Helping shear sheep.
A black blur flashed past. A flock of sheep fell over, looking completely dazed. Suddenly feeling a chill, they realized their thick, heavy wool had vanished entirely, now sitting in a neat, fluffy pile on the empty ground nearby.
"Hiss! You finished all of them in just ten minutes?! Do you want to come inside and rest for a bit?"
Helping pick fruit. "That's enough! That's enough! We won't be able to eat all this anytime soon, and it'll rot if we store it too long!"
Helping catch fish.
Takumi: "Can I use electricity?" "...Uh, it would probably be best if you didn't use an ability with that much destructive power. Our boats are just made of woven reeds..." The "Fishing Captain" wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling a profound sense of impending doom. Sure, there are a lot of highly aggressive, magical beast-like creatures in this river, but the normal, edible fish are completely innocent!
Helping harvest wheat.
Takumi: "Stand back a bit. I should be able to harvest all this wheat with a single sword strike." Saying this, he drew the [Sword of the Heart]. "Huh?" The owner of the wheat field blinked, looking utterly bewildered. It's just harvesting wheat. Surely there's no need to use a weapon of mass destruction for this, right?
Helping transport goods.Helping clear out wandering demonic beasts near the main roads.Helping sort medicinal herbs.Helping craft clay pottery..
Time slowly trickled by as Takumi tackled these varied "jobs." Because Siduri also needed time to gather and assign these tasks, Takumi would occasionally use his free moments to zip out and continue repairing the massive fissures he had carved into the earth. To say he was busy from dawn to dusk would be an understatement; his day was fulfilling in every sense of the word.
"Oh! So this is where you were, Ana!"
Passing by a rather old-looking flower shop, Takumi was genuinely surprised to spot a familiar face.
Wait a minute! There are actually leisure-focused businesses like flower shops in this hyper-ancient era?!
Just as he was about to walk in and take a look, Takumi stopped and fell into deep thought.
However, after a brief moment of reflection, he tossed the thought to the back of his mind. Considering Gilgamesh was running the show, nothing should really be surprising. The development of this era certainly had historical factors, but it ultimately depended entirely on how Gilgamesh chose to steer it.
"What are you doing here?"
Facing Takumi's confusion, Ana, who was sitting on a small stool by the door, replied softly:
"Because your method of working is... peculiar, Siduri assigned me a different task. So I'm here..."
Hearing this, Takumi scratched his head awkwardly.
Based on his personal philosophy, while working methodically like a normal person was fine, since he possessed these abilities, he naturally preferred to integrate them into his "work."
However, this habit was starting to make him feel like he was genuinely roleplaying as the "Traveler" from a certain gacha game in real life.
"Uh, so you're selling flowers?"
Takumi adjusted his mindset and asked.
"Mhm. I'm helping the elderly woman inside sell flowers... but I don't think I'm very suited for this job. I haven't managed to sell a single flower..."
Ana glanced into the shop where the old woman was resting, her voice laced with disappointment.
"Takumi, do you know how to sell flowers? I feel like you'd be able to make a ton of friends really quickly."
Ana looked at Takumi with expectant eyes.
"Ah, well... the reason I make friends quickly is because of my specific 'trait.' It doesn't really have anything to do with my actual social skills. Besides, selling flowers mainly relies on hawking and shouting at people walking by, right? I'm honestly terrible at that..."
Takumi gave Ana an apologetic, sheepish look.
While he wasn't exactly socially anxious, the thought of standing on the street corner screaming like a desperate salesman was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.
"Is that so..."
Ana silently withdrew her gaze.
She was actually very similar to Takumi in that regard, perhaps even worse. The idea of loudly hawking wares like a normal merchant was completely impossible for her. The moment she stood up, her entire body would freeze, the words she had practiced for ages getting permanently lodged in her throat. Ultimately, she would just helplessly sit back down.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been sitting here doing absolutely nothing for half the day.
"If worst comes to worst, why don't you just take off your hood? People who sell flowers usually try to look presentable and pretty. With how incredibly pretty you are, Ana, even if you don't say a single word, I guarantee people will come over to buy them!"
Takumi pulled up a stool, sat down next to Ana, and offered his strategic advice.
"T-Take off my hood? Will that really work?"
Hearing Takumi's suggestion, Ana subconsciously curled into herself and tugged at her hood, asking nervously.
Her voice was dripping with a lack of confidence.
"I can't say for sure about everyone else, but if it were me, I'd absolutely buy a flower just because you're so cute."
Takumi shrugged and smiled warmly.
"Mmm..."
Ana's small face flushed red. After a moment of silent, intense deliberation, she gritted her teeth and pulled her hood back, exposing her cute, beautiful face to the open air.
"!"
Having only suggested it half-jokingly, Takumi couldn't help but give her a massive thumbs-up.
"If this doesn't work... I'm going to hit you..."
Ana kept her head bowed, her pretty face completely red with embarrassment, muttering a completely non-threatening threat.
"Ahaha, surely it won't come to that..."
Takumi chuckled awkwardly. After a moment of thought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of currency that people had forcefully shoved into his hands after he completed their "quests."
He didn't really know how much the flowers cost, so he just slapped all the money he had onto the small table, picked out a flower that looked particularly nice, and handed it to Ana.
"There! Now you've made a sale. But honestly, I don't really have any use for carrying a flower around, so I'm giving it to you."
Takumi smiled.
"...Thank you."
Blushing deeply, Ana accepted the flower, feeling a mix of gratitude and slight shame.
"It's nothing. I didn't really have anywhere to spend that money anyway."
Takumi waved his hand dismissively.
His lodging was provided by Siduri, and his meals were arranged by Siduri. Aside from occasionally throwing money at minor problems, he genuinely didn't have any use for currency in this era.
The two of them sat side-by-side for a while, just staring out at the street.
"Takumi... aren't you going back to work?"
Ana finally couldn't help but ask.
Don't misunderstand, she wasn't trying to chase him away. It was just that her primary impression of Takumi was a workaholic maniac who pushed himself to the absolute brink. She honestly couldn't comprehend why he was just sitting next to her doing nothing.
"I wish I could! But Siduri complained that I was working entirely too fast. She refused to give me any more 'quests' and basically ordered me to go rest. So, I just started wandering around the city. I happened to see you on my way, so I figured I'd drop by."
Takumi shrugged, looking utterly helpless.
"..."
Ana was speechless. Something utterly absurd like that happening was incredibly on-brand for Takumi.
The conversation lulled, and the two of them resumed their post like a pair of door gods guarding the flower shop.
However, it turned out Takumi's advice was spot on. Ever since Ana took off her hood, business had undeniably picked up. Within a few minutes, several people stopped by to purchase flowers.
—You just have to admit, humans are fundamentally visual creatures.
Regardless of the method, Ana was genuinely using her own capabilities to bring business to the shop. The accumulating sense of accomplishment brought a healthy flush to the young girl's cheeks, and she was smiling much more frequently.
Compared to Ana, who was busy handling the flowers and collecting money, Takumi—who was just there to hang out—was incredibly relaxed. Seeing Ana's work get on track, he leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes, and began to rest.
He wasn't just taking a nap, though. He was diving back into the Heart of Fire to continue the rigorous training he hadn't finished earlier.
However, he could safely put his training with [Death Perception] on hold for now. Having mentally replayed King Hassan's instant-death strike countless times, he had completely deciphered and immunized himself against that specific sensation of "Death." Until he found a new, more potent source of "Death" to study, he couldn't push his proficiency with [Death Perception] any further.
Takumi wasn't particularly worried about this. After all, the Grand Assassin, King Hassan, would definitely make an appearance in this Singularity later on. Asking him for a few pointers when the time came shouldn't be a major issue.
***
Time ticked by, minute by minute, and the sky gradually began to transition into the orange hues of dusk.
"Hmm? Lord Takumi, what are you doing here?"
A surprised voice drifted into Takumi's ears.
Realizing it was someone he knew, Takumi opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure looking at him with genuine curiosity.
It was one of the patrol soldiers he had helped clear out wandering demonic beasts with earlier in the day.
"Ah, I'm just keeping my friend company while she sells flowers. Are you looking to buy some?"
Takumi smiled warmly.
"Buying flowers, huh... Well, I'm not usually a flower kind of guy, but since you're the one asking, my Lord, I'll definitely buy some to support the business!"
The soldier rubbed his chin and let out a hearty laugh.
It wasn't like buying a couple of flowers was going to break the bank anyway.
Seeing a customer approach, Ana quietly slid over to handle the transaction.
The soldier paid for his flowers and left. But whether he had run his mouth to his squadmates, or if there were just that many people Takumi knew passing through this specific street, over the next hour, a steady stream of people Takumi had helped throughout the day dropped by the shop. They all bought a flower or two to take home as decorations.
"Amazing... You've only been in the city for a single day, yet you already know so many people..."
After seeing off the last customer, Ana turned her head, looking at Takumi with eyes full of genuine admiration.
Unlike her, who apparently had to rely entirely on her "looks" to get anyone to buy anything.
"Well, there were some other factors involved. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met that many people, haha."
Being stared at with such pure admiration, Takumi scratched his cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.
While he did genuinely enjoy the feeling of camaraderie, he wasn't exactly a social butterfly who felt the need to befriend every single person he met. The massive networking was mostly just a byproduct of him speed-running every available quest in the city.
"Here you go, little miss. I carefully picked out this bouquet just for you. Thank you so much for helping this old woman today."
At that moment, the elderly shop owner walked out, holding a beautifully arranged bouquet. With a kind, grandmotherly smile, she handed the flowers to Ana.
Seeing this, Ana was about to politely decline, but the old woman's expression suddenly turned stern:
"I don't have anything else of value to give, only these flowers. If you refuse to accept them, this old woman is going to be very angry!"
Left with no other choice, Ana carefully accepted the wrapped bouquet.
"It's getting quite late... Why don't you come over to my house for dinner before you head back, young lady?"
"That..."
Ana looked conflicted, instinctively turning to Takumi for help.
"You should come too, young man. If it weren't for you, we never would have sold this many flowers today."
Seeing Ana's hesitation, the old woman extended the invitation to Takumi as well.
As the owner of the flower shop, she understood the reality of the situation perfectly well. With the crisis facing Uruk being so severe, the citizens were stressed and anxious; nobody was in the mood to buy useless luxury items like flowers. Thanks to Takumi and Ana, today had been her single most profitable day in months.
Takumi thought for a moment. He looked at Ana, who was staring at him expectantly, and smiled:
"Thank you, but I'll have to pass. Compared to Ana, I didn't actually do any real work; I was just sitting here hanging out. If you really want to host someone, just take Ana. I still have some other matters I need to attend to."
He patted Ana gently on the shoulder, and before either of them could react, Takumi's silhouette vanished from the spot.
I'll leave the rest up to Ana! It's her choice!
***
The next day. Clear skies.
Do "quests." Repair fissures.
Takumi's first stop for the day was the Absolute Demonic Front.
"Whoa—! As expected of Lord Takumi! He's actually wiping out the demonic beasts like that?! That's incredible!"
Standing atop the towering walls of the Demonic Front, Takumi held his flag aloft. The Runes of Fire etched onto the fabric flared brilliantly in the wind. A massive, endless barrage of fiery birds dove from the sky like a carpet-bombing run, striking the swarming demonic beasts below with pinpoint accuracy. It only took two or three hits to turn a beast into a pile of charred ash.
His overwhelming display of firepower naturally drew the awe-struck gazes of the defending soldiers.
"Alright, alright! That's enough staring! No matter how jealous you are, that's the work of a Magus! We are warriors, which means our job is to keep our feet on the ground and do what warriors do best!"
Seeing his soldiers looking as if they were itching to jump off the wall and try it themselves, Leonidas's face darkened, and he quickly poured a bucket of cold water on their enthusiasm.
Seriously, guys? Do you really think you're peerless prodigies like Takumi? Even he didn't become this monstrously powerful in just a few days!
"Takumi! Come down here and teach these men some close-quarters combat! They can't possibly learn whatever it is you're doing up there!"
Leonidas shouted up at Takumi.
With Takumi's brief, overwhelming barrage, the entire horde of demonic beasts currently assaulting this section of the wall had been completely eradicated. There was no point in him staying up there anymore. It was the perfect opportunity for him to come down and show these green recruits the true combat prowess of the "Savior of Human Order."
"Are you sure about that? My fighting style might not be very suitable for normal people..."
Hearing the request, Takumi vanished and reappeared right next to Leonidas, looking slightly troubled.
While he had certainly put in the sweat and tears, his explosive growth was heavily reliant on his absurd natural talent and his Reality Marble. Without those, no matter how hard someone trained, they couldn't possibly level up as fast as he did.
Leonidas jumped slightly at Takumi's sudden materialization, nearly reflexively thrusting his spear forward. Fortunately, he caught himself in time, saving himself from looking like a fool in front of his new recruits.
"Ahem. It's for an army defending a wall, we don't need them to master peerless, god-like martial arts. As long as they know how to hold their weapons, execute a few fundamental combat maneuvers, and avoid panicking when the fighting starts, that's more than enough."
Leonidas coughed lightly and explained.
"So you don't need to teach them anything too complex. Just suppress your strength and spar with them using basic, foundational moves. I'll handle the actual instructional part!"
Seeing that Leonidas had it all planned out, Takumi nodded in agreement.
The sparring sessions began quickly.
Because the size disparity between demonic beasts and humans was significant, the soldiers were uniformly equipped with polearms like spears and halberds. Seeing this, Takumi grabbed a wooden training staff with its tip wrapped in thick cloth to act as his sparring weapon.
He didn't utilize any of the lethal, advanced techniques taught to him by Scáthach or Li Shuwen. He restricted himself entirely to executing flawless, fundamental movements. Furthermore, he actively suppressed his physical strength and speed to the level of a normal human from the Age of Gods.
However, even though they were just sparring, and even though Takumi was holding back tremendously, his forged-in-fire martial arts and terrifying reaction speed meant it was incredibly rare for any soldier to last more than a few exchanges against him.
While Takumi was essentially "playing house" with the recruits, Leonidas stood to the side, meticulously breaking down Takumi's winning movements and occasionally pulling soldiers aside to drill the specific techniques.
Several hours passed.
"Phew~. Leonidas is seriously energetic. We've been at this for hours, yet he still looks like he's having the time of his life."
Having finished his designated role as a sparring dummy, Takumi sat down in the shade of a wall, exhaling deeply and marveling at the Spartan King's stamina.
"Honestly, General Leonidas is probably only this fired up because you're here, my Lord. While the General is always incredibly diligent in training us, he's never been so engrossed that he completely forgets to call for breaks like he did today."
A soldier resting nearby laughed and offered his perspective.
"Is that so?"
Takumi thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.
I don't think that's the real reason.
"To you... or rather, to all of you, what is the meaning of battle?"
Takumi suddenly asked.
"Umm... Battle is just battle, right? What else could it be? If you want to get specific, I guess the real question is: what are we fighting for?"
The soldier pondered the question for a moment, answering with a hint of uncertainty.
Takumi nodded, validating the soldier's perspective.
"If you're asking what I'm fighting for, then it's the most common answer: to protect my family, and to protect Uruk. Almost everyone stationed here is fighting for the exact same reason. Honestly, if you think about it, what other reason could possibly drive us to come out here and face down an endless tide of monsters?"
Seeing Takumi agree, the soldier elaborated.
"Then... if you were to die, would you still want to continue fighting?"
Staring blankly ahead, Takumi absentmindedly plucked a blade of grass, his tone carrying a profound, almost prophetic weight.
Hearing this, the soldier froze for a second. Then, a bright, fiercely determined smile broke across his face, and he spoke with absolute conviction:
"If I could continue fighting through sheer willpower even after I'm dead, that would be incredibly badass!"
Takumi couldn't help but shake his head and laugh: "Haha, for some reason, that sounds exactly like something I would say..."
He had to admit, the absolute unity, morale, and sheer, uncompromising resolve of the people of Uruk were terrifyingly high...