CH 40

Chapter 40 – To the Capital of the Empire (3)

This was  recurring thought in my head while entering, but

“Is it that big of a deal for a dual specimen to walk around Zeros?”

Everytime I passed by, people either gaped their jaws wide open or pointed their fingers at me. Everyone seemed shocked.

“I apologize. It’s so embarrassing.”

Arje didn’t know what to do as she watched them. A good thing was that because of Arje’s mask, people who made eye contact with her were creeped out and stopped looking and resumed what they were doing.

Of course, among them were

“Lady, you are carrying around a rare dual specimen. Do you have any plans to sell it over?”

“How much is it to do it once with that dual specimen? I will make sure to pay well.”

Ones who approached thinking that Arje was my owner.

“Aris.”

And everytime that happened, Arje called my name in a faint voice, and

“Okay.”

I stepped on the foot of those who talked like that.

“Ahhhh!”

And the men, while they were either screaming or in pain, remarked:

“How dare you! Do you know who I am?”

Got angry or

“Do you want to die?

Threatened, and

“Guards! This dual specimen is attacking a human!”

Said all kinds of things, but

“So, take your hands off this bunny. She is mine.”

From Arje’s words, they all had to step away while limping. I was worried that the guards would take me, but they assumed that Arje would take care of the matter being my owner.

“So, I am yours?”

I laughed my eyes out from Arje’s last comment.

“No! Of course you don’t belong to anyone! I just thought that they would let go after I said that. I’m sorry if it was offensive.”

Arje got flustered and apologized.

Arje seemed to be unwelcoming to the idea as if she had bad memories associated with bars. Come to think of it, I had never seen her drink.

“You don’t have to drink. I’m just here to get information.”

From my words, Arje made a dragging noise.

“That’s not it…but…okay. Let’s check it out. It could be okay.”

I felt a little weird from what she said, but we walked inside.

Ring! 

When we went in, there were no customers, and the middle-aged man who appeared to be the owner was checking inventory.

“Sorry. We start business at sunset.”

The man who had just made an apologetic face turned sour as soon as he turned around.

“A dual specimen!”

The man ran to the front and blocked us as if he were stopping us from getting inside.

“Sorry, but please return after putting the dual specimen slave into the cage in the barn in the yard.

Then he politely led Arje. A barn cage. Was he referring to the storage that looked like it was going to collapse any minute?

“Whaaat?”

Arje’s voice got louder, as if she felt sorry for that.

“There’s no choice! Dual specimen cannot enter the bar!”

But the owner stood firm. The city in which I met Arje at least offered drinks and food in the end, although I did have to fight. Was it because this was the capital? This place blocked my entrance from the beginning.

“Aris! Let’s go! I do not want to stay in this kind of place any longer!”

Arje walked outside of the bar right away.

“You get out, too!”

The bar owner shouted at me, as if he had stepped on shit.

“Shut up!”

I stepped on his foot, from how loud he screamed into my ears.

“Ahhh!”

The owner fell as he grabbed onto his foot. 

“I will report you to the soldiers!”

And he threatened, but

“Fine, then. If you are so mad about getting stepped on by a dual specimen girl, you can tell my owner, or the soldiers.”

I shouted confidently as Arje taught me, and

“Just get out! Now!”

The owner just shook and kept shouting to get out.

“Hmph. What a show.”

And so Arje and I entered various bars, but they all reacted the same, and everytime the foot of the bar owners did not survive.

“Really, if I could, I would love to go far away from this place. I prefer Profin, where we were able to walk around freely.”

Arje now started to hate the city and even her own country in which she was born.

“No, it’s quite entertaining, this city.”

I tried to cheer up Arje.

“There’s no need for you to make it up with words. Should we go back to the ship now?”

Arje seemed ready to give up and return to the ship.

“No. We still have one more place.”

I pointed towards the bar that seemed more shabby than the other ones.

“…That place must be the same. I mean, just look at it. It can only be worse.”

She must have thought that since the luxurious bars refused us, this one wouldn’t take us either.

“Who knows? They say not to judge a book by its cover.”

I walked confidently inside of the bar, past Arje. If it didn’t work out, I will just step on their foot, too.

“You are in business, right?”

The inside of the bar was just as it appeared on the outside. It was shabby and it wouldn’t be awkward to see swarms of bugs swimming inside the glasses.

“So it’s you. The bunny who crushed the foot of all bar owners.”

The grandpa who seemed to be an alcoholic greeted us.

“Do you want one, too?”

I asked while smiling, but he just continued drinking while laughing. He didn’t appear as an owner.

“I would rather have a bunny like you step on my back for a massage, but it’s not going to happen. Fine. So, you want a drink at a bar like this?”

This man must be the owner, and he seemed to be pretty welcoming.

“Yes. I’m here to get some information.”

Then the grandpa looked past me.

“Tell that miss over there to come in. Why is she just standing there?”

From his words, Arje stepped in awkwardly.

“I guess they won’t kick you out here.”

Arje seemed surprised.

“Of course. Why would I kick out a guest who hasn’t visited this place for a hilw? Still, unlike me,  since there will be people who would not welcome a dual specimen, I have one condition for you to follow.”

The grandpa looked at Arje, then me, repeatedly.

“If you two swap clothes, I think you will be able to drink. The two of you have similar physiques, and the robe will be enough to cover those ears.”

I thought it was a great idea.

“You’re not planning something, right?”

Arje asked, with suspicions.

“If you don’t want to, you are free to go. Only regulars come to this place anyways. Also,”

The grandpa smiled. 

“I think that the best place to get information is this place. There’s not a thing that I don’t know.”

The alcoholic grandpa seemed to be pretty confident about information.

“Arje, let’s switch clothes.”

“Will you be okay?”

Arje asked concerningly, but I nodded. 

“I don’t think there will be anything that causes problems.”

So we went into a different room and changed. There still was one problem…

“Huh? You want to change together?”

“What’s wrong? We are girls. Also, I have already seen you naked before.”

This was the problem. I would try my best to not look at Arje naked while I turned around, but I couldn’t block my view completely.

“You don’t have to be so adamant because I’m a royalty.”

Arje must have thought that the reason why I tried not to look was because she was an empress. That was not the case. Ah, she really must think highly of herself.

“You look good, Arje.”

Arje, who was wearing my swordsman clothes, fitted well into the style, although not as much as me. I guess because she still kept her mask on? She seemed like one of those characters with a long back story.

“Thank you.”

When Arje and I got out of the changing room, the grandpa had already prepared drinking glasses for us.

“So, what are you trying to find out?”

The grandpa jumped right to it.

“I’m not sure if we can ask this, but”

Arje hesitated. She seemed hesitant about asking about Pucci so directly.

“There’s no such thing as information that you can ask about, and one that you cannot. It only matters if that information has much value.”

Was this guy even a bar owner? I was doubting his identity.

“Then do you know about Pucci? I heard that he’s in the city.”

Arje and the grandpa looked at me with wider eyes, since I asked so bluntly.

“Pucci? That slave trader”

The grandpa just chuckled. Then he leaned towards me and looked directly into my eyes.

“To call him who-must–not-be-named so bluntly. And especially as a pretty dual specimen girl like you. I guess you want to become a slave?”

“No, not really.”

When I looked right back at the grandpa, he smiled and fixed his position.

“Then why are you looking for Pucci? It’s not like you are trying become a slave.”

Then I showed him a little bit of my sword.

“What else? It’s to kill.”