Volume 1 Chapter 10 For Me, Saved By Such Hypocrisy, It Was A Story That Couldn't Be Helped
*Returning to Ryuuji's first-person perspective.*
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On the day we arrived in Sartzstadt, we finished our procedures at the Adventurers' Guild by evening, so we decided to continue the remaining paperwork the next day and stayed at an inn.
The port of the town was damaged, but it seemed some fishing boats could still set sail, and we were able to enjoy fresh seafood at the tavern.
The next day, after finishing our procedures at the merchant guild, we decided to look for a vacant house suitable for use as a workshop, and here I am now, heading to the suburbs with the official, Mr. Thor.
"Wow, we really are walking quite a bit."
"When it comes to finding a spacious house that meets your conditions, the rent in the center of the town tends to be quite high. Convenience and rent are opposing factors, after all."
"I see... by the way, what's that thing on your back?"
I cut into the conversation and decided to boldly ask Mr. Thor about what he was carrying on his back.
This was because vegetables were clearly sticking out from the edge of the backpack he was shouldering.
I wondered why he needed to carry vegetables while introducing properties; it was quite a mystery.
"Ah... this is, um, hypocrisy."
"...hypocrisy?"
Mr. Thor gave a somewhat awkward and unclear response, and Lene and I exchanged puzzled glances.
Rent properties, vegetables, and hypocrisy.
They certainly don't connect at all.
Before long, the path changed into a wider farm road cutting through the fields.
And in front of us were 2 houses.
The left one was smaller, while the right one was larger and single-story.
It was likely that the house on the right would meet our conditions.
"We've arrived. The house on the right is the vacant one that fits your conditions. The owner of this house was a merchant, but... well, they decided to cut their losses and sold it to the merchant guild."
...Ah, I see.
There wouldn't be any reason for a merchant to settle in a place that wasn't profitable.
So, they decided to cut their losses.
But this house, does it have a width of about 25 meters?
I see, this is spacious.
No, it feels a bit too spacious.
Did I set the conditions a bit too strict?
It seems like maintaining it would be quite a challenge.
"Mr. Thor, may I check inside?"
"Yes, of course."
Lene, who received the key from Mr. Thor, opened the entrance and stepped inside.
I decided to follow her in.
Wow, even with my height of 100 98 centimeters, there's plenty of room to the ceiling.
That alone gives a good impression.
Inside, it was a bit dusty, but the size and number of rooms were sufficient.
With this, it wouldn't be a problem if Minori and Suzu came to stay over, not just the two of us.
"Lene, what do you think?"
"Yes, I think it's a good property. The forest is nearby too."
...I see, now that I think about it, both Lene and I find it appealing that we can go gather materials in the forest.
After checking inside the house, we decided to check outside.
Well, in terms of safety, we could secure it using protective spells or golems, but...
"...Huh?"
Feeling a gaze, I looked over at the neighboring house.
Looking over, I saw that in the neighboring yard, a thin little dark elf and some elf girls were sending glances our way.
The dark elf looked to be just over ten years old, while the elf seemed to be around 8.
"W-Wow, what cute kids!"
Lene seemed to notice too, and she waved at our adorable neighbors as she said so.
The two girls shyly waved back at Lene.
It was quite a heartwarming sight, but... the extremely thin appearances of the two girls caught my attention.
"Ah, Little Lana, Little Lena, there you are. Sorry to keep you waiting. I brought some today too."
As Mr. Thor closed the house door, he noticed the two girls and hurried over, lowering the backpack he was carrying.
Then, as expected, he took out the vegetables stored inside and handed them to the two.
"Thank you, Big Brother Thor! Hey, Lena, say thank you too!"
"Thank you!"
The dark elf girl named Lana politely expressed her gratitude, and the elf girl named Lena cheerfully bowed her head.
...I see, I think I understand what Mr. Thor meant by hypocrisy.
But I don't dislike that kind of thing.
* * *
"Their father is an elf, and their mother is a dark elf──after their mother passed away in an accident, their father vanished right away."
"...Is that so?"
After hearing the detailed story from Mr. Thor, Lene wore a complex expression.
Elves tend to be closed off, and while it's rare, there are some like Lene who live away from their hometown, but I've never heard of other races living in an elf village.
In short, it seems that the two, who fell in love across the racial divide, were forced to live away from their hometown, but after the wife's death, the husband became cold and abandoned the children.
"So, knowing the situation, Mr. Thor regularly brings food for them, huh?"
"...I know it's hypocrisy. There are many other hungry kids too. But once you know, you can't just──"
Mr. Thor looks a bit embarrassed, but my sisters and I are saved because of him.
I think his actions are very admirable.
"Then it's okay for me to do hypocrisy too."
It's a difficult thing, but if hypocrisy spreads and there are no hungry children left, then it wouldn't really be hypocrisy.
"Mr. Thor. I would like to return to the discussion about the contract."
"Eh!? Ah, um, I'm sorry! Yes, of course!"
Mr. Thor must think showing the situation of the starving sisters next to us is a negative action for someone introducing a property.
Still, he didn't abandon the sisters.
"That's fine, right, Lene?"
"Yes, of course!"
"...Huh?"
To my words, Lene responded with a huff, as if it were natural.
Mr. Thor looks baffled at this unexpected turn of events.
Being sensitive to others' pain is also one of Lene's charming traits.
Although, it's too embarrassing to tell her directly.
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