Chapter 273: A Gift to the Slave, and Suspicious Actions

It will help the story a lot! :]

The day after the strategy meeting ended.

I spent a relaxed afternoon at Freit’s mansion after a long time.

Today was planned to go have the armor for the Dules to wear in this war tailored, but Freit had talked to the shop, I was told, and the measurements were already taken so when the armor was finished come for fitting, that message had been received, apparently.

With that busyness, he did that far for us.

Yesterday too he seemed to have returned after it became the next day.

For Freit who treated us well, I had to do my best in this war.

So I was relaxing in the living room while drinking the tea Cathy brewed, but Muriel had gone shopping, Sophia had taken Yanica for a walk, Rosina and Sheena and Birga had gone to show their faces at each temple, apparently.

Ito was studying language at Yuki’s place, Gejia had gone outside taking Sara because there was something that bothered her.

Lilli... come to think of it Lilli often disappeared casually.

Well, she seemed to have grown up in this city, so there were probably people she wanted to meet or places she wanted to go.

Cathy was doing housework together with Tiria, Rina, Ilma, Helma, and the borrowed Dule Regina.

Here was Freit’s mansion, but already being taken care of, doing nothing as a freeloader was embarrassing, so Cathy and them seemed to volunteer to help with housework.

So here I was alone.

Rather than relaxing, it was correct to say I was at a loss for something to do.

But if I tried to help with housework I was stopped with amazing force.

This was stopped not only from Muriel and Cathy but from Freit’s servants too.

According to them, if I was made to do chores Freit would get terribly angry, I was told.

Lotte was like that too.

So nothing to do.

...A little, shall I go for a walk or something.

On the way I might meet Muriel or someone.

Come to think of it Muriel’s birthday was near.

Good, let us go buy a gift or something.

I told a Freit servant I met by chance when leaving from the living room to the entrance that I was going out, and went outside.

...

In the sky not a single cloud, the sun shone brilliantly.

The current season seemed early summer, and I felt a little heat, but the gentle breeze that occasionally blew was pleasant.

Going a little on the road in front of Freit’s mansion, I came out to the main street.

Lübeck city had main streets stretching radially from the assembly hall as the center toward east west south north.

The main street near Freit’s mansion, maybe because Freit himself was a merchant, was the road heading from the assembly hall to the north district with many shops.

If buying a present going through this road to the north district would be good.

I who came out to the main street advanced my steps toward the north district.

The main street was all made of stone pavement.

In the center was a carriage road for carriages, and at both ends pedestrian roads for pedestrians.

The carriage road which was one step lower than the sidewalk had four ruts carved, and the two on the right side of each were used to advance forward.

That is, right-side traffic.

The carriage road was of course a road carriages used, but horses carrying people passed too.

When pedestrians wanted to cross to the opposite sidewalk, they used the crossing sidewalks set at intersections or key points.

The same as the sidewalk, one step higher than the carriage road, but ruts were carved the same as the carriage road.

Carriages passed the crossing sidewalk with wheels through these ruts.

Walking a while looking at the luxurious houses facing the street from the side, I came out to the gate of the city wall.

This city wall was built surrounding the central district, and passing this gate I came out to the north district.

At the gate two guards stood, but one was the gatekeeper who had opened the gate when Lily escaped, so I lightly greeted.

Coming out to the north district, the atmosphere changed at once.

Until then it had been a quiet high-class residential area, but it became a townscape like a downtown with shops lining both sides.

The comings and goings of people and carriages were many, and it overflowed with liveliness.

But still this area seemed the quiet side.

Heading outward the degree of liveliness seemed to increase.

Walking a while I arrived at the place we had bought the Dules’ clothes and armor.

Freit had introduced and Azret had guided us, but here they sold accessories too, I thought.

Because I had bought for Birga and Lilli and Gejia, no mistake.

"Welcome... oh oh Lord Asahi. Welcome. What are you looking for today?"

When I entered the shop the shopkeeper Darius attended to me.

"A Dule’s birthday is near so I think to give some gift..."

Because I thought to decide what after entering the shop, I was looking at the lined things while giving back-channel to Darius.

"Hoo, a Dule’s birthday. No no, Lord Asahi treats Dules preciously. Giving a gift to a Dule, moreover on the birthday, such a master is rare. Ah, this was rude. Please forgive."

At the "rare" part, maybe not missing that my cheek moved, he immediately bowed his head.

Well, I was used to being told, so not that bothered.

But he talked a lot.

Last time had he talked this much?

"So what sort of Dule? The Dule brought the other day?"

Darius raised his head, wore the business smile again, and asked me.

"Ah ah, the one at the far right when measuring the size..."

"The tall woman. The short black hair is impressive."

Answering while drawing back a little at the quick change and rapid-fire questions, Darius immediately said Muriel’s characteristic appearance.

Even though recent, one of the customers who should be many, moreover one of my many Dules, being able to immediately recall, as expected a merchant.

Just that Freit favored him.

"Right, then... how about this?"

What Darius brought out was a piercing with a pale blue slender crystal attached.

"If you attach this to that Dule’s rich chest, it will become a calm atmosphere, and the red of the nipples will stand out, I think. It matches black hair too, how about it?"

A piercing to attach to the nipples for Dules.

Looking well there was no needle, so probably a piercing to attach with a mana needle like Cathy wore.

But I was not seeking that sort of thing.

"No, not that sort, I want something that can be given to an ordinary woman too."

"Ah, I see. Then how about this?"

Again what Darius held was a piercing with a pure red large round thin stone attached.

"No, so..."

"This is for the ear. It stands out well on black hair, and makes the face look small so it is perfect for tall people and so on."

"Muu..."

I see, indeed pretty.

Not just red, white streaks made a marble-like pattern, so it would stand out on black hair, probably.

And the stone was large, so relatively the face looked small.

Muriel was not that her face was large, but her figure was slender and good style, so the face would look even smaller and tighter.

But...

"Is it not too big?"

"Of course if used normally it might get in the way, but if attached at parties and so on fine, I think. I think it can be matched to the dresses we prepare here."

I see.

Then maybe fine.

I took that earring in hand.

"Fumu... pretty."

"Yes, to polish the surface without unevenness this much requires quite the craftsman’s skill. The stone uses Drake Blood with little mixture which is rare. Something this large is probably not that many."

Mu, that good a thing.

Would it cost quite a bit?

"However if Lord Freit’s introduction, buying as is would be rude. So..."

...

"Thank you. We await your next visit."

Seen off by Darius and another clerk whose name I did not know, I left the shop behind.

I thought making them discount when buying a present was somehow, so I bought that piercing at Darius’s asking price.

It seemed to have become cheaper by Freit’s introduction, and it was a good purchase, maybe.

Muriel would surely be happy too.

Thinking that while hurrying the way home, the figure of the person Muriel was seen on the sidewalk on the other side of the main street.

She stood and seemed to be talking with someone.

An acquaintance, maybe?

Fuum... bothersome.

Muriel was originally sold as a slave in this city, and this city was called a merchant city and the comings and goings of people were many, so even if Muriel had an acquaintance it would not be strange.

But what bothered me was that the person she was talking with was a man.

Pretty golden hair, height a little higher than me, probably.

The face could not be seen, but the gestures looked elegant.

A noble of some country, maybe?

Mumu... still bothersome.

Hiding in the shadows of things so as not to be noticed by Muriel and them while watching the situation, that man held out a paper bag to Muriel.

Muriel received the paper bag, and put her hand inside.

Then what she took out was two purple crystals.

No, round rings were attached at the tips, so maybe earrings.

Holding them preciously with both hands, Muriel pressed them to her chest and bowed her head.

Somehow a good atmosphere.

Mumu...

With an indescribable state of mind while I groaned and watched, the man took off his own jacket and put it on Muriel’s shoulder.

Muriel immediately raised her face, took that jacket in hand and returned it to the man.

When Muriel said something, the man’s shouting voice was heard.

Muriel shook her head sideways and talked back with amazing force.

The good atmosphere until just now was as if a lie, and they were shouting at each other.

Then Muriel turned away, and started walking toward Freit’s mansion.

The man was still shouting while pointing a finger at Muriel, but after quieting and looking at Muriel’s back figure for a while, he turned and started walking in the opposite direction from Freit’s mansion.

This... what sort of situation was it?

Had Muriel been having a lovers’ quarrel with a close person?

Lovers’ quarrel...

Muu...

Something hazy spread from the bottom of my heart.

Muriel devoted herself to me, but that was as Muriel’s master.

Naturally even if Muriel had a lover it would not be strange.

Lover...

No no, in the first place was that man a lover?

Was it not just that she happened to quarrel with an acquaintance.

But Muriel had hugged the thing received from that man preciously.

That much it was a precious thing, probably.

Would she receive such a precious thing from an acquaintance?

Muu...

Such chaotic thoughts circled round and round in my head, and when I noticed I had arrived at Freit’s mansion.

I opened the entrance door and entered the living room, and sat as if sinking into the sofa.

At that time...

A sound of the living room door opening came.