Chapter 12.2

Crossing over a road that had at some point widened into a stone path, the walls of the city in which they would have to part came into view.

Lara’s jaw dropped at the sight of city walls that greatly dwarfed human height. As the older one, Anna acted as if she was familiar with it.

“If you follow us out a couple more times, you’ll get used to it. I’m not even scared of the patrol guards anymore!”

“Really? I’ve never seen someone armed before…..”

Trembling violently, Lara clung onto Anna’s back. It seemed she must be imagining patrol guards unsheathing their swords, demanding who she was.

With a chuckle, Anna spoke to Bertram.

“Mr. Bertram, you’re used to people like them, right?”

“Though I have seen them last time, I am not familiar with them.”

“What?”

“The level at which the patrol guards are armed is too low. The best they could do was to catch an armed robber. The city walls as well show obvious signs of having been constructed hastily. Looking at its low height and seemingly purposeless finish, I can tell that this is a stone wall they made in a hurry during the….. mmph!”

Anna speedily blocked Bertram’s mouth.

It was a good thing that he was seated. Otherwise, there would not have been a single person on this cart that could reach his mouth to stop him.

Fortunately, the patrol guards did not appear to have heard him.

The village chief grumbled.

“Dang it. Anna, you go climb onto that youngster’s shoulders and stop his mouth if it looks like he’ll spew anymore of that nonsense.”

“….there is no need to exert yourself and climb. I will be more careful with my mouth from now on.”

“Do be careful. That’ll be it for you when you’re gone, but we can’t buy cloth to make garments if not for this city!”

At the city gates, the village chief greeted the patrol guards with familiarity.

The patrol guards motioned towards them with their noses high in the air, but immediately stiffened their faces when they saw Bertram squatted in the cargo area.

“Chief, that man is…..”

“Why? He’s not a bad person!”

“Did he go all the way to your village to repay debts? Nothing frustrating happened?”

“…You men know of it, too?”

“Don’t get me started! A week before, he came in saying he’ll find his debtor and turned our insides out. I mean, he’s not a bad person, but don’t you think he’s a little strange?”

The patrol guards whispered to the village chief, but their voices could be heard where they were. Anna blocked out Bertram’s ears tightly and glared at the guards.

The inspection was completed anyhow. The carriage entered through the gates, and behind, they heard the voices of the patrol guards whispering.

– Coming to sell stuff from the country is annoying, too. They don’t even have tolerable women with them this time.

– Bringing along only kids….

“Chief.”

“What’s the matter, Anna?”

“Can I go hit those fools just once each?”

“Keep that rage and use it when we’re haggling. And Bertram, you follow me, please. I need a guy making a menacing face when I’m selling the wolf pelt.”

Bertram did not refuse, and he went around leather shops with the village chief.

And after making a pilgrimage to all the leather stores in the small city, the chief came back to Anna and Lara, satisfactorily shaking his bag of money.

“Alright, with this much, I’ll drink ‘til my nose is tweaked tonight!”

“Chiiiieeeef? Do you think we left the wolf pelt to you so you could drink? The handle of the hammer we use at the public farm has really worn thin these days.”

“…Beh. I shouldn’t have brought you here, Anna. I’ll be looking at tools, so you and Lara go sell your goods together.”

“Yes, sir! Chief, please don’t just buy a single hammer and get us some nails, too!”

“Aye. Bertram, you should go follow them too.”

The chief pushed Bertram’s back.

Not even moved past half the distance of a hand span, Bertram asked the chief a question.

“This time, do I need to follow Miss Anna and tense my arms whenever they haggle down the price?”

“Anna’s good at negotiating, so no—just lookout for any weird guys for them. There are always villains in the city who aim only for country girls. Pretend you’re Anna’s brother. This is what I usually make Dieter do, but he went and broke his ankle, goodness.”

“Did Mr. Dieter usually act as Miss Anna’s brother?”

“No. He can’t pretend to be anything else but Anna’s whipped husband!”

Snickering heartily, he slapped Bertram’s back.

Anna and Lara were already ahead by a big distance. In a few big strides, Bertram caught up to them.

Anna’s blood sausages were sold very quickly. The butchery that traded primarily with the village’s public farm bought it from her.

Anna was satisfied with the negotiated price, but Bertram tried flexing his arms just in case. As a result, the butchery owner that seemed to be at least similar in weight with Bertram assessed him sternly.

“You look like you worked out only eating lean meat, but make sure to eat some fat, too. That’s how the butchery thrives and therefore the nation.”

“……..I will take your words to heart.”

That was how their conversation with the butchery owner, who thought of all things in life in relation to meat, ended.

‘Was I of no help this time?’

While Bertram was thinking as such—

Pocketing the money she’d made by selling the sausages, Anna grinned as she talked.

“I was always scared of the butchery shop owner every time I saw him, but he’s said some fun stuff because I came with you, Mr. Bertram! Thank you!”

…..Though he could not easily understand it, it wasn’t bad.