103 - - Episode 101 Walking

I decided to take today off and send Sarah and the others off to explore the labyrinth city, while I summoned Dine and Dolly for a leisurely stroll.

Well, it's time to go. I call out to Dine and Dolly, who are playing with Belle and the others.

"Hey, guys! We should get going.

"Yuta. Where are you going?

"It's a walk, so I don't have a specific destination in mind. We're just going to walk around and take a peek at the places that interest us. Is there anywhere you want to go?

"I want to go to the furniture store. I want to see what kind of furniture they have.

Deanne, in a good mood, came to me with a request. She wants a house in the sanctuary, so I guess she wants to see what's out there. Nomos was enthusiastic, but would it really be designated as a sanctuary?　I have a feeling that the criteria are as strict as those for World Heritage sites.

"Furniture store. The one I know doesn't have that much variety, is that okay?"

"Okay. I'm looking forward to it.

"Well, I'll stop by the furniture store on my walk. Is there anywhere you want to go?

"I don't have a specific place in mind, so I'll let you know if I find one that interests me.

"Yes, sir. What about Belle and the others?"

Yatai, queue, meat, coo...

Yeah. I knew it. Food. We ate a lot of the food we stocked up on, so we should take this opportunity to restock. We should stock up on fruit too, because it's so cute to see Belle and the others giggling and biting at it.

"Okay. We'll buy lots of fruit."

Kah-uh... queue... a lot... coo...

Bell and his friends are delighted to hear the word "buy a lot. They immediately put their heads together and began discussing the stalls they were going to visit, humming and squeaking. We'd like to leave, but I think we'd better wait a bit.

"Okay, let's go!

After Bell and the others finish their discussion, they call out to Martha that they are going out and leave the inn. But this is a big group of people, but to the others, it looks as if they are moving alone.　　　

"Hmmm. It's been a long time since I've been in a city of people.

"Yes, that's right. Especially since I'm mostly in the forest, I haven't been here since I was under contract as a lowly spirit.

"I used to come here by chance on the water, but that was a long time ago."

I wonder how long ago ...... Dolly was a lowly spirit. I wonder how long ago Dolly was a lower class spirit.

I wonder how long ago Dolly was a low-level spirit. I have a delicate feeling about it, and I don't want to know. There are spirits of plants and water in the city, but I guess it is easier to live in the nature where there are more of them.

"Yuta. I'm going that way!"

Listening to the conversation of Dine and the others, we walk leisurely toward the stalls where Belle and the others want to go shopping. However, in addition to the stalls they found on their own, it seems that they are also gathering information from the spirits who reside in the labyrinth city, and they are taken to new stores one after another.

Walking around the labyrinth city as a tourist, you will see many different species. I've come all the way to another world, but I've hardly talked to any of the different fantasy races.

There are elves, dwarves, demons, beastmen, and many other races, but only Marco and Kikka are getting to know each other. I think something is wrong.

There is a nekomimi lady with a "nya" at the end of her name, and a scary, s*xy succubus lady. A beautiful elf who is worried about her poor tits. Isn't the meaning of being in a fantasy world to experience such encounters?

"Oh, Yuta. That's the liquor store, isn't it?"

While I was walking around thinking, Dine spotted a liquor store. I guess that means we should stop by.

（I guess so. I've never been there.

It's a pretty big place. There are a lot of barrels lined up in the back, and the atmosphere is quite different from the last liquor store I visited.

"Yes, let's go there.

Deane heads for the liquor store, looking as if she is about to skip. Dolly follows, smiling. ...... is easy to understand. When we entered the liquor store, a man approached us.

Welcome. Hmm?　We're a liquor store that wholesales liquor to stores, so we don't sell it by the piece, okay?"

They think I came in here by mistake because I'm dressed like an adventurer. Strictly speaking, they're wrong because they didn't know, but they're not wrong because they're buying kegs. But you were a liquor store that wholesales sake to restaurants.

"It's okay, we buy by the keg. Do you mean that you have to be a restaurant owner to sell it to us?"

"No. No. We just don't sell in bulk, but if you want to buy by the keg, that's fine. What kind of sake do you want?"

Like in the liquor stores over there, in this world, labels in bottles are not available, so it is inconvenient to know what kind of sake is available unless you ask, even though there are many barrels on the shelf.

"Wine red and white. I've already decided on ale, but do you have any other suggestions?"

"Other or ...... good one right now is ...... yeah, there's rosé."

Rosé is a pink wine, I believe. It's somewhere between white and red, and in the manga, I think it says the process is such that the skin is removed once the color has been added to the wine?

I look at Dine and the others, and they are smiling and nodding, which means they want to drink.

"Yuta! I want a drink, sis. Besides, can we choose which keg to buy?"

He told me directly. He's very straightforward when it comes to alcohol. Well, I have no choice but to nod. But even in this world, different barrels taste different. I guess it's only natural if the barrels are made in different places, but how can you tell the taste by looking at the barrels?

"Uncle. Can I choose the keg of sake I want to buy?"

"Hmm?　Well, fine, but do you know what you're talking about?"

I don't know. I have no idea. Even the taste is limited to "I might like this.

"Yes, well, I just want to choose for myself which one is better."

"I see. Well, you do what you want."

"Thank you."

I don't know but I'll pretend I'm looking over a barrel. ......It's kind of empty just looking at a keg you don't know the difference between.

But next to me, Dine and Dolly are talking, "Oh this red wine is good," "I'm interested in this one too," "I think it's dry," and so on. What are they basing their judgments on?　Is it some kind of genie power thing?

"Hey, Yuta. How much can I buy?"

(About three barrels of each kind, I think.)

"Yes, sir."

After checking how much they could afford, Dine and Dolly began to seriously consider which barrels to choose. Belle, who was examining the barrels at her leisure, came flying in.

"Yuta. Belle too?"

...... Why?

(Does Belle want to pick out the booze too?)

"Yes!"

...... what should we do? It's hard to say no when you nod with such a big smile on your face.

(...... Okay. Can you just pick one?)

"Yes. I'll choose a great one."

I think as I look over at Bell, who has gone off to choose a drink. I hope she picks a good one, not a great one.

"Yuta. It's decided."

Deanne and Dolly are feeling like they've done it all. They look like they've had a good time. I know it's hard to keep up with a woman's shopping spree, but I never thought I'd get a taste of it at a liquor store. There's a lot of unpredictability in this world.

I call my uncle and tell him I'm buying the barrels that Dene and Dolly picked out, and finally the barrels that Belle picked out, who is waving at the top of the barrels with a big smile on her face.

"You buy this many?　And most of them are very popular. You're not a normal guy, are you?

He looked at me like I was good. I don't like it when people look at me like that.

It's just a fluke. A fluke. How much do I owe you?"

"Hmm?　Yeah, well, there's a lot of expensive booze here, can you afford it?"

I'm picking good stuff, so the prices will go up. Well, I'm a millionaire now, so it doesn't matter. I could buy up the whole liquor store if I wanted to repay Sylphy and the others. I'm not going to say it out loud because Dine might take me seriously.

Don't worry, we have the money.

"Okay, wait a minute. Let's see. ......, that's two million elts in all."

I'm over two million. Is this a reasonable price for a keg of good sake?　I'm a little scared, but I don't show it and pay in cash. I wonder how much it costs to buy a barrel on Earth?　If it were a barrel of a very famous wine, it would be tens of millions of dollars.

"Hello, do you deliver liquor?"

"No. I have a magic bag. Can I store it like this?

After receiving permission and storing all the kegs, I was invited to work in the store. I guess I won't have any trouble finding a job if I have a magic bag. I politely decline and leave the store.

"Yuta! Thank you very much. Can I have a drink with you tonight?"

（Well, I don't mind, but my room is small, you know?　(Also, I'm going back to the labyrinth tomorrow, so only one keg.)

"I'm fine. No problem. Mmm-hmm. What shall we drink? What do you want, Dory?"

Deanne's buoyant. Well, it's good to be in a good mood. As I was walking along listening to Deanne and Dolly's discussion, Huku came flying in.

She has run into some trouble. In case of emergency, Sylphy will come with Sara and the others, so it's not such a big problem.

(FUKU-chan. (FUKU-chan... I'm sure you'll be fine with Sylphie... but you guys aren't hurt or anything, are you?)

FUKU-chan nodded her head. Thank goodness she's not hurt.

（Are Sarah and the others going back to the inn?)

FUKU-chan nodded her head again. I'll just nudge her because she's so cute.

（Okay. You can go back to Sara and the others. Thank you.)

We see Fuchu fly away and tell everyone we are going back to the inn. I'll see you at the furniture store next time.

****

"Heh. He's on our side. But I don't know whether I should be thankful ...... that his friends kidnapped Sarah and the others, or I should be angry that he's the leader of this group and should at least take control of his own people. What did Sara think?"

"Me?　As for me, he didn't seem like a bad person, but he did seem like a person who made a lot of assumptions."

"I see. Hmmm. ......"

That's a very troublesome guy if he makes a mistake. Oh, I've already made a mistake and spread a bad reputation. But he was going to warn Sara and the others, so it doesn't look like there's some kind of conspiracy going on now that he knows about me.

I have to be careful, because a bad guy might take Sara and the others hostage and ask them to get the labyrinth materials. For the time being, it would be better to have the Great Spirits accompany Sara and the others on their holidays.

But Carl or ...... is not someone I want to have anything to do with in the future if possible. If I go to the Adventurer's Guild now to check on him, I might get involved, so I'll just have to check on him tomorrow before I go to the labyrinth. I hope they don't call me or anything.

But I hope the guild will realize that I'm wholesaling materials. A great spiritualist appears... Maybe it's him!　I'd love to see that happen. I don't think that's gonna happen.

I'm starting to sound like a guy who has a crush on someone.　Or elementary school kids who harass the girl they like. ...... I don't like the Adventurers Guild, but I feel like we're similar in that I want them to notice and be frustrated.

"...... I get it. I'm sorry I got you into trouble on your vacation."

No, I really enjoyed my vacation. Hey, Marco. Kikka."

"Yeah. It was fun to see the old man, and to see all the places, and to see Sylphy's amazing things."

"Well, I'm glad you had a good time. I'll take another break in a few days. So what's so great about Sylphy?"

.................. Sylphy. I don't know if that's punishment or torture. Well, those who kidnap children deserve whatever happens to them.

We had lunch with Sara and the others who had decided to relax at the inn for the rest of the day, and then Sylphy and the others went straight to the banquet. Unexpectedly, the holiday ended with drinking from noon.