[So, that’s a total of 4750R… but since you bought so much, I’ll round it down to 4700R.]
I took out the five silver coins from my purse and handed them to Alice, who seemed in a good mood as she said that with a smile.
In the end, I ended up buying just enough to use up the budget I had set earlier. It wasn’t so much Alice’s sales pitch that convinced me, but rather the fact that all the products in the store were simply top-notch.
Not only did I buy shoes, a knife, a water bottle, and some survival magic tools in preparation for the Sacred Tree Festival, but I also picked up some clothes.
All the clothes were of comparable quality to what I’m wearing now, and while their designs might be simple, they were what you’d call casual wear back in my previous world. I’m not sure if Alice has good taste or not, but I couldn’t resist buying them—they were all elegant and well-made, to the point where even nobles would look good in them.
[Well~~ This is the first time I’ve sold this much since I opened my store! Kaito-san, please visit again!]
[Unnn. All of these “items I never imagined would be made by the shopkeeper” are quite good, and I’d like to see more of the magic items next time.]
[Whoaa, I somehow feel like I’m being slightly insulted here, but I’m so happy now that I’ll forgive you.]
[Ahaha.]
Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but when it was all said and done, I think I got a pretty good deal and found a solid store for my purchases.
As they mentioned, they have everything except food, and there was a variety of interesting trinkets and magic items. I’ll definitely come back to look around again.
After finishing my shopping, I thanked Alice and was about to leave, but at that moment, Alice spoke.
[Ahh~ Kaito-san. Can I have a moment?]
[Unnn?]
[……As thanks for all the things you bought, I’d like to give you a warning.]
[A warning?]
At those words, I turned around to look at Alice, but her expression was hidden behind her mask, so I couldn’t read it.
The emotions I sensed through my Sympathy Magic seemed calm, almost like she was just making small talk, but there was something off about the atmosphere.
[I think there’s a story like this in your world too, Kaito-san. It’s about a hero who gets too close to the sun and ends up having their wings burned, crashing to the ground…]
[…………………]
If I remember correctly, wasn’t she talking about the story of Icarus from Greek mythology? It’s about Icarus, who flew through the sky on wings made of wax. He flew too close to the sun, causing the wax to melt, and he fell to the ground.
But why did she suddenly bring up such a story? She said it was a warning, so I guess that’s the message she wants to convey to me.
[The closer you are to great beings, the greater the chance that risks will suddenly come from unexpected places… Please keep this in mind. This world isn’t just filled with good people, and if those wings of yours were born from hubris… Those fake wings will melt, and you’ll crash to the ground, you know?]
[…………………]
[…Or something like that~~ Well, just remember that humility is the best policy.]
[O-Okay……]
I don’t know. I feel like there’s meaning in her words, but for some reason, I can’t seem to understand Alice at all. One moment, she’s delivering a warning with sharp eyes that seem to see through everything, and the next, she’s smiling like a fool.
It feels really strange. It’s like I’m peering into a hole I can’t see the bottom of. I feel like I can almost understand her, but the words to describe it are stuck at the back of my throat.
However, it seems Alice doesn’t want to say anything more, so she removes her gaze away from me and sits back down at the counter.
Realizing I probably wouldn’t find any answers by dwelling on it, I gave Alice a small wave before leaving the shop.
Dear Mom, Dad—my shopping at Alice’s store went well, but the last words she said—strangely stayed in my mind.
After Kaito left the store, Alice slowly turned her gaze to the door he had just exited through and muttered to herself.
[The Underworld King, the Death King… And on top of those two, the Supreme God of the God Realm… For him to mingle with those three, I thought he was some kind of monster… Turns out he’s just a normal, slightly good-natured, but still just a normal person.]
Absently muttering to herself, a noise rang out before Alice’s figure blurred, her appearance shifting back to the stuffed cat costume she had been wearing before. She then sat down on the seat near the counter, and out of boredom, began lining up and counting coins.
Yes, she knows. She knows that Kaito is an otherworlder, and she knows about his interactions with Kuromueina and Isis—everything, all gathered through her own network of information. But she feigned ignorance and approached him anyway.
[You have to be careful, Kaito-san. The world isn’t as bright as the theaters, there are always people lurking around backstage… Sooner than you might think, there will be those who start seeing the value in who you are.]
Muttering to herself in a mocking tone about Kaito, who wasn’t there, Alice’s expression remained hidden behind the stuffed costume she wore. But the atmosphere around her was completely different from the carefree shopkeeper she had been just moments ago.
As if waiting for Alice’s mood to shift, to one with a sharper edge, she heard the quiet sound of a door opening in the still shop. A man clad in a black robe, his face obscured, stepped inside.
The man moved silently to the shelves in front of the row of weapons. After grabbing a small dagger, he fluidly shifted to the section with clothing, wrapped the dagger in black cloth, and placed it on the counter.
Alice, who had been quietly counting pennies all this time, glanced at the dagger wrapped in black cloth. With what could almost be described as a sigh, she tilted her head.
[You’re the “Shadow Edge,” aren’t you?]
[……Haahhh… how come my core business isn’t doing well at all, yet my “side job” is thriving? Or rather, I wish you lot would stop calling me that embarrassing pseudonym.]
[There’s someone I need you to deal with.]
[……Depends on how much and who it is.]
The man quietly revealed Alice’s other name—the pseudonym she was known by in the underworld. The act of wrapping the black cloth around the dagger was a clear sign of a request related to the underworld. Requests that wouldn’t be brought to the light, things that could only be done by those who dwell in the darkness of the world.
[One white gold coin for an advance… an additional three after your success.]
[Heehhh, that’s not too bad. The person must’ve been troublesome, huh?]
[I need you to deal with the whole family of a baron.]
[Hmm. A noble in this country, huh?]
[Yeah, here’s the list.]
The man places a single white gold coin on the counter before handing Alice a stack of papers.
Alice reads the contents for a while, and once she finishes, she hands the stack of papers back to the man.
[Alrighty~~. Then, regarding this request… what’s the deadline?]
[If possible, within 10 days.]
[Method of death?]
[It’s best if you kill him in a way that looks like he committed suicide.]
[Okay, okay. Well then, please come back in 10 days with the 3 white gold coins.]
[……Yeah.]
After the short exchange, the man leaves the shop.
As she sees him off while still wearing her stuffed costume, Alice starts flipping the white gold coin she received with her finger and mutters.
[……Kaito-san. Human life is something that can be bought cheaply. Just for these few coins, it would disappear like a fleeting dream…]
After catching the falling white gold coin and casually tossing it into the counter’s drawer, Alice took one of the silver coins Kaito had used to pay her and smiled.
[Well, I suppose I can only pray today… that a “murder request” for you won’t come…]
The sun was setting, casting a gloomy light over the shop, but the girl living in that house wore a peaceful smile.
Ten days later… the day when Kaito and the others left the capital for the Sacred Tree Festival—only she and her client knew at the time that the entire family of a certain barony would commit suicide, causing quite a stir in the royal capital.
<Author’s Notes>
Let’s go talk about this again……
This webnovel is basically a leisurely, heartwarming slow-life story. You basically can’t find any seriousness here.
The protagonist isn’t some kind of peerless warrior…… The protagonist isn’t in some kind of desperate situation, where suddenly awakens to a new power…… The protagonist is liked by several women…… The protagonist quickly became friends with the incarnation of death which had an exaggerated entrance…… NEW The protagonist would somehow get along with this new character who has a dangerous atmosphere around her……
T/N: 6/11. No one escapes Kaito’s harem.