Isekai Kansha - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: A New Start

Jin left the guild and walked through the city streets.

When he’d stepped outside after exchanging his loot, he thought he’d caught a few adventurers glaring at him. But remembering Greg’s words about it probably being fallout from the Mad Ant extermination, he decided not to let it bother him. What puzzled him more was that even a few guild staff had given him sharp looks—but again, he brushed it off as just one of those things.

His destination now was Bean’s apothecary.

According to Aria, Bean wanted to thank him in person, and since Jin also needed to restock the potions he’d run out of, it was the perfect chance.

The shop he arrived at turned out to be a large store facing the main street. Jin double-checked with his MAP just in case, but the location was correct.

"Hello," he greeted as he stepped inside.

Contrary to its grand exterior, the shop floor wasn’t very spacious—most of the building seemed reserved for storage or workrooms. It felt less like a drugstore and more like a pharmacy, dispensing medicine to order. At the counter sat a middle-aged woman, presumably a clerk. Behind her, shelves were lined with bottles of medicine.

"Welcome. What are you looking for today?"

"I’d like potions that recover HP and MP. Also… is Bean-san here? If you tell him Jin has come, he’ll know."

"Oh my, so you’re Jin-san? My husband has spoken of you often. I’m Maggie, Bean’s wife. I’ll call him right away. Darling, Jin’s here to see you!"

Leaning through a doorway, Maggie called out, and soon enough, Bean himself appeared.

"Jin-san! Thank you so much for coming. And thank you again for gathering twelve Pam Flowers yesterday. With that many, we’ll be just fine. Truly, thank you."

Bean’s face shone with gratitude, and Maggie too offered heartfelt thanks.

"No, I’m honored I could help. If this means no more worries about the medicine, then I’m glad."

Jin smiled as he replied. Moments like this were what gave meaning to the work—being able to bring joy to others, to carry himself with pride. And the thought that children would now be freed from sickness made the risks of fighting the Mad Ants feel worthwhile.

Regrets should be lessons for the future, but achievements deserve to be acknowledged. Jin resolved not to belittle his own efforts.

"I don’t know the details, but I heard you took quite a risk. Are you sure you’re alright?"

"Yes, I managed to come through unharmed. Though… I did use up all my potions, so I was hoping to buy more here."

"Ah, I see. In that case, let me recommend these…"

Bean showed him potions sealed in test-tube-like vials with cork stoppers, different from the flasks Jin had received during the tutorial. Understanding more than ever the importance of recovery items, Jin purchased ten mid-grade HP potions and ten low-grade MP potions. Just in case, he also bought five antidotes and five cures for paralysis, even though he doubted he’d need them.

"Do you make all of these yourself, Bean-san?"

"For the most part, yes. I have an apprentice, but he hasn’t awakened a proper skill yet, so the quality isn’t consistent."

So potions could technically be made without a skill, but their effects varied. Those "practice batches" were sold cheaply, and some people bought them as little more than energy drinks.

"I don’t mean right away, but… someday, would it be possible for me to watch you work? Or maybe even learn how to make potions myself?"

For now, he had other skills to prioritize. But if he could eventually both gather ingredients and brew potions, he could become self-sufficient.

"Of course, Jin-san. If you bring your own herbs, you won’t need to pay me anything. And whenever I’m around, you’re welcome to observe."

"Really? Thank you! I’d love that when the time comes."

"Anytime."

As an adventurer, Jin wouldn’t be allowed to sell potions on his own. If he wanted to, he’d have to sell them to a certified apothecary like Bean, who would then handle the distribution. Even so, teaching him potion-making without charging fees or worrying about competition was a huge kindness. Jin was sincerely grateful.

After promising he’d return someday to learn Mixing, Jin bid farewell to Bean and Maggie and left the shop.

His next stop was the familiar temple.

But instead of heading straight to the altar, Jin bowed once to the statue, then sat on one of the benches. He wanted to sort through his thoughts before praying.

Staring at the divine figure, he recalled giving up the benefit of Damage Reproduction Rate.

I was granted a new life in this world by the gods. I was allowed to carry over the settings from the VR game I’d just been playing—blessed with talents like Martial Arts and Health, with the unique Menu skill no one else possesses. Even my body was turned back to eighteen, while my experiences and memories remained intact. I was given the ideal reincarnation.

The gods’ words of blessing had been kind—but really, it was Jin who owed them gratitude.

And yet, of his own will, he had nullified one of those blessings.

It had been selfish. It had been arrogant. But as someone who had once lived an old man’s life, enduring pain along the way, and as someone now starting over as a young man, he couldn’t accept being a one-sided existence that only inflicted pain. To him, that would’ve been a denial of his life so far, and an act of bad faith toward living as an adventurer in this world.

If an adventurer takes lives, he must also be ready to lose his own.

If an adventurer inflicts pain, he must also be prepared to suffer it.

At the very least, that much was a matter of courtesy.

Perhaps it was arrogance in its own way, but Jin didn’t believe he’d been wrong to choose to feel pain again.

Still, maybe he should have given up all the blessings: the wealth, the talents, the unique skill, even the body that could not be wounded.

Especially that last one—the body that never truly took injury—was surely an unfair, dishonest gift. The only thing he had discarded was the absence of pain. The body itself remained untouchable.

But to him, the pain had been the real issue, and now he no longer felt the burning conviction he’d once had.

Am I just being selfish? …Is this really okay?

"...No. Stop."

Jin shook his head sharply, cutting off his own thoughts. Once again, he’d fallen into his bad habit of overthinking.

Reflecting that he wasn’t enough or he might be wrong was an important mindset for growth, yes, but carried too far, it only turned into self-deprecation and poisoned the spirit.

"You seem to be quite troubled."

The voice came just as Jin’s train of thought halted.

"Ah—Clark-san. Good afternoon."

"Yes, good afternoon, Jin-san."

It was Clark, the head of the temple, his hair and beard pure white. He smiled warmly, as if concerned for Jin’s well-being.

"I noticed you when you came in. You looked as though you were burdened by something, so I thought I’d ask."

"I see. My apologies, I didn’t realize. Yes… You’re right, I’ve been thinking too much."

Clark waved it off with a smile, and Jin scratched his head awkwardly. He hadn’t said much of anything, yet somehow the heavy fog in his chest seemed to lighten. After a stretch of gentle silence, Jin finally spoke.

"Clark-san… would you mind listening for a bit?"

"Of course."

At Clark’s prompting, Jin sat opposite him on a long bench and began speaking slowly.

"I can’t go into details, but… to be honest, I’m a little different from other people. It’s thanks to that difference that I’ve been saved more than once, and I am grateful. But at the same time, being unlike others has started to feel… somehow dishonest."

"Dishonest toward what, exactly?"

"Toward other people, perhaps. Or toward this world itself. I’m not sure I can even sort it out properly. I rejected something I couldn’t accept—pretended it didn’t exist—yet with other matters I’m indifferent, leaving them alone. And so I start thinking I’m terrible, that I’m a mess…"

Jin buried his head in his hands. Clark simply watched him with gentle eyes and a soft smile.

"You’re very earnest, Jin-san. Let me ask: does this difference of yours cause trouble for others?"

"No… I don’t believe so."

At least, not unless abused. And Jin had no intention of that.

"Then if this difference of yours were gone, would someone else benefit from it?"

"…No. If anything, it might only cause problems."

Jin thought a moment before answering. His work with the guild was only possible thanks to his skills—and without the Menu’s language setting, he wouldn’t even be able to communicate like this.

"Then it doesn’t harm anyone, and without it, things would only be worse. Doesn’t that make it one of your good points?"

"Ah… I suppose you’re right."

When he thought about it, it was thanks to those skills that he could gather herbs and Pam Flowers and survive the battle with the Mad Ants. Thanks to that, sick children would be treated, and Aria and Bean had smiled with relief.

"Still, it bothers me—that I arbitrarily decided this is fine, but that is not."

Jin admitted the thought that had been nagging at him.

"You mean you’re troubled by choosing not to use some of your skills? If so, do you know the story of Margus’s Choice?"

"No, I’m afraid not. What sort of story is that?"

Clark’s words struck close to what Jin had been trying to articulate.

"Simply put: Margus was born with the skill of Sewing. Success as a tailor was guaranteed. But he chose instead to pursue his dream of blacksmithing. He endured hardship and, in the end, gained the Blacksmith skill and achieved greatness."

Jin listened intently, turning over the meaning in his mind.

"As you know, being born with a skill is exceedingly rare—a true gift from the gods. But whether one follows that path or not depends on the individual. And the gods respect that choice, watching over them. Margus’s eventual gain of the Blacksmith skill was proof of that."

"So whether I use my skill or not isn’t the issue. What matters is that I act with conviction in my choice."

"Exactly. Use it when needed, don’t use it when it isn’t. The gods grant us the freedom to choose."

Indeed, the Damage Reproduction Rate blessing should have been immutable—yet he had been allowed to reject it. Surely that meant the gods had respected his choice.

"And more than that…" Clark continued. Jin leaned forward to listen.

"I don’t know what gifts you were given. But if they harm no one, and if they benefit you, then I believe they’re worth honing. And even if something seems unnecessary now, perhaps one day you will desperately need it. Or, like in Margus’s case, perhaps you never will. But I think it was precisely because Margus had the resolve not to use Sewing that he could reach greatness in blacksmithing. Just as he needed that resolve, perhaps your decision not to use something was a necessary resolve for you."

Hearing this, Jin realized the unease and fear clouding him had vanished.

(Maybe… it was through accepting pain that I finally became Jin—the man who lives in this world.)

Like a weight lifted, he felt refreshed. From this moment on, Jin decided to stop endlessly questioning his own existence. He would carry his convictions, live true to himself, and enjoy this world. And someday, he would repay it.

"And personally," Clark added with a smile, "I find it far more admirable that you think deeply about the meaning of what you’ve been given, rather than accepting it thoughtlessly."

"Clark-san, thank you. Thanks to you, the weight has lifted from my heart."

Jin stood, bowing deeply. In more ways than one, he felt saved by Clark’s words.

"You’re most welcome. I’m glad I could be of help."

Clark answered with a gentle smile.

After once more thanking him for sparing his time despite being busy, Jin left Clark and moved to stand before the altar. There he offered his prayers—not only conveying the resolution he had reached, but also his heartfelt gratitude to the gods.

He placed five silver coins into the offering box, including a portion in thanks for the natural magic he had received previously. Then, with a lightened step, Jin left the temple.

At the doorway, he bowed once more and turned. His face was bright, clear, free of the worries that had clouded him before.

—Meanwhile, not long after Jin’s departure, in a chamber of the temple.

A young elven priestess with long hair and pointed ears stood before Clark, who sat at his desk.

"The man just now… he’s the one I told you about the other day."

She was the priestess who had, by chance, witnessed Jin’s very first prayer—when he had been bathed in light.

"So it was him, after all."

Clark’s expression remained gentle, even as the priestess wore a serious look.

"Whether that light was truly the blessing of the gods or not, Jin-san certainly carries something special. But even so—what of it? From what I can see, he has a very good heart."

"I don’t know… But the fact that I witnessed it, I can’t help but feel it was divine will."

"Or perhaps merely your curiosity."

"Perhaps. But… I can’t forget the sight of him praying."

Her reply was solemn and earnest.

"Hm. In that case, Rachel—why not try becoming an adventurer? Jin-san is one as well. One day you may even find yourselves in the same party. If you share some fate with him, perhaps you’ll be able to stand at his side. And in any case, if you wish to truly understand him, the quickest way is to live in the same world he does."

Rachel—the priestess—listened in silence, then, after some thought, agreed. She left, resolved to become an adventurer.

Clark watched her go and sighed.

"Good grief. That girl, so full of promise—and just as full of worries for the future. And now, the very first person she takes an interest in outside of the gods turns out to be Jin-san… Well, in a way, it makes sense. It’s reassuring, too. Still, I can’t help but feel a little lonely."

Yet he smiled softly, thinking.

"Well, I’d been wanting to do something for Jin-san myself. And with that girl, there shouldn’t be any problems. Perhaps this was simply the perfect opportunity."

Still, if Rachel ever happened to trouble Jin in any way, Clark resolved to take responsibility and intervene.

And with the fondness of a doting grandfather, he prayed for Jin’s happiness and his beloved disciple’s growth, smiling kindly all the while.

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