Chapter 115 – [Porter] Harvest Day Approaches
While I was breaking Arin’s defense little by little, Hero’s group arrived at the next village.
Since it was an ordinary village without any problems for the first time in a while, the warrior declared that he would rest here for a day.
At least I was still the porter of this party, so as soon as the morning dawned, I took Seria to settle the by-products.
Wouldn’t the hero be very offended if he even looked at us?
There was no need to aggravate the situation, so I decided to leave early in the morning.
The next day, when I left the room, being careful not to wake up the hero, Seria, dressed up so hard, was waiting for me.
“I’m going to work.”
“Oh, I know…”
Seria said she knew, but she glanced at me expectantly.
I imprinted on her a few times that I was her owner, not a lover, but even so, she tried to subtly pretend to be my woman every time I had an opportunity like this.
What… It is true that there is nothing to do after the by-products are settled, so it might be okay to give it some time.
A whip alone cannot tame a person.
But I went down the stairs without bothering to show that fact.
Seria managed to notice her and followed me with her smile on her face.
“You both woke up early.”
“Uni, what’s wrong?”
On the first floor, Yuni sat with her face less awake from her slumber.
“Huh… When Eric comes down later, I’m going to visit the market together…”
“You are too eager.”
Seria laughed and said so.
It’s true, it’s just a sweet couple.
I didn’t like the way she clung to the hero, but it wasn’t her time yet.
I passed her without much regret.
“Are you going to sell ingredients?”
“Ah… Yes, it is.”
After a while, she spoke to me.
Come to think of it, it seems really simple.
In the past, I used to talk to you from time to time.
Yuni must have been less awake. She was blank for a moment. She looked at me and said,
“Have a good trip.”
“Yes, my lady too.”
***
A smile appeared on Seria’s face as she came out of her settlement.
“Master, do you have anything else to do?”
I asked because I knew it wasn’t there.
It was a cute judo interrogation, so I laughed without even realizing it.
Did you even aim for this?
“No, no. And as I say, you are not like my lover…”
“I know. That someone like me can’t stand on equal footing with Master.”
She was still standing about three steps behind me.
I didn’t like the silence for some reason, so I spat out a single sound.
“Well, that’s all you need to know. Follow me.”
“… Yes!”
Seria followed me with a happy voice.
But I said this, but where are you going?
I pondered as I walked for a while.
Umm… Did you say the market was open?
To be honest, walking around a place like that isn’t very pleasant.
What’s so fun about spending my own money among people?
Originally, when I had to go to the market, it was one of two things.
Stealing the wallets of unsuspecting passers-by, or shoplifting.
Well, it was difficult for me to live at that time, so I had no choice.
Now that I have Seria, I won’t do such an ugly thing.
I took her to the place where her market was opened, with the mind of giving her ceria her reward.
After wandering around with her for a while, I noticed her familiar long blonde hair.
“Ah, it’s Arin, master.”
“I can see too.”
The other side didn’t seem to notice us, but she was bending over her trinkets.
I didn’t have any intention of doing anything with Arin today, but seeing her doing that makes me greedy again.
But unfortunately, I already told Seria what she said.
“Come on, Master. I’ll look around and go in.”
She seemed to care about her for nothing, so when I glanced at her, her expression was calmer than I thought.
There didn’t seem to be any regret or anything like that.
It just seemed like a natural reaction.
If not, it would mean that Seria has become so good at acting that even I can fool myself.
“Didn’t you want to go out with me?”
“The master’s will is more important than mine.”
That was the right answer.
But is this her true intention?
“What do you think?”
“It’s the same.”
As I looked at Seria for a moment, she added her words.
“Hmm… It might have been a little disappointing in the past, but now I am the master’s slave before being a woman. I sincerely put my master first.”
It was admirable, and I felt a little delicate about the fact that she had been ruined this far.
She is no longer the former Seria.
Seria of the past was as good as dead.
If that’s the case, maybe I’m something like a murderer after all.
I had such a useless feeling.
“Okay… Well, if you say so.”
I suddenly looked at the seat in front of me.
They also sell jewelry.
“One with this.”
“Oops, thank you.”
Seria looked at me curiously as I was suddenly buying one of her necklaces.
Instead of answering the look in her eyes, I threw her the necklace she had just bought.
“You’ve worked hard so far, and I’m giving it to you to do better in the future.”
“… Thank you.”
Seria looked at her necklace for a moment with a bewildered expression, and then she smiled and held it tightly in her arms.
“Today will be a pleasant day.”
With that said she walked away with her gun-gazing.
I approached Arin while watching Seria walk away.
“Take a good look at this. Have you ever seen metal that shines like this?”
“Wow, first time seeing you!”
“Yes! It will, because it’s not a metal that comes out of nowhere! If you make something like a necklace or a ring out of this, it’s just, big… ! It kills me.”
Arin was talking to a merchant holding some strange-looking metal.
I don’t know the circumstances behind it, but I think I’ll fool myself stupidly if I leave it as it is.
“Oh, wait a minute! Let me show you a few more!”
As if the merchant wanted it this time, she went to the back and rummaged through the goods.
Meanwhile, I approached her and spoke in her low voice.
“Don’t be fooled by all of that.”
“Oh… You were surprised.”
Arin was startled when she saw my face, and she immediately put her hand on her chest and wiped her surprised chest.
“Look at this, this! … Hey, is the person next to you in your group?”
The merchant, who had been bringing something that looked similar to the one before with a smirk, looked at me and was immediately taken aback.
“It is.”
“That… Okay. Haha…”
“So what is it? Very interesting, can you explain it again?”
He must have realized from my expression that it was a crisis, so he couldn’t say anything while sweating profusely.
“Let’s go.”
“Oh, wait… Oh, thank you!”
Seeing my back as she left first, she was taken aback, then she roughly apologized to him and followed me.
“… I am not fooled by such tricks.”
The first thing she said was this.
Are you resentful that you were helped by me?
“Why did someone you know do that?”
“It would be embarrassing if I pointed it out head-on. Fraud is a sin, but embarrassing people is not very dignified.”
I don’t think it’s very dignified to pretend you don’t know when you know it…
I had that thought for a moment, but I decided to keep it in my heart.
“So, what are you doing? To me… This, even if it’s strange…”
“No, there is no particular reason. I felt like I was being deceived, so I came here because I felt sorry for him.”
At that, Arin seemed to realize that she had misunderstood her, and she sighed and said a word.
“You have been very helpful. I… I can handle this on my own.”
For some reason, Arin’s attitude seems a little strange, but she passed first.
When I didn’t say much, she added her words as she crossed her arms, perhaps feeling even more embarrassed.
“I’m used to it because I’ve been to the market a lot. I’m not the first to experience something like this…”
“Yes, yes. Okay.”
I just cut her off and continued walking.
Arin asked in a trembling voice as I continued to walk somewhere.
“I-over there… Where are you taking me? Somehow the road seems to be getting narrower…”
I think I know what Arin is misunderstanding, but in fact, she didn’t have a specific destination.
She was just walking without thinking.
However, if I told this truth straight away, it would be like putting on a cool image and then eating it myself, so I hurriedly looked around and looked for an excuse.
What I found was a merchant who sold clothes.
“If you’re thinking strange thoughts, it’s never going to happen…”
“Clothes.”
“Yes?”
“Look at some clothes and go.”
“… What are you going to buy?”
No, I’m just going to watch it.
As I approached her seat, Arin also followed me from behind.
“Would you like to present one to Seria? She didn’t look like that, but she cares more about her than I thought.”
“No, it’s not really like that, so don’t say anything weird.”
Arin laughed.
“Hey, come on. There are many pretty clothes here.”
I let the merchant’s greeting pass through one ear and pretended to inspect the clothes appropriately.
At the same time, I sneakily looked at Arin, and she also reduced her interest in me and instead looked at her clothes one by one.
I was praising myself saying it was not a bad improvisation, but the merchant quickly realized that I wasn’t the one to open my wallet and instead attached to Arin and secretly induced him to buy it.
“How about this? This is another popular outfit in the west…”
Arin’s gaze, which was looking at her clothes without much thought, suddenly stopped somewhere.
The merchant quickly brought the clothes.
A bold design with open shoulders and a slight sheer cleavage.
It’s like a dress I’ve seen somewhere.
The moment I saw that, I realized the sense of incongruity in Arin’s behavior.
“You have a good eye! Bold yet elegant is another charm of this outfit!”
“…”
Arin’s gaze was nailed to the clothes.
I walked up behind her and whispered softly.
“That doesn’t mean you become Seria.”
“… Hee!”
Arin jumped up and ran after her.
The startled merchant almost dropped her clothes, but managed to pick up her clothes before dropping them.
“Oh no! Suddenly what, what…”
“Wasn’t it? Then don’t.”
As I smiled, Arin’s face flushed.
I knew it.
Arin was anxious.
Could it be that the reason she doesn’t even lift a hand at her is because I lack charm?
I’m doing well with Seria.
“Uh… I understand that you are not living.”
The merchant put her clothes back in their place with her sad face, perhaps sensing her mood.
Arin cares more about her appearance than others.
Of course, she must be confident in her own looks and charms.
But since a brute like me only becomes indifferent in front of her, I think that’s what I’m thinking.
Was there anything I lacked?
And at the same time, I must have thought this.
Does Seria have a charm I don’t know about?
The best way to find out is to follow her.
The reason why her tone and behavior were somehow uncharacteristic of her and why she showed interest in Seria and the clothes she was likely to wear was because of this.
I didn’t expect this either.
Of course, for me, it was a good result, nothing bad.
