Kamisama Shop de Cheat no Kaori

Chapter 108. The Biggest Purchase Of Life In The Wilderness

This morning, I plan to head to the Veliero Trading Company early. We decided to have breakfast individually. Just as I was about to leave, Yaralai came over and said she wanted to buy a new item bag to store the rifle. I wondered if it was something that could be bought so easily, but since she’s a warrior who hunts buffalo solo, she must have savings. I secretly handed over all the guns and bullets.

“Today, I’m going to service this.”

She said. Indeed, I had given her a book too. Yaralai waved lightly and headed towards the main street. Today, she’s dressed in a shirt and tie, not in a suit. It’s hot anyway. When Hagg and I arrived at the trading company, the sun had just risen, but as usual, the place was bustling.

“Good morning, Akira-sama! Hagg-sama!”

Without even needing to call out, one of the boys running around noticed me. He was a boy I had spoken with a few times before.

“Good morning. Sorry to trouble you, but could you fetch Melvin-san or someone in charge?”

At first, I thought about calling Cherina or Friena, but Cherina would likely be busy, and I didn’t really want to see Friena.

“Yes! Please wait a moment!”

Saying that, the boy darted into the building. We were used to it by now and sat at the table just inside the building, waiting for a response. A dark-skinned man stood at the counter but only nodded silently.

“Sorry to keep you waiting! Please follow me!”

The boy, with a youthful face and a broad smile, guided us. It’s hard to believe that he once found me annoying. Seeing energetic kids lifts my spirits too!

As I was smoking in the usual meeting room, Cherina entered. Honestly, I was quite surprised. Not because she was busy or because it wasn’t Friena, but because of her outfit.

She was dressed lightly, with a base of a thin fabric dress in her usual red, a loose fluffy vest, a metal belt around her waist for accent, and delicate heeled shoes.

The most striking parts were the boldly cut chest area and the dress that only reached halfway down her thighs, exposing her healthy and sensual legs. Even the dress she wore when summoned by the baron wasn’t this provocative.

“…Is there a party or something?”

That was the first thing I managed to say. What else could I say?

“No! …Is that the first thing you say after so long?”

Cherina turned away, her face bright red. If she’s embarrassed, she shouldn’t dress like that.

“Well, you caught me off guard. Yes, it suits you.”

“?! Really? I-I thought I’d try a change of pace for once!”

Her voice was slightly trembling. It’s throwing me off…

“Well, it’s fine, but shouldn’t you be busy? Do you have time to deal with me?”

I took a deep drag on my cigarette and pressed it into the ashtray.

“I took the day off.”

She seemed to have calmed down and sat across from me.

“Ah, rest is important. At my old company, days off were just for show.”

Service overtime and service workdays were the norm, and even the rare days off were ruined by my boss.

“Yes, but I didn’t expect you to come here. Is there something you need?”

“Yes, I have two things to discuss. Hagg, if you would.”

“Indeed.”

Hagg nodded and took out the metal card-like device from his pocket.

“What’s this?”

“Akira uses a thin device, right? Seeing that, I wanted to make one too. So I gave it a try.”

Cherina picked up the device from the table and examined it closely.

“This is…”

She looked at me.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Indeed. Akira didn’t tell me anything. I heard about your negotiations with Veliero only after this was completed.”

“I’m not doubting you. I just thought Akira-sama came up with this idea.”

“If I did, I’d bring it here first. Besides, I don’t see much benefit in making it metal.”

Hagg seemed to have made it just because he liked metal, but if it’s going to be widely used, paper-based ones should suffice.

“The durability of this one is undoubtedly higher. Also, although it hasn’t been tested, it should have more power.”

“Is that so?”

“You understand the durability part. The power part is because the magic array doesn’t shift.”

I see. That makes sense.

“However, few can make this. Instead of drawing the array, it must be engraved. While current device makers might manage, it’s quite thin.”

Maybe making it like a candy ball doesn’t require such precision?

“Well, seeing it is enough for the idea. If you want the real thing, we can trade it for a fire magic stone.”

“Understood. I will prepare it and trade for it.”

“Very well.”

Is this discussion over?

“Thanks, Hagg. You can spend the rest of the day as you wish.”

“Indeed. …Akira, take care.”

“Got it.”

Hagg said he’d bring the magic stone by tomorrow morning and left after patting me on the shoulder.

“Enjoy yourself,” he whispered, then left without waiting for a reply. Enjoy what?

“So, Akira-sama, what’s the other matter?”

She asked, looking composed as usual.

“Can I borrow a warehouse where no one will enter until tomorrow morning?”

“A warehouse?”

“Yes. I want to take out something like a carriage, but I can’t just do it anywhere.”

“I see. It seems you finally understand some common sense.”

“That’s harsh…”

It’s not my fault I don’t fully grasp the general common sense of this world.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll prepare a warehouse.”

“Thanks.”

As we moved, Cherina called Melvin, handed him the metal card device, and gave various instructions. She also instructed a boy to clear a warehouse, and we headed to a familiar warehouse.

“It seems we have a connection with this warehouse.”

“Yes, we restricted access to it until yesterday for cassava and lighters.”

“I see.”

Before taking out the camper, I need to check a few things.

Gasoline (1 liter) = 136 yen

Gasoline carry can (20 liters) = 2851 yen

Cargo trailer (towing) = 2,157,300 yen

Yes, I can secure the minimum necessary for operation. Other things like oil and tires will be needed, but if these are approved, the consumables should be too. The cargo trailer is a platform to tow behind the car. Considering the container’s capacity, I thought an extra platform was necessary. I also have another idea in mind. By the way, isn’t gasoline a bit expensive?

“Alright, I’ll take it out now, okay?”

“That’s fine, but, amazingly, you can even buy a carriage.”

“It’s not quite a carriage. Well, here it goes.”

The camper was 14,200,000 yen, and the cargo trailer was 2,157,300 yen. Thanks, Cassava. Remaining balance: 1,890,310 yen.

Seeing the camper and cargo trailer as cute deformed icons in the container was amusing, but it proved that even such large items could be stored normally. Quite amazing, the container.

I asked Cherina to step back and take out the camper and cargo trailer. As the large vehicle materialized, Cherina let out a small scream.

“What…?!”

I looked up at the slightly dirty camper. It’s quite large, as expected for a good price even as a used item. It’s a left-hand drive, foreign-made vehicle. This should make traveling with Hagg and Yaralai quite comfortable.

“First, I need to check the wheels and connect the tow… Cherina?”

Cherina, who was staring at the camper in amazement, looked adorable despite her expression.

“Well, enjoy the view.”

I checked the engine room, brake fluid, brake pads, and tire treads. Luckily, the tires were new. There were no major issues. The gas tank was empty, but that’s expected.

After finishing the checks and returning, Cherina was still frozen.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I waved my hand in front of her face.

“Akira-sama, I hope you don’t mean…”

Oh, she reacted.

“This is not what you mean by a carriage, right?”

“There’s no horse, but with gasoline… special oil, it runs without a horse.”

Now that I think about it, the first cars were shaped like carriages.

“Akira-sama seems to lack common sense.”

She pressed her forehead and shook her head.

“It’s fine. I have a good excuse.”

“Excuse?”

She looked up, still frowning.

“Yeah. This is an artifact. Lost technology. A special vehicle passed down through generations. That’s the story!”

“An artifact…”

Cherina pondered.

“As an excuse, it’s just… barely acceptable. But even if that works, showing off something this expensive in public is dangerous.”

“Idiot. I have Hagg and Yaralai, the monster duo, as guards. Who could possibly attack us?”

“…That may be true, but…”

Cherina pondered again.

“Well, even if it’s opposed, I’ll still use it. I can’t deal with carriages or walking. I think this will be three to ten times faster than a carriage. It depends on the road quality, though.”

In this rocky wasteland at the western edge, we probably won’t get much speed. The highway itself winds around large rocks, so we’ll be driving slowly for a while.

We’ll also be checking the car’s condition as we go.

Still, it should be much faster than a carriage.

“Alright, let’s get this towing connection done.”

Fortunately, basic tools were stored in the car, so I quickly connected everything. Thanks to the wave technique, moving the heavy cargo trailer wasn’t too difficult.

The connection was completed in about 30 minutes. During that time, Cherina watched with great interest. It must be a rare sight for her.

After completing the connection, I decided to refuel.

It took three portable cans to fill the tank, which means it holds about 60 liters. It could probably hold a bit more, but it doesn’t need to be completely full, so I stopped there.

Remaining balance: 1,879,299 yen.

I started the engine and lightly checked around it. Everything seemed fine for now. It was helpful that the pile of lighters had already been removed from this warehouse.

“Akira-sama?! What is this smell?!”

She came to the driver’s side with a handkerchief covering her nose.

“Oh, it’s a confined space, so I’ll stop.”

I turned off the engine and got out of the car. Since the car’s height is considerable, it felt like jumping down.

“It’s a kind of smell I’ve never encountered before…”

“Sorry. It won’t be as noticeable when we’re outside.”

I apologize for now. Checking the car outside would be too conspicuous.

Once we leave the warehouse, it won’t be an issue. The check on the camper’s cabin can wait. At first glance, it has everything we need.

It’s quite luxurious, actually. It has a stove, a toilet, and a small shower room. Based on a truck rather than a wagon, it’s quite spacious inside. There’s no issue with water since we can buy it as needed.

And with this, the power issue is solved!

Seeing outlets everywhere reassured me. Now we can use smartphones and laptops.

“It’s quite a splendid interior.”

Cherina peeked inside.

“Well, it cost a fair price.”

“May I ask how much, for reference?”

“Sure. It was 14.2 million yen.”

“That’s quite a staggering amount… It’s comparable to the carriages used by royalty and nobility in larger countries.”

“Your carriages are impressive too, but are they that expensive?”

“No, not quite. They are priced considerably higher than ordinary ones, though.”

I see. Not being particularly interested, I didn’t ask further.

“It’s a desirable item if one has the budget.”

“Like I said before, it won’t run without special oil, so it’s pointless.”

“In that case, we can have horses pull it.”

“True… In that case, a towed camper trailer would do… Should we buy one if it’s approved?”

“No, let’s refrain. We could make one if needed.”

“That’s true.”

I don’t know the durability of the carriage, but if speed isn’t a priority, we could probably create a makeshift carriage with a bed and a small living space. It would also be cheaper than a camper.

As I got out of the car and looked at the trailer, I remembered something else.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Cherina, isn’t buffalo jerky a specialty of this country?”

Changing the topic suddenly, she looked at me curiously.

“Yes. Buffalo jerky is one of this country’s few specialties. Why do you ask?”

“If possible, I’d like to source it from your company. Is that doable?”

“Of course. But we can’t do retail sales; we’d clash with the dining guild.”

“No problem. The amount I want to purchase is…”

I checked the cargo trailer’s capacity.

“The amount I want to purchase is 500 kg.”