Chapter 13 – CLICHé DEVELOPMENT
In the end there wasn’t enough time that day to start making a 『Water Heater』, Jin and Beana finished their lunch, and like yesterday, they opened the stall.
「Somehow it feels like there’s more people than yesterday」
The crowd had increased compared to yesterday. The two of them immediately began preparations.
「Ohh, we’ve been waiting」
「Quickly make some」
「Okay, please wait~」
Beana began to make popcorn while Jin arranged the magic tools for display. There Reiko joined. Jin upon seeing Reiko’s figure,
「Oh, Reiko. Already finished?」
「Yes. The purchase of barley, wheat, and pepper is done」
They whispered to each other so the noisy customers didn’t hear it.
「Alright, then come help me out here」
「Understood」
And so Reiko joined as a salesperson too.
「Ara, what a cute child. Is she your little sister?」
One of the customers said. Jin and Reiko, both had black hair so they appeared to be brother and sister.
「No, I…」
am his daughter, was what Jin interrupted Reiko from saying,
「That’s right. She came to help」
「Heeh, what a good girl. Ah, please give me one of these lighters please. The one I bought and took home yesterday was taken by my mother-in-law as she said “this is great”」
「Okay, thank you for your patronage」
Handing over the lighter, Jin received the money. Reiko seemed displeased. However Jin whispered,
「Reiko, we’ll only pretend you’re my sister here. We don’t want our problems increasing」
「I understand… Onii-sama」
Like that, the popcorn and lighter were sold out this day like the day before.
「We sold out today too」
「Aah, that’s great」
While they had their conversation and heading towards Beana’s home, a group of people ahead intercepted them.
「Hehehe, you seem to be making quite the profit recently, huh?」
「You should share a little bit of that profit with us」
There were four bad looking men. All four carried a sword on their waist.
「… uwa. Talk about cliché」
Jin was amazed, but without minding Jin the men reached their hands towards the pouch hanging on Beana’s waist.
「What do you think you’re doing! This is today’s sales!」
Beana slapped away his hand.
「Liiiike I said, share a little with us」
「Don’t joke with me! Why do I have to share with you!」
There was the same stubborn Beana as always. Jin,
「What you’re saying sounds like a thief, you do know that right?」
He enquired. Then one of them,
「What about it!」
Saying that, he attacked while aiming at Jin.
However, the next moment, that man was in the air. And like that,
「Heguu!」
He made a weird scream as he was slammed to the ground, then there was silence.
「What were you trying to do to Father?」
Of course that was Reiko’s doing. The remaining three men couldn’t believe that Reiko who seemed only about 10 years old had done that,
「What the hell did you do just now?」
「Did she use magic?」
They began to shout. Jin towards those guys,
「It’s best you take that person and go back」
He said, but the men didn’t listen to that warning.
「Are you screwing with me? Are you blind that you don’t understand?」
As he said that, one of the men drew their sword from their waist.
「Let’s give you a little bit of pain」
Saying that he slashed at Jin. However, that sword did not reach Jin.
「Don’t say things you can’t do」
Saying that from behind him, Reiko snatched the sword from him instantly.
「Wha-What!?」
「Such a blunt sword, there’s no way it’s useful」
Saying that, Reiko showed in front of the man’s eyes, her bending the blade.
「A-Are you a monster!?」
The remaining two driven by fear, drew their sword and recklessly began to swing.
「That’s dangerous」
However in a blink of an eye Reiko had taken those swords, crumpling them into a ball in her hand this time.
「U-UWAAAAAA!」
Seeing that, the men ran away disregarding the unconscious one.
「Cowards」
After saying that, Reiko caught up to the three, giving one a blow in the solar plexus. Another one, a chop to the back of the neck. And the last one was hurled away, fainting.
「Father, I’m done」
「Aah, good work」
The two conversed that way as if it was natural, Beana,
「Reiko is too amazing. Like this my 『Rod of Paralysis』 isn’t useful at all」
She sighed with a complaint.
「So, what should we do with these guys?」
The four were splendidly sprawled out on the ground.
「Let’s see, tie them up and hand them over to the guards」
「Got it」
Jin reformed the swords the men carried with 『《Forming》』 into a wire, tying up the men.
「That’s an interesting way to use it」
《Forming》 is a Craft Magic, Beana can use it too so she imitated reforming the sword into wire, tying up the last one.
「Now then, first we’ll put away our things then go hand over these guys」
「Okay」
They fastened the unconscious men just in case. And so the three returned to Beana’s house to put away their things.
「Well then, shall we go hand over these guys?」
「Yeah, although it’s bothersome」
The three of them then returned, the four were still unconscious.
「What shall we do?」
「Father, I’ll go drag them」
Just like she said, Reiko dragged the four, still unconscious, to the soldier guardroom. Against the stone, their trousers seemed to fray. That was something Jin and the others didn’t care about.
＊ ＊ ＊
「Why can’t you make it! Incompetent!」
The jeer resounded in the mansion.
「Young Master, the finest corn, the finest oil, the finest salt were used however…」
「What’s the finest! This is burnt and isn’t the least bit swelled is it! Like I could eat this!」
The plate with the burnt corn was thrown away.
「What could the problem be? It seemed so simple to make though…」
There was no answer to that grumble.