Chapter 49: Item Shop (2)
At that gaze, she deliberately flushed her cheeks and started fidgeting.
“E-even if you direct such a passionate gaze~, Mr. Rat has a husband and over a hundred children~.”
“That’s not the talk— wait a second, married?”
“The rats Atel Octo-san saw on the way here~, are Mr. Rat’s children~, cute, right~?”
Oh my, rats are multiparous!?
With that appearance a multiparous woman, somehow I’m getting a bit excited.
Or rather, is the reason she’s not a capture target because she’s married? No, I feel like that game maker did ero regardless of whether there was a lover or husband.
“By the way~, what did you come seeking~? A lively magic sword is recommended~, just prepared this morning~.”
——What should I do, the word spirit of “magic sword just prepared this morning” is quite attractive.
The desire to retort “Is it tuna or something?” and the chuuni circuit of “Magic swords are romantic, right?” are shouting “Let’s go buy a magic sword,” but — yeah, for today, none of that.
“Ah, it’s not something displayed, and maybe you can’t prepare it.”
“——Oh~? Are you saying there is a request Mr. Rat cannot solve~?”
“At least the request of ’I want to do erotic things with Mr. Rat’ is being gun-throughed, isn’t it.”
Pusii, puhyurururu, a sound leaked from Mr. Rat’s mouth. Was that intended as a whistle, did you want to do that thing of whistling to cover it up.
I sighed small and looked around the inside of the shop.
There are no windows. The door is — behind the counter, but what connects is probably a warehouse or something.
Yes, there is no exit here. An other-space completed only with the shop and warehouse — apparently.
“Apparently” is because the earlier speculation is just cheating off what Alter did in the original, not something I thought of. Honestly even if told “other-space” it doesn’t click at all.
It doesn’t click, but.
Anyway if I think about it it’ll just be clumsy thinking or whatever; it’s far better to move on the premise that such a thing exists.
“If renting an other-space like this shop, how much money would be needed?”
I don’t know if Mr. Rat is making it, or borrowing something someone made — but at least she knows a technique to create this kind of “space isolated from the surroundings,” or knows someone who can create it.
Then there is no reason not to utilize this.
“Muu~? I think that kind of thing is the domain of a real-estate agent rather than a variety shop~. Or rather~, for what on earth— ah, yes yes~.”
She started to say, then nodded as if understanding.
“Certainly~, you want to train in the state of having become a tentacle Monster Villain, right~.”
Exactly.
I am doing what I can within the range of my room — but what can be done in a single room of a student dorm is limited.
I can do experiments on what can come out of the tentacles or try detailed work, but something like swinging tentacles with full force is impossible.
That said, if I take the form of Atel Octo in some park a big uproar is certain. Even if I do it at an unpopular time, it will only increase the suspiciousness of moving furtively.
I have obtained a certain amount of favorability by fighting together with the Sacred — but even so, the fact that I am a Monster Villain does not change. If such a guy is furtively doing things while hiding from people’s eyes, bad rumors will easily spread.
——Therefore, the Rat’s Variety Shop.
Honestly I had hesitation about contacting because the identity is too unknown — but I think it’s a hundred times better than dying from insufficient practice.
She is staring this way with sleepy eyes.
There are no words. Whether she is spacing out, or thinking deeply. At least with my ability I could not tell.
“…Yes~, then I’ll service the other-space for you~.”
“Service… why again.”
The image I hold of Mr. Rat is “greedy.”
In the game Mr. Rat also frequently appears at Alter’s base, but the events she is involved in are 90% money-related. Even the remaining 10% is only the type where as a result of antagonism she attacks the base together with the Sacred.
Free service from such a character — honestly I think there must be some ulterior motive.
At my confused state, Mr. Rat chuckled.
“Mr. Rat is~, holding a tiny bit of expectation toward you~.”
With sleepy pupils, straight, straight, staring into my eyes.
That gesture seemed as if expecting something — as if looking at something sought through the lens that is me.
“But, only a tiny bit. Because, you’re weeeak~, you. Therefore, the help is also only a tiny bit~. Any more than this~, will be charged~.”
“Can’t you at least lie and say a heroine-like line like ’I believe in you’?”
“That’s no good~. Mr. Rat is always the heroine of her husband~.”
Mr. Rat laughed as if joking.
Even looking at that figure, I cannot tell how far is joke and how far is serious.
I’m neither well-versed in psychology nor high in communication ability, so not understanding may be natural.
Honestly the talk of expectation may also be a lie, and there is the possibility of some evil scheme behind the scenes.
But—
“Then, can’t be helped — so as not to betray that tiny bit of expectation, I’ll do my best in my own way.”
——What I should do is decided.
Honestly if I can’t tell whether it’s lie or truth, I have no choice but to believe it’s truth and charge ahead.
No matter how much I worry and hesitate, the fact that I have to train doesn’t change. I don’t have abundant resources enough to stagnate while grumbling, so I have no choice but to cut what can be cut and face forward.
——Though it’s a way of thinking that doesn’t suit me much.
I close my eyes.
What floats up in the vision that has lost light is the pure-white and azure knight — Sacred Saber.
She believed in me — me who lost to desire and fell into being a tentacle Monster Villain. That I am an ally, a comrade fighting together.
——That’s probably why.
While thinking it is beyond my station, I don’t want to do something that would disappoint her.
I’m by no means a human I can be proud of, but I want to at least cover the surface.
“…Nn.”
Ton-ton.
While remaining silent with closed eyes, my hand is tapped by Mr. Rat — no, something is gripped into it.
A thin, metallic something. I open my eyes and direct a suspicious gaze at Mr. Rat.
“A key~, you know~? If you twist it in the air~, a door opens~. It takes a little time until it opens~, so don’t use it for emergency evasion or anything~.”
“O-ou, is that so — my bad, suddenly getting immersed.”
I grip the key and lower my head.
Since I came to the shop yet didn’t buy anything and only received a service item, there’s no way I can act strongly.
“Fufufu~, I don’t mind~. In exchange—”
Kirari, Mr. Rat’s eyes shine.
I involuntarily brace myself and recall the contents of my wallet. Since becoming a Monster Villain food expenses have piled up enormously, and I don’t have much surplus…!
Please don’t end up carrying enormous debt — while strongly strongly wishing, from behind the counter a bento… no, there are about four rats below! They’re cooperating to bring the bento!
With light movements the rats leaped onto the counter, gently placed the bento in front of my eyes, then reversed. They ran back behind the counter.
“You haven’t prepared dinner yet, right~? How about a full-stomach bento with the Rat’s Variety Shop mark~?”
“Ah, damn I want to buy it normally…”
I’m drawn to the plentiful rice and thick chicken cutlet, but vegetables are also properly prepared as if considering nutritional balance.
On top of that, the price is reasonable. What’s this, isn’t buying bento here cheaper than cooking myself?
But, one thing.
Only one thing I’m concerned about.
“Mr. Rat, this that the rats brought, how is it hygienically…?”
“…Haa? Do you have some complaint about Mr. Rat’s sons?”
The elongation marks vanished—!?
Immediate apology, immediate purchase. Holding the bento I hurriedly left the Rat’s Variety Shop.