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~ - 42. Shopping
42. Shopping
In the next moment, we arrived at a certain alley in Japan.
Although we had spent several hours in the other world, it seemed that hardly any time had passed, and the sky we gazed upon remained as it was, still in the evening.
Nevertheless, this alley was dimly lit, with no signs of any pedestrians. Frankly, it wasn’t a place where you’d want to linger.
“Sir, where exactly is this?” Isezaki-san looked around anxiously.
“This is an alley near the company I used to work for. It was a shortcut, so I often used it. Come this way,” I guided Isezaki-san, making sure she didn’t catch sight of the dubious-looking hotel on the other side, and quickly headed out of the alley towards the main street.
—
And then, we arrived at the shopping mall. From groceries to daily necessities, electronics to miscellaneous items, as far as I knew, this place had the best selection. From here, we would split up and go our separate ways.
“Well then, let’s split up now and each buy what we think we’ll need for the journey. It’s best to discuss it together, but time is limited. Oh, Isezaki-san, do you have any money?”
“I don’t have any money, but I have this.” Saying so, Isezaki-san gently revealed what appeared to be a credit card from her bag.
I didn’t think high school students could have credit cards, but it seemed she had glimpsed the darkness of being wealthy. It was the first time I had seen such a black card. Well, it seemed like she had plenty of funds, even more so than me.
Feeling relieved, I sent Isezaki-san on her way and decided to head out to buy the necessary items for the journey.
As I walked alone inside the shopping mall, I reflected on Lady Levia’s story.
According to her, it would take about ten days by carriage to reach the capital. It seemed like a reasonable timeframe in their world’s standards, but it was quite a long journey by ours.
Even though we could return to Japan anytime during that period, spending just an hour there would mean ten hours would pass in the other world.
If our return got delayed for some reason, Lady Levia might misunderstand and think we had disappeared. It would be best to finish shopping just this once.
First, I went to a camping supply store and decided to purchase items such as a sleeping bag and an LED lantern that would be useful for camping.
There would be one carriage. As a man, I was destined to sleep outside.
The sleeping bag cost 20,000 yen, the LED lantern 5,000 yen, and a large quantity of batteries. Even though I hadn’t yet figured out a plan for funds, it felt like my cash was disappearing rapidly. But I decided not to dwell on it too much.
To be honest, I couldn’t deny feeling a bit excited. After all, it was a long journey by carriage, which sounded like fun.
During the day, I would gaze at the magnificent nature from the carriage, and at night, I would sleep while gazing at the moon by the campfire—what could be better?
As for camping companions, cup noodles were, of course, bought in bulk. Although I was a camping novice, I had heard from a colleague who loved camping that cup noodles eaten during camping were exceptional.
And so, I impulsively bought things as my feelings led me. Some of the items made me tilt my head afterward, wondering, “Was this necessary?” It was a bit scary how the excitement of the journey led to a bit of reflection.
Continuing to shop like that, as the luggage began to pile up, I discreetly put them in the “Storage Space” in an inconspicuous place—before I knew it, the enjoyable shopping time had come to an end.
—
I waited for Isezaki-san at the entrance of the shopping mall, our designated meeting point.
“Hey, Isez—”
“Hmm?”
I felt like I heard a voice resembling Aihara’s, but… perhaps it was just my imagination.
I looked around, but there was no sign of Aihara. Instead, I saw Isezaki-san running towards me.
“I’m back, sir!” Isezaki-san approached, out of breath. She seemed to have done a lot of shopping herself, especially noticeable were the cushions she carried in both arms.
Perhaps noticing my gaze fixed on the cushions, Isezaki-san, still holding them, stared at me intently.
“Sir…? You must not underestimate the carriage journey. This is the most important thing for a carriage journey. I’ve traveled by carriage many times, and I always longed for cushions,” she said.
“Is it really that important?”
“It is! Of course, I bought some for you too, so there’s no problem! We even got matching patterns,” Isezaki-san said as she hugged the cushions tightly. Indeed, now that she mentioned it, I had heard stories about how one’s back could ache during carriage rides.
“And before we return to the other world, let’s go to your place just once.”
“Huh? Is there something?”
“It’s water.”
“Water?”
“Yes. Water becomes quite precious during the journey. Let’s collect tap water in the ‘Storage Space’ as much as time allows.”
“I see…”
There might be plenty of river water, but obviously, it’s not drinkable. As expected from someone experienced in traveling to another world, Isezaki-san was reliable.
It seemed like we couldn’t just enjoy the journey in the mood of a pleasant trip.
I tightened my somewhat lax feelings after Isezaki-san’s explanation and left the shopping mall with renewed spirits.
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