When we arrived at the tool shop, it was packed with items to the point of chaos.
The aisles were so narrow that two people could barely pass each other.
「Welcomeee」
The shopkeeper's lifeless greeting sounded like it could fade away at any moment. His head was tilted as if he might fall asleep right there.
Is this place really okay?
「Master, what exactly are you looking for?」
「Hmm… maybe some soap. Do they have razors or anything? I've let it grow wild lately」
「Then these two should be what you need. The soap is quite slick, but it works well for shaving and will leave your skin smooth. As for shaving, please use this small knife. It's the type designed to be safe even if you happen to poke yourself」
Wendy managed to pick out exactly the right items from this jumbled mess. That's seriously impressive.
Wait, shaving with a knife? That's a little scary.
「What else… hmm? What's this board?」
「That's a magic power-guiding plate. It can attract or repel objects imbued with magic power」
「What about this small orb here?」
「That's a vibration sphere. If you channel magic power into it, it vibrates」
「What's it used for?」
「…I don't know. Shopkeeper-sama, what is this for?」
「…Beats me」
Beats me? I had a feeling this shopkeeper was unmotivated, but at least know what you're selling.
「Hmm… I'll just buy two of each for now. Might come in handy somehow」
「You shouldn't waste money, you know?」
「They're 10,000 nohls each… Well, they seem interesting and I won't know unless I try」
Not too pricey. I feel like I might be able to make something fun with them.
Besides those, I also picked up a handy magic tool that easily starts fires, some empty magic stones, and colored, misshapen pieces of glass.
「Hey, do you have a large, deep, iron pot or something like that?」
「A pot, huh? Hmm, maybe that container over there」
The shopkeeper lazily gestured with just his eyes.
What he was referring to was a large pot filled with things like clothes-drying poles—basically the kind of stockpot used for making ramen broth.
But it was smaller than I wanted. It only came up to about my knees and wasn't all that wide either.
「What do you need it for?」
「I want to take a bath. I figured if I had a big pot, I could fill it with hot water and soak in it」
「Wouldn't purification (Wash) work just as well?」
「Purification (Wash)?」
I think I read about that somewhere. It's a life magic that cleans your body, right?
「Yes. It's a type of life magic. There's Purification (Wash), Drying (Dry), Soft Breeze (Soft Aero), and others that are useful for everyday life. I can use them if you'd like to try」
「Oh, that sounds great. Might as well, though… probably not right here」
We quickly paid and left the tool shop.
「Thank yahh」
The shopkeeper maintained his disinterested attitude until the very end, but he still managed to calculate the total correctly.
The total was 70,000 nohls. The fire-starting magic tool was a bit pricey at 30,000 nohls, but it was definitely going to be useful, so I couldn't really complain.
「Then, I shall proceed. ＜Purification (Wash)＞」
Wendy closed her eyes and cast the spell towards me. A ring-like aura spun around me, starting from my feet and spiraling upward, from my toes to the top of my head.
As it moved, I felt the dirt and grime on my body being washed away. I had thought it would involve getting splashed with water to clean up, but it seemed to be something different.
「Wow… this is actually pretty refreshing.」
「Baths are a luxury. Only nobles and the wealthy can afford them. That's why we commoners clean ourselves like this. Still, even with Purification (Wash), it costs 2,000 nohls per use, so we can't do it every day.」
「I see…」
I wonder if there's a shop for Purification (Wash) services instead of a bathhouse.
Still, 2,000 nohls for one spell is quite a nice amount. It seems like something I could do too, so maybe I should've picked up the skill…
Well, no matter. My goal for today is still the same.
Next, I'll ask Wendy for recommendations and go visit those places.
-0-
After watching a street performer put on a show, we sat down to eat lunch and enjoyed some tea while taking a break.
It was simple conversation, like "That guy's performance was amazing" or "Lately, I've really enjoyed making tea," just small talk. But it was an enjoyable time.
We talked normally, laughed normally, and spent time together like friends or lovers. It was in the middle of this peaceful moment when we were interrupted.
「Wendy. Is that you? What are you doing here? What happened to that idiot Yasis? Hm? Who is this man? Did he buy you? Ridiculous. You're worth 120 million nohls! There's no way someone like him, a commoner, could afford that. I'll be the one to get you, Wendy!」
The one who spoke to us was a young man with an air of arrogance. He was probably younger than me. His clothes were luxurious, and his fingers were adorned with several flashy rings, each holding shining jewels. His belly was slightly plump, and his forehead was shiny with sweat, even though it wasn't a hot day. For some reason, he was sweating profusely, and a man who resembled a butler or sheep constantly wiped his sweat away.
He looked like the stereotypical idiot noble son.
But 120 million…
When you hear the price of someone's life being 120 million nohls, you wonder if it's too high or too low.
For me, I would consider 120 million nohls to be a bargain, at least if it's for Wendy.
However, just looking at the figure, it's obviously an enormous sum.
「Dadaril-sama… who is this person?」
「Wendy's master.」
「Wha!? A man like you is Wendy's master!?」
Wendy looked at me with a surprised expression.
That's right. For today, I'm Wendy's master.
Normally, I would say something like, 「Ah, I'm just asking her to guide me today…」 but imagining her being bought by this guy made me angry.
Also, Wendy had been smiling the whole day, but the moment this guy appeared, her face immediately darkened. It was clear she didn't like it, even without her saying a word.
So, as a man, I have to protect her, right?
I think I've become a bit short-tempered since coming here. I get angry too quickly. And I'm not even at that age yet.
「…Yes. He is my master.」
「What!? Don't mess with me! Where's Yasis! Get Yasis here, now!!」
The man shouted at his butler, who hurried off toward the slave trading post.
「How dare you! Listen, you! Wendy is not the kind of woman someone like you should touch. She is as beautiful as a gem, and only someone perfect like me deserves her. Someone like you, a filthy, stinking commoner, is better suited to some stone by the side of the road! If you lay a finger on her, I'll have your head displayed in the central square!」
Oh? Only a finger, huh?
「Look.」
I didn't just lay a finger on her, but used my whole body to pull Wendy into a hug.
「P-Guuiiiii! You—You! Do you know who I am!?」
「Nope, I have no idea.」
「…Puhah, master?」
Ah, sorry. Was that too tight?
I must've hugged her a bit too strongly.
I gently placed my hand on Wendy's head as she was still in my arms, smiling at her.
「I'm the son of the lord of this town, you know! You understand what you're saying, right!?」
「And? What's your point?」
「Y-You! You dare talk back to me!?」
「Should we end this now?」
Before things could escalate, Yasis stepped in between us and stopped the confrontation.
Behind him, his butler was panting heavily, wiping away sweat.
「Good grief! The jeweler was about to sell me something nice, but now look at this… Dadaril-sama, what can I do for you?」
「Yasis! What are you thinking? Did you sell Wendy to this man? Wendy was supposed to be mine!」
Is there a reservation system?
No, if there were, Yasis wouldn't have suggested me to buy Wendy.
So, he must've just assumed it was his.
「With all due respect, did you prepare the 120 million nohls?」
「Ugh… my father wouldn't let me… But I'll have it soon! So what's going on here!?」
「What do you mean?」
「Why is Wendy calling this man her master? Did he really come up with 120 million nohls!?」
「…I see. For today, we're just letting him borrow Wendy as a trial submissive slave while giving you a tour of the city. So for today, he is her master, and Wendy is his slave.」
「What the hell!? Then why didn't you offer this trial thing to me!?」
「It's not a trial for Wendy; it's a trial for a submissive slave. We plan for a long-term relationship with you from now on.」
Yasis is quite smooth with his words.
He might even be able to speak on equal terms with Reinrich.
「D-Do you know who I am!? My father oversees the western district!」
「Yes, of course. I'm well aware. But, do you know who I am?」
Huh? Didn't he just say he was the lord's son?
「Well… recently, the lord's health has been failing, and he doesn't have any children, nor a spouse. Because of that, the next lord will be chosen from among the overseers of the four districts—north, south, east, and west.」
「So, the lord's son he mentioned earlier was just some wishful thinking about the future?」
「Yes… However, Dadaril-sama's father is wealthy, and he has connections and influence behind the scenes. He's considered the most likely candidate.」
The western district, huh…
「Speaking of which, Yasis, is from the western district too, right? Is everything alright there?」
「Yasis-sama has his own network and support, so there's no problem at all. In fact, if things go wrong, it's the overseer who will have to worry.」
Yasis is terrifying!
He's above even the overseer of his own district. He should be the one in charge!
Yasis briefly glanced over at us. As he turned his head back, I could see a faint smile on his lips, and something felt off, like a bad omen.
「This will go nowhere if we continue like this. How about a challenge?」
「A challenge?」
「Yes. A competition between you, Dadaril-sama, and customer-sama to see who can buy Wendy.」
What?
「Ha! Ha ha, you really said that, Yasis! I heard you! Alright, bring it on! I've already gathered 50 million nohls! If I win, Wendy will be mine!」
Yasis smiled widely.
「Let's first set the rules. How much money do you have on hand, customer-sama?」
「About 3.5 million nohls…」
「Then you must raise 80 million nohls. Dadaril-sama will still need to prepare 120 million nohls.」
「That's unfair! Why do I have to come up with 120 million nohls while he only needs 80 million!?」
「Unfair? I thought I was offering you a favorable condition considering the difference in our stakes… Or would you prefer to both prepare ledgers of 120 million nohls each and list every detail?」
「Ugh… Fine. I'll reach 120 million nohls soon enough, anyway.」
「And the deadline will be one week. If neither of you secures Wendy by then, there will be no winner. Please understand.」
Wait a minute.
You expect me to gather 76 million nohls in one week?
That's ridiculous!
「Also, direct interference is prohibited. If either party becomes incapacitated, the other will be declared the winner by default. Naturally, if someone dies, the matter will be reported to the lord, and the perpetrator will be identified.」
「…Tch. Fine. There's no way I can lose. Hey, you. Now you can't resort to any dirty tricks.」
Dadaril grins, clicking his tongue. It's clear he was planning to use such tactics.
「Ah, and Dadaril-sama, may I suggest that you refrain from any underhanded dealings this time?」
「…What are you talking about? I don't engage in such business.」
「Of course. I apologize for saying such a thing. It was highly inappropriate of me.」
「Hmph. Just make sure no one lay hands on Wendy until I win.」
「Yes, of course. Now, may I confirm that both parties are in agreement?」
「Of course.」
「And you, customer-sama?」
「No, please… Master…」
Good grief… What's this "customer-sama" nonsense?
Yasis, I was actually starting to respect you today, but I take it all back, you son of a b*tch!
I really just want to live peacefully, quietly, and leisurely. Why does it always end up like this? Is it because I'm a wandering soul, and trouble just finds me?
But anyway, I lightly pat Wendy's head as she looks up at me with an anxious expression.
「Don't make that worried face.」
「But, this competition is too…」
「It's fine. It's fine. Worst case, we just need to try twenty times harder than these past two weeks.」
That's right. With my abilities improving, it'll be a little easier. Just about twenty times easier.
It's fine, right? I'm even doing things like a protagonist now.
Although, instead of facing monsters, my opponent's just a pig.
「Fine. I accept.」
After spending today with her, I've realized that I want her by my side in my plans (the slow life).
So, there's no way I can lose this match.
-0-
AN: Looks like we're starting the new volume with a problem. I can almost hear someone shouting, "Aren't you supposed to write about some slow life thingy!"
Well, you see, there's preparation involved in living the slow life too, right?
Sure, he could live comfortably on just pocket money.
He doesn't even need employees or anything.
But, you know, the more characters there are, the easier it is to make up some interesting stories!
So please, bear with me for the sake of the protagonist… and the author's future plans!