The protagonist, Yoshitatsu Tajika, a thirty-year-old man from another world, continues his life in this new land, working as a bounty hunter to earn money. He lives at a modest inn run by Sylvia and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Lili. Yoshitatsu struggles with his morning meals, particularly disliking a white asparagus-like ingredient he suspects doesn't agree with him, much to Lili's exasperation. Sylvia, the innkeeper, is more understanding of Yoshitatsu's need to work and his occasional absences, but Lili is more strict, threatening to kick him out if he doesn't pay his rent.
Yoshitatsu's primary skill is "Kanpa" (Perception), which allows him to see information about people, including their names, ages, skills, and criminal records. He uses this to identify and hunt down bounty targets. His current target is Gain, a thirty-five-year-old man with a history of five murders and thievery, carrying a bounty of two gold coins. Yoshitatsu tracks Gain through the rain-soaked streets, using a custom-made short-bow gun. He manages to hit Gain with a paralyzing poison arrow, but Gain pursues him. Yoshitatsu leads him towards a river, intending to escape, but Gain is caught by the poison before he can reach it. Yoshitatsu approaches the incapacitated Gain, who is still filled with murderous intent, and ultimately kills him by slitting his throat.
He then reports the kill to the Knights, specifically to Gilliam, who is somewhat accustomed to Yoshitatsu's presence. Gilliam uses an "Appraisal Board" with "Record Stones" to verify the kill, confirming Gain's murder count. Yoshitatsu receives one of the Record Stones, which contains information about the target and their crimes, and is warned by Gilliam to be careful about mistaken identity, as bounty hunters who become targets themselves are not uncommon. Yoshitatsu cashes in the bounty for four gold coins at the Bounty Hunter's Guild. He checks his own status, noting his skills (Kanpa, Tansa (Investigation), Shageki (Shooting)) and a "Point" value that increases with each kill, currently at 120. He visits an old temple to pray, a ritual he performs after each kill, hoping to alleviate his guilt and perhaps reduce his points.
At the temple, he meets Molly, a twenty-year-old nun with healing and other skills, who helps him when his legs go numb from sitting too long. Molly is intrigued by his prayer posture, which is unfamiliar to her.
Back at the inn, Lili is waiting for him, initially appearing angry but then showing concern for his injuries from a training session. Yoshitatsu is attending training sessions at the Adventurer's Guild, taught by Katia, a skilled swordswoman. He has a deal with Katia: he will train with her until he acquires close-combat skills, and she will provide him with financial assistance. He is also training to become an adventurer, a profession that offers higher income potential than bounty hunting. He learns that skills are acquired through dedicated practice and a strong desire, and that his own skills are a mystery to him, especially the "Point" system.
Yoshitatsu's goal is to become an adventurer, which involves acquiring better equipment, securing a base, and eventually forming a party. He realizes that parties are often formed with slaves to avoid disputes over reward distribution, as slaves do not require payment. He decides to purchase a slave as a test subject to learn about their role and integration into society. He visits a slave merchant and, after some deliberation, purchases Bella, a twenty-year-old woman with no skills and a history of being a slave, for seven gold coins. He learns about the different types of slaves: compensation slaves (for debt), prisoner slaves (from war), and lifelong slaves (for severe crimes). He also learns about the "Loyalty's Proof" collar, which physically prevents slaves from harming their masters or escaping.
Yoshitatsu begins to train Bella, but she is fearful and uncommunicative. He also encounters two aspiring adventurers, Chrysalis (swordswoman) and Fifiya (magic-user), whom he helps navigate the city. He is particularly interested in Fifiya's magic skill, which he believes to be rare. He warns them about the dangers of revealing their skills and the potential for exploitation.
Later, Yoshitatsu goes into the forest to collect paralyzing poison for his arrows. He encounters Chrysalis and Fifiya hunting monsters. He witnesses their effective teamwork, with Fifiya's magic and Chrysalis's swordsmanship, and observes the process of harvesting monster parts and "Spirit Pebbles" for alchemy. He is nearly discovered by a powerful, high-level monster with a "Tansa" (Investigation) skill similar to his own, but manages to evade it. He realizes that his own "Kanpa" skill might be a form of "Inpei" (Concealment), which helped him escape.
Upon returning to the city, Yoshitatsu informs Katia about the high-level monster, and she promises to spread the word discreetly. He decides to officially register as an adventurer. Katia tests him, and he realizes that while he hasn't necessarily become stronger in terms of raw power, his ability to assess opponents has improved. He celebrates his adventurer registration with Katia, Chrysalis, Fifiya, Sylvia, and Lili.
Yoshitatsu's next goal is to form a party, and he decides to purchase slaves. He learns that wild "Shell Lizards," which are usually timid and difficult to hunt due to their keen senses, are not typically hunted by adventurers. He successfully hunts one using his "Inpei" skill and presents it to Sylvia, who is delighted and plans to cook it. He also learns that his "Kanpa" skill has leveled up, and he has acquired "Inpei" and "Kenjutsu" (Swordsmanship) skills, but his "Point" value has decreased significantly. He realizes that acquiring skills might come at a cost, and the decrease in points is a disturbing development. He spends three days confined to his room, contemplating his situation and the nature of skills and points. He eventually ventures out and, after a successful hunt of a Shell Lizard, realizes the potential of his skills and the need to carefully manage his resources and goals. He also realizes that his "Kanpa" skill might have been the reason he evaded the powerful monster.
He decides to pursue his goal of forming a party with slaves, but first needs to acquire better equipment. He purchases basic adventurer gear. His first solo hunt is a Shell Lizard, which he easily defeats using his "Inpei" skill. He brings it back to Sylvia, who is thrilled and plans to cook it. However, his hunting of a common monster is met with some ridicule from other adventurers, though Katia and some others seem suspicious of his methods.
During a celebratory dinner for his adventurer registration, Yoshitatsu proposes the idea of a "Food Material Hunter" who would hunt monsters for their meat to create a monster cuisine restaurant, potentially boosting the town's economy. Sylvia and Lili agree to the venture. Later, during a drinking session, Chrysalis confronts Yoshitatsu about his earlier claim of having a "trump card" during their forest encounter, realizing he had lied. She, along with Fifiya, expresses their frustration at being underestimated due to their gender and age. The night ends with Chrysalis kissing Yoshitatsu and passing out, while Fifiya also kisses him before leaving.
Yoshitatsu continues to hunt in the plains, as the forest is deemed too dangerous due to the presence of a high-level monster. He learns that monsters have a tendency to kill each other, which is why the guild is hesitant to intervene in their natural habitats. He visits a slave merchant and learns about the different types of slaves and their legal protections. He decides to purchase a "compensation slave" as a test subject to learn about their role and integration. He buys Bella, a twenty-year-old woman with no skills, for seven gold coins. He learns that slaves cannot acquire new skills and that Bella's "Antiskill" is likely a divine intervention to prevent this. He plans to use Bella for a month to learn about slavery before potentially returning her and finding more suitable party members. He also realizes that his "Kanpa" skill might have been the reason he evaded the powerful monster.
