Chapter 47

"Ah, her?

What a cute girl.

I'm sorry for taking him away from you.

I just have to choose a knife, so it'll be over soon."

Fei, upon hearing this misunderstanding, immediately became cheerful.

But I immediately denied Rouge's misunderstanding.

"It's a complete misunderstanding.

We're not particularly close, just classmates."

"No way!

You just ordered him to make 100 magical tools with your money the other day, and now you're just classmates!"

"…You should be kinder to girls, you know?"

Rouge looked at me with a cold stare…

But I couldn't be too forceful about this matter.

I need to quickly apply for the club funds with Mr. Mujika and settle the accounts, or I'll be reminded every time…

"The heir of the Dracon family, what arrogance.

So this is the famous Allen Lovain…"

The deputy branch manager, Lund, muttered in surprise, forgetting to maintain his composure.

Regaining his composure, Lund continued.

"Branch Manager!

These customers are the ones who obtained Class A in this year's Royal Academy entrance exam.

Branch Manager, will you be serving Mr. Allen Lovain…?"

Lund looked at Rouge with concern.

"Yes, I called out to him because he was so cute, flipping over the price tags and looking at the products.

He said he wanted to be served normally, but he is a student of the Royal Academy, after all.

Should I use more formal language?"

Rouge asked me with a teasing tone, and I replied, "Please don't."

At that moment, Stella, looking at the shortbow I was holding, said,

"You can treat us normally too.

By the way, Allen, even though you can match Lai in combat, why did you choose a shortbow over a sword?

It's not a bad choice for hunting, but it's not a weapon commonly used by knights.

Wouldn't a longbow have been better?"

Hearing this question, Rouge looked surprised.

"Oh, Allen wants to be a knight?

The girl is right.

I should have confirmed that.

Should we change to a longbow?"

Rouge suggested, but I had already grown fond of this 'Rigo's Bow.'

Besides, I'm not aiming to be a knight.

To add, I'm not aiming to be a swordsman or the strongest in the world either.

I just want to live a fun and interesting life, and having the minimum strength is enough.

"No, this is fine.

I'll use it, and if necessary, I'll consider other options.

I'm not aiming to be a knight, anyway."

Rouge smiled.

"Right.

With your sense, I think the skills you hone with a shortbow can be quickly applied to a longbow."

"…You've become quite close in just a moment.

That's why I can't take my eyes off you, Allen.

Maybe I should aim to be one of the girls surrounded by the D-rank adventurers…

No, I, of the Revenance family, won't raise a white flag before the game is over…

But…

I don't know what the right answer is…

…Hehehe… Is this love…?"

This isn't love.

Jue laughed mysteriously, but Fei and Stella looked at me with disapproving eyes.

"Let's choose a knife, shall we?"

Rouge said, placing a silver knife with a 20cm blade and a heavy, machete-like blade with a 30cm blade on a nearby table.

"Both are from the newly opened Banry company in the capital.

It's a new company, but it was founded by craftsmen who left Zaimler. The materials they use are different from the original, but I think they do a good job for the price."

…Indeed, she has the skills to be a branch manager at such a young age.

My mood soared.

But when I glanced at the price tags, I was puzzled.

The knife was 1800 reals, and the machete was 2200 reals.

It wasn't an amount I couldn't afford, but it exceeded my budget.

"Hehe.

Don't look so worried.

It's fine. The bow and chest plate together will be 2500 reals.

Don't think I'm just flattering you because you're a Royal Academy student.

I'll still make a profit, and this is a service because I see potential in you as an adventurer.

I hope you'll continue to favor us, okay?"

Rouge smiled mischievously.

It would be rude to refuse such an offer.

I decided to accept it.

"Thank you.

When I can earn more, I'll come back to shop."

"Hehe.

I'm glad to hear that.

Now, these two. The knife is mainly for collecting plant materials.

If you maintain it properly, you can use it to dissect small monsters, and for larger ones, you can at least bleed them and process their organs.

The machete is good for cutting through thickets and disassembling medium-sized monsters.

Why don't you choose based on your purpose as an adventurer?"

I listened to the explanation and grunted, deeply considering my options.

Seeing me like this, Stella gave me some advice.

"Since Allen will surely start earning soon, you can always come back and buy more when you save up.

If you can't decide, I think it's not a bad idea to hone your knife skills.

Even if you don't join the knights, you can use it in combination with other weapons to broaden your combat options."

Indeed.

That's a very manly way of thinking, typical of Stella.

"Stella, as always!

I'll go with the knife this time."

I said this without adding unnecessary comments.

But Stella read my mind and glared at me.

"…Are you picking a fight?"

That's a woman's intuition for you…

◆

After Allen and the others left the store.

"What's going on?

The usually strict branch manager, who always says 'Don't give discounts easily, be proud of the prices you set,' is giving such a service to a Royal Academy student she dislikes.

Did you change the price tag on that knife?

That price is the cost price.

With the bow and chest plate, it's not just a loss, it's a deficit.

Even the branch manager, who isn't interested in the Royal Academy, must have heard of Allen Lovain's reputation?"

After Allen and the others left,

Deputy branch manager Lund asked his usually stern superior.

"I don't know.

I said what I said to him.

I wanted him to favor our store as an adventurer. That's all."

Rouge answered cheerfully.

"He's a rising star who topped the practical exam this year, surpassing the famous Lai Zaitinger.

I think we should at least let him know we're giving him a discount to earn his gratitude."

Lund passionately argued, but Rouge only laughed and didn't respond.

◆

"Sorry, Allen.

I revealed your identity."

After leaving the store, Al apologized with a guilty look.

"It's fine.

We were almost done shopping, and it's probably better in the long run if we're coming back."

"I'm relieved to hear that.

What are you guys planning to do next?

If you have nothing, Coco and I are going to the headquarters to register as adventurers."

Al asked the group.

"I have something to do, so I'll leave here.

See you tomorrow."

I had a basic idea of the equipment I needed and wanted to go to the Adventurer's Guild to gather information for our activities.

"…Can't that be done tomorrow?

There's a place nearby where you can eat delicious sweets.

It won't hurt to spend a little time together.

You went to the armory and immediately hit on a pretty girl…

What were you even doing at the armory?"

Fei looked at me with a resentful gaze.

And for some reason, everyone was looking at me with a critical eye.

Why do I have to be looked at like this just for buying weapons from the store…

Well, it's already late today, and there's no problem with gathering information tomorrow…

Sweets, huh.

To be honest, I'm not really excited about it.

I'm not uninterested in sweets.

In my previous life, I even went on long trips for sweets, and I think I was more interested in them than most men. The 'Allen' before the awakening also had a childlike fondness for sweets.

But compared to the gourmet level of Tokyo, the capital of Japan, which is a superpower in cuisine, the gourmet level here is questionable.

At least, the food served at home was never impressive.

Grilled meat with just salt on it is incredibly delicious, but it's only because the ingredients are good.

I've only been to a top restaurant in the capital when I went sightseeing with my sister, and to be honest, my impression was, "Well, that's about it."

The culinary standards of Japan are exceptional, even from the perspective of another world.

But, indeed, it would be rude to just say goodbye after Stella took the time to come with us.

We decided on the main weapon without consulting her…

"Ha.

Alright.

Since Stella took the time to come, and I can do my errand tomorrow…"

When I said this, the three girls cheered.

Girls really do love sweets, don't they.