Chapter 93

Kikka stood early in the morning, two days after making a contract with Mame, the barn owl. Today, they were setting off for the Labyrinth City. She was a bit excited to see what state the Labyrinth City would be in. She decided to be careful not to show the ugly side to Bell and the others.

"Then, I'm going, so please take care of the house while I'm gone."

"I understand, but please call us when you need us."

"I know. I'll call you when I need your help and at least once a day to bring Dine and Dolly to the Labyrinth City. Is it really okay not to call Nomos?"

"Indeed. I have things to do, so don't call me unless you need my power."

"Understood."

Since it wouldn't make sense to move around the Labyrinth City in a large group, I decided to act with Sylph, Bell and the others, and Sara and the others. Even this is quite a number of people.

Dine and Dolly said they wanted to walk around the Labyrinth City and look at furniture that could be used if it were designated as a sanctuary.

It might be a bit premature to think about it, considering it might not even be designated as a sanctuary, but they seem to be looking forward to it, so it would be a big letdown if it doesn't happen.

"Yuta, I'll call Bell soon." "Kyu kyu" "Go ahead" "Ku-ku"

Bell and the others said, waving their hands. They seemed very excited about the Labyrinth City.

"I know. I'll call you when we get a room, so please wait nicely."

"Wait nicely" "Kyu" "Wait" "Ku"

Bell and the others nodded seriously. Hmm, it would be fine if they just waited calmly, but it's good that they're enthusiastic.

"Please."

Sara, Marco, Kikka, and Fukko, Mame, and Uri had finished their goodbyes and were ready, so I asked Sylph to set off.

***

"Finally arrived."

We landed in the forest where we descended the last time we came to the Labyrinth City, and walked to the city gate, showing our guild cards to enter.

"Yuta, what are you going to do now?"

(First, I'll go to the inn of the strong-armed Torque. No, I want to stop by a general store on the way and visit Marie. I think it's likely that the fact that I sold the Fire Dragon has already leaked, so please be on guard.)

"I understand. I'll protect Yuta and Sara and the others, so you can relax."

(Yeah.)

I feel reassured when Sylph takes responsibility. I urged Sara and the others to start walking. Last time, we only went shopping, so it might be good to visit various places this time. It's very disappointing that the night city is hard to visit until the adventurer guild's disputes are resolved.

"Sara, Marco, Kikka, you don't have to be so nervous. Just because I'm disliked, it doesn't mean we'll be attacked. Besides, Sylph is guarding us."

"Master, it's not that. When we were in the slums earlier, someone said some things, so we might cause some trouble."

Come to think of it, these kids stood out a bit in the slums. If they escaped from the slums, there's a possibility that they might be targeted. But honestly, I don't think it will be a problem.

"You don't have to worry about that. Sylph will protect us no matter what."

In the first place, if Sara and the others summoned Fukko and the others, they wouldn't lose to anyone around here. Since they're invisible, there shouldn't be a problem summoning them here... but Fukko and the others might not be used to the city, so it might be better to settle in at the inn first.

I walked while being cautious of my surroundings, but nothing happened, and we arrived at the general store. Was it not a flag?

When we entered the general store, a female clerk came over. It was the person who guided Sara and the others last time.

"Welcome, Yuta-sama. The store manager has been waiting for you. Please come this way, I'll call her immediately."

Somehow, the clerk remembered my name and addressed me with "sama." Is it because I'm a regular customer? It seems that the materials I supplied were very profitable.

"Please wait a moment. I just arrived and haven't booked a room yet. If you could arrange a time to meet after I book a room, it would be very helpful."

"Is that so? I'll check immediately, so please wait a moment."

"Yes, thank you."

When I asked, the clerk bowed and quickly moved to the back. She moved at a high speed, but to the naked eye, it looked like she was just walking. It's an impressive skill. I don't know if it's a necessary skill for a clerk, though.

"Sara, Marco, Kikka, we'll go to the inn right after this, so please wait a moment."

"Hey, Master. Can we look around the store since we're not going far?"

Just waiting would be boring. It should be fine to look around the nearby products.

"Sure. Sara and Kikka, you can go too."

As I sent the children off and thought about what to do in the Labyrinth City, Sylph spoke to me with an indescribable expression.

"Hey, Yuta. It seems that the clerk intends to set up a dinner meeting tonight. She was muttering something about making Marie a sacrifice by getting her to drink alcohol, and that the store would be safe if she did."

Ah... I don't know what kind of face I should make... The clerk seemed suspicious, but is her personality also bad? Besides, she's just a clerk, right? Is there any benefit to offering a young lady to make the store bigger?

"Oh, it seems that Yuta is inviting Marie to dinner tonight. The clerk is encouraging Marie, saying that it's a waste to turn down an invitation from a rich person. It seems that the clerk has been telling Marie to try to win you over for a while now."

The clerk is overstepping her bounds... What should I do in such a situation? It's so unexpected that I can't think straight.

(Sylph, I don't know what to do. What should I do?)

"If you don't want to go, just turn it down. If you want to talk, you can have a normal dinner and come back normally."

That's true. Even if I were offered as a sacrifice, I have no reason to accept. Marie is beautiful, but she seems to be a bit twisted. Whether I eat or not is my choice. I can take as much shame as I need to.

(That's true. The dinner might turn into a hassle, so I'll turn it down and just make time to talk.)

"Ah, it seems that Marie is getting motivated. She's saying that her beauty is scary, but she's starting to calculate the benefits she can get from dating Yuta. Her smile is tainted with desire, which is kind of wonderful in a way."

It's refreshingly profit-oriented. Not at all unexpected. By the way, what does the clerk intend to do about the discrepancies in the conversation? There will definitely be a gap in the conversation between Marie and me.

"Yuta, the clerk is coming back. Marie was trying to come too, but the clerk stopped her. She's being told to show off her dressed-up appearance instead of her usual one."

(I understand. Thank you, Sylph.)

However, the clerk seems to have complete control over Marie, who is supposed to be the store manager. Who is this clerk?

"Thank you for waiting. The store manager would like to have dinner with you tonight. How about your schedule?"

...She's lying with a smile, without any sense of discomfort. If I hadn't heard from Sylph, I would have been deceived.

"I'm sorry, but I have a schedule for dinner. It would be very helpful if I could have a little time to talk in the afternoon."

"That's fine. The time is available, so please come at a time that's convenient for you."

What kind of person is this? She's not flustered at all even after being turned down. I wonder what she's going to tell Marie.

"Thank you. May I ask your name?"

"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. Please call me Sonia."

"Understood. Sonia, thank you. I'll come later."

I called Sara and the others and left the general store. Sonia saw us off all the way to the outside. I can't accept it naturally.

(Sylph, can you check what Sonia is going to tell Marie?)

Eavesdropping isn't a good thing, but if I don't check the conversation between Sonia and Marie, I might get involved in something strange.

"Yes, I'll check."

Since I asked Sylph, I can understand the conversation between the two. I headed to the inn of the strong-armed Torque with a little relief. I'm already tired from arriving in the Labyrinth City. As I walked, Sylph told me that the conversation between Marie and Sonia had started.

"Sonia easily made an excuse. She's saying that Yuta has an emergency. She's explaining that the dinner will be another time, and today is just for talking. She doesn't seem to have given up, so you'll probably be invited to dinner again."

Hmm, having dinner with a beautiful woman should be a joy, but I don't think I can enjoy it with Marie. It's scary to leave it as it is, so I'll apologize to Marie for turning down the dinner when I meet her later.

If I do that, the discrepancy in the story will be revealed, and Sonia's overreaction might decrease a bit. However, I'm afraid of Sonia's mental strength for telling a blatant lie without hesitation.

(For now, I'll try to avoid it as much as possible.)

If I carelessly accept the invitation, I might end up collecting in the labyrinth indefinitely. I haven't talked much to Marie and Sonia, but I'm sure that once they latch onto something, they'll suck it dry.

I thought Marie was trustworthy because she was greedy for profit, but the unexpected appearance of Sonia, who is greedy in a different way, was unexpected.

As I thought about these things, I arrived at the inn of the strong-armed Torque... Hmm? The atmosphere seems to have changed. What happened? Thank you for reading.