Chapter 41
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Well, here you go.”
With that, Nero handed over the bag she was holding with both hands.
*Thud.*
”Oh, that’s quite a lot. You’ve already sorted this much?”
”Everyone worked hard so we can get more jobs next time.”
”I see. Hmm…?”
As I received 2 more bags, I started to wonder about the number.
”Is there a problem?”
”No, I just thought it was strange that there are 3 bags for 2 types of magic stones.”
”Oh… this one and this one are from goblins, and this one is from a magic wolf.”
”I see.”
It seemed that there were more goblin magic stones based on the sorting situation.
Thinking about the size of the bag I would need when I return to “Koji,” I started packing the stones into my current bag. Once I finished, I called out to Ms. Monoka.
”Alright, I’ll be heading out now. See you later.”
”Ah, okay.”
Before I go room hunting, I need to stop by the guild to exchange the magic stones, so I’m supposed to meet her at the meeting spot.
That’s why I said that, but then Nero jumped in.
”A date?”
”No, it’s just to get some help finding a room.”
Ms. Monoka looked a bit disappointed at my quick denial, but… right now, I don’t have any plans like that.
However, Nero was even more curious.
”A room? Then you’ll need a servant, right?”
”No, I won’t. I’m not buying a house or renting a big room. Besides… I’m an adventurer. It wouldn’t be strange if I didn’t come back one day.”
”””Ah…”””
Nero and the others nodded in agreement with my words.
Since they were orphans, it was likely that their parents were adventurers or related to them, so they probably understood what I meant.
I held the bag filled with magic stones and, while being seen off by Ms. Monoka, I left the orphanage with my bag on my back.
I spent quite a bit of time at the orphanage, but… well, it’s still around noon.
I entered a quiet alley and decided to change my bag first.
I created a new bag with a different design and packed the magic stones into it, then returned the bag that had the magic stones back to magic and made it disappear.
After that, I transformed back into “Koji,” put on the bag, and walked through the alley to exit onto the main road toward the Adventurer’s Guild.
As I passed through the side road of the guild to the dismantling area, I saw Frederica there, just like before.
When I approached the reception, she noticed me.
”How did it go?”
”Yeah, I was able to get some help. Thank you for the introduction.”
”That’s good to hear. So, are the sorted magic stones in that bag?”
”Yes. There are only 2 types, and it seems they worked pretty hard to get more jobs, so about half of it was already done.”
”I see. But if there are more, it will take longer to assess, you know?”
”Well, it will probably take time to find a room too, so I’ll come back after that’s done.”
”Then, if I finish before you come, I’ll process the deposit into your account, so in that case, withdraw it from the guild.”
”Got it. I’ll go look for a room now.”
”Right… oh, there’s one thing I need to tell you.”
”Huh? What is it?”
I was about to leave the reception when Frederica stopped me.
She gestured with her finger to “come here,” and I thought it might be a secret conversation, so I leaned in closer to her.
If someone saw us, they might think we were about to kiss, so I quickly asked what she needed to say… and she opened her mouth.
”Even if you go after Monoka, I’ll keep quiet about it to Iris.”
”…Why would that be?”
I thought it was okay to respond in a low voice and with a rough tone, but Frederica didn’t care and replied.
”Hm? You didn’t like that girl? You seemed to like ‘this one’ though.”
Saying that, she lifted her chest with her arm.
”Apart from that, I think other parts are attractive too…”
”Then that’s good, right? That girl seemed to like you too, so if you ask her, you could enjoy that chest right away, you know?”
Well… since she suddenly said she wanted to be my girlfriend, maybe the bar is low.
But…
”…Did you suggest me to Ms. Monoka?”
Frederica has a lot of influence over Ms. Monoka because of her position.
So, if that’s the case, there must have been some intention behind it, I thought, but Frederica shook her head.
”Monoka was the one who brought it up. Well, you know, it was calculated. She asked if you were ‘a good person,’ and I just answered.”
”If she brought it up, then it’s fine, but… how can you say I’m ‘a good person’?”
Frederica answered me with a slightly exasperated look.
”Well, you take on unnecessary troubles with Iris, and from what I’ve heard, you didn’t have any hidden motives, right?”
”…The goal might have been to get closer to Iris.”
”Then you would have talked to her when you helped her at the entrance of the city, right?”
”That was to avoid getting noticed by the ‘Gem Snake’…”
”I’m pretty sure you found out about those guys after you entered the city, right? If your goal was to get close to that girl, there’s no reason you wouldn’t have talked to her before that.”
”Uh, well…”
Frederica smirks at me since I can’t argue back.
”So, since it seems like you’re not a bad guy and I see you can make some money, I just said there’s no reason to oppose you. Well… there are competitors, but there’s still hope for you now, so I mentioned that if you hesitate, it might be too late.”
Ah, that’s why Ms. Monoka was so eager; she got anxious because Iris’s relationship with me was unclear.
In a way, she kind of stirred the pot…
I might be underestimated and end up having something pushed onto me again, so maybe I should create a little distance.
It’s a simple tactic, but…
”Not a bad guy, huh? Even after doing something like this?”
Saying that, I reach out to Frederica’s chest and grab it without holding back.
*Squish*
”!”
She’s surprised by my sudden action, but… even if she doesn’t shout, I thought she would physically distance herself from me.
However, Frederica doesn’t move and asks me while I’m groping her.
*Squish, squish, squish*
”Mmm… For the time being, I’m sure you’re cooperating with Iris, right”
”I have a way to handle the worst-case scenario. I’m getting your help to keep things as peaceful as possible.”
She chuckles softly at my response.
”Hehe, your kindness really shows in that ‘as peaceful as possible’ part, doesn’t it?”
”…Hey.”
I squeeze and playfully poke her.
”Mm~♡.”
Feeling the pressure, I pinch the tip of Frederica and lightly tease it before letting go.
”Haah, is it over already?”
”For now, yes. If you try to push anything more…”
”Oh, something more?”
”No, I’ll just throw everything away and go somewhere else.”
It seems like this girl wants to use me, and I thought saying that would be the most troublesome for me… but Frederica smirks.
”If that’s what you want, fine by me. It just means ‘Gem Snake’ will hear about Iris. Well, it doesn’t really matter to you since you’re leaving the city anyway~♪.”
”Ugh…”
She knows I didn’t mean it seriously, and instead, she’s saying she’ll do something that would make me uncomfortable.
Now that we’ve made a contract, I have no intention of dropping the Iris issue, and that’s why I can’t retort. Frederica grabs my hand and makes me touch her chest again.
”This much is fine, and what happens with Monoka is up to you. It’s not a bad deal, right?”
”…Just don’t ‘force’ Ms. Monoka, okay?”
”I know, I know~♪.”
”…”
*Squish, squish…*
”Mm…”
It doesn’t feel vague; it feels like I’ve been clearly wrapped around her finger… so after teasing Frederica’s chest with a smile, I left the dismantling area.
When I stepped out into the plaza in front of the dungeon and waited for Ms. Monoka at the meeting spot… she soon appeared and ran over when she noticed me.
Hmm, she’s excited again this time.
She’s wearing different clothes than before, so it seems she changed just for this.
”I-I’m sorry! I kept you waiting!”
”No, I just got here a moment ago. By the way… did you change your clothes?”
”Ah, yes. Um, if I’m going to be a guarantor, I thought I should dress a bit nicer.”
Indeed, a guarantor is someone who steps in if the borrower fails to pay rent, so it’s better if they look reliable.
However, the real estate agent we’re going to see should already know about Ms. Monoka… Well, whatever.
”Got it. Sorry for the trouble.”
”No, it’s something I want to do.”
”Then, shall we go right away?”
”Ah, yes! And, um… I have a suggestion.”
Ms. Monoka responds to my words but seems a bit fidgety.
”Hm? What is it?”
When I ask, she leans closer to me and whispers her suggestion.
”Well, since we’re pretending to be in a relationship for the guarantor thing, shouldn’t we act like it?”
”I see. Act like it… like linking arms or something?”
”Yes. Also, I think it would be better if we spoke more casually.”
”I get linking arms, but isn’t the way we talk fine as it is? There are couples who still speak politely even when they’re married.”
”Well, that’s true…”
”And if we suddenly change how we talk, it might come off as unnatural when we slip back into our usual way of speaking.”
”Y-Yeah, that makes sense. So…”
She looks a bit disappointed… Maybe she wanted to get closer by speaking more casually since it’s a good opportunity.
But it seems Ms. Monoka accepted my point, and she linked her arm with mine, hugging my left arm.
Her large chest pressed against me, and I could feel the warmth and softness through our clothes.
I thought it might be strange to be fully armed while looking for a room, so I only brought a short sword.
”How does this feel…?”
*Squish…*
She noticed my gaze was directed at her chest, and Ms. Monoka pressed closer while asking.
”I think it’s really nice.”
If it were just flattery, I would hesitate, but since it was a good compliment, I thought there was no need to hold back and answered honestly.
”Hehe… then, shall we go?~♪.”
Ms. Monoka seemed to be in a good mood from my comment, and she firmly grabbed my arm to lead me to the real estate agency.
Then… she stopped her feet less than ten minutes after entering the southeast area.
”Ah, this is it.”
Ms. Monoka said this as she stopped in front of a small store located in a slightly complicated area.
Well, unless it’s a big agency that handles a lot of properties, a real estate agency that doesn’t sell goods would look like this.
In fact, even in my previous life, I saw real estate agencies that only had a 2 or 3-meter counter, so this was pretty normal.
”Well then, shall we go in for now?”
”Yes.”
Saying that, I opened the store’s door, and inside was about the size of a 12-tatami room (≈ 194 sq ft/18 m2), with about a third of it set up as a customer area across from the counter.
Behind the counter, there was a partitioned space and several bookshelves lined up.
A woman was sitting at the counter, and she was quite beautiful with black hair in a bob cut.
She looked at Ms. Monoka with a puzzled expression.
”Welcome… oh, Ms. Monoka?”
”Hello, Ms. Tora. I came to look for a room today.”
”At this time? Usually, the orphanage girls wait until after winter, right?”
”Ah, today I’m not here as an orphanage girl, but for Mr. Koji’s room here.”
”Huh?”
Ms. Tora looks at me after Ms. Monoka’s words.
She had been with Ms. Monoka the whole time, so it was impossible for her not to notice me… but Ms. Tora has a face as if she just realized it now.
”Ah, hello. I’m Tora, the manager here.”
”I’m Koji. You look quite young for a manager.”
As I introduce myself, I try to include a light compliment to get her to show me a nice room.
Well… she looks to be in her mid-twenties, and it’s true that she seems young for a manager, so I didn’t hesitate much.
Even though the city is wide, running a business in a limited area must be tough, and it should be difficult to set up a real store just by one’s talent and effort… I wonder if she took over from someone?
Maybe sensing my thoughts, she started to tell me how she became the manager here.
”Ah, the previous manager passed away due to trouble with a customer. I took over from that.”
I heard that the previous manager was a man who treated his favorite female customers well and had physical relationships with them at his own discretion.
It seems that this kind of give-and-take isn’t considered a problem, but if there are men who have feelings for those women, it obviously wouldn’t be taken well.
As a result, the previous manager was attacked and died after finishing his drinks at a tavern and heading home in a good mood.
”So, because of the previous manager, there are many female customers, and it’s better to avoid the same thing happening again, so they decided to leave this to a woman.”
”Wow… but if you’re in charge, does that mean there’s another owner besides the manager?”
”Yes. Do you know the big store ‘Hooters’?”
”Wait, is this part of that chain?”
”Yes. I was at a different workplace in the merchant guild, but I was called here.”
”I see…”
I was nodding in understanding after hearing her story, but now she was asking about our situation.
”So, I heard you are looking for a room… but first, why is Ms. Monoka with you?”
”Ah, that’s…”
*Glance*
”…(nods).”
When Ms. Tora asked, I looked at Ms. Monoka, and she nodded in response to my silent question, “Is it okay to say what we planned?”
”Well, I plan to have Ms. Monoka as my guarantor.”
”Huh? Why is Ms. Monoka the guarantor?”
”That’s…”
*Glance*
”…(nods vigorously!).”
It seemed like lying about being in a relationship was a big mental burden for me, so I sent another look to Ms. Monoka, asking, “Are you really okay with this?” But she nodded vigorously, so I went ahead with the explanation as planned.
”Um, well… we are in a relationship.”
Ms. Tora was so surprised that she froze for a few seconds.
”………Huh?”
”Is something wrong?”
”No, it’s not just wrong… Ms. Monoka, is that true?”
It seemed like she couldn’t believe it, so she confirmed with Ms. Monoka herself.
”Yeah, well… something like this.”
While saying that, Ms. Monoka intertwined her arm again, which she had let go of when we entered, and even squeezed my left arm between her chest.
I don’t have particularly thin arms, but with this, it seems like I could fit something in there easily.
As I briefly thought about that, Ms. Tora spoke up after seeing the scene.
”M-my breasts!”
…I think that’s wrong.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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