Crossing Paths
“What the hell, you two!”
The tone in that single word was so sharp it was palpable.
From inside the shop, an old man who couldn’t be heard saying anything nice anywhere came out. His face was full of wrinkles, as if his expression was frozen in anger, showing how irritable he usually was.
“Get out right now!”
He shouted that, but Sugar wasn’t a pushover either.
She was a girl who could handle a hysterical middle-aged auntie on the surface and even an old heretic grandmother a hundred years old. She was that kind of girl.
With a calm smile, she opened her mouth.
“Because there are too many people outside. My friend is having a hard time, so I’ll take a little break.”
“That’s nonsense! That’s your problem, get out immediately!”
“Then I’ll just say I came to look around the store. The inside of the store is really nice.”
“After cleaning it up properly and polishing it, you’ll dirty it with your filthy hands! You won’t even buy anything... Hurry up and get out!”
“You’re being too picky. How do you know if we’ll buy or not, grandfather.”
“You’ll see. Just looking at you, you have no money!”
He shouted until spit flew.
Listening to the conversation, there was a sense of déjà vu somewhere. Ryly watched the two with an unhappy expression.
“Grandfather. You have very strong prejudices.”
“What prejudices? I’m just stating facts as they are!”
“It might not be everything you see. We might have a lot of money in our pockets, or we might be disciples of some magician. If you speak so carelessly, you’ll hurt feelings.”
“Wearing shabby clothes? Just looking at you, you must be living like a beggar somewhere...”
“Then if I say ‘Grandfather, you have no hair on your head. It’s confirmed that you’ll go bald?’ How would you feel? I’m just stating facts as they are.”
“Ugh!”
Ah, it exploded. Ryly was waiting inside for it to burst. The conversation pattern was exactly like his own.
It was annoying when it happened to him, but watching from the side was fun. His unhappy expression brightened even more.
“Stay still! I’ll personally throw you out!”
“Waaah! Calm down...! Please don’t make me attack an old man!”
“What nonsense!”
The old man was gripping his cane, and at the time when Sugar was setting the flow of magic in her body. Ryly, who didn’t want to get involved unnecessarily, pushed his body into the corner.
The shop door burst open.
“No... I heard shouting from far away... What exactly is going on? Why are you shouting from the afternoon?”
“Oh. Hello, grandma!”
“Ah... those kids from earlier?”
The owner of the white oak embroidery wallet that Sugar found.
A grandmother who would bake cookies for her grandchildren when she got home appeared.
.
.
.
Sitting in front of a small table inside the shop, there was a plate with cookies and two cups with milk.
“Waaah. I’ll eat well.”
“... I’ll eat well.”
One was happily accepting it, and the other was receiving it with a dazed look.
“Yeah, yeah. Did you eat the snack well earlier?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I enjoyed it a lot! Thank you.”
She enjoyed it very thoroughly with one ticket. She felt the thrill of gacha for the first time in a long time by spinning the roulette. She bought and ate ice cream. She teased her friend next to her.
At that moment, perhaps remembering something, Sugar smiled slyly and thanked the grandmother while looking at Ryly who had lowered his head.
“I’m more grateful... How much money was in the wallet...”
Even while speaking so kindly, she glanced at the husband standing beside her.
“...But you treat kind children like this.”
“I didn’t know! There are these cheeky kids who don’t even know how to look at things...!”
The grandfather was making excuses, and Sugar secretly stuck out her tongue at him.
The grandfather, who caught on to that, glared at Sugar.
“Eh? Are you going to keep making a bad face?”
“No! That little kid!”
When scolded again by the grandmother and pointed at Sugar.
“Tommy, these cookies are really delicious, right?”
“... Yeah.”
Sugar was just stuffing the big cookies into her mouth and savoring them. Mmm. Oily.
The grandfather went deeper into the shop.
“Sigh. You’re such a picky old man... Kids, eat and then you can look around the store as much as you want. If there’s something you want to buy, tell me. I’ll discount it.”
“No! That’s too much!”
“It’s okay. After all, people aren’t coming to buy...”
The shop owner’s greatest luck in life might be marrying this person.
Overwhelmed by the kind appearance, Sugar nodded slightly.
“Um... Thank you. Then, shall we just look around today and come back later?”
“Of course.”
She couldn’t buy anything right now because she didn’t have money, but just looking around, there were quite a few good things.
Thanks to the kind grandmother, she got snacks and seems to have made a good connection with the store.
“... Huh? Tommy. Aren’t you eating more?”
“I’m full.”
“I’ll eat it all?”
“Yeah.”
The friend who wiped his mouth and stood up came out of the table and started looking around the shop.
There was probably something that caught his interest. While looking around with a messy expression, he went straight to the cane corner.
“Um.”
Sugar also shot the remaining milk in one go and got up from her seat.
“I’ll take a look over here...”
While muttering to herself so she could hear, she went to the other side from the cane corner. And while pretending to look at the items in front of her, she kept glancing at Ryly.
‘... He probably wants it.’
She remembered that day.
The cane Ryly threw away that Rubshi had given him.
Tools with prices varying greatly depending on the materials and craftsmen who made them, but fundamentally expensive.
Thinking about the overflowing passion for magic that friend had, it would be a very desirable item, but since he didn’t have money...
‘But how much would it hurt his pride to receive it like a charity.’
He had low self-esteem but high pride. He was easy to hurt and fragile because of that.
Sugar had seen through Ryly quite accurately. Even if she seemed to have nothing but teasing, she understood every word and action of her friend.
‘Ah... It’s still lingering... What to do. I wonder if he really wants it.’
Every time she stole a glance at her friend, the same scene. Standing close to the cane exhibition, as if pressing his nose against it, concentrating. Densely, blankly, just staring. It was pitiful.
She clicked her tongue inside.
If she had money, she would buy it right away. She couldn’t even buy something small for her precious friend.
Sugar sighed at her own lack and continued stealing glances at Ryly.
Meanwhile, Ryly was.
‘... Does he want that?’
While seeming to focus on the cane corner, he kept glancing at Sugar.
Originally, while looking at the cane, he was giving it a review like ‘Hmm... Not bad... Hmm... This is quite...?’ but.
The fact that no one had given him the cane had been a wound for a long time, but.
After inwardly accepting it, he had the basic thought that he would give that cane to himself.
In the midst of that, he heard Sugar muttering ‘I’ll take a look over here...’
He knew she was always interested in food, but he didn’t know what else she liked.
Except for always teasing him or practicing magic manipulation, it seemed there was nothing else she did.
So he stole a glance. What was she interested in?
And looking, it was a jewelry corner. Although no explanation was written, since magic was felt, it was probably a magical accessory and tool that mages used a lot.
The shop owner, the way he held the cane earlier was natural. Considering his experience, there were probably quite a few good things gathered.
‘But it’s unexpected...’
It was admiration for Sugar. She didn’t seem particularly interested in dressing up.
Perhaps because it wasn’t ordinary jewelry, the interest was piqued.
So when he looked again, he saw her standing close to the jewelry exhibition, as if pressing her nose against it, concentrating.
After all, she’s a girl. She probably wanted it.
‘... But what does that have to do with me.’
Whether she wanted it or not. It had nothing to do with him. After all, she didn’t have money, and there was no obligation to give it.
-Among them, you’re the best!
-You can’t help but believe in someone like you.
“...”
If she really wanted it. She didn’t have no intention of buying it.
As long as it wasn’t too expensive, she could somehow raise the money.
It wasn’t to burden him with debt. If she bought it, she would be extremely grateful. She would stop being mischievous too.
What would she want the most. What would suit her best.
Ryly suppressed the unknown excitement and continued stealing glances at Sugar.
***
“Let’s earn money.”
After enjoying the festival. The top priority goal Sugar had decided after thinking hard recently.
Of course, saying to earn money was just a means, and the real purpose was separate.
To give gifts to friends who had done many favors.
Also, secretly save money and give a surprise gift.
She wanted to give something to the friend who had taught her magic for free. Although she had set the condition 'pay back when you grow up', she could still give small gifts now.
When it was time to properly learn magic manipulation, what was this nonsense? She recalled a good way to combine work and training.
“Quest office!”
This is a fantasy world. There is magic, monsters, saints, and dark gods.
Accordingly, various quests like monster extermination, escort, material collection pour out. It was a paradise for earning pocket money.
There were even quest offices in each city that matched quest givers and performers, and contracts were processed there.
The compensation varied depending on the quest content, but anyway, you could earn money. People who earn well live on solving quests alone.
Since the content was content, usually you had to move your body or use magic.
For Sugar, it was a win-win: earn money and train.
Why hadn’t she been doing such a good thing until now.
Simply because of lack of ability and age limit.
A small girl who didn’t know how to handle weapons couldn’t do anything in front of monsters. It was fortunate if she didn’t get hurt.
However, now that she had a body capable of the second stage with her deficiencies, the former was cleared.
And the latter...
“I am 15 years old.”
“Go away.”
“I am 15 years old.”
Unfortunately, there is a rule that quests cannot be accepted if under 15 years old. It was a rule created to lower the failure rate of quests. Children are lacking in both physique and ability in many ways.
Sugar is 11 years old.
Even shorter than her peers.
Regardless of mental age, on the surface she looked like a child. She put on a hood to cover her face, but even that couldn’t hide her doll-like height.
“Cluck. I have such a disease that my height appears small. Listen to my voice. How mature it is.”
“...”
The voice of a child deliberately pretending to be mature. It wasn’t bad to listen to, but anyway, it was a child’s voice.
“So, is it not possible?”
“Will it be?”
“I thought it wouldn’t be either. Nevertheless! Just close your eyes once...”
Haa. The quest office employee sighed at the malicious complaint.