The market is early in the morning.

　We open our shop at around 9:00 am at most because we are a fabric store, but there are a lot of shops that open at 6:00 am and close at noon, such as ......, that sell foodstuffs.
　Even if not, in the market, everyone usually finishes clearing out in the evening, and we close at 2pm in our early days, or 4pm at the latest.

　It's easy and comfortable, and the longest we work is 7 hours from 9:00 to 16:00.

　Moreover, on days when we train swords and horses in the morning, it's not unusual for us to work as much as three hours because we're executives who show up at the shop from noon onwards.
　But that's not to say that this is an easy mode ...... because of its otherworldly quality.
　I don't think so.
　It's often said that Japanese people work too much, and this is the limit of the amount of work that can be done by a human being.
　Otherwise, this is a good ...... for rehabilitating NEETs.

　Etowah had already arrived at the store and was beginning to prepare for the opening.
　The preparations are, of course, open-air. I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm going to be doing.

The boss and the misses!　Good morning!　Did you bring me the product that was out?

　Etowah notices us and greets us cheerfully. Today it's not a sailor suit, but a dress made of hemp dyed indigo.
　It's simple and quite cute, isn't it?

Oh, good morning. I've brought all the colors. I've also brought a few more items to sell on a trial basis, so I'll display them later. Good, good.

　He enters the booth, patting Etowah's head.

'Nyah~. The boss treats me like a cat again. .......

　Because he's like a cat.

　I discovered this a short time after I hired him, but when I pet him, Etowah says meow~ and squints her eyes and looks pleasant, so it's quite worthwhile and fun to pet him.
　At first, if a different species stroked them around or something, it might be a problem if they were culturally a thing?　I had been thinking about it, but Etowah also told me that it's a common way for Canaanites to communicate with each other, and to groom each other, so I'm not too shy about it anymore.

　My parents didn't allow us to keep animals in our house, so I wanted to get a cat or something.

"Since we're going to have to go through all this trouble, it feels good if you stroke my cheek or throat area like this, too.

　Hmmm, he even has requests these days.
　When he first arrived as an apprentice, Etowah was somewhat resistant to being patted down, but recently he's become much more tolerant of it.
　Moffffy yahoo! .......

　Nade-nade-nade-nade-nade- .......

"Rumble rumble rumble.

　When I nudged her from cheek to throat, Etowah would purr pleasantly with her eyes and her throat and rub her head with a thrashing.
　I knew it was a cat!


...... What do you think, Princess?

'Well ....... I've missed it so far because I'm new, but it seems that you still need to make Etowah understand what the pecking order is: ....... Marina, get it over with!

'As you wish!　I'll be prepared for it, Marina is not so handy as to be able to go easy on you just because you're a cat!

　As I was engrossed in the mofo, Marina approached me with her hand waxy.

'Hmm?　Does Marina want to do the same?　Fine, but take the gauntlet off. Come on, stroke your throat like this and you'll be glad you did.

"Rumbling.

That's not it. That's not what I meant. Marina must ask Etoi for something.

Later. There you go.

'Hey, is this how it is ......?　Ah!　It's fluffy!　It's fluffier than a princess' hair.

　What ......?
　Does Marina usually stroke Deanna's head or something ......?
　No, I'm pretty sure I want to touch that platinum blonde hair.

"Rumbling, rumbling, nee-ya~

　Etoi is happy to be nudged by me and Marina.
　You little slutty cat.


　I was stroking Etwa for a while, and then I was stroking Marina's hand, which she was stroking with, but I stopped when the customers started to arrive, one by one.
　Deanna said, "Marina, you're useless! He was indignant, but I ignored it.





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Lord. I'm sorry, sir, but I'd really like to have the day off.

Hmm?　That's unusual. It's okay, it's not.

'Are you sure!　Thank you!　Well, I'll be out for a bit. I'll be back by the time they close up.

　Maybe she's going to buy Orica a birthday present.
　I don't know what kind of personality Marina had before she became a slave, but I think it's a good trend that she's started to voluntarily voice her wishes like this.
　That guy has a sense of being bound to what should be called the 'right slave image' originally.


　It's the usual scene, selling cloth and knick-knacks to half-familiar customers, to new customers, to merchants from other cities, and so on.
　Etowah dexterously cuts the cloth to the length ordered, I take the money, and Deanna hands the goods to the customer while offering a blessing on the cloth.

　Anyway, it's easy to forget that Deanna is an "elf" (technically a high elf), a respected race in Elishe.

　It's very gratifying for the citizens of Elishe to hear her say things like "May your life be fruitful" or "Le Baraka is always watching over you" or "Melfelfelfo Mirmir Reynae" (though the citizens didn't seem to understand the last one either).

'But still, ....... What's up with all the oddly religious-looking customers today?　It's more like we're here for Deanna.

　While this is going on, somehow Deanna is still being asked to shake hands and name the baby. They're all women, but what is this ......?

'Boss, there's been a lot of talk lately. There's a rumor going around that there's a virtuous-looking Elf in the marketplace. It is said that he has a tribe of humans, Turks and Canaanites in tow, and that he offers them the valuable cloths of the elven homeland at a discount .......

'I see. ...... Hmmm, I'm sure Deanna is a standout ....... Well, in a way, it's just like the scenario: ....... And if so, isn't that a lot?

　It's not so much that I'm uncomfortable with it as I am with the fact that I've had these kinds of customers in the past sometimes: ......, but still, it's like I'm getting twice as many as usual today.
　Well, that's not a problem because we can sell products for that, or maybe it's just the result.

　I asked the young wife, who was begging Deanna to name her baby, where she heard about Deanna.
　I say rumor, but I'm sure there's a source for it.

Well, it seems that a priestess told her about the white haired elf who was recently rumored to be in the area. Then she said, 'He is much more noble than me. I heard that he said, 'He is much more noble than I am, and even just by being close to him, you will be able to receive the blessings of Le Baraka. In that case, I'd love to be there.

　Priestess: .......

　Next time, I'll have to go nail it down and take some pictures so I don't say anything weird. No, let's go today, better yet.





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Are you leaving, boss?　In that case, I'd like you to go check out the rumored restaurant for a moment.

"Rumor shop?　I thought you'd rather have our place as a rumor shop now?

'No, I just want to make sure you're taking advantage of our rumors and that they're real. And I don't know who my suppliers are.

　Here's what Etowah said.

　Most of the first rumors we heard were apparently "it seems that elves are selling cloth in the marketplace". But little by little, the "elves in the marketplace apparently selling goods from the elven village" started to appear, and nowadays the mainstream is "elves in the marketplace apparently selling goods from the elven village".
　And in the middle of it all, the "rumor shop" in question is the "rumor shop" that "seems to sell goods from the elven village in the market".

　We don't use the phrase "Elvish products" when we sell cloth. We don't want to show off our reputation as a merchant by advertising the products from the village of elves.

　In that sense, selling the velvet to the chatterbox in the example was a mistake in a double sense. I sold it for a lot less than the market price, and I blabbed about how I bought it in the elven village.
　Well, it couldn't be helped because I was so busy talking up the story to sell it at a higher price at that time.
　That's part of the reason why I've been trying to be extra careful after that.

　So, we don't use the word "Elf's Village" except for a few of our regulars (we've strictly communicated that to Etowah as well), and if that's the case, there's a good chance that there's a separate store that deals in real Elf's Village items.
　Otherwise, are they selling bogus goods for flights or ......?

So, what's the store?　If it came out of nowhere, it must mean it's a market or a food truck. ......

'Oh, it's like a food truck. I don't know much about it either, but I heard that they sell gratuitous items from the elven village: ....... I don't know the details, though, because it's all mixed up with rumors about our shop.

　I see, well, let's go look anyway.

　And so I went out with Deanna to find the store in question. Well, it was just a quick stop for lunch and a trip to the temple (Etowah always brings a lunch with her).


　The store in question was found more quickly than we thought.

　The square near the market's grocery zone is a little village of food stalls.
　So while eating the 3Y "yakisoba, yakitori and yakimeshi" (yakisoba, yakitori and yakimeshi), a staple of Elishe's food stalls for lunch, I asked around and was told that it was the one just around the corner.

　I thought I was in luck ...... and went to check out the place after my meal - and then I went to check it out.