Chapter 159: Binge-Shopping Souvenirs
Chapter 159: Binge-Shopping Souvenirs
The next day after I played with Haru and Shuichi.
After having breakfast in the morning, as usual, Roomba and I went out to the main street to buy Kagura’s souvenirs.
「So we’re going to the main street today, right」
「Right」
We’ve been walking off from the main street toward the mountain where the shrine is located lately. So my legs were headed toward the opposite direction of the city subconsciously.
While laughing with Roomba about that, we walk down the main street where there are a lot of people coming and going.
「What are we going to buy first?」
「Of course it’s rice. It’s the reason we’re here after all」
「Yeah! Let’s buy a lot of rice so that we won’t have to worry about it running out!」
「But if we bought too much of them then it could spoil, and that would be a waste 」
「It’s fine! I’m going to eat a lot of it anyway!」
Roomba proudly said while patting his stomach in a hearty manner.
Well, to put it simply he wants to eat a lot of rice, huh.
Suppose that, even if Roomba can’t eat them all, I can just bring them to Celia’s restaurant at Koryatt village and the villagers would gladly eat them. There is a growing number of rice fans and people who like to eat Japanese-style food like Logan.
So I guess I don’t have to worry about buying too much rice.
While thinking about that, we headed toward the shop that sells rice where I made an advance order on the first day.
「Welcomeー」
「Have you prepared the rice that I ordered the other day?」
「Yes we do, but do you really have the money?」
There’s a foreign child who came to their place who ordered an excessive amount of rice after all. So they were probably doubtful whether I have the money to pay it or not.
I’ve already prepared something that will be able to exactly resolve it, knowing that something like this might happen
I showed the rice shop’s shopkeeper a piece of paper I had in my chest.
「Please take a look at this」
「Hm? What is it?」
The shopkeeper took the paper and fixedly stared at it.
The paper the shopkeeper is looking at is a certificate of noble’s of a foreign country and also a certificate that explains of me being a member of Toriela Company.
After looking at the document for a while, the shopkeeper nodded at me looking convinced.
「Aah, so it’s a foreign country noble-sama who also have some connection to Toriela Company. 」
「Please send it to the people of Toriela Company in 『Hidamari Inn』. It will also be paid there」
「I understand, then we will send the goods to 『Hidamari Inn』」
The shopkeeper said with a more polite manner than before, then they started to prepare the goods to send it to the ryokan.
Incidentally, this certificate was issued the moment I entered Kagura as the documents had been submitted to Kagura officials and approved.
We had also sent a verification letter back to the Kingdom beforehand so that the higher-ups in the Kingdom also knows that I’m here.
It’s all thanks to the important officials of their Kingdom for their hard work. Because of them, I don’t have to carry a lot of money around and I can go shopping easily like this.
「That’s nice! That certificate! You can go buy things as much as you want with that, isn’t it! 」
「No, Toriela Company will only take over the payment for now while the Slowlett house will eventually pay for it. y’see?」
「Ooh? So it’s like that? Hmm, it’s nice being able to go shopping without having to carry any money with you」
Roomba smiles, though he doesn’t look like he completely understands it.
Well, we can do something like this because Tori’s company has some reputation even in Kagura and because there’s also mutual trust between both countries.
But conversely, it will be a serious problem if you break the agreement.
「The next one is soy sauce and miso, and after that is sake!」
「Yeah! I mean my family will also pay for Roomba’s share anyway, so when we returned you have to properly pay it, okay?」
「Ou! Leave it to me!」
What a carefree answer from Roomba, I’m worried. Roomba probably has savings on him, right?
Though even if he can’t pay it, he can pay by working as an adventurer.
Just like that, Roomba and I went around to the shops and bought ingredients and such then we send them to the ryokan.
Our steps are extremely light since we don’t need to pay with money, nor do we have to walk around while bringing stuff with us.
But, there are a lot of goods being sent to the ryokan, so I guess the Company’s employees are now having it tough.
There would be a lot of shop employees coming to the ryokan bringing a large number of goods. And now they are probably very busy check-ing the goods, making payments, and organizing them.
When we return to the inn later today, let’s treat them with some expensive Kagura sake as thanks for their hard work at the very least.
Just like that, we bought the ingredients around the place, and when we’re hungry we went to a store and eat until our stomach is full.
Perhaps the store’s food was still lacking for Roomba, since he ordered more foods from the stalls at the edge of the street around the stores and ate it. Because of that, I also bought a lot of foods with Roomba’s ordering a lot of foods and kept storing them using Space magic.
With this, I can eat Kagura foods secretly even while on the way back home.
It would be fine to stock up on them normally when I came here again using Teleport.
「We bought a lot. So we mostly finished buying foods, right?」
「Un, that’s right」
Roomba and I reviewed what we bought as we sit on a bench on the side of the street.
We mostly bought a lot of Kagura’s food that can be preserved for a long time. Since we did careful research on the foods, there should be nothing that was overlooked.
「Other than foods, next are the souvenirs. And in addition to that, it should be something that Elna-kaasan, Eleonora-neesan, and the maids will be happy with.」
「……that’s really difficult」
Roomba muttered as he smiles wryly after hearing what I said.
Different from choosing ingredients, this is something that tried to test an ordinary man's sense that they don’t understand.
They would probably look at us coldly if I return with something those women don’t like.
「What do Elna, Eleonora, and the others want other than food?」
「I think they want Kagura clothes, cloths that can be made into clothes, and hair accessories and the likes」
「Are you also going to give Sara and Mina Kagura clothes?」
「I want to buy them, but I don’t really know about their body shape and size. Though maybe I can roughly choose some clothes just like with Elna-kaasan and Eleonora-neesan……」
They’ll get angry at me if I brought back something with a size that doesn’t fit them.
However, I also want to give the maids who had been working regularly beautiful Kagura clothes to show my appreciation for them. Just what should I do?
Roomba and I are thinking about it while we folded our arms.
「I don’t really know about the clothes, but if Al and I are the ones who choose them then I can only tell you that we’re going to make a mistake」
「I think so, too」
I can imagine Roomba and me - who had a bad sense - being able to choose a kimono that will suit those women.
「Then, let’s bring Aleutia and Ilya with us! It’s best to ask women about things that suit women!」
「That’s right! Those two should be free now that it’s afternoon, let’s go back for now!」
Irvine and Mort are free this morning. And I heard that Aleutia and Ilya are free from the afternoon. At this time of the day, those two should be at the ryokan though they might barely be there.
After we decided to do so, now we only need to go there.
Roomba and I stood up from the chair and returned to the ryokan in high spirit.
When we return to the ryokan, there are a lot of wagons parked around the ryokan.
And then, there are flurried activities of the Company’s employees who are checking the goods, making payment, and carrying them inside from in front of the ryokan. Apparently, the various goods we bought before have just arrived at the ryokan.
「Excuse me, we’re from the rice shop」
「Another rice shop! Just how many types of rice does that person buy! This is the fifth one already, y’know! And he bought it in hundreds of kilos!」
Just as Roomba and I stealthily walk near the wagons, we can hear Gunther’s scream from inside the ryokan.
Ah, I mean, there are various types of rice in Kagura after all, so I’m wondering about which one of them is good.
Even though it looks like that, I have narrowed them down, you know?
「Hey, please finish it as soon as possible! We also have a shop to manage here!」
「I, I’m sorry! Please wait a moment!」
The company’s employees are in stand by in the ryokan are very busy because of us.
Roomba and I head to the ryokan’s entrance stealthily so that we won’t trouble the busy employees.
It’s not like we don’t want to be discovered, since they’re going to complain about it to us if they discover us. This is in consideration to the people of the company who work hard.
When I got into the ryokan’s entrance while telling myself that excuse, I saw Aleutia and Ilya in the lobby.
「What should we do Aleutia? Does it look like everyone is busy outside? Should we also go and help them?」
「Don’t joke around! Those two idiots finally returned and it’s time to take turns you know? We won’t have time to buy souvenirs if we miss this opportunity!」
Apparently, it is now Irvine and Mort’s turn, and they’re going to go out and buy souvenirs.
「Hey, hey, do you girls have a moment?」
「Ah, it’s Alfried-sama and Roomba-san」
Ilya turn around as she heard my voice.
And as soon as Aleutia look at us, she looked wary and says,
「……uhh, we’re going to have our free time after this though?」
「It’s because of us that everyone is busy outside, but it’s not about helping them, alright?」
「Thank god. Then that’s fine」
Aleutia looked relieved when she saw me that I’m not going to make her work.
「What’s the matter then Alfried-sama?」
「Ah noー, I was a bit troubled over the souvenirs for women to give to Elna-kaasan and Eleonora-neesan and the others. We don’t really know whether we should buy them clothes or hair accessories, so we thought that we would like to get some advice from you two」
「It’s cause me and Al are clueless about it y’seeー」
「I see! That’s easy! We were also just about to head out to buy clothes and hair accessories!」
「Yes. We’ll help you choose if you’d like! I have also greeted Alfried-sama’s mother and sister before. So I think I can give you some advice」
「Thank you」
As expected from women. They are so dependable at times like this.
「While we’re at it, it’d be great if we can ask you to also help us bring the things we bought back to the ryokanー」
「I understand. We’ll bring your things back to the ryokan」
I accept Aleutia’s somewhat deliberate request while smiling wryly.
I was expecting this from the start. Women are really shrewd.