“Transcendent Magic: Light Creation! Legendary Magic: Great Blaze! The newest generation of magic cards! How about buying one, miss?”

Yu Ge’s hands were red from the cold wind, but he hadn’t eaten all day. If he couldn’t sell a single magic card, he was going to starve to death.

The female Mage walking past Yu Ge smiled and shook her head. These “cards” were just too cheap-looking.

Transcendent Magic? Legendary Magic? Not only had this female Mage never heard of those terms, neither had anyone else. The highest rank of magic card currently available was S-rank. These cards of his claimed to be even more powerful than those rare magic cards. No matter how you looked at it, it was a scam.

“What about weapon cards? The divine sword Laevateinn, Gungnir, the Lance of Longinus, and even the EX Curry Stick! Come on, folks, buy one! For two gold coins, you won’t lose out or get cheated!”

Seeing that the passersby had no interest in his magic cards, Yu Ge pulled a stack of weapon cards from another pocket and showed them to people one by one. They merely glanced at them with disdain. How could a street vendor afford to sell magic cards? He had to be a con artist.

“Two gold coins won’t buy you anything, you bunch of broke losers.”

Yu Ge muttered under his breath as he watched those cheapskates look without buying.

“The city inspectors are coming!”

Someone shouted. The fruit and snack vendors around Yu Ge immediately pushed their carts and ran. Yu Ge hurriedly shoved the cards into his pockets and took off, leaving in a flash.

“Huff, huff.”

Yu Ge ran all the way to a deserted street corner. Only after making sure no one was chasing him did he finally let out a sigh of relief. He sat down against the wall, panting heavily.

“Fuck, why?”

Thinking about his current situation, Yu Ge couldn’t help cursing out loud. When he’d learned that people in this world fought using all kinds of cards, he’d thought the card-making ability he’d gained after reincarnating would let him make a name for himself. But now he couldn’t sell a single damn card. He was practically starving to death.

“I’m so hungry.”

Yu Ge rubbed his empty stomach. Everything in this society cost money, and without it, you couldn’t get anywhere. Even the cheapest meal cost dozens of silver coins. But getting a job? No way. He’d never work a day in his life. He’d just make cards and sell them to… Damn it, that wasn’t enough to live on either!

Yu Ge felt like he wanted to beat up the goddess responsible for his reincarnation. But who knew when he’d see her again? The most important thing right now was getting something to eat.

“I need money…”

Yu Ge looked around hopefully. Without money, you really couldn’t get anywhere. He’d even tried making a card that could produce lots of money, but the system had said it was too vulgar to create.

Damn it, this world didn’t even have a system. Wasn’t that goddess the system?

For a moment, Yu Ge could feel the goddess’s malice.

Talking to himself as he looked around, Yu Ge wondered where he could get some money. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have dinner tonight. At last, his gaze settled on an Adventurers’ Guild across the street.

“Jobs available! We’ll find you work and get you started!”

Seeing the banner, Yu Ge wondered if this was one of those job-placement agencies he’d heard about. Maybe they had a job that suited him.

Yu Ge hurried to the Adventurers’ Guild counter. A cute young woman with her hair in a ponytail was sorting through the papers on her desk.

“Hey, beautiful, do you have any jobs here where I can just sit around counting money on account of my handsome face?”

“Sorry, we don’t.”

The young woman answered without hesitation, not even looking up.

“Huh? Seriously? Is it really that hard to make a living off my face?”

Yu Ge slapped the counter in frustration. Sure, he’d been a shut-in before, but he could’ve charmed thousands of girls! And before he came here, the goddess Frigga had even touched up his looks. Was his face really not to this world’s tastes?

“Sir, we have all kinds of tasks and commissions here. I’m sure there’s one that suits you. But making a living off your looks might be a little difficult…”

The young woman behind the counter looked up at Yu Ge, then quickly waved both hands and turned her face aside with an awkward smile.

“I really feel sorry for you.”

Yu Ge put away his angry expression and spoke with a pained look.

“Huh?”

Hearing Yu Ge’s words, the receptionist looked utterly astonished. Thank goodness—had he finally realized his own shortcomings?

“I feel sorry that your eyesight’s already so bad at such a young age. You can’t even appreciate a handsome guy like me. It’s just not right!”

Yu Ge leaned against the counter and covered his face, as if something terrible had happened and he might burst into tears at any moment. This girl was so cute, yet her eyesight was failing. What a shame.

To say I couldn’t make a living off my face—that was unbelievably stupid.

“Um, sir, if you insist on making a living off your looks, we actually do have a job that might suit you.”

The receptionist put on a polite smile and took a commission notice out from behind the counter.

“See? I knew there had to be a job where I could make a living off my face.”

Yu Ge nodded with satisfaction. It seemed this girl had finally recognized his handsomeness. Honestly, not only was her eyesight bad, but her brain’s image-processing speed was a little slow too.

E-rank commission: Hide in a haunted house at an amusement park and scare people. Eight hours of work a day. 20 gold coins per day, paid daily.

“Damn it!”

After reading the commission notice, Yu Ge slapped the counter again and glared at the receptionist.

“Making a living off my face and making a living off a ghost’s face are two different things! Are you messing with me?”

“Y-you don’t have to yell so loud… Then go talk to the guildmaster…”

The receptionist was petite and adorable to begin with. After Yu Ge yelled at her, she shrank back behind the counter and spoke in a pitiful little voice.

All right, looks like making a living off my face was a dead end. Without money, how was I supposed to be a carefree, handsome young guy who did nothing but make cards?

“We’re hunting a Bone Dragon in the Burial Grounds! The Star Sword Princess, Saya, is leading the team. We need one wind Mage—roughly the right level is fine. Five out of six spots are filled. 500 gold coins if the hunt succeeds!”

As Yu Ge stood there with his face in his hands, unsure what to do, a voice suddenly rang out from the entrance of the Adventurers’ Guild.

“The Star Sword Princess? Where? Where?”

“It really is Saya! Look at that silver hair!”

“She’s gorgeous. If only I could marry her and take her home.”

“Keep dreaming. Why would she ever go for you?”

“I’m a wind Mage! I want in!”

“Me too! I want to fight alongside Saya!”

The moment the name “Saya” reached everyone’s ears, the entire Adventurers’ Guild erupted into a commotion. Even the receptionist, whom Yu Ge had just scared half to death, craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the legendary Star Sword Princess.

The Star Sword Princess?

Yu Ge had never heard of her. But when he heard there was gold to be earned, he turned to look. A group of people stood outside the Adventurers’ Guild, including Mages of all kinds. Among them stood a girl with gorgeous, star-like hair.

The silver-haired girl wore white-accented enchanted armor. She was tall, with stunning features and beauty enough to topple a kingdom. Her figure was striking, and her skin was as pale as milk. Her golden eyes swept over the people inside the Adventurers’ Guild. She wore no expression, and no one could tell what she was thinking.

Although many Mages in the Adventurers’ Guild were eager to volunteer, none met Saya’s standards. A Bone Dragon was an A-rank monster. Without the ability to protect yourself, going after one was just asking to die.

At last, it was Yu Ge’s turn. He cheerfully made his way over to Saya, thinking that fortune had finally smiled on him. Wasn’t this just like a scene from a novel? All he had to do was cast a legendary spell and effortlessly obliterate that Bone Dragon—or whatever it was called. Then he’d win the beauty’s heart and take her home, wouldn’t he?

“Can you cast the B-rank wind spell, Gale Force?”

“No.”

Yu Ge shook his head in response to Saya’s question.

“Can you cast the C-rank wind spell, Listen to the Wind?”

“N-no.”

“Then can you cast the D-rank wind spell, Windwalk?”

“Uh…”

Yu Ge didn’t know what to say. He’d never even heard of these spells.

“Then you won’t do. I’m not interested in you.”

Saya shook her head. He couldn’t even cast the D-rank Windwalk. Was this guy just like the others who’d come to mess around?

Yu Ge watched Saya head off in another direction and rolled his eyes. Sure, he couldn’t cast Listen to the Wind or Windwalk or whatever, but he could cast the legendary spell Storm Tornado! He could even summon the legendary monster Cloud Monster: Eye of the Typhoon! So why hadn’t she asked?

“Since Miss Saya is having so much trouble finding someone, I’ll take the job.”

Saya had just about given up on finding a wind Mage in the entire guild who could support her, and was about to leave, when a man’s voice suddenly rang out from inside.

A handsome young man with short green hair stepped out from the crowd. His delicate features were almost otherworldly, and several female Mages nearby looked at him with stars in their eyes.

“I-isn’t that Young Master Terrell, the City Lord’s second son?”

“Yeah. I heard he’s incredibly talented at magic.”

“He’s probably a peak B-rank Mage by now.”

The Mages around them began whispering as soon as Terrell appeared. It was clear the young man was famous among them.

“Wind magic isn’t my specialty, but I can cast the spells Miss Saya just mentioned. Would you let me join your team?”

Terrell walked up to Saya with his signature smile.

“That works. Let’s set out now.”

Saya nodded. From the others’ comments, it seemed this guy was quite capable. She was the main damage dealer for this hunt; the only thing she needed from the rest of the team was for them to hold their own.

“By the way, we still need someone to clean up after the battle.”

One of the healing Mages in the team suddenly spoke up.

“That’s right. It’d be a pain if nobody picked up the dropped materials and equipment. Anyone want to clean up the battlefield? You won’t have to fight—just pick things up along the way. Fifty gold coins!”

A young man with a long blade on his back shouted to the Mages around him.

“Nothing to see here. Move along.”

“Let’s go. I’m not becoming some scavenger.”

As soon as the young man finished speaking, the Mages around them scattered. Saya’s team was offering good pay, but no one wanted to be a scavenger. It was humiliating. Were they supposed to throw away their pride for fifty gold coins and still expect to show their faces around here?

The Mages around him all left, but Yu Ge, who’d been about to leave too, perked up his ears. He only had to pick things up, didn’t need to fight, and could earn fifty gold coins for free. How could there be such a great deal?

“I’ll do it!”

Yu Ge raised his hand high above the crowd, making sure everyone could see him.

“Isn’t that the guy who couldn’t answer a single question just now?”

“Ha! A scavenger’s just the job for a useless guy like him.”

“Exactly. I’d rather starve than take a job like that.”

The Mages around them snickered at Yu Ge. He looked like a useless guy who couldn’t do anything. These days, even the stupidest person could learn a bit of swordsmanship or magic. Anyone with a little pride wouldn’t take a commission like this.

But Yu Ge didn’t care. As long as it paid, that was all that mattered. He was practically starving—what did he need with pride? After this job, he’d move to a bigger city and keep selling cards. By then, nobody would know him anyway.

“All right, you can do it.”

The young man waved Yu Ge over, while Saya merely glanced at him before turning and leaving the Adventurers’ Guild.

“Leave it to me.”

Yu Ge hurried over and took the backpack ring the young man handed him. Whenever he saw a monster drop something along the way, he could just toss it in there.

In the Valley of Wailing, Saya and the others, Yu Ge among them, made their way toward the Burial Grounds where the Bone Dragon was.

Saya walked at the front, with Yu Ge bringing up the rear. The others formed up around the two of them. The Shield Mage and the Idiot Mage were discussing how they’d take turns when fighting the Bone Dragon, while the Archer Mage and the Healer Mage teased each other. The group was full of lively chatter. Only Yu Ge stayed silent.

It wasn’t because Yu Ge was shy. His eyes were fixed on Saya up ahead—or, more accurately, on her butt.

Beneath her light armor, Saya’s pert backside was wrapped in tight pants. It swayed with every step, tempting Yu Ge so much that he couldn’t tear his gaze away.

Yu Ge swallowed. Suddenly, he felt something thick and wet trickle into his mouth. He instinctively reached up to touch it—and found blood from his nose.

Yu Ge hurriedly wiped away the nosebleed, then glanced around. Fortunately, no one had noticed. Otherwise, they’d probably have pegged him as a pervert.

Beautiful girls really are the greatest invention in the World.

Yu Ge rubbed his hands together, unable to help himself. Once he had money, he’d definitely marry a cute older girl like that!

“Look at that guy. He’s still grinning like he’s having the time of his life. What a shameless creep.”

“Yeah. If people were talking about me like that, I’d either work my butt off to get stronger or go smash my head against a wall.”

“But I don’t think that guy could manage either one.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s got no talent, and he’s afraid to die.”

“Hahahaha!”

The Shield Mage in the group saw that Yu Ge wasn’t the least bit embarrassed—in fact, he looked downright pleased—and mocked him aloud. What a hopeless case, he thought. This had to be the ultimate state of shamelessness: no shame, no fear; no worries, no suffering.

The team members didn’t bother lowering their voices. In their eyes, Yu Ge was just a good-for-nothing who was content to coast through life, so what could he do even if he heard them? Sure enough, Yu Ge, walking at the very front, heard them. All he could do was shake his head helplessly. Still, everyone chose their own way to live. He had no right to interfere.

Walking beside Saya was Terrell, the city lord’s son. He kept trying to find things to talk about so he could strike up a conversation with her. After all, Saya was the eldest daughter of one of the Empire’s four great noble families. Her status was far beyond that of a local lord’s son like him. But if he could win her over, wouldn’t his family rise to greatness?

But in response to Terrell, Saya only nodded politely and played along. She didn’t want to talk to him. All she could think about was how to finish off this monster as quickly as possible, earn the Empire’s extermination merit, and complete her second-year report.

“The Bone Grounds are just ahead. Everyone, get ready.”

At that moment, Saya stopped and pointed toward a stretch of desolate land ahead, steeped in a gloomy atmosphere.