Given that we had some goals now, we would resume the adventuring which got interrupted many times. Bennyboy and his guards would apparently head out to sell things and stock up, once they got a little bit more rest. They planned to put up liquor on an auction again, and then would come back after procuring a new batch of spices and rice.
＊
Just as Sword and I were getting ready for departure, Bennyboy showed up, straightened his back, and said, “I was able to earn a huge amount of money thanks to you, and thus I will open a store in the capital in a while.”
Sword and I stopped what we were doing and looked at him.
Hooh. As I thought, any merchant dreams of opening their own store, huh?
“I see. …So you’re going to entrust the stocking of goods to someone else?”
“No, it’s the other way around. I’ll entrust the store to an acquaintance. A merchant is at his best when procuring items as that’s the place for him to show his skills, I believe. …So, I’ve got a request. I’d like you to sell your liquor solely through my store,” Bennyboy asked me with a serious expression.
But, I casually answered, “I don’t mind. I’m indebted to you for having procured what I desired the most. As long as your request isn’t too crazy, I’ll go along with it.”
“I’m very grateful for you to be so accommodating. …Would you allow me to add another request then?”
Bennyboy’s request was about me building a security system for his new store. After all, it’d be the store exclusively selling merchandise that caused people to throw gold coins at it during the last auction. He said that he planned to buy a plot of land in the best district of the capital and that he’d hire guards for it too, but it was still possible that nobles would hire groups of bandits to attack the store, if things went south.
“I see! In that case, I’ll also lease you a Ryoku. But, treat him nicely.”
“That’s a matter of course! Wow, that’ll be a huge help, seriously. With a Ryoku present, it’ll be possible to handle most things one way or another.”
“…I feel like that’s overkill, but well, no helpin’ it. I’d never forgive liquor thieves either!” Sword asserted powerfully.
“Well, I do believe that only a small fraction of nobles would dare to attack my store while knowing that Mr. Sword is backing me, but still…,” Bennyboy muttered.
Is that really the case? …Everyone keeps saying so, but I wonder how true it is?
This mansion seems to still receive attacks every now and then. Moreover, those silly folks always turn up whenever we’re not here…even though it’d be fine if they used the time of us being present anyway to attack.
“Well, if something happens, contact us through the wireless communicator. We’ll come running! I’ll hang up the captured thieves by their feet in front of the store. We’ll run a little test to see how long they’ll be able to survive!”
“No wait, if you do something like that, the number of customers will plummet, so please spare me,” Bennyboy turned down my offer while pleading.
Boooo. Personally I think it’d be better to make an example of them, though.
Well, this whole story isn’t going to happen anytime soon anyway, so I told him to contact me once he decided. Sword and I would head out on our journey in the meantime.
＊
At the time of the departure, we were seen off by everyone, but then I remembered something and turned around, “…All of you, if you wish to become noble servants again, I’ll put in a good word with Damsel Scarlet for you, okay? I’m a fake who only pretends to be like a noble. As you can see, I’ll leave the mansion for long periods of time to adventure. Wouldn’t it be better for you to serve a genuine noble to properly satisfy your own pride as servants?”
For some reason, everyone froze upon my words. Sword looked at me, at the servants, and then smiled wryly.
“That’s Indra’s way of takin’ you guys’ feelings into consideration. We won’t stop being adventurers. We’ll keep goin’ on adventurers. …Unlike nobles. This girl here pities you for not bein’ able to serve a proper noble after seein’ the maids of the ducal family. That’s why you gotta spell it out for her.”
The servants exchanged looks, and after the head maid and butler signaled by nodding their heads, the maids stepped forwards.
“…Lady Indra, we are fully aware that you are kindly taking our feelings into account. For the sake of satisfying those feelings, you have been deliberately acting like a noble while in this mansion. ――But, we do not care whether you might be a noble, a commoner, or something else. We wish to serve you, Your Ladyship. …As long as we are no burden to you, we want to always serve you personally, Lady Indra.”
“If you have any problems with our conduct, we would like you to actually tell us instead of paying us undue consideration. We are not tied down by anything. We are here out of our own free will. To serve you, Lady Indra.”
“――The words mentioned by those two reflect what all of us think. In the first place, we would not be in this mansion, if we were happy with working as a noble’s servants. We only wish to serve you, Lady Indra. And that is the reason why we came all the way here.”
…….
“……I see. I guess I read too much into things. Very well, in that case it’s fine. Do as you like. No matter what you do, no one will blame you. If you want to serve me, then feel free to do so. I will live while doing as I please. So you also live in a way that makes you happy.”
“””Yes, Your Ladyship.”””
……Okay. If they’re happy with it, so be it. I don’t understand what they’re getting out of it, but as long as they don’t regret it, I’m fine with it.
“Okay, we’re off then,” Sword lightly raised a hand. “Leave Indra to me. I’ll drag her on so many adventures that she’ll be fully satisfied.”
I happily nodded at that remark, “Great! Looks like you’re finally up to it, Sword! I’ve been troubled all the time because you’re a petty bourgeois while blathering about being a great hero or whatever, pfft.”
Everyone suddenly broke out into laughter.
“Ain’t like I’ve been callin’ myself like that, though!”
“Gyaaaa!!”
Sword unleashed his iron claw at me with an angry grimace.
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