- #1
This novel is very different from most of the novels on this website in terms of theme, execution and quality. To put it bluntly - it's better than the vast majority of the content here and I feel that this is something of a problem since many people will read it and get instantly put off that Loren isn't your typical overpowered isekai harem protaganist and if you're looking for that or other things such as 'game systems' or 'slow life' or what not, then yeah this novel is not one you are probably going to like.That being said, if you're looking for a well executed swords and sorcery novel in a slightly grimdark setting, then you should probably check out the adventures of Loren and Lapiz as they constantly take simple jobs that end up in complete disaster.Loren is as the title says, an ex-mercenary, who is trying to become a newbie adventurer. He doesn't really know much of the world asides from warfare and it shows in his actions and his personality. This leads to an interesting dynamic with his partner, Lapiz, who is a demon-kin (incognito) and priestess of the God of Knowledge who is on her own journey to explore the world and allows for the author to do some world building as typically Lapiz will be explaining something to Loren (and the readers) whenever the situation calls for it.The writing here is very crisp - there is almost no filler and very few incidents are given any ink if they don't matter for sake of the future plot. The situations can range from somewhat silly, to extremely grim and mixed with dark gallows humor and there are a few reoccurring jokes to lighten things up.Loren himself, as the MC, is a decent enough fellow - he tries to follow the law and he doesn't hold grudges easily, but he's also not naive at all and wise enough to not be taken advantage of, or to acknowledge when people could betray him or trap him. He is, after all, a seasoned mercenary who has been hardened on the battlefields.This kind of leads me to my next point - some people really seem to misunderstand the relationship between him and Lapiz. They tend to focus on the fact that Lapiz is using the 'debt' Loren accumulates to force him to travel with her as if it's incredibly underhanded, but nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, the material aid that she gives Loren is worth a small kingdom and she charges him a comparatively tiny debt. To put it into perspective, it'd be like someone selling you hollywood mansion for the price of a shack in the sticks. After all, the money is not the point - it's just a pretext. Lapiz has taken a liking to Loren almost from the start and she understands his mercenary mindset. The debt is just a thin pretense to give them an excuse to associate and even Loren recognizes this and doesn't complain.All in all I would say that this is an excellent novel. I really like the characters and the world building and the narration. There is hardly anything here to complain about and I hope the rest of this gets translated in quick order.