Chapter 143: Gina

Leave a Comment / Spirits' paradise and ideal life in another world / By IX

I received my new home and furniture, and since I still had time before my afternoon appointment with the Adventurers’ Guild, I decided to go to the liquor store.

“Um, that should be everything. Could I have the total, please?”

“No, I’m glad you’re buying in bulk, but this seems like too much. If you’re using it for business, you can present the Commercial Guild card and get a discount.”

The owner of the liquor store seemed surprised or maybe he revealed that he could offer a discount on his own. Is that acceptable as a businessman?

Certainly, it’s not surprising that he’s surprised since I bought a lot. Fifteen barrels each of ale and white wine for distillation, and five barrels each of red wine and rose wine. That’s a total of forty barrels, so it does seem like I bought too much.

“I’m not a merchant, and I don’t plan to use it for business, so it’s fine.”

If I told him that I would distill most of it and the rest would be consumed by spirits, I wonder how he would react? I guess he would just express his concern. Well, let’s not worry about it.

“Is that so? …Alright. Well, since you bought in large quantities, I’ll give you a little discount. It’ll be 6.3 million.”

How much of a discount did he give me? I’m a bit curious, but I originally planned to buy it as it is. Let’s just remember that I got a good deal.

“Thank you.”

I thanked him and paid the money, receiving impressed looks from the liquor store owner as I stored the barrels and left the shop.

“Hehe, with this much, we can drink a lot!”

Dyne said happily as she twirled around.

(Dyne, we bought a lot, but most of it will be distilled, so we can’t drink it.)

“Don’t worry. Hehe, I’ll help with the distillation. You’ll let me drink the distilled liquor, right?”

Come to think of it, Dyne did seem to enjoy freshly distilled liquor. It’s hard to refuse her since she’s offering to help. Maybe it’s just about alcohol, but Dyne is surprisingly cunning. For now, let’s leave her in her happy state.

“Now then, for lunch, is there something Sara and the others want to eat?”

Sara, unusually timid, seemed hesitant to express her opinion. Is there something awkward about it?

“Um, Master. The waitress from the diner we used to frequent wanted to meet you. Is it okay to go there?”

Come to think of it, she mentioned that before. When she said to bring that person along, she probably wanted to assess if I would be okay with it. I understand why Sara seems uncomfortable.

Well, they did share meals with Sara and the others… That person must be important to them. I should also pay my respects. Otherwise, it might become difficult for Sara and the others to visit during their days off.

“Understood. Let’s go to that place then. Can you guide us?”

“Yes! Oh, but it’s a shop near the slums, so it looks old. Is that alright?”

I remembered the dilapidated appearance of the shop after I replied with a smile. It’s true that it would be nice if it were more presentable, but as long as it’s not unclean, it’s fine even if it’s shabby. Besides, I only need to greet them this time, so I can tolerate it. Well, in this world, there’s a cleaning magic, so I haven’t really seen unclean places much.

“Master! Gina’s shop is delicious, so it’ll be fine!”

“Don’t worry!”

Marco and Kikka chimed in with reassurance. They really love that shop and Gina.

“It’s alright. Please guide us.”

Sara and the others nodded happily, leading the way to the diner. Now, I’ll be assessed, but was this attire acceptable? As a full-fledged adventurer… I feel like I should have dressed more decently as their guardian. Well, let’s just accept that this is considered formal attire for adventurers.

We walked off the main street and onto a narrower road. There, I saw a stone-built diner that looked oddly old, with some parts of the stone chipped off. Sara and the others were heading straight for it, so that must be the destination.

“Master! Here! Here!” “Here!”

Marco and Kikka were overly excited. They would get this excited in the land of death or the lake, but it’s the first time I’ve seen them this exuberant in the Labyrinth City. Sara, Marco, and Kikka were all smiling, so they must really love this place. I waved back to Marco and Kikka, and as I did, a person came out of the shop.

“Oh, Sara, Marco, Kikka. You’ve come again? It’s good to see you looking well.”

“Gina, long time no see.” “Gina, we came again. And this time, Master is with us.” “We came again!”

Sara and the others exchanged joyful words. So that’s Gina. She looks younger than I expected, maybe around twenty years old? Her loosely tied golden hair has a slight wave, but what stands out the most is her noticeable curves, even over the apron.

I feel like Silphy is staring at my face, so unfortunately, I avert my gaze. Standing here won’t accomplish anything, so should I greet her?

“Hello, Gina-san, right? I’m Yuta, the one who’s the master of Sara and the others. They have been in your care, and I want to thank you.”

I bow my head properly. If I were to argue with the person Sara and the others adore, it would make them uncomfortable. The disagreement I had with Yunis doesn’t count since it was before Mel became my disciple.

However, this Gina girl is interesting. She doesn’t seem to care about her appearance or maybe she can’t afford new clothes, but despite wearing loose and plain clothes without any makeup, I genuinely think she’s beautiful.

I wonder what it would be like if this girl dressed up and took off her glasses… There could be a “before” and “after” transformation.

“Oh, no need to go out of your way to come here. I was worried about these kids. They’re wearing nice clothes and look a bit plump, so I thought they might end up being sold somewhere.”

While stroking Sara and the others’ heads, Gina says that. Well, it’s fine to worry, but why the choice of words? It sounds almost like a man’s way of speaking. It must be wrong. A naturally innocent girl like her speaking like a man is plausible. But is it really appropriate for someone with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a dynamite body to speak like a man? Maybe it’s just my narrow-mindedness.

“Yuta, she has talent as a spirit mage.” Said Sylphy.

Really? Well, then what should I do about it? I’m starting to get a bit confused with all this information. Let’s go through them one by one. I relayed to Silphy through eye contact that I understood and turned to face Gina.

“Well, it’s understandable to worry, so there’s no problem. I also wanted to greet you properly. I may not sell children, but I hope you can feel at ease with just a greeting.”

Uh-oh, I lost my honorifics. Calm down.

“Actually, I felt at ease even before meeting you. But being able to meet you in person made me feel even more at ease. Thank you.”

“Even before meeting me? Why is that?”

“You don’t have to use honorifics. Actually, I should be the one using honorifics, but I just can’t seem to get the hang of it. I mean no harm by it, so I would appreciate it if you could forgive me.”

Gina bows her head slightly. I wish this beautiful person would learn to use more refined language, but for now, let’s continue the conversation.

“I see. Well, then let me speak casually too. So, why were you feeling reassured?”

“Ah, it’s because rumors gather around the tavern since we serve alcohol at night. There was a rumor going around that some slum kids became a dragon slayer’s disciple, so I listened to the story, and it turned out to be about Sara and the others. I mean, it’s hard to believe that a dragon slayer who can easily earn money would sell children. The only concern would be if you turned out to be a pervert, but despite their strong wariness, these kids are so bright and attached. My worries disappeared.”

Come to think of it, the Adventurers’ Guild issued a notice about it. They made quite a fuss, so it was bound to become a rumor.

“I see. Well, if you feel reassured, that’s good. Since Sara and the others seem to love this place, please take care of them.”

“Hahaha, I just fed them leftover meals, but now they’re precious customers. I’m the one who’s grateful for the support.”

Gina said with a hearty laugh. Well, she seems like a kind person, so there shouldn’t be any issues. The issue is… the fact that she also has talent as a spirit mage.

Is it okay to recommend a bad profession like a spirit mage to someone who has a steady job? But she’s a good person, and she’s beautiful, so maybe I should scout her. I need to value encounters. Above all, if she becomes our comrade, it might dispel the suspicions of me being interested in shotacon or lolicon.

“So, Gina-san, I have something to talk to you about. Do you have time?”

“Hahaha, you don’t have to use honorifics with me. It feels awkward since I’m not used to it. I’ll be busy in a little while, but until then, I have time.”

“Alright, Gina. It’s a bit difficult to talk about it here, so let’s move to a place without people.”

We moved to a spot away from the front of the shop.

“You’re being overly dramatic. Is it something important?”

“Rather than important, it might be something that could harm Gina’s reputation, so just to be safe.”

“Reputation? That sounds scary.”

Gina had a slightly displeased expression. It might be scary, but it’s also quite sad for me to have to mention that talking about my profession could harm my reputation.

“Well, there’s nothing to be scared of. It’s just a precaution in case you’re hiding something. The topic is about Gina, that you can perceive the existence of spirits.”

“Can Gina become a spirit mage too?”

Marco, who was listening beside us, got hooked. Sara and Kikka also had surprised expressions. So she hadn’t talked about it with those around her, after all. By the way, Bell and the others seemed bored with the discussion and were floating around, playing the role of guards, making sure no suspicious individuals were around.

“Ah, so that’s what you mean. You understand those things, huh? Truly befitting of a dragon slayer.”

It’s actually Silphy who understands, but oh well. And please, stop with the dragon slayer title. It tickles my chuunibyou heart.

“Haha, please stop calling me a dragon slayer. Anyway, if you’re hiding it, I thought the chances might be slim, but I was considering scouting you. How about becoming a proper spirit mage instead of being someone disliked by society? It’s quite impressive.”

Gina pondered over my words. Is her hesitation a sign of interest?