Chapter 141: The Children Came Over

Chapter 141: The Children Came Over

After two or three days of opening my shop here, Dagashi Yahagi became crowded with children after school.

Many of them were from the Adventurer Academy, with a few from the Royal Academy.

The ratio of children between the two schools is about nine to one.

The three most enthusiastic regulars are Kurtz, Gort, and Kikka.

They are 14-year-old, energetic middle schoolers from the Adventurer Academy.

Kurtz is the leader of the three.

Gort is quiet, cool and good-looking.

Kikka is a girl who seems to be taking good care of the two boys.

The three of them are at my shop today, filling their baskets with snacks.

[Oh, you’re buying a lot today huh.]

[Our practicals were finally starting tomorrow.]

Kurtz’s face was a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

[When you say practicals, does that mean you’re going to dive in the dungeon?]

[Only to the 1st Underground Floor though.]

The 1st Underground Floor is full of weak monsters that even I can handle, but that doesn’t change the fact that they would be standing beside mortal danger.

[Then, you guys will have to be well prepared. Buy dagashis not only for their taste and your preferences, but also for their effects.]

[Unnn, we’re limited to 500 rims for snacks, so we’ll have to examine them carefully.]

There are about 90 first-year students in the Adventurer Academy’s middle school side.

Their practicals are done in teams of six.

It’s a little worrying, but I’ve heard that instructors are placed in various locations, so I suppose it would be alright......

[Even so, everyone seems to be enthusiastic.]

[The money and magic stones from your hunts will be used as our pocket money, so we’re really fired up.]

I see, so that’s how it is.

[When I get some pocket money, I’ll definitely buy equipment and weapons for my Zako Mk. II! Nippers too.]

Hou, Kikka likes Zako huh.

Maybe I should introduce Merle to her sometime.

They’ll probably hit it off with each other.

[Yahagi-san, what kind of snacks do you think we should buy?]

Cool Gort calmly asks for advice.

I heard that Gort has quite a few fans.

Well, he certainly does look like the guy who would be popular.

[I’d basically say the large round candy and 10-rim gums. I also think you should bring some Moroccan Yogul to heal wounds and grape-flavored powdered juice as a precaution in case you get cursed.]

Gort obediently puts those items in his basket.

[You may not need them now, but I recommend cocoa cigarettes to enhance team coordination, and some monster smoke to reduce the risk of retreat would be useful too.]

If they’re gonna hunt on the 1st Underground Floor though, they probably wouldn’t need those things yet.

[Any other suggestions?]

[Well, there’s also my new product.]

Product name: Milky Bolo

Description: A dagashi with a mysteriously satisfying texture——— crispy on the outside, but melts in your mouth the moment you put it in your mouth. Eating it raises your defense.

Price: 20 rims

This is a long-selling product that has been around since my grandparents’ generation.

It’s cost-effective and has the ability to be a part of the dungeon exploration snacks.

It’s also attractive because it can be eaten quickly in an emergency.

[With its price, I’d like to buy at least one.]

Gort also had a Milky Bolo in his basket.

[Good grief, can’t even get into the dungeon without relying on these sh*tty cheap snacks.]

Just when I was thinking that was quite the sarcastic voice, a boy wearing the Royal Academy uniform was standing by the door.

He was probably about the same age as Kurtz and the others.

His silver hair was pulled back all the way and brushed behind his head.

[Keh, here comes trouble.]

Mumbling something to himself, Kurtz glared at the boy.

[Hah, a 20-rim snack? How is this going to help in a dungeon exploration?]

When the boy feigned surprise with an exaggerated expression on his face, the boys following him, seemingly his lackeys, laughed.

[Geez, I’m doubting your sanity. If I were you, I would never rely on such pathetic snacks. My pride would never allow it. This is why adventurers are unmanageable.]

Hmmm, someone’s interrupting my business.

Interrupting everyone’s fun is also not an admirable act.

It’s annoying to have them here until opening time, so I guess it’s time I deal with them here.

Well, I’m sure we can work something out if we talk.

I’ve dived into the dungeon and fought on a battlefield, so I’ve acquired some courage unlike when I first arrived in this world.

[What are you doing in front of my shop?]

I called out from behind them, and they got up in a hurry and put on airs.

[Are you the owner of this store?]

[That’s right, but have you come to buy snacks? I haven’t opened up the shop yet.]

[Fool, who the heck wants to eat your snacks? We are envoys of Viscount Parmanen. I heard that our young master was humiliated by you! How do you want to settle this?]

What they’re doing doesn’t feel noble-like at all, acting more like yakuzas.

Are they telling me to pay them money by any chance?

Or perhaps, are they simply trying to destroy my shop?

Well, not like that’s possible with the barrier around.

[Even if you tell me that———–]

I started to talk, trying to tell him to back off, but one of the guys looked at me and the signboard of my shop, before turning pale.

[W- Wait! This man is......]

[What now?]

The pale-faced man gulped.

[Umm, are you perhaps Count Yahagi?]

[Unnn.]

This guy knows what I look like huh.

In that case, we can settle things here easily.

[I- I belonged to the 2nd Regiment of the Northern Army!]

Ahh, he must have seen me during the war.

[What are you talking about?]

[I- Idiot. He’s the country’s National Hero, Count Yahagi.]

[Ahh?]

[The Hero who vanquished the monster wave with his mechanical dragon, Count Yahagi!]

[Ahh!]

It seems that both of them had stumbled upon my identity.

[We had been extremely rude. W- What’s the Count doing here?]

[This is my shop. I don’t want the children to be intimidated by my identity, so I’m not telling anyone that I’m a Count. Can you keep it a secret?]

[O- Of course!]

[So, what do you want?]

[N- N- Nothing. Please excuse us!]

Ah, they ran away.

Well, that should put a stop to their harassment.

For the time being, settling this matter like that is fine.

I started preparing to open my shop in time for the evening as usual.

Incidentally, when I was closing my shop that night, Marl and his father came over.

Marl had a bruise on his face, probably from getting hit.

Both father and son were apologetic, but I had already reported this incident to Prime Minister Essel by assembly glider.

I can’t forgive Marl for destroying commoners’ stores after all.

He should be investigated and brought to justice.

Even when things are like that, we still managed to resolve things in a more peaceful way.

If Michelle had heard about this, the Parmanen family, both the child and his parents, would be in a lot of trouble......

<Translator’s Notes>

Milky Bolo: Based on Milk Bolo

Kurtz

Gort

Kikka