Chapter 9
"Hey, what have you been up to lately?"
"Tried to make some money, but failed."
"Hmm."
It's been almost a week since I transfared to this other world.
If this were a dream, I would have woken up long ago. But I've already accepted this world as reality. Amidst my busyness, I ended up neglecting her, which made her upset. Those words came from Nel.
Hearing that, I couldn't help but recall the results of the past three days, and I felt a bit melancholic.
"There, there. Even your dad gets down sometimes when his business doesn't go well, but your mom always cheers him up like this."
"Nel, you're so kind."
Her small hand reached over the bandana and gently patted my head.
Being comforted by a little girl like this—if I were in my original body, it might have been mistaken for a crime. But since I'm in a child's body now, it's fine.
"So, what did you do to try to make money?"
While still patting my head, she seemed curious about what I had been up to.
"Well, there was something I wanted, so I went to the southern hills to hunt some Mochi."
I found myself feeling comforted by her, so I went ahead and told her about what had happened over the past three days.
How I managed to defeat the Mochi, the journey to get there, and how long it took.
After I finished explaining all that...
"That's not fair!"
Nel's hand suddenly stopped, and even though she had been quietly listening just moments ago, she puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
Huh? Why is she upset now?
"Liberta, it's not fair that you get to go outside. I want to go out too!"
"Ah, I see."
I'm an orphan, while Nel is the daughter of a merchant who runs a shop.
Since I have no parents to worry about me, I can take responsibility for myself. But Nel, who has parents who care for her, has a more limited range of activities.
"I want to go outside too!"
"Well, I can't just take you out on my own."
"I want to go!"
Nel isn't mature enough to understand that kind of reasoning yet.
This isn't about logic—it's purely emotional. She must have gotten jealous after hearing about my adventures outside.
The small hand that had been on my head now grabbed onto my clothes, tugging insistently.
"Hmm..."
"I want to go!"
"Let's at least talk to your parents about it."
"...Talk to them?"
But I can't just take her out on a whim. The proper thing to do is to get permission first.
I took Nel's hand and knocked on the back door.
Since Nel is here, I can't just barge in.
Her mother, noticing the noise, opened the door.
"Oh, what's wrong? Dinner isn't ready yet."
"It's not that. Actually..."
This is the kind of thing you need to get a parent's permission for. If Nel explained it herself, she'd probably just blurt out that she wants to go outside without thinking, so I tried to explain her wish in a more orderly way.
"The outside is dangerous. Of course, you can't go."
Yeah, I figured.
That's a perfectly reasonable response from a parent. It's only natural for her to say no to the idea of a little girl and a scrawny boy going out alone. She looked straight at Nel as she said it.
If Nel would just give up now, this would be easy to resolve.
"But Liberta goes outside every day!"
"Liberta is a boy, and he carries a weapon. You're a girl. There are not only monsters outside but also kidnappers. If you were caught by bad people, you might never come home."
It's only natural for Nel, who can't control her desires, to clash with her mother's logic. Since I've already set a precedent by going outside, she used me as an example, but that's not enough to break through her mother's reasoning.
It's dangerous, so no.
Kids might not understand how dangerous something is until they experience it, but adults can grasp the risks through information.
And what Nel is saying is just selfish.
She wants to go outside just to see it, even though it's dangerous. Of course, her parents would stop her.
Nel tried to argue with her emotions, but none of it got through to her mother.
"Hmph!"
"Hey, don't look at me like it's my job to fix this."
Trying to push emotions over logic is an impossible task. But if I just shut her down here, Nel's mood will go from bad to worse.
I felt a little bad seeing her on the verge of tears, but when I looked at her mother, she was frowning, clearly troubled.
"There might be... a way."
"Really!?"
"But it's not something I can do."
I didn't want to trouble her mother either. But if there's a way to make Nel happy without making her sad, I had to suggest it.
"Um, Nel's mom..."
"Ah, come to think of it, we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet. I thought we had, but I guess not. My name is Teresa. You can call me Teresa."
"Ah, yes, Teresa."
"So? Do you have a way to convince me?"
"If we're just talking about the result, then yes."
"Oh? Let's hear it then."
What's with the women in this town? They're all so strong-willed. The female barber, the giantess who runs the weapon shop, and now Nel's mom, Teresa—they're all so assertive.
Please don't give off the aura of a champion sizing up a challenger.
And Nel, stop looking at me with those expectant eyes.
"Teresa, you said Nel can't go outside because it's dangerous, right? Is that the only issue?"
"...Well, no. She helps out at the shop and studies, so it's not like she's neglecting her responsibilities."
"Then how about hiring an adventurer to escort her?"
The idea of hiring an adventurer to escort a child who isn't even a noble's daughter might be a bit too out there, right?
"Hiring an adventurer... Well, that might make it safe enough to go to the hills, but where would we get the money for that? We can't just spend money on a child's whims."
But Teresa didn't outright reject the idea.
That was the opening I needed.
"I have the money!!"
I had originally planned to have Nel use her charm to convince her father, but she unexpectedly took matters into her own hands.
She ran past me, then past Teresa, and headed upstairs.
"Uh, um..."
"Sigh, my daughter is causing you trouble, isn't she?"
"N-no, not at all. I'm grateful for her company."
With the main person gone, an awkward silence filled the air.
As I was wondering what to do, Teresa apologized first.
"From your perspective, you're just trying to survive, right? And here we are, getting in your way."
"No, really, it's no trouble at all. Talking with Nel helps me reflect on things."
"Is that so? I know I might be overprotective, but we beastfolk aren't in the best position in this country. Thanks to my husband, we get along well with the neighbors, but there are plenty of bad people out there. I don't want my daughter to have to go through that."
"Teresa..."
I've never been married, so I don't fully understand her worries. But I could tell that Teresa truly cares for Nel, which is why she's so firmly against this.
"Well, I brought it!!"
Just as I was about to confirm if I had overstepped by suggesting a compromise, Nel returned.
In her hands was a cute pink piggy bank.
Wait, do piggy banks exist in this world?
And it's the kind you have to break to get the money out.
"Here!! Can we hire an adventurer with this?"
She thrust it in front of me.
"Well, I don't know how much is inside, so I can't say for sure... But are you sure you can use this money?"
These kinds of piggy banks are usually for saving up for something important, like wedding funds or future dreams.
"It's money I've been saving to open my own shop someday!"
"You can't use that!!"
As expected, that money was off-limits.
"That's right, Nel. You should keep that. It's for emergencies, not for something like this."
"But, but..."
I couldn't help but interject, but what else could I do?
Even though we haven't known each other long, I've often heard Nel innocently declare that she wants to be a merchant.
She's throwing a tantrum, but she seems to understand how important this money is, as she's starting to show a bit of internal conflict.
"My, my, I thought I heard some noise in the back. What's going on?"
Then the shopkeeper appeared.
Perfect timing.
"Dear, actually..."
Honestly, if I could step up here and declare that I'll protect Nel like a true protagonist, that would be great. But with my cloth clothes and bamboo spear, I'm just a scrawny kid who can't even protect himself.
There's no way anyone would believe me if I made such a grand claim.
So, hoping to shift the conversation, I looked at the shopkeeper.
"Hmm, you want to go outside, huh?"
"Dad, can I?"
"Uh, um..."
And now she's using teary eyes and a pleading look!?
Nel, you're terrifying!?
"Well, if we hire an adventurer, it should be safe enough to go to the hills. Gaining some travel experience wouldn't be a bad thing, ow!?"
He was trying to justify Nel's request, but Teresa promptly pinched his side.
"You."
Yep, Teresa is definitely the boss of this household.
"Ouch, but Nel rarely asks for anything. And it wouldn't be a bad thing for her to broaden her horizons if she wants to be a merchant. Letting her gain some travel experience would be good for her. Luckily, I know a trustworthy adventurer."
"Sigh, no alcohol for a week."
"What!?"
"If you don't like it, then forget it. Honestly, I'd like to cut you off for a month."
"Dad..."
And so, the father's desire to grant his daughter's wish managed to squeeze out some reasonable logic, and the tide turned completely in Nel's favor.
I feel a bit bad for the shopkeeper, but there's nothing I can do about it.
"Alright, fine."
"Really!? I can go!?"
"Yes, but you have to treat this as a learning experience, not just a fun trip."
"Okay! I'll do my best! Thank you, Dad!"
"Haha, it's nothing. It's my beloved daughter's request, after all."
I watched, believing that Nel's smile was healing her father's heart, when...
Nel glanced at me and gave a peace sign.
And Teresa let out a big sigh.
Wait, was all of this part of her plan!?
Nel, you're terrifying!?
I have no idea what kind of merchant she'll become in the future, but she's definitely showing some promising signs.
"Dad, when can we go? Tomorrow?"
"Hmm, I'll have to ask my acquaintance, but it probably won't be tomorrow. At the earliest, we might be able to go in two days. Nel, I'll teach you how to prepare for the trip later, so get ready."
"...Okay."
There's a calculated edge to her childish behavior.
Only I and Teresa, who saw it, understand how scary that is.
At least Nel's mood didn't turn sour, so I'll count that as a win.
"Liberta, you should get ready for the trip too."
"Wait, is he coming too?"
"Is that a problem?"
"Uh, um, well... I guess it's fine. You two seem to get along."
It's nice that she invited me on the trip, but the shopkeeper's expression made it clear how conflicted he felt as a father.
Well, at least Nel's mood didn't turn sour.
"Liberta."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Please, please take good care of my daughter."
This might have made my relationship with the shopkeeper a bit awkward.
The shopkeeper is way stronger than me.
He's also much bigger.
So when he walked up to me, placed his hands on my shoulders, and gave me a intimidating smile, it was clearly a warning.
He said "please" twice, so it must be really important to him.
"Ah, yes."
It's only natural to cave under that pressure.
"What are you saying to the kid!?"
"Ow!?"
When I nodded obediently, Teresa slapped the shopkeeper's head with her palm.
"But..."
"No buts! The shop's been open for a while now, right? We need to send a letter to the adventurer too. Come on, get back to work."
"Ugh, my wife is reliable, but she's a bit strict, huh? You'll end up like this too someday."
As he left, he gave me a glimpse of my future, and I watched his slightly hunched back as he walked away.
That day, I spent time with Nel, and the next day, I went out alone to hunt Mochi. But my luck with drops was terrible, and as I returned, feeling dejected...
"Libertaaa!"
I was greeted by Nel, crying in front of the stable, with a troubled-looking Teresa by her side.