I thought I’d be way too nervous to sleep in the same room as Michelle, but surprisingly, I wasn’t. My heart was pounding at first, but the second I got in bed, I was struck with a wave of drowsiness and didn’t wake up even once until morning. Michelle was a little sulky because of that.
“I couldn’t sleep a wink, but you were sleeping like a baby...” she pouted.
“Ha ha ha! I’ve always been the type who can switch gears at the drop of a hat.” I’d never been one to get too hung up on things. It was a mistake to think that men were pervs all year round, twenty-four seven.
“Then I’ll wear this tonight!” Michelle dragged a black lingerie set from the trunk along with a baby doll dress, also black. The dress’s length was short and the fabric was see-through, so her underwear would definitely show.
“That’s gotta be against the rules!” I shouted.
“But it’s just not fair!” she complained. “So, we’re gonna be sleep-deprived together, Yusuke!”
“No, that makes no sense!”
“Huh?”
Hmm... Yeah, if I see her in such sexy underwear, I doubt I’ll be able to sleep. Worse, that thing looks like it’ll really suit her...
“Are you really going to wear that?” I asked.
“I mean, I want to be together with you.”
“Then you should get a good night’s rest just like me. We have work tomorrow too.”
“But I can’t sleep when I think about how you’re next to me. It makes my heart start racing.” The dark circles under her eyes were even darker now. At this rate, this was going to negatively impact her health.
“Is there any way you can manage somehow?” I asked, trying to find a way to settle the matter. Then I perked up. “Oh right, maybe some Mini Mini Cola will help?”
“That’s the dagashi that has a calming effect, right?”
“Yep, exactly. You may be able to curb your excitement if you use it.”
“I understand... (Although I actually want you to be just as excited as I am...)”
It was a pity that I couldn’t see her in that baby doll dress, but for the sake of our peaceful sleep, it had to be done.
Wait, it absolutely has to be done? Something’s telling me it’s still worth seeing even if I have to sacrifice my sleep... No, no, best not to explore this matter any further.
✦ ✦ ✦
Since it was morning, I opened up my shop at the same location as yesterday. Once I did, people started lining up, hoping to obtain a Mobile Force. Just as Baron Ethel had been expecting, the Mobile Forces were taking root in Grantham. It became hotter as the sun rose, so my drinks also sold well today. The Ramune was particularly popular, and it sold out in the blink of an eye.
Also, the new product that I’d started selling today was wildly popular.
Product name: Super Orb
Description: It’s a ball two centimeters in diameter, and a magic item. If you hold this and jump, your jump height will increase by about thirty centimeters.
Price: Fifty rims
In my previous life, Super Balls were rubber balls that bounced super well, but in this world, they made humans bounce instead! You’d get at least an additional thirty centimeters on top of your natural jump, so everyone was bouncing up and down with delight. They were sold through a lottery system, and the size of the ball increased with each number, one through five. Your jumping ability would increase accordingly, and it seemed you would be able to jump as high as one meter or so. I worried that the impact of landing on the ground might hurt, but it was designed with safety in mind. You’d bounce a little when you landed so you wouldn’t get injured.
It was popular among not only little kids but also teenagers. Soon Kumpf Plaza was overflowing with jumping people. There were 110 Super Orbs attached to each sheet of cardstock, but they were flying off the shelves—so much so that I had to bring out a second sheet.
✦ ✦ ✦
Customer traffic at the shop slowed down around noon. It looked like I could finally have some lunch. This was a festival, so there were plenty of food stalls around Kumpf Plaza. I’d pick something up from there. As I was discussing lunch plans with Michelle, the plaza suddenly burst into a commotion. What’s going on?
“We did it! We won!”
“Whoooa!!!”
Excitement spread across the plaza like wildfire through a dry field. What did they mean by “won?” I decided to ask someone nearby.
“What did they win?” I asked a man.
“The war!” he exclaimed. “General Bartos and his troops that were stationed at the border defeated Aheluka’s troops!”
Oh right, the innkeeper of the Swindoll Con Inn did tell me this country was at war. So they’d brought news of that to Grantham...
“General Bartos and his troops have already left the border for a triumphant return to the capital,” he continued. “It seems they’ll arrive at Grantham tomorrow.”
“Wow, is he going to take the opportunity to have a look around the festival?”
“Yep, it’s also a huge honor for the town of Grantham!”
The man then left excitedly.
So, the war was over. Now that I thought about it, I had heard that this country’s most competent personnel had gone to war. Maybe public order in the capital would improve a little once its more respectable officers and men came back.
“What kind of person is General Bartos?” I asked Michelle, who was next to me.
“The younger brother of the current king,” she said. “He’s much more competent than his stupid older brother. I don’t like him, though.”
“Why not?”
“He’s a perverted womanizer,” she said. “He keeps two beautiful female lieutenants by his side.”
“Huh...” So, he was someone who would actually recreate a harem in real life... All great men make great lovers? Is that the saying?
“Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Yusuke.”
“Not at all,” I said. “A harem would only be a mess to deal with.”
“I-Is that so? If you really wanted one, I could use Clone Magic for you.”
“What the hell?”
“I’d create five clones of myself,” she said. “Then they could all love you, right? It’s some pretty advanced magic, so I think I’m the only one in this country who could create five.”
The quintessential girlfriends?!
Handling five Michelles, huh... I had the feeling it would be way too much for me to endure.
“Just one of you is enough for me.” I told her.
I was interested! I was! But even so, the idea of five times as much love was terrifying.