—At least I wasn't killed by a monster or living on the street.
I turned my head to the side and lazily grabbed the only book I owned.
I took out the small pouch of coins and set it aside.
After work, keeping any form of entertainment was a problem. Most people went to the bar. I didn't.
At least there was no shortage of drinking water. There were wells all over the city and, for some reason, the water came out clear, with no sand or metallic taste.
That said, the beer… was terrible. I don't know what they did wrong, but it barely had any alcohol. To feel anything, you had to drink way too much, and it wasn't even worth it.
I bought the book from a merchant. Saying it cost me an arm and a leg would be an understatement.
Reading wasn't common here. It was something for nobles or for people lucky enough to find someone who knew how to read and was willing to teach.
—Someday I'll find a job as an accountant for a noble…
That was all I received when I arrived in this world: the ability to understand, read, and speak the language, along with my memories and knowledge.
To avoid losing them, I killed time solving equations in my head.
Paper was expensive. Too expensive.
At least I became good with numbers. Problems that would have made me sweat even with a calculator before, I could now solve mentally.
It took hours. But I could do it.
However, more advanced education, like arithmetic or algebra, was almost always reserved for merchant families or people with moderately important businesses. The positions were few and the demand wasn't high. Knowing numbers was of little use if you didn't have a surname or a reputation backing you up.
Despite what I knew, no one saw it that way. To this world, I was still just another laborer. No one would believe that a peasant could afford a "first-class" education, much less that he had something real to contribute.
[Trial stage completed]
[Initializing system (Roulette)]
—…EHHH…! HELL YES! —I tossed the book aside—. FINALLY, DAMN IT, FINALLY!
I jumped up from the bed and raised my arms.
My vision became strangely clear. In front of me appeared a bluish, transparent window. No matter where I looked, it stayed there.
A bar was slowly filling.
I was grinning like an idiot.
After spending eight months in this world, I had finally received my cheat ability.
[System initialized]
[Roulette spin available: 1]
[Start Spin]
—That's it? —I lowered my arms and frowned—. That's all?
It's…
Pretty…
Minimalistic…
—Not even a tutorial…
I stood still for a few seconds. Then I shook my head and looked back up at the window with a stupid smile.
—Doesn't matter. It's obvious what I have to do!
My finger moved almost by reflex and pressed the "start spin" button.
Instantly, a massive wheel appeared, with lights turning on and off rhythmically, accompanied by unnecessarily flashy music. In the center was a big red button that read: "Press Me!"
I stood still and observed it carefully.
Rank [F-] prize
Rank [F] prize
…
The roulette was divided like a pie. The prizes ranged from [F-] all the way up to [SSS+]. There was even a segment so small it was almost invisible, labeled [EX].
The higher the rank, the smaller the space it occupied.
A roulette wheel in all its glory.
—Mmm… well, I suppose I can at least get something around rank C, or even D. I don't think I'm that unlucky.
I was excited. I didn't hesitate anymore and pressed the button.
The wheel began to spin. The music grew more intense, accompanied by the rhythmic clicking sound as the marker passed over each section.
—Come on, give me something good. If you give me something good, I swear I'll forgive and forget everything I suffered these past months —I said half-jokingly, waiting for a response that never came.
My heart beat harder every time it passed over the higher ranks.
I was already imagining myself pulling an [EX] prize. Something like that had to be absurdly powerful.
—Isn't this taking a bit too long…?
Almost a minute had passed and the roulette was still spinning with no sign of stopping.
My excitement slowly faded.
…
It took longer than it should have… wait, it's slowing down.
—Come on, give me something good…
My heart raced as I saw it slowly approaching [EX].
—Almost… please, stop there and—
It didn't stop.
It went right past it. I felt a jolt of disappointment, but there was still hope.
I could still get something decent.
SSS+.
It kept going.
A-.
Nothing.
B.
Was it seriously still spinning?
—Uh… hey, you can stop now…
My pulse shot up. It was getting farther and farther away from the best prizes.
C+.
It still had momentum.
—That's enough, stop!
I leaned forward, driven by panic, and tried to stick my hand in, but an invisible barrier stopped me.
I had no choice but to watch.
C-
D+
D
D-
E+
E
—Now… now stop…
It was about to pass into E- when it finally stopped. I let out the breath I'd been holding.
Asking for something decent had been too optimistic. I'd set my expectations too high.
—Agh…
I sighed, completely disappointed.
The roulette vanished, and in its place, a book appeared. I stepped closer, curious.
—Wait… isn't this supposed to give abilities?
I raised my voice.
—System, give me an explanation.
I waited. Nothing.
—Status!
Silence.
—Damn… this is nothing like those web novels.
I cursed inwardly. It was clear I had to forget everything I thought I knew about reincarnations and their clichés. None of that applied to me.
—So what is this thing now…?
I picked up the book. It was of normal thickness, with a leather cover and golden letters on the front.
A window appeared in front of me.
The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Capitalist for Dummies! (Draft)
Rank: E
—What is this?