NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Walking in the City (Part 1)
Chapter 32: Walking in the City (Part 1)
It only took us 15 minutes to reach Triangular Rock. With Elizabeth’s help, we arrived there. Elizabeth, you’re amazing!
Until now, it would take us at least 4 hours to get from the hideout to Triangular Rock, even if we hurried. We weren’t in such a rush this time, but to arrive this quickly… It must be because of her size, she provides stability, and there’s not much swaying either. Naturally, it’s no problem for three people and a goat, even with luggage.
However, it’s time to part ways with Elizabeth for now. “Elizabeth~! We won’t be back for a while, but live well!” We bid farewell to Elizabeth, cuddling her. We won’t be able to enjoy this touch for a while… That’s unfortunate. Still, it’s not like we can take her to the city.
So, from here, we’ll walk. This time, we brought as much luggage as possible, so honestly, it’s quite heavy. Both Kuro and I have quite a bit of luggage, but Shiro is carrying about four times as much as us. She looks fine, but seeing her carry a load larger than herself looks pretty funny.
“Kuro, Shiro, let me know if the luggage is too heavy.”
“No problem!”
We’re already used to the road to Savoia. Although there are bitter memories of being attacked, now, with both physical and mental strength at their peak, it’s not a concern. Moreover, thanks to Elizabeth, we have plenty of stamina to spare. With this, we can reach it in half a day anytime. Thinking that way, Savoia suddenly feels much closer.
While thinking about that, we quickly arrived at the checkpoint. Since explaining about Kuro would be troublesome, we pay taxes for three people. Shiro and Kuro’s share is paid as mercenaries, but there’s no issue. First, we put our luggage in the same inn as before and head to the carpentry workshop. As we walk along the road, we feel quite a few eyes on us. However, they’re not looking at me, but at Kuro and Shiro. Indeed, they’ve been tidying up their appearance lately, so they look quite strong.
Shiro, needless to say, and even Kuro, with four knives strapped to her waist, walking confidently without hesitation, exude an aura of strength.
“When you talk, you suddenly sound like an imp.”
“Kuro is… cool.”
“Here it is, the carpentry workshop.”
The boss is sleeping on the workbench. Personally, I quite like this guy, but he’s a bit weird.
“Hey, boss! Wake up!”
“Hmm? Ohhh! Bring me chocolate and coffee!”
As loud as ever. But quietly, the biggest customer of our shop is the boss. He came every day during the last street stall.
“Long time no see, boss! Although the stall starts tomorrow—here, have some chocolate souvenirs of the new product. Give it a try.”
“A new product? What’s this?”
“One has chopped oranges in it, and the other has milk.”
“Oh, can I eat this? Yum!”
“If possible, I’d like to hear your feedback.”
“Delicious! Delicious!”
I was foolish to be affected by his feedback. He’s always been quite fond of chocolate and coffee, after all.
“Will they sell well?”
“Of course they will. I particularly like this orange one. Will you have it tomorrow too?”
“We won’t have it tomorrow… but I plan to sell these as high-end sweets in the future. So, I was thinking of asking the boss for those wooden boxes.”
“I see… About the boxes… They’ll end up being quite expensive. It’s better to ask a boxmaker for this kind of thing.”
“Even if it costs a bit more, I’d prefer to leave wooden products to the boss, even if we commission them from another workshop.”
“Oh? I see… Well, it’s a hassle to go to different places. Alright, I’ll take care of it, so get the money ready!”
Surprisingly sharp analysis. It’s a bit of a hassle indeed, but I’m sure the boss will come up with something good if we leave it to him.
“How much do you think one box will cost?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure… Probably around 500 reis each?”
“Got it. Then, I’ll order 100 boxes of this size. Please make sure the design is sturdy enough not to collapse even when stacked.”
Handing over 50,000 reis, the boss looks incredibly pleased. His smile always worries me…
“By the way, what’s your name, boss?”
“Oscar Bott.”
“Sounds unnecessarily cool.”
“Really? By the way, who’s that big girl over there?”
Come to think of it, he hasn’t met Shiro yet. Shiro wears hot pants with a sleeveless dress, and while traveling, she wears a robe over it. Kuro modified the clothes and fabric she had on hand to make them, but they’re quite sexy and stylish. Since Shiro has long limbs and well-developed muscles, her clothes used to get torn apart whenever she moved vigorously. Since adopting this outfit, her clothes haven’t been damaged. With the regenerative power typical of oni, she prioritized ease of movement over protecting her skin. That’s why now, you can tell at a glance that Shiro is a woman.
“She’s Shiro, an oni from my team.”
“Oh, your team has some unusual folks. She’s pretty. And… nice muscles.”
“Muscles…”
Shiro tilts her head…
Well, the boss has a good physique too, so he seems to like muscles. I get it. There’s definitely something admirable about Shiro’s body.
“Kuro’s pretty cool too, isn’t she?”
By the way, Kuro wears similar hot pants and a sleeveless shirt like Shiro, and wears a robe over it. She wears a sturdy leather belt made of Kidanakemo leather around her waist, with four knives hanging from it. Her hair is voluminous, but thanks to careful brushing, it’s neatly arranged now. In fact, her face looks small and cute.
“Oh? Ah! Is this the imp from before?! Wow, that’s amazing…”
“Guu!”
“Will my imp turn out like this someday?”
“I think this one is just different.”
“Well, that’s true. Oh well!”
He looks disappointed as he gazes at the imp sitting expressionlessly in the corner of the workshop. Kuro also looks puzzled as she gazes at the imp. I think maybe you’re the one who’s different…
“When will the boxes be ready?”
“Um… It’s for 100 boxes to put the gift chocolates in… I think they’ll be ready in 5 days!”
“Great! Thank you!”
Next, we’ll visit the mercenary mediation office. I have to leave a message for Marie…