4
Rose and I eventually decided to take Grimm to the cave. And so a day later…
“Six, you’re just getting in my way. Make sure the wet clothes are stretched out nice and flat when you hang them up to dry, all right?”
“You’re getting a little obsessive in your details. Don’t let the fact that the others need you go to your head.”
I’m in the temporary hideout at the park with Russell, hanging the washing out to dry. He’s completely mastered the tasks required of a maid, establishing himself as a motherly figure to our Combat Agents. I suppose a former overlord in the Demon Lord’s Army would pick this stuff up quickly.
“Hey, Russell, I heard we’re having curry for dinner. Make sure it’s heavy on the meat, and skip the carrots and potatoes, all right? Onions are fine.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! No picky eating allowed. Oh, and make sure you wash your own underwear. If you put them in the basket once you’re done, I’ll make sure to dry them.”
He’s completely adapted to his role.
I suppose it might be because Chimeras are quick to adjust to their environment.
After I finish washing my underwear, Russell tells me to go out and play until dinnertime, so I grab the bored-looking Alice and wander around town.
“Hey, Six, there’s an unusual-looking stall there. Go check it out.”
After curiously surveying the surroundings, Alice points to a place that sells skewers: the most common sort of outdoor food stall.
Where there’s a festival, there’s food vendors. And where there’s food vendors, there’s a golden opportunity for Kisaragi.
“That’s a grilled-skewer stall, all right; leave it to me… Yo, yo, yo, just who gave you permission to put a shop out here? Hand over one of those skewers, dammit!”
“I already have permission from the health inspectors and the country…,” the owner of the stall babbles as he hands over a skewer.
I have Alice pay for the skewer and take a bite.
“Hmph! Just what sort of meat is this? I can’t say I’ve had it before. You’re not using any shady ingredients, are you?”
I open with a complaint in lieu of a greeting. The idea is to threaten to spread bad rumors if the owner doesn’t comply with our demands.
“……I-it’s perfectly…normal?” The owner cowers at my threat, refusing to meet my gaze…
“…Now wait just a damned minute. What is this meat? There’s nothing about what this is. Just what are you using?”
“O-orc meat, of course! Completely normal orc meat! We run a perfectly clean operation here! If you plan to disrupt our business, we might…not call the guards… But at least we’ll make a fuss with the crowds… No, dammit, that’d be a problem, too…”
……
“What’d you just say, old man? You’re serving illegal meat you can’t have the guards knowing about, aren’t you?!” I drop my act and corner the owner, who’s in a genuine panic, but he still refuses to meet my gaze.
“Hey, Six. I can’t identify this meat visually.”
“Meat that Alice can’t identify?! That’s really messed up! Don’t move. I’m getting the guards!”
“W-wait, please! All right, all right, I understand. You’re quite the villain, my friend. I’ll happily give you five free skewers. So please don’t go around spreading rumors…”
He looks over at me with a shady smile, skewers in hand, but still won’t say what his meat came from.
What the hell did I just eat?
“This is definitely not a shop we can leave open! Come along; I’m handing you over to the guards!”
“You got me! You got me! Have seven, no, eight skewers! Hell, I’ll give you ten if you’ll just…”
Just as I’m about to take the owner into custody…
“What are you doing…?”
…Snow is suddenly standing there with an exasperated look on her face.
“Oh! Hey, debt girl, good timing. This old man’s selling some really odd mystery meat. You’re supposed to be a knight, right? Take him away.”
“W-wait, I’m not selling anything illegal! It’s just a little unusual…”
At our exchange, Snow peers in closely at the skewers, and…
“Eh?! Wh-why are you selling this…? Well, it’s not illegal. Technically, it’s not illegal, but…”
Just what the hell is this stuff?!
…As Snow looks at the owner with shock, he presses something into her hand.
“Lady Knight, this is just a sign of my appreciation. We wouldn’t be able to prepare for the Undead Festival so peacefully if not for your efforts, after all…”
“I-indeed? Y-yes, of course. But this meat… Well, I suppose it’s not poisonous, and what people don’t know can’t hurt them.”
“That’s right; it’s just meat! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.”
Snow happily pockets the bribe, and the owner laughs with relief.
I point to the pair as Alice brings over someone from a local guard station.
“Officer, those are the perps!”
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