Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Foras’ Rare Book Store

Translator: ShiroiKaze/Soyokaze Translations

Nearly half-way through the chapters!

Here’s some Yuuri for your entertainment:

Once our stomachs were appeased, we started heading toward the rare book store.

Going a little way down the main road, the foot traffic suddenly decreased, almost making it feel like a different city.

“This sort of deserted feeling is nice too. It feels like we’re exploring.”

“Don’t come here on your own, okay? There’s usually slave dealers and their ilk around here.”

“Uh, yeah I won’t. Probably…”

After a short walk, Haster entered a single private house.

This is a rare book store? There isn’t even a sign out here, but…

I follow after him, and upon passing through the door, the unique smell of old books filled the air.

An enormous number of books were packed tightly in bookshelves that far exceeded my height.

“Whoaa…?!”

Though it’s often said that youth tend to lose interest in serious reading, I more or less pride myself on being at the top level of Japanese people in how much I read.

I was one of those weirdos who would mutter, “Books? Haven’t read much of those lately,” while absorbed in reading novels posted online.

With this many books in front of me, of course I had to be excited. There aren’t many means of entertainment in this world.

Tracing my finger across the spines of the books packed into the shelves, I try pulling one out.

“It’s a manuscript, huh. It’s paper, but it’s quite old?”

“That there’s an illustrated botanical manuscript from two-hundred years ago. That particular one was produced about forty years ago, I suppose.”

“Uweh?!”

The voice suddenly calling out startled me. Wh-where did that…

Looking more carefully, I could see a bald head beyond a mountain of books. Would that be the owner of this store?

“Ah, hello… Pardon the intrusion.”

“I’m supposing you’re customers? My customers lately’ve been quite polite. I’m the owner here, Foras.”

“I’m Yuuri Albine.”

This is probably the first time I’ve given this name out. Using his name with mine is sort of embarrassing.

“Albine? You related to that mischief-maker of a sage?”

“Mischief…? If you mean Haster, then yes, I suppose so.”

I have a feeling he wouldn’t believe me even if I told him that I’m Haster’s wife. Considering how I look.

“There sure is a lot here. This is an old book store?”

“It’s not officially a store, actually.”

“This is simply where I keep all o’ the books I’ve gathered by my own interests. Though I’ll sell some of ’em if I’m feelin’ like it.”

“That’s amazing…”

All these books… Instead of just having a few days, I would like to try taking my time slowly reading here.

But unfortunately, my current objective takes priority.

“I’m looking for a book containing detailed information on monster ecology.”

“That’d be in the shelves over here. Of the original texts, the newer ones’ll be on the entrance side.”

“Would it be okay to read a bit in here?”

“Long as you don’t get ’em dirty, go ahead.”

Mister Foras brought a stepladder over for me. He must have done so in consideration of my height.

Maybe he’s also telling me to use this in place of a chair?

Since there are manuscripts and similar types of books included, some of them have nothing written on their spines. I’ll have to sit down and take a close look at them.

“First… In order…”

I silently immerse myself in my examination. Thinking about it, Haster seems like he’s got nothing to do.

“You not gonna read anythin’ boy?”

“I’m here as an escort. If you have any recommendations though, then I’d like to take a look.”

“How’m I supposed to recommend somethin’ when I don’t know your interests?”

“Then how about ways to make women really sing at night—“

“Could you please stop?!”

My head springs up as I protest. I take my eyes off him for one minute, and he’s already up to no good!

Mister Foras also huffed as he dismissed Haster’s request.

“Can’t be showin’ that stuff to minors, ya perverted brat.”

“In spite of my looks… No, never mind. Well then, do you have anything on labyrinths?”

“Guess the kid is a boy. Adventures with women, labyrinths, and action stories are your preferences then?”

“Being more specific, I should say that I’ve a budding interest in traps after studying them a bit.”

Since Haster doesn’t need to go through the world tree anymore, his trap research stopped part-way through. That’s probably bothering him.

“Traps, huh… I should have the trap encyclopedia issued by the thieves’ guild somewhere ’round here.”

“Whoa, hey, why do you have something like that? Wouldn’t it be dangerous if they knew you had that?”

“Bah, they happen to know how useful my collection is to ’em. There’s a little bit o’ give and take goin’ on.”

Mister Foras smiles as he laughs, while Haster responds with an exasperated expression.

I suppose with how many there are here, it’s probably highly valuable as data alone. Anyone who understands the value of things can understand just how much this is worth.

In contrast, anyone who doesn’t understand will probably only see it as a pile of paper.

“So there are guys among the thieves who understand the value this place holds.”

“If the ones orderin’ others around are idiots, then the organization wouldn’t be lastin’ long. Fact is, a lot o’ people in underground society are likely to take the opportunity to use my books.”

I suppose fellows dyed in the Mohican world down to their brains wouldn’t be able to accumulate knowledge of the past.

Among thieves who act as adventurers, those with trap and mechanism disarmament skills are well sought after. But if that knowledge was never kept on the all-too-important thieves side, then the conversation would end there.

For the thieves guild, that’s probably the very reason why they ask people like him to gather information for them.

Providing talented individuals who are useful to adventurers. That’s probably also why they get away with having a dangerous name like “Thieves” guild.

“But I never woulda thought that mischievous Haster would have a relative like you, young lady. His daughter? A niece?”

“If I had to say, then I’m a slave to his lust I suppose?”

“Wha—hey?!”

“His slave?!”

“He treats me well every night, so it’s fine, right?”

“That shitty brat, he’s finally gone so low that he’ll lay his hands on a child…!? I’ll fucking murder him the next time he shows his face here!”

“Won’t be able to come here again…”

Mwahaha… This is payback for torturing me every night.

But I would feel bad for him if I left things like this, so let’s follow that up a bit.

“I’m just joking. I’m actually his wife.”

“Either way is basically the same. Young lady, if it ever gets hard for you, you’re welcome here at any time, alright?”

“I won’t have that. I won’t hand Yuuri over to anyone.”

“Why’s the boy… Ooh, I get it. A lot’s goin’ on here…”

He seems to be convinced of something odd.

Perhaps he’s writing a love story in his head about a depraved sage toying with the little girl he made into his wife, and their young boy servant or something?

But more importantly, there’s something he said in there that bothered me.

“That aside… Have you known him for a long time?”

“Haster? I’ve known him since he was a little brat.”

“Oh ho. Tell me more.”

“Oh no, don’t…”

“You should hear this too, boy. You can expose your employer’s embarrassin’ past in all its glory.”

Oh my… I absolutely have to hear this!

“Please, tell me all about it. I will use it to pay back all the bullying he does to me.”

“Hahha! Sounds great.”

And so, I listened to stories about Haster’s youthful misconduct until the sun went down.

The person in question was pressing down on his ears and writhing on the floor the whole time, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

~*~

Night time, while having a meal in the dining hall, Haster gave me a comparatively serious sermon.

It would seem that everyone has some type of forbidden past.

“I never thought I would be the one exposed to shame play.”

“Uuhh, I’m sorry. But it was really fun, you know?”

“And while you two were out, I had to clean up the tragic event you left here in the dining hall…”

“Mister Oreas, could it be you’re actually bad with people?”

“I get that a lot.”

After waking up late and coming here for a meal, he apparently got mixed up in the quarrel between the lady and the adventurers developing here.

Furthermore, the female adventurers were piggybacking on the lady, espousing their discontent and grumblings. That came to a head with a physical clash between them and the male adventurers who had a long history without girlfriends, turning it into a battle royal-like brawl.

Since we were part of what caused it, he had to take responsibility as our fellow traveler. It seems he was left in the awkward position of having to clean up the dining hall after that mess… Sorryz.

“Ahem, so then, Yuuri. Have you finished your investigations?”

Naturally unable to handle the accusatory gaze, Haster attempted to change the topic.

Of course, I’m getting directly on board with that. Yes, I feel bad about it too.

“I listened to old stories about you all day, so there’s no way I could have finished my search. But if you’re asking how the harvest went, then it was a good harvest.”

“Forget everything you heard. Quickly.”

He probably thinks of it as a particularly embarrassing past. But it was a very important story for me.

Unusually, I stare at him with eyes full of passion, and sincerely tell him,

“I will not do that. I can’t let there be any part of Haster that I don’t know about.”

“Wh?!”

In response to my statement, he held down his nose for some reason. His face is flushed too; maybe he has a cold?

No, I’m aware. I’ve basically just stepped on a land mine. Looks like tonight is going to be intense too.

Having a premonition of hard labor, I breathed a light sigh. Watching that scene, various parts of the dining hall spat out “Keh” noises.

“The atmosphere in the dining hall sure has turned bad, huh?”

“And whose fault to you think that is?”

“Want to go to the cafe where we had breakfast? The pie over there was really good. I want to try their other ones, like the apple pie too.”

With how good the meat pie was, the other pies they have are probably good too.

Just imagining it makes me break out in a smile. I once dreamed of conquering all the sweets in my previous life too.

My stomach is a lot smaller now, so I probably won’t be able to do that now though.

Seeing my smiling and slovenly face, Haster made a decision.

“Right, then once we’re done eating we’ll go for a light walk, and after we’ve made room in our stomachs, we’ll go and get dessert.”

“Yay!”

“Mister Haster, don’t you think you’ll be eating too much?”

“Actually, Yuuri could use some more meat on her bones.”

“I don’t get fat regardless of how much I eat, you know?”

Since “Golden Ratio” maintains my body shape.

Upon my remark, this time, “goddammit!,” could be heard in the grudging voices of the females in the room.

“On the contrary, your belly always bulges out after you eat, doesn’t it?”

“Come to think of it, it does. I guess breaking the law of preservation of matter really is difficult?”

Since my abdominal muscles are weak, looking at my bulging belly from the side shows the reality of it. It’s a bit embarrassing.

Almost like a child’s… Wait, this is a child’s body, but with the effects of “Golden Ratio,” that should be prevented for me… Oh?

Might this become some sort of breakthrough? I will firmly record this in my mental notebook.

“Hmmm, this will need some research. Maybe this will be useful for something?”

“Well anyway, right now is meal time. Oreas, could you request a drink for me? I can’t order it when I look like a child.”

“Don’t you dare.”

When you get alcohol in your system, you go into sex mode, so please abstain for today.

While he bathed us in his grudging stare, we finished our meal, and sallied forth on our night time date.

And yet, it would seem his crazy sex mode was there whether he had alcohol in his system or not. It really was his endless stamina.