Musashi's POV
I've been walking for who knows how long, scanning my status window while wandering across this endless green field. The sky's too bright, the grass is too soft, and frankly, I'm getting bored. No villages in sight, no humans, not even a suspiciously overpowered slime to warm me up. Just me, my wooden swords, and this damn letter-shaped headache from the Goddess.
I kept scrolling through my skills. Most of them were passive—things I picked up in my previous life. Enmei-ryu, Nito Ichi-ryu, Niten Ichi-ryu. My beloved sword arts. Passive, sure, but deadly. At least the system recognizes my genius. But then I scowled. "What the hell is this? Reducing my sword style to numbers? An insult to every swing I've made." It was like seeing my soul shoved into a ledger. My pride as a samurai grated against the game-like system.
The active skills? A handful. Swallow Tiger Strike, Cross Cut, Flash Strike, and then—blurry text. Unreadable. As if someone rubbed dirt all over the skill menu. Goddess' censorship maybe? I'll unlock them eventually. Probably after a bunch of quests or once I figure out how to yell loud enough at the heavens.
Utility skills were… useful, I guess. Language Comprehension, Auto Translation, Appraisal, Map, Negotiation. Handy stuff, though "Negotiation" makes me laugh. I'd rather negotiate with my blade.
Still, it's not like reading my skills makes the time pass any faster. My stomach's starting to growl. Do I even need food here? Goddess didn't say anything about rations. Typical. Throw me into a new world, give me wooden swords, and no lunch.
I was about to curse the heavens again—probably call her a busty scam artist with divine clearance—when I spotted a signboard ahead. Finally, civilization! Or at least evidence that someone besides me exists. I ran toward it and read the text carved into the wood.
Quest One:
"Not all allies are friends, not all enemies are foe. Thou shan't be deceived by flowery words. Thou shall protect the weak, and strong shall be crushed by thy sword. Then and only then can thee protect the world."
I squinted at it. "...Huh? What the hell does this even mean?"
Protect someone? Protect what exactly? A person? A family? A whole village? The entire world? Way too vague. I hate riddles. My brain prefers simple instructions like "cut him in half."
But whatever. If it comes down to it, I'll just crush anyone who gets in my way. Enemies, allies, doesn't matter. The Goddess can deal with it. I'll swing first, think later.
Still, the rule about quests is annoying. Can't challenge the Evil God unless I finish these things. Guess I'll play along. For now.
I was muttering insults about the Goddess' boobs—lantern tits Goddess, busty scam artist, big-chested bureaucrat in the sky—when I noticed someone staggering in the distance. A lone figure, stumbling toward me like a drunk who lost a bar fight. As he got closer, I saw he was bleeding all over—face pale, breathing shallow, barely able to stand.
My hand instinctively twitched toward my sword. Enemy? Ambush? I tensed, ready to draw. But no… the guy was about to collapse, barely clinging to life. I let out a sharp breath. False alarm. Still, my instincts hadn't dulled.
"Yo," I called out, walking up to him. "Looks like you're about to die. What the hell happened to you?" Honestly, one more poke in the forehead and he'd drop dead right here.
He coughed, voice trembling. "W-We got attacked… by a horde of elves. My group… wiped out. I was the only one who escaped…"
Elves, huh? So that's a thing here. Good to know. Not that I care what they look like, I'll cut them down regardless.
I eyed him closely. He looked fragile, like a candle about to go out. If he's part of my quest, I can't let him croak yet. That would be a pain. He can die after I clear the objective.
"I see." I looked around the fields. No elves in sight. "So, do you live nearby? I can help you get back home."
He hesitated, clearly unsure about trusting a random samurai who just offered help with zero hesitation. Can't blame him. If I were him, I'd be suspicious too.
"I-I live in Clavel Village."
Clavel Village, huh? …Where the hell is that?
He winced, realizing my blank expression. "Oh, s-sorry. You don't know where that is, do you?"
"No shit," I grunted. "So quit asking the obvious and just tell me where to go." I crouched, then lifted him onto my back like a sack of rice. The guy's bones felt lighter than my swords. "You can't even walk. Just point the way."
"For someone so rude, you're surprisingly helpful…" he muttered. "Just go straight. I'll tell you when to turn."
And so, I carried the half-dead guy across the plains. Each step reminded me how annoying this Goddess' plan was. If this was part of the quest, fine. But if not, I just wasted good energy.
After a while, the guy spoke again. "If I may ask, what is your name, sir?"
"Musashi. Musashi Miyamoto, samurai from Japan."
"Japan? I've never heard of a place called Japan before…"
Of course you haven't. Different world, idiot.
He stiffened suddenly, realization dawning on his battered face. "No! Could it be?! You're… a Hero from another world?!"
I sighed loudly, almost dropping him. "Yeah, something like that. Summoned here by some Goddess with huge boobs."
Just saying it pissed me off again. I grit my teeth. "I was forced into this mess. No interest in killing the Evil God or saving your world, but the Goddess shoved me here anyway."
He went quiet. Probably trying to figure out if I was lying or if I really was some lunatic foreigner with swords and attitude problems. (Answer: both.)
A while later, I spotted rooftops in the distance. "Hey, is that your village?" I pointed with my chin.
His voice brightened faintly. "Yes… that's Clavel Village."
"Good. We're almost there." I adjusted him on my back, smirking. "Don't die yet, kid. You can drop dead after I dump you at your doorstep."
He gave a weak chuckle. "…Kurt. My name's Kurt."
"Kurt, huh?" I nodded. "Strange name, but then again, mine probably sounds strange to you too."
By the time we reached the village gates, people were rushing out to greet us. Shouts of relief, gasps at Kurt's injuries, and suspicious stares thrown at me. I stood there, expression blank, with Kurt dangling off my back like laundry. Great. More noise.
Still, the villagers' eyes softened as they realized I brought Kurt home alive. They treated me like a savior. Which is hilarious, because saving him wasn't even my intention. I just need to clear my damn quest. But fine. Let them cheer. If this gets me closer to killing that Evil God and then punching that Goddess in the face, I'll play the role of hero.
For now.
"Welcome hero, we must prepare a feast for you as thanks for saving Kurt," the village chief said, his wrinkled face practically glowing with gratitude. Behind him, the people of the village scrambled like ants, setting out tables, hauling out barrels, and preparing enough food and booze to drown an ox. The whole place was buzzing with energy—smiles, laughter, and even a few tears. Music started up from a couple of old men with fiddles and drums, giving the whole scene the feel of a festival.
I folded my arms, eyeing the spectacle. A feast, huh? All this just because I carried one half-dead guy on my back? Talk about overkill.
I sat down at one of the tables, and sure enough, the villagers started laying food in front of me like I was some kind of king. Meat roasted on spits, bowls of stew, piles of bread, pitchers of foaming beer—all steaming hot and smelling like heaven. Not gonna lie, my stomach growled loud enough that people laughed, which pissed me off. But hey, free food is free food. I grabbed a hunk of meat, tore into it, and washed it down with beer.
Still, something felt off. I saved Kurt, sure… but does that mean I completed the quest? I checked my status window real quick under the table, pretending to be scratching my knee. Nothing. No notification, no glowing letters declaring Quest Complete! Just the same vague riddle mocking me.
"Damn that useless big-chested Goddess…" I muttered under my breath, stabbing a piece of bread like it was her skull. "At least give me proper instructions…"
After a while, I excused myself, claiming I had to take a piss. Found a quiet spot behind one of the barns, pulled up my status again, and—yep, as I suspected—the quest was still ongoing. I sighed, leaning against the wall. So saving Kurt was just the prologue, huh? Figures. Nothing's ever that easy.
When I returned, the music was louder, the villagers drunker, and the food even better than before. I forced myself to mingle, talking here and there, though honestly it was a drag. Everyone wanted to shake my hand, ask about my homeland, or touch my swords. No one touches my swords. I glared at anyone who tried.
Eventually, the village chief waddled over, belly bouncing with each step, and sat beside me. He leaned in with a serious look. "You see, Mr. Hero… We're having trouble. Demi-humans keep raiding our farmlands, attacking travelers, and harassing our people. I was just thinking… could you give us a hand?"
I nearly choked on my beer. Demi-humans, huh? That sounded suspiciously like the kind of crap my quest was hinting at. Protect the weak, crush the strong, blah blah blah. Maybe this was it—the real beginning.
I smirked, raising my mug. "No worries. I was actually on a mission to help you guys."
The old man's eyes lit up like a kid at a festival. "Thank you, great hero! We'll be counting on you!" He clinked his mug against mine, and we both drank.
But while the rest of the villagers cheered and toasted, I noticed Kurt sitting alone in the corner, sipping his drink in silence. He looked like a ghost, still pale despite being alive. He hadn't said a word since the feast began. For some reason, that bugged me. And maybe it wasn't just me—some villagers cast wary glances his way, quickly looking away as if pretending they hadn't.
"Oi," I called, striding over. "The hell are you doing here by yourself? You a loner or something?"
He raised his head slowly, meeting my eyes. No emotion, no smile, just that same damn blank stare. But then… his eyes sharpened, too sharp for a man who'd almost bled to death. A shiver crawled up my spine.
"...Creepy bastard," I muttered, turning to leave.
But just as I was about to walk away, his lips moved, and his voice cut through the noise of the celebration.
"Not all allies are friends. Not all enemies are foe. Thou shan't be deceived by flowery words."
I froze. My gut tightened. Wait. That's—! That's exactly what the quest said.
I spun back to face him. Kurt was staring straight at me, eyes sharp now, as if warning me. My hand itched toward my sword. "The hell did you just say?"
He stood unsteadily, swaying like he'd collapse any second, then walked toward one of the houses. Before disappearing inside, he turned back. "I owe my life to you, Hero. I'll return the favor soon." Then the door shut with a heavy thud.
I stood there, heart pounding, the beer suddenly bitter on my tongue. The hell is his deal? Was that a warning? A prophecy? Or just the ramblings of a half-dead lunatic? Either way, it gave me chills, and I don't scare easy.
I clenched my fist. If he turns out to be hostile, I'll slice him in half and feed his balls to the pigs.
Still, even as I rejoined the others and pretended to celebrate, his words wouldn't leave my head. They circled in my mind like vultures. Not all allies are friends. Not all enemies are foe.
If that really was tied to my quest, then I'd have to corner Kurt again and make him explain. One way or another. Because the faster I clear this quest, the faster I can move on to killing the Evil God—and after that, giving that big-chested Goddess the beating she deserves.
But for now… I raised my mug, forced a grin, and drank with the villagers. Tomorrow, I'd start finding out exactly what Kurt knew.
***
End of Chapter 2.