4-10. The Night Before Departure (1/2)
4-10. The Night Before Departure
Satou's here. I like both lawful shops and shops in gray-zone.
But I'll pass on compensated dating, Satou's.
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I take Arisa to the wagon. On the way there, I meet Martha-chan in the tavern, but she doesn't look particularly shy and offers me a meal.
Since I intend to eat outside with Liza and the girls, I decline.
When we got to courtyard where the wagon is, the 4 girls are waiting while looking bored.
When Liza notices me coming, she comes as the representative.
”Master, is it fine to put the luggage on board?”
”Let's see... Tomorrow, since we'll be picking more luggage from the merchant guild, let's do that tomorrow, but if we leave them here we'll be troubling the landlady huh.”
Arisa whispers to me when I'm still thinking about it.
”Let's keep them in my Item Box? Don't you think that it's safer there?”
”There are only people we know now, so it's fine I guess.”
I instruct the girls to pile the luggage inside the wagon for now.
The three small girls get up to the wagon to receive the luggage. Since Pochi and Tama have strength stat on par with two large adults, they handle the heavy preserved foods lightly. It looks as if this is some kind of magic show.
Arisa and Lulu are sorting the goods inside.
Needless to say, I and Liza are in charge of uploading the luggage. Since it's wasteful to wear expensive clothes for heavy duty job, I change into ordinary clothes. It's a simple linen tunic.
When we've finished loading the luggage, I made the girls beside Arisa to fetch water for 3 small barrels. One small barrel can hold 6 liter of water.
”You don't really need to exclude Lulu. I've talked about my Item Box with Lulu, you know?”
I'm afraid that someone would pick a fight with the beastkin girls if it's just them, so I ask Lulu to go with them.
”For now, let's split the preserved foods in half for each to keep, I'll carry the magic tools. Probably no one would steal the learning cards so put it on the wagon, and let's leave the foods that were entrusted to Liza and the girls alone.”
”Kaay~”, Arisa lightly said while storing the preserved foods into her Item Box. I also store the same amount.
The preserved foods are jerkies, baked black breads, fried beans and dried sweet potatoes.
Others that are in the bag are wheat flours, root crops, rock salts, and various other groceries. Since leaves vegetables are likely to give stomachache, it seems that they didn't buy it.
I've only noticed after doing this but...
”I'd love baskets or boxes to sort things out.”
”Yeah true, I also want some cushioning materials. If we leave this alone, the cookwares will be noisy when the wagon shakes.”
”I want thin ropes too.”
”Ropes? Ah, for airing clothes huh.”
”I think that having sturdy ropes is good.”
”It's for draining blood from preys during the journey.”
Right, we need ropes to tie thieves who may appear.
”You're such a philanthropist~ Thieves are thoroughly good-for-nothings and only bring harms, it's better to snatch away treasures from their hideout and annihilate them afterward. Even that famous thief-hunter girl said so you know~?”
What kind of acquaintance is she?
So there's a person who's famous for that, what a dangerous world.
”Are we not short on anything else?”
Pochi raises her hand while standing on her tiptoes. Did Arisa taught her that?
”Yes, Pochi-kun. Say it.”
”A stool! I want one no desu~”
When I ask in detail, she seems to have used a stool when she helped taking care of the horse. She's brimming with enthusiasm to take care of the horses during the journey too. She's really reliable.
Tama also raises her hand in the same manner and says, ”Brush~?”. She tilts her body in troubling manner while raising her hand, cute. It seems that she wants a tool to brush the horse and clean their hoofs.
Tools for taking care of the horses, I completely forget about them.
Lulu also timidly raises her hand.
”....U, umm.”, Her face turn bright red just by saying that.
I wonder if it's something that embarrassing? I glance at Arisa... She winks back. Are you from Showa era!
”I, I want a washboard and a bucket.”
Is that really embarrassing? I have them in the storage so I've forgotten about it, but it's certainly necessary.
”If it's really possible, I want a mirror! I'm fine with hand-mirror size.”
”Arisa, you're too extravagant.”
Liza firmly gives a warning to Arisa. It's unusual for Liza to give an opinion before I decide.
I wonder if it's expensive in this world? That reminds me, I don't think I've seen any glassware. But, I'm sure there were mirrors from polished metals.
”I'd like to use one too, let's buy it if it's not too expensive.”
”Yay.”
Arisa looks unusually happy without acting. Lulu is also smiling. Liza doesn't have any objection since it's my decision. Pochi and Tama... don't seem like they understand.