Chapter 10: Minor Villains Always Come in Groups of Three[1]
「What on Earth are you guys doing?」
As I headed towards the coachman’s seat, some guys were trying to take Melissa away against her will. As I approached the trio who clearly looked like they had bad personalities, with a scowl on my face I called out to them.
Actually, leaving those thieves aside, I wonder why these kind of guys fundamentally come in groups of three.
「Ahnn? Why’d you gotta go and come back for」
「Ya sure are an idiot eh. Ya come back just to get beat’n up huh」
「Well, he’s got a face that doesn’t look too smart after all, Gyahahaha!」
Yea… It’s plain to see that you’re the ones who aren’t too bright though.
Wait, what are these guys saying about getting beat up? We’re right in the middle of the street you know.
「Goshujin-sama!」
And then, Melissa appeared from the wagon to show her concern. However――
「Melissa. It’s alright so just get back on the wagon. Everything’s going to be fine here」(Hitto)
After all, these three have all their attention focused on me right now.
「Kee! Alright my a.s.s! Trying to show off like that!」
「Don’t get all c.o.c.ky just cuz there’s a cute slave in front of ya!」
Don’t all start making ugly faces and spitting abusive words at me.
「I don’t really care but, who are you guys? I don’t remember any of your faces, nor do I remember anything that would make you hold a grudge against me」(Hitto)
「Shaddup! Even if you don’t know any, we’ve got some! You’re just a rookie adventurer and yet, you’re too G.o.d d.a.m.n c.o.c.ky just ‘cuz ya got a slave like that!」
…… Well I’m wearing armor, and I’m carrying weapons because I expected something like this to happen.
「You guys, would you possibly be adventurers?」(Hitto)
I asked them with an astonished look in my eyes. Nevertheless, maybe it’s because they didn’t notice my att.i.tude at the moment, but one of them spoke up while acting like an arrogant child.
「That’s right! As you can see we’re well-known [Amateur] adventurers with pretty famous names around here! We’re on a completely different level than a b.a.s.t.a.r.d like you」
I wondered when would be a good time to Tsukkomi that[2]. After all, I highly doubt that being well-known [Amateurs] would be anywhere close to impressive.
「If you get it then you’ve only got two choices left. To get beaten to a pulp by us and have your woman taken, or obediently leave the woman and all your belongings here and scram!」
…… I don’t “got” to make any choices, you idiot. If you say it like that then I’ve only got one option you know.
Wait, would you do anything to get your hands on a woman? Just how thirsty are you.
「My answer is neither of them. To begin with, I don’t have any reason to leave Melissa and my belonging with you guys, nor do I have any reason to get beaten up. In the first place, isn’t quarreling among adventurers strictly forbidden? If the guild found out about this then you guys won’t be let off that easily」(Hitto)
「Haah? You too, what the h.e.l.l are you talking about? Did you not hear it properly? They said it was no good to harm or kill someone only if you don’t have a reason for it」
「Well, that’s true. That’s why the things you guys are doing right now would be considered senseless violence without a reason」(Hitto)
「Don’t act so stupid! We’ve got a reason! It’s because we don’t like your face!」
…… What’s with these guys? Are they some sort of neighborhood bullies? Are they the type that thinks “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is also mine”? No, but based on looks they certainly seem shameless though.
「I doubt that reason would pa.s.s at the guild though」(Hitto)
「Nah~ It’ll pa.s.s! Cuz this is what we’ve always done til now!」
「Kekee, We’re pretty famous for being crushing newbies around here, we’re so-called Adventurer Killers」
Newbie Crushers or Adventurer Killers, make it clear which one you are geez.
「Well, but don’t worry about it. We won’t be taking away yur weapons. If we went that far then the guards would come and that wouldn’t be funny at all. That would cause some trouble for the Guild too」
You actually care if it causes trouble for the Guild!? In that case stop doing these things in the first place!
「That’s why we’re gonna beat you as hard as we can」
「Still, no hard feelings if ya end up dying」
Of course I’d hold a grudge. Your words are so messed up that I have nothing left to say.
「Ah fine, I get it, I get it. So for now I’ll do that」(Hitto)
「Hmm? So yur gonna leave the woman――」
「Cancel! Cancel! Cancel!」(Hitto)
「……Wut?」
「Hmm?」
「We……」
Alright then, with this, all of them are dumbfounded with question marks on their faces huh.
「Heey, are you done with me?」(Hitto)
「Eh? Uh, yea…」
The three stooges sure are confused huh. Well, I ignored that and climbed onto the wagon, And I instructed Melissa to drive away from this place――
If I got involved in a fight, the possibility that guards would show up was not non-existent.
Those guys made it seem like if would be alright if they went all out and beat me with their bare hands but, that sort of thing wasn’t guaranteed.
After all, I had absolutely nothing to gain from playing around with those guys. It would just be a complete waste of time.
I figured that Cancelling that situation and simply riding away would be be easier, that’s why I did it.
But still, as expected Melissa is looking my way in amazement huh.
Well, she’s probably thinking something like “You did something back there” though.
「Ah, umm It might be rude of me to ask but, perhaps Master used some kind of Magic or something similar in order to make the situation turn out like that?」(Melissa)
“Magic” eh. So that’s what she concluded it was huh.
But if that’s the case then――
「Yea, I only used a bit though」(Hitto)
I responded while making it sound like “guess it can’t be helped”. Would it be alright if I finally talked to her about [Cancel]? That sort of thought crossed my mind but, it would be pretty difficult explaining about something that doesn’t exist in this world.
「I thought so! As expected, Master really is amazing. In addition to having the strength to take on thieves like that, to think that you could also use Magic! For me to be able to serve Master like this, I truly believe that I am blessed」(Melissa)
Yea. Still, I keep saying that it isn’t official yet though.
Well, the person herself seems delighted about it so I’ll refrain from raining on her parade.
「Even so, I am frustrated at how useless I am」(Melissa)
“Useless”?
「Why is that? Why do you think that?」(Hitto)
「That’s because―― Although you gave me the duty of protecting the wagon, I wasn’t able to come up with a way to deal with that bunch. As such, I am a failure as Master’s slave!」(Melissa)
So you were thinking those sort of things huh. Well, I really did ask her to look after the wagon though.
After all, I was originally worried about leaving her among a bunch of rowdy adventurers so I sent her out there by herself.
Well, as a result of that she still got wrapped up in a different situation though. It’s dangerous to put too much trust in the public order within the city huh, should’ve expected that.
「You sure are silly, Melissa」(Hitto)
「Fu’hyaa!」(Melissa)
Well, that being said, while I was trying to do something for the disheartened Melissa, I placed my hand on her head and tried gently petting her.
「Ah, ahh, Goshujin-sama――」(Melissa)
At first she let out a strange voice but, her eyes immediately started to doze off and her cheeks were dyed a light pink color.
「I’m really grateful to you, you know. After all, we’re only able to operate the wagon right now because of Melissa, also didn’t you teach me a bunch of things about the Merchant Guild? Even in the Adventurer Guild you did your very best to take down notes in a memo. Melissa, you’ve been plenty helpful so far, you know.」(Hitto)
Upon hearing my words of grat.i.tude, tears built up on Melissa’s eyes, and she turned to me with dampened eyes. (TL note: T.T I’m such a softie)
「Goshujin-sama―― I am truly unworthy of such kind words……」(Melissa)
She answered back in a soft and reserved voice.
I once again came to realize just how cute Melissa is.
On top of that she’s pretty submissive. Will this girl really become my slave―― I unintentionally began imagining some dirty things in my head but, I firmly shook my head in order to erase them.
「Uh, well, next is that. In any case, we’ve got to hurry up and finish selling off the leftover equipment」(Hitto)
「Ah! Of course, let’s do that! Master, in regards to that matter――」(Melissa)
「Thank you very much――」
Inside the store that Melissa told me about, we were able to sell the precious gem just like she said we could.
It was the gem embedded in the ring Tornelo had on his finger.
That aside I once again admired Melissa’s estimation ability and her proficiency in gathering information.
After all according to Melissa, “It is possible that we will be taken advantage if we sell goods to terrible stores,” or so I’m told.
It seems that since the taxes were raised really high, many businesses changed their policies to selling their goods very high and buying things only at cheap prices. If you went to a terrible store, and if you were not an aristocrat then they would bargain their buying price until it became dirt cheap.
However, there were a few stores among them that have not changed their policies yet. Melissa says that there are still a few that upheld the principle of treating customers dearly and tried their best to please them.
「Next would be selling the leftover equipment desu-ne」(Melissa)
「I guess so. Although there seems to be plenty of extravagant weapon and armor shops around here」(Hitto)
I pointed towards the stores that lined the sides of the Main Street. If I remember correctly, that was where you would most likely find equipment shops back in the game.
「Master, all of those stores are managed by that man Bungle that you met back in the Merchant Guild. They are stores with a rather strict atmosphere to them. As such, I honestly would not recommend going to those stores. Instead I would――」(Melissa)
Melissa guided us to a place that was secluded far away from the main road.
The barren road that we used to get there gave off the impression that it was just a soiled alleyway that wasn’t properly maintained. It was so narrow that the wagon could just barely get through.
If another wagon came from the opposite direction then I doubt we would be able to pa.s.s each other.
Somehow nestled in this crowded street, a rundown building was standing there.
No, it actually did look like a store but, at a glance it really did look just like the other worn out homes in the area. It was in a pretty sorry state, if it wasn’t for the tattered signboard then you probably won’t notice it was a store.
Rather, if Melissa hadn’t told me about it then I probably would have completely ignored it.
With that being said, we left the wagon in front of the shop, and I entered the building along with Melissa.
The entrance was a type of sliding door made of wood that was quite unusual for this world.
While thinking that that the game didn’t have anything like this I went inside. Now that you mention it, this was obviously the first time I’ve heard that all of the weapon and armor stores along the street were managed by Bungle.
As expected, the setting that I knew from back in the game has changed quite a bit.
「Come on in[3]」
As we entered the store, the shopkeeper behind the counter abruptly called out to us.
However, this is――
I fixed my gaze on that shopkeeper. He had a short and stout physique. And he had a think and bushy moustache and beard combo.
His height was short but his muscles were bulging out so it looked like he had a st.u.r.dy body.
Yup, this guy is definitely a dwarf.
TL note: Ok, I lied. But at least this cliffhanger isn’t as bad right?
1.
TL Note: Original t.i.tle is [小悪党は三人組と相場が決まっている] or more literally “It has been decided that small villains are speculated to be in groups of three”. Awfully wordy.
2.
TL note: The original phrase here was closer to “‘Where and how would it be good for me to Tsukkomi that?’ it had that kind of impression huh.” Doesn’t really translate well.
Tsukkomi (and Boke) is a comedic style in j.a.pan. The Boke says a “stupid line” and the Tsukkomi “retorts” that. Here’s a Link if you want to read more
3.
TL Side note: What’s said here is「いらっしゃい」/[Ira.s.shai]. It pretty much means “welcome” and is often said when you enter a (food) shop like a ramen or sushi place. It’s a bit more informal.