Isekai Dungeon Architect

"Then I'll be back in two hours to pick you up," giving her a warm smile and watching her now composed self, I hugged her— something she did not expect once again— and walked out of the door that opened on the other side of the tall city walls.

Riddle was busy with work right now so we decided to meet when she was done with the work.

'Note to self: apparently, Captain Riddle Arcage, terror of the city guard, has no defense against basic human affection.'

Good. I'll exploit that later.

What's the point of reincarnating if you don't shamelessly abuse the little weaknesses of powerful people?

I needed help with a bunch of things anyway so she was going to lend me a hand.

"Take… take care then." With her face still red, she ran back inside, probably trying to hide that pretty face once again.

"That girl…"

She wasn't actually the shy kind. As a matter of fact, it was different.

She was perceived as a strict, calm and capable individual, someone the other city guards looked up to.

'From what I understand after observing her this past hour, she was well respected and it was very new for the soldiers in the gate cabins to see her flustered.'

She wasn't married or engaged, well good for me. But she was surely well respected by her peers.

"Being the captain, she was also one of the most important people in this city. But, instead of being a combat focus job class, she was the individual that created different kinds of potions that had various kinds of effects— an alchemist."

She wasn't actually a witch since 'witch' was a race in this world and not something like a class, but she sure dressed like one because she liked their aesthetics.

"Ultimately, she's an attractive lady that can most certainly help me with a bunch of things in this new city."

Ah, that's right. I'm in a fantasy city right now…

'I didn't realise it since I was lost in my own thoughts, but my surroundings are finally filled with people and not dry trees or monsters.'

The city of Westford, second largest city of the Kingdom of Isis.

Despite the dangerous name of the kingdom, the city of Westford is considered to be one of the safest and most important cities of the kingdom.

"Good thing she at least gave me some clothes. I would have worn a blanket of wolf hide otherwise."

Thanks to the simple trousers and shirt, I didn't feel out of place in this place.

The city itself was big with several wooden houses lining up on both sides of the road, divided by different roads and streets.

I still don't know much about this place but, right now, beyond the small open area in front of the guardian walls of the city, there are various houses and streets illuminated by what seems to be orbs of lights in a lantern.

Street lights illuminated the city streets, the stalls and vendors shouted their products, attracting the various common people as well as the adventurers— people who went to the dungeons.

Smells of roasting meat mixed with incense and sweat. Merchants shouted louder than my old coworkers during quarterly deadlines.

If I squinted, it almost felt like TimeSquare— just swap neon for glowing orbs and add some dwarves yelling about iron prices.

Since it was a magical place, despite the medieval charm, there were also various mystical things about them that added a magical charm to them.

'There were stalls with not humans but what seemed like different races— furry races, short gnomes, there were rare sightings of long-eared races loved by the masses in my previous world, and there were long bearded, muscular dwarves.'

I spotted a fox-headed vendor selling jewelry, a dwarf smith cursing at a hammer, and an elf with ears so long they could double as antennae.

'My inner otaku was screaming, but my outer face stayed calm. Professional. Mature. Totally not fangirling, hehe.'

Children darted between legs, merchants haggled so loudly I thought someone might stab someone over a tomato, and adventurers strutted past in mismatched armor like it was fashion week.

Their common clothes, some using magical lights and energy to attract their customers, items and techs that did not fit the 'medieval' vibe…

One stall literally had something that looked like a smartphone— except the guy waved his hand over it and a hologram of a cat popped out.

'Excuse me? Magical App Store??'

The integration of magic, magical technology, and different classes that one could guess from their attire or characteristics alone dominated this fantastic world.

'Wow…'

As I walked further into the city in the direction of the big tower present in the middle of the city, I saw various places and people.

'Now it really feels like a proper isekai.'

Reading was something I enjoyed so I at least had the basic knowledge about these places. I also read the black guide so I know what I shouldn't do in this place.

'Things would have been complicated if I had to learn the languages of this world, but thanks to the otherworlder title, I can comprehend pretty much all the languages of this world.'

I cannot write them yet, but since I can understand and read them, learning those things shouldn't be all that difficult.

But I didn't have to worry about all that. For now, I was going to the inn that Riddle recommended, an inn that's pretty close to the Adventurer association that I asked her about, as well as the tower dungeon that I'm looking at right now.

'It's amazing how these people made an entire city around a place as deadly as a dungeon. The creator must have had balls of steel.'

Still though, this place was far more amazing than what I had expected.

The technologies here were a combination of both the technology that we had back in my previous world in the old days as well as things that I'm seeing for the very first time right now.

'The integration of machines and magical skills.'

There were vendors selling pretty delicious looking things around here, shops that sold items with different useful functions, and there were also bigger shops that catered only to a select few individuals.

'Even this place had hierarchies.'

Since this was a kingdom without a central sovereignty, the nobles here come in flavors— dukes, counts, barons. Basically Europe, but with more magic and less plumbing.

It's the same as what we had in the old times, but I still don't know how they work exactly.

"Anyway, we can think about all that later." Standing before what seemed like a fantasy tavern, with the signboard outside shining with glowing words of [Traveler's inn], I ignored the crowd staring at me and walked right inside.

I was ready to be bombarded with the smell of old cheap booze, and stories of people who fight monsters much stronger than what I had faced until now on a daily basis.

But, a cozy, warm light first crashed into me, making me forget all the worries for a moment.

Standing right at the door, taking in the fresh smell of warm bread and meat stew, praying to the gods of this world for a functioning bathroom instead of a hole in the wall, and more… sadly, my fantasy was broken by something obvious and clichéd.

"Hey there~. Pretty lady~. Are you new here~?"

"That's a pretty one. Hello~."

"New stuff in town it seems, kekeke."

'Of course. Civilization's first gift to me: drunk creeps.'

I at least wish they have a bathtub… I might have to go find a hot-spring otherwise.