Toying Around with Toys

It was late at night and I could hear the bustling of people in front of the shop.

I drowsily got up from my kotatsu in the inner tatami room.

[Yuusuke-san, open up!]

From Merle's voice, I could tell that they weren't in dire straits.

It seems that they have returned safely.

I opened the door as quickly as I can.

[Welcome back. Come on in and warm yourself up.]

[Well, it was my first night hunt, and I was pretty nervous.]

All three of them were shivering from the cold, but they didn't seem to be badly hurt.

I ushered the three of them into the kotatsu and prepared tea and snacks.

[I'd heard rumors, but the dungeon at night really is dangerous. There are all kinds of monsters that we've never even seen before.]

[Right. Still, we've somehow worked things out thanks to the Legendary Nail Bat. It's reassuring to know that it can deal fixed damage.]

""

Perhaps due to using too much mana, Mira's face has turned into an almost translucent paleness.

[Even so, we've earned quite a bit of money.]

Marco's face is red, seeming excited.

[So much?]

Merle answered my question with her chest puffed out.

[We've got 97000 rims, you know!? 97000 rims! We earned what is usually 5 days of our in just 3 hours.]

That's quite a lot.

Even if they split it among the three of them, that's still more than 32000 rims each.

[Good for you, Mira. That should pay for your mother's treatment, right?]

[Yes!]

A hint of blush showed on Mira's pale cheeks.

[Right, right, this is from me. If you're going to send money to your mother, I thought you should give this along with it.]

I gave her a bag of snacks that I had packed for her.

[She'll definitely be sluggish after getting sick, but I'm sure she'll feel better after eating these.]

[Yuusuke-san... Thank you.]

The three of them quickly split the money they had earned.

Thereupon, Merle shouted excitedly.

[Ufufufu, should I buy a new cloak with this? Marco, just stop being a servant and just become a full-time adventurer. Team up with us.]

[If I were to leave the house though, I won't be able to see the madam...]

[Ah, I see.]

That's certainly putting the cart before the horse.

Marco is only doing his best for that madam.

[Yahagi-san, can I shop for some things?]

Marco approached me hesitantly.

[I don't really mind, but are you buying something for her?]

[I had earned a lot tonight, so I thought I'd bring something for the madam.]

Marco's gaze was directed toward the toy section.

It seems that he was thinking of something that could comfort the boredom of that madam who is confined in the mansion.

Well, my place has a lot of cheap toys, but they don't really sell well to adventurers.

At best, I would occasionally sell some playing cards, hanafuda, and other amusement items that could be used for gambling.

There are also puzzles and toys like kendama here, but only the young porters buy them.

Marco put stuff like soap bubbles and slide puzzle in his basket one after another.

He also put all kinds of analog handheld games called Pocket Mates in his basket.

Pocket Mates is a mini-game with many gimmicks built into a plastic case that fits inside one's pocket.

There are different types of games, like one where the player plays by flicking and rolling around small silver ball.

It also includes sports, shooting, mazes and athletic games.

If he buys this many, guess that madam might not be bored for a while.

[All in all, that would be 4600 rims.]

It's rare for people from this world to invest so much in toys like this.

He must really like her.

[That's right, since you bought so many, I'll give you something good as a freebie.]

What I took out was a dorachoco.

Two bite-sized dorayaki filled with chocolate cream, it's an amazing treat that helps you get along with others by sharing it with them.

Thanks to this, I had the chance to talk with Michelle and Bottakuro's Proprietress.

Speaking of which, I wonder how Bottakuro's Proprietress now?

I haven't seen her for a long time.

[I don't serve this in the store because it's a bit dangerous, but this is actually a pastry that brings people closer when shared between two people. If you share this with that madam, you might be able to get to know each other better.]

[That sounds interesting. However, is it safe? I mean, you said it's dangerous...]

[There's no problem if you just share up to five packets. However, if you eat too much of these, it can have a Charm effect, so I don't put them in the store.]

There might be people who abuse it, so I can't be too careful about this.

With how much of a glutton Merle is, I might suddenly find her getting entangled because of this.

[If it brings me closer to the madam...]

Marco carefully put the dorachoco back in his pocket.

[Alright, it's about time we go back and get some sleep.]

[Unnn, I'm exhausted. I think I'll take the day off tomorrow.]

Merle drowsily rubbed her eyes.

Merle and Mira are free to take a day off tomorrow, but Marco, who got a day job at the mansion, could not. 

He will probably have to start work early tomorrow.

Looking at such a Marco, I couldn't help thinking again.

The power of love sure is an amazing thing.

◆

That night, Marco came to Titti with a large sum of money.

[How did you earn this much!?]

Titti inwardly snickered, but a worried expression could be seen on her face.

[I earned it last night in the dungeon. I also monetized the magic crystal drops.]

He had earned 46000 rims in cash, which was much better than his usual earnings.

It seems that the dungeon at night is very profitable.

[Also, please take these too.]

(What's this junk? Moreover, he even brought cheap-looking snacks.)

That was her honest thoughts, but of course, Titti didn't say a word.

[I hope you like them...]

Titti, who has eaten the best pastries made by the best confectioneries, was not pleased with the snacks Marco offered.

She considered telling him she'll eat them later, only to dispose them, or just throwing them away right in front of him.

However, Titti reconsidered.

Her life under confinement had been frugal, and she had not eaten anything sweet in a long time.

She was furious how low her status had fallen, but the snacks in front of her whetted her appetite.

Thinking of pleasing Marco, Titti considered it best to eat them in front of him, so she put a dorachoco in her mouth.

(Hmmm, so-so, I guess...)

Truth was that she found it delicious, but Titti still complained in her mind.

She felt like if she didn't do that, she wouldn't be able to maintain her pride.

[It was incredibly delicious, Marco. I've never had a treat this tasty before. It's even better than the extravagant sweets from the royal court. You must have braved danger to bring it to me.]

Saying this, Titti laid her hand on Marco's.

And at that moment, Marco felt that all his hard work had been worth it.

When Marco left, Titti languidly reached out for the toys.

At first, she thought Marco just brought her worthless playthings, but when she actually tried them, she found them quite interesting.

[Hmmm, well, hadn't he gotten a little useful...]

Titti's eyes fell on one of the products.

Reading the description on the back, her hand trembled.

Product name: Nose Glasses

Description: A disguise set made up of round glasses, eyebrows and a mustache combined. It has a magical effect that makes you look like a completely different person. Let's heat up the party!

Price: 500 rims

This is the perfect item for escaping from prison.

Titti immediately tried it on.

When she looked in a mirror, she was met with the face of a silly-looking middle-aged man. If she were to wear a wig and men's clothing, no one should recognize him now.

[Fufufu, he really had gotten himself useful. Ahahaha!]

Titti's laughter did not stop for a while.