Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Yuria and the Strange Doctor (1)
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Greg's general store, its owner finally back after a whole month.
After a look around, Greg muttered, a hint of surprise in his voice.
“It's much... cleaner than I expected. Yuria, did you take care of it?”
“...!”
“...Thank you. I'm glad you looked after it so well.”
He turned to me, a smile gracing his lips.
A one hundred percent genuine smile, without a single grain of pretense.
It seemed he was moved by how spotless it was, not a speck of dust in sight despite being left alone for over a month.
Not that I did it for praise, of course.
But seeing him so happy, I guess all that diligent morning cleaning was worth it.
With that thought, I crossed my arms and casually glanced away, as if it were nothing.
“So this is your shop, Mr. Greg. Wow, it's cleaner than I imagined. And it's not too small, either.”
Karen, who had followed him inside, offered her thoughts as she casually looked around.
As I watched her inspect the place, her expression suggested she found it quite decent.
It seemed to pass muster even by the standards of a renowned artisan like her. Hmm, I felt a sense of pride myself.
Greg replied to Karen casually, as if it were only natural.
“I don't know what you were imagining, but I'm not a fan of messes. And isn't it a bit small by your standards, as a first-rate artisan?”
“Well, I'm not really one for flashy things. In fact, this compact feel, with just the essentials... I find it more appealing.”
“I'm glad to hear that.”
There was no hint of dishonesty in Karen's demeanor.
The shop wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't uncomfortably small either.
I suppose I didn't have to twist her words and take them as sarcasm.
If she'd genuinely disliked it, I might have gotten a little grumpy. What a relief.
After they finished looking at the display shelves, the storage room in the back, and the workshop...
We all gathered around a table in a corner of the shop.
And Greg looked at Karen and me in turn and spoke calmly.
“Well then... let's start with the contracts. Come to think of it, Yuria, you couldn't sign yours last time because something came up, right? You can do it now while Karen signs hers.”
“Alright.”
“...!”
The contract wouldn't mean much for me since I don't really have an identity.
Still, I nodded vigorously in agreement at his suggestion.
Thinking back, the whole thing was pushed aside last time because of the sudden Night of Blood incident.
And when I worked part-time at the Fixer Agency, we just settled it with a casual verbal agreement.
So this was effectively the first time I'd ever signed a contract.
Not that it mattered; I'd probably just skim the details and sign my name anyway.
“Let's start with Karen. You have considerable expertise in artifacts, so it's best we sign an artisan's contract. Our main income is from buying antiques and selling them with a commission to those who need them. We can also take in broken artifacts and sell them for a higher price after you've worked on them... Your base salary will be around this much. And for any item you work on, I'll give you over half the profits.”
“Hmm... The percentage seems a bit higher than the industry average. Are you sure about this?”
“Unfortunately, given our location, we don't get that many customers. If I can get a first-rate artisan with these terms, I'm the one getting the better deal.”
“Well then... I'll graciously accept your kind offer. Thank you.”
“...?”
Greg and Karen were having a complicated discussion. I-Indeed! This was a conversation between a top-tier appraiser and a top-tier artisan!
It was a conversation I couldn't understand at all, other than that Greg was offering Karen very generous terms.
Well... I guess I don't need to know the details of their industry.
It's not like I'm going to be an appraiser like Greg or an artifact artisan like Karen.
Karen was indebted to Greg, and Greg was giving her the best possible treatment.
Just remembering that much should be enough.
“Is this good?”
“Yes, I've got it.”
*Scratch, scratch.*
Karen signed her name at the bottom of the contract without much hesitation.
It seemed she trusted Greg more than the contract's contents, so she didn't need much time to think it over.
Greg took the contract back, double-checked that everything was in order, and then...
...he handed Karen a copy from the back of the shop before turning to me.
“Alright... Yuria, you're next.”
“...!”
“Your duties won't be much different from before. Sit at the counter, greet customers when they come in, and call me if they want to buy or sell something. When you have free time, you can take care of cleaning and inventory. It's all familiar, right?”
*Nod, nod.* Same as what I did before.
I single-handedly multiplied the store's profits just by doing that.
I crossed my arms and nodded confidently, as if to say just that.
Of course, since I can't talk, I'm not much different from an inflatable tube man at the counter.
But just being able to keep customers from getting scared off by Greg on their first visit was enough of a role for me.
Honestly, if you didn't know him, seeing Greg for the first time would be terrifying.
The intimidating presence of a muscular orc well over two meters tall is truly beyond imagination.
“I'll pay you a monthly salary. Weekends off, five days a week. From morning to early evening. Multiplying your daily hours by the hourly wage... it comes out to about this much. What do you think, sound good?”
Sound good? It was the best offer ever.
It was already several times what I made during my part-time job at the Fixer Agency.
Of course, the work at the agency was practically effortless, and they provided room and board.
But that felt more like getting an allowance than earning money.
Completely satisfied with Greg's offer, I gave him a thumbs-up.
“Hmm, seems you like it.”
“How cute.”
“...”
Hehe, if I work at this pace for just a year, I'll be rich in no time.
I swung my legs happily from my chair and immediately picked up the pen from the table.
I'd never really had a reason to write before, but surely I could manage my own name.
I confidently brought the pen to the signature line at the bottom of the contract and...
*Tap.*
The moment the pen tip touched the paper, I suddenly felt the world stretch out before me.
An unreal sensation, as if someone had forcibly stretched light and time like a rubber band.
A suffocating feeling, as if my consciousness would be buried somewhere deep if this continued.
And with it, a voice in my mind persistently whispered for me to drop the pen immediately.
*Don't speak.*
*Don't convey your will.*
*Don't let them know the meaning...*
It felt like a frozen hand had pierced my lungs and was squeezing my heart tightly.
The voice seeped into my ears like sludge, embedding itself firmly in my brain.
But then, a question flashed through my mind.
*This isn't my voice.*
*Who are you? And what happens if I don't let go?*
[ Mama, no! ]
*Thud!*
When I came to my senses, I realized I had dropped the pen.
In front of me was Greg, and beside me, Karen. Both were looking at me with worried expressions.
And I... blinked, feeling puzzled.
The brief moment between picking up the pen and dropping it was completely gone from my memory.
It was strange. Definitely strange.
I didn't know why, but my mind was filled with the instinctual thought that I shouldn't pick up the pen again.
I wonder what they thought of me blinking in bewilderment at this strange feeling.
Greg, frowning slightly, picked up the pen that had rolled across the table and said nonchalantly.
“It seems writing is difficult for you. That's fine. This is just a formality, after all. I'll sign your name for you.”
“W-Wait, this is...”
“Enough. It seems she isn't aware of it herself yet. We'll talk about this later.”
“...?”
I tilted my head, watching a flustered Karen being stopped by Greg.
She, in particular, looked incredibly anxious.
It was as if she'd witnessed something she simply couldn't ignore.
Did I cause that?
I didn't know the exact reason, but I couldn't help feeling self-conscious.
*'And I think I heard the Tesseract's voice... Ah, my head's a little fuzzy. Do you know anything?'*
[ Huh? Mama, what about me? ]
*'...Never mind, then.'*
The Tesseract's innocent voice echoed in my head.
*Right, you don't know. That's fine, then.*
Still feeling somewhat puzzled, I decided to think about it again later when things became clearer. No point in racking my brain over something I didn't understand.
Nothing else happened after that.
It seemed Greg wanted to check his inventory again, having been away for so long.
He told me to take the day off and start work tomorrow.
True, I had cleaned every nook and cranny of the shop meticulously.
But since I knew nothing about managing inventory, all I did was wipe things down.
He definitely needed to check if there was anything wrong with the merchandise.
Selling a defective item to a customer would just lead to an awkward, embarrassing situation for everyone.
*'Uh... so that's it for today? But it's still morning.'*
To suddenly be free so early in the morning.
It felt like the first day of school when classes end early. Nice, but also a little awkward.
I could go back to the agency, which had become my home, and just relax...
But I came here all fired up; it felt like a bit of a waste to go back so soon.
Maybe there's something I can do to help, even without any special knowledge?
With that thought, I sidled up to him and started circling nearby.
Moving boxes, scrubbing dirty spots.
I could definitely handle chores like that. It was a silent protest, asking him to give me anything to do.
“Hm. Yuria.”
“...?”
“Someone will probably come looking for you. Go sit quietly on the sofa over there.”
“...”
But I guess my hovering around was just getting in his way.
He shooed me over to the sofa near the counter.
*Sob, sob.* I'm sorry for being useless.
I quietly watched Karen inspecting items next to Greg, then trudged over and flopped onto the sofa.
But who would be looking for me? I don't know that many people.
I sat primly on the sofa and stared quietly at the shop's entrance.
And before long, the person he mentioned appeared.
“Yuria, I'm here!”
“...!”
It was none other than the pink-haired beauty, Alice.
Huh? Shouldn't she be at work by now? What is she doing here?
As I tilted my head, a question mark practically appearing above it, she smiled brightly and said to me.
“I'll, uh, I'll buy you a pork cutlet. Want to come with me?”
“...?”
A pork cutlet? So suddenly?
I could only stare blankly at Alice, taken aback by her sudden offer.