Volume 6, Chapter 32 – The Lively Girls

The afternoon sun of a winter’s day cast its rays into the room from the window. Although it didn’t carry much warmth, paired with the melting snow outside and the high, clear blue sky, it made one feel a sense of lightness. Coupled with the dust motes swimming in the sunlight and the clamor from afar, if there were a soft chair, it would be a fine day for reading.

At this moment, as if the field of vision were covered by a transparent curtain, ripples appeared in the empty room.

[Advanced Teleportation]

A girl with silver pigtails, wearing a blue magic robe, appeared in the room.

This was the second day after Evelyn was attacked. Evelyn had fainted due to being overly tense and exhausted. After Yisi explained what had happened to the paladins, and with the testimony of passersby, she was allowed to leave and returned to the inn with Mary.

And in order to give the finished long boots to Andrea, Yisi had just made a trip to the Blood Clan’s territory using teleportation magic. Now, she was taking the opportunity to check on Margaret.

This was Yisi’s room on the second floor of the Margaret tavern, and it was also a place that Fran had instructed no one to enter under normal circumstances. Because Yisi could appear at any time using teleportation magic, Fran had given such an order to prevent outsiders from seeing. Of course, Fran didn’t know that Yisi had teleportation magic. In Fran’s perception, Yisi appeared on the second floor silently, through some unknown method.

She took a deep breath of the scent that belonged to the Margaret tavern—even during the day, the aroma of wine wafted through the air. This was the scent that Shinku and the others gave off when they were making distilled liquor.

“It feels like I’ve come home.”

Although she wanted to just lie down on the clean, large bed nearby and roll around for a bit, that would cause trouble for Shinku and the others who cleaned the room. Yisi dismissed the thought. It was better to wait until night to sleep.

“Speaking of which, has this place changed a bit…”

As if it had been completely renovated, the ceiling, which originally had some black spots, was brand new. If one looked closely, they could also find that the candlestick on the table had been replaced with a magic lamp. The room was also much larger than before, and there was even a balcony extending out. If it weren’t for the fact that the layout of the room was largely the same as when she had last left, Yisi would have even suspected that she had teleported to the wrong place.

Subconsciously, Yisi walked out onto the new balcony. The side of her room did not face the street, but the backyard. Now she could clearly see the changes in the backyard.

“It’s been expanded, and a new roof has been built.”

The open-air backyard was covered with tiles, making it impossible for outsiders to climb over the wall anymore.

It wasn’t just the backyard that had changed. Even the dirty backstreet, which had been full of vagrants and slaves, had become clean. One could see several new shops had opened nearby. Although they were still under construction, judging from their scale and the building materials used—a type of stone called Inksteel, which Yisi had only seen in the most vulnerable parts of the city walls, was piled up by the street—these shops were definitely not to be underestimated.

“There’s a royal insignia carved on it…”

Recalling the report Fran had presented to her last time, Yisi finally remembered the purpose of these shops—warehouses.

As the two types of liquor, Fran Nyan and Shinku Nyan, spread throughout the kingdom, the king of the Hels Kingdom also tasted this liquor at a banquet held by a duke. In addition to being clearer than traditional fermented liquor, with no sediment, its transparent, colorless purity and irreplaceable strength quickly captured the taste buds of the entire royal family, starting with the king. From then on, Shinku Nyan and Fran Nyan were also elevated to the status of tribute. Although Margaret had to provide a portion of its liquor to the royal family as tribute every year from then on, it also received the protection of the royal family in return. These warehouses were funded by the royal family for the purpose of storing the tribute.

And due to its elevated status, Margaret liquor finally joined the ranks of luxury goods. Now, merchants came to Fran to buy Margaret every day in an endless stream. According to Fran’s most recent report, even the nobles of the Norta Empire, far to the south, had begun to follow this trend. A cup of freshly brewed Margaret, still with a puckering taste, could sell for 3 silver coins.

“This is completely beyond my expectations.”

Yisi couldn’t help but worry about her trip. Margaret had already grown so large, yet she was about to bring the not-so-presentable long boots to Fran. Would Fran think she had no taste?

“…Probably not, right? After all, there’s a difference between luxury and commoner-grade long boots. Besides, even Camilla and Pepe said these long boots were good.”

Shaking her head and driving the miscellaneous thoughts from her mind, Yisi pushed open the door and headed up the completely renovated staircase to the third floor, where Fran did her bookkeeping.

The corridor and stairs had become much wider, and many carved patterns had been added to the handrails. There were even maids and guards, as if she had arrived at the mansion of some noble. Since she hadn’t given any prior notice, in order to not disturb the others, Yisi cast [Concealment] magic on herself and walked to the third floor right under the guards’ noses.

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Then, she used [Blink] to flash into the room where Fran was.

Unlike the sallow-faced, malnourished, and thin appearance she had when they first met, the current Fran had the image of a noble lady. She wore a teal-colored velvet blouse with a mink shoulder cape. Her flaxen hair, reflecting the sunlight, was coiled on top of her head. Her skin was soft and fair. Although she was a young woman who had just turned 20, she already had the charm of a mature woman. The way she was writing at her desk had a very noble feel.

Suddenly realizing that she hadn’t knocked, Yisi felt a little embarrassed and could only cover her mouth with her fist and cough lightly twice.

“Ahem.”

“Hmm?”

Fran subconsciously looked up. After seeing Yisi, she was stunned for a moment, then quickly put down her pen and stood up in excitement.

“Miss Yisi!”

“Shh—a little quieter. I snuck in.”

“Those guards outside are my employees. You are the master of Margaret. If they dare to be disrespectful to you, I will fire them immediately.”

No, no, they don’t even know me, right?

It’s a good thing I chose to sneak in. Otherwise, if Fran knew that I was stopped at the tavern door by the guards, those guards would surely be in for it.

Yisi decisively changed the subject.

“Speaking of which, I saw at least ten guards on my way up. Is the tavern in some kind of trouble?”

If they weren’t in some kind of trouble, there would be no need to hire so many people. A tavern was not like a noble’s mansion, which had other buildings and a courtyard to serve as living quarters and an activity area for the guards.

“Please sit down first, Miss Yisi. If Shinku knew I let you stand, she would surely get angry again.”

Taking Yisi’s wrist, Fran smiled and had Yisi sit in her previous seat. She then pulled over a wooden chair like a subordinate and sat opposite Yisi.

“Some time ago, we encountered some rivals who tried to rob us. They hired local thugs and planned to force their way into Margaret to steal the recipes for Shinku Nyan and Fran Nyan. As it turned out, I had informants in the black market, so their plan was exposed in advance. Miss Akarin, Mr. Clementine, and I turned their plot against them and caught them all in one fell swoop. The guards are hired now to prevent any unexpected situations. Those merchants who make a living from fermented liquor might hire people again. If I don’t get the news, these guards can at least delay for a while, long enough for us to burn down the backyard. In addition, it’s also good to be wary of those thieves. In the past, the noble masters who came to Margaret always had their money purses stolen. As the managers of the tavern, we had a headache over it for a long time.”

“How long ago was that?”

“A month ago.”

“I see.”

A month ago, she was still in the Blood Clan’s territory helping Andrea quell the incident. Of course, she didn’t know anything that had happened in Margaret. She hadn’t been to Margaret for two and a half months.

At this thought, a trace of embarrassment welled up in Yisi’s heart. She shifted her gaze to the burning fireplace in the room. The crackling applewood gave off a pleasant smell.

“Mmm… no one was injured, right?”

“Only Mr. Clementine suffered some minor injuries. In order to protect Miss Akarin, Mr. Clementine took a knife for her.”

“Clementine and Akarin.”

If she remembered correctly, Akarin was a pretty boy. Yisi asked tentatively.

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“How are the two of them now?”

“How are they…”

Fran raised her eyebrows in a rather subtle way, a look of wanting to speak but hesitating, then wanting to speak again. It was the first time Yisi had seen such an expression on Fran’s face.

Mumbling, Fran tried hard to think of her words.

“This… how should I put it to you, Miss Yisi… They… as guards of the tavern, they are living quite well. It’s just…”

“Just?”

“Just that their personal conduct… is not very proper.”

It couldn’t be that Clementine is ignoring Akarin’s biological sex, and the two of them are doing shameless things every day, could it?

Some mosaic-worthy images appeared in Yisi’s mind.

Fran quickly gave the answer.

“At first, Mr. Clementine was very restrained, just like a gentleman. But under Miss Akarin’s instigation, the two of them started to frequent the red-light district to pick up women. Even when they knew they had no money, they would still go. In the end, they were detained by the people at the brothel, and we had to bail them out… It has happened five times this month.”

“…”

Yisi couldn’t help but feel at a loss for words. She was such a fool for thinking that lovers would end up together. Under the right conditions, two men staying together would indeed do some dirty things.

Damn it, I want to go to a shop with big sisters too.

“Miss Yisi?”

Noticing that Yisi’s gaze had drifted far away, Fran waved her hand in front of her eyes. Yisi immediately came back to her senses.

“Ah, sorry, I was a bit distracted. You were saying that the two of them often cause trouble for the tavern, right? The next time it happens, don’t be polite, Fran. Just leave them at the brothel and let them pay back the money before you say anything else. Although I was the one who brought them back, we can’t let them ruin the atmosphere. It wouldn’t be good if others started to follow their example.”

It’s definitely not jealousy.

“But they don’t have money. It’s impossible for them to pay it back.” Seemingly very sympathetic to the two, Fran said worriedly, “The money to bail them out is almost no burden to the current Margaret. Besides the guards, everyone else in the tavern is female. As men, I can understand why Miss Akarin and Mr. Clementine often go to the red-light district. Compared to making a move on Serra and the others, it’s better to indulge them…”

“No, we can’t let them continue to be so depraved. If we pay for them now, they will only become more and more excessive in the future. If they can’t pay back the money, let them pay with their bodies. Not to mention those noble ladies, aren’t there also men who like men?”

“Ah, this…”

Fran blinked in a daze, looking at Yisi as if she were looking at someone from another world.

Noticing the abnormality in her emotions, Yisi changed the subject stiffly.

“Ahem, back to the topic. I came here this time for something else.”

“Ah, right, I forgot to give you the reports for the past few months, Miss Yisi.” Standing up quickly, Fran pulled out a thick stack of paper from the bookshelf next to her. “This is Margaret’s income and expenditure for the past three months. It also includes the orders for the next year and my plan to open branch stores as you suggested. After going to the Pescia Territory with Shinku, we believe that instead of supplying Margaret liquor to the common people of the Blood Clan, it would be better to supply it exclusively to the Blood Clan nobles. In the Blood Clan, only the nobles have the purchasing power. But the white liquid doesn’t seem to be very popular with them; they only like red drinks, so I plan to mix a blood-red Margaret in the future.”

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“Mm, that’s a good idea.”

Yisi, who was hastily flipping through the report, nodded.

This was reminiscent of a certain period in history.

In addition, Yisi found that Margaret’s current working capital had exceeded three thousand gold coins, and its fixed assets were close to eight thousand gold coins. A barrel of Shinku Nyan/Fran Nyan cost fifty gold coins, and the price rose sharply depending on the length of storage.

With such strong financial support, Fran planned to open three branch stores throughout the kingdom at once, and at the same time, dispatch the staff in the store to various regions. In order not to let the secret of distilled liquor leak out, Fran would buy a batch of slaves who were Fallen to help purify the fermented liquor. This would not only have a confidentiality effect but also allow her fellow Fallen to live a better life. If they were trustworthy, their slave marks could be removed in the future and they could be promoted to core members.

The identity of a Fallen was a label that could easily bind people together, making them less likely to betray.

Although it sounded cold, Fran’s plan was indeed flawless. In Fran’s eyes, the living environment of the Fallen was extremely poor. They didn’t even know if they would live to see the next day. For someone to be willing to buy them, give them work, a place to live, and food was already equivalent to the existence of God. The word ‘cold’ could not be used to describe it. All feelings were based on being alive.

Yisi put the report aside, clasped her hands together, and assumed a business-like posture.

“Mm, let’s proceed with Fran’s plan for the future. Let’s not talk about the tavern for now. Take a look at this, Fran.”

As she spoke, Yisi placed the linen bag she had been carrying in her hand on the table, untied the string, and let one of the fist-sized, milky-yellow slimes roll onto the table.

Fran, who had experience in survival, recognized the slime at a glance and subconsciously took a step back.

“This is… a slime? It’s the first time I’ve seen a milky-yellow slime.”

“Mm, I want you to raise them, Fran.”

“I can do that, but…”

Fran showed hesitation, probably wanting to ask what she was going to do. Yisi took out a pair of long boots from her inventory. She didn’t have Fran’s size, so she just made a pair based on her impression of her size.

“You can try them on, Fran.”

“Okay.” Without any suspicion, except for deliberately avoiding Yisi when taking off her shoes, Fran quickly put on the long boots. After stomping a few times, her expression became wonderful. “It looks like the expensive part is the earth dragon hide, but the real core is the sole… This springy feeling, I can’t feel the ground at all. I think I wouldn’t even feel the pebbles if I stepped on them directly. If adventurers and nobles who go out hunting were to wear these shoes once, they would definitely not think about other long boots. Lady Yisi, where did you buy this? I want to buy a pair for Shinku too.”

As expected, Fran loves Shinku like a big sister.

Damn it.

Of course, Yisi would not show her inner thoughts on her face. She pointed to the milky-yellow slime on the table with a harmless smile.

“The raw material for the sole is this type of slime. This slime only lives in the Ymir Church’s territory, but I can’t let you go to the church to catch slimes, so I thought I’d bring a few of these slimes and let you raise them. If you recruit another batch of shoemakers, Fran, Margaret might be able to develop products in other directions.”

“Miss Yisi always brings surprises!”

Yisi seemed to see the gleam of gold coins in Fran’s eyes, and Fran’s gaze at the slime had also changed from her previous disgust to looking at a mountain of gold. Fran even activated her Fallen ability to talk to the slime, picked up a small slime, and rubbed it against her face.

It was at this moment that the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Shinku, who looked younger, had long red hair, twitching red cat ears, and was wearing a long maid’s dress, walked into the room carrying two glasses of juice. Her gaze fell on Fran, who was holding a slime.

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“What are you doing, Fran? Cuddling a slime and rubbing it against you, it’s so disgusting. Don’t hug me today until you’ve taken a bath.”

As she spoke, Shinku walked into the room. As for the reason why Shinku was wearing a maid’s dress, Yisi guessed it was because they no longer needed a warrior, so Shinku, who had become the core of the team due to her combat power, could only do some maid work. The maid’s dress might have been Fran’s request.

Compared to the serious look she had when they first met, the current Shinku was much more cheerful.

However, just as Shinku was humming a song, wagging her cat tail, and walking around Fran, the hand holding the drinks suddenly stiffened.

She had finally noticed Yisi, who had been blocked by Fran.

“Ah…”

Like a rusty machine, Shinku’s mouth opened slightly, and she stood there in a daze.

Then her face quickly turned red. Ignoring the fact that the drinks would spill, she hurriedly placed the glasses on the table, then hurriedly tried to take off her maid’s dress. But because the material of the maid’s dress in this other world was more practical, and her movements were flustered, Shinku couldn’t take it off.

Her red eyes had already turned into a mosquito-coil-like spiral shape.

“I-I’m sorry, Miss Yisi, for letting you see such an indecent sight. It’s all Fran’s fault. She’s the one who said I had to wear this…”

For the serious and mature Shinku, the sight of her humming a song and wagging her tail just now, as if trying to please someone, was extremely embarrassing.

But to Yisi, it was a visual treat. Although Shinku was wearing a long dress instead of a short skirt, and she didn’t have a maid-like black and white hair accessory on her head, the way her cat ears twitched was very cute. The red fur-covered cat ears made one want to reach out and touch them.

Fran really knows her stuff.

“You’re very cute, Shinku. It’s a refreshing sight.”

“H-H-H-How could that be!”

“See? I told you it was cute.”

As she spoke, Fran bent down slightly and, while Shinku wasn’t paying attention, kissed her on the cheek in front of Yisi.

Shinku’s tail immediately puffed up.

“Miss Yisi is right here. What are you do—!”

As a result, Fran directly shut Shinku’s mouth with her own.

Hey, hey… even if you’re a couple, don’t do this in front of me.

Young people these days are too wild.

Helplessly, Yisi waved her hand. She had already said what she needed to say. It was better not to disturb them.

I’ll just sleep with Mary tonight.

Silently, Yisi left Margaret.