Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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I chased after Najina, who was running with Maon on her back.
The destination was about two backstreets from the general store.
That was when I entered.
To put it bluntly, it’s like the outskirts of a commercial district.
It was a townscape that could be described only as that…
I caught up with Maon after Najina put her off his back in front of a store.
Najina told us, “Oh, this is it, this is it! Don’t be shy. Please come in and think of it as your own home!”
Saying that, he went deeper and deeper inside.
There were various products in the old store.
It felt different from your average general store. I wonder…
There’s something different about leaving it at home…
“I see… so that’s what my partner thought of…”
Wozma was muttering something.
“Hey! Oji-san! The store is open so you’re here right? Don’t give up and come out!”
Najina was calling someone in a foul voice.
“Hey, you idiot!! Shut up!”
It seems Oji-san is here.
And with that, a figure even smaller than Maon-san appeared.
His long white eyebrows covered his eyes, and there was also a long beard.
He was an old man with a mysterious aura.
….
“Really, you always come here yelling!
He was quiet except when he was sipping his drink.
“And I…”
“Scary!” he exclaimed, pointing his index finger at Najina-san.
“I’m not an old man!!”
“Now now, please cheer up. We have a wonderful customer today. I came here to introduce you.”
“What, a customer?”
The man who appears to be the old man who owns the store looked at me.
“Hello.”
When our eyes met, I greeted him.
“Hey! Welcome, take your time. Considering that this idiot brought you here, you seem pretty well behaved.”
He raised his white eyebrows, which covered his eyes, and his eyes were slightly visible.
He looks at me as if observing me.
“Well, I haven’t seen them around here. Ah, I’m not blaming you for anything. I’m from outside too. So, I started selling things and now I have a shop like this…”
“Hey, enough with the old stories, give me a blanket. Oji-san, you are really quick to talk.”
“Well, I’m not an old man!”
It’s like when a certain female comedian said, “It’s not Kadono Zou![1]“
It’s similar to a scene where she responded a little angrily. It brings back some memories.
“Madam, Genta, this is a place where adventurers like us often come. It’s a place I often visit. Anyone who has been there for a while has probably been there at least once. I think he’s coming.”
Wozma explained the situation.
“From the looks of it, he seems to be a novice adventurer… but that Najina guy… You’re doing a great job showing me around! And you’re right! Good eat and sleep, that’s the only way to rest your body. Those who do this will never be able to continue anything, okay, I’ll take a closer look!”
“Wait a minute! It’s not my brother who’s using it. It’s a gift from her grandson to that old lady.”
“What? A gift from him?”
“Actually, this grandmother’s house burned down, and it’s still cold early at night, right? So at least to try not to let her get cold, we’re looking for a blanket.”
“So, a blanket…”
“Ah, but a blanket wouldn’t be necessary at this time of year, would it? But hey, what about Grandpa’s shop? On the other hand, we adventurers don’t want to camp out overnight in the winter. Even if you do, you have to be decent to get ahead of the monsters. But it’s so cold that you can’t sleep. So, we need a blanket at this time of year. I thought it might sell well.”
“…That’s right. What sells in town and what sells among adventurers are subtly different. Especially the durability against water.”
“And one more thing. It doesn’t happen. We move around carrying my luggage, so we get tired of carrying it. That’s not worth discussing. But this blanket is a size smaller… To make it easier to carry things. But that’s a good thing!”
“Huh!?” I asked back without thinking.
“I like how small it is! As you can see, the old woman’s body is small. And it’s easier to store than a big blanket. So I thought it might be better.”
Najina-san grinned and laughs with a smug look on his face.
“S-sama…”
“Partner!”
“That’s incomprehensible, isn’t it? Grandpa, you’re a good judge of quality. There must be something good that will impress us.”
“Don’t talk, you idiot!”
“But I like it! It makes this grandson cry, seeing her shivering from the cold. So he wants to buy it for his grandma!”
“Isn’t that a pleasant story?! Hey, Najina! I’m glad you brought her here! To have a say in a story that makes this sake taste so good!”
“Heh! I knew Grandpa would say that!”
“Don’t be so cheeky, Gayo. Okay! Just wait a bit! Don’t go home, okay? I’ll let you worship this blanket!”
The old man goes back inside.
“Hey, old man. If you want to take out what you put away, I’ll help you.”
Najina followed after him.
“I’m not an old man.”
A voice of protest came from the back of the store, protesting against being called an old man for the third time today.
The tone had went up.
….
“The owner of this shop is a member of the gnome tribe and is known as the Sage of the Earth. It’s not for nothing, in fact, his discerning eye is second to none. However, the Gnomes are said to be quiet and live like hermits. That’s what they say, but apparently he’s not.”
Wozma told me about the old man from earlier.
“By the way, what was that old man’s name?”
Wozma shook his head in response to my question.
Apparently he doesn’t know.
While we were doing this, the two of them returned with a blanket.
“Now, look at this blanket.”
Saying this, the old man spread out a blanket.
It was a gray blanket. However, it was more like a square piece of fur than a blanket.
When I touch it with my hand, it felt quite soft and warm.
I asked Maon to touch it and try it on her body.
It felt just right for Maon, who is small in stature, to use.
“It’s soft and feels nice on the skin. But it doesn’t seem like it’s wool. What kind of fur is this?”
“Don’t be surprised when you hear that, Granny. This is the belly of a wolf. It’s a wolf blanket.”
“Ugh! A wolf… I’ve never heard of such a blanket.”
“I suppose so, I suppose so. But, Granny. How did it feel to the touch? It was soft and warm, right.”
“Ah, yeah. That’s right.”
“Wolves don’t sleep with their backs to the ground like we do. They … sleep on their stomach. If you sleep on your stomach, you can run away quickly if something happens. But in that case, you’ll have to lie on the cold ground for a long time. I ended up sleeping. The ground was cold, so I tried sleeping. I understand, but it’s taking away my body heat. Besides, what’s inside your stomach? It’s packed full of intestines. So of course, we can’t let it cool down. Therefore they grow a layer of fur on their belly.”
“So this blanket is warm because of this?”
“Yes, and unlike sheep that are kept in places with roofs and walls, wolves live in the mountains and forests, so it’s great for water and dirt! What do you think? Granny, would you like to try it out?”
“Well, that sounds good, but…”
“Are you worried about the price? Don’t worry. It’s cheaper to make, and it takes less work. You can tell at a glance, its fur glued together. With wool, you have to spin it into yarn and then knit it. I’ve cut down on the amount of work and made it cheaper. So it’s just one silver and six silver pieces.”
That would be about 16,000 yen in Japanese yen…
It’s a lot cheaper than before.
“What do you think, Maon-san? How about this blanket? Please let me give it to you.”
I offered.
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[1] Kazu Kusano (草野カズ), a Japanese female stand-up comedian based in the United States. I think here the reference is to the misspelling of name not changing the person.