Chapter 6: Beloved Daughter and Romance Flag

Chapter 6:
Beloved Daughter and Romance Flag

 

LET’S BE CLEAR. There was no damn romance flag.

Let me introduce you to the daughter of the mana tool merchant, with whom I was having a friendly chat. She was a cute girl with light chestnut-colored hair. She was single, young, and most definitely a beauty. And, of course, she was female.

Her name was Teru. A lovely name. She was currently sitting on my lap. When I asked her, “How old are you?” she shyly responded by spreading her five fingers and saying, “Five.”

Five years old… Hey. Hey, Mister. What is this? What does she mean by five?!

She was a proper lady, despite her youth. She treated me with utmost respect. But you know, most people would assume that a man who looked as old as that merchant would have a daughter no younger than twenty. What a useless guy…

Anyway, sweet Teru wasn’t like her evil merchant of a father. She was an extremely good-natured child. To tell you the truth, I was relieved. She was genuinely happy talking to and smiling at an oddball like me. What a wonderful kid. Genetics sure do work in mysterious ways.

I was certain she took after her deceased mother. Apparently, the poor woman had contracted the same illness poor Teru had endured and died a year later after months of futile treatment. After she died, the mana tool merchant had borne the debt for the sake of their young daughter. The trials and travails of single fatherhood had left him visibly aged and bald from stress.

Teru was a healthy kid now, though I didn’t doubt she’d been ill. I didn’t know the average development cycle of children in this world, but from what I’d seen around Tibar, it didn’t seem that different from the one I was familiar with. There was an abundant supply of food, which I’m sure helped. Despite this, Teru was quite small. When I first saw her, I thought she was younger than a kindergartener. I could probably chalk that up to all the days she’d spent confined to her bed.

When I thought of how her deceased mother must have felt, knowing she was leaving her frail little daughter with such an absolutely unreliable and stupid merchant…

“Jeez, I’m gonna cry…” I muttered.

From my seat on the sofa, I absentmindedly gazed out the window to my left. The golden light of the setting sun filtered through the characteristically cloudy glass-paned windows unique to this world. At present, I was in the mana tool merchant’s home. It was located deep in a secluded neighborhood several alleys away from the main street where the punks had caused an uproar. The merchant had invited me to his home to stay for a while.

This proposal was actually a godsend. Although I had enough money to stay at an inn, I still didn’t know my left from my right in this world, including how to properly budget. In any case, I had no reason to refuse, since my accommodations would be free.

The man’s home was rather large. It was a two-story building, relatively rare for this town. Between this show of prior wealth and how well-known his current straits seemed to be, I wasn’t surprised he’d become a target for nefarious folks.

“And then, Mr. Nemaki, I, um…” Teru said.

For some time now, she had been sitting on my lap and energetically swinging her small legs as she overflowed with little-girl talk. At first she had been shy with me, but by now she had opened her heart. What a beautifully honest child. I kept thinking about how I just couldn’t see her as the child of that evil man.

“So, then, when I get bigger, I’m gonna be a camchi seller. And then, um, yeah…” she continued.

“Heh, a camchi merchant, huh? Wonderful. I’m sure you’ll be a great one.” Of course, I had no idea what a “camchi” could possibly be. However, if it meant she wouldn’t be inheriting her father’s dishonest shop, it was indubitably a worthy goal. Good luck, Teru. I sincerely support your dream.

Teru’s big round eyes sparkled, and she continued with a bashful tone, “And so, I’m gonna, um…”

She fidgeted as she rocked her feet. Unlike adults, it takes more effort for a child to summon the words they want to say. Then Teru raised her sweet, smiling face and said, “I’m gonna be Mr. Nemaki’s bride!”

“Oh, I’d be honored,” I said, surprised.

She was quite a passionate lady, and she had my thanks. Those pure, kind words had come from her heart. But I already knew that in two dozen years or so, she would happily leave the nest with some other fortunate man.

“Really. It’s an honor,” I said. Full of paternal heartbreak, I gently brushed Teru’s fluffy hair. Her eyes closed as she giggled in embarrassment.

At that moment, I felt a wave of terrible unease coming from somewhere on my right. When I turned to look, Gol, who had been sitting next to me, was slowly reaching toward the child. For some reason, her white fingers trembled violently.

“Hm…? What are you doing, Gol?”

How strange. She was the only thing I could see. So what exactly was emitting that volatile bloodlust? I definitely felt it. I was nearly convinced some invisible mana beast had appeared next to me. Although, from a rational perspective, there was no way a mana beast could be inside the house.

It seemed that after the long series of fights I had endured since coming to this world, I had become hypervigilant. That ominous presence was likely my imagination. I mean, my Gol would never do anything terrible to sweet little Teru. In fact, Gol usually treated me like an infant, so to me, she gave off an incredibly maternal impression. She probably loved small children.

I see. She’s reaching out to stroke Teru’s head. Gol really does like kids.

“Yeah, I think Gol will make a good mother,” I said. Well, I didn’t know if golems could give birth.

Nevertheless, after I spoke, Gol’s violently trembling hand suddenly halted. Then she stroked Teru’s forehead.

Ah, what an absolutely beautiful sight. Bathed in the warm light of sunset coming through the window, an immaculate statue caressed an innocent child. The solemnity of this scene exceeded that of the image of the Holy Mother depicted by Raphael.

But something about it still bothered me. “Hey, Gol. Don’t you think you’re going at it a little rough?”

Whenever Gol touched me, it was with the gentle care required to handle delicate glasswork or a treasured possession. Right now, though…

Well, Teru seemed delighted by the bit of roughhousing, so I guessed it was fine.

Then I noticed another uneasy presence. The source of this one was sitting on the sofa across the table from us. It was the mana tool merchant.

“So, you got something you want to say to me?” I asked.

Right after Teru had childishly proposed to me, the veins on the man’s wide forehead began to twitch. At this rate, he’d succumb to an early death from high blood pressure.

I decided to provoke my hated archenemy, the merchant, in the name of shortening his lifespan. “Just as I thought. Your daughter is nothing like her incompetent father—she is an excellent judge of character. Wise beyond her years.”

Blood rushed up the man’s head, turning his scalp pink. “Don’t get the wrong idea, you hear me? I’m grateful for what you did for me this afternoon. But listen here, this is a completely different matter. I won’t give you my Teru.”

“Hmph, how foolish. Who she marries is a question only she can answer.”

Ha ha, what a fool of a father! He was beyond help if he was getting worked up over the sugary clichés of girlhood.

No matter how you dote on her, Teru will one day leave you for some stranger from who knows where! Serves you right.

Of course, I would primarily be happy on account of her happiness.

And, I suppose, on the day before her wedding, I would listen to whatever rambling sorrows the merchant had left. I would expect him to treat me to an open bar’s worth of alcohol in the meantime. Ridiculing his bitter face would make for a magnificent accompaniment to my drink.

 

***

 

A pile of unfinished documents and an inkwell lay on top of the desk adjacent to the living room. The mana tool merchant and I had left the sofa to sit there.

“I truly appreciate your help before,” he said. “Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Chotos. As you know, I’m the proprietor of the mana tool shop here in Tibar.”

“Then I’ll also reintroduce myself as well. I’m Nemaki Dasai. The one who’s holding your daughter over there is my partner, Gol. Her real name is Goltarou.”

The man named Chotos twitched at my statement. “I see. The Barbarian Queen Goretaru… I know they say nature follows name, but I guess choosing to name her for the resplendent goddess of slaughter and jealousy wasn’t just for show.”

Mister, you, too?! Who keeps making you people say that fake name?! Her name isn’t Goretaru; it’s Goltarou! I was proud to be the one who had named her, and I wouldn’t yield to these false monikers. My heart had broken when I first faced this trouble with Master Speria, but this time, I would make the people of the world acknowledge my fantastic naming sense. I’d start with Mr. Chotos. He would be the first step in my plan to conquer the world with my incomparable flair for names.

I made sure to emphasize the proper pronunciation of each syllable as I spoke. “My Gol-ta-rou is strong, after all. Those punks were no match for her.”

“You call them punks, but…everyone in Tibar knew of their leader—that behemoth, Dazu the Swordbreaker. He’s an outlaw without equal. Well, I suppose he and his gang were nothing more than punks against that Goretaru of yours.”

This guy keeps calling her Goretaru. What a stubborn fellow.

“Hmph, even if there were a thousand men like him, Goltarou would knock them out simultaneously. After all, my Gollll-ta-roooou is the strongest being in the world,” I said.

“You’ve got quite the confidence in your Goretaru’s abilities.”

Argh! Like I said, it’s not Goretaru! Say it with me, my guy! Gol. Ta. Rou! Why can’t you understand something so mind-numbingly simplistic?

But I wouldn’t give up. Not yet.

 

Ten minutes passed in much the same way.

“I…surrender. Goretaru it is… Mister, you call her whatever you like…”

“Huh? What are you going on about?”

All my efforts were in vain. In the end, I couldn’t get Mr. Chotos to correctly refer to her as “Goltarou.” My heart had once again been broken.

Mr. Chotos was confused by my exhaustion, but he cleared his throat, fixed his posture, and looked me in the eye. “Nemaki, I formally apologize for appraising your Earth Ogre sorcery cores at such an unfairly low price. I’m truly sorry. For all you have done…if you wish to buy back your sorcery cores at the price I initially stated, I freely offer you the chance.”

Mr. Chotos wore an earnest expression as he placed the leather bag of sorcery cores on the desk between us. I had made sure to recover it before we left. Nonetheless, I had sold the contents of this bag, so presently, they were this man’s rightful belongings.

“I see. Buying them back at the same price…”

“I’m sorry… With my business in such a state, it’s the best I can do.” Mr. Chotos bit his lip and cast his eyes downward.

I folded my arms and thought it over. This proposal meant I would buy back the sorcery cores with the very money Mr. Chotos had initially given me for them. In short, we would each return to our starting states.

Although I was unfamiliar with business as usual in this world, this at least seemed to be a valid compromise. What was more, I highly doubted Mr. Chotos, who was up to his neck in debt, could financially compensate me in any other way.

“Okay. I have no objections. I’ll let this matter slide.” I nodded.

Luckily, I hadn’t spent any of the money, as Pizzaman had paid for my lunch. Therefore, the proceeds from the initial sale were as yet untouched. If I returned the money to the man in front of me, the case would be settled.

The generosity of my classmate, Pizzaman, had saved me a great deal of trouble. Thanks, Pizzaman. I’ll definitely have to treat you the next time we meet.

“This is the payment I received this morning. Please confirm the amount.” I placed the relevant coins on the table.

In exchange, Mr. Chotos picked up the leather bag of sorcery cores and held it out to me. I firmly accepted it.

With this, the case was closed. I moved to put the leather bag into my larger shoulder bag. But for some reason, Mr. Chotos refused to let go.

“Hey. You done?” I asked.

“A-ah, s-sorry. I wasn’t aware.”

“There’s no way you weren’t aware!” I snatched the leather bag away. Jeez, what a greedy jerk. I was getting really tired of this guy.

As I was putting the leather bag away, I stopped. Something was off.

“Hey, mister. You know, for some reason, it feels like this bag is lighter than I remember.”

Cold sweat appeared on Mr. Chotos’s forehead. On closer inspection, he was gripping a black sorcery core under the desk.

Hey, don’t think you can fool me, you damn barcode!

I grappled for the sorcery core in his hand.

He resisted as he cried, “For the future! Please, Nemaki, please! Just this one!”

Though I mercilessly recovered my stolen goods, I also sighed and rested my elbow on the desk. After all, I knew the reason for this man’s repulsive actions. The debt collector punks had withdrawn, but his debt hadn’t disappeared with them. Their leader, the big fellow, had said they were hired by some company to collect on the debt. I believed he said the “Paisley Company.” “Paisley” sounded like some kind of Western clothing brand… Well, I didn’t really care.

Mr. Chotos had most likely borrowed from this Paisley Company. In other words, as long as the debt to the actual company went unpaid, another group of debt collectors would eventually turn up. That was why he was being so persistent with my sorcery cores. His problems had yet to be resolved. My accidental intervention had only delayed the inevitable.

That wasn’t to say I didn’t have an opinion about a company that would utilize such a criminally inclined and violent group to collect money from a petty merchant who had lost his wife to disease and had to care for his sickly daughter. But borrowing money in and of itself fell within the realm of reasonable economics. The unfortunate long-haired punk whose bones Gol had broken had been right when he said that returning borrowed money was basic etiquette. I agreed that the premise was sound. In the end, if Mr. Chotos suffered in debt to a company, that was his own fault.

Well, then again, he had been desperate to buy medicine for his dying wife and daughter…

N-no! I wouldn’t be tricked a second time. I was sure there was nothing pitiable about this greedy and shortsighted barcode man.

I once again let out a deep sigh. My gaze fell to the leather bag in my hand, and I peered through the opening at a portion of the black crystals glittering inside.

I had picked up these stones on the roadside to make some easy money. Picking them up had been simple impulse, and obtaining them hadn’t required much work. To think these boring stones could make such a difference in the furious battle between life and death… I began to feel somewhat indecisive.

“There’s something I would like to consult with you about. Exactly how many of these sorcery cores would you need to completely pay off your debt?” I asked.

“Four…no, three would be enough,” he replied.

Was that really all he needed? It was a surprisingly low number. Although I hadn’t counted the original total number of sorcery cores, I believed it was around thirty. I had been under the impression he would need to sell off the entire bag to repay what he owed.

I see. So just three would be fine.

“Hm? Three…?” My shoulder twitched. “The necessary number is three, right? Hey, wait a second, you barcode.”

“Bahcode? What’s that?”

“It’s, um, a word for the few remaining hairs on your head, duh.”

“What did you say? I ain’t bald!”

“Huh? Are you kidding? If your head were a battlefield, commanders on either side could see their troops advancing clear to the other end.”

“Retract that! My hair’s luxurious!”

“Ugh, I can’t believe you make me look at you! As if that weird hairstyle could cover it up! In the first place, if you’re a man, your hair thins as you age, and it makes you look dignified! Refined! Have some confidence in your years and live proudly—wait, no!”

Stop that, self! I’d been riled and unintentionally strayed off-topic.

I slammed both my hands on the desk. “If you’re telling me the truth, three sorcery cores would’ve been enough to end your troubles, but you bargained down the price to squeeze them all out of me? Hey!”

“Ah…”

“You lying liar who lies! You hopeless barcode!” I grabbed the man’s collar and shook him roughly.

“Wh-whoa, I-I’m sorry! I’m truly sorry about that! I really didn’t think an idiot who would fall for such outlandish lies and sell all their sorcery cores for dirt cheap could even exist!” The hair on the crying middle-aged man’s head became disheveled, once again transforming him into a fallen samurai.

Argh! Are you apologizing or dissing me? Pick one!

“Jeez…” I let go of the man’s lapels and sighed for a third time. I took out several sorcery cores from within the leather bag and dropped them on the desk. After pondering for a bit, I added another. “That makes four… Okay.”

I stared at the four black sorcery cores lined up on the desk. After gathering them in a pile, I pushed them toward the man.

“You can have these.”

“Wha…? D-do you mean it?”

“Yes. But don’t misunderstand me. This isn’t a donation. One of these sorcery cores is for the cost of repairing the shop. When my Gol kicked out the debt collectors, she made a huge mess and destroyed the wall.” With an extremely serious and stern expression, I tapped my finger on the desk. “The other three are an investment. Use them to pay back your debt and reorganize your financial management. I’ll have you return the money with plenty of interest.”

Of course, I was lying. This was just to make sure he didn’t feel spoiled. I had absolutely no intention whatsoever of staying in this town long enough to see the distant future when his shop, currently on the verge of bankruptcy, sprang back to life enough to actually repay me.

Mr. Chotos’s eyes kept darting between my face and the four sorcery cores on the desk. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to speak, but for a moment it just sounded like something was stuck in his throat.

“I-I’m sorry.” When he accepted the sorcery cores, his hands trembled like an alcoholic patient’s. His dirty face crinkled as he sobbed with a runny nose. “Ugh, waah. Zorry. I’m r-really zowwy… D-danks. Denk you, Nemegii… I’m zowwy for twicking youu…”

“Ew. Hey, that’s disgusting. Stop crying. If you don’t, I’ll take them back.”

“Waa, I dun’t dink I can stup muhselff…”

“What does that even mean…?”

Please, I’m begging you, get a hold of yourself. The future of your small five-year-old daughter depends on you keeping it together.

Yeah, that’s right, see, if this man’s debt were left standing, a miserable future awaited his daughter, Teru. This was a world where vicious punks had no problem throwing their weight around. If the debt remained, the debt collectors would no doubt sell Teru off to some shady store when she came of age. If that happened, I would have no choice but to take responsibility and make her my wife to save her. I didn’t want to see that girl’s tears, and I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing her live such a sad life.

Yeah. Nudging Mr. Chotos along the path to repaying his debt was all for the sake of the future of adorable Teru, who I would henceforth treat like my own little sister. This man’s future was just adjacent. He was inconsequential.

I simply couldn’t abandon a disheartened, middle-aged single father taking care of his child. The kid was the important part, so I—don’t want you to misunderstand. It was the kid! I didn’t feel bad or anything! D-don’t be stupid!

“W-waah…” Mr. Chotos was face down on the table, still crying.

I didn’t know how many times I’d sighed at this pitiful father sobbing while holding the sorcery cores in his hand, but I shrugged in exasperation. Then, for no real reason, I turned to look at his daughter, his most treasured possession.

Since poor old baldy and the golem moocher were having the ugly conversation of miserable men, which could only have a tremendously detrimental effect on a child’s development, I’d made Gol keep Teru occupied on the sofa in the living room.

From here, they almost looked like sisters. Teru was fair-skinned all around, and it went without saying that Gol was pure white.

Speaking of, Gol had been staring at me for a while now, while roughly rubbing Teru’s head. Was she trying to get my attention? Well, Teru was still squealing in excitement, so there probably wasn’t anything to worry about there.