Vol 1 Chapter 14 (1/2)
LEVEL 1: A Whisper, an Aria, a Prayer, an Awakening
Chapter 14: Silver’s Gold Coin
“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”
Ranta slammed his earthenware tankard onto the table
“Ranta…” Mogzoto break it”
“Shut up! I got it under control!” Ranta yelled “What ’bout you, huh?! Doesn’t she piss you off?!”
Mogzononcommittal
“Adirl pisses you off!” Ranta ranted “What the hell is with that attitude?! It’s been a couple of days now and she’s not even trying to get along with us! Haruhiro!”
“What?” Haruhiro replied
“Even you think so! Don’t lie! Hey! I’ to you! Tell me what you really think!”
“I already told you several times” Haruhiro drank from his own beer tankard “I just put up with it But I don’t not agree with you”
“Quit using hard to understand sentences! You’re just defending her because she’s hot!”
“That’s got nothing to do with it”
“You’re too soft on her! You’re soft on all girls! Way too soft!”
“I don’t do it on purpose, but admit it, even you can’t stand up to her You talk about her like this behind her back, but you don’t say anything to her face”
“As if I could!” Ranta flopped forward, face down onto the tabletop “She scares the hell outtascary! It makes me want to cry! …Is it okay to cry?”
Mogzo patted hiently on the shoulder “Don’t cry, Ranta…”
“Quit it!” Ranta slapped Mogzo’s hand away “Don’t try to console a man! A man doesn’t want to be consoled! It’s just too pathetic! I’m a man! A manly man! I’m a… a…”
Haruhiro sighed “Just leave hi his usual self There’ll be no end to it if you bother with him every time”
Ever since Mary joined the party, Ranta, Mogzo, and Haruhiro had ot back from Damro’s Old Town It wasn’t like any of the, but without the distraction at the end of the day, no one could sleep well and no one wanted to return to working the next day
Beers were discounted three capas a tankard for contracted Cri h Haruhiro had only one tankard every time—two tankards at most—he still realized that it was a waste of money
Their earnings were only half—or actually closer to a third—of what they had been when Manato had been with them Now, days when everyone would pocket only one silver each weren’t rare Haruhiro knew he should be saving up his money He knew, but…
Counting the amount deposited at Yorozu’s, all the money Haruhiro had came to just over seventeen silvers Crimson Moon contracts cost twenty silvers to purchase, so he needed just a little more before he could become a full member That’d didn’t necessarily mean that he could purchase one theat least thirty silvers on hand, paying twenty in one luh, if Commander Bri let them pay a little at a time
“Crimson Moon Reserve force soldiers…” Haruhiro whispered, looking around the tavern
Everyone in the room was outfitted with better equipment than them Haruhiro was sure that most wore their precious ar stolen while they drank, andswords strapped to their belts Not to arments under that arroup was overwhelly obvious
“I know” Ranta slouched aardly forward, until his chin rested on the edge of the table “No need to tell ht? But it’s not like our goal is to buy Cri a full ”
“I don’t knohat I think,” Haruhiro said, “about having words put into my mouth by you”
“Rude You asking for a beatdown?”
“I apologize”
“Don’t just apologize like that The arguht me more, stupid”
“Annoying brat”
“B-but…” Mogzo heaved a deep sigh “I get the sense we’ve lost sight of our goal It wasn’t like this before”
“Maybe so, then,” said Ranta He tilted his head sideways so that one side of his cheek was flat on the table “Things have changed this one”
Suddenly Haruhiro found hi ‘just because’ like it’s no big deal It is a big deal”
“Yeah” Ranta nodded sideways “My bad”
“…It’s not like you to apologize right away”
“Annoying brat”
Haruhiro wanted to suy like Ranta wasn’t worth the effort of lifting his fist, of even curling it
“Goals, huh” Haruhiro glanced around the tavern once more His eyes suddenly locked on one certain person, and there was a sudden tightening in his chest “Renji…”
While Haruhiro and the others occupied a table in a dimly lit corner of the first floor, Tea counter Of course, the table itself wasn’t nice; it was just that Haruhiro’s group could never sit at a spot thatto do with rank, i order…
“Whoa” Ranta finally noticed Renji’s party too “Goddamn show off, that Renji”