Chapter 25 - Underground Grocery Store #3
Underground Grocery Store #3
Translator : Elizabeth
"Bella."
"Yes, I am listening."
Finding a square where I could breathe a little easier, I sat on the edge of a fountain and asked her.
"Just now, did I look a little strange?"
"You did not look strange."
Closing her two eyes, Bella continued speaking with a calm atmosphere.
"Our Underground Merchant Guild exists solely for the Customer. Whatever you desire, shaping that wish into reality is the supreme value and karma for us."
"Wow..."
Underground Merchant Guild, don't know what kind of place it is, but their professionalism is no joke.
'Is this part an Anomaly...?'
A place where existences far transcending Earth's common sense can enjoy maximum service is right here.
Just looking at me, wandering around here and there without money, even received pretty clothes as service.
"That Underground Merchant Guild, what kind of place is it exactly?"
At those words, Bella, opening her eyes slightly, tilted her head.
"Are you taking an interest in the Underground Merchant Guild right now?"
"Ah, yees... Wa, Was it a mistake?"
"No, it is not that. However."
Remaining silent for a moment as if choosing words, Bella opened her lips soon with her unique emotionless expression.
"Excluding services and goods provided here, those expressing interest in the Underground Merchant Guild itself are rare."
"...Yes?"
"Because that is the Underground Merchant Guild."
A place made for non-human existences.
"We exist solely for customers. There is no other reason for existence."
"....."
So, in buying and selling—
It seems that itself is the existential value this Anomaly possesses.
Ugh... Something difficult.
As expected, the Anomaly-like way of thinking is quite burdensome for the current me.
Later when fully adapted to this body, and thoughts open up widely in various ways, I might accept it differently.
'Because I came too far to return already.'
"However."
"?"
"We always think thankfully of the active interest of customers using the Merchant Guild. Just like the Customer."
"Ah..."
Bella seemed trying to convey the sincerity in her heart while staring straight at my gaze.
If received something, must give something too.
"I also think it's fortunate to meet Bella!"
"....."
"You take care of me very well, and tell me this and that kindly too."
"That is a natural service if it is for the guidance of precious customers."
"Umm... Still."
"Is, that so."
Clearly an unusual place.
Just recalling the Grocery Store area right now, and recalling the ominous news chattered within the gallery...
Here is absolutely not a suitable place for humans to survive, as expected.
For me it might be a safe and formal place, but it's an Anomaly boasting C-Rank danger.
"As expected, I think it's very reassuring because Bella is here."
"Thank you for evaluating so."
I examined Bella's mood saying so for a moment.
Ah, she avoided gaze just now.
Very momentarily, but I witnessed Bella's gaze wandering for a moment avoiding my eyes and returning.
"Bella."
"Yes."
"You know, Bella too, have you met people wearing black suits in the past?"
"I have met them."
"...!"
"As a position of customer and guide, we have interacted a few times. Of course, detailed information about customers is a prohibited matter for disclosure..."
"No, not that, umm... that is."
Bella walking side by side with me looked back at me tilting her head.
"Do you have other curious points."
"....."
Bella is a part of the Anomaly belonging to this 'Grocery Store'. Then is she also a person belonging to 'victims' like our Director and Doctor.
Thump. Thump.
Thinking of that time, remembering those pitiful people, my heart ached throb throb.
"Your expression is not good. Caring for the Customer's condition is one of the top priority tasks of a guide."
"No, not that...!"
"I will serve you."
"U-eht...?!"
Before I knew it, I became a state being carried in a princess carry by Bella.
What is this...?! Em, Embarrassing...!
Being treated with such utmost sincerity is the first time.
Sometimes I receive stroke-stroke from the Director or use a lap pillow, but one-sidedly like this...!
"Hi, hiet...! Please put me down....!"
"I will serve you to a place where you can rest your mind comfortably for a moment."
"Nooo...! Not that...!"
Wrong. This person has no intention of listening, this...?!
Feeling the sensation of my face burning hot, I looked around instinctively.
Ah, eyes are meeting here and there.
Person with only teeth on face, person with only bone without flesh, ...wearing a black suit and looking this way smiling snicker...
"...Uh?"
Wait, black suit?
If black suit, it's an agent person? Why staying leisurely like that in a place like this? Wait, wait wait...
"Bella! Please stop for a moment!"
"...? Why are you doing that?"
At those words, Bella stopped in place immediately, but the figure who was making a daddy smile looking this way until just now had disappeared.
"Ah..."
Wh, What was that just now?
Clearly it was correct that it was a person wearing a black suit...?
Did I get Anomaly-ed again? Or was it an Anomaly copying wearing a suit...
"Uwah... No, sorry."
"Then I will serve you."
"Eh, ah? Ah?!"
Ah right. I was in the middle of 'being served' right now.
I came to experience the torture of being moved in a posture like a princess appearing in fairy tales a bit more in that state.
"Are you okay."
"...Not okay."
Slide.
"Heat sensation due to poor condition is felt. Do you need the emergency treatment system of the Underground Merchant Guild?"
What is emergency treatment system again...
"I'm okay..."
Energy drained completely, I chased away shame for a moment and corrected my mindset.
Right, Bella acted for me, yeah. No need to think too burdensomely like that.
"Phew, hoo..."
Casting mind control while taking a deep breath for a moment, I asked Bella for now.
"So where is this...?"
"It is a space equipped to be easy to use when customers want to take a comfortable rest occasionally."
"But why is there a bed...?"
Lighting is a bit, reddish, isn't this atmosphere a bit strange...?
Even color is somewhere between red and pink.
As if artificially, atmosphere wanting to create a strange erotic atmosphere is felt blatantly to that extent.
'This is totally like a motel...'
"It is a facility equipped for customers to resolve or share various basic desires including rest and sexual curiosity with their partners."
"As expected it is something like that...! Why bring me to s, such a place...!"
"I thought interaction with a partner is a very efficient act in relieving mental and physical fatigue. Also, I judged that such atmosphere itself would be effective in lowering fatigue accumulated in the Customer by relieving body tension. And—"
"And...?"
"It is also a space visited a lot even when taking a simple rest."
"You should have said that first..."
Already realized the red truth of the space.
Uwah... become conscious for no reason.
Pressing two burning cheeks press press with the back of my hand, I barely calmed down and looked at Bella.
"You know, Bella is..."
"Yes."
"Bella, how did you come to work here?"
"I was an employee of the Underground Merchant Guild from the beginning."
"From the beginning?"
"Yes, guides like me are entities created to execute guide tasks effectively from the beginning."
But, to say so, she looks too much like a person...?
Whether because experience with Anomalies is accumulating in its own way now, I know roughly what characteristics which Anomaly possesses.
Sungjin Mental Hospital nurses were like that, and Crying Ung-aes in our Daycare also had their own characteristics similarly.
But Bella, except for having little emotional expression, I can't feel strange points compared to other people.
「▶ You seem to have interest in the entity in question. Is this simple curiosity? Or it might be a direction matching the will of the entity who sent you here.」
"....."
Direction matches?
Then does it mean I came here, and Director wanted me to share conversation with the guide?
'Just why?'
"Why are you doing that?"
"Ah."
I corrected my thoughts for a moment.
Staying still here won't change anything. Rather let's ask directly.
"Did Bella also, have hard or painful things in the past?"
Therefore decided to approach in the way I used to do.
"Painful things, do you mean?"
"Yees..."
"To speak honestly, I do not remember. From the point I was active as a guide, I was already in a state prepared to provide best service for customers."
"Like, wandering around here and there together and guiding products, such things?"
"Yes, correct."
"Then to such people, do you usually help this and that like you did for me?"
"That, is not so."
"Then why for me..."
"I do not know."
Don't know?
I looked back at Bella.
Even she who seems to know everything and solve cases skillfully is saying there is something she doesn't know.
Bella, who put a hand on her chest, was silent for a long time as if having found a part even she herself doesn't know.
"Fascinating. Thinking about it, since it is the first time being deeply involved with a customer."
"First time?"
"Yes. I am currently crossing the line with the Customer."
"Li, Line even...?"
"Why am I like this?"
"Indeed...?"
Did she get influenced by my question somehow.
Seems like she is suddenly very confused.
"Sh, Shall I hug you?"
"...Yes?"
"Uh... Because I have helped Director and Doctor like this before..."
Wr, Wrong words not really.
Although words a bit embarrassing for me to say with my own mouth.
Really because the skill activation condition is so...
'Little Lamb's Embrace.'
Skill possessed currently through status window can view memories and help through contact with target entity.
'If she is really experiencing symptoms similar to Director and Doctor times...'
This time too through skill, wouldn't we be able to advance relationship in a direction helpful to each other.
Also to get some information about 'Underground Grocery Store' and 'Underground Merchant Guild' here, and so on.
"I, If you don't want to, never mind..."
In the atmosphere becoming awkward for no reason, I had no choice but to avoid gaze and say so.