the most natural reaction in the world. But Jin was also a man with decades of life behind him. That long-forgotten flutter in his chest—it had been so many years, he couldn’t remember the last time. And yet now it felt fresh, even exhilarating.
Yes, Jin realized, even his heart had truly been rejuvenated. Normally, someone his age might see a woman in her twenties as "pretty" or "cute," but rarely would that stir any real spark. After all, they’d be younger than his nieces’ children. By the time he’d passed sixty, he hadn’t felt that kind of excitement in ages. But now? Now he carried both an old man’s experience and the fiery emotions of an eighteen-year-old. The fact that he could live so naturally with a young man’s heart—this was nothing short of a divine miracle.
That said, his rationality as an old man was still intact. Just because his heart skipped a beat didn’t mean he was about to start courting Aria. To pursue someone at the very first stage of infatuation was unthinkable. He told himself that at the very least, he needed to build up the strength to survive in this world before even considering romance.
From a worldly perspective, Jin’s views on love might seem rigid, shaped as they were by years of wisdom. Still, he couldn’t say how long reason would hold against instinct. After all, his heart was now that of a young man. There was always the chance that feelings could spiral out of control.
But that thought didn’t scare him—in fact, he almost looked forward to it.
"Heh. I wonder if I’ll really fall in love again someday…? That could be fun."
It didn’t have to be Aria. Whoever it might be, Jin couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of how he might change if he truly fell for someone again.
With that, he stifled his goofy grin and continued on his way, blending into the evening bustle. The streets were crowded with people shopping for supper. Back in his old world, he would’ve eaten dinner by five or six, but here, he wasn’t about to cling to that routine. Especially since he’d overeaten at lunch, he ignored both the food stalls and the tempting smell of freshly cooked dishes.
Eventually, he arrived at the public bathhouse.
There, he bathed for the second time that day, cleansing his body once more. Dressed in fresh clothes, he headed for the temple. His purpose: revenge.
Compared to the morning, the temple was much busier, full of worshippers offering fervent prayers before the statues of the gods. Blending in among them, Jin offered his own prayer—an apology for his earlier blunder, and a proper, respectful supplication. This time, his body was purified. At last, he felt he had redeemed himself. The weight on his chest lifted, and calmness returned.
And with that, he moved on to his second goal: acquiring the skill known as Life Magic.
The priests were bustling about, but Jin managed to stop a passing man in priestly robes.
"Excuse me while you're busy. I’d like to learn Life Magic. What must I do?"
"Ah, yes, of course. If you’re ready now, I can handle it for you," the man—seemingly in his early thirties—replied cheerfully.
There was no need to move to a separate room; they would begin right here.
"It’s customary that I give an explanation first. This skill is considered a gift from the gods. We priests are merely intermediaries. Please accept it with gratitude. You’ll naturally come to understand the details once you receive it, so don’t worry. To put it simply, you’ll be able to do things like produce fire or water from your fingertips, or wash clothes. The effects aren’t usually that strong, but… occasionally, some people get unusually large flames or a torrent of water. Even so, they eventually learn to control it, so if that happens, don’t be alarmed. Just make sure, when you try it for the first time, to confirm your surroundings are safe. If you ever have questions or trouble, feel free to come here. I doubt you’ll have problems, though. Well then—shall we begin?"
With that, the priest extended his right hand toward Jin. Startled, Jin hastily bowed his head in respect.
"Gods who dwell in the heavens, bestow your blessing upon this one—Imprinting."
Hearing the priest’s chant, Jin couldn’t help but think:
(Seriously, Imprinting? That’s what you’re calling it?)
Thanks to the automatic translation in his head, not only could he converse without trouble, but even spell keywords got translated into words he already knew. Most likely, it was just picking familiar terms from his vocabulary. Jin wasn’t great at English to begin with, but as long as he could more or less grasp the meaning, that was enough.
Perhaps influenced by the priest’s lighthearted, easygoing tone—his speech peppered with "~ne"—Jin’s thoughts strayed in odd directions. But soon, he felt a natural, almost sudden flash, as though something had imprinted itself within him. He knew instinctively: the skill had settled in.
"Thank you. I think… I’ve managed to acquire the skill."
"I’m glad to hear it. Now then, we’ll conduct the Growth Confirmation ritual. Without it, you wouldn’t know how to use the skill at all."
Jin guessed this meant the status check ritual performed at temples. He vaguely nodded, recalling how, in this world, people couldn’t see their stats or skills on their own without visiting either a guild or a temple.
"Gods who dwell in the heavens, reveal this one’s proof of growth through Your power—Status Check."
At the priest’s words, a status window appeared before Jin. It was slightly different from the familiar one he could summon with his Menu, but the contents were almost the same. And sure enough, there it was: a new skill.
──────────────────────────
〔Basic Magic〕 – The four elemental magics (fire, water, wind, earth) that all people have aptitude for.
・Fire – Produces fire (MP Cost: 1)
・Water – Produces water (MP Cost: 1)
・Wind – Creates wind (MP Cost: 1)
・Earth – Moves earth (MP Cost: 1)
──────────────────────────
So, what people called "Life Magic" was actually just the formal Basic Magic. The spell descriptions were simple, but clearly practical. Fire and water were obviously convenient, wind worked like a fan, and earth probably had agricultural uses. In any case, they all looked handy.
After confirming, Jin turned back to the priest and bowed.
"Thank you. I was able to verify it properly."
"Good, good. It’s a surprisingly versatile set of spells, so be sure to thank the gods, alright?"
With that, the priest jogged off, never mentioning donations. It seemed offerings were left entirely up to one’s "heart." Grateful for the man’s time, Jin bowed deeply to his retreating back, then went to the offering box.
There, he placed all of today’s earnings—three silver coins and seventy-five coppers—into the box. It wasn’t exactly a "first paycheck," but Jin had already decided: the very first money he earned in this world would be offered to the gods. Like a child using their first wages to thank their parents, he wanted to dedicate it to the divine.
In Jin’s mind, this offering didn’t yet cover the skill itself. That would come later, once he truly earned more income.
Checking the time after leaving the temple, it was only a little past five. Deciding to end his plans for the day, Jin strolled leisurely through the bustling streets.
A fishmonger shouting cheerfully, a greengrocer calling hoarsely to customers, wives haggling with smiles while children laughed and darted between stalls—the lively scene felt just like an old Japanese shopping district, stirring a warm nostalgia in Jin.
At the same time, the fantasy of this world was everywhere: hair of red, gold, blue, silver, black, and brown in every shade. A delighted housewife with long pointed elf ears, a grocer with drooping dog ears, and a tail swishing behind him. It was undeniably fantastical, yet filled with the raw, ordinary pulse of life.
(This isn’t a game… everyone here is really living their lives.)
Jin smiled from the heart as he wandered, peeking into shops here and there, taking his time on the way back to the inn.
Once back, he asked the inn’s proprietress—a cheerful, married woman in her fifties—about laundry. She told him it would cost thirty copper coins to wash everything, which he accepted. Having bathed twice today, his pile was sizable.
Watching her work out of curiosity, Jin saw her fill a barrel with water, laundry, and a special white stone used as detergent, then cast magic. The water swirled like a washing machine—she was using Wind on the water itself. To dry, she explained, most people sun-dried clothes, but in a rush, they’d use Fire and Wind like a hair dryer. Truly, the nickname "Life Magic" fit perfectly. She mentioned there were many such household tricks, and Jin resolved to learn them before moving out on his own someday.
Later, he enjoyed another delicious dinner in the inn’s dining hall, chatting casually with the proprietress and other staff. To celebrate completing his very first request, he even had his first drink of alcohol in this world. Warmed by the pleasant buzz, Jin drifted into a comfortable sleep by nine that night.
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