It had been three hours since I first met Zanac. After a lot of rocking and shaking, the carriage safely arrived at Reflet.

A soldier, possibly some kind of gatekeeper, met us at the entrance and questioned us before promptly allowing us to pass. From his reaction, it seemed that Zanac was quite famous.

The carriage rattled loudly as we proceeded down the town streets. Since the roads were old cobblestone, it shook quite a bit. Carrying on, we made our way to what seemed to be a prosperous shopping district with many stores all lined up in a row. The carriage stopped in front of one such shop.

“We’ve arrived! Come now, let’s see you into some new clothes.” I did as Zanac asked and stepped out onto the street. The store’s signboard sported a needle and thread design, but it was the writing below that had alerted me to an alarming fact.

“I can’t read it...” I couldn’t read what was written on the sign. That definitely wasn’t good news.

I had thought it might be okay since I was able to talk just fine, but that seemed not to be the case. It could’ve been worse, I supposed, since at least being able to converse meant I could still have somebody teach me to read and write. Day one in another world and I already had something to study...

Zanac led me into the shop, and several of the staff came to greet us.

“Welcome back, owner!” I was taken aback by what they said.

“Owner...?”

“Ah, I run this store. But that’s not important right now, let’s get you changed! Somebody pick out new clothes for this boy!” Zanac whisked me off into a changing room, which was an actual small room with a door, not just a box with a curtain dividing it off.

After that, he rushed back in with a pile of clothes. I removed my blazer, tie, and shirt so I could begin getting changed. I was wearing a simple black T-shirt underneath, and it seemed to have caught Zanac’s eye as well.

“M-Might I press you to sell me those undergarments as well...?!” The scoundrel.

In the end, I was made to sell every last thread off my back. Everything including my socks and shoes. By the time my underpants were added to his list of demands, I had become quite tired of the ordeal. I understood how he felt, I just wish he could’ve understood how I felt...

The clothes and shoes he’d prepared for me in return were comfy and easy to wear. I certainly had no complaints about them. Black pants and a white shirt, with a black jacket over the top. A chic outfit that also wasn’t too showy. I liked it. It kept me from standing out.

“Now, how much are you selling me your clothes for? I’ll spare no expense, of course, but did you have a particular charge in mind?”

“Well... I’m afraid I don’t really have a good estimate in mind. This isn’t my field of expertise, you see. I can only assume they’d be expensive, but... To be completely honest, I’m penniless right now.”

“I see... That is rather sad to hear. Well then, how does ten gold pieces sound?” Without any knowledge of the currency in this world, I had no way to judge the worth of ten gold pieces. As such, I accepted.

“Sounds good.”

“Wonderful! Well, here you are,” Zanac replied, clearly pleased by my answer.

Ten gold pieces jingled into the palm of my hand. Each one was about as big as a 500 yen coin, and had engravings of something resembling a lion. It was my entire life savings. Something I had to spend wisely.

“By the way, you wouldn’t know where I could find someplace like an inn, would you? I’d like to find a place to rest my head before the sun goes down.”

“An inn, yes? Turn right as you go out onto the street, then follow the road. You should see a sign for the Silver Moon Inn, won’t be hard to find.” Even if I did spot it, I wouldn’t know because I couldn’t read... Well, it wouldn’t be a problem since I could just keep asking people as I went. Even if I couldn’t read, I could still talk.

“Got it, thanks. I’ll be on my way then.”

“Very well. If you come across any other unusual garments, please bring them my way.”

I said my goodbyes to Zanac and left the shop. The sun was still high in the sky. I took my smartphone out and turned it on. The time seemed to be just before 2PM.

“I wondered this in the carriage, but... the time should be accurate too, right...?” Going by the sun, it couldn’t have been too far off at least.

Right then, something suddenly came to mind. I fired up the map application. It showed my current location on the town map, and sure enough, the street and shop names were also displayed. I certainly wouldn’t be getting lost now. I found the Silver Moon Inn on the app quickly enough. Oh, wait a minute...

I turned back and looked at Zanac’s store. “...«FASHION KING ZANAC» That’s seriously what the sign said...?” I set off for the inn, all the while feeling bad for poor Zanac and his terrible naming sense.