Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Carried on someone’s back for a day and night, I rested in Apartment 404 at night, and the journey continued smoothly.

Though baths are forbidden—being too clean would be problematic—being able to wipe my face and limbs with hot water and use a place sheltered from rain and wind as a bed seems more significant than I’d imagined.

Food isn’t just preserved rations either; using the kitchen means we can eat warm meals.

I could craft simple pots and pans from that mysterious metal, making the journey far more comfortable than anticipated.

Though all I am doing is swaying on someone else’s back during transit.

■■■

After days of walking, Sufi and the others finally glimpsed the highway. Countless carriages traversed the white road leading to the city, encircled by massive outer walls.

Some were drawn by creatures other than horses. Their styles and passengers differed, suggesting they might be travelers from foreign lands.

We hadn’t had time to look around properly in the last town, and lately we’d been staying in Japanese-style apartments… so this felt even more like another world.

“Quite a line, nya?”
“Should we join the walking line?”

Beside me, slightly moved, Noche and Filia approached the city without seeming particularly affected.

“Alice, what should we do?”

Sufi didn’t seem particularly impressed either.

“Let’s get closer first and find a merchant we can negotiate with.”

Before coming here, I’d carved stones into throwing knives and simple utility knives. Everything was wrapped in cloth and entrusted to Noche.

What we’re wearing now is just rags and underwear, cleaned only to remove dirt so they don’t fall apart. Combined with the grime of travel, we look like proper vagabonds. We avoid fancy carriages, aiming for something more modest.

“What about that guy over there?”
“…Yeah.”

A young man in travel attire, riding a small carriage. Pale skin, brown hair and eyes… a typical Westerner. Easterners are white-skinned too, but they tend to have lighter hair and eye pigmentation.

Based on my observations, his clothes aren’t bad. He’s probably a peddler covering this area. He goes around towns and villages, selling goods and restocking his inventory.

“…Alice, you okay?”
“…Yeah.”
“If you’re tired, maybe take a little rest?”
“That’s not it.”

While I agonized over how to approach him, Sufi, who was carrying me on her back, shook her body.

“Alice, you’re super shy around strangers, huh?”
“…………”

She’d hit a really sore spot. It felt like she’d smashed my shallow game mentality—that I could just sell things to merchants at the gate.

Well, of course. When I was under the Institution’s protection, negotiation was unnecessary. Captain handled everything. Most of the staff I met directly seemed oddly intimidated and accepted my requests without question.

Even on the internet or in games, initiating contact or disclosing information was strictly forbidden. Social networking services, which presuppose interaction with others, were out of the question.

In this life, I was the sickly little sister hiding behind my dependable big sister’s back.

Approaching strangers on my own? I’d barely done it once until today.

“…nya.”

Noche looked at me with exasperation. I gently turned my face away.

“Well, I guess I’ll leave this to the leader, nya.”
“Temporarily!”

After much back and forth, Noche, now the (temporary) leader of the group, sighs and approaches the merchant.

The merchant, waiting his turn, looks bored. Noche, wriggling her tail, tries to greet him cheerfully. The merchant, noticing her, makes an obvious face of disgust.

I prick up my ears. “I have something to say, nya.” “Go away.” “Just a moment.” “Don’t come near me, you creep. I’ll call the guards!” After this exchange, Noche was shooed away with a hand.

“…………Everyday’s been so fun that I forgot, nya.”

Noche returned briskly, then sat down hugging her knees. Was it a samurai’s mercy to pretend not to hear the muttered words?

“Noche, I’ll get revenge…!”

Filia, who had been sitting beside her stroking Noche’s head, stood up abruptly. Taking the bag she’d been given, she headed back to the young merchant..

I watched the exchange unfold.

“I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but could I have a moment of your time?”
“Huh…? You’re with that brat from earlier?”
“Yes, I apologize for earlier. Truthfully, we ran out of money during our journey…”
“If you’re begging, go find someone with more money. Perform a trick or something, someone might donate you bread or something.”
“No, I have a friend who’s very skilled with her hands. She carved tools from stones along the way. If you’d be so kind, we’d like to sell them to you. Would you at least take a look?”
“Hmm… Well, just looking is fine.”

Though a bit awkward, Filia began with a surprisingly polite greeting, then stood straight and made her request with graceful manners. The merchant, seeing she wasn’t just a vagrant, agreed to look at the goods, though suspiciously.

She had prepared knives and tools made from wood and stone. The raw materials were just stones I found lying around… probably andesite or something similar.

The iron content within was hardened into the blade parts, giving them decent sharpness and strength. However, they were not metal tools, so applying force could cause them to crack—that was the downside.

They were fine for rough use like throwing or stabbing.

The merchant, who had initially spared a gaze with full skepticism, began picking them up and examining them with growing admiration as he checked them out.

What he was looking at now was a pair of tweezers made by bending flexible wood and setting a stone tip. It also included a rough-surfaced nail file.

I had made this traveler’s tool kit assuming itinerant merchants would appreciate such handy little gadgets. Proper metal versions of these were handmade by blacksmiths and expensive. These, on the other hand, were practically disposable, costing just three to five small copper coins each.

After checking them out alone, he apparently bought several tools. Filia returned with a big smile.

“Filia, you’re amazing!”
“Yeah, pretty amazing!”
“Ehehe.”

Sales: 13 small copper coins.

Only 400 more to go… Wait, isn’t that a long way?

■■■

We arrived before noon, and Filia worked hard since then, but sales were sluggish.

By sunset, we had 180 small copper coins. While that’s a lot for slum kids, it wasn’t even enough for two people’s entrance tax.

“Wouldn’t selling stuff from the storeroom be quicker, nya?”
“Merchants would pounce on us with greedy eyes.”
“Th-that sounds scary…”
“Sufi and Noche should hunt monsters and sell them!”
“But buyers for those are inside the city.”

With wagons, inspections take forever. Depending on the timing, spending the night outside the city isn’t uncommon. Some merchant groups had already started setting up camp.

Only the small groups on foot and the blatantly wealthy got processed quickly.

Even after discussing it, no good ideas emerged. We really don’t want to risk illegal entry like last town—the fallout would be a pain.

I do have another idea… but I’d rather not do it.

“Sufi and I will head into town first, raise the funds, then come back for you.”

It feels awful, like we’re abandoning the two of them.

“…You have a plan, nya?”
“Yeah.”

But surprisingly, Noche and Filia accepted this solution without much fuss.

Of course I have a plan. When I got my license through Grandpa’s introduction, I met several executives from the Alchemist Guild.

I can’t fully trust the branch guildmaster, and I don’t want to owe him a favor, but I should be able to ask for job referrals and an advance on the entrance tax.

“…Haaah, well, I saw with my own eyes what you’re capable of, nya. I’ll lend you my secret weapon, nya.”
“Noche…”

She flicked a copper coin from her undergarments and handed it to me. …She still had some hiding in there.

“I’ll pay you back in silver.”
“I’m counting on it, nya.”
“Alice, take mine too.”
“Filia, thank you.”

Following that, Filia also handed me a single copper coin—who knew where she’d hidden it? It was precious money they’d protected under those circumstances. I clenched the coin, still warm from human touch, and thanked them.

“This covers both of us. Sufi and I will go inside…”
“We’ll wait near town, okay? One night won’t be a problem.”
“Sufi, can you tell them by the scent?”
“Of course.”

If Sufi could track their scent, it would be fine. Though carrying the door might be a bad idea.

“Noche, here.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“Sufi, Alice, see you later.”
“Yeah, see you later.”
“I’ll come get you soon.”

I discreetly handed Noche a small pack containing emergency rations and a water bottle. After waving goodbye to the two as they walked away, we headed toward the gate entrance where fewer people were passing through.

…or rather, Sufi carried me there on her back.

The checks didn’t seem too strict, and our turn came without much waiting.

“…Entry? Do you have identification?”
“Two of us. No ID.”

After setting me down from her back, Sufi addressed the gatekeeper. The old man guarding the gate didn’t seem to hold strong prejudice against beastkin; listening to his voice, I didn’t sense any ill will.

“Then… Can you tell me what your destination is and who can vouch for your identities?”
“Um…”
“Our destination is the Alchemist Guild, Forligen Branch… haah, we’re visiting Lord Sigrun, the guildmaster.”

A branch of this city’s size would naturally be led by a powerful alchemist. It wouldn’t make sense unless they were someone capable of standing up to the influential Luminism Faith.

And now, two clearly beggar-looking beastkin children said they had business with such a big shot. The guard’s expression was blatantly full of questions.

“Cough… Our grandfather, who took us in, was indebted to him. He told us to seek him out if we ever needed anything.”

I wasn’t lying. He also told us that the man wasn’t trustworthy and not to owe too much debt to him, though.

“Ah… I see. That must have been tough.”

It seemed the gatekeeper reasoned that it was our human Grandpa who had dealings with him, not us personally.

The gatekeeper had apparently constructed a story in his head: something happened to the foster parent, and the children made it here all battered and bruised on their own.

The fact that it was true wasn’t funny.

“Can you pay the entrance tax? One large copper coin per person.”
“Uh… yeah, sure.”

Sufi rattled out the copper coins and small copper coins she’d been keeping wrapped in cloth.

“…Exactly two large copper coins for both of you. You girls are lucky… Welcome to Forligen.”
“Thank you!”
“Thank… you, cough.”

With that, he shifted his large frame that he used to shield us from view as he let us pass.

We quickly understood what ‘lucky’ meant. Here and there, we saw other gatekeepers who were deliberately underreporting the coins they’d received, playing dumb, or picking on women who looked like vagabonds, trying to force body searches on them.

…Getting an honest guy on our first try was definitely lucky.

Anyway, we managed to get into Forligen.

Our destination was the Alchemist Guild… the Western-style mansion on the main street marked by a flask with wings.