Volume 9 Chapter 20 The Demon Merchant's Threat
I decided to visit a nearby wholesaler, and a small window on the sturdy entrance door opened, asking me.
"What's the password?"
"Huh?"
"What's the password?"
"..."
We didn't even know such a thing existed, so we were left speechless and confused.
Then, the verification officer said.
"Ugh, don't waste my time, you trash Scram!"
The small window slammed shut. We exchanged awkward glances and decided to leave the scene.
"It seems like a password is required."
"What do we do...? Clay-kun is using his own wholesaler, and in charge of the villagers, so he probably doesn't know this kind of password..."
"Can't we just break through that door normally, master? It's not like it's that strong..."
"But if we do that, it'll cause a commotion and the Demon King's army might show up, which would be bad."
"Aww, that's right~♡ It's not about physical strength, but about being cautious~♡."
Rollo teased me with a cheerful tone, and I couldn't help but laugh. Ice placed a hand on Rollo's head and said:
"Do you want to become an ice statue...?"
"...I don't think so, maybe~."
"Then what should we ask Wade-kun...?"
"...Sorry, Master, I was wrong~♡."
Rollo was being strong-willed despite being teased by Ice with a smile. I couldn't help but ask.
"Are you 2 close friends or something?"
"No way...!"
"Isn't that just Master's way of looking at things?"
"No, it's just that the two of you were really close, like siblings."
It felt like they were a spoiled little sister and a gentle but intimidating older sister. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like their appearances were similar too.
When I burst out laughing, Ice and Rollo exchanged weird glances.
"Alright, let's search for the password. Luckily, we have a memo from a connected store. Let's start with that."
"Where is it...?"
"Next door..."
I turned to the side, and my gaze fell on a butcher shop owner shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Welcome! We've got fresh meat for you! From dragons to humanoid rats, we've got a wide variety of magic beasts! And demons, from the Demon King's soldiers to brats, we've got them all!"
The one shouting this was an extremely muscular man. You could call him a "chicken leg"――his upper body was incredibly strong, but his lower body was as thin as a chicken's leg.
This man was holding a blood-stained apron in one hand, hanging up raw meat and shouting. The content of his shout was also weird, but somehow...
"..."
I was quietly backing away from the guy, who looks like a killer in a horror movie doing business normally.
"Wade-kun... are you going to ask him...?"
"Ah, yeah... somehow, that guy's... probably I'm going to win, but I don't want to get involved, it's crazy..."
I thought I was still trapped in the common sense of the surface world. I wanted to keep my distance from him right now.
As I thought that, Rollo started walking towards the meat shop.
"I'll go instead, Master and Ice-sama! Rollo will take care of it ♡ Oh, uncle!"
Rollo fearlessly approached the meat shop. The butcher looked at Rollo with a glance and asked, "What's wrong, little girl?"
"That's right~... I want to get into the neighboring logistics company, so please teach me the password~..."
The butcher's sharp jab grazed Rollo's jaw. Rollo instantly lost consciousness, and the butcher gently picked her up.
"I've got new meat, so I'll start preparing it!"
"Wait!"
Rollo's careless words were bad enough, but it was too early to make her understand! And he was going to use her for preparation! Sell her as meat!
"What's with you, are you friends with this brat? Huh?"
"..."
The butcher was already in a combat stance, holding a thick meat cleaver in one hand, opposite to the hand holding Rollo.
I let out a sigh and looked around.
No one was paying attention yet.
In other words, it was best to settle this right now.
"―――Hmph."
I instantly dove into the butcher's chest, landed one punch without using magic, and struck his solar plexus.
"...Ka, ha...?"
It was probably because he was poked in the gap of consciousness. The butcher's eyes widened, and he collapsed to the ground. I quietly caught Rollo as she fell, grabbed the butcher's hair, and whispered in his ear.
"You know the difference in our powers, don't you? Answer quickly. If not, I'll turn all your merchandise into your own flesh."
"E-Eeek!"
The butcher trembled at my threat. Then, he begged for his life, saying, "I, I understand. Please stop killing me."
"S-so the password is 'No distinction between gold and dirt'! Isn't that good enough? Let me go!"
"Alright, that's quick thinking. Thanks."
As I released him and turned around, Ice said, "Ah." A large shadow stretched out behind me, with the silhouette of a knife hovering above it.
"You fools! You're all today's merchandise!"
Demon or not, I was going to do it, so I chanted "Repulsion" magic.
Repulsion is a magic that repels objects I'm not touching at the time of activation. So Rollo wasn't affected, and the knife didn't reach me.
"Gh...!? Wh, what...!? Why can't I get any closer...!? ."
"Object Repulsion."
"Gyaaah!?"
When I cast Repulsion on the butcher, he was strongly repelled from the ground and flew high into the air. Since I canceled the magic, he'd fall back down in a few seconds.
"Alright, once he falls, he'll definitely stand out, so let's enter with the password."
"U, un... ."
"Ha, haha~...? Is something, like, wrong with the world~...?"
Together with Ice, we moved to the next building, carrying the still-confused Rollo. When we said the password, "'No distinction between gold and dirt'", the door opened with a "Enter".
The 3 of us entered the building. Immediately after, a loud, explosive sound echoed from the main street outside.
"Hehe, crushed tomato~♡."
At Rollo's murmur, I raised an eyebrow, impressed by her mental strength.
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