Chapter 51: Storage Magic and Theft
「Storage: In」
I develop a no-attribute magic that I remember. The magic circle appears on the floor and the chair sinks into it and disappears. Yep, storage successful.
「Storage: Out」
This time I imagine the chair and activate the magic. The magic circle appears and the chair flies out of the floor.
「Otto」
I catch the chair that had been flown up as it fell. This is the part I’m having the most difficulty controlling.
「Storage」is a magic where you can magically store an object. It can’t store living things like animals but it can store plants. The amount of magic depends on the size of the object, in my case I think that I could store the entire house, well actually probably even more.
It seems that it also has the effect of freezing time as well, I tried it by storing some warm soup and then took it out the next day and found that it hadn’t cooled off at all. It’s really convenient.
The most annoying thing when it came to traveling is transportation of luggage. Things like the full length mirror that we took to Misumido, or the Dragon’s horn that I’d obtained, those were really an intolerable intrusion.
Even most recently with the bicycle, I had a terrible time buying and carrying around all that material.
Then this magic. With this I can kiss that troublesome aspect good bye. Bring on the luggage. Along with 「Gate」, it could seriously act as a courier service, no joke.
Well then, let’s go shopping today. With this magic no matter how much I buy it won’t get in the way.
I left my room with my wallet in a good mood and went down the stairs to the first floor. Kohaku was stretched on the sofa in the corner of the living room. He’s becoming more like a kitty.
I went straight out onto the terrace into the garden, In the corner of the garden Julio-san and Clair-san were looking at the vegetables in the vegetable garden.
「Well, are they growing up properly?」
「Aa, master」
「Yes, they’re doing well. We planted cuc.u.mbers and tomatoes for the time being, they’ll be harvestable sooner or later.」
Julio-san talk happily. That good, eating a salad made of freshly picked vegetables. I suddenly have a desire for some fruit. Could we plant some chestnut or persimmon trees? Huh, is a chestnut a fruit…? A fruit?
「Master, do you have any demands for lunch?」
「Let’s see, it’s how today so I’d like something refres.h.i.+ng…… I want to eat some Hiyas.h.i.+chuuka」(TLN: Chilled Chinese noodles)
「Hiyas.h.i.+cyuuka? I’ve never heard of it. Is it one of master’s local specialties!?」
Clair-san’s eyes s.h.i.+ne brightly. The things that I want to eat are things that Clair-san has never heard of, and then I would end up giving her the recipe and having her make it. Every-time she hears an unusual dish she always gets interested.
「It’s a noodle dish, served with a cold soup with vegetables and meet and an egg on top. I’ll give you the recipe so please make it」
「Yes. I’m looking forward to it」
Even still, this is a different world. Not all of the ingredients are the same. It’s amazing how Clair-san can still make delicious food.
I looked up the recipe for summer Chinese noodles and transcribed it with 「Drawing」 and handed it over to Clair-san. I’m looking forward to lunch.
Now then, it’s time to head out.
I used 「Gate」and went to the Outer Capital’s South district. Here there in the commercial district there were various shops standing side by side. There is a high-level armor shop in the neighborhood close to the west district 「Belkto」, and near the east district was a theater and cheap bar.
Our house is in the West district, is where the well-to-do residence live, on the other side, the normal people live in the East district.
However, public safety is much worse in the East district than the West district it seems. People that have lost their jobs or places to live, orphan groups, and rumors of thieves abound. The greater the size of the Capital, the worse the dark side is?
I went up a back alley in the South district and went out into a crowd. First, I need to go to the guild and withdraw some funds.
Along the road was a traveling vendor and a street performer. Oo, I know about Knife juggling. A long time ago my grandma taught me about beanbag juggling. I couldn’t do it at all.
While thinking about such things someone runs into me. It was a young boy wearing a dirty jacket and trousers.
「Sorry, I didn’t see you there」
「Stop s.p.a.cing out, niichan. Take care」
So says the boy, that I say that right back at, that disappears into the crowd. He looks even younger than Sue, he’s a brat……I want to see his parent’s face.
When I reach the guild, it’s as rowdy as ever. Various adventurers were glaring at the request board and each other. I ignored that and went up to the counter to withdraw some money.
「Would you please present your guild card?」
Yes yes and…… Huh?
Chest pocket, waist pocket, hip pocket…… huh? What?
My wallet is gone. Huh? I know I brought it with me when I left the room? Did I drop it? No……ah!
He got me. It was probably that kid from a little while ago. He magnificently pocketed my wallet. Ku.
There wasn’t really anything important in it…but I’ll have him return my guild card.
I hurry out of the guild and take out the smartphone, (I’m glad they didn’t steal this), and did a search for 「My wallet」. Alright, it’s still in this district.
? What is this? My wallet is moving at an amazing speed isn’t it? From back alley to back alley it stopped at a spa.r.s.ely populated area. Is he going to remove the contents and throw the wallet away? Well, if they do I’m going to search for just 「My guild card」
For the time being, I hurry toward that back alley toward the retrieval point. When I arrive on the scene there were two mean looking men kicking the boy, who was crouching on the ground, over and over again.
「You’re hittin on our territory again ain’t ya, d.a.m.n brat! Thanks to you the patrols ‘ve gotten heavier, ain’t they?!」
「Doing whatever you want is a problem for us. You best be ready.」
One of them pulls out a knife, and holds the boy’s arm. The boy sees it and goes pale in fear.
「Stop! Stop it! I’m sorry! I’m sorry I said!」
Toward the boy who was begging while crying, the two men only laughed scornfully and wouldn’t remove their hand.
「Too late. As one of the same trade, we’ll over look this with only one of your fingers. Never come in our territory ever again. We’ll kill you next time, got it?」
「No…noooooo!!」
「Could you leave it at that?」
The hoodlums snap their head toward me and glare. The teary-eyed boy looks at me through wide eyes.
「Who the h.e.l.l are you? Don’t b.u.t.t in, we’ll kill ya?」
「When I see a crowd tormenting a child, of course I’m going to b.u.t.t in. From the conversation, it appears you guys are pickpockets as well?」
「And so what!?」
「Nothing in particular. I just thought I would shoot you without hesitation」
While saying that I pull my Remington New Model out and shoot the two hoodlums with a bang bang.
「Gou!?」
「Gaha!?」
I shoot them with 「Paralyze」enchanted rubber bullets and the pair fall on the spot. I put the gun in its holster and ran up to the boy.
「Are you alright?」
The boy nods his face that was wet because of the tears. There were the marks of injuries and bruises on his body.
「Come forth light, Tranquil healing, Cure Heal」
I use recovery magic and small scratches and bruises disappear immediately. The boy looks at his body and was surprised at the change.
After confirming his state, I used 「Modeling」on a pair of steel dice I had and made it into steel wire, and tied the hoodlums so they wouldn’t be able to move. Well, with 「Paralyze」they wouldn’t be able to move for half a day but I should call the guards just in case afterwards.
「My wallet, would you return it?」
「Aa……」
While saying so, the boy takes the wallet out if his front and hands it over with trembling hands. I looked at the contents and saw that nothing had been removed.
「I got my wallet back, I won’t inform the guards this time. See ya.」
「Aa, um!」
The boy called me and stopped me from trying to leave.
「Thank you for saving me……」
「If you really think so, then stop pickpocketing. You’ll be caught next time you know」
Guuuuuuuuuuu……
Before I could say “alright?” there was a great stomach rumbling. Silence flowed.
「……Are you hungry?」
「I haven’t eaten for 3 days…….」
While saying so he looks down lonesomely. Ha…… it can’t be helped.
Apparently I don’t have a “Not my problem” or “who cares” kind of personal trait.
「Come with here. I’ll buy something to eat」
「Really!?」
If you were to hear only those lines, you’d think of a kidnapper. Without knowing my sentiment the boy runs over toward me. And while running his cap s.h.i.+fts and from within the hat some hair spills out.
When the boy realizes that he takes off the cap and he instantly goes from being a 「boy」to a 「girl」. Eh?
It bright flaxen hair falls to shoulder length. The image abruptly changed from just a little while ago.
「A… girl!?」
「……Yeah?」
She looks at me with a pair of green eyes that say “you’re just noticing now?” This was my first meeting between the pickpocketing girl, Rene, and me.