Chapter 37: Slacking-Off While It’s Winter

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I rubbed Riche down after our morning stroll, all while being deep in thought.

I didn’t have a lot of friends back when I was in Japan, just those guys from my school when I was a kid.
It was largely due to my Sis who constantly brewed trouble.
I wasn’t ignored, but nobody played with me after school and during vacations.

High school was a bit better, but Sis used my parents to block me, so naturally, I only had a few friends because of that.
Under the influence of my sis, some of them distanced themselves from me, and others felt she was too bothersome so they stopped hanging out with me.

I guess the number of friends I had was really pitifully small, huh.
They don’t even reach a handful, mind you.
Well, they’d come running to save me if I wished for it, but they’re also the type of dry guys who wouldn’t chase after people, so even if I wasn’t there, they probably won’t worry about me.

My life has pretty much settled down here, so now I’m yearning for some friends.
The closest to me right now was the uncle from the Dinosso family.
He’s a family guy, and it’s impossible for me to invite him over to this rented house, so I’m the one who visits them.
I’m super popular with his kids and wife thanks to the presents I bring to them.

The folks I know here in Canum are Dean, Ash and Retze.
Plus Diana-san, the receptionist from the Commerce Guild — I don’t think I’ll be friends with Diana-san though.
She’s actually scary, and I feel like I’m gonna be scolded if I’m careless.
Retze is a lot older than me.

Dean is too attached to his sister.

Ash has that family feud going on, and she’s also attached to her butler.

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My small world is filled with misanthropes, you know? I’m not qualified to say that about others, though.
Well, friendship ain’t something that would happen just because I thought it would.
Anyway, let’s just continue this casual acquaintance for now.
Plus, they both handled the sword pretty well.

Will my acquaintances increase if I properly mingled with folks while doing my shopping? I’m a homebody so I don’t frequently go to town to shop — maybe that’s the reason why my world was small.

My social circle is small, but the scope of shopping is wide.

And so, it’s gonna be the sea, then — port city, fresh seafood.

***

Sis’ kingdom lies just beyond this country’s coastline, so I should also gather information just a bit.
According to the deities, Sis was firing magic here and there without regard, so I’m a bit concerned whether rumors have leaked over here.
If there are no rumors, then that means this country isn’t affected yet, so that would be a relief.

Spirits cannot interfere with a hero that is under a different spirit, and Light Ball already lectured her, but it was just a waste of time, apparently.

If she is still recklessly releasing magic all she wanted, then the Magical Woods’ probably affected already, I guess.

This entire city spread out from this island to the other side of the mainland and they’re connected with a bridge.
The main part of the city is on this island, and it has a harbour where huge sailing ships enter.
They also do trade with other countries.

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A lot of fishing boats were moored on the mainland’s pier, but there was no place where the huge sailing ships could moor.
A sand bar extended up to the island, so the ships can’t physically enter.

The island’s security was strict, whereas you can freely enter the mainland as long as you pay money.
It was mostly merchants and seamen who came and went.

The morning market is really bustling, and lively voices rang around.
The buyers wanted to purchase good items for cheap, while the vendors wanted to sell them for a high price while they’re still fresh.
The cats and seagulls target the left-overs.
Cods were being salt-pickled in barrels.

Wait, that’s too soon! You’re already pickling it in salt!?

Anchovies, pilchards and oysters, prawns and lobsters are sold fresh.
It seems that they instantly pickle the fish in salt, or else they boil it in saltwater here.
It seems that they already process and preserve the seafood while still fresh, and they’re sold in the market, of course.
They were also transported to several places.

The vendors were mostly the fishermen’s wives, and there were also some children helping around.
So, how do I start gossiping with them? 「 How’s the neighboring kingdom doing nowadays? 」— is this fine?

Wait a sec, most of the folks here are only interested in their own city, not to mention their own country.
Merchants who do trade across the country are very few, plus most of them handle top caliber goods that are luxurious enough for aristocrats to take pride in.
Only pickled cods and salt are sent all over the country from the city outside the island, I guess?

「 Did those Shurm guys break into this place’s fishing grounds again? 」

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Ohh, somebody asked while I’m still troubled about it.
A portly auntie from one of the street stalls was talking to a tanned guy; it seemed like they knew each other.
Shurm — Shurmtus, it’s the country where Sis is currently at.

「 Yeah, my man also got in a ‘lil skirmish with them, he got wounds all over when he came home.
They got this Hero or Saintess or whatever it was, sure so cocky, alright.
」
「 Hero, or Saintess whatsit, she doesn’t favor us at all.
Hey, she’s the source of trouble instead, mind you.
」
「 She’s kind to the folks in her own country, they said.
Well, the Demon King might pop out soon, so maybe we’re going to be taken under their wing when that happens.
」

「 Ouch ouch ouch ouch! 」

I was listening intently while pretending to scrutinize the fish, when a pickpocket….
Dean and Retze can observe their surroundings vigilantly and search for signs, but I can’t do that, so I’m practicing 24/7【 Appraisal 】mode on.
When I activate a skill, I tend to neglect my surroundings, so it’s difficult.

I don’t know how to twist an arm, so I just forcefully grabbed his wrist with all I got, but I could feel his bones creaking.

Pickpockets abound here, so much that the palace guards and soldiers no longer bother with seriously dealing with them, and they don’t cause an uproar, either.
The residents were so used to them that they would even blame the victim for being absent minded.

The residents usually gang up on muggers and pilferers and beat them to a pulp, but pickpockets were so good at their craft of stealing things unnoticed that when they get caught, they’re just released again after a single punch most of the time.

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So, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
The pickpocket dropped my wallet, unable to stand the pain, so I sent him flying with a kick and that’s it.
The pickpocket tried to cover his face as he hastily got up and dashed away.
He didn’t even have the time to curse, it’d be bad for him if his face got exposed in his workplace, er, this marketplace.

That long-awaited piece of gossip already ended, so time for me to go.
Seems like Sis still didn’t stop from her careless, selfish use of magic, and looks like she’s using the spirits within an inch of their lives.

Much like the kings in this world, demon kings weren’t limited to just a single entity.
In order for a monster to qualify as a demon king, it should manifest the color of the spirit, and it must be horned.
Once they became powerful enough, the black color around their eyes would spread to every part of their body and finally, they would transform.
They would be wrapped in the color of the spirit, and their appearance would also change.
It was unknown whether their appearance would be closer to that of the spirit, or whether it would be closer to the thing that possessed them.

They loathed humans to the high heavens, and it was obvious..

Well, if a spirit that Sis thoroughly used managed to escape and possessed an animal, that animal will probably monsterfy.
Either a single powerful spirit or perhaps tons of spirits are used to cast strong magic, so she might have mass produced demon kings and monsters like a fool.

There were a lot more monsters than divine beasts because the spirits don’t just possess animals on a whim; they would turn the animals into their vessels in order to prevent a weakened spirit from losing its powers.

Yup, the deities’ info should be on point.

Several months have already passed since I started living in this world.
It was plenty enough time for the spirits from all four corners of this world to go to the borderland where their comrades, er, the monsters are.

It’s cold so I won’t go to the forest now, though!