Merchant Noble is out (3/4 chapters for today)
Former Territory’s Residents (2)
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**Clunk**
When Arc and Minerva opened the door to the guesthouse, the merchants inside turned around all at once. There were about 20 of them. It was slightly more than Arc had expected.
“Arc-sama!” (??)
“Oh! Arc-sama!” (??)
“We’ve been waiting for you!” (??)
They all rushed toward Arc, having left their businesses in the former Warden territory to come to Mikanda. Arc shook hands with each one, expressing his gratitude.
“You’ve all come a long way. It must have been quite a journey.” (Arc)
“Yes. I never expected it to be this much of a rural area.” (Hausar)
Hausar, the leader of the merchant guild, said this. He had been the guildmaster of the merchant guild in the former Warden territory, but it seemed he had resigned from that position.
“The natural fortress-like mountain range was quite a challenge to climb. We reduced our luggage to the minimum and helped each other to make it up.” (Hausar)
“I’m sorry for the trouble you went through. How many people ended up coming?” (Arc)
“We have 20 merchants and about 30 adventurers who joined us.” (Hausar)
“30 adventurers!?” (Arc)
Arc was astonished. He had expected a few adventurers to come, given that the information about the call for residents was spread among merchants, but he hadn’t anticipated 30 of them.
“Yes. Although it seems their primary interest may not be in you, Arc-sama…” (Hausar)
As Hausar said this with a wry smile, the door swung open with a loud sound. The noise of people entering followed.
“Is it true that Warden-sama has returned!?” (??)
When Arc turned to the voice, a woman leading the adventurers approached him with a broad smile. Her cloak had a second class adventurer pin, indicating she was an elite in her field.
Arc immediately understood Hausar’s comment about ‘another purpose’. The woman’s elite status and charismatic presence, combined with a slightly boyish charm, made her quite captivating. The way the adventurers behind her looked at her with reverence made it clear they were devoted to her.
“It’s been a while, Arc-kun! I followed you all the way here. I’m so glad to finally see you.” (??)
She spread her arms from her cloak and hugged Arc tightly. Minerva, standing behind, gasped, and Arc could hear it. Arc desperately tried to recall her name. An adventurer who was so close and boyish… He remembered her but couldn’t quite recall her name.
“Ah, um, you’re Ri… Ri…”
“It’s Rishu. Honestly, forgetting ‘your first’… Aren’t you failing as a man?” (Rishu)
Rishu, who introduced herself, looked at Arc with exasperation, but Arc couldn’t remember her name. However, she soon dropped a bombshell.
Ah, that’s right…
The guesthouse, which had been filled with warmth, quickly cooled to a freezing point and became eerily quiet. Arc could see the adventurers who had followed Rishu collapsing in shock behind her. However, Arc had no time to worry about the adventurers. A cold blade was pressed precisely against the back of his neck.
“Onii-sama, what’s going on here?” (Minerva)
“Um, Minerva, please try to stay calm, alright?” (Arc)
Minerva, who transformed whenever Arc was involved, couldn’t stay silent at the appearance of a “former woman.” With a dagger pointed threateningly, she spoke in a voice much lower than usual.
“Onii-sama, I am calm. I am just asking what is going on here.” (Minerva)
The merchants, well aware of Minerva’s temper, had already begun to sneak out of the room right after Rishu’s bombshell statement.
“No, I don’t know anything. I don’t know this woman.” (Arc)
Arc desperately tried to feign ignorance. Minerva turned to face Rishu, who was smirking at Arc’s flustered state, with a look as intense as a wife confronting a mistress.
“Although this lord says so, you… um…” (Minerva)
“Rishu.” (Rishu)
“Cough… Rishu-san, did you have any prior interactions with this lord?” (Minerva)
“I’ve known Arc-kun since his student days. When he was training as a merchant, I was an adventurer who often took care of him.” (Rishu)
That’s right.
Adventurers-in-training had no money, so merchants ignored them, but Arc saw an opportunity in this area, where there were no competitors. He made a decent profit with his low-margin, high-volume approach. This was Arc’s debut as a merchant, and Rishu and her fellow adventurers were among his first customers.
“Oh, I see now! I think I remember seeing you before.” (Minerva)
“Minerva-sama was always with Arc-kun, so you remember me well.” (Rishu)
It seemed that the two were acquainted, leading to a slightly more relaxed atmosphere. Ideally, this would end on a peaceful note, but…
“So, about this ‘first time’…? Was it a first customer or something like that…?” (Minerva)
“Hmph.” (Rishu)
Rishu let out a small laugh, causing Minerva to become even more agitated.
“Did you just laugh? You laughed, didn’t you? You laughed at how immature I am, didn’t you?” (Minerva)
“I didn’t laugh. I just thought you were pure and charming.” (Rishu)
“Ugh…” (Minerva)
Unable to channel her emotions at Rishu’s mature response, Minerva raised the white flag. With Minerva unable to say anything further, it seemed she would calm down emotionally. Just as Arc was starting to relax, Rishu, seeing Minerva’s calmness, decided to add more fuel to the fire.
“Arc-kun, you were a ‘first’ for me as well, just as I was a ‘first’ for you.” (Rishu)
Rishu looked at Arc, her face turning red as she shyly covered the lower half with her cloak.
“You made me into a woman.” (Rishu)
“Aaaaaaaaah!” (Minerva)
Minerva, who had almost calmed down, let out an unprecedented scream due to Rishu’s provocation. The previously gentle and quiet Minerva seemed to have disappeared. She then pushed her way through the bewildered adventurers and dashed out of the room, fleeing in terror from what she saw as a “women’s battle”.
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