CH 44.5

I’m about to ready myself for battle, but I look around my surroundings as I feel some sort of gaze at me.

「… ’tis been donkey’s years since Ah’ve ‘ad a visitor.」

As if buried in the rock wall of the rocky mountain, there is a stall with a store appearance that I have seen before.

With the chin resting on the elbow on the counter, the one staring at me is a long-eared Owner-san of indeterminate age.

The looks are exactly like that of Suke-san, who called herself a spirit.

It’s just that, with a kimono and a smoking pipe, she boasted an elegant harlot style, but with a gray sweatshirt and a pair of round glasses, she seems not very refined at all.

I wonder if she has an image change or something.

「Long time no see?」

「Ah’ve never met yer before, yer nu.」

「Hmm. My apologies. You look similar to Suke-san, so….」

It seems to be a different person, or rather, a different Spirit-san.

「Ah, 『＊＊＊＊＊＊＊(Skeggiold)』, ‘uh. Quite de familiar name oi got ter ‘ear dare. She an’ oi are ‘ard tack born from de seem model, after al’. ’tis only natural dat we luk alike.」

「I see…」

「Yeah…. For yer ter nu ‘er name, dat cud only mean she towl yer ‘erself, looks loike she liked yer quite lashings, ‘uh.」

Humph, the snorting Spirit-san crosses her arms.

「All roi den, let’s git down ter de business. Flog or buy?」

「No, about that….」

I just happened to be passing by, so I don’t particularly, not have something I need, I guess.

「I’m looking for some eggs and pepper, but….」

Kurumi-senpai was depressed, saying that she should have brought a lot more.

Pepper is as expected indispensable for cooking meat, which can be secured in bulk here.

With this, the spice shortage is solved.

Moreover, eggs will also probably be necessary for when we decide to fry some cutlets.

The herbs such as bouquet garni are locally produced by Akehi-senpai, but when it comes to steak, as expected I want to have plenty of pepper on it.

「This is de first time i’ve met an eejit who wud order somethin’ loike dat whaen they meet a stall spirit inside de dungeon.」

She ends up letting out an exasperated sigh, but she still places a basket full of large-sized eggs and a small bag that seems to be filled with pepper on the counter.

With no sign of looking for them whatsoever, like a magic trick, it looks as if she pulled them out from under the counter.

Perhaps it is a skill of the Stall Spirit-san or something.

「Come to think of it, excuse me. For the payment currency, will it be in dollars… euros?」

Appearance-wise, Spirit-san doesn’t look like Japanese, so I have a hunch that perhaps she is someone from Europe or somewhere around there.

「…. Even if yer pay me wi’ such a tin’, it’d chucker me nathin’ but trouble.」

To begin with, I don’t have either of them with me, or rather, it doesn’t seem like I can use Sen, the academy’s local currency either.

「More or less, as a substitute for currency inside de dungeon, we use waaat yer guys call crystal.」

I see, then damn me.

In this raid area, even if you defeat a monster, it won’t turn into crystal.

「Well. I’ll accept an equivalent exchange. Go bate sum monsters an’ brin’ dem back ter me.」

「I see. Then, right away.」

I take out the Ushi-oni that I just happened to hunt on the way here in front of the store with a thud.

As for why one of the legs is for some reason missing, I think Yuki-chan has probably plucked and boiled it again.

She’s quite the glutton.

「That’s item box, ‘uh. Quite de bizarre skill yer were made ter learn dare.」

Spirit-san is as one would expect surprised, but it was her colleague Suke-san who gave me the skill.

「Well, ‘oy oi shud put it. Such a newly established flawed skill, it ‘as yet ter even a go into an orb. It’s a useless skill dat not only eats up too much domain, ’tis too risky ter use even if yer optimize (defrag) it. Waaat de ‘ell is dat guy tinkin?」

「It is convenient in its own way. I think it’s a much more useful skill than Interface.」

Frankly speaking, they both seem to be beta versions, so I’d like to have a version update.

Spirit-san, who stares at me as if glaring fixedly at me, lets out another sigh.

I think her happiness is going to run away.

「… Indeed, if it’s yer, oi suppose you’ll be able ter use dem. ‘owever, well, relyin’ on skills too much is loike a double-edged sword. Skills are ultimately jist loike trainin’ wheels. So if yer forcefully embody yisser latent abilities through de use av dees skills, unless yer properly train yerself, you’ll only git swung raun by yisser own power. Especially authority (divine), yer ‘av ter be wide wi’ it.」

「I see.」

Spirit language is as difficult to understand as Mikan language.

「We’ve done sum further optimizashun, so let me update dem. In a way, ’tis also a way av wipin’ our asses after al’. De so-called after-sales service.」

Grabbed by the hand that’s nimbly reached out toward it, the Ushi-oni is tucked into the counter.

It boasted dimensions that should’ve made that impossible to happen size-wise, so it feels like watching a magic trick.

Perhaps the missing of the leg has affected the assessment, as the number of eggs has ended up getting reduced a bit.

Spirit-san is one merciless personage.

「Stop sayin’ dense things an’ gie me yisser ‘an’ at once.」

I grab Spirit-san’s hand as told, connection on.

The tingling feeling as if an electric current has been passed through me is nostalgic.

If the last time was an installation, I guess then this time is like an update patch.

The uncomfortable feeling like having the inside of my body being rewritten is as much, painful.

*Buzz* Such a shock throws my hand off Spirit-san’s.

It feels like a sense of rejection, or rather a forced shutdown.

Spirit-san’s eyes, widened in surprise, are turned toward my side rear.

「…! …! …!」

When I turn around, I see that Yuki-chan, who has imposingly pulled her upper body out of the air, is furious.

She raises her hands in the air in protest, fuming vehemently.

I don’t quite get it, but I try to soothe her while apologizing to her.

「… Yer, waaat manner av tin’ ‘av yer let live in yisser item box? Dat Kami-san (God), wha ye git ‘er from?」

To call her my Kami-san (God), another accusing word I’ve got here.

Doesn’t it sound as if I’ve kidnapped and confined a little girl and forcefully made her my little wife?

To begin with, Yuki-chan is free to come in and out of the Item Box, so she should have gone back to her home from time to time, probably meibi.

I placate Yuki-chan, who’s still puffing her cheeks out as her real fury has yet to subside, with a candy.

I have a feeling that in others’ point of view, I might be misunderstood as a kidnapper.

「If you’ve entrusted yisser authority (divine) ter yisser follower, yer should’ve said so from de beginnin’, ye dense?」

「I’m sorry.」

「Just leave al’ de management av de『other realm (inside)』 ter dat kami-san over dare. It’ll be much better than if yer can chucker it yerself.」

I don’t understand about 80% of what she’s saying, but she seems to be dissing me.

Yuki-chan, who has recovered her mood thanks to the effects of the petting and the snack, nods her head in agreement.

In fact, there is no big problem even with the way it is now.

I’m a little curious about what the inside has become like, though.

It seems that Item Box is a skill that is activated with me serving as the origin, so I alone am unable to get inside.

「Well, as for de interface…. Yer can tell withoyt needin’ me ter tell yer, roi? It’s originally an authority dat allows yer ter read everythin’ raun yer.」

「My vision is overflowed with numbers and my eyes are prickling, though.」

It’s like a cyberpunk Hollywood movie with sushi code flowing.

The information data is thoroughly displayed on every single thing within my field of vision, but it’s pointless if I can’t percept and grasp it.

In short, even if detailed information is popping up and flooding in one after another, I have no way of making use of it.

「Originally, most av so’tiz informashun subconsciously selected by yer, yer nu. For de data yer don’t nade, yer can jist delete it loike yer wud any other data.」

Rather than a version upgrade in this direction, I was wishing for functions such as『Are you sure?』 pop up, though.

「Once you’ve gotten used ter it, go an’ take down de boss at once. If yer bate de boss, de『other realm』 ‘ill den disappear. ’tis been a few star periods since oi got stuk in dis place, yer nu. Ah’ve gotten boke av dis view.」

「… If I take it right, you are unable to move on your own?」

「So noisy. Ah’ve given yer a service, so yer ‘av ter take down de boss withoyt fail.」