Chapter 147  : The Flag, again

Rafatalia: “What do you plan on doing with that?”

I meet up again with Rafatalia.

Naofumi: “I’m going to make some simple sunglasses.”

Rafatalia: “But weren’t there some being sold back there?”

Well I guess this world already has the concept. The history of sunglasses dated back quite far in my world.

I guess it’s the same for this one.

Naofumi: “You have to think economically in times like this.”

It seems that buying a pre-made pair is quite expensive.

If I just buy a cheap frame, and cut the wing to size…

Naofumi: “And it’s done!”

I put the simple sunglasses over to the Lemo child’s face.

Lemo Kid: “Umm…”

The Lemo Child shows a troubled face upon receiving the glasses.

Naofumi: “Rafatalia.”

Rafatalia: “On it.”

Rafatalia casts darkness magic on the Child’s face once again.

Lemo Kid: “Ah…”

Rafatalia: “Are you alright? It’s not too bright, is it?”

Lemo Kid: “I’m fine…”

The Lemo Child replies while fidgeting with its hands.

Rafatalia: “Then shall we go?”

Lemo Kid: “Yes.”

To make sure it didn’t run, we hold hands with the Lemo.

Well, I guess the slave seal will prevent that anyways.

Lemo Kid: “T-thank you.”

Naofumi: “Don’t mind it. Where I live, there are plenty of brats like you.”

Lemo Kid: “Eh?”

Rafatalia: “This person here is the Hero of the Shield.”

Lemo Kid: “EEEH!?”

To only realize that now… I’m pretty sure the Slave Dealer already called me that a few times.

We continue to walk down an alley.

??: “Is that one of your kids, Hero of the Shield?”

A passerby calls out to me.

Naofumi: “Hm?”

It’s the manager of the clothing shop.

It really has been a while since we last met. Not since I requested the clothing for Firo.

I know why, but she gives off an Otaku-like feeling.

And one that tilts in the direction of a Fujoshi.

Tailor: “You have a Beastman with you this time, what have you been up to?”

Naofumi: “You didn’t hear from the old man at the weapons shop?”

I take off the hood of the cloak and begin speaking.

Tailor: “Ah, right. I vaguely recall hearing something about it.”

Naofumi: “You really…”

Tailor: “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but the Demi-Human who’s always with you really is pretty. Won’t you stop by to dress her up?”

Rafatalia: “Expensive clothes are… a bit…”

Due to my influence, Rafatalia has learned to live quite economically. I think she would prefer some armor for efficiency’s sake.

Tailor: “That’s such a waste. Clothing is essential if you want to woo men.”

Rafatalia: “I-is that true…?”

It seems this will take a while.

I don’t care one bit about woman’s fashion, so I kinda want to leave.

Tailor: “…and that’s why it’s good. Is this child a Lemo? I think I’m getting some inspiration.”

Lemo Kid: “Wa, wa…”

The Clothing shop manager pulls out a sketchbook and starts doodling in it.

As expected.

Tailor: “Lately with the calamity, the town’s mood has gone down. No one’s buying clothing anymore.”

She continues speaking as she draws.

Tailor: “My store also sells armor, but its main purpose is clothing.”

Naofumi: “I see.”

Tailor: “To be honest, I’ve been losing interest in making clothes lately. I haven’t been getting much inspiration lately.”

I think that she said that the material for Firo’s clothes was very good.

Tailor: “You know the girl you brought before. Making clothes for her was really fun. Could you bring her by again?”

Naofumi: “That cost quite a bit…”

And Firo seems to be happy with just one set.

We’re not particularly in need of it, so I see no need to buy her any new clothes.

If we had that sort of extra money lying around, I would use it on more useful things.

Anyways, Firo is usually in her Monster form, so the dress isn’t even used often.

Tailor: “Hmm… The Hero of the Shield has quite a few inspirational people.”

It seems that her Lemo Race design series is completed.

On the page are a pair of overalls, a vest, and various other designs.

My slaves’ clothes… mostly consist of second-hand armor. This gives the town an adventurer’s guild-like atmosphere.

Buying them casual clothes will cost a bit…

Some cheap clothes from the Old Man is as much as we can currently afford.

I guess I should ask.

Naofumi: “I can only offer furs and some peculiar materials, but do you want to work in my village?”

Her expression lights up.

Tailor: “Are you serious!?”

Naofumi: “Y-yeah.”

Tailor: “Are there more cute and interesting kids like this one?”

“I don’t know if they’ll meet your specifications, but my village has plenty of Demi-Human slaves.”

“A-a-are there also male slaves there?”

Naofumi: “Of course.”

Tailor: “Are you sure!?”

She seems to be extremely excited.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Tailor: “I am a warrior on a quest for new inspiration. Please allow me to trouble you for a while.”

W-wait…

The thing that hooked her seems to be the fact that there were male slaves…

This is bad. The people from my world who were of a similar personality to her, would think of ‘that’ when they heard the words ‘Male Slaves’.

My decision may have been rash.

Naofumi: “T-then stop by to check the place out some time.”

Tailor: “Yes! Of Course!”

And somehow the conversation was over.

…

After that, we parted ways with the clothing shop owner, and kept walking, when…

Kyurururururu…

A sound comes from the Lemo Slave’s stomach. The child begins acting embarrassed.

Naofumi: “… I guess we should stop somewhere to eat.”

Rafatalia: “Yeah, we should”

“What does this one’s race eat? Is it fine to feed it like the other Demi-Humans? Should I give it worms?”

If it’s worms, then preparing food will be difficult.

I have the Dunes in the village, but those aren’t food.

If necessary, I will cook them, but if I do, it will be troublesome.

Taniko would shout at me.

Lemo Kid: “Um…well…”

The Lemo Child tries to speak up.

Lemo Kid: “I went …from home… a few times… It seems we can eat normal food.”

Naofumi: “I see, then should we stop by a food stall?”

Rafatalia: “Naofumi-sama won’t cook?”

Naofumi: “We’ve come all the way to the Castle Town, and you still want me to cook? The smell will draw that person to us.”

I have a classrooms-worth of hungry children here. Even if I cook on the River Bank, I think Firo will notice and bring them there.

Rafatalia: “Isn’t that fine?”

Naofumi: “Even if you’re fine with it, I will find it a pain.”

Recently, I’ve been trying to keep my cooking duty to a minimum.

There’s been a slave who came to me, wanting to improve her cooking skill.

Kiel: “Eh-… I wanted to eat Shield Nii-chan’s cooking.”

Is what most of the kids said.

It was quite difficult to encourage her to cook again after that.

Naofumi: “Anyways. Today, we are eating out.”

Rafatalia: “I understand…”

And so we head back towards the market.

The merchant’s shop has a long line in front of it. And the merchant is happily selling his goods for many times the normal price. I applaud his skills.

Now then, where should we eat?

As I look for restaurants, I notice the place I first took Rafatalia to eat.

Naofumi: “Will here be fine?”

Rafatalia: “Yes.”

Lemo Kid: “…”

I hold the Lumo Slaves hand as we enter the building.

Waiter: “Welc…ome”

The person who greets us frowns upon seeing me with a cloak covering my body.

Waiter: “Sir. Serving a suspicious person accompanied by a Demi-Human is a bit…”

Naofumi: “… If you have such a rule, then hang it on the front door.”

Host: “B-but still…”

Fumu… the host looks at the dirty Lemo Kid accompanying us, but doesn’t remark on it.

This reminds me of when I once brought Rafatalia here when she was still small. No one said anything at that time.

I guess I am being held up because Beastmen are feared more than other Demi-Humans.

There are plenty of people who wear cloaks, though many of them do so for suspicious reasons.

Most restaurants here should understand that. In my world most restaurants forbid the admittance of animals for sanitary reasons.

However in this world, Beastmen are supposed to be treated as Bonafide human beings.

But I guess the hatred of this country is quite deeply seated. There’s no choice.

I take off the cloak.

Naofumi: “Is this fine? There’s no suspicious person anymore. Will you still deny food to a Demi-Human and a Beastman?”

Waiter: “Ah…no… I-I understand.”

With an amazed expression, the waiter leads us to a seat.

The Lemo slave fidgets as its eyes wander all over the room.

Naofumi: “This reminds me of the old Rafatalia.”

Rafatalia: “Please don’t bring up that time.”

Naofumi: “Do you want another Kid’s set lunch?”

Rafatalia: “I don’t need one!”

The Lemo slave can’t seem to calm down. Its gaze begins to drift to its feet.

Naofumi: “Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Lemo Kid: “Well…”

The kid looks at the menu and gives a bitter face.

Lemo Kid: “I can’t read…”

Naofumi: “Then should we order something for you?”

Lemo Kid: “Please…”

I raise my hand and call our server.

Naofumi: “One Daily Special and two Kids se-”

Rafatalia: “Two Daily Specials and one Kid’s set lunch.”

Rafatalia interrupts me before I can finish.

Naofumi: “What’s wrong?”

Rafatalia: “Naofumi-sama, you’re mistaken. You still think I want that set, don’t you?”

Naofumi: “Even though you say that, you still kinda want it, right? It’s something the other villagers would happily eat.”

The last time she ate it, Rafatalia had carefully taken out and saved the flag.

Rafatalia: “It’s fine. Please don’t treat me like a child.”

Is she at a delicate age? Even though her body has gotten big, her mind should still be a child.

Waiter: “I-is that everything?”

Naofumi: “Yeah, I’ll leave it to you.”

The waiter disappears into the back of the store.

I can faintly hear him saying something about the Hero of the Shield visiting.

After a while, the food arrives.

Waiter: “Thank you for waiting. Here are your Daily Specials and Kid’s set lunch.”

The Kid’s set lunch is more flashy than usual. There are two flags in the rice.

Naofumi: “…It’s showier than it was last time we were here.”

They’re definitely showing off.

Reputation is amazing… did the other heroes get this sort of treatment before as well?

Showing my face is inconvenient, but I guess I can get some things out of it.

Lemo Kid: “U-um…”

I can hear the Lemo Slave swallowing its saliva.

Naofumi: “It’s fine, you can eat.”

Lemo Kid: “Is it really okay?”

Naofumi: “Yeah.”

Lemo Kid: “You won’t drop the dish and make me eat off the floor?”

Naofumi: “… Where the hell did you learn that? That’s a waste of food.”

So this one’s previous master made it eat off the ground.

Naofumi: “It’s fine, just eat however you like.”

It was like this with Rafatalia as well.

Rafatalia: “You can eat when you want.”

Lemo Kid: “Y-yes…”

Rafatalia makes this interaction much easier.

The Lemo Child timidly begins eating the Kid’s set lunch.

Its using its hands. I guess it never really learned manners.

But Manner is something you can always learn later.

…Right now the slaves take food from a single dish in the center of the table.

It’s like eating with a large family.

I think back to around the time I got here. Back then I couldn’t taste anything. I thought that as long it was cheap, any food would do.

I look out the store’s window.

The Spirit Turtle’s shell looms high over the city… There are still more battles to come.

Lemo Kid: “Thank you very much.”

The Lemo Race slave begins stuffing its cheeks with the Kid’s set lunch in tears.

Naofumi: “If you think that, then eat it properly.”

If you leave any, I may get angry.

Naofumi: “But I won’t force you to eat anything your race cannot eat.”

I hope there isn’t too much of a difference in constitution.

Lemo Kid: “Yes”

Like a mother, Rafatalia wipes the Lumo Child’s mouth and begins feeding it.

It’s quite a peaceful scene.