While I was trying to extract more information from Homura-kun, it seems that Toriumi, Suzumoto, and Hariu, who had finished their shopping, joined us. As for President, Katori, and Kariya, well… I guess it’s a fantastic shopping spree, so it might take them a while.
I briefly explained the situation to the newcomers.
“…When you say ‘club members,’ you mean the Home Economics Club, right?”
After explaining, Suzumoto and the others had somewhat grim expressions.
“You figured it out pretty easily. That’s impressive!”
Even without Suzumoto, it was quite obvious! The classrooms related to Home Economics were located on the northeastern side of the first floor. So, it was almost certain that the students who started in this town were somehow related to that. Yeah.
“Among the members of the Home Economics Club, there seemed to be some sort of factionalism.”
…Well, that club was quite unusual…
The club attracted students who were interested in that sort of thing to begin with and those who quit other clubs but didn’t want to be labeled as “Going Home Club” members.
The Home Economics Club didn’t have many activity days, and it was thought to be a place where the mysterious power known as “girl power” could increase. It was a good place for girls who had quit other clubs to find their way.
However, in cases like this… Well, you see, there are two types, right? It’s not working out.
So, if it’s not working out, there should be ways to handle it without going head-to-head. But instead of doing that, the newcomers, who were outsiders, seemed to have targeted the values of the established members… Well, let’s stop here. It’s barren. It’s too barren.
In other words, that club was a place where quiet and earnest girls were oppressed by not-so-quiet girls… I feel like there might be some miscommunication in my explanation, but that’s roughly what happened.
The established members are quiet and tend to be one-sidedly pushed around by the newcomers. Probably.
So, regarding this incident, it was probably the outsider girls who sold the quiet established members as slaves to secure funds for themselves. That’s what I inferred.
…I was wrong.
Completely and utterly wrong!
“Apparently, a quiet and unremarkable girl sold a relatively prominent girl. Seriously, girls can be scary,” Homura-kun said.
…Unexpectedly, the opposite happened! The hunted became the hunters!
Summarizing Homura-kun’s story, it goes something like this:
The girls from the Home Economics Club, who started from here, couldn’t afford to have factions in this situation, so they had an unofficial ceasefire and explored the town together.
However, one of the established girls quickly realized the existence of the slave system in this town, or rather, in this world, and became concerned that they might be sold off if they didn’t act.
Well, considering the outsiders had a criminal record, this wasn’t entirely unexpected.
But what’s surprising is what they did next. With the spirit of “strike before being struck,” they sold the outsider girls… as slaves to mining companies.
Homura-kun explained this story in his own words, piecing together the situation from conversations with these established girls and the mining company.
He did a pretty impressive job.
“I thought, you know, I can’t just let human trafficking slide, right? So I considered using force to rescue them. But, well, in this world, human trafficking is a legit business, and the people who buy others have spent money on it. If I use force to rescue them, I’d be a thief. So I gave up and started working part-time.”
Homura-kun seems like he’s not thinking much, but he’s actually thinking about a lot of things. I genuinely admire that about him.
“So, it looks like this can be resolved with money. Maito, how much do you have right now?”
“If I set up the lab, I should have around 200 platinum coins.”
So, we can buy back those 7 people.
“…I’ve been working part-time, you know? My daily wage is 35 copper coins.”
Well, thank you for your hard work.
…But seriously, those who don’t contact you because they think discussing money is uncool are the ones at fault!
We decided to wait patiently at the café while we waited for the rest of Homura-kun’s group to finish their part-time jobs.
By the way, it seems that the two girls from their group are earning quite well, and that’s apparently bothering Homura-kun.
“We’re back!”
…And then, when I heard the commotion from outside the café, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.
“…What’s that?”
“Well, there were some interesting and reasonably priced minerals that seemed like they could be valuable parts. I bought a bunch of them, but then we couldn’t carry them all, so we borrowed the café’s backyard and quickly put this together.”
“Oh, I see. A car?”
What I saw outside was a car, although it was a bit rudimentary in its construction. But from its behavior earlier, it seemed like it could move just fine.
In a world where there are only carriages and boats, seeing something like a car, or rather a large cart that can move on its own, would definitely stand out!
“I found it and decided to hitch a ride.”
“I got caught by President and ended up riding it…”
Well, with something this conspicuous, finding it wouldn’t be too hard.
“…Did it never occur to you, President, to just call me or Toriumi?”
Well, couldn’t you have used “Transfer” and been here instantly?
“Um, sorry, but it just seemed more romantic this way.”
…I can’t completely disagree with that!
Stop looking at me with that sad face! Stop it! I feel guilty! It’s my fault! I messed up!
As the sun was starting to set, we decided to go rescue the Home Economics Club members tomorrow. So, Homura-kun went back to where they were staying, while we headed back to the lab.
…And, of course, since the car-like thing suddenly disappearing would be a problem, we used “Transfer” after going out to the outskirts first.
We moved to the northeast of the 2nd floor, and while we were at it, we called for Kadomi-kun to join us. Let’s have dinner together.
Turnips, turnips. Today’s dinner is all about turnips.
I absolutely love the texture and sweetness of turnips when they’re simmered until tender.
Of course, I like them pickled lightly as well. They’re delicious when roasted with bacon. But simmered turnips are something special.
By the way, my top three favorite vegetables for their tenderness and flavor are eggplants, green onions, and turnips. I won’t accept any objections.
…So today, we have simmered turnips with chicken pot-au-feu, eggplant gratin, and a salad. …I thought about making bread, but I went with rice. Rice fills you up, you know…
While enjoying our meal, I asked everyone about their shopping results.
“I bought some things that could be used as parts.”
“Oh, Katori, you’re fine.”
I’ve already seen the enormous amount he bought, and there’s no doubt I won’t understand what those parts are for even if I ask.
“I bought some ores for chemical purposes, and a staff.”
Saying that, President showed me the staff. Hmm… it’s an ametrine.
A short black staff with a mixture of amber-like yellow and a mysterious shade of purple, like a blend of yellow citrine and deep purple amethyst.
…He finally recognized that his magical affinity includes not only earth magic but also poison magic. Well, I had a feeling.
“I was planning to buy a mace, but I changed my occupation.”
“What!?”
As I was about to ask about Kariya’s shopping, he suddenly dropped a bombshell.
“I became a ‘Holy Knight.'”
Oh no… he’s becoming an advanced class… Has he had some thoughts about it? Well, even if he becomes a “Holy Knight,” he’ll probably still be assigned as a healer due to the preferences of the rest of the party.
“So, um, I bought a sword.”
It was a slim sword resembling a cross. Given its decorations, I assume it can also serve as a substitute for a staff.
“I think my armor is still fine, so if it becomes necessary, I’ll get new ones. Sorry about that.”
…He’s the type who feels guilty about spending money, isn’t he?
“I bought a lot of ranged weapons, so Kariya, you don’t need to worry too much, right?”
In contrast, Hariu doesn’t seem to care much about that. Well, that’s a good attitude.
He showed the various ranged weapons he bought, as well as a short sword that would probably serve as his main weapon. Despite having different materials and craftsmanship, each one seemed like a finely made tool.
“I looked at swords, but couldn’t find a good one. And when I tried on armor, it was too heavy. So I ended up not buying anything this time.”
And Suzumoto, unexpectedly, had no purchases.
“I bought a whole set. It’s light and durable, so it’s nice.”
On the other hand, Toriumi did a complete equipment overhaul. He changed everything, but… he still had a full plate armor and a large halberd.
However, the color had changed quite a bit. The Demon Lord Army equipment was all black, and before that, it was silver. This time, he had armor made of a strange metal with a reddish hue.
It’s probably some kind of fantasy metal. Yeah.
It’s light, he said, so I decided to try lifting it myself…
…Huh? Is this light? Seriously, is it light?
“Hahaha, there’s no way Maito-san could lift it.”
Hariu burst into laughter. I asked Hariu to try lifting it, and…
“Woah! …Huh? What’s this? Huh?”
…It didn’t lift.
We tried lifting it with everyone taking turns, and eventually, Suzumoto managed to lift it, and then Kadomi-kun managed to swing it.
“…Is Toriumi a monster?”
“Hmm? No, I’m a ‘Guardian.'”
Even though his class didn’t change, this… it’s scary, it’s really scary.
“I bought a staff. That’s it,” said Hagasaki-kun, not elaborating any further. So, I informed them that touching it might peel the skin off their hand. Yeah, we don’t want accidents to happen.
With everyone’s shopping results discussed, Kadomi-kun expressed envy, so he decided to go shopping tomorrow morning.
By the way, it seems that the exploration of the Abyss is going smoothly with nothing unusual happening. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Well, tomorrow we’ll go to buy the Home Economics Club members… oh… I have a feeling it’s going to be a hassle again.
While I was trying to extract more information from Homura-kun, it seems that Toriumi, Suzumoto, and Hariu, who had finished their shopping, joined us. As for President, Katori, and Kariya, well… I guess it’s a fantastic shopping spree, so it might take them a while.
I briefly explained the situation to the newcomers.
“…When you say ‘club members,’ you mean the Home Economics Club, right?”
After explaining, Suzumoto and the others had somewhat grim expressions.
“You figured it out pretty easily. That’s impressive!”
Even without Suzumoto, it was quite obvious! The classrooms related to Home Economics were located on the northeastern side of the first floor. So, it was almost certain that the students who started in this town were somehow related to that. Yeah.
“Among the members of the Home Economics Club, there seemed to be some sort of factionalism.”
…Well, that club was quite unusual…
The club attracted students who were interested in that sort of thing to begin with and those who quit other clubs but didn’t want to be labeled as “Going Home Club” members.
The Home Economics Club didn’t have many activity days, and it was thought to be a place where the mysterious power known as “girl power” could increase. It was a good place for girls who had quit other clubs to find their way.
However, in cases like this… Well, you see, there are two types, right? It’s not working out.
So, if it’s not working out, there should be ways to handle it without going head-to-head. But instead of doing that, the newcomers, who were outsiders, seemed to have targeted the values of the established members… Well, let’s stop here. It’s barren. It’s too barren.
In other words, that club was a place where quiet and earnest girls were oppressed by not-so-quiet girls… I feel like there might be some miscommunication in my explanation, but that’s roughly what happened.
The established members are quiet and tend to be one-sidedly pushed around by the newcomers. Probably.
So, regarding this incident, it was probably the outsider girls who sold the quiet established members as slaves to secure funds for themselves. That’s what I inferred.
…I was wrong.
Completely and utterly wrong!
“Apparently, a quiet and unremarkable girl sold a relatively prominent girl. Seriously, girls can be scary,” Homura-kun said.
…Unexpectedly, the opposite happened! The hunted became the hunters!
Summarizing Homura-kun’s story, it goes something like this:
The girls from the Home Economics Club, who started from here, couldn’t afford to have factions in this situation, so they had an unofficial ceasefire and explored the town together.
However, one of the established girls quickly realized the existence of the slave system in this town, or rather, in this world, and became concerned that they might be sold off if they didn’t act.
Well, considering the outsiders had a criminal record, this wasn’t entirely unexpected.
But what’s surprising is what they did next. With the spirit of “strike before being struck,” they sold the outsider girls… as slaves to mining companies.
Homura-kun explained this story in his own words, piecing together the situation from conversations with these established girls and the mining company.
He did a pretty impressive job.
“I thought, you know, I can’t just let human trafficking slide, right? So I considered using force to rescue them. But, well, in this world, human trafficking is a legit business, and the people who buy others have spent money on it. If I use force to rescue them, I’d be a thief. So I gave up and started working part-time.”
Homura-kun seems like he’s not thinking much, but he’s actually thinking about a lot of things. I genuinely admire that about him.
“So, it looks like this can be resolved with money. Maito, how much do you have right now?”
“If I set up the lab, I should have around 200 platinum coins.”
So, we can buy back those 7 people.
“…I’ve been working part-time, you know? My daily wage is 35 copper coins.”
Well, thank you for your hard work.
…But seriously, those who don’t contact you because they think discussing money is uncool are the ones at fault!
We decided to wait patiently at the café while we waited for the rest of Homura-kun’s group to finish their part-time jobs.
By the way, it seems that the two girls from their group are earning quite well, and that’s apparently bothering Homura-kun.
“We’re back!”
…And then, when I heard the commotion from outside the café, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.
“…What’s that?”
“Well, there were some interesting and reasonably priced minerals that seemed like they could be valuable parts. I bought a bunch of them, but then we couldn’t carry them all, so we borrowed the café’s backyard and quickly put this together.”
“Oh, I see. A car?”
What I saw outside was a car, although it was a bit rudimentary in its construction. But from its behavior earlier, it seemed like it could move just fine.
In a world where there are only carriages and boats, seeing something like a car, or rather a large cart that can move on its own, would definitely stand out!
“I found it and decided to hitch a ride.”
“I got caught by President and ended up riding it…”
Well, with something this conspicuous, finding it wouldn’t be too hard.
“…Did it never occur to you, President, to just call me or Toriumi?”
Well, couldn’t you have used “Transfer” and been here instantly?
“Um, sorry, but it just seemed more romantic this way.”
…I can’t completely disagree with that!
Stop looking at me with that sad face! Stop it! I feel guilty! It’s my fault! I messed up!
As the sun was starting to set, we decided to go rescue the Home Economics Club members tomorrow. So, Homura-kun went back to where they were staying, while we headed back to the lab.
…And, of course, since the car-like thing suddenly disappearing would be a problem, we used “Transfer” after going out to the outskirts first.
We moved to the northeast of the 2nd floor, and while we were at it, we called for Kadomi-kun to join us. Let’s have dinner together.
Turnips, turnips. Today’s dinner is all about turnips.
I absolutely love the texture and sweetness of turnips when they’re simmered until tender.
Of course, I like them pickled lightly as well. They’re delicious when roasted with bacon. But simmered turnips are something special.
By the way, my top three favorite vegetables for their tenderness and flavor are eggplants, green onions, and turnips. I won’t accept any objections.
…So today, we have simmered turnips with chicken pot-au-feu, eggplant gratin, and a salad. …I thought about making bread, but I went with rice. Rice fills you up, you know…
While enjoying our meal, I asked everyone about their shopping results.
“I bought some things that could be used as parts.”
“Oh, Katori, you’re fine.”
I’ve already seen the enormous amount he bought, and there’s no doubt I won’t understand what those parts are for even if I ask.
“I bought some ores for chemical purposes, and a staff.”
Saying that, President showed me the staff. Hmm… it’s an ametrine.
A short black staff with a mixture of amber-like yellow and a mysterious shade of purple, like a blend of yellow citrine and deep purple amethyst.
…He finally recognized that his magical affinity includes not only earth magic but also poison magic. Well, I had a feeling.
“I was planning to buy a mace, but I changed my occupation.”
“What!?”
As I was about to ask about Kariya’s shopping, he suddenly dropped a bombshell.
“I became a ‘Holy Knight.'”
Oh no… he’s becoming an advanced class… Has he had some thoughts about it? Well, even if he becomes a “Holy Knight,” he’ll probably still be assigned as a healer due to the preferences of the rest of the party.
“So, um, I bought a sword.”
It was a slim sword resembling a cross. Given its decorations, I assume it can also serve as a substitute for a staff.
“I think my armor is still fine, so if it becomes necessary, I’ll get new ones. Sorry about that.”
…He’s the type who feels guilty about spending money, isn’t he?
“I bought a lot of ranged weapons, so Kariya, you don’t need to worry too much, right?”
In contrast, Hariu doesn’t seem to care much about that. Well, that’s a good attitude.
He showed the various ranged weapons he bought, as well as a short sword that would probably serve as his main weapon. Despite having different materials and craftsmanship, each one seemed like a finely made tool.
“I looked at swords, but couldn’t find a good one. And when I tried on armor, it was too heavy. So I ended up not buying anything this time.”
And Suzumoto, unexpectedly, had no purchases.
“I bought a whole set. It’s light and durable, so it’s nice.”
On the other hand, Toriumi did a complete equipment overhaul. He changed everything, but… he still had a full plate armor and a large halberd.
However, the color had changed quite a bit. The Demon Lord Army equipment was all black, and before that, it was silver. This time, he had armor made of a strange metal with a reddish hue.
It’s probably some kind of fantasy metal. Yeah.
It’s light, he said, so I decided to try lifting it myself…
…Huh? Is this light? Seriously, is it light?
“Hahaha, there’s no way Maito-san could lift it.”
Hariu burst into laughter. I asked Hariu to try lifting it, and…
“Woah! …Huh? What’s this? Huh?”
…It didn’t lift.
We tried lifting it with everyone taking turns, and eventually, Suzumoto managed to lift it, and then Kadomi-kun managed to swing it.
“…Is Toriumi a monster?”
“Hmm? No, I’m a ‘Guardian.'”
Even though his class didn’t change, this… it’s scary, it’s really scary.
“I bought a staff. That’s it,” said Hagasaki-kun, not elaborating any further. So, I informed them that touching it might peel the skin off their hand. Yeah, we don’t want accidents to happen.
With everyone’s shopping results discussed, Kadomi-kun expressed envy, so he decided to go shopping tomorrow morning.
By the way, it seems that the exploration of the Abyss is going smoothly with nothing unusual happening. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Well, tomorrow we’ll go to buy the Home Economics Club members… oh… I have a feeling it’s going to be a hassle again.
