Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 29: Searching for Something ③
As we left the shop, Pakila spoke.
“This next one will be the last.”
“The last one?”
It felt like there were fewer options than I expected.
No, actually, there were far too few.
“Strictly speaking, this place doesn’t sell books. They’re privately owned.”
“Privately owned?”
“A collector. If anywhere has what you’re looking for, it’s likely there.”
A book collector? In a town like this?
It sounded odd, but something else caught my attention first.
“Then why save this one for last?”
“There are two reasons. The first is that I don’t really want to go to where they’re located.”
She was heading toward the slums. That explained it.
“And the second?”
“I’m not fond of them.”
“Ah, I see…”
I understood the feeling; witches made me uneasy too.
We entered a narrow alley in the slums.
The pathway was cramped, yet lined with shops.
It was dim, and the men in the alley had a rough air about them.
As we walked, some of them turned their attention to us.
“Heh heh heh…”
“Hey, look at that. A little kitten wandered in.”
“Lost kitten, huh? Not bad.”
“Wait a sec… That’s not just any girl—that’s a Grade III!”
“I’ve seen her before. Isn’t she from Trape-something?!”
“You serious?”
“Damn it, what bad luck…”
The men quickly dispersed.
What was that all about?
“Impressive as always.”
“Well, having a name that’s known can work like insect repellent. But you seem unfazed.”
“By what?”
“This place. The slums.”
“Oh, I live near the residential area of the slums.”
That didn’t mean I wandered into places like this casually.
Not unless I had a reason to.
“Is that so? Hm. We’re here.”
Partway through the alley, on the right side, a staircase descended abruptly into the ground.
“This is it?”
“Indeed.”
It didn’t look like a shop.
We descended the staircase, which curved slightly, leading to a red, semicircular arch door.
*Knock, knock. Knock, knock.*
Pakila knocked on the door.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s me.”
“Oh, you.”
A man’s voice, sounding as though he had just made sense of something, answered.
The door opened, revealing a man with gray hair, glasses, and a book tucked under his arm.
He was wearing a simple white shirt and black pants.
His violet eyes shifted toward me.
“And who’s this, your boyfriend?”
“He’s not.”
“I’m not.”
“Oh, I thought spring had finally come for Pakila.”
The man chuckled.
“More importantly, I need a certain book.”
“What is it? Oh, but before that, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”
“?”
The man smiled warmly at me.
“My name is Ambrosius Mernuris.”
“I’m Wof.”
“Pleasure to meet you. Now, standing around and chatting at the entrance feels a bit unrefined, doesn’t it?”
“Then hurry up and let us in,”
Pakila snapped.
“Alright, alright,”
Ambrosius chuckled, opening the door to let us in.
Pakila pouted, and I had a vague sense of why she didn’t like him.
The room we were ushered into was truly majestic.
It was like stepping into a concert hall, with rows upon rows of bookshelves stretching as far as the eye could see.
Each shelf was packed tightly with books, with no gaps in sight. Beyond the bookshelves, the furnishings were equally lavish, almost as if the place were a museum.
It was a far cry from the witch’s house.
“That’s an impressive collection of books,”
“Isn’t it? Isn’t it?”
Ambrosius replied, clearly pleased.
“A pinnacle of eccentricity,”
Pakila muttered.
“Ah, a compliment! So, what book are you looking for?”
Ambrosius asked with a grin.
Pakila gestured toward me.
“An herbology encyclopedia and a book or guide on recovery potions,”
“My, my. That’s quite a rare request,”
“Do you have them?”
Ambrosius adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
“I believe I might have an herbology encyclopedia,”
“And what about the recovery potion book?”
Pakila asked.
“That, I’m afraid, I don’t have.”
“Then give us the herbology encyclopedia,”
She demanded.
“Give? Ha, I can’t just hand it over for free,”
Ambrosius said, looking troubled.
That was understandable.
Pakila then produced the weapon encyclopedia she had purchased earlier.
“We’ll trade this,”
“May I take a look at it?”
Ambrosius’s expression changed, his interest piqued.
“Here,”
Pakila said, handing it over.
“Let’s see… Oh, this is marvelous. It even includes descriptions of outlandish artifacts.”
Ambrosius flipped through the book with visible delight.
“Pakila,”
“What is it?”
“Who exactly is Ambrosius? He has a surname, doesn’t he?”
Pakila smirked.
“Ah, Wof, sharp of you to notice. Well, he’s a wealthy eccentric.”
“Harsh!”
Ambrosius laughed.
“But true,”
Pakila retorted.
“That may be so, but technically, I am a noble. A viscount, albeit at the very bottom of the hierarchy.”
“Really? But nobles are all Edda, aren’t they?”
“Indeed, every Edda is a noble. I, too, am Edda.”
“You’re mixed-blood, though,”
Pakila pointed out.
“That doesn’t change the fact that I’m Edda,”
He replied with a smile.
The Edda: the supreme race, considered the rulers of all others. Without exception, every Edda was either a noble or royalty.
Of course, other races also had nobility and royalty, but the Edda were unique in being exclusively of noble or royal status.
“So, how does this encyclopedia measure up as compensation?”
Pakila cut in.
“It’s excellent. Alright, I’ll make the trade. Wait here a moment; I’ll fetch it for you.”
Ambrosius left the room, leaving Pakila and me alone.
I turned to her hesitantly.
“Um…”
“What is it?”
“That encyclopedia was something you bought, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“And now you’re trading it…”
“Think nothing of it. I have plenty of money.”
“But I don’t think I’m worth such a generous gesture.”
“Life is full of chance encounters,” she said with a mischievous smile.
“Well then, how about this? Treat me to a meal at the Cider Inn.”
“Deal,” I agreed with a nod.
Her playful grin made it impossible to refuse.
“Thank you for waiting,”
Ambrosius said, returning with a book in hand.
It was unmistakably the herbology encyclopedia we had been searching for.