CH 355.2

(Another one is coming.)

Moreover, this golem horse is red from head to tail. The only exception to this is the reddish-black horse’s Umakke, which is stretched out to the point of almost touching the street.

The red and partly black golem horse runs lightly past the white golem horse with a graceful movement.

(Oh? A provocation, huh?)

At that moment, I clearly saw it. The red golem horse swung its body to the side for a moment and lightly bumped the tip of its own Umakke against the white golem horse’s.

The old man wearing goggles riding the red golem horse scoffed and bent the edge of his mouth upward. The young man on the white golem horse, on the other hand, is contorting his mouth in frustration.

(Is it the price difference, I wonder?)

I don’t know much about it, but I’m sure there is a difference in grade between the two horses’ brands.

Come to think of it, I think the most recent top-ranked golem horse of the year, Kingdom Champion, was also a red golem horse.

(This feeling of superiority… it’s not bad.)

As a person who controls the highest category of golems of the human race called 『Knight』, I feel like I’m competing for superiority in the lower world.

It would probably sound arrogant if I said it out loud, but if it’s just a thought in my mind, it should be fine.

I shrugged my shoulders lightly and started looking for a store that sold general-purpose golem horses that were not for sport.

(Is this the place?)

What I found was a small store that looked like a toy store. This was surprising, as I had expected it to be a store about the size of a car dealership since its products include golem horses, carts, and carriages.

(But still… these look very finely made, isn’t it?)

The reason I describe it as a 『Toy Store』 is because the show window was lined with what looked like finished plastic models. They are all palm-sized golem horses, carts, and carriages of the same scale.

Since the real thing would take up a lot of space, these miniatures may have been placed instead in the royal capital shopping district, where land costs are high.

(It’s been a while since I feel something like this.)

I love this kind of store, so I went inside immediately.

As I had imagined, there were many glass display cabinets, but the contents exceeded my expectations. Many of the shelves were made into dioramas.

『A golem horse pulling a carriage through the city.』

『Golem horses on the highway pulling a cart full of wheat ears.』

As the cut-out landscapes captured my heart and stirred my imagination. It was then—

(It moved!?)

Suddenly, the golem horse pulling the carriage I was staring at walked away with the city in the background.

It gently turns and disappears behind the background, then emerges from the other side like a sun setting and rising. It must have been set on a looping course.

(Oi oi, there are even people coming out of it!)

A lady escorted by a gentleman gets out of a carriage that stops in front of me behind a partitioned glass panel. Then the empty carriage started to walk away, circled around, stopped again, and this time the two people from earlier got into the carriage.

I watched the scene for several laps and it seemed to be a repetition of this process.

(As I thought, magic is amazing.)

In my previous life, it would be impossible to make a toy or model doll moves as naturally as this.

Incidentally, I realized it was magic because I saw a person who looked like the owner of the store standing behind me in the showcase. He was pointing a short wand at the diorama as if it were a remote control.

「Welcome to our store. What kind of product you are looking for today?」

A small, gray-haired old man asks with a gentle sales smile. When I told him that I would need a golem horse carriage for my daily commute from the outskirts to the royal capital, he led me through the rows of glass shelves.

「Horse, donkey, and pig. I recommend these three.」

With a flick of the wand by the white-haired old man, 『horses walking through the streets』, 『donkeys on a narrow mountain road』 and 『pigs in a field』 start walking.

The reason why he even included the field diorama was because I told him that the house had a big garden, so he probably thought it can also be used for fieldwork.

「Horses are fast but cannot pull heavy loads, while donkeys are the opposite. Pigs are even slower, but can instead dig around in the ground with their feet and snouts.」

I nodded in understanding.

(Let’s go with a horse here. I’m the only one who will ride it anyway.)

Dangorou would be responsible for preparing the soil for the garden and the only cargo I need to carry would be the crops harvested in the garden forest. After telling the store owner that I would go with a horse, next is choosing the carriage.

『A customer who came window shopping without buying anything.』

He probably saw me as such. The small, gray-haired old man offered me a seat and offered me a cup of coffee.

「You won’t need a passenger cart if you’re riding alone, dear customer.」

I guess he’s right since I will be sitting in the driver’s seat. After taking advice and thinking about it, I settled on a set of 『a single golem horse with a cloth-covered cargo cart』.

With a roof, the cargo would not get wet. The customer would have to sit on their butt in the back of the cart, but as long as it can shield them from the sun, wind, and rain, it should be good enough.

「The driver’s seat are all exposed, aren’t they?」

Yes, on the carriage, only me who will be constantly baked by the sun, beaten by the rain, and shivering in the cold wind.

I asked the owner if there was anything he could do about this, but he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head apologetically. It seems that the only thing I can do is wear a thick cloak and a wide-brimmed hat.

「This is the total price.」

I nodded at the numbers written on the paper offered to me. I was told that it would take some time to make the golem, as they were going to order it from the golem workshop which would start the production process.

I paid the advance with my merchant guild card and left the store, while the owner bowed deeply behind me.

***

The main street runs through the central square and connects the east and west gates of the royal capital. On the opposite side of the shopping district to the east of the central square, to the west, lies the red-light district which is the pride of the royal capital.

The stage is set in the waiting room of Jayanne’s, one of the three most luxurious brothels in the royal capital. There, Explosive Onee-san, who was about to go to work, was pondering to herself.

(That man might become one of my neighbors one of these days.)

The one she called “that man” is Tauro who is also known as 『Dr. Slime』. She lives in an upper-class apartment complex in the Middletown area and was looking out her window when she spotted him in the vacant lot below.

『I want to set up a vegetable garden and transplant fruit trees.』

This is what Tauro said. He told that to the old woman in charge of real estate at the merchant guild who had also helped her find a place to live

Although it was not yet certain, the vacant lot was probably one of the most likely candidates.

(The fruit tree he mentioned isn’t necessarily an ambrosia tree. But it might shed some light on the mystery of the high-quality fruit that guy brings in.)

Very occasionally, there is a fruit in the worker’s waiting room. They taste so good that even those girls with the high income and social status of 『Workers of the Three Families』 have never tasted anything like them.

They are, without exception, 『a gift from Dr. Slime』.

(…Ugh!)

A cheerleader-like outfit that exposes her navel. She held her abdomen lightly and her face contorted as she remembered 『The Battle to get the Ambrosia』.

(Fighting him is out of the question, I have to find another way.)

By fighting him is, of course, on the bed.

『A great firepower, scraping off the durability of heavy armor.』

She barely managed to win using her signature fighting style. But there would be no next time.

『The fear of being melted alive with a sweet sensation by a slime.』

She herself can’t be sure if her heart could bear such fear.

Her colleague who says 『we still can have a friendly competition on the same level』 with sparkling eyes even after being melted. The 『Light Cruiser-sensei』 as Tauro calls her, is not the same as Explosive Onee-san.

(It’s about time for the play. I need to pull myself together.)

Explosive Onee-san looks at the clock on the wall and tightens her stomach muscles. She leaves the waiting room and heads for the counter in the lobby.

Today’s partner is a middle-aged man with a thick, fat body. He belongs to the upper echelon of the store’s customers, and his stamina, passion, and skill are not to be underestimated, even for her, who sits on top of Jayanne.

「I couldn’t wait for this day to come. Let’s just forget about the shower and get started right away.」

As soon as she enters the playroom, the fat man suggests while licking his lips. Since it is not something she needs to refuse, Explosive Onee-san agrees.

Naked, they stand facing each other on the bed and reach for each other like in a wrestling or judo match.

(He’s so big and heavy. As I thought, the size difference is a big threat.)

Explosive Onee-san, who was unable to defend herself against the body slamming into her and was pushed down and braced, thinks as the fat man licks her all over her body.

But there is no need to hurry. After accepting him with ground techniques, she will be able to show her full potential.

「Ugh」

Or that’s how it should be, but in the moment of invasion, her voice leaks out.

This old man was not the kind who would miss it in a room where there were only the two of them. With a curious look on his face, he began to stir every inch of her insides.

「It’s been a while, but I see your flavor has improved a lot, isn’t it? It’s so sweet and ripe that I can almost taste it melting.」

Under the fat middle-aged man who moves around in a good mood, Explosive Onee-san desperately endures with her lips tightly closed.

She was aware of the cause. It was because of her thoughts in the worker’s waiting room before playing and as a result, her body was overflowing with nectar.

The increased sensitivity had made her armor thinner and the amount of damage she would take had undoubtedly increased.

(It’s coming!)

The heavy artillery of the energetic uncle spews fire inside her body.

However, she’s not called the top of Jayanne for nothing. Even though her armor is a little worn right now, she is able to take all the destructive power and withstand it.

「Let’s continue like this.」

After three deep breaths, the fat, heavy middle-aged man begins to move without rest, like a young man who has just learned sex.

But Explosive Onee-san is not surprised. He’s called 『Vigorous Old man』 because he can go on for a long time without pulling out.

(Today was really dangerous.)

After more than an hour of heated competition, the fat middle-aged man exited the restaurant with great satisfaction. Explosive Onee-san, on the other hand, managed to save face at the top, but after seeing him off, she clutched her abdomen and fell on her knees behind the counter.