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Chapter 10. The Sign Girl In The Wilderness

"Hya?!"

A girl stood in the middle of the room in her underwear.

She hastily tried to pull a red dress from the bed towards her body and ended up falling. 

She appeared to be around 10 years old, with a thin overall build. Something she was holding flew out of her hand and rolled to my feet.

A metal rod about 15 centimeters long with a spherical decoration at the tip. It looked like a lollipop with a stick.

I picked it up and helped the girl up. 

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes... Oh, that thing!"

The girl reached out for the mysterious rod, not a lollipop, and I placed it in her hand without teasing her. 

She sighed in relief.

I had no interest in the naked little girl, so I turned around.

"Hurry up and put on your clothes."

"I-I'm done."

When I turned back, a girl in a red dress was standing there. 

She had dull blond hair tied behind her neck with a string. 

Whether it was curly hair or poor hair quality, it had a slight wave.

Her facial features were very cute, and she seemed destined to become a beauty with slightly pronounced Western features.

"So, what were you doing?"

"I'm Narnia, the daughter of Whale Inn's owner. Welcome."

Ah, she's the innkeeper's daughter. 

But why was she in her underwear? 

Could it be due to adolescence?

"I was cleaning! These are new clothes, and I didn't want to get them dirty! Besides, customers rarely come at this time..."

"Well, if you didn't want to get them dirty, you should've just not worn them in the first place."

"But... I wanted to wear them."

Ah, I can't entirely blame her.

It's a child's decision.

"So, is the cleaning done?"

"...Not yet."

"Then go ahead."

I'm not the type to say whether I'll help or not. 

If it's her job, she should do it properly.

She pinched the hem of her dress, looking momentarily sad, but quickly switched gears. 

With a "Chupacha." she held the metal ball stick in the center of the room.

"Oh, customer, please wait in the hallway."

"Hm? Okay."

Although it didn't look like she was cleaning, I didn't want to be a hindrance. 

I obediently took a few steps back.

"...Hmm! Become clean... become clean... Ei!"

Narnia muttered as she held the metal rod with both hands, and the metal ball briefly lit up, spreading throughout the room.

Wait, what just happened?

Ignoring my surprise and confusion, she efficiently swept the floor with a broom and dustpan placed at the side. 

After a quick bed-making, she turned around energetically.

"Hey, what did you just do?"

"Haven't you seen it, customer?"

She proudly puffed out her flat chest and flashed the mysterious rod.

"No, I haven't."

"This is a tool imbued with the power of cleaning."

"A tool of cleaning?"

It sounded familiar, but I couldn't recall where I had heard it before.

"It's an item that allows you to use one cleaning spell. Haven't you heard of it, even though you're a merchant?"

"Why do you think I'm a merchant?"

"Well, because you wear expensive clothes I've never seen before, you have glasses, and despite that, you don't seem experienced in traveling. I thought you might be a fledgling merchant."

Narnia pointed at my worn-out shoes. For shoes, I can understand, but glasses make me a merchant?

"You have good observation skills. I'm a fledgling merchant from a distant land. I invested all my money in a ship and sank with it along with the cargo."

"Oh, that's unfortunate. This country is currently putting a lot of effort into maritime trade, so if a new trade route could be established, it would have been a big profit."

I mentally noted that.

"Well, I sewed some silver coins into my clothes, so I'm starting from scratch."

It was a blatant lie

But my conscience didn't hurt a bit.

"Indeed, you're right, Merchant-san. You don't get up for free, even if you fall."

"Well, considering I picked up this life, I shouldn't waste it. But more importantly, that cleaning tool of yours is amazing."

"Hehe, it's a treasure of this shop. The cleaning tool and the illumination tool are reasonably priced, but they're still expensive."

"How much does it cost?"

"The price varies depending on the day, but it's probably more than 5 gold coins."

I understand the value of copper and silver coins, but gold coins are still unclear. 

If it's something like a million, it's out of my reach. 

I wanted to get various things because they seemed useful.

"However... it's like magic, isn't it?"

"Magic?"

Narnia tilted her head in response to my mutterings.

"Magic is like those exaggerated powers or arts that appear in picture books, right?"

"Are those two different things?"

"Arts are powers that have been properly explained, but magic only appears in fairy tales. If you call arts magic nowadays, you'll get laughed at. Pupu~"

She laughed at the end as if saying it was embarrassing.

But she's quite knowledgeable and well-read for a young girl.

"How old are you, Narnia?"

"Hm? I just turned 12. Hmm, get a bit richer and propose to me, okay?"

A girl giving me a disappointed look with upturned eyes is formidable, but I'm not interested.

"Haha, don't regret it; I'll become rich in no time."

I ruffled her hair, and she showed a smile appropriate for her age, saying, "Take your time!" as she went to the next room.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like a bad inn.

There was one thing that surprised me— the window in the room.

While the basic structure is made of wooden boards, there's a palm-sized glass in the middle that lets in natural light. 

This way, even during rain, wind, or sandstorms, it could bring a decent amount of light.

Whether the uneven construction is due to technical problems or the use of cheap materials isn't clear.

I somehow lean towards the latter.

Since it's tightly fitted, it doesn't seem easy to steal.

I looked around the room again.

There's a narrow bed, and when I lifted the sheet, it was filled with straw.

Surprisingly, it smelled good.

Although the top blanket was quite worn out, it didn't smell bad even when I brought my nose close.

Perhaps they wash it frequently.

The earlier wooden window is now wide open with a sturdy pole.

Peeking outside, I could see the main street below.

Despite the width of the road, there wasn't much foot traffic, and occasionally, a carriage would pass by.

For a town—or rather, a country of this size, the population seems small.

There are various things I need to do, but I want to rest for today.

"Limit... reached."

I collapsed onto the straw bed and fell into a deep sleep, feeling like mud.