The Retired [Armed Merchant]’s Laid-back Journey Across the Continent 26

Chapter 26: The Rip-off Artist Goes Shopping.

“I think this color would suit you better, Al-chan. Hmm, but this design is hard to pass up too.”

“Mifa-san, I can’t accept something so expensive.”

“What are you talking about? A dress is a lady’s formal wear. You have to have a few. What if you’re going out to eat and the place has a dress code?”

I see, I hadn’t thought of that… I stood there blankly, my body exhausted.

After that, Al and Mifa reconciled.

In the middle of their argument, a competition that was like a public execution, called ‘listing my good points’, began, and by the time it was over, they had somehow become friends.

That’s fine. That’s fine, but… this women’s shopping is tough.

I might have been more energetic when I was in the dungeon.

It’s not that I’m not interested.

Seeing the cute Al in beautiful clothes is a feast for the eyes.

But the increasing number of boxes and paper bags is a bit tiresome.

In addition, I don’t understand this kind of thing at all, so I can’t join the conversation.

Or rather, this is probably how it’s supposed to be. Girls, I mean.

I had mistaken her for a former street child, a young boy, so I had her work as a shopkeeper and do odd jobs to give her a trade… but in that case, I should have sent her to a church school or something to make other female friends.

Even though she’s my girlfriend now, as a guardian, it’s a complete failure.

“Which one do you think is better, Rody-san?”

“What’s your opinion, Mifa?”

“I think this light green dress is better.”

“Then, I’ll buy that blue and white dress. And get me a pair of shoes to match.”

At my instruction, the shop assistant moved quickly.

At first, they looked at me with suspicious eyes, as if a shabbily dressed commoner had come in, but once they found out I was an acquaintance of a high-ranking official and had a decent amount of money, their service improved.

For a shop in the royal capital, they know how to do business.

“You’re surprisingly good at shopping, Nii-san. Did you have another woman, by any chance?”

“Unfortunately, the little girl who is also my disciple over there is my first woman.”

“Hey, don’t say it like that just because you’re tired! It’s pitiful for Al-chan!”

Yesterday, she was calling her a sheer cliff and a vertical washboard, and now this.

Well, it’s easy on my heart and stomach that the two of them are getting along.

“But, is it okay? To buy so much.”

“Isn’t it fine? From here on… I don’t know if there will be any towns where we can do this kind of shopping, and as Mifa says, there might be places that require a dress code to go out.”

“I feel bad for getting so much.”

“It’s fine. I’m just paying back to Al-chan what I received from Nii-san.”

Mifa took a silver necklace from a small box and placed it around Al’s neck.

Seeing that, I was startled.

“Wait, Mifa. That’s—”

“Let’s go with this one. It suits you well.”

Mifa put the necklace back in the box and quickly handed it to the shop assistant who was waiting beside her.

At that moment, my defeat was sealed.

“You were probably thinking something like, ‘my first accessory for her~’, weren’t you?”

“Guh…!”

“First come, first served. Hehe.”

Al’s gaze darted back and forth as she watched the exchange between me and Mifa.

“Eh, what is it? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it’s not your fault, Al. As usual, I’m the one who messed up.”

“Nii-san wants to make all of Al-chan’s ‘firsts’ his own. He’s so greedy, isn’t he?”

“Um, this isn’t my first accessory, you know?”

At Al’s words, my stepsister and I exchanged a look.

I don’t remember giving her one, and it should be my sister’s first time giving her one too.

In other words, it was someone other than us…?!

Don’t tell me it was that lecherous old geezer from the Toneriko Company.

“Who gave it to you?”

“Rody-san!”

At Al’s cheerful reply, Mifa’s gaze sharpened.

She seemed unconvinced by the sudden turn of events.

“Um, don’t you remember? It’s this one…”

What Al took out from the pouch at her waist—a low-capacity magic bag—was a mithril ring with a small alexandrite in it.

I do remember it.

I gave it to her shortly after we met.

“It’s a beautiful ring.”

“It’s a magic ring excavated from the deep levels of the Alanis Great Labyrinth.”

“Ehehe, it’s my treasure!”

Seeing Al’s innocent smile, I remembered that day.

The day the captured Al decided to become an apprentice to the ‘Rip-off Company’… I gave this to her.

—”If you’re going to be a merchant, you have to be able to appraise things. I’ll give you this, so put a price on it.”

I said that and asked Al the price of the ring every day.

I told her that if she was going to be the shopkeeper of the Vottark Trading Company, she had to be able to do at least that… and I made her go to different shops every day.

Looking back now, I might have been a little too strict, but if you’re going to live as a merchant, making a name for yourself is part of the job.

…Though I didn’t expect that damn old geezer from the Toneriko Company to take notice of her.

Anyway.

Al accurately appraised the price of the ring in just six months.

She also became able to appraise other treasures to a satisfactory level… and I started to leave the shop to her.

“This is a sign of Master’s—Rody-san’s—trust. It’s the most important treasure I received in my life, the very first one.”

“Is that so?”

“This is actually worth a huge amount, you know. If I had run away with it, it would have been a huge loss. I was so happy that you trusted me, a complete stranger… and I’ve loved you ever since.”

I was caught off guard by the sudden display of affection.

I myself had forgotten that I had given it to her, let alone collecting it after she had successfully appraised it.

“It’s a wonderful story, but I’m a little jealous. I don’t have many episodes like that with Nii-san.”

“Sorry for only giving you money…”

“That’s not it! It makes me wonder if I was right to be like this.”

I gently patted my troubled stepsister’s head.

It’s okay. Your brother was a blockhead who was devoted to the dungeon until he was over thirty. There’s still time. And Mifa is beautiful.

“I guess I have no choice but to marry Nii-san…”

“That’s not happening! …Even for you, Mifa-san, I won’t give you Rody-san.”

“You’re right, I’ll be getting such a cute sister-in-law. I’ll have to be patient.”

Mifa hugged Al, looking strangely cheerful.

I don’t know if she’s emotionally unstable or if this is her usual mood.

When you’re apart for a long time, a brother just becomes more and more useless.

“Alright then, for the finale… let’s get dressed up and have dinner!”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

Al and I froze at Mifa’s words.

Even if you can fit a dress with sewing magic, isn’t it a bit of a high hurdle to do it so suddenly?

“Let’s go eat some real court cuisine.”

My stepsister smiled, her expression leaving no room for argument.