Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 36
“Thanks for coming, Same. And this is your companion… Oh?”
“Ah! You’re the weird person from the bath!”
As soon as we entered the Clan Home, Shuris-san came out to greet us.
However, Melt reacted to her immediately and hid behind me.
A weird person… so she was the one who touched Melt’s tail in the bath.
“Ah, my apologies for earlier, young lady.”
“Don’t play with people’s tails! My tail is not a fluffy sponge for scrubbing!”
“Hahaha, sorry. It was just so clean, bubbly, and cute—I couldn’t resist.”
She really is obsessed with baths, huh…
“So, is it just you going to the Pigeon Trading Company, Shuris-san?”
“As the head of the clan and the representative of those accompanying you, yes, I’ll be going. But we’ll also have someone representing the warehouse security coming along. Hey, it’s about time you came down, don’t you think?”
When Shuris called out toward the stairs, a young girl timidly made her way down.
…I see. They’re having the person herself come along to make amends.
The girl who appeared was the one I punched in the face yesterday. If I remember correctly, her name was Letty.
“I see—good judgment on your part.”
“Right? Letty, introduce yourself.”
“…Nice to meet you. I’m Letty. I apologize for what happened yesterday.”
Letty spoke in a sulky tone—not exactly unwilling, but clearly not enthusiastic.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Yesterday? Did something happen? Nice to meet you, Letty!”
Melt, knowing nothing of the situation, cheerfully extended a hand to Letty.
I was worried she might not accept the handshake—but maybe Melt has some natural gift for putting people at ease, because Letty reached out her hand without hesitation.
“Y-Yeah, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too! Your hands are so cute—but wow, they’re really well-trained!”
Letty’s hands were even smaller than Melt’s.
“W-Well, yeah.”
“Now that introductions are out of the way, Same, would you mind leading us to the Pigeon Trading Company?”
“Understood.”
“Letty, you’re an adventurer too, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“I just became one recently too! We should take on a request together sometime!”
“Why? There’s a huge gap in our ranks. What, are you trying to get an easy ride?”
“? Is it easier if our ranks are different?”
On the way, Melt became fascinated by Letty, who was smaller than her, and started engaging with her.
Letty didn’t openly reject her—maybe because of what happened yesterday and the fact that she’s with me—but she still looked clearly annoyed.
Well, this is on Melt. She is overly friendly.
“Melt, let’s not bother Letty too much.”
“Oh, was I bothering her? Sorry, Letty.”
“……”
Let me try explaining it briefly. She’ll correct me if I get anything wrong.
“Melt, normally, new adventurers start at what’s called the ‘Stone Rank.’ At that level, they can only take on simple errands around town. So there’s no way for higher-ranked adventurers to help with their jobs. On the flip side, if a newbie just tags along on a high-rank request without contributing, they still get paid as part of the party and get credit for completing a tough job. That’s unfair, right?”
“I see… So that’s how the system works.”
“Sorry about that, Letty. Melt still doesn’t understand how the guild works. She’s from the countryside, so she’s a bit naïve.”
“I see… I understand.”
It was amusing watching her force herself to speak politely, but… now’s not the time to tease her.
“By the way, Melt is ranked Emerald stone, which is probably one rank below yours.”
“Huh? As a beginner? …Really?”
“Yep! Emerald rank! The guild guy—uh, what was his name again? Anyway, he said so!”
“Oh? So Melt was recognized as having potential?”
Now Shuris-san got interested too.
Melt really is a rare talent—so it’s no wonder people take an interest in her.
…Also, what’s with the way her hands keep fidgeting and twitching like that?
“Y-Yeah! Could you maybe stop moving your hands like that?”
“Fufu, you’ve caught on. But I’m just curious—Melt, are you a Gift Holder? Have you been granted any special abilities?”
“What’s that?”
Huh, that’s a term I’ve never heard before.
“It means just what it sounds like—something you’re gifted with. You know the scroll that shows your approximate strength, right? For some people, in addition to their stats, it also displays special skills or talents.”
“Wow! That kind of thing exists?”
“Ah, come to think of it, Melt’s never used one of those scrolls, has she? We should try it sometime.”
I suggested casually—but—
“What are you saying? That’s not something regular folks can afford to buy… right?”
“Exactly. Those scrolls are expensive. Sure, nobles might order one to check their child’s potential, but for the general public, they’re only used at major ceremonies or events—times when people prove themselves worthy of being measured. You can buy one, but spending a fortune just to check your stats isn’t recommended.”
“Haha, you’re right.”
Seriously? I had no idea.
At the audience in Golda… well, I guess even a half-rotten royal family still has enough clout to invest for a national-scale summoning ritual. They used those scrolls in bulk, so I thought they were more common.
Still… I do want to learn more about Melt’s abilities.
Maybe I can find a way—perhaps the trading company can help me figure something out.
“Well, Melt seems to have expert-level knowledge of pharmacology. She knows a ton about medicinal herbs and spirit medicine ingredients.”
“Oh? Spirit medicine? Depending on the item, those ingredients can be incredibly valuable.”
“Well, her knowledge is mostly of common—well, somewhat well-known types, nothing too rare.”
Better to downplay it here. This kind of topic might be sensitive—need to tread carefully.
“Ah, there it is! Just turn down that alley and we’ll reach the Pigeon Trading Company.”
After some walking and conversation, we finally arrived at our destination. I went into the office first to schedule an appointment.
We hadn’t set a firm time in advance, but I figured they’d be in around now.
“Excuse me, I’m Same. I’d like to speak with the company president—”
After explaining things to the receptionist, the company president agreed to meet with us, and I explained our purpose:
“I’ve brought the people who will handle warehouse security. Please evaluate them.”
“Excuse us.”
“Welcome, Same-san. I hear you’ve arranged for security personnel—are they with you now?”
“Yes, they’re waiting just outside the room.”
“Understood. Please have them come in.”
With that signal, the door opened. Melt was the first to enter, and the guildmaster greeted her with a smile, as if thinking, “Just as I thought.”
Then, Letty, even smaller in stature, stepped in. The guildmaster, unaware of her affiliation, visibly changed expression to one that seemed to say, “Is this… really okay?”
And finally… when Shuris entered the room, the guildmaster rushed forward so suddenly it was as if the floor beneath his feet had vanished.
“Whaaaa!? Shuris-sama!?? Why would someone like you come to a humble trading company like ours!?”
“Ha ha ha, I haven’t seen this kind of reaction in a while—it’s a bit ticklish.”
Seriously? So she’s someone who should get that kind of reaction…?
I’d assumed she was just a well-known adventurer.
“Same-san!? What is the meaning of this!? Why is Shuris, one of the ‘Thirteen Knights,’ handling our security!?”
“Thirteen Knights?”
What’s that supposed to mean? I can tell it’s some kind of title… but “knight”? Not adventurer?
“Hmm… You mean you didn’t know, Same-san?”
“I’m embarrassed to admit it. Would you mind explaining?”
“No, no! Please allow me to explain! Same-san, the ‘Thirteen Knights’ is a title given to individuals living in this country, regardless of origin or affiliation, who possess exceptional skill, combat prowess, or other outstanding talents. It’s said their status is on par with the generals of the nation!”
“Whoa! That’s incredible! So Shuris really is an amazing person!”
“Even if she’s amazing, it’s still not okay to lather up someone’s tail for fun.”
“Ha ha ha, you’re absolutely right, Melt.”
Still holding a grudge, huh? How intense was the foaming, anyway…?
“But why would someone of your caliber take on a security job?”
“Actually, she’ll be overseeing this young lady here, a new member of my clan who’ll be assigned to guard the warehouse. Of course, two additional members will also be stationed there. But don’t worry—though she only joined us this year, she’s an elite who emerged victorious from among seventy candidates gathered from across the country.”
“Oh… I’m familiar with the difficulty and scale of the Glory Knights selection exams. To think such a delicate-looking girl passed them… How much talent did the gods bless her with?”
No way… This impolite girl passed such a grueling selection?
Still, her strength must be far beyond that of your average adventurer.
“Captain… You’re embarrassing me.”
“It’s okay to feel that way. You’ve earned your place here with us through your achievements. I hope you’ll continue to grow in responsibility, self-awareness, and grace.”
Shuris’s tone shifted slightly—becoming more serious.
She’s reminding her…
“And I’d like to accompany you to the auction venue, if possible. There shouldn’t be any problem with a personal escort, right?”
“O-of course… Although, that will certainly draw attention… Then again, perhaps that’s exactly what we need to balance the scales…”
It’s likely the auction will feature a star item.
According to the guildmaster’s judgment, the sapphire we’ve submitted may not break the all-time record, but it’s almost guaranteed to rank in the top five highest bids in history.
Naturally, Pigeon Trading Company’s name will spread, and with that, some factions may attempt to undermine them.
But if Shuris is seen as a guard nearby, the company may be perceived as being connected to the Thirteen Knights—deterring interference.
“…Honestly, the best we had envisioned was to be seen with many adventurers, giving the impression of strong ties to the Adventurers’ Guild. But with Shuris-sama present, we may have achieved something far more impactful.”
“It becomes a powerful deterrent. So much so that they may hesitate to even try anything.”
“Indeed. Of course, people will still try to gather information, but…”
Honestly, this auction brings enormous benefit to the company.
The item was brought in, top-tier security is provided, and their name will inevitably gain recognition—with little effort on their part.
And most importantly…
“Now then… regarding the compensation for this security assignment… The truth is, we can’t afford to pay an extremely high fee…”
“The same rate as you’d pay any other adventurer is fine. Of course, if you feel like adding a bonus, we wouldn’t mind. I’ll be assigning four people, including myself. And please be sure to pay Melt as well.”
“Yeah, I want money too!”
Could you be any more blunt with your request!?
“O-of course! Melt will be compensated as well… But are you certain this is okay? For the great Glory Knights to accept such terms…?”
“This time, we’ve already received half the reward from Same, in a way.”
“Ah, you mean that. No need to dwell on it—it was partly just a bargaining chip anyway.”
“Even so. Above all, we caused you trouble, Same.”
At that moment, Letty let out a small, pained noise.
“What…? Same-san already… It seems we owe you yet another large debt. Originally, we discussed a 30% commission on the sale proceeds for you… But no, that won’t do. We’ll reduce our cut to 20%. You should take 80% instead—this arrangement benefits us far too much otherwise.”
“Please don’t worry about it. It just happened to play out this way. But I’ll gladly accept the increased share, thank you. So, shall we wrap up the introductions here?”
“Actually, before that—about the auction date. It’s been formally set, so I wanted to let you know.”
“Oh? Has it?”
“Yes. The auction will be held two weeks from now, on October 11th. The venue is the Learmond Art Museum, located in the noble district of the upper city. Item delivery begins the day prior, and that’s also when warehouse security should begin.”
“I see—two weeks from now, and we’ll be on site from the day before. So Shuris and I will meet up with you directly on the day of the auction?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
I already knew that a year in this world also had twelve months, but apparently, every month has exactly 30 days, without exception.
However, it seems that originally, the months didn’t have numerical names like “January” or “February,” but rather different ones. In recent years, there’s been a growing movement pushing for unification of month names across all continents.
Lately, there’s also been talk of standardizing currency units.
Well, yeah—saying something like “X large gold coins, X gold coins, X silver coins, and X copper coins” is undeniably clunky.
The issue, of course, is what those units will be, and how the value of the coins currently used by each country will be affected.
“…I wonder if the uptick in merchant guild activity is because of that…”
“Did you say something?”
“Oh, no. Anyway—shall we wrap it up for today, Shuris-san?”
“Yes, sounds good. We still have to decide on the other two personnel. Hmm… in that case, I should probably understand how Melt fights, since she’ll be working security with them. That’ll help me choose the right people.”
“Huh? Me? I fight with two knives.”
With that, Melt drew the knives from her waist and took a stance.
Hey, don’t draw your weapons indoors!
“Oh? A nimble fighter type, I see. Seems like she’d pair well with Letty.”
“Captain, I’m not skilled enough to cover for someone else. Just the two of us should be enough for security.”
“Ehh! But I want to get paid too!”
Don’t worry—she’s probably going to get scolded later anyway.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions or make assumptions. We don’t yet know what Melt is capable of, right? Melt, would you like to come to our clan home for a meeting?”
“Ooh, you mean that big fancy mansion from earlier? I wanna go! Can I?!”
“I don’t mind. Letty, is that okay with you? You’ve had the experience of misjudging someone based on appearances and regretting it, haven’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Very recently, in fact!
“Guildmaster, then we’ll be on our way. Thank you for everything today.”
“No, no—the pleasure was truly mine. I can’t thank you enough.”
Alright, time to head over to the clan home.
If it’s a strategy meeting with Melt, there’s probably going to be some mock combat or training, right?
I’ve actually never seen Melt fight seriously, so I’m kind of looking forward to it.