NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Overcrowding
Chapter 48: Overcrowding
Somehow, there’s a crowd gathering in front of the shop.
“Hey there, Bonus! Your stall is really bustling today!”
“Good morning. It’s become a popular spot in no time.”
“Menas, Edda, good morning. I’m glad you came.”
And now Menas and Edda, the parent-child pair, have arrived. Just earlier, Azir was busy whispering nonsense to Zamza, but now he’s come over here like a magnet to greet Edda.
“Good morning, Edda-san! You look adorable today! Do you remember me?”
“Oh, yeah, good morning. Kuro, here you go. And I’ll have coffee, please.”
“Gyaaa! Gyaugya!”
“Hahaha.”
While Edda casually responds, she hands a light green cloth to Kuro. Oh, it matches Kuro’s eye color, doesn’t it? Kuro happily clings to Edda. She seems really delighted. Azir looks envious.
“Edda, thank you so much. Let me treat you and Menas to coffee.”
“Gyaugya!”
Kuro wraps the cloth around her waist and strikes a mysterious pose, wriggling her body oddly. And for some reason, she’s closing one eye and sticking out her tongue as she looks at us. What kind of pose is that…? Well, it’s cute in a way.
“It suits you well, Kuro. You look super cute.”
“Yeah~. I thought it would suit you the moment I found it.”
“Oh… so cute.”
“Gyaa~~!”
Kuro is wriggling happily. Marie is quietly watching from the side.
And then, just as the atmosphere around the stall is getting lively, Clara shows up.
“Hey, Bonus. It’s fine that your stall is thriving, but can’t you do something about this? There are too many people crowding around, and it’s hard to walk.”
“Oh, sorry about that. I’ll think of something for next time, so can you let it slide just for today?”
“I’ll help come up with a good idea too.”
Melanie chimes in with support. She’s really nice.
“Fine. Just make sure it doesn’t obstruct the passage next time.”
With that, Clara slides away again. Darn it. I never expected this many people to gather. But I don’t want to get rid of the situation where people gather like this. I’d like to secure a space like an open cafe… But we can’t take up too much space with just one shop. It’s a dilemma.
“Sorry about that, Bonus.”
“No worries, Menas. It’s just that I didn’t think things through well.”
“Running a business involves a lot of thinking, huh?”
“Yeah, but it’s fun to talk to various people directly.”
“That’s good. If there’s anything else I can help with, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Menas! You’re always a great help.”
“No, no, it’s the other way around.”
Azir is completely absorbed in chatting with Edda and ignoring us. Melanie approaches me, looking somewhat apologetic.
“Sorry… My mom sometimes has to say things like that because of her position.”
“…Your mom?”
“Huh? Clara is my mother.”
“Seriously?”
Wow, that was unexpected… Will Melanie be able to move around smoothly like her mother eventually? But seriously, the world is too small. Or maybe this parent-child duo was meant to be tested from the start. After all, it was Clara who designated the location. But these two are genuinely kind and have no ill intentions. I, for one, have no negative feelings towards them.
“Does that mean Clara will also come out when I visit Melanie’s house?”
“No, she’s living alone now. She’s been saying she wants to live together, but she’s so stubborn.”
“I see.”
“Clara-san is actually quite gentle, isn’t she? Whenever I set up my stall, she always takes good care of me.”
“Come to think of it, Menas occasionally sets up a stall too.”
“Yes, she always considers everyone’s business when she does. I appreciate her attention to detail. Thank you for the coffee, Bonus.”
Menas hands back the cup. Her every movement is still graceful. Meanwhile, her daughter Edda is chatting and laughing with Shiro and Gisella about something. You should learn more from your mother, Edda.
“Bonus! Every time I see you, it seems like you’re adding more members to your group. Are you forming a caravan or something?”
“No, not really. I’ll introduce a new pet next time. It’s super cute.”
“Wow, really? Why didn’t you bring it with you?”
“Secret~”
“Again? Well, we’ll see each other again anyway, so it’s fine. See you later, everyone.”
With that, Menas and Edda left.
It seems Azir tried to talk several times, but he was mostly ignored. And somehow, Zamza ended up being made to help out. It looked like he was carrying a water jug for Shiro and fetching water.
“By the way, Azir. Did you have something to discuss?”
“Edda-san is really cute… Oh, right. I came to inform you about tomorrow’s plans and rewards.”
“I didn’t ask for details earlier.”
“The reward is a basic 1 million reis for each of us, and there might be bonuses depending on our performance.”
That’s more than I expected. Well, it’s probably because this is a commission from the lord.
“That’s quite lucrative.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said. It’s good work. Anyway, aside from the bonuses, having strong allies is a big advantage, especially when facing challenges with a small group.”
“Sorry I’m not much of a fighter!”
“Well, the plan is we’ll meet at the east gate at 9 in the morning tomorrow, okay?”
“Got it.”
By the way, this town has a small tower that rings a bell every hour. The townspeople usually use the sound of that bell to tell time. So, the “9 o’clock bell” refers to 9 in the morning.
“We’ll only travel on foot. It’ll take about half a day to get to the village even if we walk slowly.”
“Do we have any information about the village?”
“It’s a small village with a population of about 200 people, located by the sea and at the foot of the Tamir Mountains.”
“Is it a fishing village?”
“No, ships are prohibited from sailing on the eastern side of Savoia. It’s considered a buffer zone between the Tamir Empire and the Kingdom of Lenas, so navigation is forbidden. In theory, at least…”
“I see.”
“So, they mainly engage in animal husbandry and… well, they probably grow olives too. I’m not very sure myself.”
“Do you have any information about the Black Wolves?”
“Oh, I remember seeing them often in our village. Right, Shiro?”
“Yeah.”
Come to think of it, Shiro mentioned that their village was located at the foot of the Tamir Mountains.
“Are the village we’re going to and Shiro’s village close to each other?”
“No, our village is quite a bit south from there. But Black Wolves are probably found anywhere in the Tamir Mountains.”
“They’re wolves living in the mountains?”
“Yeah, they usually hunt in packs of about five or six.”
“Not tasty.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Although there are many of them, their meat is quite smelly…”
“I don’t really want to eat that meat either. Although sometimes you can find it in cheap inns in Savoia.”
Listening to the conversation, they don’t seem like much of a threat. Their pack sizes seem average rather than larger than expected. As if sensing my thoughts, Marie looks at me.
“We can’t afford to be careless this time. There have been stories of packs of around a hundred wolves. That’s highly unusual.”
“Informally, it wouldn’t be strange if the Tamir Empire is involved in something behind the scenes. That’s why it’s a lord’s order.”
“Although the Kingdom of Lenas and the Tamir Empire have publicly agreed to peace, they’ll do anything to harass each other. This incident could be part of that.”
“Wow…”
National politics… It’s a more suspicious story than I thought. Well, as long as it stays within the realm of harassment.
“Nevertheless, they’re just Black Wolves. We’ll be fine as long as we don’t let our guard down.”
“I’ll rely on you for safety.”
“Yes, then we’ll start preparing too.”
“Well, see you tomorrow~”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
With that, Marie and Azir left.
The shopkeepers disappeared at some point too.
“Bonus. I’ll head home now. See you later, everyone.”
“Thanks for your hard work, Melanie. I’ll wait while tending to the stall.”
As the customers left, the surroundings suddenly quieted down.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
“Gyaa~”
“Kuro, thanks for the coffee.”
“Thanks.”
“Yay! As expected of Kuro! So considerate~”
“I’ll take it.”
Since Kuro was free too, she brewed coffee for everyone.
Zamza snuck in happily, joining the group.
I’ll relax a bit until Melanie arrives.