NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Marie
Chapter 12: Marie
The next morning, I eat a little of the chocolate I brought. It seems there’s no habit of eating breakfast here. I wish I could have some warm coffee… After that, I quickly get ready and leave the room. By the way, this inn, despite charging a considerable amount, has a decent lobby. The ceiling isn’t high, but it faces a courtyard, making it very bright. There are many luxurious furnishings laid out, making it quite luxurious. There are no sofas, but there are several wooden benches and table sets. Surprisingly, there are quite a few people gathering, discussing today’s plans and such. It seems that non-guests also use it for meetings. The guests seem to be mostly wealthy merchants and mercenaries with some financial leeway.
However, among them, there was a woman who stood out overwhelmingly. She had flashy orange short bob hair, of medium build. Her cat-like large eyes are also orange. She wears worn leather armor and has two thin swords at her waist. Standing near a sunny window, she gazes out with good posture. While what she wears seems worn, there’s no disarray, and it’s overall finely crafted. It’s clearly high quality. She’s well-tanned and seems to have no makeup on, yet she has a perfectly doll-like face, giving a cold impression. With numerous small scratches on her armor, a highly practical sword, and impeccable demeanor, there’s a faint sense of violence. Just by standing there, you can feel her high physical abilities. With her exquisite balance, she seems capable of transitioning into any attack posture at any moment. Combined with her attractive appearance, she exudes a dominating presence that seems to control the space. It doesn’t feel like she interacts with people much. Despite not being particularly large, it feels like you’re watching a wild carnivorous animal. As I absentmindedly observe, the woman suddenly turns towards me, and our eyes meet firmly.
“G-Good morning.”
Oh no, I’ve been staring at her. Unable to evade, I instinctively greet her.
“Is that… a little demon you’re accompanying?”
“Yeah.”
“Gyaa!”
“Somehow… it’s a very unusual little demon.”
I thought she was going to start something, but it seems she was just intrigued by Kuro’s unusualness. She’s probably a mercenary. And quite a skilled one at that. She’s different from the thugs from yesterday. Thinking ahead, I’d like to build a good relationship with such a capable mercenary.
“This is Kuro, the little demon. He’s a cheerful and fun guy. By the way, I’m Bonus. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Marie… What’s inside that pocket?”
She talks like she’s always on the offensive, so I might get caught up in her pace. By the way, Pink isn’t poking its head out of the pocket. I don’t think it moved much… Why did she notice? I don’t want to expose Pink in a crowded place. But in this situation, pretending not to notice and making her feel uncomfortable would be bad… There’s no choice but to take Pink out of the pocket and show her.
“This is Pink, the lizard. He’s my partner.”
“Oh? I’ve never seen this species before… How cute.”
Pink strikes a pose with a twitching motion. That’s it! Keep it up! Even though it’s been lazy lately… You can do it!
“I’m actually planning to start a business and came to this city from the countryside.”
“Oh~”
I need a little more push…
…Should I bring out my trump card?
“I actually have a somewhat unusual product, but I’m not confident it will be well received in this area… I’m a little worried, so… if you don’t mind, could you taste the prototype?”
“I’m not particularly picky about food. I don’t think I’ll be much help.”
Her reaction is worse than I thought. She doesn’t seem wary, just inconvenienced. I’ll push a little more, and if it seems impossible, I’ll give up early to avoid being disliked.
“It’s not really a meal… It’s a snack, but… I thought you might enjoy it…”
“I’ll try it!”
She leaned in with some eagerness.
Her gaze is intense.
I thought she wasn’t particular about food?
With her attractive face, she seems even more intimidating.
I take out a wooden box from my bag and open it.
Inside are several pieces of crushed black chocolate.
Marie looks at it with a puzzled expression.
“This is a snack called chocolate. It’s a prototype, so it doesn’t look very good, but it’s a snack to enjoy the contrast between sweetness and bitterness and the aroma. Try one.”
With that, she casually picks up a piece and tosses it into her mouth. Pink also claps its hands, so I drop the smallest piece into Pink’s mouth as well. I’ve gotten quite used to making it, so it’s much better than it was initially. Especially since Kuro started helping, we’ve been able to put more effort into it, and the texture has become smoother and more enjoyable.
Marie, who had been observing us, delicately picks up the chocolate and stares at it intently. Then, with a bit of caution, she slowly puts it on her tongue. She chews slowly, momentarily stopping her movements, and her eyes widen. When a beautiful woman widens her eyes like that, it’s a bit intimidating. I know it’s absurd, but I can’t help but feel anxious that she might draw a thin sword from her waist and attack at any moment. After a while, her mouth starts moving again, and a melting smile gradually appears on her doll-like face. Then she closes her eyes and savors it slowly.
“This is… amazing. I want to buy up all you have right now.”
As she slowly opens her eyes, in the next moment, she leans in so close that I think our heads might touch, and she says it without waiting for a response. Her movement speed is inhuman, and it feels like I’ve just been hit by some special technique. However, this is an excellent opportunity. I need to give a proper sales pitch.
“Oh! That’s great to hear. I wonder if the people in Savoia would like it too?”
“Of all the things I’ve eaten, this is the most delicious. There’s no way they wouldn’t accept this. In fact, I’ll buy all you have.”
“Haha, I’m glad to hear that. If you want what I have now, I’m willing to sell it. But… I just arrived in this town yesterday, and I’m not sure about the market prices… So maybe I should have Marie set the price. What do you think?”
“Okay. How about 60,000 reis?”
She quickly sets the price without hesitation. Her decision is so fast that I can’t read any thoughts behind it. But still, 60,000… seems too high.
“No, no, no. That’s too much to ask! Since it’s a prototype, 40,000 reis with the wooden box should be enough.”
“Alright, that settles it then.”
As soon as she says that, she quickly hands me four 10,000 reis coins, and there’s a wooden box in her hand. What kind of magic trick is this?
“If you leave it in a hot place, it’ll melt, so when you store it, put it in the wooden box and then wrap it in cloth and keep it in a cool place.”
“I understand. I really, really liked this. If you decide to sell it officially, could you contact the Mercenary Dispatch Office?”
“So you really are a mercenary. Then I’ll definitely contact you once I open my shop. If I ask them to leave a message at the Dispatch Office, will they handle it?”
“Yes, if you say it’s for Marie Boaro, they should handle it.”
“Got it. I’ll be sure to contact you when I open my shop.”
“Please do. Well then, it was delicious.”
With that, she carefully puts the wooden box back in her bag and leaves the inn gracefully. As expected, the chocolate worked wonders. Well, there’s probably a significantly low amount of sugar in circulation. Having Marie as a regular customer would have various benefits for business. With her appearance and the power I can feel even as an amateur, she’s undoubtedly a powerful mercenary, even among the Savoians. However, she stood out too much. I feel like every customer in the lobby was looking at us. Well, opportunities like this don’t come often, so I can’t help it this time. Satisfied with the power of chocolate, I leave the inn. Now, let’s explore the town as planned.