Chapter 70
"Eh … erm, you too … that … erm."
Marina glanced at me repeatedly from behind the shadow of the female shopkeeper — Kannon.
… It felt like her personality was totally different from before.
"I’m also a Wanderer."
"I see … erm … yes, erm."
We’re totally not conversing.
When I thought so, Kannon sighed as she returned the black mask she took onto Marina.
As a result, her expression changed,
"Oo, I didn’t expect to meet a fellow countryman in such a remote place. I’ll disregard your act of suddenly referring to me as ‘you’. Let us drink fine sake together till we’re intoxicated tonight to celebrate our reunion." (TL: The ‘you’ used is a term used to call people of equal or inferior status.)
" … Kannon … I’d like to ask just one thing, Marina is …"
"Yeah, she has a fear of strangers to the extremes. When she puts on the mask enchanted with magic to treat shyness, her personality changes. Her real name is Malina but when she’s in this personality she calls herself Marina."
A mask enchanted with magical power?
… It’s just a mask no matter how I look at it though … maybe she’s been tricked?
Nevertheless, it’s fine if it really treats her fear of strangers even if she’s deceiving her so I’ll keep quiet about it.
"Marina, are you a slave? If you’re a j.a.panese then you should have received some special blessing so you shouldn’t have had to struggle to live?"
"Yup. It wasn’t a struggle. My blessing is the ability to release unique jobs, in other words, I can cause the ability of an Archmage to bloom — Ah … Kannon, please … mask … return it."
Kannon s.n.a.t.c.hed the mask and Marina … no, Malina sat down on the spot weakly.
"You may have noticed but her job is Street Performer or a specialized job for street performances. It was also the first time I heard of such a job. But, she has this personality … there’s no way she can conduct street performances so she used up her money and became a slave."
" … Why exactly did you become a Street Performer?"
"To … Torerul-sama … when I told Torerul-sama that I wanted a blessing that will allow me to get along with various people … she chose this job for me because it would be able to get along with a lot of people."
So that’s why she became a Street Performer huh.
Rather, Torerul-sama, she definitely chose it irresponsibly.
She most likely didn’t think about what would come after.
"Hence, I bought her, gave her a mask that would eliminate her fear as a present and we traveled the world with the 2 of us but …"
" … Please, Kannon, don’t leave me behind."
"I told you right. I have promised old acquaintances to do certain tasks so I’ve decided to sell you here. Tentatively, I did mention that I will give Malina your freedom if you earn more than 10000 sense by your performances. Currently, how much have you acc.u.mulated?"
"1820 sense …"
"That means, I will be selling you to the son of the chief at the border town on Dakyat side famous for being a womanizer."
"No … no way … I … I, can’t do anything."
"It doesn’t matter that you can’t do anything. The other party came to me on their own accord."
" … No way."
Malina was already in tears.
"Ah
"Errand?"
"Yeah. I was requested to deliver this kitchen knife to the proprietress of the inn living in Dakyat’s capital, Feruit. If you return before I finish packing up, I’ll bring you along for my journey."
" … No way … that is impossible on my own."
Kannon covered Marina with the mask.
Upon doing so, the Malina that had collapsed in tears stood up, pointed at me and declared.
"Fellow countryman there. Descendant of the hero that descended from the land of the rising sun."
"No, my successive generation of ancestors were common folk. I’m not the descendant of a hero."
"Such trifle doesn’t matter. How about it? Do you require the escort of an Archmage? If you’re going to Dakyat, if you decide now, I’ll escort you for free."
I thought for a moment and decided to ignore it,
"Sorry, we’ll manage ourselves."
and said so. Since she somehow looked like she would be a troublesome child.
"What? Do you still not believe in my ability? If that’s the case, I shall show you my prized trick."
Saying so, Marina took out 7 b.a.l.l.s from her pocket.
Rather, you, you just naturally called it a ‘trick’ yourself!
"With my Floating Magic, I will freely manipulate these 7 b.a.l.l.s!"
Saying that, she began tossing the 7 b.a.l.l.s.
Upward and downwards, to the left and right, and even behind.
The b.a.l.l.s all bounced off the walls and goods and sometimes they collided against each other but they all returned to her hands.
With those strange ball movements, the scattered gallery reformed.
"How is it, this ball movement as if they are alive!? This is precisely a taboo magic. By injecting transient souls into the inanimate b.a.l.l.s, it is a secret art that manipulates b.a.l.l.s just like rabbits that leap out and return."
Er, you, didn’t you just say it was Floating Magic just now. Rather, it may be very advanced but it is simply just juggling.
Nevertheless, what’s amazing is that those b.a.l.l.s were made of wood. Although it seemed like a wood material that is slightly soft, it won’t bounce as well as rubber b.a.l.l.s.
Despite that, her juggling was perfect.
So this is the true value of a Street Performer huh.
Five minutes later, there was a Marina with a pleased expression collecting the mountain of copper coin donations.
"How is it, my super magic?"
"Even if you ask me for my opinion …"
"I’ll ask of you too. This girl, she’s like this when she has her mask on but originally she was apparently a Hikikomori girl with stranger anxiety. I’ll be worried if she goes on an errand on her own. I’ll even give you the Rod of Aklapios as present if you agree now."
That is definitely a rip-off of the Rod of Asklepios. Furthermore, it’s quite sloppy.
If I searched the search engines for the Rod of Aklapios,
【Rod of Asklepios was found. Do you wish to re-submit your search as Rod of Asklepios?】
it’s a rip-off to the extent that something like that would occur.
The 1% increase in magical power is also dubious.
To be honest, 1% can be treated as within the range of error depending on a person’s physical condition on that day.
"Ha~ … well, I have various things I want to ask about so there’s no helping it. In exchange, please pay for your own share of the cross-border tax and town entry tax. Also, please do your best on your own to return from Dakyat town to here."
"Negotiations established. Then, this. The doc.u.ments that allow you to become this child’s master, the kitchen knife, and the letter addressed to that proprietress. Properly deliver it okay."
"Is there a need to become Marina’s owner?"
"She won’t be able to cross the country border if she’s not with her master because she would be suspected of being a runaway slave right?"
If that’s the reasoning, then how would she return?
Would she be able to cross the border with her owner not present?
Or, would we have to look after her for the return trip as well?
I’ll definitely not want that.
"Haru, Carol, so she would be joining us for now but well, she doesn’t look like a bad person anyway."
I guess there won’t be any issues with just bringing her along.
The 2 of them also agreed.
"By the way, is it alright to leave the doves alone?"
"Eh? Aaaa! Please come back! Taro! Hanako! Ichiro!"
Marina waved both her hands grandly towards the sky.
After that, it took about 10 minutes for the doves to return and we, with one additional Street Performer, rode the horse carriage and headed towards Dakyat.