*

　Makoto was awakened by a noise.
　Reflexively, he jumped up and looked around, but there was no undead there.
　On the contrary, it's not even in the dungeon.

''Well you managed to escape the dungeon, didn't you?

　Scratching my head, I get out of bed.
　I'm wearing a pair of plain trunks that Shelly provided for me.
　They are large in size, as are the pants and shirt.
　Thanks to the use of laces instead of elastic, they won't slide down, but they are uncomfortable to wear.

I'll have to buy some new underwear.

　And, of course, armor.
　He has no income, but his expenses are mounting.
　It's like he's being strangled by a piece of cotton.
　At a time like this, you have to act quickly and solve the problem.
　Thinking about this, I put on the clothes Shelly prepared for me and picked up the dagger.

''How do I get a warrior-type job?''

　He puts the dagger to his belt and falls to his lonesome.
　He shouldn't be late to an average opponent, but he's still afraid to fight with his bare hands.

''No, I'll have to gather information first.

　In the first place, you don't know what effect the job has on you.
　It's not too late to find out.
　I leave the room and lock the door behind me.
　I peek downstairs from the stairs and see Shelly working at the counter.
　Still, it's a dangerous staircase, I have that impression.
　As soon as I thought part of the hallway was gone, there were stairs.
　There must have been quite a few people falling down.
　And it creaked and creaked every time my weight was on it, which was bad for my heart.
　I go down the stairs with a thumping heart.
　When we got to the middle of the stairs, Shelly stopped working and looked up at us.

'Oh, mister. Good morning.
Yeah, good morning.

　Mako went down the stairs and sat down at the counter.

'Last night was a disaster, wasn't it?'
No sober, drunk guy with a face.
You're too young to drink, sir.

　When I sarcastically commented on the fact that he didn't sell me liquor, I got what I thought was a very sensible answer.

'You're not as old as you look, are you?
I don't feel the same way.
Look in your mind's eye.
Unfortunately, my eyes are all over the place. It's just not very good at that.

　Shelly pointed to her eyes with her index finger.
　I feel like I'm being treated like an Akanbe, but it's so cute and childlike.

'You have a crybaby.
That's what you're responding to.
No way I'm going to jump on the self-deprecating bandwagon of poor performance.

　I say back, feeling disgusted.

'That's right too.
I'll take it.
I'll be ready in a minute.

　Sherry put the food on the counter.
　The menu was simple: vegetable-filled soup and bread.
　Makoto brought the soup to his mouth with a spoon.

'How do you like it?'
It's so much better than yesterday.

　In short, it's leftovers from yesterday.
　The bread - round and frangipane, I said.
　When I broke it in two, the inside was gray.
　Makoto took a bite of the bread.
　A taste that is hard to describe spreads.
　If you eat straw paper, you might taste something like this.
　You can even find that the bread you ate in the dungeon tastes better than the bread you ate in the dungeon.

"I want some miso soup.
You can't make miso soup in a hotel like ours.
'You have miso soup?　So, soy sauce?　Rice?
It goes both ways.
Do you have one?

　My mouth falls open.
　It's like meeting a friend in a faraway land.

"Mister, I told you I couldn't afford to stay at an inn like ours,
Why?
It's simply too expensive. We produce rice in this area too, so it's not too expensive. Miso and soy sauce are imported from the east, so I can't help it.
East?
It's a country on the eastern edge of the continent, just across the sea.
Can't you tell me more about the East?
I'm sorry, but I don't have enough information for you. If you must know, you will have to talk to a merchant or buy a book.

　Shelly shook her head from side to side as Mako leaned forward to ask.

'I see. Well, I'll check it out myself when I have time.'
Please do so.

　Shelly gave him a look that said she had seen something smiling.
　Perhaps she thinks the child is longing for a foreign country.

'Back to the topic at hand, are miso and soy sauce expensive?
I think it was about 100A a kilogram, sir.
It's expensive.

　'Drugs,' he rambles in his mind.

'Hey, if I buy it, will you cook for me?'
I'll let you use my kitchen.
What, you're not gonna make it?
'As much as I'd love to make it for you, though. I've never cooked with miso and soy sauce before.

　Mako blurted out, and Shelly looked miffed as she said back.

'I can't help it. I'll make my own.'
'Oh, your husband can cook?'
It's a messy dish.

　I've been living on my own for eight years.
　It was only in the first six months that I properly cooked for myself, but I should be able to make miso soup and fried food.

I'm glad to hear that. Then I'll wait patiently for my husband to buy some miso and soy sauce.
So you'll be patient?
After all, they come from far away. It's a big merchant's monopoly. Well, they do come into the stores we use from time to time, though.
You could have said that first.

　Mako let out a deep sigh.
　It's a troublesome world where you have to start by contacting the big merchants.

''Sir, it's common sense when it comes to imported goods. What kind of life do you live?
It's a long story.
Okay, I don't want to hear it.
Don't you listen?
Everyone has something they don't want to say.
No, no, I'm not saying that.

　Mako moaned with half-lidded eyes.
''It would be longer if I talked about it,'' he said up front, so he prematurely assumed that he had something difficult to say.
　It's an adult's way of not going into private topics, but shouldn't you listen to the end of what people have to say?

I don't care if it's too much trouble.
Speaking of which, what is your husband going to do now?
For now, I'm going to buy some armor today. And while I'm at it, I'll get some underwear and clothes.
That's not what I'm talking about.

　Shelley chuckled.

'Then what do you mean?'
It's just a way of getting around.
...the way you carry yourself.

　I had a bad feeling about this.
　I wondered if this was a pattern of elders preaching to the younger generation.
　Maybe they think I've run away from home.

''For now, I don't know if the undead can be considered monsters too, but anyway, I'm going to kill the monsters and earn my day's money... and I haven't decided where to go from there.
'Mister, you have to be ambitious when you're young.

　I was admonished by a girl who was younger than I was, even though I was a young man.

'Ambition, you say,'
Sir, our inn is like this now, but back in the day, there were many adventurers staying here and it was a very lively place. Everyone was poor, but their eyes would shine and they would talk about their dreams. Compared to that...

　Shelly had the look of a girl in love.
　I'm sure the times when so many adventurers stayed there were her treasures.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I was out of line.'

　Shelly put a hand over her mouth as she huffed.

'I like that. I'm jealous.'
To talk about your dreams?
You get to choose your own poverty, you know?

　If you're poor of your own volition, you'll enjoy it.
　I'm sure there are very few people who have actually achieved their dreams, but I still envy them.

'Mister, do you really have no dreams?　It doesn't matter if it's something you want to do in the future.
That's what I'm talking about.

　Mako crossed her arms.
　He remembered thinking about how he wanted to live a slow life in an idyllic country town in the boxcarriage.
　She wanted to live a life of leisure in a country town somewhere without worrying about money.
　It sounds like a great idea.
　At any rate, I think we can make slow life an objective.

...Slow life....
....

　Shelley is silent.
　I looked up at her in disbelief, and her eyes were lightly widened.

'What's going on?'
The slow life is an ambition that does not suit a young husband.
It's a pretty big dream, don't you think?

　There are very few people in their thirties who can earn enough money to live for the rest of their lives.
　Isn't it a big dream to try to become one of those very few people?
　Despite that, Shelly let out a sigh of dismay.

'What's going on?'


　Shelley coughed deceptively.

'Anyway, that's the kind of ambition young husbands are supposed to have, you know.
They even have dragons?
Yes, slay a dragon and your name will be heard.
I'll leave that kind of nuisance to yesterday's three guys. Well, if you're making enough money to live a slow life, I can't help but think about it.

　I mean, it would be more profitable to conquer multiple dungeons for the time and effort of slaying a dragon.

''Is it okay for your husband to do that?''
That's all well and good. It's a small dream in the eyes of others, but to me it's a big dream... no. It's something I didn't want.

　In the original world it wasn't even a possibility to be realized, but in this world it's a possibility.
　Then it's possible to pursue that possibility.

''Your husband is young and struggling, isn't he?
Well, you know.

　Mako slurred her words.
　It wasn't because he thought it wasn't cool to complain, but because he knew the damage would be done if he didn't get sympathy.

'So what's the rest of Har's story?'
Now, did I say that?
I did. Maybe you were going to say harem.
Don't ask me if you know what I'm talking about.

　Embarrassed, Shelly said, her face turning red.

'I don't find the harem attractive, do you?
Oh!
In case you're wondering, that doesn't mean I like men, either.
I don't like it, sir. I don't think about that.

　'Really?' he pouts in his mind.

'That kind of thing sounds like a pain in the ass,'
You look so dead for such a young man.
Not really.

　I answer, remembering a time when I was exploring a dungeon.
　A high school girl is lying next to me in a life-threatening - and s*xually-charged - situation.

'It was copious and bad.'
I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that.

　Shelly brushed aside Mako's confession with a flourish.

'What kind of dreams does a Shelly like that have?'
My dream was to work at my father's inn.

　Then he laughs like a prankster.

'You're not thinking of getting married?'
Nobody likes an old man like me for a wife.
I'm young enough.

　If you call a woman who has not yet reached her thirties an old man, then Alafou's Makoto is a grandfather.

If you want, I can make you a nosy gift.
....
'In case you're wondering, I'm just kidding, just kidding.

　When Mako was silent, Shelly said in a panic.

''Well that's a bit much.''
It's a little scratchy, isn't it?
No, that's not what I'm talking about.
What does it mean, then?
I'm not qualified now.

　The innkeeper's young master - it doesn't sound bad, but if Makoto does it now, he's as good as a pimp.
　In my experience, relationships between men and women do not last without money.
　You can't talk about the future without money.

'I still think it's better to make some proper money first.
....

　Shelly opened her mouth with a pout, but eventually she erupted as if she couldn't bear it anymore.

''Hahahaha!''
There's no need to laugh.
Your husband is a funny man.
Oh, really?

　Makoto turned away and took a bite of bread.



Welcome to Rogers and Company.

　As Makoto entered the store, the male clerk walked up to him with a cheery smile on his face.
　There was a time lag before he walked up to him, probably because he didn't look like he had any money.

'What can I do for you today?'
Sherry from the Golden Fleece Pavillion sent me. She told me that the Rogers Trading Company also carries armor.
Oh, yeah, Master Shelley sent me.

　The male clerk paused for a moment before answering.
　Perhaps it was because he wasn't familiar with the 'Golden Sheep' pavilion, nor with Shelly's name.
　In fact, it was not unreasonable, as he had only been told about it as a store that dealt in martial armor in the vicinity.

''Excuse me, but what kind of martial armor are you looking for?''
'My first job is as a spiritist and my second job is as a fighter.
In that case, I'd like to find a suit of armor that is easy to move around in. This way please.

　A male clerk led me through the store.
　There were many items on display in the store.
　The main merchandise is clothing.
　Naturally, they don't have any food related items.

''This is the space for armor,''
Heh, here.

　The space was in the back of the shop to deal in armor.
　A number of mannequins wearing armor are on display, and swords and spears are mounted on the wall.

''I thought warrior armor was something that was handled in a blacksmith shop.
That would have caused a lot of problems, so the Chamber of Commerce started selling them on our behalf.
'Problem?　Oh, maybe that's a thing.

　There are many problems to be solved, such as noise, not to mention the need to secure work space.

But is it the right size?
Yes, see here. We're going to set up some standard sizes some standards, and then we're going to...

　The male clerk took a basket hand from a nearby shelf and showed the back side to Makoto.
　There was a leather belt attached to it.

'This is how it's adjusted with belts and such.
Hmmm, you have a lot on your mind.
Thank you.

　The male clerk bowed his head and put his basket hand back on the shelf.

'What do you recommend?'
'Yes. Since you have a fighter's job, I'm assuming that the cage and leg armor on the shelf here would be good for you.

　Mako sullenly stared at the basket hand and leggings on the shelf.

''........Appraisal.''

　I mutter to myself as I pick up the basket, but nothing appears.
　I squint and it's the same.
　Maybe it was a mistake to get the appraisal.
　Biting down on my regret, I put the basket hand back on the shelf. My eyes are suddenly drawn to a certain basket hand. Metal plates covered the outside, overlapping each other.
　The inside is made of leather.

'That will be an adamantine alloy cage.
"...adamantite.

　I mutter to myself.
　Adamantite is a rare metal that appears in various fictions.
　However, even though it's an alloy, I'm not grateful to see it at such an early stage.

''It's a bit pricey, and will cost 1000A.
A thousand A's.

　Mako looked at the shelves again.
　It was a pricey........or rather an order of magnitude more expensive than the baskets on the shelf.

'What will you do?　I would like to recommend this mithril alloy cage hand...

　Perhaps out of a decision not to ruin our face, the male clerk apologetically offered me a basket hand.
　The price is about half the price, but is somewhat inferior.

'No, I'll take this one. Do you have the same craftsman's leg armor?
Are you okay?
Don't worry. I've got the money.

　He smiles back at the male clerk who asks him with a straight face.

''If that's the case, this leg armor is the work of the same craftsman.

　The male clerk pointed to a pair of boots covered from the top of the foot to the knee with metal plates.
　There are two belts, one on the instep of the foot and one on the calf, which seem to hold it in place.
　They don't look like ski boots.

"Take care of this too. The rest is armor.
Since you're a fighter, we thought you'd like something that doesn't inhibit your movement like chainmail.

　The male clerk points to a mannequin wearing chainmail with the palm of his hand.
　It's a substitute that should be called a chain shirt in shape, but there's nothing about it that catches your eye.

'I'll take that one.
Thank you. Just a reminder. These chainmails are made of adamantite alloy and are highly durable, but please do not wear them over bare skin.
Okay.

　Maybe they'll rust from sweat or get their flesh caught in the chains.

Then there's your clothes and your underwear.
Right this way, then.

　A male clerk led him around the store.
　Makoto stopped in the middle of it.

'How can I help you?'
...about this coat.

　Makoto pointed to the coat the mannequin wore.
　It's a glossy black coat.

''This is an ordinary coat. The price is 100A.
You do the same.
I'm sorry, sir.

　Later, Makoto bought some clothes and underwear and left the store.