Volume 6 Chapter 21-2 The Oath of the Tangerine Grove
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Sar-Sar was clever, no doubt about that. But I wasn’t thinking about her just now. What caught my attention was the trifoliate orange fruit. Was it really mimicking something?
”Juice. Is it tasty?”
The smallest boy looked up at me, wide-eyed.
”It’s tasty, isn’t it? There’s a lot growing, but you’ve been taking care of them well, right?”
”It’s bitter, so no one wants to eat it. But for us poor kids, it’s the only fruit we get to eat.”
So even in this world, the trifoliate orange isn’t worth much. The boys were probably testing me. If I got upset after tasting the bitter fruit, I’d fail. But since I used it like a seasoning, I guess I passed.
”Are you a lord? I swear to serve you. I pledge my life!”
Malik struggled with the words, clearly unused to such formal speech.
”Malik says he swears loyalty to my husband for life.”
Sar-Sar explained, translating proudly. Malik nodded hard beside her.
They wanted to play knight. Boys often acted out this kind of thing. They’d fight, decide a pecking order, and then do a mock knighting ceremony. Adults in the underworld did something similar too—though in their case, betrayal meant more than a slap on the wrist.
It was just play, but if I ever became a real lord, I’d have the right to perform real knightings. For now, I’d play along.
Anyway, I’ll play with him and practice for the future. There are some swords in my magic bag that are suitable for a knight. They were given to me by the dwarf king as decoration samples, and their performance is comparable to the cheapest sword sold by Mr. Zenom. They are ceremonial items, so they are quite expensive to buy, though.
I pulled out a wooden sword from my magic bag. It was carved from oak struck by lightning, rough but decorated with knightly patterns. It wasn’t a toy; it had real weight to it. A real swordsman like Mr. Escalion could probably use it in combat.
The kids gasped when I drew it. It was longer than they expected. They must think the bag was enchanted. They weren’t wrong.
Still, they stared at me with sparkling eyes, clearly impressed. I’d need to make sure they didn’t blab. Kids talk, but sometimes they can keep secrets better than adults.
”In the name of the star-traveling god Sha, I, Stargazer Amada Saburou, recognize you, Malik, as my knight…”
It was a line from a book Shea-Shea made me read. I’d heard the scene so many times, I could recite it without thinking. Malik bowed deeply. He took the role seriously, like a scene from an old Western. I tapped his back with the sword.
The other kids watched in silence. If the rumors were true, these were the children of former nobles and retainers. I guess bloodlines really do matter.
Too bad they couldn’t speak properly or use polite words. Country nobles didn’t get much education.
Anyway, only knights appointed by the king counted as nobles. Job-class knights weren’t real nobles either—just like how samurai weren’t always high-class in Japan.
Role-play done. Time for business. I wanted some trifoliate orange for myself.
”If there are any left, I’d like to buy them. Strange they’re not sold in stores. They taste great.”
I’d seen lemon at Floria’s house. Someone had to notice how useful these were.
”They don’t have seeds. You can only grow them from cuttings. I think they only grow here.”
A mutation? Or maybe Sar-Sar’s ancestors kept it hidden? If so, we could make good money. The name might need tweaking though… Mini Lemon? Sudachi Lemon? Dachi Lemon?
I pitched my idea: keep the Dachi Lemon exclusive and profit.
”No seeds means no competition. We can control the market.”
”If it’s rare, we can sell it at a high price.”
They caught on fast.
”First, let’s grow more from cuttings.”
”Bury the branches. They’ll keep growing.”
”We have to protect them so no one steals the branches.”
The second money got involved, everyone became sharp. They didn’t use polite speech, but that didn’t matter. If they wanted to learn, Sar-Sar could teach them.
”Maybe we shouldn’t sell them nearby. People might figure it out.”
”Then I’ll buy the ripe ones now. I can sell them far away. No one will know.”
”Magic bag, huh?”
They noticed. I shouldn’t have been careless. Malik, now beaming with his new sword, would probably keep quiet. I told the others I’d bring them gifts if they behaved.
Fairness would be nice, but it’s not always possible. This time, only Malik got the sword. He protected Sar-Sar from that rogue Hero, after all. If he ever became a noble, I’d want him as a retainer.
In the end, I decided to sponsor the Dachi Lemon project. I gave the money to Ms. Laara, and Sar-Sar would handle the rest.
It was a lot for the kids, but for me, it was a small price for the fruit. Even if the plan failed, it was worth it. Plus, it was a way to see what kind of person Ms. Laara really was.
Spending too much can cause problems. Being too cheap does too. Balance is everything. I wouldn’t repeat my mistake with Mr. Laken.
Character Notes:
• Malik – A brave slum boy who tried to protect a girl from Agito, a summoned hero, and was helped by the main character after being injured. The main character sees him as courageous and worthy of respect, noting his toughness and life-or-death resolve to protect the girl, whom he seems to care for deeply.
• Mr. Zenom – Tough dwarf blacksmith from Toyoata Village. Repairs weapons, improves accuracy. Charges 100 gold/arrow. Becomes protagonist’s strict master. Assigns hard tasks like pre-dawn cleaning, firewood, water pumping. Owns well-equipped forge. Challenges protagonist to prove ideas.
• Escalion – Male. An old swordsman who claims to be the ‘true Hero.’ He is Mia’s lover and appears to be a human from the same world. Despite his shabby appearance, he is incredibly strong and has a frightening presence. He dislikes humans and has a complicated history with them, including an experiment involving a fox.
• Shea-Shea – Mauro’s daughter. Hurt by Alexander. Became an eager fiancée after advice from protagonist.
• Laara – Saria’s mother and the head of the Toyata Viscount house. She is a noble lady with a strong sense of duty and tradition.
• Mr. Laken – The Toyata village head and guild branch manager
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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