The Elf Is a Freeloader - Chapter 10

The next morning.

Yasutaka looked sleepy, and Eru, lively.

They had breakfast while facing each other in the living room.

Since Yasutaka is on the Japanese cuisine faction[1], the breakfast menu was centered around rice and miso soup. coupled with grilled salmon and nori, sliced ham and the like. Naturally, Eru who couldn’t use chopsticks used a spoon and fork to break apart the salmon, and was smiling as she ate.

Although the breakfast menu ーー an Aoi – Yasutaka collaboration ーー of the morning after Aoi and Takashi stayed over was similar, it seemed that Eru had taken quite a liking to Japanese food.

「Which reminds me, Yasutaka-san. You mentioned you had somewhere to go to this morning. yes? Where are you going?」

「Yeah, school. Aoi and Takashi are to the same school and, incidentally, we’re in the same class.」

「School……?」

With the fork still in her mouth, Eru tilted her head in wonder.

It would seem that there was no 「School」 in Eru’s world.

「In this country, from 7 years old till 15 years old, children must go to school and study. It’s compulsory education because that is what the country has decided.」

「F-from 7 up to 15 years old!? All the children in the country have to study!?」

In Eru’s world, a 7 year old was already a considerable addition to manpower. Especially in farming villages far from the more urban areas, it was common for children to help their parents with work at an early age.

Furthermore, though it varies from country to country, a person at the age of 15 is generally considered an adult and is marriageable.

Most of those who could enter and study in school were the rich and privileged nobles in her world. That is because one must hire a private tutor to learn.

For occupation such as merchanting where arithmetic, reading and writing of characters were necessary, it is acquired while learning the job.

「Eh? But didn’t you mention you were already 16 years old, Yasutaka-san?」

「Yeah. That’s because I was born in April. What about me already being 16 years old?」

「You mentioned school was until 15 years old, correct? Then, why are you who is 16 years old still attending school?」

「I go to senior high…… it’s called senior high school. Although it’s true that until you’re 15, elementary and junior high school are compulsory, high school and above are optional. That having been said, there’s hardly anyone who doesn’t go to high school in Japan now.」

「Hee……」

Gaping, Eru looked at Yasutaka,

(After the 9 years of compulsory education that this country has established, there’s even more school one could attend.

Although Yasutaka-san said he was commoner, he has been attending school ever since he was a child, perhaps he would be a person who’s to be appointed an important job in national politics in the future.)

While thinking so, with hidden admiration in her gaze, Eru dazedly watched Yasutaka who had already finished eating breakfast and was preparing for school.

✧

「Then, I’ll be off.」

「Yes, please take care.」

Yasutaka and Eru’s exchange resembled that of a newly-wed’s.

「I’ve made sandwiches for lunch so eat them when you get hungry. I’ll give you a spare key for the house later. Taking a stroll around the neighbourhood is fine but keep your ears hidden, alright?」

「I understand. I’ll be okay.」

Everyone in this neighbourhood has been an acquaintance since long ago.
There would be no problem if he tells them that Eru is a foreigner homestaying.
However, it would definitely be bad if a police officer questioned Eru because she does not have any identification right now.

After cautioning Eru about various things, Yasutaka took off and handed over the translation earring. As one would expect, there was no way he could wear the earring to school.

「Well, I’m off.」

「Yes, please take care.」

Exchanging the same greetings again, Yasutaka did an about-face on Eru as she smiled and waved at him.

He left through the entrance, opened the gate at the corner of the garden and went outside.

Having thought to look back, he saw Eru was still waving her hand. After waving back, Yasutaka let slip a yawn as he slowly walked to school.

✧

Yasutaka entered the classroom at the same time as always.

While greeting his classmates, he headed for his own seat, then Aoi and Takashi immediately came over.

「Good morning, Yasutaka. I’ve been in your care last weekend.」

「Yasutaka, good morning. Is Eru doing ok?」

「Good morning, Takashi, Aoi. Don’t worry about last weekend, I had fun and Eru seemed to had fun too. After that, Eru was doing fine but……」

With Yasutaka being non committal, puzzled expressions rose on Aoi and Takashi’s faces.

「…… It can’t be…… Did something happen to Eru?」

In reality, Aoi wanted to ask if something happened 『with』 Eru but she did her best to just ask if anything happened 『to』 Eru.

「Well……」

Yasutaka talked about how Eru was during the night.

「I see…… Something like that happened……」

If Aoi was being honest, her heart could not stay calm knowing that the two were glued together late at night but she couldn’t get angry because she understood Eru’s mental state.

Even Takashi, upon hearing Yasutaka’s story, had a pitiful expression.

「That’s why, can you guys come over again this weekend? I think if we have fun like when the two of you stayed over yesterday and the day before, Eru would not recall her scary memories.」

「That’s right. Also, Eru-chan is a genuine adventurer. It might be different for normal high schoolers like us, but I think she is tough mentally. If we keep having fun, she’ll eventually get back on her feet.」

「True. I also agree. Then, we’ll be intruding again next weekend.」

When Yasutaka’s childhood friends readily agreed to his request, he thanked them again.
After that, Yasutaka brought out something from his pocket and placed it on his desk.

「These are…… Could these be the silver and copper coins Eru-chan had?」

Right. It’s just as Takashi said, it’s the silver and copper coins Eru had Yasutaka hold on to.

「Actually, she had asked me to. Eru wanted to convert the silver and copper coins she brought from there into money from here. But I don’t know where I could exchange these. That’s why, Takashi, could you ask your dad?」

「My old man? He’s definitely well connected, it wouldn’t be strange if he knew a guy or two who deals with old coins,」

Since Eru is currently relying on Yasutaka for everything, though it wouldn’t be much but having a bit of this world’s money on hand would definitely be reassuring.

There is a chance that those coins could be worth a lot of money in this world.

「I get it. I’ll keep the source hidden and ask my old man. Besides, he, personally, collects western antiques as well. There’s a chance he might buy them himself.」

「Yeah, I’m counting on you. I browsed through the net but, as expected, I couldn’t find the value of silver and gold coins from another world.」

「Well, yeah. But even if it’s worthless as coins, it’s still silver and copper so, at the worst case, we can sell it as that.」

Receiving the coins from Yasutaka, Takashi carefully wrapped them in a handkerchief and kept it in his pocket.

However.

These coins veered the childhood friends and Eru’s futures greatly but, since they weren’t gods, they didn’t know that.

✧

After eating the ham sandwiches that Yasutaka prepared, Eru decided to take a walk around Yasutaka’s neighborhood.

Yasutaka-san said it was fine to take a short stroll around his neighborhood, and above all, the weather today is great.
It’s really nice and warm, and walking on the road in front of this house would lead to the an area filled shallow swamps called 「paddy fields」. The breeze passing through would feel really great and refreshing.

Putting on her knitted hat with ear flaps and slipping into her sandals at the entryway, Eru then went outside.

After she locked the front door just like she was told, she pushed open the gate and set out.

There is a narrow roadway that passes in front of the Akatsuka house and cars would would occasionally come and go.

While sending off a relatively slow car that was moving away with an intrigued gaze, Eru started walking along the road leisurely.

「I experienced a little bit of it when I came to this world but the country of Japan is really prosperous.」

She looked at her surroundings while mumbled to no one in particular.

All the roads were neatly paved and there was almost no trash in sight.

Prius, where Eru was based in, was a large town but food scraps were thrown in the corners of the main street, and the dark alleyways of the town were littered with corpses and excrements of small animals that have nested in it, and even human excrements were scattered about nonchalantly.

Furthermore, street corners and alleyways were filled with vagrants just sitting around, but nothing like that could be seen in this town.

The poor could sell any amount of children into slavery in Eru’s world but she heard that human trafficking is illegal in this country. On the contrary, all children in this country are given education and except for some actual expenses, the cost of it is close to nothing.

The most shocking of them all was that no matter how poor or jobless you are, you are guaranteed the minimum needed to live.

If the country was not wealthy, it could not spend such money for its people. No matter how Eru looks at it, everything was just unbelievable.

✧

Farmers doing their work curiously looked at Eru who was walking leisurely on the farm road in between paddy fields, but no one called out to her.

She looked like a foreigner. There aren’t many Japanese who would call out to people because they don’t know if their words could get through or not.

From things like tadpoles swimming in paddy field ditches to like blooming dandelions on it’s ridges, Eru’s eyes sparkled as she observed the plants and animals she’s seeing for the first time.

Curiosity and being inquisitive about anything unusual is one of the driving forces of an adventurer.

「Now that I think about it, a different world is not a place I thought I could go to even if I thought about it, isn’t it?」

There was definitely some uneasiness in coming to a different world.

The method to go back home is unknown and not knowing it’s language is inconvenient. But even with all of that, she was still curious about this world.

Her being able to think positively is, of course, thanks to Yasutaka and his friends. Yasutaka in particular, he took care of a stranger who had no money, letting her stay in his house free of charge, and provided food and clothes.

「I must thank Yasutaka-san someday.」

While planning so, Eru thought about what she could do for him.

She can help with food preparations and cleaning.
Even though she hasn’t seen most of the food from here, she was sure she could do it if she is taught how to cook it.

She was a bit confident at washing, in particular. Even among spirit users, her affinity with water spirits is high and she was a being called a 「Water User」. For that reason, she could support Yasutaka especially when water-related. Fortunately, this country seems to have plenty of water.

Eru thought such as she looked at the water-filled rice paddies that stretched out around her.

However, something bothered her.

For Eru, this world had unbelievably sparse mana.

When 「Magicians」 like her cast magic, mana is used as compensation. Though anywhere in Eru’s world is full of it, there’s barely any here.

She hasn’t tried yet but it seems she can’t use much magic in this world. She was sure that even if she could use magic, it’s power would be greatly reduced and it’s duration halved.

Furthermore, she could not feel the power of the spirits at all in this world. There’s also the possibility that spirits do not exist here.

「If spirits don’t exist, I think it would be better if I, as a spirit user, don’t expect I could use magic……」

Then, aside from magic, what else can I do?

Thinking about this and that, she tilted her head as she walked.

Taking things into consideration, as expected it would be more practical for her to join the workforce. But the thought of working somewhere but not being able to speak is inconvenient so it’s impossible.

The only thing Eru could think of was service using her body.

With that, she suddenly stopped walking.

「U, using…… my body……?」

What she instinctively imagined was, of course, 「Night Service[2]」.

Yasutaka is 16 years old and a healthy male. He naturally has such desires. Speaking of 16 year olds, in Eru’s world, at this age it was normal for them to be married and some already have children.

「I, i-i-i-i-t’s different!! Yasutaka-san wouldn’t do such a thing……」

Surely, Yasutaka wouldn’t force Eru to do 「Night Service」. If he wanted to do it, then he would have done so when they were together in bed last night.

「……B, but…… If he were to want for such a thing……」

If ever Yasutaka wanted that from Eru,

At that time, would she accept or reject him?

Eru could not decide exactly on what she would do.

✧

Meanwhile.

The people working on the farms were looking strangely at the foreigner who suddenly stopped, turned bright red, and was shaking her head.