“Even if you were to cut me down, I would happily give my life for my master.”
“I must say, you seem too loyal, even for a personal maid.” I took the leather bag from her and peered inside. I had not expected to find such a large sum of gold coins nestled within. “My word! What are you planning?!”
“Do you not require funds to live life as runaways?” asked the tactician general. “You may use it all. That is of no concern to me.”
That was not what I had inquired.
“How familiar are you with the empire’s Four Heavenly Monarch system?” she continued, apparently grasping my intent.
The Four Heavenly Monarchs were by no means a monolith. In fact, I heard tell that they battled each other for the seat of the empire’s next chancellor. If all of them were to follow their ultimate ambitions, then the country would be split into four factions.
“You’re saying one of the Four Heavenly Monarchs entrapped the princess, and it would be a problem for you if he succeeded?”
“Precisely. Now, then… I’m rooting for you, O tragic princess and her knight.”
With that, the tactician general departed.
Side. S
“Phew, I was so nervous! Do you think that went well?” asked Hakari-san when she returned from playing the role of the tactician general.
I nodded fervently.
“You totally nailed the villainous vibe,” said Karane-san. “Put a shiver down my spine.”
I agreed; the scene was very atmospheric.
Now, you might be wondering why Hakari-san was the stand-in for the tactician general. It all started the day we came to this world…
After arriving at the royal capital, we marveled at all the unusual sights. That was when a fundamental issue came up in conversation.
“Sure, I agree that we ought to keep an eye on Sir Kamakuru and Princess Io, but how are we gonna make a living in the meantime?” Karane-san asked.
“Ah… Of course,” said Hakari-san. “We don’t have any money in this world…”
“I have an idea,” said Hahari-san. Her tone implied a hidden meaning.
“In that case, please allow me to operate separately from the rest of you for a short while.” Following her master’s orders, Mei-san promptly took her leave.
The rest of us (myself included), were deeply puzzled, although Hahari-san’s intentions came to light before long.
That night, Hahari-san flaunted her generosity at a restaurant in the capital.
“Okay, my dears, ask for anything you’d like!”
Even as her stomach rumbled conspicuously, Kurumi-san looked hesitant. “I’m grateful and all, but are you sure we’ve got enough money for this?”
The question seemed to spark an idea for Nano-san. “If we were to be arrested for dining and dashing, then we could live in a jail cell. This would be the fastest way of securing food and essentials.”
“The least good form of speedrunning, aye,” said Kusuri-senpai.
“No, no, I do have money!”
Hahari-san put a leather bag bursting at the seams on the table. The contents spilled out, revealing quite a bit of money. Although they were copper coins, the lowest denomination of currency in the kingdom, this was certainly enough to provide food and lodgings for the night.
“Spices appear to be worth a lot in this world, at least in the royal capital.”
I was surprised. The book mentioned that the empire had a monopoly on spice exports. Thus, spices were regarded as luxury goods in other countries. It was amazing how she figured that out so quickly…
“So, to add spice to the spice,” Hahari-san continued, “I got Mei to make some mayonnaise!”
“That’s the most predictable isekai trope ever!” everyone else shouted.
“I sold a whole lot of mayonnaise in the capital and am already in the process of establishing a mayonnaise specialty chain! At the rate it’s growing, we’ll never have to worry about money!”
“We have already begun negotiating with the owner of a building in order to open our first branch,” Mei-san chimed in.
Kurumi-san, who did not normally show much favor to Hahari-san, looked impressed. “A businesswoman sure comes in handy at times like these.”
Hakari-san had a similar reaction. “If only she showed this side of herself more often…”
“Wait, how long are you thinking of staying in this world if you’re planning a business here?” asked Karane-san.
“I’ll continue for as long as our return date remains up in the air.” Hahari-san smiled softly; hers was a gentle, reliable, motherly expression. “It is my responsibility as the adult here to ensure that we all survive in this world.”
“Wow, Hahari can talk like an actual adult,” said Kusuri-senpai, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
Personally, I thought that she was genuinely dependable, but…
“Hmm? Yoshimoto Shizuka, is something the matter?” Nano-san asked me.
Startled, I promptly shook my head. I suspected that my concern must have unconsciously shown on my face. It was hard to quell this hazy sense of unease. An unpleasant chill ran through me, as if we were poised to make a fatal mistake.
Some time passed after that.
“We will now commence the opening ceremony for Hanazono, the mayonnaise specialty store!” Hahari announced to the excited crowd. “Please feel free to take a look at the menu, everyone! Food will be free today!”
Her offer sounded generous, but Hahari-san’s expression was slightly maniacal, much like that arc during the manga where she was the bad guy. Once they get a taste for it, they’re mine, she thought.
“Oooh, this is soooo delicious… It’s frustrating, but…I can’t stop eating!”
One girl stood out prominently amid the store’s otherwise cheery atmosphere, weeping as she wolfed down mayonnaise-related foods. Although she appeared to be the same age as me and the other first-year high school students, she had a curvaceous figure like Hakari-san’s. There was a mature air about her, one ruined by the tears. Just as I was thinking to myself that I might have seen her somewhere before, Hakari-san approached her with a slightly strained expression.
“Um, I apologize if I’m being intrusive, but I thought I should tell you that too much mayonnaise isn’t good for you, you know?”
“I have crazy heartburn, it’s true…”
“By your leave, I have brought you some hot milk,” said the ever-helpful Mei-san.
“Oooh, the warmth is spreading through me…”
Tears cascaded down the young lady’s face as she drank the hot milk.
“Has something happened to upset you recently?” asked Hakari-san. “Perhaps you’ll feel better if you talk about it.”
“My job hasn’t been going well lately…”
“Ah, I see. That’s never easy, is it?”
Hakari-san was a good listener, and the woman gradually opened up about her troubles. My unease magnified considerably.
“Okay, so! I planned on making money in this country by smuggling spices here and selling them, but nobody bought a thing! What’s up with people around here?! They keep saying they don’t need spices. Just pour mayonnaise over everything, and they’re good! The worst thing is that mayonnaise actually tastes really damn good! Darn it all! I’m going home! And I’m taking mayonnaise back as a souvenir!”
Hakari-san didn’t say anything until the lady was out the door. “Shizuka-san.” She turned to me, her expression hard. Like me, she must have guessed that something was wrong. “Was this…Mother’s doing?”
All I could do was nod stiffly. The young tactician general, who had risen to the ranks of the Four Heavenly Monarchs because of her genius-like acumen, was supposed to aid Sir Kamakuru and Princess Io in their hour of need. Only now, she’d overdosed on mayonnaise and had most likely used up all her funds.
“Oh my goodness gracious,” said Hahari-san once I explained our dilemma. “I understand what must be done. I will take responsibility by acting in her—!”