The story begins with Hajime Okita, a 26-year-old man, being unceremoniously fired from his job. After four years of enduring unreasonable demands and verbal abuse from his boss, Hajime is suddenly dismissed, with his boss insisting it be a voluntary resignation to avoid trouble. Facing unemployment and with limited savings, Hajime drowns his sorrows in alcohol.
The next morning, Hajime wakes up with no memory of the previous night, only to discover a television commercial for adventurers. This sparks an idea: in a world that changed 30 years prior with the appearance of "Gates" connecting to other planets filled with magic, resources, and people, adventurers are licensed individuals who explore these new worlds, known as the "Frontier." This career path appeals to Hajime as it offers the potential for wealth and a way to avoid difficult human interactions. He recalls his father teaching him swordsmanship until he was 18, and despite an eight-year hiatus, he believes he can become an adventurer.
To become an adventurer, Hajime must undergo a training course, which he promptly enrolls in, paying a hefty fee. After completing the course, he heads to the Adventurer's Guild in Ikebukuro. There, he encounters Kaede Asakura, a young woman working at the reception. To his surprise, Kaede recognizes him as "Okita-senpai" from his university days, though Hajime struggles to recall her. After a brief, awkward reunion, Kaede processes his adventurer application. She explains the rules of the Frontier, including the self-responsibility for any dangers and the requirement to submit all acquired items to the Guild.
Hajime then proceeds to the Gate, choosing the beginner-friendly "Eden's Forest." Upon entering the Frontier, he immediately notices an increase in his physical abilities due to the world's magic. He receives his Status Card, revealing his Level 1, Job: Swordsman, and Skills: "Swordsmanship Lv5" and a starred skill, "Alchemy." He is puzzled by the Alchemy skill, as he has no prior knowledge of it. He discovers that Alchemy allows him to create new items from materials, with recipes increasing as his skill level rises. His initial recipes include a healing potion, a gender-swap potion, a sleeping potion, and pure water.
His first attempt at crafting involves making pure water, which he can't visually confirm. He then tries to make a healing potion using pure water and a herb he finds, but the resulting potion is in a flask, not a cup. He researches healing potions online and is astonished to find they sell for 500,000 yen, far exceeding his current savings. He also researches the gender-swap and sleeping potions, noting their potentially problematic uses and ingredients. He decides to focus on earning money by defeating monsters.
His initial foray into Eden's Forest is short-lived. He easily defeats a slime and a goblin, but realizes he forgot to bring a bag for his loot and water. He returns to the Guild, where Kaede playfully teases him about his lack of preparation. He sells the slime's herb and the goblin's knife for a meager 300 yen, resulting in a net loss after the map and compass purchases. Kaede also informs him that the price of healing potions fluctuates, and the current rate is 600,000 yen per potion.
Hajime then decides to use his Alchemy skill to create potions. He successfully makes a healing potion, a gender-swap potion, and a sleeping potion. He tests the gender-swap potion on himself, transforming into a beautiful woman with long blonde hair. He also discovers that the sleeping potion is incredibly potent. He realizes he can use his female form as a disguise to sell potions without suspicion, especially since his original identity is linked to his low savings.
He then creates more healing potions and a gender-swap potion, intending to sell the potions and use the money to fund his new life. He also learns that his status card is linked to his adventurer registration, and he needs an authentication number to sell items. Since his original identity's card is linked to his real name, he decides to register as a new adventurer, "Eleanor Ocean," using his female form. He obtains a new status card as Eleanor, which also shows Level 3 Swordsman and Alchemy.
He returns to the Guild as Eleanor to sell five healing potions, which are bought for a total of 3,000,000 yen. He is then informed he needs an authentication number, which he doesn't have for Eleanor. He quickly registers as Eleanor at the Guild, obtaining the necessary authentication number. He then heads back to Eden's Forest, this time with a proper bag and a 500,000 yen sword. He hunts more monsters, leveling up to Level 3 and unlocking new Alchemy recipes, including an "Item Bag" and a "Translation Potion." He also discovers that his potions can be made in lighter, unbreakable plastic flasks.
He returns to the Guild again as Eleanor, selling his loot for 3,540,000 yen. Kaede, his receptionist, becomes increasingly suspicious of Eleanor's rapid success and unusual circumstances, particularly the existence of two status cards and the large quantity of potions. She suspects Eleanor is actually Hajime in disguise. Meanwhile, Hajime, now financially secure, plans to continue his adventurer career and enjoy his newfound wealth.
