Afterwards, I met up with Marina and had a light breakfast as if nothing had happened.
As for this morning's prank, I heard that she was really asleep and it didn't seem to be a problem, but last night was rather awkward or embarrassing in its own way. I don't know if it's because of the way I'm acting, but Marina seems to be subtly acting weird too.
Sometimes she asks me how I'm doing, and when our eyes meet, she seems to scowl.
After breakfast, with Marina and I having some awkward conversations, the two of us headed to the guild.
The Guild (the Chamber of Commerce, to be precise) was reasonably busy even though it was morning. It's said that the city of Elishe is the second free city and that commerce is very active, so it's likely that there are many people using this place. It's a mess of merchant-like men, shopkeepers, and guard slave-like men wandering around the narrow lobby. I thought it wasn't so crowded the last time I was here ....... There may be a reason for this.
That aside, let's get this thing over with.
I told the receptionist, who was available, and she withdrew to the back of the room to wait a moment. ...... This pattern is that one. Toby summoning pattern.
Sure enough, the receptionist seems to have gone to talk to Mr. Toby. A short time later, she returned with Mr. Toby.
And again, Mr. Toby looks at me like he's stinking up the place.
Well ......, the first time was to register with the guild as an amnesiac merchant, the second time was to register as a resident of a mansion that shouldn't exist, and the third time was to meet up with a substitute for the errand merchant, so ....... In fact, it stinks no matter what you think.
It's been a while, Jiro. You've only been in the guild for about three rings since you registered here, and you've already started to deal with the traders? Is the kid in the back ...... a slave? The Turks may be relatively cheap ......, but they're a lot of feathers in the air.
Apparently a ring is six days in a week on our side of the world, so three rings equals 18 days. These are beans.
Well, you know, it just happened.
'It just happened. ....... Well, that's all right, but I've got an appointment to meet Mr. Efta's deputy in the Solo family here, and you're sure it's ......?
'Yes. I haven't set a specific date and time, so I don't know when you'll be here.
'No, actually, he's been shown up once because he arrived last night at midnight or something. He said he'd be back today, so he'll be coming back soon ......, yeah, it looks like he just got here.
Then Mr. Toby signals with his eyes.
I'm going to be the one who is going to be the one who is going to be the one who is going to be the one who is going to be the one who is going to be the one who is going to be the one who is going to be the one who is going to be the best.
It's not just a woman, it's ...... a maid, or ...... a silver-haired person you met in the lounge yesterday, to be clear.
The only difference is that she is wearing a white apron and a headdress, but this is a maid's look. I thought she was some kind of daughter-in-law: ......, maid or ....... No, I like them. I don't know that there's a boy who doesn't like maids.
But I wonder what the Solo family ...... or rather what Efta is thinking about. I don't know what kind of delusional thinking is going on when your proxy is a maid.
No wait, calm down. The fact that she is wearing a maid's uniform in our common sense does not mean she is a maid. It could be that she forgot to take off her apron when making breakfast, or it could be that she's just a fashionista to begin with. Yes, yes. That must be it. Oh no, a substitute for a great merchant is a maid, it's not a moe manga!
A silver-haired maid walks straight over here. When Mr. Toby signaled that he was the right person to represent him, he immediately bowed elegantly and said, "It's nice to meet you," as if he understood the situation.
'How do you do ......, sir, not. My name is Hetty, and I'm here to represent Efta. I am a maid as you can see. I'm sure I'm not very dependable as a young nominee, but I'm looking forward to working with you.
He said he was a maid. As you can see, she's a maid!
I guess I just left it up to the people who were around at random, Efta. Normally, you wouldn't leave your substitute to a maid, would you? No, you're also applying too much of your own common sense to it: ....... If you think too much about it, you'll lose, other worlds are a lost cause.
...... I didn't know they call Efta a young man by the way.
......Thank you for coming last night. My name is Jiro Ayase. I'm Jiro Ayase, and it's nice to meet you.
Jirou-sama. It's nice to meet you too.
Hetty smiles elegantly as she says that. An older, elegantly beautiful maid, huh?
If you think about it, it's so much better than the up-and-coming snarky merchant young man, or the feminine, creepy Solo family relative, or the gangly homos*xual young man who's sent to me. I was rather expecting something like Efta #2 to come along: .......
No, you do a pretty good job, Efta. You're a real can-do kid!
'By the way, where is Lady Diana today? You're not working with them?
Yeah, I heard it's ...... the day of the thing.
'I see, I suppose it's proof that your guidance is progressing: ....... Dear Jirou, is there something wrong?
Huh? Nah, what's that? I didn't have anything to do with it. I did try to be there, that's for sure. What does that have to do with anything?
'Oh, by the way, did you say last night that you were struggling with your relationship with your slave ......? Do you mean to say that you tried to force yourself to hold on to them but they refused and you were having trouble with your relationship with your slave ......? This is a bad idea: ....... This could turn into an inter-species problem. I don't know if one head of Jiro-sama is enough.
'Yeah, yeah, misunderstanding! You're wrong! Stop the association!
Just kidding.
A silver-haired maid who says it with a straight face. When you tell a joke, you better be more joking about it!
◇◆◆◆◇
We leave the guild without a word of greeting.
We were able to meet up with Efta's deputy, and I want her to quickly check out the house and start repairing and maintaining it. It's good to live in a lodge, but it's still uncomfortable, and since the basis of my business is, after all, trade with the world over there, being too far away from my base of operations isn't good.
''Since it's called ......, can you take a look at the mansion once anyway? It's a little far away.
Yes, sir. I've heard that you're a young man. We have a carriage waiting for you, so let's head out on it.
Hetty said and led us to the carriage. I don't know how fast a carriage is supposed to go, but it's probably easier than walking. Oh, I'd like to ask if you can buy a horse for me, but ......, it's better when Deanna is around, that is.
The carriage was pulled by two reed-haired horses, quite ...... no, it was very gorgeous. Two gosha. It's not the open-air type you'd see in a parade, it's the wooden private room ...... that has a roof over its head to make it look like a guest room, the so-called box carriage. The wheel is made of metal, and although the base color is black, it is appropriately decorated with elegant decorations, and to be frank, it does not look like something that a maid of honor would be able to bring to the table, but is this also a Diana effect?
It's a lucky thing for me, so I'm going to take advantage of it without reservation.
Then get in. I think we can get there in about half a yurkha on this leg.
Apparently, a yurkha is about an hour long. These are beans.
The inside of the carriage is gorgeous. The seats are lustrously lined with leather sofas, and the space is spacious, I think four adults can comfortably ride in this carriage.
It's not something that ordinary people would use, but the Solo family must have a lot of money for bringing such a thing. Frankly speaking, a covered carriage is enough for carrying goods.
I was the first one to get into the carriage, but even though I waited to check the feel of the seat and pound on the flooring, no one got in. When I looked outside, I saw Marina standing upright and immobile, and Hetty, who was also just standing off to the side. What are these people doing?
...... Um, what are you doing? Marina too. What's going on?
'Oh, no. Marina hasn't been able to get in, so I'm waiting for her to come on board: ....... 'Um?'
Marina. What's going on? Do you have a propensity for motion sickness? I'm sorry, but you'll just have to be patient there. Come on, we're in, we're in.
When I said that comfortably, Marina opened her mouth with some hesitation.
'...... Marina is a slave. I've heard it said that a slave's presence at the same table as the Lord in a public place will cause the Lord to be laughed at by those around him. Ma, Marina does not want the Lord to be laughed at .......
Whoa.
That's a very cute thing you just said. It's really weird that you have to go through all this trouble to be an a**h*le.
That's completely counterproductive for a guy.
'So what are you going to do about Marina? Are you staying here? Can I just let my husband go?
...... Marina is running and chasing.
I see. But I decline.
I didn't go gallantly ...... but I got out of the carriage normally, grabbed Marina's hand and forced her into the carriage.
I thought he might resist a little, but he was surprisingly quiet. It would be cool if I could pick him up and put him in the seat, but I didn't have enough muscle power to do that.
In the end, I was put in the car. After all, we are slaves, we are doomed to disobey our master.
And Marina doesn't look regretful, but on the contrary, she looks happy. I knew she was a stupid kid.
I'm sure you're right. The idea of not getting into the carriage with Marina is not going to be adopted because I want to ride in the carriage with her.
Well. So Master Giraud has a strong love of slaves. It's not a continuation of what we talked about last night, but really, in cases like this, there are not a few masters who run their slaves.
Some people really let it run: ....... The carriage is already running now, but it's going faster than I thought it would. I think it's at least a bike that's going pretty fast, and it's pretty tough to run and chase after it, or if it's for training purposes, it's just too hard to be sober.
When the time comes when there are thugs or monsters, they'll be too tired to do anything. It's just not efficient.
Marina, it's my first time riding in a carriage. And the village where Marina was living only had wagons.
I've never ridden in a carriage before. I've never ridden in a carriage before, but it doesn't shake as much as I thought it would. I'd like to have a closer look at the mechanism later. ...... The wheels are like that, so maybe the suspension is really good. I wonder if springs exist in the first place: ......
'Master Jirou is very insightful. As you said, this carriage is made of spring bear tendons. For a carriage, it would require about 20 spring-bear tendons, so it's quite a high-class product, this carriage.
Haha, a spring bear? Panay.
We used to see spring bears in the valley near the village where Marina lived. If a human spotted them, they would go buzzing! Bjorn! I'm going to run away.
What is that, a squeal? Does it make a bjorn sound?
Bjorn! Bjorn! He is jumping on the rocks of the river by hand. Sometimes he slips and falls into the river, which is very cute. And his cry is "BANBANENE". "Be-be-be-be-nane.
Marina explains to me with gestures. Marina, who also imitates meows.
I wonder if it's a springy bear because it makes a springy noise. It's a different world.
While we were chatting about such things and looking at the scenery, we soon arrived at the forest where the entrance to the mansion is located. I didn't measure it well, but it wouldn't take me more than 40 minutes. If this is in a carriage, a horse can get there in about 30 minutes.
I got off the carriage and led Hetty-san to the mansion. Come to think of it, this is Marina's first time at the mansion too. It's going to be Marina's own home, so I hope she likes it.
It's a fine ...... mansion, but it looks like it's been long since it was discarded. This seems to be more of a handful than I thought it would be. May I have a look inside, too?
Yes, of course. How about Marina?
It's a big and grand house. The grass is a little greener. How long will you live here, Lord? Is tomorrow?
'No, no, no. We're still going to have it repaired and maintained so that we can live there from now on. I don't know how long it's going to take, but .......
Depending on the condition of the inside, it may take a couple of months. A house that hasn't been inhabited for a long time will inevitably be damaged here and there.
And Hetty.
January is a month over here, and I've heard that about 20 days is January. These are beans.
We're going into the house.
Oh, we should make the mirror room off-limits for now.
I'm going to tell Marina about it, but Hetty, you know.
'Oh, this doesn't seem to hurt as much as I thought. This could be done in a month or so. It might be more of a problem on the outside than the mansion itself.
Outside. In other words, those overgrown weeds that have turned into trees? It's true, I'd like to see the road to the mansion cleared, and it's going to take a lot of time, manpower and money.
"Marina can live well in this house as it is. It's not as good as the house that Marina lived in. The furniture is still there and the rain doesn't seem to be leaking.
I see. But I decline.
The construction of the mansion is arranged today and they will start as early as tomorrow. I still have some time to spare anyway, and I'll come back to look at it when the construction starts.
But first, I need to install a lock on the door of the mirror room: ....... I mean, this is my top priority.