Jin the Sharpener
In the end, I barely slept at all before the sun came up.
Ahh, it's so bright. I'm sleepy. I want to keep sleeping.
I curled up in my futon, blocking out the sunlight. So warm… so comfortable.
(I'm suuuper happy you're using me so much~)
See? Even Futon-kun says so.
It's not my fault. It's Futon-kun's fault for being so wonderfully embracing…
"How long are you planning to sleep?"
"GYAAAH!!"
My retinas! My retinas are burning!
(Wheee~)
My futon fluttered through the air.
Damn it! Give me back my favorite blanket!
With no choice, I got up. Lufen was standing there with her hands on her hips, already fully dressed and looking ready for the day.
"All right. Time to get you ready."
"... It's way too early..."
"A merchant's day starts early. You don't even have the basics down yet, so at least put some effort into this."
Ugh… this is awful. I'm so sleepy. This is awful.
I climbed out of bed and grabbed the clothes lying on the floor.
Smack.
"Ow."
"First, wash your face and wake yourself up. And from today onward, you're wearing these instead. Throw those ragged clothes away."
She shoved a set of somewhat nicer-looking clothes into my arms.
These were way too good for someone like me.
"But these are still perfectly wearable."
"Merchanting Rule Number One: appearances matter. At the very least, keep yourself looking neat. Better yet, go wash yourself."
"Ugh... first thing in the morning...?"
"If you don't want to rise to the top as a merchant, then fine."
Ghk… right where it hurt.
Guess I'd better listen to Lufen for now.
I dumped a bucket of water from the water jar over my head.
It was cold, but it woke me up instantly. Actually… it felt kind of nice.
Morning baths weren't bad after all.
Drying my hair with a towel, I headed back into the living room.
A savory aroma drifted into my nose.
Breakfast. It smelled amazing. Lufen must've made it.
"That's a pretty fancy breakfast for this early."
"You can pay me back after you've made it big."
"Geh. You're charging me?"
"I'm kidding. You're going to be working all day, so you need your strength. Come on, sit down. I'll fix your hair."
She sat me down in a chair and started combing my hair.
Well, it wasn't something I could do myself, so I left it to her.
I ate freshly baked bread with rich cheese and a fried egg.
A hot breakfast first thing in the morning. Delicious.
As I quietly ate, Lufen apparently found herself in a good mood and started humming.
"You're cheerful."
"It's just... this reminds me of the old days. I used to do your hair like this all the time."
"I remember. The bitter memories of being used as your dress-up doll."
"What a horrible thing to say about such sparkling memories."
Everyone remembered things differently.
By the time I finished eating, she seemed to be done fixing my hair too.
I changed into the clothes she'd given me, and Lufen's eyes sparkled.
"Oh~! They look amazing on you! I knew I picked the right outfit!"
"Tada!" Using an application of her Light skill, she created something like a mirror.
My whole body was reflected in it.
… It felt like the clothes were wearing me.
And I wasn't comfortable.
Clothes this fancy just didn't suit me.
"I think I'll just wear my usual…"
"Zip it. All right, next stop. Grab every old knife you've still got and whatever money you have left."
Once Lufen got like this, there was no stopping her.
I'd just quietly follow along.
I gathered everything she'd asked for and followed after her.
After crossing several streets, we left Merchant Ring Street and entered Black Furnace Street.
Black Furnace Street was where people maintained equipment and had custom weapons made.
Why were we here...?
I'd hardly ever come to this part of town.
As expected, the clientele was completely different.
There were lots of rough-looking guys like that thug from the other day.
Not wanting to get separated, I stayed glued to Lufen's side. She laughed as if making fun of me.
"Scared?"
"I-I'm not scared."
"Sure, sure. You've got your big sister with you, so you'll be fine. Ah, here we are."
… Here?
I'd noticed it with some of the other buildings too, but this one was especially old.
It was covered in scars, and holes in the walls had been crudely patched with wooden boards.
Even so… it carried an overwhelming sense of gravitas.
It had that sort of atmosphere that seemed to say, “No first-time customers.”
As I stood there overwhelmed by its presence, Lufen walked inside without a second thought.
She'd actually got a lot more guts than I'd given her credit for...
"Uhh... excuse me..."
(Yaaay~ Welcome, customer. The old man's hooome.)
Ah, good. I could talk to buildings too.
That made me feel a little more at ease as I stepped inside.
Rows upon rows of swords and blades greeted me.
"... Amazing..."
Even an amateur like me could tell. Every last one of them was a masterpiece.
Each blade had been sharpened to perfection. They looked sharp enough to split even a falling drop of water in two.
"Dyrel, over here."
Lufen called me deeper into the shop.
In what looked like a workshop, an old man wearing a headband was sharpening a longsword.
"Let me introduce you. This is Jingo, the fifth-generation master sharpener of Jin's Sharpening Shop."
Jingo stopped what he was doing and looked our way.
I got it. She wanted him to sharpen my knives.
Then I should be the one to introduce myself first.
"Nice to meet you. I'm…"
"Get out, you little brat."
Communication mode… off.
Decision made. I hate this guy.
What do you think about this chapter?
