“All right, I love onigiri!” I cried. “What’d you use for the filling?”
“Oh? You know this dish? I didn’t think anyone around these parts was familiar with it.”
“Well, yeah. We ate it a lot back where I’m from. You know, sushi and the like.”
“You know sushi too? You don’t say. Perhaps your hometown isn’t too far from mine, then.”
Well, I guess that confirms sushi’s here too, even though that wasn’t my aim. By the way, the ingredient turned out to be dried whitefish, broken into small pieces. Its moderate saltiness paired excellently with the rice. Very skillful!
“So rice isn’t common here after all, then?”
“It’s sold a few places nearby, but mostly for livestock feed, meaning it’s cheap and it tastes awful. I had the good stuff ordered from a business acquaintance of mine in Verald.”
Verald—a port city with a body of water vast enough for large ships to dock comfortably and a so-called mecca of trade. I’d heard of it here and there. In other words, considering how much it probably cost to ship that rice, this was probably an expensive menu item normally. Good thing Blade was paying and not me.
“Yawn... Good morning, master... Oh! I’m so sorry! I can’t believe I let you get up before me!”
“Don’t worry about it, seriously. By the way, I probably had too much to drink, so I don’t remember what happened last night.”
“Er... Well... Let’s just say you were awfully persistent!”
Whaaat?! What’s that assessment for?! What does it even mean in this context?!
“Yeah, that’s a good word for it,” Harumikazuchi chimed in. “You were so assertive, you honestly wore me out.”
“Wh-What did I even do last night?!” Curses, if only my memory would...! No good, I can’t remember! Nrrrggghhh!
“Go on, Aishia, you eat up too. Blade’s treat.”
“Thank you, Miss Harumikazuchi.”
Aishia had looked somewhat wary around Harumikazuchi yesterday, but she seemed to be completely comfortable around her now. Was it because they’d both looked after me while I’d been passed out drunk? In other words, they were now friends thanks to me! Go me!
“Oh! This is onigiri, isn’t it?! This pairs well with beishu, you know!”
“Just what I expected to hear from an alcohol-loving dwarf,” Harumikazuchi said. “Though it stands to reason it’d go together with beishu, since it’s sake.”
Beishu? Was that like seishu? So sake existed in this world too. Hmm. “Do you get sake from Verald as well, then?” I asked. “Maybe I should take a trip there.”
“Oh, if you’re going, that’d be perfect timing. I have something I need to pick up there, so could you get it for me?” The fox lady’s keen ears did not miss my offhand comment as she grinned slyly.
If it was for you, Harumikazuchi, I’d do anything you ask. Oh, but if alcohol were concerned, I was limited to trading privately. I didn’t have a license, after all.
And so, with a new task from my beloved Harumikazuchi, I decided to set out from Solasidore and take a trip to Verald, the port city. “In that case, let’s head there as soon as we can!”
“Yes, master. Then we’ll need to prepare for our trip... Hm? But in your case, what would you need to prepare? If we have our base, we won’t even need a tent, will we?”
“Hmm, that’s true...but you know, it might be good to have some normal traveling clothes.” In order to hide the fact that I could cheat using spatial magic, I should actually look the part and dress like an average peddler. “And if there’s something we don’t have enough of, we can always come back here and buy it. For now, I need to look like a normal merchant—so let’s go clothes shopping! Aishia, I leave it to you to decide what looks good on me!”
“Yes, master! Your wish is my command!” She looked overjoyed that I’d given her a task. Well, if she’s that gung ho about working, I’d better do my best too, so I don’t look bad in comparison.
“By the way, master, I never asked. Is there some sort of goal you’re aiming for?”
“Goal? Hmm, let’s see...” To be frank, I had nothing of the sort. After all, the Goddess herself had said “knock yourself out” and left me here in this world to do whatever I wanted. But if I had to say...
I wanna live a slow, peaceful, leisurely life with a ton of money and never having to work! I wanna gorge myself on all the delicious food this world has to offer! And most of all, I wanna create a yuri harem of beautiful women! Without the jealousy and infighting part, preferably!
In fact, with the spatial magic the Goddess had given me, they weren’t impossible dreams. I could fulfill the big three avarices at once, no problem!
“For now, I’d like to amass as much money as I can,” I answered. “I think we’ll need it.”
“I understand, master! Then I, Aishia, shall devote my heart and soul to making your dream a reality!”
“No, you don’t need to work that hard. Just in moderation is fine.”
For now, I’d just do whatever I wanted, deliver a few pairs of socks to the Goddess here and there, and live my life the way I saw fit. As long as I didn’t cause trouble for others!
Later, however, I realized that if I was trying to look the part of a merchant, I should carry some goods with me too. I went to buy some and realized my wallet was empty, so I actually had to stay a few more days in Solasidore before setting off. But just keep that between us.