The protagonist, a young woman named Minai Itoi, has just secured her dream job as a designer's assistant after three years of working part-time in apparel sales. Her current job is at a clothing store in a busy station building, catering to customers in their twenties. While happy about her new career, she feels a pang of sadness leaving her supportive manager and the familiar environment. She cherishes the lessons learned from her manager, particularly the importance of considering the wearer's desires when designing clothes, a perspective that shifted her own design philosophy.
During her last shift, while preparing to leave, Minai is asked to retrieve a reserved pair of shoes from the stockroom. While climbing shelves to reach a box, her backpack snags, causing her to lose her balance and fall. Instead of hitting the floor of the stockroom, she finds herself in an unfamiliar, grassy wilderness. Confused and disoriented, she initially wonders if she's died or is experiencing a near-death hallucination. Deciding to explore, she walks through the field and encounters strange, semi-transparent, gel-like creatures that stick to her feet.
Just as she begins to panic, a young boy, Marius, appears and swiftly dispatches the creatures with a wooden stick. He identifies them as "slimes," a term Minai recognizes from games. Marius, who appears to be around sixteen, explains that they are in the country of "Lielkrohne." He reveals that people sometimes suddenly appear in this world through unknown magic. Marius is on his way to register as an adventurer, a profession involving monster subjugation and material gathering. He offers to accompany Minai, who is completely lost and has no destination other than a vague idea of finding the "River Styx."
They travel to the large city of "Ainssbach," where they encounter a gate with guards who demand a toll of ten "Maruka." Minai, having no local currency, is forced to borrow from Marius. Upon entering the city, they are struck by its fantastical appearance and the unusual attire of its inhabitants. They proceed to the Adventurer's Guild to register. During registration, Minai discovers she has a "magic sensitivity," though not enough to be a mage. Both she and Marius receive an "E" rank adventurer card, with their skills and blessings listed as "???".
Minai's Japanese currency is deemed valuable by the Guild's appraisal department, with a thousand-yen bill being worth a thousand Maruka. She opts to sell one bill immediately for immediate funds, while the rest are put up for auction. Marius, impressed by the value, helps her navigate the process. With the immediate funds, Minai repays Marius and they decide to find lodging at an inn called "Anzelma." The innkeeper offers them a discounted rate for adventurers, and they secure separate rooms.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, Minai expresses her desire to make clothes for Marius, whose attire is worn and in disrepair. Marius agrees, and they head back to the Adventurer's Guild to accept their first quests. Their initial tasks are simple: defeat ten slimes and collect ten sprigs of "Yomogi grass." Minai, armed with a wooden stick, successfully defeats slimes and collects the grass, which turns out to be common mugwort used for making low-grade potions. Marius, being more experienced, efficiently completes his share of the tasks. They learn that completing these initial quests will raise their rank from "E" to "D," allowing them to accept more standard requests. The chapter ends with them having completed their first quests and preparing for their next steps in this new world.
