Chapter 10

Seeing someone who’s normally annoyingly energetic looking so down—it makes me want to do something for her. I guess that’s human nature. All right, all right. Time to show her a grown-up’s generosity. I’ll look through my list of items and pick something I think a kid would like. Orange juice should be appropriate—and not 100 percent or anything, but the kind with a lot of sugar. I guess that means going with that one famous maker from the commercials. Here we go. I stock the orange juice for the first time and drop one into my compartment. “Huh? What was that?” “Welcome.” It’s my treat today, young lady. Next time, use your own money to buy one like before. “Is it okay for me to have it for free?” Isn’t that a cute face? Holding her orange juice all surprised like that. She’s always wearing an angry, sulking, or pouting face, but things look hopeful for her future. “U-um, thank you.” “Please come again.” Before evening sets in, Lammis puts me on her back and carries me to the gate. It had been inconvenient to carry me around in her arms, so she bought a modified wooden rack for carrying loads, allowing her to move me around much more smoothly. I stand quietly after Lammis gently places me next to the gate. At night, I always stay here until the cafeteria and pub at the inn close up. The inn’s mistress bought a large quantity of pressed potato chips and cans of oden, too, providing them as snacks to go with their drinks. Out of gratitude to the inn for taking such good care of me, as a sort of payment, I mark everything down to half price whenever the mistress buys from me. “Phew, it’s cold out. Oh, you get something new again? Wait, the blue button means it’s a cool one, right? It looks good, but I’ll pass. I’ll just get the usual soup.” “I’ll have the warm sweet tea.” “Wait! There was warm sweet tea in here?! Damn, I’ll buy that after.” I have stocked a warm version of the milk tea, so thank you for your patronage. I’m thankful that Karios and Gorth both buy quite a bit every time Lammis brings me by, but I worry about how their wallets are doing. I hear the gatekeepers have a considerable income, though, so they’ll probably be fine… Of course, maybe it’s stranger for me to worry about them when I’m the reason they’re spending all their money. I’m positioned next to the gate only partly because those tending it think so highly of my products—another big factor is that for some reason, there’s been this superstition going around that the frog fiends never attack while I’m here. “Boxxo! Time to go home!” Oh, Lammis is calling. Is she finished with her shift at the inn? That means the end of my workday, too. The warm beverages that the two guards bought are my last sales of the day. Lammis places me on the wooden harness again, then easily lifts me with strength that’s unimaginable from only looking at her slight frame. The two of us—one girl and one machine—head back toward the inn from the gate. “We had a funny customer at the inn today. She’s a hunter. It’s her first time going into the labyrinth, and she was really energetic and about the same age as me.” “Welcome.” Come to think of it, how old is Lammis actually? I assumed she’s around fifteen or sixteen, but she could actually be a little younger or older than that. “How was your day, Boxxo?” “Get one free with a winner.” “It was fun? I hope you can talk a whole lot someday. But first I have to save up money so we can go see Hulemy soon. When we do, I’m sure you’ll learn how to do lots of new things!” She feels indebted to me for saving her life and is trying her hardest for me, but I’m the one who had been saved. If not for Lammis, I’d be broken down right on that lakeside by now. I’m the one who should be grateful. Seriously. “Thank you.” “What’s wrong? You don’t need to thank me. You’re the one who rescued me, Boxxo. Thanks!” All I can do for her is follow along with whatever silly things she’s saying, but she always smiles as though she’s happy with that, and that’s enough for me. My situation is baffling: I’m a vending machine in another world. But I’m starting to think this kind of life isn’t all that bad. If I had a face, I’d be wryly smiling right now. It may be a strange environment, but if this is what my days will be like, I’d like it to stay this way. I really would.