Chapter 888: Shopping with the Girls at Dusk
After a while, Anzeros, Neia, and Beatrice returned.
“We made the right call not to take the princesses with us……”
“It was a real hassle, those troublemakers kept coming up to us over and over”
“It wasn’t that bad, was it? It was over in an instant every time”
“That’s because all of us had our own skills. If we’d had to protect someone, we wouldn’t have been able to shop in peace”
I don’t know exactly what happened in that split second, but since neither Anzeros nor Neia seemed particularly guilty about it, I suppose they treated it as 「Justified action」. Rennesto has always had poor law enforcement, and the authorities tend to show little mercy toward thugs in the city, but this becomes especially strict during the Great Invasion. The message seems to be: 「We don’t need idiots who lay a hand on their own people when everyone else is struggling」. Even in cases of violence like fights, those who haven’t been in town for very long and thus lack credibility, are treated almost entirely as criminals. It feels like they’re only taken seriously if they have a resident or knight on their side to speak up for them……I realized this firsthand when I first clashed with Lucas: just being an outsider is enough to get you treated poorly anywhere. In that sense, Anzeros and the others might be at a disadvantage if they’re put in a situation where their morality is being judged, but since they have the four Gauntlets to defend them, the chances of them being unilaterally labeled as villains are slim. Suggesting that we could just get by on my or Dianne’s reputation doesn’t work with low-ranking officials, so that’s out of the question. Having the Gauntlet, an authority that’s instantly recognizable just by its appearance, is a huge advantage. That aside, these three aren’t the type to fall behind if they get tangled up in a fight. Needless to say, Neia’s skill isn’t just on par with a Great Sword Saint, she’s even a match for that Supreme Sword Saint old man and Anzeros and Beatrice (with her bracelet) also possess combat power that far exceeds the level of a Sword Saint. Anyone skilled enough to go toe-to-toe with such a trio wouldn’t be committing petty crimes all the way out here in Rennesto. Even if they lost, that’s one thing, but if they won, there’d be no problem at all. Even if the side that got beaten up in a counterattack filed a complaint, thugs who lay their hands on women and children wouldn’t have the credibility to be taken seriously by the authorities.
“It used to be a bit easier to patrol around here”
“Wasn’t that probably because you were with Lord Buster……? If so, anyone with even a shred of sense wouldn’t have laid a finger on you”
“……Well, I suppose so. ……The people who tried to attack us back then must have been utterly devoid of common sense”
“『People』……so there were multiple of them……”
Anzeros made a face like, uhee. But since Lord Buster usually looks just like any ordinary townsperson, I suppose it’s understandable that inexperienced thugs might mistake his golden gauntlet for some kind of mistake.
“So……what did you buy?”
There’s no point in just complaining about thugs and public safety, so I changed the subject. Anzeros showed me the contents of the large basket he was carrying.
“Monster meat and local vegetables. And this jar is wine. I was running a bit low on supplies”
“Local vegetables……?”
“Apparently, there are quite a few people running vegetable gardens in town. They’re expensive, but they say they offer more versatility in cooking than salted meat, so they’re popular”
Well, the fact that Anzeros bought them anyway suggests the price is reasonable, even if it is high. As for the monster meat……well, I won’t complain at a time like this. We do have regular livestock meat that’s been preserved through salting or smoking, but if you want freshness, this is the way to go. Setting aside any preconceptions, it doesn’t taste all that bad. I’d still tend to avoid it unless it’s an emergency, but since the raw materials are readily available (if you have the courage to venture out of town during combat), the price must have been quite reasonable. Then Beatrice opened the box she had been carrying and showed it to me.
“Spare swords and spearheads. Since we’re fighting rough battles around here, we should have a few on hand, right?”
“I could handle maintaining everyone’s weapons, though……”
I wish she’d at least asked me before going off to look for those things. Hearing that, Beatrice narrowed her eyes in exasperation.
“Listen. In a melee like that, even your most important weapons can get lost. It’s always better to have as many spares as possible”
“I, I guess so”
“That’s right. You seem to have gotten used to dealing with people who can afford to prioritize their weapons, but there are plenty of situations where a blade gets stuck too deep to pull out and gets snatched away as you flee, or where it slips out of your blood-soaked grip and gets kicked out of reach before you can retrieve it. There are plenty of situations where you might manage to hold your ground in the moment, but then you’re forced to switch to a spare”
“Muu……”
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Dianne, let alone Anzeros, Aurora, or any of the four Gauntlet Knights, lose a sword or spear through carelessness like that. Almost everyone cherishes their beloved weapon, and when they wield it, victory is practically guaranteed. They either maintain their weapons themselves or discreetly have them handled by specialist craftsmen when they can contact them; only Naris ever asks me to do it. Beatrice hasn’t built up that much experience as a warrior yet, and in Kalwin she was supported by the people of the craftsmen’s village, so naturally she considers having an abundant supply of spares to be her combat readiness……well, honestly, this approach is probably more realistic and practical. Really, everyone around me is just too strong. So much so that I don’t even have to worry about my weapons. ……Just as I was falling silent, realizing how warped my own sense of normalcy had become.
“You rely too much on brute force, Beatrice. Also, if you coordinate properly with those around you, things won’t get so desperate”
“It’s true you shouldn’t rely too much on a single weapon, but you’re still not taking care of it enough. You won’t become a top-tier fighter unless you learn how to cut without wearing it down. If it were the Flash Sword, I’d be criticizing you all day long”
“Ah, you guys really……first of all, with a hard wolf, it’s impossible to kill with a single strike without straining the blade! Why are you acting like it’s expected when you don’t even have the Sea King Ring!?”
“The vital points on beasts don’t really differ that much. You just need to slide the blade along the grain of the fur”
“Anyway, you shouldn’t be hacking away with a sword like yours. You need to refine your footwork and strictly stick to a flow that allows for thrusts or draw cuts”
“Don’t go picking on me like this just because you’ve found a chance!”
……Ah, so a power-focused tactic really does look clumsy to them, huh. Anyway.
“Hey, what did Neia buy?”
I’d be in trouble if we kept talking martial arts like this, so I forcefully change the subject again. Neia looks like she’s empty-handed at first glance. But did she really not buy anything even though she came along? ……Sure enough, after a few moments of silence, Neia says.
“……Well, some sausages and skewers”
She looked away and confessed. Umm, so she was snacking while showing her around. Well……I wouldn’t exactly call that bad.
“I didn’t think you’d eat that much”
“Yeah”
……I could tell from Anzeros and the others’ exasperated expressions that she must have eaten quite a lot. Anzeros and the others are pretty big eaters for girls, but if even they were exasperated…….
“I’ll admit I got a little carried away, but is it really that bad?”
“No, honestly, I think that was overkill……wasn’t it around 30 skewers?”
“I think I ate 50”
“……It shouldn’t have been 50. Probably……”
Whether it’s skewers or sausages, that’s not the kind of amount a single girl should eat. Are you an ogre?
———————————-
Dinner consisted of a few dishes, including a creamy porridge made from the Crystal Palace recipe by Aurora and Emma, along with a salad. It was basically barley porridge, but the ingredients were surprisingly varied; even though the flavors of the ingredients seemed like they’d clash, they were strangely harmonious.
“There’s a trick to making the broth. Also, the key to the flavor is a powdered form of a certain herb that can only be harvested around the Palace”
Emma explained proudly.
“Did you actually show that to Hilda?”
“……?”
“Sometimes ingredients like that can be harmful to other races, so when you use ingredients that aren’t commonly found elsewhere, I want you to have Hilda appraise them beforehand……”
I’ve already eaten it, though. I’d hate to have another slip-up like the Kanetsuki herb back when I was with Christie. That time, it just left me feeling dazed and my libido running wild, but there might be something out there that could actually kill me. ……So, after thinking for a moment, Emma shows the powder to Hilda. Hilda quickly casts a few spells, licks a bit of it, and appraises it.
“Well, it’s fine. It might just have a slight aphrodisiac effect, I suppose☆”
“Isn’t that a dangerous scenario?”
“Eh? Andy-kun, are you seriously thinking that even with me here, you might not be able to get enough ejaculation?”
“Ah, yes. I’m sorry”
Even if my libido goes completely haywire, what’s the point of that in front of Hilda, who could make me come in seconds if she wanted to? If I’m unlucky, I might end up being made to ejaculate nonstop until I’m completely drained. It’s terrifying just to imagine.
“D, Don’t shout about ejaculation and stuff like that during a meal!”
Fiona protested. I looked over and saw Princess Ran had stopped eating and was looking down. I’m really sorry.
“The aphrodisiac effect of this is nothing special☆ It won’t get you as hard as garlic or liver”
“……It does contain garlic and liver, though”
“…………”
Hilda, what’s with that look on your face?
“Do you mean,.is there maybe something blood-related in there too?”
“A little……”
“I see, so this dish was meant to do that……well, leave it to me, Hilda-sensei☆ Even if there’s a bit of a synergy effect and things get out of hand, I’ll take full responsibility and handle everything☆”
That’s a way too reassuring declaration. It’s so reassuring it’s scary. What’s going to happen to me tonight?
“Wait a second. Don’t clean everything up, okay? We’re here too.”
“That’s what a female slave dragon is for in situations like this”
“Ah, how should I put this……actually, I’d rather you lose yourself in mating”
The Black Collar Group stood up and started stripping as if to say, let’s go.
“Hold on! Hold on! If you’re gonna start, do it in the bedroom! Or rather, the 『Hut』 outside is fine too, but please stop while we’re eating!”
Naris stopped them. She grabbed Leyla and Corti’s arms with a firm grip and dragged them out. Shario, who had been watching them leave in silence while still half-undressed, turned her gaze back to me. After thinking for a moment, she adjusted her collar and trotted off after Naris. ……You’ve gotten stronger, Naris.
“Does it not affect anyone other than Master?”
“Hmm, well, in terms of ingredients, it doesn’t seem to affect elves or beastmen that much……but human Tetes-chan might get a little horny, I suppose☆”
“Umm, in that case, should I get ready if I eat some too?”
“I can’t really recommend anything too hardcore for Tetes-chan at this point, though. ……Yeah, leave that to me too☆”
It looks like it’s going to be a hot night tonight. Or rather, if I don’t make sure to get the full aphrodisiac effect, I might actually run out of steam. I wolfed down the thick porridge and even asked Emma for seconds.
“Ho. We’re here as well, you know”
“Even if Andy-kun went all out during sex, Laila-sama and I could handle it”
……That’s true. It’s impossible to wear down a dragon who boasts she can go for weeks on end. After all, the accident with the Kanetsuki Grass was only a major incident because only Irina and Christie were there; if there had been just one dragon, it might have been over with. That said, things have reached a point where we have no choice but to push forward…….
“You lot join in too. Now that it’s come to this, let’s make it a wild one”
“♪”
“♪”
I’ll steel myself for this. The female slaves are surely waiting for a night like this, too.