Chapter 37 - The Dog-Eared Girl and the Black Panther Girl
"Grrr..."
The next morning, in the inn's dining hall, was when Maira found out she'd been set up.
We were being split into groups for shopping. By a four-to-one majority vote, it was decided that Fam and I would be one group, and everyone else would be the other. The division was painfully obvious.
Incidentally, for some reason, I wasn't given a vote.
"Fam and Mizuki, that's so cruel! I want to go with Mash, too!"
That automatically made her enemies Cecily and Aira. It seemed that even though Aira was her younger sister, she wasn't counted as an ally. The darkness between sisters was palpable.
Speaking of which, Aira's skin had a certain glow to it today. Cecily, on the other hand, seemed a little down.
"Well, I mean, you can't really be alone with Mash in this city, can you?" Mizuki answered, grasping for an excuse.
"That's not true! I'm sure everyone would welcome us as a heartwarming, lovely couple. Right, Mash?"
"..." Being asked for my agreement just put me in a tough spot.
"...Huh? Right, Mash?"
Sorry, but an old guy like me probably wouldn't be welcomed. I'm self-aware enough for that.
"Maira, you should really think about your position in this city," Aira said.
"That's not fair! It's fine for big sister to have a boyfriend, just like you, Aira."
"Hah... What's so great about an old guy like this?"
At Aira's words, the gazes of Fam, Mizuki, and Cecily all focused on her. Aira fell silent and looked down. Maira, not understanding what had just happened, glanced around in confusion. Her eyes stopped on the mark on Aira's neck.
"Huh? Eh? Aira? No way... Why am I the only one..."
Maira's eyes filled with tears. I actually started to feel sorry for her.
"Maira, you're a virgin, right?" I asked in a low voice.
"Eh? ...Well, I don't have any, um, experience," Maira nodded.
"Then let's gather the townspeople in the arena for Maira's deflowering ceremony. From the elderly to the children, everyone should be delighted."
"Maira, this is where being a heartwarming, lovely couple leads," Mizuki added, wrapping things up.
"Mash, I have a favor to ask," Aira said to me.
"What is it?"
"I want you to save Reed. I want you to get him out of prison."
Aira bowed her head deeply.
Mizuki, Maira, and I exchanged glances. Fam lowered her gaze.
"Cecily, is this both of your opinions?" I asked Cecily, who looked uncomfortable.
"...I feel the same way. But I don't think it's right to ask you when Reed hasn't shown any intention of apologizing. So, no, it's not."
I nodded at Cecily's words.
"Aira, he is actually being protected by being in that cell. He is an enemy of the gods. Can you protect him?" Maira asked her sister.
"He can just leave the city. He can live quietly in a town far, far away."
Could that guy really live a life like that? Well, he was a noble, so it was probably possible for him to live hidden away deep inside some mansion.
"I have a condition."
As I spoke, Fam glared at me. Sorry, Fam. Just wait a second.
"I don't like the way that guy treats his slaves. I know I'm being soft, but don't treat people as disposable more than necessary. Aira, if you take responsibility for making him stop, I'll talk to Maira about arranging for his release through the church after we get to Migul."
"..." Aira seemed to be contemplating.
"I'll tell you this now, but even if you break your promise, Aira, I won't do anything to you."
Once Reed was released, he would undoubtedly go somewhere beyond Aira's reach. Once he returned to high society, there would be nothing she could do. So, I was making it impossible for her to plan on releasing him with the intention of breaking the promise from the start, only to receive some punishment as penance. If she broke her promise, Cecily would become her enemy. That should be what hurts her the most. On top of that, since this issue was likely to repeat itself, I was just going to dump the choice and the responsibility entirely on Aira. If she really liked the guy, I hoped she'd try her best.
"Master... if you trust Aira, then I will forget about him."
It seemed she had no intention of forgiving him. On this matter, I didn't trust Aira at all. But I trusted Cecily, so I was giving Aira the choice. It was all gut feeling, but that couldn't be helped. I couldn't say it here, so I'd have to tell the others later. Mizuki and Maira, too.
"Well, think it over by the time we reach Migul," I told Aira.
Street stalls were selling grilled corn on a stick, slathered in soy sauce. Fam and I dug in. The kernels were perfectly aligned. It was incredibly delicious. A transfer must have brought it over.
I bought some corn, soy sauce, and mirin and tossed them into my Storage. The fact that time doesn't pass for items inside makes Storage unbelievably convenient. You can even put cooked food in it. It's gotten smaller since I made partitions for Fam and the others, but I feel like I still have about as much space as a 31-foot container left.
If I just keep stuffing everything I can inside, it'll probably become a mess eventually, but for now, anything fits. Well, almost anything—living creatures are a no-go, apparently. Corpses are fine, though. Aren't the cells in raw meat still alive? Come to think of it, raw eggs went in just fine too. I don't understand the selection criteria.
Incidentally, the partitions for Fam and the others are about the size of 12-foot containers. That should be plenty.
I thought that instead of forming caravans, adventurers could just pack everything into their Storage and travel, and apparently, some people actually do that. Access is limited to certain individuals, making it inconvenient to get things in and out, but it's much easier than hauling things by carriage. There are risks, though. If an adventurer dies, the items in their Storage become unrecoverable. It seems the items don't vanish but can reappear in a treasure chest in some dungeon. The thought of Mizuki's panties showing up in the treasure chest of some dungeon's final floor after I die makes my heart pound.
However, it seems that surprisingly few people can become adventurers. I got this job through Racshell's power, but despite it being like a beginner's deluxe package, few can choose it as their first job. In many cases, you can't get it without experience in other professions. The conditions for obtaining jobs are apparently not well understood.
And even among those who manage to become adventurers, even fewer make a living as merchants. It's mostly done by those doing it on the side for quests or to earn a little extra cash.
"My inner thighs are a little sore from muscle pain. Mizuki said hers hurt too," Fam said.
"Don't tell me you two were with another man yesterday..."
"...Please don't compare me to you, Master. I, at least, am devoted! And you were with us this morning, weren't you?"
"Was I? Actually, my inner thighs are pretty sore too."
"N-No way, did Cecily and the others take you from behind?!"
Fam's face turned beet red. Realizing she had shouted, she quickly looked around to gauge the reactions of the people nearby.
"Hehe, maybe so," I chuckled suggestively.
"...It's from the horse riding yesterday, isn't it?"
Fam didn't sound convinced.
"We've bought everything we need, right?"
"Yes."
Fam nodded. We still had plenty of time.
"Is there anything you want, or anywhere you want to go or see?"
"I'd like a spare pair of arm covers."
"Won't you not need them anymore once we leave this city?"
If anything, I felt they were more likely to cause trouble by getting her mistaken for a slave.
"Hmph, I like them."
"Alright. Let's go buy some then."
"Okay. And after that, why don't we try crossing the bridge in the center of the city? And also, let's climb the bell tower again."
"Sounds good, let's go."
I started walking, letting Fam lead the way. She took my hand.
"Do we look like lovers?"
"More like father and daughter," I said. A young girl and an old guy.
"...I want to become an adult soon, too."
"You're better off not. It's really tough."
"Hmph, you're just being negative."
"N-No, honestly, the Fam you are right now is the absolute cutest. I want you to stay just as you are. Of course, I'm also looking forward to seeing the grown-up Fam."
Fam peered into my face. It was the truth. I wasn't lying.
After buying the spare arm covers, we walked for a bit and came to a road along the river.
On the other side of the river was a massive stone structure. It was the palace of House Rugul, the rulers of this city.
A covered corridor extended from the palace, crossing over the river.
"Is that it?"
The bridge was made of stone with a triple-arch base, and its upper portion had a two-story structure. The second floor was the long corridor extending from the palace, while the first floor was open for citizens to pass through.
It was probably about fifty meters long. It was enormous. I felt like I'd seen it somewhere before, but I couldn't recall where.
"That's incredible."
"I wonder if it will fall."
It did look unbalanced with such a large upper structure.
"See how the bottom is arched? That structure disperses the force and supports it. That's why it's sturdy. ...Probably."
Fam peered into my face. I did say probably. I wasn't confident.
We reached the bridge. It was packed with people.
The sides of the bridge were lined with stalls. The corridor above probably served as a roof against the rain. A prime spot for business.
Most of the people were customers at the stalls. We walked along, browsing the goods on display.
There were many shops dealing in metalwork and accessories.
"Actually, I'm very envious of the necklace Mizuki wears."
Was she asking for one? She has a little devilish side to her, doesn't she? As I grinned, Fam puffed out her cheeks.
"Right. Is a necklace okay for you too, Fam?"
A ring would probably get bent out of shape when she was gripping a weapon, and it didn't look like they sold earrings or piercings for the dog-eared race.
"Is it really okay? But I want a headband with the character for 'Sincerity' on it."
Fam pointed at a headband, her tail wagging furiously. Why was something that looked like a souvenir from Kyoto being sold in a place like this?
"...Let's stick with a necklace for today. If you're worried about money, half of what I have is yours, Fam. Don't hold back."
Regarding money, Fam and I shared ours, while Mizuki and the other members managed their own.
"Then please pay for it from the half that isn't mine."
"Mmm, very well."
Mizuki must have put her up to this.
I thought it would take a while, but Fam found a necklace she liked almost immediately.
It was a leather cord necklace with a teardrop-shaped crystal. The crystal was a light indigo color. Her taste was as consistent as ever.
"You can even enchant it with magic."
The seller was a dog-eared boy about Fam's age.
"Two gold coins."
For a little trinket from a stall, that was a pretty steep price. It was a shame I couldn't tell if it was genuine.
"...It's a little expensive."
Fam looked disappointed as she started to hand the necklace back to the clerk.
"Tch, for a fellow dog-ear... One gold coin."
The fact that the price was suddenly halved was extremely suspicious, but what mattered was that Fam liked it, so I decided to buy it.
Fam handed the necklace to me. With a triumphant look, she presented her head, so I put the necklace on her.
"Does it look good on me?"
"Yeah, you look incredibly cute," I nodded.
"Yay!"
The dog-eared boy was glaring at me the entire time.
We were climbing the stairs of the bell tower. A dim, narrow staircase continued endlessly upwards.
This was the memorable place where Fam had confessed her feelings to me. She probably wanted to visit one last time before we left. So did I.
Light was shining from above. We were almost at the observation deck.
There were two people already on the deck. One wore a black robe with a hood. The other was a beast-kin woman. Black, spiky ears peeked out from her short black hair, her skin was brown, and her eyes were silver. She also had a long, black tail.
"A cat-eared girl?"
"Nope. Black panther," the woman who called herself a black panther smirked. She wore a black tank top and khaki pants. Her muscles looked lithe and supple. A slave crest was carved into her arm.
"You're Mash, right?"
The hooded person spoke to me as well. They had their hood pulled down low, so I couldn't see their face, but it was a woman's voice.
"Tough luck. I'm Missh. You've got the wrong person."
"Then the girl next to you must be Heam. That's a little hard to say," the robed woman laughed.
"...Something like that."
I gave a noncommittal nod. I don't like being called out by strangers.
"I don't like this. My master is gracing you with her words, and you give a fake name."
As the black panther woman growled, Fam stepped between me and her.
"Oh, what's this? A dog-ear? You wanna go at it with me?"
She crossed her arms, and four-pronged claws extended from them. They looked cool. Fam responded by drawing her sword and taking a stance. I had to stop her.
"You, black panther girl. You know my real name, and you plan to fight me with a toy like that?"
"...Whatever you try to do, these claws will slice your throat faster."
The black panther's voice dropped an octave.
"I won't let you!"
Fam lowered her stance, ready to move at any moment.
"Hey, stop it. What are you going to do if he really summons the goddess? That man should have other special skills to kill you."
The robed woman stopped her.
"...Tch."
The claws retracted. They were still cool.
"Sorry about that. This one is incredibly short-tempered. She's always causing trouble."
"...Yeah," I nodded.
"We shouldn't disturb you two. Let's go down."
The robed woman said to the black panther girl. The two of them started down the stairs.
"Hey, haven't seen you around. Are you staying at the Asuka Inn? I'll buy you a drink tonight."
"Hehe, are you trying to hit on me? Unfortunately, I'm in this city for a quest from a certain noble. I'm staying at their mansion."
The two of them left.
"Well, the romantic mood is completely gone now."
"Master, the woman in the robe was..."
"She's either a transfer or knows one."
She knew about the existence of multiple special skill users.
I couldn't tell if their intentions were hostile, but the short-fused black panther girl seemed like trouble. She looked like she had high physical abilities and would be a strong fighter. As for the robed woman, just as I have Mizuki, she probably has a partner. I wanted to investigate, but if I was discovered and it was seen as a hostile act, we'd become full-fledged enemies. In the end, there was nothing I could do from my end. It was frustrating.
In the end, standing out was my biggest mistake.
"Master..."
"Hm?"
"I thought I couldn't win. I'm still shaking. I was protected by you again. I want to become stronger. I want the strength to protect you, Master."
I have a feeling this was the first time Fam had ever had killing intent directed at her personally.
"You're plenty strong, Fam. You're being too hasty. Let's keep doing this together."
The day I bought Fam from the slave trader, the day I kissed her here—it all feels like a distant memory, but it was just the other day. I just wish she wouldn't rush. Besides, she can acquire special skills too. But Fam didn't nod. She was holding back tears.
"...May I hug you?"
"Yeah. I want to hug you too, Fam."
I pulled Fam into an embrace. Her body was so small. She was still just a girl.
Fam cried in my arms.
I want to become strong enough so that she never has to cry.
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, I'm truly grateful. It's a great encouragement. I'll do my best. The typo corrections are a great help. Thank you.