The Neighborhood High School Girl, Miss Isezaki, Is the Great Saintess Returned from Another World~ And I, Suddenly Awakened as Her Exclusive Mana Supply Uncle, Travel Between Earth and Another World with Time-Space Magic~ - 167. Walking the Shortcut

167. 167. 167. 167. Walking the Shortcut

We decided to leave the magic stone mine through the shortcut Maristel knew. By the way, she had used Dimensional Teleportation in front of me once, but that was using a magical tool and apparently a one-way trip from the surface to the workshop.

Maristel seemed to have no intention of resisting anymore, as she walked ahead of us with drooping shoulders. From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t seem like the type to be good at pretending, so she must be really down. After a while, Maristel let out another weary sigh.

“Ohhhh… How pitiful am I…? From now on, I’ll be exploited and worn out by the humans…”

“Oh, Maristel. Despite saying you’d do anything, you won’t stop saying such unpleasant things after we saved your life, will you?”

It was Isezaki who responded. Staring at her with cold eyes, Maristel returned her words while trembling.

“W-Well, I’m grateful not to be killed, you know? But, you see, for a young and beautiful demon like me, a hundred years is a really precious time! It’s okay to vent a little, right? Look, my neck doesn’t seem to be tight anymore!”

Maristel touched her own neck and checked the snack necklace. Indeed, it seemed that it wouldn’t react to just complaints. Come to think of it, though, Isezaki’s magic is amazing.

“I’ll be 146 by the time the magic of this necklace runs out, you know? Demons have longer lifespans than you guys, but still, a hundred years is tough. Oh, by the way, how old is Isezaki? You can’t tell a human’s age by their appearance, can you?”

“…I’m seventeen.”

“Huh? You’re only seventeen!? That’s like a brat among demons! And after a hundred years, you’ll become a wrinkled old hag, won’t you!? Or maybe you’ll die before that!? Anyway, humans are really interesting, aren’t they? Hahaha! Hey, Isezaki, how does it feel to become an old hag in a hundred years? What does it feel like!? Hahaha!”

“…You’re annoying. It seems like you still don’t understand your position. Should I shut that mouth of yours right now…?”

“Eek, just kidding, just kidding! If it’s you, you’ll probably still be alive even after you’re a hundred years old, so relax!”

“I’m not worried about that!”

Isezaki and Maristel bickered back and forth. Somehow, they seemed to get along. Perhaps it’s not entirely wrong to say that friendship sprouted from risking their lives together.

As I watched the two of them bicker amicably, I realized that I had forgotten to convey something important.

“Oh, right, Maristel-san. We haven’t discussed the reward yet.”

“R-Reward?”

Maristel, who had been bantering with Isezaki, stopped and tilted her head. She seemed to have no idea what I was talking about.

“It’s about the reward. If you’re going to protect this area, you’ll need a reward, right?”

“You mean, food and water aren’t enough for a reward?”

“No, no, basic necessities are a given… It’s something beyond that.”

I didn’t intend to make her work for free. Well, there’s a possibility she might find joy in defending the mine and keeping her motivation high, but that’s exploiting her sense of achievement. If you want good quality work, you need to provide appropriate rewards. I might not have left my previous job if they paid according to the work I did.

“Husband? Maybe it’s better not to spoil her too much… Also, you don’t need to use polite language with someone like her.”

“No, Isezaki-san, rewards for work are important. Also, Maristel-san seems to be older than me, so…”

If Maristel is currently forty-six years old, she’s more than a decade older than me. Now that I recognize that, it’s awkward to speak casually. That’s all.

“If that’s what my husband says…”

With a small nod, Isezaki seemed to understand. 

“If you tell us what you want to eat or what you want, we’ll bring it next time. Or would you prefer money?”

“I don’t think I need money in such a remote place… Oh, by the way, you guys said you’re peddlers. Hmm, in that case…”

Resting her chin on her hand, Maristel thought. She had finished introducing herself during the journey so far. She seemed to be considering things that might be handled in peddling.

After a while, Maristel muttered something under her breath.

“If that’s the case, I’d like a cute doll.”

“Eh, no, collecting corpses is a bit…”

Though she referred to the revenants as dolls, collecting corpses was understandably out of the question. But Maristel frowned as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“Huh? That’s not it. This, this! This cute little doll attached to this necklace! Don’t you handle these too?”

Saying so, Maristel lifted up the snack necklace hanging around her neck. The small and adorable character face on the pendant swayed gently.

“Eh, this is what you want?”

“Yes! It’s really… really good…! Even if it’s cursed with an annoying engagement spell, among all the ones I’ve seen, this is one of the cutest!”

Maristel gazed at the tiny face with sparkling eyes. Honestly, the combination of the sexy beauty Maristel and the cute snack necklace felt a bit off, but… well, if she likes it, then that’s fine.

“In that case, I’ll bring products inspired by it next time.”

“Oh, that’s right, Isezaki-sama! Don’t forget mine too!”

“Indeed, Colin-chan needs one too.”

“Oh my, kiddo. You like this too? You have a good taste. This is really cute, isn’t it~”

“Reluctantly, I agree! Looking at it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!”

“I totally get that!”

Colin and Maristel started chatting excitedly. These two also seem to get along well.

…By the way, watching us with a puzzled expression from a distance is Regina. Well, I guess that’s her usual attitude.

And so, we escaped from the magic stone mine with a strangely pleasant atmosphere, completely different from when we arrived.

By the way, when I casually asked Isezaki about ‘entertainment orcs’ on the way, she just smiled and answered, ‘It’s a secret ♡’, and then didn’t say anything else. For some reason, I felt a mysterious pressure from her smile, so I decided not to pry further and vowed in my heart never to mention it again.