Life is a Grinding Montage - Isekai Trash based on Death March.

Fairview Town

While isekai can be great and dramatic and there have been some amazing series that took the genre to new heights, I've always quite liked the relaxing stories where you can indulge in the fantasy, without being dragged through the emotional ringer too.

Fairview Town had been quite a lot different than I had expected. When picturing a medieval town in a fantasy world, one would picture a great walled encampment with soldiers guarding every entrance. Yet in Fairview Town there was nothing like that.

The buildings were built of straw, wood and grey stone, with thatched roofs to match. The main streets of the town were lined with cobblestone, though as I walked along those paths, I could tell quite a lot of the side streets had been left untouched and mudded. In some of those streets, I noticed a number of homeless folk, huddled up wherever they could find shelter. Now, whilst such a thing was not rare in the modern world, it felt out of place in a fantasy.

"Maybe If I had more influence I could help but... we'll for now I need to take care of me. I don't want to sleep on the street." With that in mind, I sought the only place folks tended to go in isekai novels. The adventurers guild.

"Adventurers guild? I've never heard of it."

"What's that?"

"Could you repeat that for me?"

Those were the reactions I received as I asked about the guild. Apparently, despite there being adventurers who travelled around defeating monsters and searching for treasures unknown, there was nobody regulating them. They simply followed the rules present in each town. They sold monster parts and medicinal herbs at Merchant's Centres and took on requests from locals or the government at the Security Stations. It seemed odd, but I wasn't about to tell them how to do it.

"Hmm, so what I need to do is find people to copy skills from, opportunities to train them and monsters to beat for upgrades. Given that the whole, learning through achievements thing doesn't really apply for me... it almost seems pointless now. Well I suppose I could use EXP for some skills and hit achievements for others?" I rambled through such thoughts as I made my way through the town, until eventually I can upon a local market.

At the first stall there was a fresh pastry stand, though if I was being honest, the bread had seemed a bit stale. Still, as though she'd been using it to draw I customer, a woman of about fifty was kneeling a fresh ball of dough.

"Come to taste some of Fairview's finest breads aye?" The woman announced, without so much as a smile. She continued to work the bread meticulously, until the dough reached her required consistency.

"I'd love some. I know this might sound odd, but you wouldn't happen to need a hand would you? I'm afraid I'm fresh out of coin." I joked with the woman, fully expecting to be turned away. To my surprise, she actually considered it.

"Hmm. I'm actually behind schedule because of my blasted stove. Tell ya what. I'll give you a loaf if you give me half a days labour. Sound fair?" Ordinarily, I might have said it was a ridiculous trade. However, I had no money nor food and in terms of combat prowess, I was certain my little "Ember" spell wouldn't do much.

It can't be that bad of a town though, if I've been trusted so easily.

So, for the next six hours I spent my time kneading dough, kicking the stove into life with my ember spell and desperately attempting to flog the stall's wares. At first, it was a real pain but as I got through the work, I found that I actually enjoyed it.

Acquired Skill: Baking Level 1 (Basic)
Acquired Skill: Sales Level 1 (Basic)
Acquired Title: Baker
Acquired Title: Salesperson