Chapter 33 - Peddling

Chapter 33: Peddling

The next day.

As we showed up at the dressmaker's shop that otaku-like girl came out to meet us with a smile.

"Yes, yes. The clothes are done. I stayed up all night for the first time in a while."

In spite of that the dressmaking seemed in good spirits and excited. She brought out Firo's clothes from the back of the shop.

The foundation was a white one piece. Right in the center was a blue ribbon and here and there it was decorated with blue as a contrast.

How to say it; they were clothes that seemed like they would choose their wear and had a 'simple is best' feeling.

"Master, do I get to wear these?"

"Yeah."

"Yaaay!"

Firo, who had been wearing my cloak up until now, stripped and became stark naked right there.

"That's no good."

"Ehhhh..."

Raphtalia put a stop to that and led her to the back of the shop.

I waited inside the shop for Firo to finish changing.

"Alright then, change into your monster form."

I heard that sales clerk's voice coming from further in the shop.

"Why?"

"If you don't then that ribbon will bite into your body."

"Nooo!"

She was weirdly saying something scary.

"I got it."

I heard the poof that occurs when Firo transforms, and then

"Yep. Like I thought it really suits you..."

I heard a somehow entranced voice.

"Well then, let's go."

"Yeah!"

The women came out from the back of the shop.

And me eyes went to Firo.

...yeah. She had a good appearance from the start so now she really looked like an angel.

A white one piece with pure white wings...and a blue ribbon on her chest for accent. How to say it.

It seemed like an angel heroine from the 2D world.

"Master."

"Ah?"

"How is it? Does it look good?"

"Well, I guess it suits you."

To make clothes that raised Firo's looks to this level, the otaku-like clothes-maker had quite of bit of talent herself.

"Ehehe"

Firo bashfully waved her clothes around while smiling.

The old guy from the weapon shop had already paid for the clothes.

Man, what a horrible spending spree.

We hooked up Firo to the cart so we could head back to Riyuuto Village that we were using as our base.

Those clothes, when Firo changed to her monster form they really disappeared. The ribbon seemed to be set up so that it would changed to a collar.

It had convenient functions to match its high price.

"Ah, Shield Hero-sama."

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We happened to meet the old lady from the magic shop as we were leaving the castle town.

"Are you heading to Riyuuto Village?"

"Yeah."

"I also have a little business there, would it be alright if I rode along with you?"

The old lady proposed with a smile.

Well, we are heading there anyway, and we caused her a lot of trouble so turning her down didn't seem right.

"It's not a very smooth ride is that okay?"

"Yes."

Raphtalia was already looking out far away to fight her motion sickness.

"Well then, excuse me."

The old lady from the magic shop got onto the cart.

"Okay, Firo. Let's head forward without speeding up too much."

"Okaaay."

The people passing by looked at Firo with surprise. I guess talking monsters are rare.

The cart advanced at a good pace.

Man, I really felt how busy these last few days have been.

Well, we are usually busy, but it's been particularly busy.

Piling all of that onto Firo doesn't seem quite...

"How is it going? Are your magic studies advancing?"

"Uuu..."

The old lady from the magic shop hit a painful spot.

Truth be told, I can't really say it has been advancing.

Telling her to that it will be fine if she just gives me a crystal ball also won't work. She made the thread for Firo's clothes cheap so it's hard to complain.

"I came from a different world, so I still don't understand the writing."

"Is that right...I'm sorry."

The old lady apologized like she really felt bad, so it made me really regret that I hadn't studied enough.

I repay what's done to me.

Whether it's something good or bad.

That's why I wanted to repay the old lady's good will.

I need to learn as much as I can.

I don't have the same knowledge as that sh*tty hero, precisely because of that I need to continue studying.

And, in order to survive the waves I need to get my hands on the best equipment I can.

I can't forget deciphering letters and realizing new possible recipes.

It will probably take a lot of time, but I decided to learn.

"Fua...it's light."

Firo cried out with a yawn while steadily pulling the cart.

The cart is light even with three people riding it?

That's a good sign. I already had an idea, it was something we couldn't do without Firo.

When we reached Riyuuto Village the old lady from the magic shop handed me 25 copper coins.

"This is?"

"Money for carrying me here."

"Ah, I see."

Let's add this into my ideas.

Riyuuto Village was, as always, in the middle of reconstruction. As we showed up at the inn the owner came out to meet us himself.

For now I apologized for the chimera meat.

He saved me by giving in and saying that what's gone is gone.

"Alright, next let's head out and work on fixing Raphtalia's motion sickness while transporting lumber."

In order to make up for the meat I promised to help out with the reconstruction. It wasn't a lot but he also said he would pay me.

"Eh!?"

Raphtalia made a sulky face. Well,she's working on overcoming something she's bad with so I guess that's a given.

"From here on our main mode of travel will be Firo pulling us on the cart, get used to it."

"Y-yes!"

"Okaaaay!"

"Firo, you're the one pulling it."

"Yep!"

Filolials really do seem to like pulling carts. Firo's eyes were shining like crazy.

"Um...are you thinking of something?"

"Yeah, from here on I think we'll start peddling?"

"Peddling..?"

"We don't have a huge selection of goods, but I guess our main item will be medicine. Also we can work as a taxi, I want to do as many things as possible."

"Okay..."

Raphtalia didn't seem to really take to it. Well, I myself can't predict whether we'll be successful, but, it's about time that we'll have to go to a lot of different places.

Since we have a cart there's no sense in wasting it.

"That's how it is. Since we're working as a taxi, Firo will have to run at top speed while pulling the cart. If you don't fix your motion sickness I'll be troubled."

"I understand the reasoning but..."

"Don't worry...I know a place where it will be harder to get motion sick. We'll start be getting you used to it while you're there."

"Dose a place like that exist?"

"Yeah."

So, before starting today's job, I had Raphtalia ride in the hard to get sick spot...on Firo's back.

"It would be good if it was master, but why do I have to carry Onee-chan on my back..."

Firo mumbled as Raphtalia rode on her back.

"It's the same for me. This is, pretty embarrassing."

It felt kind of weird that Raphtalia was riding on Firo who now had an owl-like body.

"Is it too hard?"

"No, it's easy~"

I might have been since it was close to her original form, but it seemed there was no problem on Firo's end.

"Ok let's go."

"Yeah!"

Firo started pulling the cart while Raphtalia was riding on her back.

It should have been pretty heavy, put the person herself said it wasn't.

During that, I started reading an intermediate recipe book while translating it.

....bump, bump

...........bump, bump

The sound of the cart made good background music while I was concentrating on an obscure language of a different world when

"Um...."

................bump, bump

"U-um...."

Hm?

It caught my attention so I looked towards Firo and for some reason she had changed to her human form while still carrying Raphtalia. Raphtalia had been calling out to me with a troubled face.

I heard the sound of the surrounding adventurers whispering to each other while pointing at us.

"Don't do stuff that will cause weird rumors!"

If the weird rumor that I was forcing a slave girl to ride on another girl's back while she was pulling a cart spread then my reputation which had finally become good would become worse than ever.

"Ehh-..."

"When you're pulling the cart don't change to human form."

"Okaaaay"

Firo looked unsatisfied as nodded and changed back to monster form.

She was probably bored. Raphtalia seemed like she hadn't gotten sick yet.

Then it should be okay to make it a little rougher.

"Alright, then let's speed up."

"Yaaay!"

At my order Firo's tension rose as she nodded and took of running.

Bumpbumpbump

The wheels of the cart made noise as they spun.

"Whoa!"

Raphtalia let out a surprised voice, and clung to Firo.

Well, we'll probably get to our destination pretty fast.