Book 4 - 4-3. Miscellaneous Matters and Flags

4-3. Miscellaneous Matters and Flags

Satou's here. Do you feel like you're dancing at someone's palm?

I feel like Son Goku from Saiyuki...

◇

"What's the matter? Master, your back is slouching you know~?"

My thought which has been going in circle stopped, Arisa is standing carrying large luggages.

"Your tummy hurt~?"

"Hurt no desu?"

I turn my line of sight to the direction where my robe is pulled, there Pochi and Tama are looking worryingly while crouching near my feet.

Liza calmly stands, but her worries are transmitted here.

"I'm okay, I was just tired after being so busy for the past two days."

I pat Pochi's and Tama's heads.

I'm really disqualified as an adult for worrying these girls. Just by thinking so, the guilt and fear that had been weighting on my mind just before disappear like fallen tides.

...I check the Log just in case any message pops up but there's none.

I really should talk with Arisa tonight. I whispered to Arisa, "Tonight, after Lulu is sleeping, spare some of your time", but, "Eh~ aren't you falling too fast?", an answers full of misunderstanding comes out. I will take that as an OK for now.

When I ask for the result of the shopping, Pochi and Tama happily begin to take out clothes from the bag, I stop them. It has been decided to check them after we get back to the inn.

Liza apologizes for spending too much, but I tell her that it's necessary expenses, so don't think about it.

Even with current pace of spending money, counting only the Shiga Kingdom's currency I have, it'll take 2-3 years before it's dried up, so there's nothing to worry.

On the way back to the inn, I'm listening to Arisa and the girls' experience in shopping. Pochi and Tama talk about their first time shopping in glee from beginning to the end, they're telling me how fun it was.

I suggested Liza to let me carry half of the luggages and Lulu's clothes, but she gently refused.

◇

Just before the inn, I'm seeing a familiar back. She's walking a bit unsteady.

Martha-chan and the helper girl from the inn are carrying a bunch of firewoods.

"Martha-chan, are you returning from errands?"

"Ah, Satou-san. Is the date over already?"

"Unfortunately, Zena-san had works in the afternoon."

While we're talking, I take some of the firewoods from Marth-chan and the girl. It may be their errands but our destination is the same. It's fine to take it by half.

Liza tries to take it, but I refuse because both her hands are occupied. Pochi and Tama are saying "Give here~" too, but there is no point taking it from little girls just to give it to another little girls, so they give up.

It's not really heavy, although it's at least 2-3 kilos. It's unreasonable for two young girls to carry two bundles of this each. They usually have it delivered but, it seems that today the amount is not enough for training so they went to purchase it.

We enter the courtyard from the back door near the stable. I put the firewood bundles on its place.

>[Carriage Skill Acquired]

"Thank you~ Satou-san. Thanks to you, we're saved~"

"Thank you very much, guest-san."

"Don't worry about it."

Martha-chan goes to the kitchen with one bundle of firewood. The helper girl, her name is Yuni. I decided to observe Yuni who's going to take care horses of other guest.

I know that there are horses from yesterday, but I've never seen how horses are taken care, so I'm interested. This is not at all an escape.

Yuni is standing on top of a stool, and doing her best to make her small body reach the horses to brush them. I offered to help, but she said that she would get scolded by the innlady if she let a guest helps her.

After hiding their luggages on the space below the straws, Pochi and Tama come back. Pochi and Tama start helping Yuni. Liza tells me that they've helped in the night and morning too. Is it okay to get the help if it's Pochi and the girls?

Seeing the three little girls doing their best to care for the horse, I feel like a parent who came to an athletic meet to cheer for his children, I'm healed.

The little girls become 4 before I knew it, but Arisa doesn't look like she's motivated.

"Since the clothes which I've just bought will be dirty~" so she says while showing town-girl-like clothes under her mantle.

"Liza, I'm going to the temporary military post to get the spear and magic core money, do you want to come along?"

"Yes, I will accompany master."

"Me too! I'm going too!"

Pochi and Tama stop helping and run here.

"You going somewhere~?", "You go nodesu?", saying as they're coming, but since we would likely become an annoyance if we all go, I tell them to continue helping.

"Ay!","Nano desu~", and so they go back to work while carrying the horse's fodders. I wonder why they look mysteriously happy?

◇

"How is Lulu's condition?"

"She seems to be alright. I've given her change of clothes and underwear, so if you go now you could get to see lucky lewd scenes you know~?"

I knock on Arisa's head for saying stupid things. Are you really half sister of that girl?

"Let's stop for a bit~."

I declared that and go to the Worker Guild.

"Hello Nadi-san."

"Ara, welcome Satou-san. You're together with a cute girl today."

As we entered, Nadi-san greeted courteously from the other side of the counter. There's also an old man, which seems to be the shopkeeper, but he always sleep whenever I come. Does he even work?

I talk to Nadi-san for a request to deliver mementos of the deceased.

Rather than a suspicious guy like me, this town's person like Nadi-san would be better to deliver them. By the way, I tried asking the officials at the temporary military post but I was flat out rejected. Because I conveyed the deceased name and rough figures, she should be able to contact the bereaved families.

"Do you also want me to collect the remuneration on your behalf?"

"Come again? What remuneration?"

After conveying the information about the deceased to Nadi-san who willingly undertake the delivery, I hear some strange things.

It seems that she wanted to know if she's also to act as an agent for receiving the rewards for delivering mementos. I'm just being a busybody so I don't really need rewards...

"Then how about only receive the reward if the family is rich? People like those will get suspicious you're aiming for something if you deliver the mementos without asking rewards."

So it become like that. It was decided to give the worker guild the maximum limit of the fee.

"Nadi-san, I have another matter to ask..."

Since I intend to buy or rent a house, I ask for the market price. In the end, I didn't ask for the intermediation though, and it's not because I can't afford it.

Nadi-san says, "There are a lot of people who dislike living in neighborhood with demi-human, of course this applies in the inner wall, but even in the west district, I don't think anyone would sell you a house. You could find it in the east street if you look for it, but since the public order is bad, if a prosperous person like Satou-san comes to live in, then thieves would attack you on the next day without a doubt.", so I was informed.

◇

"Please sign this transaction document. The expense for appraising the spear has been deducted from the paid amount. The spear's safety has been verified so you can bring it to the town, but please take care as not to give demi-human the weapon."

I sign the document presented by the official, and receive the spear back. I wrap the spear with cloth I brought.

The price of the magic cores is 17 silver coins. The appraisal fee is 2 silver coins, I wonder if that's a proper amount?　Honestly, I think you can live just being an appraiser.

Just by going to the labyrinth with 4 of us in a day, we earned 6 Arisa... Wait, that unit is funny. It wouldn't be able to afford skill holder or knowledgeable slaves but if it's for labor slaves then it's plentiful.

If I distribute it for 4 then with our current living expense, it's enough for half a month...

"Eh~ Labyrinth is quite profitable~."

"You're risking your life though."

Arisa who was quiet inside the temporary military post began to cheerfully talk as soon as we got out. Her eyes is literally shining.

"Hey, Master, can you listen to me? Do you want to settle down in this town?"

"No, I don't have such intention."

Since we'll be obstructing people on the entrance, we're talking while continue walking.

"But, but, weren't you going to buy a house just a while ago?"

"I don't want to keep Liza and the girls stay in the barn so I was thinking of buying one but it seems to be impossible~"

Liza was going to say something but lost the moment to Arisa's vigor.

"The lover-san earlier is your local wife?"

"Don't say that unpleasant words Though I do want to get closer, she's not my lover. We've met only 3 days ago you know?"

.

"Then~ I want to go to labyrinth city!"

Arisa declares while raising her hands and posturing with her entire body that it almost feel like she's letting out SFX.

Labyrinth again.

"Labyrinth city that mean there's a labyrinth there isn't it? Don't you feel repulsed to it?"

"Uuun, certainly unpleasant memories feel like they're going to resurface but more importantly! I want to raise my level!"

This isn't a game.

No, precisely because this is not a game that she'd want to level up.

"What do you want to do after you level up?"

"It's going to be demon lord season soon, so I want to level up in order to survive! While I'm at it, I want to raise magic skill that could be used to solve the Geass too."

Demon lord season, they're not cabbages and eggplants you know...

Since it was such a ridiculous phrase, I carelessly pay no attention to it.