Abel, Ise, and Kashe headed to the market.
In the market, people bustled about, buying and selling all kinds of goods.
Mountains of staple foods like wheat and beans were piled high, while live pigs and poultry squawked noisily.
Chunks of rock salt and jars filled with olive oil were lined up in great numbers.
There was even a hardware shop selling pots and farming tools like plows.
None of the items had price tags, so everyone was negotiating directly with the merchants.
Some negotiations were friendly and cheerful, while others were practically shouting matches.
Everything was new and fascinating to Kashe, who watched with great interest.
That side of her was still very much like a young girl.
Abel and Ise, on the other hand, were looking for practical items like leather belts, daggers, and cloth pouches for travel. There is nothing cute or decorative about them.
“Abel! What’s this?”
“That’s a tool for polishing leather.”
“And this one?”
“That’s a sewing kit. You use it when your clothes get torn during travel. Do you sew, Lady Kashe?”
“With needles? Absolutely not!”
She flatly and forcefully refused.
Sewing had probably been at the top of the list of lessons Kashe hated most.
Incidentally, sewing wasn’t just for women. It was a necessary skill for adventurers too.
Tears in clothing from getting snagged on branches in the wild were an everyday occurrence.
Afterward, they walked down the busy main street to a weapon shop.
Kashe seemed oddly excited.
Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked visibly thrilled.
It made sense for a boy to feel that way, but for a refined young lady, it wasn’t exactly the kind of shop one would expect her to enjoy…
Inside the modestly sized shop, a variety of weapons were crammed together.
Daggers and small blades weren’t just for warriors. Merchants often bought them too.
Prices started at around five silver coins.
The most expensive items were the magic iron weapons said to be made by the Dwarf race of the non-human realm.
Their sharpness was outstanding, and they were known for their exceptional durability.
There were no magic iron greatswords like the one Ise used in the shop.
The only magic iron weapon present was a small sword, and unusually, it actually had a price tag.
It was priced at fifty gold coins…. enough to make anyone groan.
It might have just been there for show, like saying “Buy it if you can.”
In any case, it was far beyond what a mere servant could ever afford…
Kashe eagerly picked up and tried out the slim one-handed swords and blades in the shop one after another.
She wore a beaming smile rarely seen back at the castle and looked to be having the time of her life.
She didn’t have any money, so it was pure window shopping.
Before she could say she wanted one, they left the weapon shop.
On the main street, there were also plenty of street vendors selling all sorts of things.
Many were charms, talismans, and minor magical tools.
In this world where magic exists,
Superstitions and fortune-telling were incredibly popular.
To Abel, it almost seemed like a kind of social illness in this world.
For example, there were talismans that glowed faintly when magic was poured into them, and they had long lists of supposed effects.
But in reality, they were just simple magical tools that lit up in response to mana.
They didn’t do anything else.
Still, they looked a bit pretty and unusual, and even people with low mana could make them glow with enough focus and effort.
That made people feel like the charm actually worked.
As a result, they’d end up pouring large sums of money into things like that…
As they wandered around the market following Kashe’s curiosity, it eventually became early afternoon, so Abel and the others headed over to the food stalls.
They were selling things like skewered grilled lamb and freshly baked bread filled with cheese.
“Ooh, what’s this? It looks delicious!”
Kashe was brimming with curiosity.
They also bought some herbal tea and decided to eat together.
Since Kashe didn’t carry money around, Abel ended up paying for everything…
It felt unfair. Why should a poor servant be the one treating a noble lady from a count’s family—
But when Abel saw how happy Kashe looked, he couldn’t bring himself to complain.
The three of them stood and ate.
“We’re eating while standing?”
“Yes. Commoners and soldiers often do this.”
“I’ve never had meat like this before!”
“It’s just grilled skewers.”
“It’s hot and delicious! Salty, just how I like it!”
Because it was food meant for laborers, the seasoning was intentionally strong.
Kashe, beaming with joy, ate with a delight that made it look incredibly tasty.
Then Abel noticed that some street children were watching them.
There were four of them.
They looked to be around five or six years old.
They might have parents… or they might be orphans.
The man at Abel’s core thought:
Even if I can’t save them all, should I at least save one?
But as things stood now, he couldn’t even save a single one…
What should he do?
Should he start a business someday and hire them?
Maybe that could be one of his goals.
Become a knight, open a clinic, and eventually start a guild.
That kind of future might not be so bad…
Such thoughts drifted vaguely through his mind.
But realistically, it would probably be very difficult.
The future was entirely uncertain, and for now, all he could do was keep working at Ise’s side.
Thinking this might be a good chance for Kashe to relieve some stress, they decided to tour more of the city.
Around the castle were prominent merchant houses and large estates.
Then there was the plaza that had been used as an execution site. It was surrounded by a clutter of various shops.
Beyond the shopping district were residential areas and artisan workshops, as well as warehouses.
Eventually, they reached the low wall that encircled the city.
The wall meant to protect the city was low enough to climb over using a ladder.
Even so, having it was far better for public safety than having none at all.
All kinds of people were walking along the main street.
Merchants, soldiers, mercenaries, citizens, laborers, vagrants, and even people whose role in society was completely unclear…
Since it was still a bit warm for the season, many wore light clothing.
The Empire was vast, so some must have come from very far away. And among them were likely humans who lived in the non-human lands as well.
Then, at a street corner, a man was giving a speech.
When Abel listened in, he realized the topic was about the economy.
“…And that is why it is unfair for the lords to collect taxes and use them as they please! What we need now is a budget assembly where even the non-noble class can discuss how taxes are spent!”
The one making this appeal was a thin young man, probably around twenty-five years old, and his message was about taxation.
Nobles collected taxes and spent the money for their own benefit.
To put it simply, that was the social system of human society in this world.
From the perspective of those paying the taxes, the current system was likely dissatisfying, and naturally, many people harbored resentment.
That said, to openly criticize the current noble system would invite harsh suppression, so it was quite rare to see someone speak so boldly like that.
Still, there were certainly people who held anti-noble sentiments.
Most passersby ignored the young man’s speech, but a few stopped to listen.
Kashe, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in a shop selling dozens of birds with beautiful parrot-like feathers. She was paying no attention to the speech at all.
Even if she had heard it, she probably wouldn’t have understood what it meant.
Most nobles were proud of the fact that they fought wars and ran the administration to uphold the Empire.
As such, they saw their privileges as perfectly natural. Without even a hint of doubt.
The man at Abel’s core thought:
—Capitalism and free competition don’t make human society a utopia.
But then again… it’s not like there’s some amazing alternative solution out there.
The ideal of removing suffering from the world will never become reality.
If you take work hours, for example….this world’s are far shorter.
Nights are too dark to work, so you just sleep.
There’s no real motivation for technological innovation or social reform.
For now… I’ll try living within the bounds of this world.
Eventually, they decided it would be best to return to the castle before it got too late and caused any problems.
Kashe was in a very cheerful mood.
On the way back, she happily chatted about how tasty the skewers were or how pretty the cheap earrings at the street stalls looked.
By the way, outside of the weapons shop, Kashe and Ise hardly spoke to each other.
That was because weapons were pretty much the only topic Ise could talk about.
At one point, Kashe asked her something about accessories, but Ise didn’t have any knowledge on the subject and couldn’t understand what she meant.
When they passed through the castle’s outer gate and were about to part ways in front of the main keep, Kashe suddenly asked:
“Abel, by the way, what kind of place do you live in?”
“I live in the gap between the western wall of the castle.”
“G-Gap?”
That explanation seemed to pique Kashe’s curiosity.
Her purple eyes sparkled with interest.
“What’s that supposed to mean!? I want to see it!”
Abel figured this might actually be a good opportunity.
He wanted to show her just how unfairly Ise was being treated.
He led her to a gloomy building near the outer wall, where the sunlight barely reached.
It was a worn-down stone dwelling with its age and damage clearly visible.
Though it was two stories tall, only one room was usable.
It could easily be mistaken for a rundown storage shed. Not at all what one would expect from a knight’s residence.
Kashe silently looked around.
At the entrance, Walt was lying sprawled out on a blanket.
He noticed them and got up happily.
“Welcome back, Master!”
A shabby home guarded by a furry beastkin…
Even Abel couldn’t help but think: What kind of place is this?
The hallway creaked as they walked down it.
He unlocked the door.
“This is it…”
“It’s tiny! Abel, you live in a place like this?”
“Together with Lady Ise.”
“What? You and Ise, living together in this room!?”
Kashe’s eyes widened.
She shook her head, clearly in disbelief.
“But, I mean… Ise is still a woman, isn’t she?”
“Our relationship is that of a knight and a squire. It’s a pure and proper bond. There’s nothing indecent about it.”
There shouldn’t be, Abel told himself firmly.
It’s just a little bit of seeing her naked.
I didn’t touch her, so… it’s fine… right?
“Ise, are you seriously okay with this?”
“There is no problem at all.”
“What if Abel tries something on you?”
“Abel wouldn’t do such a thing to me.”
“You can’t be sure of that, can you?”
Without changing her expression, Ise replied:
“By ‘try something’, do you mean sexual intercourse?”
Kashe’s face turned red and she fell silent.
If you’re too embarrassed, don’t ask in the first place….Abel thought so, but kept it to himself.
“Abel may be big and mature in both body and personality, but he wouldn’t do something like that. And if he ever tries to touch me inappropriately, I’ll hit him.”
“Ah… y-you’re right. Now that I think about it, Ise is way stronger than Abel. I completely forgot.”
Abel couldn’t help but clench his fist.
He ended up speaking with a bit too much passion.
“That’s the important part! If you forget that and try to touch her, things will go very badly! It’s terrifying!”
Something about Abel’s intensity seemed to convince Kashe. After taking a look around the cramped room, she seemed satisfied and agreed to head back to the main castle.
Abel walked her as far as the main gate.
Kashe’s usually sharp purple eyes softened as she spoke.
“Abel. I had a surprisingly good time today. I like days like this. Let’s go sightseeing again sometime.”
Torture in the morning, an execution, window shopping, street food, random sightseeing… yeah, no wonder she enjoyed herself.
—Abel thought so.
He didn’t say it out loud, though.
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