Chapter 50

After having a slightly late lunch, we headed to the market to buy minerals, taking a stroll around the town as well. It's fun to walk through an unfamiliar town because you can find interesting things just by walking around.

For example, the town's streets. The buildings are generally colored in muted tones. I read in a book on architecture that this is due to the wood and stone reacting to the components of the hot springs in the air. Not only the locally produced stones but also the buildings themselves, the older they are, the more they are affected.

The clothing of the local people is also influenced. Although drinking the water has no effect, the water here, which contains a slight amount of hot spring components and is slightly acidic, limits the variety of dye colors. The deep blue clothing, which is common among the locals, has been used for a long time because it still shows color in this area. The wide range of "blue" tones, which seem to fill in the gaps of other colors, color the town.

Seeing the various shades of blue, like the depths of the sea, I strongly felt the unique culture of this region.

The impression of unity I felt while walking through the town was probably due to this. When you can feel the history and climate of a place from its details, it gets exciting.

"I'm glad we were able to get all the minerals you were looking for."

"Yeah, and this one is of really good quality."

"You mean the green mineral you bought a whole box of earlier?"

"Yes. This sulfurite is necessary for making magic circuits, but in Lindemen, there's no such high-purity material available. It was really worth coming to Delor."

To buy high-quality alchemy materials, you need a certain amount of authority. Famous workshops buy the best materials first. Even for materials that anyone can buy, only decent ones are left in the market for ordinary people.

While Anna and I were chatting as we walked, a cute sound, "gurū," came from beside Anna. It was the sound of Amber's stomach, who was holding hands with Anna on the opposite side of me.

"I'm hungry."

"Oh, Amber. You're already hungry? We just had lunch a little while ago..."

"It's all gone."

She was rubbing her sternum as if to emphasize how hungry she was. We were worried that eating now might affect our dinner, but since she was hungry, we decided to buy something for her. We happened to see a stall, and the good smell of steamed buns, cooked with the heat of the hot spring, completely drew Amber's attention.

We three ordered carbonated water, which is made with various fruit juices, sweet and delicious but with a refreshing taste. However, since this is a hot spring town, there are more alcoholic drinks on the menu.

"Mmm, mmm!"

When Amber bit into the fluffy bun on the skewer, the animal ears on her head perked up. Even though she was silent, it was clear how she felt. Her eyes were sparkling, and her golden fur tail was wagging vigorously from side to side.

Watching Amber eat so hurriedly, even though no one was rushing her, made me feel a bit melancholic, thinking about the hardships she had faced in her life. I had taken her on as a disciple by choice, but I hoped this would lead to a better future for her.

"Mmm, that was really delicious!"

However, I was very surprised when, after eating, Amber casually threw the skewer on the ground. It took me a moment to understand, and my reprimand was a bit delayed.

"Hey! You're not supposed to throw garbage on the ground, you know!"

"Oh, I've been told that before. Why not? Others are doing it too."

Indeed, as Amber said, there were skewers from the stall in front of us on the ground, as well as wrappers from other snacks that people had bought from other stalls. But why would she think it's okay to throw things on the ground just because others do it...

"Even if others do it, it's still not okay."

"But if others do it, shouldn't I do it too?"

Her response made the three of us catch our breath. We understood the background of why she would say such a thing.

"Garbage should be thrown in a trash can. If there's no trash can, you should dispose of it yourself or take it home. There's a trash can here, so you should throw it there."

"Is that so?"

When I pointed this out, she obediently picked up the garbage she had dropped and headed for the trash can. Watching her back, I felt a strong sense of bewilderment, thinking, "She didn't even know this?"

"Amber... you accepted the instruction so smoothly. You also listened when I asked you to be quiet in the bath and followed other requests."

Hearing Anna's slightly sad murmur, I understood what she meant. Indeed, it was hard to believe that she hadn't listened to anything we said yesterday, but now she was able to change her behavior so obediently when we talked to her.

Yet, why didn't she know such a basic thing? Had no one ever pointed it out to her? Of course, no one around her had the obligation to educate her...

"Hmm... I think the environment is a big factor, but the current situation might be due to how she speaks."

"How she speaks...?"

"Yeah. If it were a normal person... they might have said, 'Others are doing it too.' If someone said that, I think you'd feel, 'You're not going to follow the rules just because others do it, huh?'"

"That's... what most people would think, I guess."

"Well, she didn't mean it that way at all. She didn't know the rule and just copied what she saw around her. When she was told it was wrong, she was asking, 'Why?' But no one around her would understand that."

That's right, indeed. If she had been saying the same thing all along, people would have stopped pointing it out, as Fred suggested.

Of course, just because you don't know something doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. But this is something that can be changed with proper instruction.

"It seems like she's not someone who can't be reasoned with, but there's a lot to teach her, isn't there?"

"That's... I'll try my best!"

Just as she said this with determination, Amber returned. Looking at her from a distance, I felt that the sandals we bought for her on the spot were a bit too big.

I chose a size one size larger than her foot to make sure they weren't too tight, but if they don't fit properly, it's dangerous. We need to go and get a proper pair soon.

"Amber, it's very good that you corrected your behavior right away when you were told."

When Anna patted her head, Amber looked like a little child, and a strange feeling welled up inside me. I hoped that things would go well for her in the future and joined in, patting her head along with Anna, as she happily wagged her tail.