Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 122

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Chapter 122 – Unresolved Tension

“Bees have stingers in their behinds, frogs are edible, so it’s their whole body, crabs are edible, so it’s their whole body… isn’t the money efficiency of Voice Lake not good? Oh, it’s fine. Somehow, the flower of the plant is the head, and the snake is the head, but the skin is also expensive…”

I mutter to myself and write down the information I’ve just received in my notebook.

It is almost exactly 12 o’clock.

It’s about time for the bell to ring and Riste to descend.

Hmm.

I take a look at the shoes I just bought.

I found a shoe store on a busy street with a wide selection, and somehow, I thought Riste would look good in heels, so I asked the owner for advice.

“Do you have any shoes that look like the kind of shoes a noble lady would wear?”

I was then led to a shelf next to the counter where all the shoes were priced a figure higher than before, but even I, a novice, could immediately tell that they were elaborately made.

So I bought a pair of black shoes with heels.

I bought a pair of shoes that would look good on her, and for that reason alone, I ended up buying a pair of shoes that would surprise Zink-kun and the others when they heard the price.

(What if they don’t fit? I can’t buy several pairs of shoes like this, can I?)

The negative effects of earning so much money in Bezart begin to show.

The oddly shaped scissors were also ridiculously expensive, and while food and lodging weren’t that expensive, everything else was generally expensive.

“(I wonder how much money I have left―I think it’s probably just under 500,000 beeke now. I’ll have to work hard to earn some more.)”

Just as I was thinking this, the church bells began to ring, and a little later, a bluish-purple mist appeared beside me.

“Did I keep you waiting?”

Just like yesterday, the beautiful Riste appeared.

As always, when she stands in front of me, I feel an indescribable tension.

“No, it’s okay. I already bought you some shoes, so why don’t you try them on right now?”

“Thanks. I’ve been looking forward to this…”

“(Oh no! Did I make a big mistake in my choice?!)”

For some reason, I’m too afraid to approach Riste, who stares at the shoes frozen in place.

Even if I did make a mistake, there’s no convenient system for returning things in this world.

First of all, there’s no receipt.

In that case, the shoes, which are uselessly expensive and useless, will go to waste, and I’ll have to run out and buy another pair.

“Loki-kun, weren’t those shoes expensive?”

“Huh? Ah, well… does Riste know about such things?”

“I’m the goddess of commerce, you know? I check information from the lower world from the memories of the merchants who visit the church.”

“Well, you said that yesterday… haha. Well, I thought it would suit you best. I’m sorry if it doesn’t fit.”

“I see…”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll buy you another one. I’ll go get it right now! Just tell me what you like…”

“No, it’s fine. Can I try it on?”

“O-of course…”

What is it?

I feel a tremendous sense of intimidation from Riste.

It’s not that she’s angry, but I’m starting to worry that I’ve done something wrong.

“…..”

“…..”

“I’m glad. They fit perfectly, Loki-kun.”

“R-really? Thank goodness. I’m so glad.”

“Thank you. I never thought you would buy such expensive shoes.”

“Don’t worry about it. If I were really poor, I wouldn’t be able to buy them for you, but as it is, money is no problem.

I’m the one who chose them, but I want to praise myself for buying something really good.

Wearing black heels has tightened up the overall atmosphere, and I feel like it has added a polish to Riste’s beauty.

“I want to confirm something.”

“Hmm?”

“From Loki-kun’s point of view, do you think I look better in something so expensive?”

“Hmm… yes. Somehow, Riste’s way of speaking, your appearance, and your atmosphere make you seem like someone of a very high rank. It’s strange to say that to a great goddess, though.”

“I see. Then maybe I should change my clothes.”

“Huh?”

The clothes she is wearing now are white dresses that are the same for everyone except Rigal-sama.

The length of the skirt varies slightly from goddess to goddess, and Riste’s is long, almost reaching her ankles.

That’s why I chose black, but…

“(No way, am I going to buy something that looks really expensive?!)”

No, I’d buy her whatever she wanted if I had the money.

But I probably only have about 500,000 beekes.

Can I buy the finest clothes in the world with that money?

The prices in this world are high in places I don’t understand, so I feel ashamed to worry about my own financial situation.

While I was thinking such things to myself, Riste’s body suddenly became enveloped in a bluish-purple mist.

“Please don’t worry, Loki-kun. I’m returning to the divine realm for a while, but I’ll send another split body here soon.”

As she said this, Riste disappeared, leaving me stunned.

What in the world was she planning to do?

She said she was going to change her clothes, so is she going to get some clothes from the divine realm?

Speaking of which, Ria had said something about being able to make clothes with her skills if she had the materials before…

And just as she said, the mist appeared again a short time later, and Riste’s split body appeared in front of me.

But…

“What do you think?”

“…..”

I was speechless when I saw her appearance.

What appeared was the figure of Riste wearing a black dress.

The waist was very narrow, and the whole outfit fit her body perfectly, looking amazing on the slender Riste.

What’s more, the top of the dress was slightly open, and the slit in the skirt revealed a glimpse of her thighs that had previously been hidden.

“Didn’t I look good…?

“Ah, it looked too good, and I froze… I’m sorry…”

Oh no.

My heart is racing.

I can’t look at her properly, and I can’t help but look down.

“(This is… too beautiful, and especially too erotic…)”

It’s a look that’s too much for a man.

Even though I try to calm down, the figure I just saw is still stuck in my mind and won’t go away.

“(Phew~, I remember the hostess bars I used to go to. I’m sure you’ve seen this kind of atmosphere in business entertainment many times, right? The quality varies wildly, but if I worry about that, I’ll never get anywhere!)”

Despite the huge explosion of my social anxiety, I force myself to look up and see Riste’s face.

“(Eh?)”

For a moment, I thought Riste looked sad.

But I think that was just my imagination, because the next moment she was smiling.

“Shall we go? You have plans too, right, Loki-kun?”

“Y-yes…”

Without even noticing that I had slipped back into polite speech, we left the inn together.

“D-do you want to eat lunch, Riste?”

“Yes. I’ve never had a proper meal, and the three who went down to the lower world said the food there was delicious, so I’m interested.”

The lady from the Commerce Guild said that if I went too early, they might not have finished their investigation into the bestowers.

So, since it was almost noon, I took Riste to a fancy restaurant that I had been curious about while looking for a shoe store.

We ordered crab dishes at the restaurant.

It goes without saying where the crab was caught.

Normally, I would be very excited to see the huge boiled crab legs that remind me of king crabs.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t taste anything.

I think I was so nervous that I kept asking Riste if it was delicious.

Every time she answered with a smile, “It’s delicious,” I just sank deeper into the hole.

Afterward, I went to the Commerce Guild to take care of some business and explained the situation to Riste.

“Can you wait for me at the shop over there? It seems that the item I came up with has been approved for sale by the Commerce Guild. It’s quite similar in shape to something from Earth, so if the bigwigs here get wind of it, things could get messy.”

“What? You’ve already worked on it?”

“Ah, yes. Thanks to the cooperation, or should I say enthusiasm, of the Hunters’ Guild in Bezart, where I was first.”

“I see. Then I’ll wait over there, and when you’re done, could you tell me the details of the item?”

“Of course. I have a few other suggestions, so I’ll tell Riste the details of what I’m doing now later.”

“A few… Thank you very much.”

I give her a gold coin from my leather bag and tell her to order whatever she wants to drink with it, then I part with Riste and go to the Commercial Guild.

“(Phew, I’m so nervous! I’ve never had the experience of being with someone who radiates such beauty!)”

I feel sorry for myself, relieved to be alone, but I know it’s not for me, so I tell myself there’s nothing I can do about it.

Unless you’re a natural charmer, you’re bound to end up like me, one way or another.

“Hi, I’m the person who made the request yesterday.”

For some reason, just like with Amanda-san, I went to the counter where there was only one person in line and called out to the lady from yesterday who was waiting for me as expected.

“Hello, young man. The information has been sent out, so please wait a moment.”

As she said this, the lady went to the back of the office and returned to the counter with a piece of wood.

“This is the list of all registered bestowers in Malta.”

“Thank you very much.”

When I checked the wooden board I had just received, there were a total of three bestowers on the list.

When I checked the skill levels of the bestowers, they were arranged in a staircase formation, with Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.

“(Hmm… if things go according to plan, I should be able to get someone with a high bestowal level, but it’s also important to see what other skills they have, right?)”

No matter how high their bestowing level is, if their other skills are disappointing, they won’t be able to bestow properly.

On the other hand, even if their bestow level is only 1, if their other skills are high and excellent, it won’t be a problem as long as they don’t go for multiple bestowments.

“By the way, these people don’t happen to reveal what skills they can bestow, do they?”

“No, they don’t. People only reveal some of their skills that might affect their work, and they don’t usually talk about what skills they have, do they?”

“I guess so.”

I asked her, even though I knew the answer, but it was still no good.

So, I guess I’ll have to ask her to act as an intermediary and check it out for me.

“I don’t think you need to go to someone with a skill level of 1. It seems like this person is the apprentice of someone with a skill level of 3.”

“Hoho.”

That information is very helpful.

There is a possibility that a person with a skill level of 1 might have amazing skills, but if he is an apprentice, he is apprenticed to a person with a skill level of 3.

“Thank you very much. I will think about what to do while I save some money. Is it okay if I come back here when I want to ask you something?”

“Yes, that’s fine. When you do, please bring the wooden board I gave you. That will make things go the smoothest.”

I thanked her and thought about the accessories as I walked to the shop where Riste was.

“(Whether I should aim for multiple awards or not…)”

If I go for them, I’ll have to choose the materials carefully, so I’ll probably have to spend 15,000,000 or 20,000,000 beeke all of a sudden.

And if I have to make two of them, my savings will be gone in no time.

Even if I make that much, if I run out of money, I’ll run out of mental space, so I’d rather avoid that if I can.

“(It looks like I should go to an accessory shop and check the prices. Yeah, I’ll do that.)”

After deciding on my next plan, I called out to Riste, who, even from a distance, looked like she stood out in a good way.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

At that moment, the noise stopped, and the eyes of the people in my line of sight all turned to me at once.

“(I wonder if that boy is a servant…)”

“(With that kind of outfit, he must be a slave…)”

“(That’s dangerous. That’s definitely not her boyfriend.)”

“(Even if you’re relieved, it won’t help you.)”

They were just sitting in their seats and whispering to each other so that we could hear what they were saying.

Looking closely, I noticed that although the place was quite crowded, there was a mysterious empty area around Riste.

It was truly a terrifying aura of nobility.

It seemed that she was attracting attention just by sitting there and drinking tea.

“It’s okay. Do you want to take a break, Loki-kun?”

“Ah… no, it doesn’t seem like we can talk properly here, so let’s go after you finish your drink.”

I think it’s a bit strange to sit down without ordering anything, but I’m a bit tired and find myself sitting deeper in the chair.

(Phew… this is hard…)

The people who had been looking at me lost interest and went back to their own conversations.

I hadn’t noticed that one person was still staring at me.

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