Extra: Worries
(Rei’s Point of View)
“… There’s nothing today either, is there.”
I am Rei the vampire—a monster.
Summoned to a dungeon, it is a monster’s duty to repel intruders…
That’s how it should be, but my job is to welcome intruders.
The other day, I received the name ‘Rei’ and became a named monster. The title of named monster is something amazing that is fit for bosses alone. In spite of that, my job is that of an inn’s receptionist. Moreover, assistance.
As I received my name grandly through a naming ceremony, even though I want to contribute to the dungeon by all means, it’s honestly a letdown.
I mean, mowing down intruders and crushing them, I want to raise the dungeon’s DP like that.
However, this dungeon’s dungeon master is Kehma-sama, a human. In other words, he chose the path of living a long life by buttering up to the humans that were the same race as him… No, there’s no doubt that master has also sharpened his fangs. Even if he’s usually sleepy, the feeling of supremacy emanating from him during the naming ceremony was unbelievable.
That gold and silver was gorgeous, and despite that the armor worn on his body wasn’t tasteless. Just recalling that shining and transparent sword blade equipped on master’s honorable figure is enough for me to once again swear my allegiance.
… However, my assigned job is as an inn’s receptionist.
“Haah…”
I opened the window of the room that was allotted to me and looked towards the sky… The sun is dazzling, such horrid weather.
I reaffirmed that I could bathe in sunlight once again. Even though I am a vampire, I am alright with the sun’s light.
Vampires originally have many weak points.
However, they won’t have any weak points at all if they become true ancestors. Able to exercise overwhelming might in both physical means and magic means, they could swagger not only through the night but under daylight as well. That is a true ancestor. Starting as a vampire, it is the strongest existence.
There were also existences known as a common vampires, those that held resistance towards one weak point, like atavism. [1]
Among vampires, it’s said there is something known as true ancestor atavism.
I am one of those who has true ancestor atavism, holding such resistances.
Or maybe it’s already enough to call me a true ancestor?
… However, that’s without my curse: offensive power of zero.
Or more precisely, I can’t use any vampire abilities. With this I’m the same as a normal human, no, worse than a human. I even have less fighting strength than a goblin.
So again, I sighed.
At first, I’d thought about what a monster without any fighting capability could do. When I heard that I would be working at an inn, I thought I would be working like a succubus.
However, I assumed the position of receptionist, conveying costs to the guests that occasionally arrived, receiving money, and handing them back the change. That’s all. The [Abacus] tells me how many coins are needed for cost and change calculations. It’s fine if I just don’t make a mistake in counting the coins… Is there any meaning in my existence? It’s that easy a job.
Like that, I work a job that anyone could do and am given meals and a residence. I have been given something very good. It even seems that I eat the same thing as master and Rokuko-sama… I couldn’t possibly afford it. Rather, when I think that Ichika-sense and Meat-senpai are renting two of the inn’s rooms, it could be said that we who were given private rooms were given good treatment.
… I can’t understand just what in the world master is thinking. Aren’t I just a normal pet like this? No, even a pet would work to heal their owner, am I not below a pet?
This is… bad. As a prideful vampire, this is a grave situation.
I can’t retain my pride if I don’t help master somehow or another. Even though I received a name, it’s like that.
There was a tapping sound at my room’s door.
Who is it? Well, obvious. Kinue, the silky.
As the first step to master teaching her magic, Nerune, the apprentice witch, is learning her job and magic from Meat-senpai. Since it isn’t mealtime right now, it’s probably magic time.
Master and Rokuko-sama could use the dungeon’s contact function if they had a task for me. Ichika-sensei wouldn’t imitate elegance by just knocking but would call me while knocking.
Since the inn’s established [Employee Dormitory] is off limits to everyone but staff, the only person left is Kinue.
“Rei-san, I would like to clean.”
“… Kinue. By using [Cleanup] to clean, you don’t have to bring cleaning tools you know.”
“If [Cleanup] could finish all of the cleaning, there wouldn’t be any cleaning tools.”
“E-even so…”
This silky seems to like cleaning without using [Cleanup] for some reason. Even though I know what kind of race silkys are because of the information imprinted on me when master summoned me, this girl is praiseworthy, she just cleaned a little earlier.
Well, I leave it to her though since living in a clean room is comfortable.
“Then I’ll be cleaning, so please leave.”
Like that, I was driven out.
… There’s nothing to do. Hmm.
Come to think of it, along with cleaning the inn, Kinue is also studying cooking. Nerune is training in magic too… if I could also use magic, I might be useful to the inn somehow.
… I’m the only one that’s useless, aren’t I… I don’t like it. Wouldn’t my only use right now be night services…
“Eheheh, nights are your specialty since you’re a vampire right?”
“T-that’s—please return my clothes!”
“Eating and living idly for you is a waste, there’s no choice for you but this.”
… that kind of situation.
… Uu, my face reddened by thinking about something weird.
Although I wouldn’t hesitate if the other person was master, at any rate, I have to be use helpful somehow.
Wondering what I should do for now as I stood in front of my room, I left the inn for a stroll.
Even though the weather was detestable with the sun blazing down, it’s fine for the current me.
Walking for a short while, there was a field. Golems that master set to work were harvesting crops.
Although there were several other kinds of vegetables as well, it appeared that right now it was harvesting beet-radishes to make into sugar… Should I help with the harvest?
“…”
… There’s nowhere for me to help. The golems perfectly filled the simple work. Moreover since I don’t have order rights for these golems, I’d only be a hindrance if I tried to forcibly help. Since golems don’t tire, there’s no reason for me to purposely help out either.
Ugugugu. So I’m useless here too?
I continued walking.
I came along to [Great Tsuia Mountain Tunnel]… Hmm. So what.
The cave costs money to enter, so there’s no reason for me to enter it either.
… Ah, a merchant is passing through.
Burdened with a wooden rack on his back, it was the type of trader called a peddling adventurer.
Most of the traders that pass through here ferry salt from Pavuera to Sia to sell. From there, they would ferry dried vegetables and woodwork from Sia to sell in Pavuera.
Oh, I could also earn money like that… No, to begin with I can’t do math that properly. Not without [Abacus]-san’s assistance…
Uu, I need to continue studying my [Times Table]. Oh, but before that I need to figure out addition and subtraction, don’t I…
I’m not good at math… I wonder if there’s anything I can do…
… Next time, let’s consult with master about if there’s nothing I can do.
Ahh mou, I’m fed up with not being able to do anything.
I received a name at long last, I don’t want to be useless!
Footnotes:
Atavism is the tendency to revert to ancestral type. In biology, an atavism is an evolutionary throwback, such as traits reappearing which had disappeared generations before. In this case, a throwback to the true ancestor’s resistance to all weak points.