Chapter 77

After we finished carrying the luggage, Marina and I were left alone.

Marina stared at me intently.

...It's awkward.

I scratched my head and thought about what to do.

"Hey, Marina, if you have something to say, just say it."

When I said that, Marina flinched.

It's difficult.

She's too extreme.

"Do you want me to return the mask?"

"A..."

Marina reacted to the word "mask" but shook her head.

"Arigatou... ten-piki."

"Arigatou ten-piki?"

"Arigatou ten-piki."

What is she saying?

Marina's face turned bright red, and she looked down while speaking.

Is she still traumatized from being attacked by ants yesterday?

"Arigatou ten-piki... that is, thank you."

"......Huh?"

"Arigatou ten-piki... um, thank you."

"No, I heard you clearly, but why did you use such an old gag from the Showa era here?"

After saying that, I had an idea.

"Are you, by any chance, saying thank you for saving you from the ants yesterday?"

When I asked, Marina nodded twice.

It seems I was right.

"Did you keep glaring at me all day to find the right moment to say this?"

Marina nodded twice again.

...What... What a fool.

"Anyway, didn't Marina already say thank you yesterday? You said you were grateful."

"...Marina... I wanted to say it with my own mouth, without relying on the power of the mask."

"Then, why did you use the 'arigatou ten-piki' gag?"

"...When I said thank you in school, the atmosphere always froze... I tried to add some humor."

Ah, so you were suddenly saying a belated thank you for something old and making the atmosphere awkward.

I can understand how her classmates felt.

I just experienced it myself.

"Marina, it's only natural for comrades to help each other. But I'll gratefully accept your thanks. You're welcome."

"...My name is Sakura Marin. The 'Ma' in 'truth,' the 'Nashi' in 'pear,' and the 'Na' in 'rapeseed flower.'"

Huh, introducing yourself now!? I didn't know your last name, but still.

Well, introducing yourself as Marina wouldn't work. For her, her name is Marina, not Marin.

"Then, I'm Kusunoki Ichinokami... Marina?"

Marina's face turned bright red, and she froze.

She seems to be overheating.

Smoke is coming out of her head. Of course, that's a lie, but I can't help but have that illusion.

She must have pushed herself hard.

"You must have had good luck coming to this different world, right? You wouldn't be able to make it in Japan like this."

If asked whether she could make it in this different world, the answer would also be "No."

But as Marina, she could probably live as the world's best street performer.

After a while, Carol and Haru came back.

"Lord Ichinokami, we're back."

Carol returned with a smile.

From her expression, it seems she sold them at a good price.

Carol bought pepper for 25,800 sens and iron ore for 24,200 sens.

And the prices they sold for.

"Pepper sold for 35,000 sens, and iron for 85,000 sens. It's a natural result of Lord Ichinokami's alchemy skills. The merchant's level has increased by one. Also, the shell brooch I bought for 800 sens became 1,500 sens with the store information included."

Wow, the original price of 50,000 sens became 120,000 sens.

It easily exceeded double the price.

But the shell brooch also nearly doubled in price, which is impressive. Buying out the store's stock was worth it.

"The merchant was very persistent about knowing the source of the iron. If they found out it was made by you, the country's alchemy guild wouldn't leave it alone."

"The high price is thanks to Carol's skills. So, what did you buy this time?"

"We decided to buy the horns of a Bamboo Moose, a bovine monster. They are used not only as materials for crafts but also as high-value trade items. For stable trade, this is the best. After the horse chase festival, we could have bought salted meat."

When Carol mentioned salted meat, I didn't miss the sound of Haru swallowing her saliva.

"Hey, Carol, Haru. Let's go to the inn and have a meal instead of going to the adventurer's guild this time."

"That's a good idea. Haru must be tired, so I have no objections."

"I'm fine."

"Sorry, I'm the one who's hungry."

I laughed and patted my stomach.

Even though I did the least.

"Carol, do you know where the inn is?"

"Sorry, I don't remember... but I remember where the stable is, so let's ask there."

By the time we reached the stable, Marina had recovered from her overheating.

We entrusted the carriage to Fuyun and asked for the name of the inn where the knives were to be delivered, then headed there.

It was only a five-minute walk, so we found it quickly.

A four-story stone inn.

When we entered the inn, the first floor was a bar, and we were told the inn's front desk was on the second floor.

We went outside and climbed the outdoor stairs.

"Welcome. Are you staying?"

A plump lady smiled and asked me.

"Yes. And I have a delivery from Canon."

I said that and handed over the package containing the knives.

The lady took out the knives from the package.

"Canon is as good as ever. She does great work."

"Is Canon famous as a knife maker?"

"Don't you know? That girl is a magic sword maker. She's a pro who has mastered both blacksmithing and alchemy."

...Are you kidding?

I underestimated Canon's profession, but she's that amazing.

More than that, why is such an amazing person doing such a small business?

"Is this knife something special?"

Haru asked with interest.

Although it's a knife, it's only slightly shorter than the sword Haru uses, so she could probably use it as a weapon.

"Yeah, that's right. This knife has a magic that keeps the freshness of fruits and vegetables when you cut them. If you cut an apple with this, it won't brown even after a day."

"That's... amazing."

It's amazing, but it's a bit underwhelming.

"Oh, this letter is for Marina?"

The lady handed the letter that was enclosed with the knives to Marina.

Marina was momentarily confused but seemed more interested in the letter from Canon, so she bowed her head and took it.

It seems Marina learned the language of this world without relying on her skills, and she read the letter.

After finishing, she started crying.

"What's wrong?"

"...I was abandoned."

Huh?

"Canon abandoned meeeeee!"

Marina cried out loud.

She can scream that loud.