Volume 9 Chapter 33 A Certain Day In Nilfheim - Part I
Before we head into the slums, let's take a break today, we decided.
Yesterday was a big mess, and we've been on edge for several days after that. Everyone needs a day to unwind.
So, I woke up today, and it was already past noon.
"...If I relax, I'll just end up sleeping in..."
This has happened before, I think. Like right after the war with Sieg. I was out cold for a whole day.
I must have been more tired than I thought, I thought, and I got out of bed...
"..."
But I couldn't get out. Something was clinging to my waist.
What is it, I thought, and I threw off the covers.
Sandra was clinging to my waist, completely n*ked.
"..."
Huh? This is weird. I'm sure we slept separately last night...
But, well, I haven't been paying attention lately, and she's been making these subtle appeals. Maybe she snuck in.
"My lovely wife."
I stroked Sandra's head, and I freed my arm from her grasp. What's with her being n*ked, anyway?
"...Well, it's Sandra, so thinking about it is pointless."
I'll ask her later. With that thought, I left the room.
When I went down to the tavern, Clay, Toxy, Philia, Renril, and Sur were playing cards.
"Ah! Good morning, Wade! We're playing poker. Want to join?"
"Good morning, Toxy, and everyone. Can I really play poker after just waking up?"
I forced a smile at Toxy's energetic greeting, and I let out a yawn. This is a rare gathering, and poker sounds like fun.
"Ah, so you just woke up. Should we call Ice-chan? She might make breakfast for us."
"No, I'm not hungry yet, so it's okay. Is Ice in the kitchen?"
"Yeah. But she said she was going out to buy some stuff earlier, so she might not be there."
I lightly checked the kitchen, but no one was there. Just as Toxy said, she must have already left.
"She wasn't there. I might go for a walk too."
"Do it just once before that? Just once!"
"Hahaha, got it. Just once, then."
"By the way, the chips start at one gold coin."
"What a lie What is this, a gathering of rich people?"
You're betting hundreds of thousands of yen per game? This isn't some casual poker game among friends, is it?
So, I decided to join in on the poker game. It just so happened that one round had ended, and everyone was dealt a new hand, including me.
Poker. I don't have much experience with it, but basically, you compare the strength of your hand based on the cards you have, and the strongest person takes it all.
You decide whether to fold or raise based on your hand and the reactions of those around you. If it looks like someone has a strong hand, you can "fold" and give up, which is also a strategy.
As I recalled the rules, I checked my hand.
"Whoa, this is amazing!"
As soon as I said that, everyone's gaze turned to me. Oh no, I thought, and quickly shut my mouth.
"I see. I'll fold," Clay said.
"Ah, sorry. It's a one-time bet, but that was too good. Fold," Toxy said.
"Wade-chan slipped up, didn't he? I'll fold too," Philia said.
"I'm sorry, master, but for me, it's a bet of an enormous amount of money... Fold," Renril said. Why is this guy participating, anyway? Did he get dragged in?
"I'll fold too. Wade-sama has such bad luck, after all. Fold," Sur said.
So, everyone except me folded, and I revealed my hand.
"So, my hand is a 'pig.' Thanks for the pocket change, everyone."
""""!?""""
A "pig" means I have no usable cards. It's the weakest possible hand.
I collected the gold coins everyone had thrown onto the table, one by one, and said, "I'll take a walk," as I walked away.
I could hear the voices behind me: "From behind, "Hahaha, nice job!" "Do it again! Do it again, Wade!" "We won't let you get away with this, Wade!" "Ahh, I'm in debt! I earned money from robbery to have fun!" "I was caught off guard because I was sleeping...""
I tightened my coat and stepped outside. It was still snowing in Nilfheim today.
The Bazaar has lost a lot of its energy over the past few days, but it's still necessary for the city. People are struggling to find stores that sell what they need.
"Clay's store will make a comeback and earn a lot once it reopens."
Just when everyone was exhausted, a large store that wasn't tired at all opened. Clay's store will surely attract a lot of customers. They can easily make up for the recent decline in sales.
So, where did Ice go to buy something? I wondered while walking around, searching for Ice.
Then, I found Mudi, not Ice, being chased by a demon in an alleyway.
"What are you doing, Mudi?"
"Ah, stupid disciple. This guy started a fight, so I'm fighting back."
"Ah, okay. Do as you like."
"Wait, wait, wait! Help me out!"
"You started the fight yourself, didn't you?"
"Shh, I did, but..."
"Then don't complain when you get beat up."
"That's right. You trash should just quietly hand over your money!"
I saw Mudi get hit by the demon and continued walking down the main street.
Mudi, you're really enjoying yourself, aren't you? You're more alive now than when you were teaching yoga on the surface.
I walked on, half-amused, without a destination in mind.
Then, I noticed a commotion up ahead.
"What's going on?"
I approached the scene. The voice I heard was familiar.
"What's with you people?! You're saying it's normal to shop at the black market?! Everyone else is doing it, so why are you guys the only ones getting caught?! Kyrie and the others..."
"What's going on? Are you disobeying the Demon King's orders? Or are you one of the serial robbers from the other day?"
"...That's not it at all☆ I'm not that kind of person, officer♪."
A group of 3 surrounded by the Demon King's army, shouting at the top of their lungs. I spotted the red-haired one and called out their name.
"Kyrie? And your 2 companions?"
"Wade!"
"Your 2 companions are quite the evaluation, aren't they..."
"Remember my name already! I'm Lillu! And this big guy is Gand!"
So, the 3 of them together are Klainatzirks. There's Kyrie with red hair, Gand the giant with scales on his cheeks, and Lillu, a beast-girl.
I ask the soldier with a normal citizen's face, "What's going on?" The Demon King's soldier looks at me with a bothered expression and answers like this.
"These guys were involved in the black market. By the Demon King's decree, participating in the black market is forbidden."
"Black market?"
I tilt my head, and Kyrie explains.
"You see, after the string of robberies, almost all the shops closed down, right? The relationship between the Merchant Guild and the Demon King's army also got worse. But you can't live without buying anything, right?"
"You can just revive if you die, since you're a demon and all."
"But dying from hunger is painful, so it's not an option."
I nod in understanding, thinking that it's ridiculous to starve even when you have money. They must have earned that money through robbery.
"So, the black market is like an operation that ignores the Merchant Guild. All the goods are expensive, and the Demon King's army is keeping an eye on it, so normally people don't go there, but in a situation like this..."
"Clay's shop is... Ah, it's closed today."
"That's right! For the past few days, the Merchant Guild's shops have been getting harassed by the Demon King's army, and it's been tough to go there. If you try to go, they'll say it's closed!"
By the way, it was Clay who said it would be good to take a break today. Apparently, the shop is scheduled to reopen tomorrow.
...I think it's unlikely, but Clay might be waiting for the demand to reach its limit...
The possibility that Clay is calmly manipulating the demand, making customers half-starve, while playing a game of poker, sends a shiver down my spine.
Clay, you don't have to be so ruthless...
Anyway, I nod and say, "I understand the situation," and take out the gold coins I won earlier from my pocket.
"That's right, soldier. I found these coins on the ground just now. Maybe they're not yours?"
"Huh? ...G-gold coins!? Not silver coins, but gold coins...?"
"Oh, did I make a mistake? If I did, I'll look for the owner myself."
I was about to put the gold coin in my pocket when the soldier grabbed my hand in a panic.
"No, no! Thank you, kind citizen. That's my lost item. You've really helped me out."
"That's great. By the way, these guys are my friends. They're good people, so can you let them off?"
"Of course. A kind citizen like you wouldn't betray the Demon King's decree. You're free to go. Have a good day... Haha, gold coins!"
The soldier jumped for joy and disappeared. When I looked back, Kyrie and the other 2 were staring at me with wide eyes.
"Whoa, bribing with gold coins...!? Wade, you're amazing! That's so cool!"
"I just won at poker, so I didn't have any other money."
I shrugged at Kyrie, who was beaming with excitement. Behind her, the other 2 were saying, "As expected, our leader is amazing..." and "You're too brave, it's amazing..."
"Thanks, Wade! You really helped me out... It feels like you lent me a gold coin's worth of favor, haha."
"I didn't do it to sell you a favor. We help each other out when we're in trouble, right? You taught me about the shop owner's situation last time too."
In the end, the shop owner disappeared who-knows-where. Now, I just think of it as a one-time encounter.
"Yeah. Honestly, it's hard to believe you're a demon, you're so kind... Newcomers are really cute, aren't they? So, ah, yeah..."
Kyrie suddenly remembered something and turned to me.
"There was a small girl who was with us at the black market before..."
"Rollo?"
"Yeah, probably. That Rollo got caught by some sl*ve auction people."
Kyrie said she was thinking of telling Wade about it.
"...Seriously?"
"Yeah. She was stripped n*ked and taken away with the other sl*ves."
"I was wondering what happened to her..."
I remembered how I helped her when she was about to be sold as a sl*ve before.
"Where was it?"
"It was at the black market's illegal auction."
"Got it. Thanks."
I waved goodbye to the 3 of them and turned onto the bustling backstreet, running off into the distance.
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