"Damn! Who has the balls to call me that ?!"
I had only managed to take a few steps when a mature woman runs from inside the store with a pretty angry face but right away when she sees our group, this changes to surprise.
"It's you brat!"
She examines each girl carefully and then when she puts her eyes on me, she narrows them as if trying to search her memories for something about me and later she screams again, Although she is not as annoying as when came out.
"It's been a while that we haven't seen each other ... it seems that business has been going well for you"
"Hmp ~! You must thank that in part that is thanks to you, otherwise I would be whipping you right now. With the profits I could make last time by the business I did with you, with that capital I was able to expand my business... but that was because of my effort so don't think I will give you something!"
"..."
"Hi, Milene-san. I'm so glad you're okay"
"I'm also glad that you are fine, Kurisu. I was a little worried that this brat might get you into trouble, but it's good that it wasn't... well, it looks like you have different problems than I originally thought this brat could get involved to you. "
"H-Hahaha... well, a lot of things happened ..."
It's true, her name was Milene! It is good that Kurisu remembers it, I do not want to have to go through the same thing as with Vila-san and that things are complicated by that. Leaving that aside, I see that she has not changed and is still a woman who focuses on money...
After I talk to Milene, Kurisu greets her happily and she returns the gesture and unlike when she saw me, a smile appears on her face. Although with the last part she says while setting her eyes on the other girls around us, she manages to make Kurisu a little uncomfortable.
"Well, are you leaving us out here or are you going to let us in so we can talk?"
"...I have no problem with Kurisu and her friends come in, but you can go play somewhere else, brat"
"... I see... then I'll go do business somewhere else I guess"
"Wait, brat! I-I was kidding, don't go!"
When I turn to leave, Milene-san runs to where I am and holds my hand... in truth she is someone sad who is only guided by her greed. Well, since I knew that to a very small extent she was really joking, I put up no resistance when she pulls me into the store.
The other girls follow in our footsteps and soon we all enter the place.
Inside was Milene's worker or apprentice, she was behind the counter and makes a somewhat surprised face when she sees us...
This was kind of weird, it should be normal to see people go in and out of here, after all, it was a store where people came to sell and buy things. So her reaction was a little out of place, but then by the following words that she says, the reason for this is clarified.
"M-Master… now you even started doing business with the sale of slaves? A-Also, there were rumors that the master had special likes and that's why she didn't have a partner… b-but such a small girl"
"Damn, it's not that! They are acquaintances of mine ... well, two of them. Also, although Alexander doesn't look like it, he's a man, you know?"
"...Just saying that I am a man would be enough, the rest was unnecessary. Don't you think, Milene?"
"E-eh? Now that you say it… I think I remember them"
Hearing her apprentice, Milene releases my holding hand to pull me and answers that to her. It had been a while since someone confused my sex... well, now it didn't matter that much.
Normally, the fact that the girls next to me understood well that I am a man was enough... but this time I felt that it was necessary to complain to Milene for her words since it bothered me a little how she said it.
Also, I'm kind of curious about why she thought we were slaves ... well, I have an assumption. If I look at it from this girl's point of view, perhaps her comment was not strange.
All the girls next to me were quite beautiful almost as if they had been chosen very carefully and probably if someone tried to sell them, surely they would get a very high price... although anyone who tried that would probably end up wishing for death instead of living.
"Celi, we will close the store for a moment as I have some things to discuss with them. When you are done, I need you to prepare some drinks for them... this time you can use some of the best things we have and not what we normally give to others"
"Al-Alright Master!"
After the girls respond to Milene's apprentice's greeting and she orders her apprentice, then we head further into the store until we reach a place resembling a living room, or maybe it was the room where she did important business.
"So what business do you want to do with me, boy?"
"I need some things... I don't know if with your contacts or you can help me with this yourself"
Like a whole merchant, when we sitting around a table or some sofas and chairs that were around it, she starts with the main theme without wasting time.
"First, I don't have a place to stay… as you should know, all the inns right now are full and it's probably impossible to get a room now"
"So you want me to let you stay here in my store?"
"Th-this is like seeing the two different sides of a coin at the same time… on the one hand, there is a boy with a large number of girls by his side, but this one doesn't even have a place to sleep… on the other, it is the master who has a big store but she has to live alone here "
"You live here too, you know?! ... but maybe I should change that from now on"
"I-I'm sorry, Master! Please don't kick me out of here"
While Celi-chan serves us some drinks and listens to us, she unconsciously mutters that while exchanging a glance between her Master and me… her comment doesn't mean much to me, but the other person she refers to doesn't seem to take it in a good way and that's why she glares at her as she rebukes her.
Previously, I had a castle that was much bigger than this place to live and also my financial situation is now quite good. If I look at my current status, the amount I have is ...
[Status]
Name: Alexander Ilios Apeiro
Race: Human
Age: 12 years 4 months
Level: 54> 56
Soul Level: 1
Hp: 380/380 Source Energy (EO): 60
Strength: I
Resistance: I
Dexterity: I
Intelligence: H
Agility: I
Magic: ([Multi-elemental (Sealed)])
[Skills]
[Innate]
[Will of the Worlds-SSS] [Soul of the Emperor - F] [Blessing of Origin-SSS] [Interdimensional Inventory-SS] [Evaluation-SSS] [Immunity to Fire-S] [Spiritual Vision-S] [Survivor-A ](New)
[Assimilated]
[Stealth-G] [Light Feet-G] [Cut-H] [Lunge-H] [Courage-H> G] [Roar-H] [Focus-H] [Hawk Vision-G] [Limit break-H ] [Shoot-G] [Pain resistance-H] [Regeneration-I] [Tame-I] [Parallel Thinking-J]
[Magical]
[Wings of the Sun (Sealed)]
[Developing]
[Luck-S] [Charm-C] [Swordsman-H] [Hero-C] [Leadership-G] [Gunman-G] [Alchemist (Synthesis of passions, pills, etc.) - J] (Insufficient soul level to use) (New) [Sniper-H] [Alchemist (Attack-Transmutation)] (New) [Lancer-H] (New)
Wives: (-)
Lovers: Saeko Busujima
Haruna Komuro
Makise Kurisu
Shizuka Marikawa
Rika Minami
Rei Miyamoto
Saya Takagi
Followers: Scythe Grim
Leona Heidern
Calls: Venus Luciferina
Gold: 6, 333, 967 Crystals: 3,178, 241
Current world: Gaia (Upper World) Area: Inimp (Level 1)
My status hadn't changed much, most notable were 3 new skills. Two were gained from Rei and Sayaa and in addition to the one I gained from completing the last HOTD mission.
Another thing that stood out was the amount of Gold and Crystals that I had in my storage now.
Gold simply accumulated since I hadn't spent much of it in the previous 6 months, as far as crystals, this obviously increased greatly thanks to all the zombies that were eliminated during that time.
For this reason, I am not very concerned about what Celi-chan says, It is not as if I have wasted everything I had with women as she must be thinking.
"No, for now I think maybe it would be good to buy a house in this city.
Unless this is also a problem and I don't have a choice, then I will have to bother you with that."
"Buying a house? Do you plan to reside in this city?"
"... I don't know, it depends on the price of these houses"
"Well, that depends on what you're looking for. A simple place, probably worth a few hundred Gold... a bigger place, maybe several million."
Her offer to stay here will only be left as a last resort since I didn't want to bother Milene much either, but listening to what she says, it makes me reconsider this quite a bit.
I certainly didn't intend to reside in this city, so if I buy a house it would be just a waste of money… it's not that I don't like the city or have a problem with this. I just don't think that we are going to settle somewhere and just live quietly in this place for now.
Also, the change she makes from hundreds to millions of Gold after reconsidering her probable assumption when she passes the eyes again throughout our group is not bad, surely a small house would not be comfortable for all my group... so really it would be a total waste to spend a few million just to live there for a while.
So should I rent somewhere? No, surely you would have to do paperwork and it would be cumbersome... oh! It is true.
"Milene, don't you know if there's some kind of motorhome or something like that?"
"Motorhome? Well ... There are certainly some cristal-powered vehicles that are more like mobile mansions, but... these are not cheap at all, you know? They might even be more expensive than a city house."
"Well, it shouldn't be a problem just seeing them, after that I can consider my options"
"No, for me to see those prices would be a great blow, you know? ...Well, it doesn't matter, I'll take you all to a place I know"
"Thanks. By the way, Milene. Why is there so much movement in the city?"
"Of course because of the big monster raid, don't you know? Haaa, I really don't know where you've been living all this time to you didn't know that...
Twice a year, about every 6 months... well, sometimes it is a little shorter time, sometimes it takes a little longer, the number of monsters in the places where the monsters reside increases greatly and they try to invade the territories that humans have claimed "
"Adventurers aren't supposed to be around to prevent that from happening, Milene-san?"
"Well, without them constantly killing monsters throughout the year, things would surely be much worse these seasons."
"From the way you say it, they don't seem to be looking for things like food... but rather the places where humans are.
Why?"
"Hmmm… I don't know very well. For me they just do it because it's what they normally do, attacking all the intelligent races"
Since there were no other curious eyes of unknown people like in the inn, I decide to ask her the doubt that he had had since he spoke with Vila-san. Milene also finds it a bit strange that I don't know about the big monster raid, but after I assent to her question of if I don't know, she starts to explain to us about that.
Kurisu and Rika also join the conversation by asking questions about their doubts, but sadly it seems like she didn't have much information about it. She may have just grown up thinking of it as normal and didn't ask much about why it happens, or she may just not have been interested.
So when I thought I would run out of an answer to Rika's question, Aurora's voice rings out in my head and she begins to explain to me.
[Surely they do it for the energy points…]
Energy points?
[Yes, worlds usually have energy points where the amount of energy is more concentrated than elsewhere. So any being, even if they don't know about these, instinctively tries to possess them since staying in these benefits by strengthening them.
Also, surely cities of human settlements use their energy to maintain the energy shields like the ones you used in HOTD without having to depend on crystals for it]
"…Milene, do all cities of people have shields against monsters?"
"Hmn? Of course, without these it would be almost impossible for the people to live in the villages... therefore, taking away the fact that when a very strong monster or a large group of them manages to break the shield, the only problem for which they have to worry are the thieves that the first thing they do when attacking a town is to stop them from activating it.
Well, you already saw that before... normally it is a group of thieves who cause more misfortune in the towns than the monsters.
By the way, since we are talking about this, if I remember correctly you are an adventurer, right? Have you already taken the protection mission somewhere? If not, then I would appreciate it if you could help the people of Rek.
Although it is not very common for monsters to break an energy shield, the possibility of that happening undoubtedly increases a lot during this time… so the more people that help reduce monsters, the better.
You don't have to worry about the reward as it is paid for by the nobles, so even though it would not be as good as elsewhere, it would not be as bad either. "
"No, I haven't taken any guild missions... but since I'm asking you for help in some things, we will help you with that"
"Thanks, boy. Can I also buy you the monsters you kill at a good price, you know? Since we're known, I'll give you a special price!"
"...well, let's talk about that when I have them"
I didn't have a great need to make money now, so when she asks me to take on the mission of protecting her village, I don't reject it. Although I don't know if instead of worrying about her mother who lives there, she did it more so that she could get the monsters I killed during that time… well, everyone has to eat so it's not bad that she also tries to do business.
"You just wanted me to help you find a place to stay, boy?"
"No, there is something else that goes more into your specialty... in about 3 months I will need a lot of food and so I also wanted to see if you could help me with that"
"A lot of food? Well, if it's something like supplies for a long trip, I can sell you this one"
"No... it's not that. I need a few tens of thousands of tons of food"
"E-Eh? T-Tens of thousands of tons? ... Damn! Do you want to feed an entire city or something like that ?! "
"..."
… Probably if I tell her that she was correct in her speculation, she would be even more surprised. So I just wait for her to calm down for herself to continue the conversation.
It was good to prepare for when I returned to HOTD since that place is not self-sufficient still. I had to take care of it or the atmosphere would be greatly worsened by the food shortage.
"... For the sale of such quantity of food probably the only ones who can do it are the noblemen who control some regions..."
"First of all, what is the price of this? For example, how much would it cost me 10,000 tons?"
"...There has not been any shortage and therefore the harvests have been quite good, so the food should not be priced too high, but... with that amount what you would have to pay would not be little"
"Can you contact someone to make the purchase?"
"… As the daughter of the head of the village of Rek, perhaps I can speak to the lord of Barl"
"Well, I'm not in a hurry right now for that. Just try to do it and if you do, I'll give you a commission of 5% of the total purchase."
"Leave it to me! I'll certainly arrange things so you can see the lord of Barl!"
Hearing the words 5% commission, her face that looked as if she had a problem disappears and one of great encouragement replaces it.
"I'm not in such a hurry on that, now what worries me the most is seeing the vehicles you said before"
"I understand, then come on, I will guide you all there. Celi, we will go out for a moment so take over the store while I'm away"
"Yes!"
With her words, Milene gets up and immediately we all start to follow her. So, with the exception of Celi-chan, everyone else left the store and started walking the city streets again.
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Hello!!
I just wanted to make an announcement. If I close a month (2nd day of the month) with 75 p-a-t-r-e-o-n-s supporting the novel, then I promise to get 5 chapters a week during that month, Monday through Friday (from the region where I live).
So be sure to invite and recommend the novel to all your friends !!
https://www.patreon.com/Drack21
Is seems that WN is baned the word (p-a-t-r-e-o-n), so "*******" is (p-a-t-r-e-o-n) without "-"
I also wanted to ask to see if there was someone who wanted to support me to edit the previous chapters, I think that way there will be more people who are a little more demanding with grammar interested in the novel.
If you are interested in supporting me on that, you can leave me a message in the comments or on Facebook.
Thanks for the support!!