NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
The next day, after negotiating with Saioji at my acquaintance’s bar, her actions were swift.
“Captain, are you serious?”
“Yeah, I trust this person.”
Early in the morning at the lobby of a high-end inn in Elacton, where the “Akatsuki Brigade” led by Saioji was staying, Saioji introduced me to her team members.
“This guy! The weird man from yesterday!!!”
It was a place filled with women, almost as if it was a garden for them. The air seemed to carry a sweet scent, but in reality, it was a group of women in pajamas, looking sleepy. One of them, the red-haired woman I met in front of the restaurant yesterday, pointed at me with a surprised expression.
“Though I respect the captain’s opinion, are you sure? He’s a man, you know?”
Saioji seemed to be bringing me on not just as a merchant but also as a member. This caused some confusion among the original members of the team, simply because I was a man.
“Even so, I’m thinking of having him handle our supplies. Aina, can I leave the new member training to you?”
“Ehhhhh!!!”
…It seemed my direct supervisor would be the red-haired woman who was clearly hostile towards me.
The next day, still tentatively part of the Akatsuki Brigade, I donned a black suit-like outfit and went with the visibly displeased red-haired woman, Aina, to procure supplies.
“…How did you manage to catch the captain’s interest? I’ve never seen her so lively.”
The Akatsuki Brigade, being a large group of over 30 members, required substantial food and supplies. We had three wagons and six horses to pull them.
Since no single merchant in Elacton could provide all the necessary supplies, we had to gather them bit by bit from various merchants. The person responsible for this task, and currently muttering complaints in front of me, was Aina.
“I put in a lot of effort. I didn’t expect to be inducted into the brigade, though.”
“…Unheard of. A man joining the Akatsuki Brigade.”
Aina, while muttering to herself, checked each item in the warehouse. The warehouse was stacked with a large amount of supplies she had ordered.
From the inventory list given to me, it seemed the supplies were almost complete, and we were ready to leave Elacton as soon as the captain gave the signal.
“…Well, it’s fine. We needed more hands, and you can read and do calculations, which is good enough.”
“…I see.”
Aina’s expression as she marked the checklist was one of weariness from all the hard work.
In this world, there are fewer people than you might think who can read and do calculations. Even city merchants can only manage basic arithmetic, and literacy rates might not even reach 30%.
Thus, someone who could order and manage a large amount of supplies, apart from the captain, Saioji, was rare, leaving Aina as the only other person.
“I’ll check the inventory in the warehouse, so you go out and buy the rest. If you mention the brigade’s name, merchants won’t try to overcharge you.”
There were still many unchecked items in the warehouse. People in this world tend to be quite lax, so if you don’t check properly, the quantities might not match.
Thus, we decided to divide the tasks, with me, as the new member familiar with the city, going out to buy the remaining supplies.
“Allen, how did you manage to get into the Black Princess’s team?”
Walking through Elacton’s east main street under the scorching sun, I bought supplies smoothly despite my inexperience as a merchant. I paid the designated amount and received receipts for the stores to deliver the goods to the warehouse later.
However, I was bombarded with questions from acquaintances.
“Just a bit of luck, really.”
“No way! The Akatsuki Brigade even rejects S-class adventurers just because they’re men!”
Sticking to me like glue was Greu, a guard who was supposed to be on duty.
I’d like to ask about his job, but having him around meant others wouldn’t bother me. So, I half-listened to him while walking.
His metal armor clanked annoyingly with each step, but without him, it would be noisier with other people. So, I tolerated it.
Word had already spread in Elacton by noon about a man joining the Akatsuki Brigade. Acquaintances and self-proclaimed acquaintances kept asking how I got in.
It was more of a hassle than I had anticipated.
(What a nuisance…)
Initially, I planned to be a merchant supported by Saioji’s Akatsuki Brigade, selling various goods.
With her fame, I could do business with nobles without complaints. I imagined wide-ranging trades.
However, the women’s fashion magazine and popular manga I gave her were so well-received that I ended up joining their men-only adventure team.
As a result, I was now being interrogated by friends and strangers alike about how I joined the Akatsuki Brigade.