Why Is My Noona Here?
The look on Rydia's face was far from convinced, but things proceeded smoothly anyway. We reached the safe zone without any major issues, returned to the surface, and the raider incident was neatly wrapped up thanks to Lemon and Apple's testimony. As for Gail, with all four limbs wrecked, he still had some niche demand and sold for a decent price. I have no idea what that demand was or where he ended up… but if you consider that the guild was founded by the church that worships the Goddess of Love as an adventurer support organization, the answer comes pretty quick. They probably plan to put him to work in some suitable workshop. The places run directly by the temple treat male slaves pretty well, but criminal slaves are the exception. He'll probably get worked to the bone—just short of actually dying. Still, after about forty years, demand might drop off, so maybe they'll heal his arms and legs and use him as a laborer. Hang in there, you thirty-roll… I mean, Gail. I shrugged and watched the backs of Lemon and Apple as they led the way.
They were wearing clothes that clung tightly to their bodies, showing off their lines clearly. Tsk. Their chests are flat, and so are their asses…. As I clicked my tongue in pity, Rydia—who had stuck close to my side—spoke up in a slightly grumpy voice.
“Yona. This still seems like a bad idea. What exactly are you trusting to follow these two so obediently?”
“The sincerity of elves when it comes to money, of course. They're so thorough about it that there isn't a single elf who's ever gotten in trouble for not keeping their word, right?”
“That's usually true. But there's always an exception to everything. Like how you got those eight coppers stolen from you. Normal elves wouldn't ruin their reputation over pocket change like that.”
“Hmm… I guess that's fair.”
Since they swore on the World Tree, I doubt they'd go that far… but that might just be because I'm the one who created the elf setting in the first place. Rydia, who's seen all sorts of ugly things while working as an adventurer, probably sees it differently. So I need to give her a reason she'll actually understand.
I grinned and latched onto Rydia. It wasn't just shoulder-to-shoulder—I pressed right up against her like I was about to link arms. Then I looked up at her with a bright, silly smile.
“I think there's a misunderstanding. I'm not the one trusting Lemon and Apple.”
“Then why….”
“No matter what happens, you'll save me just like you did last time, won't you, Lady Rydia?”
“…….”
Rydia clamped her mouth shut. But the way her movements suddenly turned creaky, like a tin-can robot, was answer enough. She's embarrassed. Normally she'd just brush it off, but today her reactions are especially cute. I pressed my upper body even closer against her arm. Not as blatantly as I do with Elly, of course. Just enough that the person being touched would notice, while I acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then I stood on my tiptoes and brought my lips close to her ear. Close enough to feel her body heat, but not quite touching. In a slightly lower tone than usual—closer to a husky whisper—I murmured softly.
“I trust you always, you know? My knight.”
“……!”
Rydia's red eyes flew wide open, and she froze completely. Like a golem that had just been powered off. But it wasn't long before she rebooted and started moving again. Her fiery red hair, which shone even in the dark, fluttered dramatically. Her eyes sparkled like burning flames. And the disciplined precision that always lingered in her movements grew even sharper, radiating her signature charm.
Oh my god. Did she seriously activate her aura in the middle of that? Just how excited is she…?
Right now, in this moment, Rydia looked less like an adventurer and more like a true knight. With a soft shing, she drew her sword and held it before her, offering a brief knightly salute.
“For today only, I am Yona's sword. No matter what happens, I will protect you—so stay right by my side.”
“Okay~”
Her enthusiasm had gone beyond burning—it was practically blazing as she wrapped around me like a bodyguard striking every cool pose imaginable. Lemon and Apple's faces soured at the sight, but what could those twins really do besides grumble? I played along with Rydia's act, and honestly, I was getting into it too, puffing out my chest like some spoiled rich kid for a little while.
Then the twins, who had been walking along while complaining, suddenly stopped.
“It's here, sir.”
“This is where our organization is, sir.”
“……?”
For a second I didn't understand what they were saying and looked around again. Even though it was late evening, the streets were brightly lit. Well-paved roads bustled with countless carriages and people, and even the alleys looked spotless—not a single beggar in sight. That's right. This was the commercial district of Pan Grave… and among its streets, this was the one packed with the highest-end shops. The place where Lemon and Apple had stopped was right in front of the most eye-catching building on the block—a massive merchant guild.
“The Cradle Merchant Guild…? You're telling me this is the organization you two were talking about? Then the boss you mentioned, don't tell me it's….”
The Cradle Merchant Guild was famous even in Labyrinth City. While the Dwarven Union monopolized weapons and the Magic Tower controlled magic tools, everything else fell under Cradle's domain. It was one of the three great financial powers that essentially divided the city's commerce. A living testament to what happens when long-lived elves get serious about business. That was the Cradle Merchant Guild.
If you had the money, you could get items that weren't available anywhere else on the market, and they even offered bodyguard services (though only for protection). So everything they'd said checked out…. I never imagined those two scammy bitches would have connections to the guild master of Cradle. My mouth started to hang open at this unexpected stroke of luck—
“Ah, not that one, sir. It's this building over here.”
“Those Cradle bastards are real scum, sir. Don't even look at them. Ptooey.”
Lemon pointed to a corner of my vision while Apple spat on the ground. The thuggish behavior combined with the sheer stupidity of badmouthing the Cradle Merchant Guild right in front of its building made me sigh.
“Haa… I forgot the simple truth that getting your hopes up just leads to disappointment.”
“Oh. That sounded kinda cool, sir.”
“Are you stupid, Lemon? Sir Yona has always been cool.”
Lemon marveled without even understanding what it meant, while Apple took the chance to sneak in some flattery. Their attitude was so blatant it was actually funny. I let out a dry laugh and headed in the direction Lemon had pointed.
“Well, anyway, if they've set up shop in a neighborhood like this, they must be pretty decent….”
The moment I said that, I spotted a dilapidated wooden building that looked like it was about to collapse. It was tiny, too. Maybe a little better than a corner store. And because it was squeezed right next to the Cradle Merchant Guild—which took up nearly an entire block—the comparison was brutal.
“…Are you serious? It's really that place?”
“Yes, sir. It's a shop with a tradition that can't even be compared to the Cradle Merchant Guild.”
“The famously named Eden General Store! Have you heard of it, sir?”
“Nope. First time I'm hearing it. What about you, Lady Rydia?”
“First time for me too.”
Rydia shook her head. If even Rydia—who doesn't save money and invests everything in herself—had never heard of it, then it really must be a total nobody. Maybe my skeptical feelings showed on my face, because the twin elves started frantically adding explanations.
“They sell things you can't find anywhere else, sir!”
“And no matter what it is, they guarantee the performance is top-tier, sir!”
“…Yeah, yeah. I get that the store is amazing, so just go get the money you promised me.”
“Understood, sir….”
“We'll be right back, sir….”
With dejected expressions and slumped shoulders, Lemon and Apple headed into the Eden General Store. Only after they had completely disappeared inside did I tug insistently on Rydia's sleeve.
“Lady Rydia. Twenty-three gold each is probably too much, right?”
“Yeah. They seem to have some basic income since they're keeping the store running… but a place like that suddenly coming up with forty-six gold still seems tough.”
“Tsk. Then I'll just take whatever I can get right away and make them pay the rest with their bodies.”
“Unauthorized human trafficking and organ sales are illegal.”
“…Has my image gotten a little weird lately, Lady Rydia?”
“Hmm. Not sure.”
“…….”
How unfair. The reason I kill enemies without hesitation is simply my declaration of will to survive as an orphan with nothing in Pan Continent. At some point, Rydia started treating me like a psychopath. Feeling sulky, I kept lightly smacking the back of her hand over and over. Then the old door of Eden creaked open, and Lemon and Apple walked out. They weren't in good shape, though. Their hair was a mess. Their already plain faces were covered in ugly bruises. It was obvious they'd gotten properly beaten. Well, from the shop owner's perspective, just keeping the place afloat was hard enough. She'd only taken in those two scammers out of past affection. If they went out, nearly died, and then came back asking her to pay off their debts on top of it, I'd be pissed too.
Lemon and Apple trudged over like wet baby chicks, looking utterly pathetic. The twin elves spoke with swollen lips.
“We're sorry, sir… The boss said it's hard to come up with that much money all at once….”
“But she said she'll definitely pay it back eventually, so let's talk about how to handle it.”
“I figured as much.”
I nodded roughly and straightened my clothes. Then I subtly held out my hand toward Rydia.
“Escort me. May I ask that of you?”
“Just for today.”
Even as she said that, the corners of Rydia's mouth twitched. She'd been helping me all day, so it was only fair she provide this much service. And so we headed into the Eden General Store.
“Hehe. My name is Eve Nirvana. It's nice to meet you… or should I say that?”
There, resting her chin on her hand as she greeted us, was a suspiciously squinty-eyed elf who looked shady as hell. …And shockingly, she was the second character I'd personally designed that I'd now met in person. Why the hell is my noona here?