Chapter 2: I am master manipulation.

“Welcome~ oh, Kail. You again… what do you want from me this time? “

Currently I am at one of the most popular inn in the town. An uncle greet warmly standing behind the counter at first when the bell rings but when he saw me entering, he changes his tone.

“Sound not happy, eh uncle? I want to sell you something this time.”

“Huh? You… Selling things? What is it? Let me see.”

“Eager aren’t you, uncle? Here, I have 10 piece of rabbit meat, 12 piece pigeon meat and 21 adult deer meat. All have been butch perfectly, around 1 ground [100 grams] each meat, and 12 river fish here. How much do you offer?”

“Hmm~ that is nice but for now. I will take all the pigeon meat, and 10 piece deer meat and for the rabbit meat. Give me all the rabbit meat for free and your debt from before is done. And I’ll pay 5 quartos, 3 copper and 7 black coins for all other meat. I don’t need any fish here.”

Which mean 16 200yen? Though it is not bad, I still feel it not quite the price. About the debt, I loan around 1 silver coin from him to buy Eline cold medicine. So, I just accept the offer for now, since I don’t know the real price. The deer meat should be quite high price but… that will leave aside for now.

“Alright, deal. Thanks, uncle. Here the meat.”

“Sure, here the money. Are you going to be here again tomorrow?”

“hm? Yeah. You will be expecting me to sell the meat for 3 days straight. See ya then, uncle.”

“Kail!”

“hmm?”

“Good job.”

“heh, thanks again.”

Alright, I need to sell the fish first before going to the traders. Where should I go… ah! When I was remembering things, I head to the next inn. The inn owner is an aunt, like wise she greet warmly at first then changes her tone.

“Welcome~… ! You, Kail. Planning on stealing again?”

“Eh~~ don’t be so mean, I only does that ‘once’ at your inn, pretty lady~ Put those thing aside, I’m sorry for stealing but today’s matter is different.”

“Hmph, alright. Tell me.”

“Your inn famous for fish dishes right? I have 12 fish here in my basket, plan on selling it to you. There are silver strout fish, catfish and ground poard fish [a type of river fish]. How much do you offer?”

“oh? Oh? There is even the rare poard? Let me have it. I will buy all other than poard for 4 copper and the poard I will buy all for 2 quartos. Deal or not.”

“The other fish is acceptable, but the poard make it for 3 quartos or there is no deal. There is 2 poard here, aunty. Make it all 3 quartos and 4 copper. [11,500 y]”

“2 quartos and 5 copper. [10,000 y]”

“2 quartos, 5 copper and 5 black coins[10, 500 y]”

“grr… alright, deal.”

“Thanks. Heh.”

“(why are you so stubborn for that 5 black coin…)”

“hmm, did you say something aunty?”

“Nothing. If you done your business here please exit from my inn, my customer has been staring at us for a while now.”

“Alright, thanks for the money.”

Just by selling the meat and fish I gain around 26, 700 yen. I expect the other things to be sold and reach around 1 gold coin, which is 100,000 yen. Horn can be selling around 3 to 5 silver and the animal skin can be sell around 3 copper to 3 silver coins according to the size and quality. Here I have 1 pair of horn and expect to sell for 3 silver coins [30,000 y] at least, then the deer skin can be sell for 1 silver and 6 copper at the least for its perfect condition and size. The other thing that can be selling is none right now but I can sell them tomorrow after finish crafting at night.

………

……

…

The trader is stubborn; they only buy the horn for 2 silver, 8 copper and 5 black coins, did the price drops somehow? Then the skin was sold at proper price as I show my stubbornness, 2 silver coins, for the deer skin. Calculate all the money that I gain today is 4 silver, 7 quartos, 16 copper 17 black coins [75, 200 y]. Doesn’t quite reach the expectation, but all is well and good. I can buy a lot of things if I am good enough at price manipulation but book is still out of expectation.

First, I need to go to pharmacy and buy Eline medicine and neat cloth for both of them. Then bring them to sleep in the inn. Slum is full of dirty air, so even if I buy medicine and neat cloth for them, they will still get the virus as their breath is weak. Then I need to buy needle and few crafting tools. Food can be settled by the inn meals.

I think the price for common room by the inn, 3 copper coins for one night? If included the meal for the 3 of us is around 5 copper. 5000 yen is wasted there.

Then to buy Eline medicine, cold medicine cost around 2 copper as it has 10 pills and last till 1 month if I calculate Eline frequent fever, then the magic ice or magic hot pack which last forever until used cost around 5 black coins each and I need to buy 5 of them each.

So 10 pack x 5 black coin, 50 black coins [5000 y]. Another 7000 yen lost.

How much do I have left?

Later, later… before all of this to happen, I need to buy us three 2 set of new cloth, 1 child cloth set is 1 silver each, so 2 times by 2 is, 4. 4 silver coins are needed to buy their cloth and adult cloth set needed at the very least silver and 2 quartos…

I will be buy only one set for me for now.

How much totals? 5 silver 2 quartos for cloth[55,000 y], 5 copper to the inn [5000], Eline medicine… 2 copper and 50 black coin [7,000], totals 67,000 yen and leave me the rest for 8, 200 yen. I should rent the room for 2 days straight… which left me 3,200 yen. Buying the crafting tools left me with no money at all… damn. Curse you the dropped price for the horn!

I should not be this picky about money back in my previous world… how did I change so much? While thinking all that, I reach the slum where the kids waiting.

“I’m back, Reno, Eline…”

I saw Eline lying on the ragged mat sickly while Reno standing abruptly with an almost exploded red face and teary eyes.

“*cough**cough* … Kail-nii…”

“Brother Kail! Why are you so late today?? I thought something happen to you… -sobs-”

Ah, he is worried… So kind-hearted brat.

“Haha, I am super strong, so who would dare to hurt me? You worry-wart brat…”

“Hmph! Fine, if anything happen to you don’t blame me for not care.”

“Don’t be angry~ I want to buy you both new clothes, do you want or do you not want?”

“Huhh!? Cloth! Really brother? W-what do you mean buy? Not steal???”

Reno jump from where he sat and stares something like ‘Don’t Lie!’ to me.

“Don’t look down on me~ we going to start new life starting today~ you going to stay in Inn for 3 days, eat the meals there until I finish preps for our next journey.”

“… Brother, are you dreaming…? ”

He tilts his head a bit and waves his hand front of my face.

“Silly boy doesn’t trust this brother of yours. Ta-daa~ ”

I show the money inside the money pouch that the Inn uncle gave me. Reno rushes and grip the money bag and turn his face toward my direction with wide open eyes and mouth open wanting to say something but couldn’t voice it out.

“!!!!”

“Trust me now? Should we go?”

Reno nods furiously, showing ecstatic expression on his face, he jump happily while Eline just look glad. Already expect them to be like that. Us the slum kid, to buy something is just a pipe dream. But I am today going to realize the kids dream. I expected Eline to jump too but seem like she not really that well enough to show that reaction. When I was at joy seeing their reaction and walk out to the main street. Suddenly two men with tough build stop us from going outside of the dark street.

“Hey kid, you got money now don’t you? Pay us. You have been living at our street for many years now, but you haven’t paid any.”

These thugs are searching for a fight so how could I say no to their invitation of brawl. “Huh? Whose street? Yours…? You must be dreaming. Heh, playing thugs while I don’t see anything that can make me scared~ uuh~ kuhahahaha” Irritated to my word, they point a small sharp thing to our direction. They only bring small knife with them. Hmph, I use my own bare hand to kill something even furious then they are which is the wild big cat and they trying to threat me using that knife?

At my back are 5 wooden spears left from the hunting. The back of my spear is enough I guess? Damn~ my urge to fight is back because of this two… heh… heheh… huhhahaha… [Just inner laugh]

“Kuh. You damn mothe—f..!urgk… ” One of the thugs, a bald with pierced ring at his right earlobe falls down as he was hit to the stomach by the back of my spear. Before he could rush toward my direction, I attack him first.

“What did you do?! Damn it, Kurhaz! Fall back, lets go!” the blond Mohawk panic unknowing what happen and trying to escape.

“u-uh~ I’m not finish yet~ you have waste my time here let me at least severe that head of yours. Kids close your eyes.”

“Yes Kail-nii sama.”

Everything when fast even though I am supposed to be slow when I didn’t plan, man~ these guy are just too weak. I didn’t kill them, I only hit them with the back of spear few times and use bit of magic which I could call Earth Clud. I imagine the earth to rise rapidly about 50cm under the men bodies and imagine it to go back to the ground and rise again makes it as if someone punching furiously to the men bodies. At the very least now, they will not dare to disturb me again.

I order the kid to forget about today scene as I don’t want they to have nightmare about it, but Reno unknown for some reason has being staring at me for awhile now. Since Eline is too weak to walk, I carry her at my back and the spear is given to Reno. He holds the spear so tight that I kind of wanted him to stop that but did not say it though. Hah~ it is a first time to have someone that know me, watch me fighting. Though previous Kail is much gruesome in fighting, and the kids always with him watching how it end and goes. I am shy to have people watching me fighting.

I can be cruel, but not when people watching me. My self at previous world, if I fight thug, I fight them and not kill or torture. But if it was yakuza or some drunken adult trying to bother me, I did not kill them [but I wanted to] and just torture them to shame till they wish they want to die. I didn’t kill because of laws. But now no laws to stop me from killing, I can fight at my fullness if those close with me are not at my presences.

…

Before going to a cloth shop, I order the kids to wash themselves by the well. Then we go to a boutique. Like planned, I buy the kids 2 full sets of cloth and mine is only one full sets. Full sets as in underwear set, innerwear set, and outerwear set. Underwear is like panty and sock, innerwear is t-shirt and pant for boy and dress for girl, Outerwear is basically vest, jacket, hat can be count as that too. Of course, shoes are different, which is why I need to show my money manipulation ability because I am going to run out of budget!

“All for 4 silver and 9 copper coins [49,000 y] or I will not buy.”

“That reap me off, sire… make it 5 silver and 5 copper”

“… You are not going to make it any lower are you?”

“Please understand, sire… I am making a business not a charity…”

“Alright deal. All for 5 silver and 5 copper coins. [55,000] Show me where the changing room is.”

“Thank you very much sire, please follow me this way.”

YES! Within budget! All hail me! I am amazing at money manipulation, kuahahhaha… The reason is, I used to buy cloth for my sister and sometimes she went over budget, there I always learn to manipulate the shop keeper.

And so, I buy 2 pair of underwears, a black long sleeves v-shaped neck cloth and white slack pant as innerwear, black borsalino hat as the outer wear because I don’t need any vest or whatever. I look like an American-asian model now but with black sandal as shoes. Eline buy 3 pairs of underwears, the one she is wearing right now is sky blue colored hourglass-dress with lot of lace underneath and a light yellow wool scarf by her neck. The other innerwear is for night wear, which are normal pajamas, cheap item which make me feel bad and so I buy her long sleeves white t-shirt and short black pant as casual. Then, her shoe is pinky short heels and she wear stripe black and white sock.

Meanwhile, Reno is wearing black no sleeve full neck collar wool shirt and brown knee-length pant as innerwear, his outerwear is red tailed-coat with white fur around the neck collar, and his rear is a sword belt. His other cloth set is just another black no sleeve necked wool shirt with white long pant similar to mine. His shoe is black sandal like mine. His coat is expensive but I buy it for him anyway, because he never disobeys my rule.

About this rule of previous’ me’ is… [1] Only one can move away to do something like duty or hunt or anything while another person will guard Eline just in case she sick or something happen. [2] No stealing unless I didn’t go hunting. [3] No begging unless emergency. [4] Don’t listen to other people talking. [5] Don’t go to the black side of the slum.

That’s the only way to let us live for long time in the slum. Ah, enough about those unimportant thing. We are no longer living at the slum so any use to think those. Cloth is secured. Then, we leave the boutique. Now the inn, while I was thinking whether to go to Uncle Barbatos Inn [the one that buy the meat] or Aunt Lena Inn [the one that buy the fish], I notice the surrounding become rowdy and focusing at our direction while gossiping with each other. Eline in my arm suddenly cower and hold tight to my body, Reno beside me while holding to our new clothes also put up on guard. Suddenly two young lady heads toward our direction.

“Um… Ex-Excuse me, may you tell us your name, sire?”

“??”

Unexpected question was asked to us. S-Sire?? I am not… ah… could it be our style? Hah… What should I do~ let smile first.

“My lady, I am not a sire for I am only a humble person. Live with no surname. Perhaps it’s your name that I would like to learn~”

When I say those gentleman-like sentences that I learn from a shoujo manga lent by my kouhai as a references, the girls and surrounding went Kyaa kyaa… hee…

“*Cough**Cough*… Nii-sama…”

“hm? Ah, Eline. I’m sorry to stop here, should we go to Uncle Barbatos Inn?”

“mmm…”

Ah so cute~ Eline nod lightly in agreement of what I said just now. Now, I need to clear the path… these ladies… haa…

“Pardon my rudeness, beautiful lady. ‘Could you let us pass?

My little flower in my arm need to rest as soon as possible?’

If only I have the power to stop the time, I will love it to know more about you.”

With a long verse, that I memorize from the ‘My Princess’ the otome game [a references for manga.] Another kyaa kyaa scene… So easy…

And so we arrive to the inn. The uncle was shocked to see our appearance and that I want to rent a room plus 2 nights straight with meals. I didn’t say anything but thanks him in advanced for his meals. Then I dropped Eline onto the bed and ask Reno to guard her while I went to pharmacy and other stores, saying I’ll be back before dawn. I also add by saying they should went to the lower inn to eat meals by they own.

Though I didn’t eat from morning till now, I didn’t feel that much of hunger as Kail usually fasted back when he was a child and was too weak to hunt and steal. It become habit to not eat, sleep less and even when you sleep you still can hear the smallest sound and put up guard as a child of the slum. I pity him, but I am now him… haha [awkward laugh].

When I head to pharmacy, I saw a Magic shop next to it. I went there first to survey things, and I found something I really need.’ The Dark forest about’, it is a book about the dark forest which usually bought by adventurer. I decide to name it Dark Forest Encyclopedia, the price is 1 gold. W-what?? Huk… 1 day worth of hunting… damn it… but since the book is not something that rare, which is really common to be sold around here, I decide that it was okay to not rush it.

When I thought of exiting the shop, I found something unusual and extremely cheap. “The tale of Black Eyes” cost only 2 black coins. Then I buy it, and went to pharmacy to buy Eline set of medicine. Left me with only 3 copper coins [3,000 y], I went to the next stores. A crafting tool shop, there I buy set of needle 5 black coins, sharpening stone 1 copper coin, 3 grounds (300 gram) pack of glue 3 black coins, a roll [1m] of fishing steel wire 1 copper coin and 2 grounds (200 gram) pack of cotton 2 black coins, leaving me no money at all.

When I exit the craft shop, the sky already turns red and mysterious orange. I walk back to the Inn and found the two kids waiting for their meals at the round wooden table number 2.They saw me and smile brightly… Reno is grinning though. I was thinking ‘ah… they eat well’ then I return the smile and went to the room upstairs without sitting to eat meal with them. I sit on the floor and organize the thing bought with the money I made and the item that was in the basket needed to be craft.

The kids’ cloth is secured, mine is fine but I probably need a spare just in case and that will take to tomorrow plans. Eline medicine is secured, this will last one month and once me able to have the encyclopedias, and I can make my own medicine even though it might not be possible. I will have some plan till then. Crafting tools also secured and will be just enough for the other 2 days hunt item.

About that, I only need glue, cotton, needle and thread to craft things into accessory; the steel wire is something for future use. In my mind I plan on using it to ‘Kill’ and the sharpening stone is an unlimited item in my opinion which will be used to sharpen my knife. About this knife of mine, I only use it to butch meat, craft item that is all. I never use it to kill since it wasn’t mine to begin with. But, the crafted item like the wooden spear can be used to kills. Next to the craft tools is a book.