Chapter 111: They Who Hold the Track is Indeed God
When I visited the stand-alone shop early in the morning, Mani-san was sitting idly in the tatami room.
[Good morning. Did you sleep well?]
[Unnn? Who are you?]
[I’m Yahagi. I wasn’t really aware of it, but I’m Yahagi, who had apparently received the Blessing of Commerce God.]
[Eh, is that you, Brother!? You sure have gotten younger, Brother Elmera!]
[That’s not it......]
Mani-san, after gazing at me for a moment, opened his eyes.
[Ohhh...... Yahagi has the Blessing of Commerce God Elmera. He’s my brother, you know? We’re pretty close. If you’re Brother Elmera’s treasured child, then you are like a nephew to me. I have to protect you.]
He just repeated the same thing he told me yesterday.
By the looks of things, tomorrow morning would probably start the same way.
It can’t be helped.
Let’s just take it easy and go along with it.
I don’t know if a God needs food or not, but it would be better if I fed him breakfast, right?
[Mani-san, are you hungry?]
[Unyaa, I’m not hungry. I’m not sure why, but I feel full. Did I eat something?]
He seemed to have forgotten that he had eaten yakisoba.
Well, if he doesn’t want to eat, I’ll just leave it at that.
He’s a God anyway, so he should be fine skipping breakfast.
[I’m going to go to work then. Please make yourself at home here.]
[Work?]
[I’m opening my stall in front of the dungeon.]
[Hohou, in that case, I’ll go with you.]
Mani-san stood up more easily than one would expect from someone who looked like an old man.
All the adventurers had gone into the dungeon, but my shop was still full of customers.
The children, who usually worked for Nakaram-san, had taken the day off.
[Oiiii, it’s about time I close up shop.]
[Ehhh, you can stay a bit longer, right? Please, Yahagi-san!]
[You sure are hopeless.]
In this world, 12 to 13-year-olds are already treated like adults.
In Luganda, they aren’t required to do hard labor, but they also work hard to earn their daily bread.
Though I say that, they probably still want to have fun.
I guess I’d let them enjoy themselves to the fullest today.
[It can’t be helped. Just for today, okay?]
[Nice! Hey, let’s have an MF match! Whoever wins treats the other to a 10-rim gum.]
[Challenge accepted!]
[They’re original items I created as a hobby. Is there something wrong with that?]
[No, that’s not it......]
This isn’t Japan, but another world.
Although it strongly resembles “that thing”, let’s not say too much about it.
[Hohoho, come on, children, move and play with these.]
Mani-san waved his sleeve and a race track appeared from the ground.
As expected of a God.
Unnn, even in my childhood, that classmate of mine who got a Mini 4WD track is treated like a God!
The children were happy to get new toys to play with, but then they tilted their heads.
[Hey, how do you play with these?]
[Of course, you race and compete for speed.]
[It won’t move though.]
[What did you say?]
Mani-san took one of the machines and turned it over.
[Oh!? The energy pack compartment is empty......]
[Then, put that energy pack thing in it.]
[Hmmm, indeed......]
Mani-san folded his arms and pondered.
[What’s the matter?]
[I forgot how to make it......]
Oya oya.
[Hmmm, what should we do with that......]
Coming to the rescue of the disappointed children was Michelle.
[Perhaps my research might be of some use for that.]
[Michelle’s research?]
[Don’t you remember? I research magic orbs that accumulate mana.]
That’s right!
If it’s Michelle, she should be able to create energy packs.
[Big Sis, quickly create it!]
[Unnn, unn, quickly, quickly!]
[It can’t be helped then. I have a few prototypes in hand here, so I can adjust the output to fit those Mani 4WDs.]
After Michelle put the small orb she was holding into them, the Mani 4WDs started energetically moving.
<Translator’s Notes>
Sour Grapes Roulette: Originally called “One Out of Every Three Grapes is Super Sour!”, based on “Meichu Beware of Sour Grapes Gum”.
Mini 4WD