Submerged

When I opened my eyes, I was underwater.

I opened my mouth and watched air rise as bubbles.

I gazed at them for a little while.

Strangely, I didn't feel short of breath. I was fairly certain I was underwater, though.

"Where is everyone?"

The words slipped out of my mouth unbidden.

It was only after speaking that I realized I shouldn't have been able to talk while submerged.

I looked up and could see bubbles floating higher and higher, rising endlessly.

There was no end to the water in sight.

I tried moving my legs, and my body drifted through the water.

I decided to head upward for the time being.

The water was so clear I could see in every direction, but there was nothing here besides me.

I swam for a while, yet I didn't feel like I'd actually moved.

(What should I do?)

I was just beginning to wonder where exactly I was when bubbles began gathering in front of me.

The bubbles grew rapidly, then took on my form.

Having my own appearance standing right in front of me was a deeply strange feeling.

But I sensed no malice whatsoever from the being wearing my shape.

"A… zu?"

"Um, who are you?"

"I… am water. Alexia's friend."

(Water. Alexia-san's friend… I see.)

It seemed to be a Water Elemental.

I remembered that a Water Elemental had settled into my right eye.

It appeared this scenery was something the Water Elemental was showing me.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"For now… I just came to see."

As it spoke, the spirit's halting words gradually became more fluent.

Perhaps it was getting used to the language.

"Can I go back?"

"Yes. Water is with you."

With those words, the Water Elemental wearing my form dissolved back into bubbles.

"—?"

I heard a voice from somewhere.

My consciousness began to fade.

"Azu, wake up."

"Mm, huh. Was I sleeping?"

"Yeah. We're almost there."

I woke to Yohane-sama's voice.

It seemed I'd fallen asleep.

What a strange dream… Had that really been a Water Elemental?

It seemed we'd arrived at the city of Kassad, where we lived, from the city of Aquarius, Alexia-san's homeland.

I'd fallen asleep before my master, Yohane-sama.

I just can't help getting drowsy when I'm tired.

Fortunately, he never got angry about that sort of thing.

When I told Alexia-san about the dream, she said the spirit might have taken a liking to me.

The scenery outside the carriage was the same familiar view as always.

I even felt a little nostalgic.

We got off the carriage, and the slave team headed for the tool shop.

Yohane-sama went to return the rental carriage.

He was apparently going to buy one soon, so he left to negotiate that deal.

The three of us were handed a memo and told to go ahead to the tool shop and gather everything on it.

"It's all everyday goods."

"Unlike here, Aquarius was short on supplies. With a drought that severe, merchants wouldn't go near the place, so they couldn't stock up either."

"And that's where we come in, right?"

We chatted as we walked toward the shop.

After a short walk, it came into view, but the shop was still being renovated.

We'd only been away for a few days.

Even accounting for a few more days of travel, the renovations still had a ways to go.

Since this was my home too, I was really looking forward to seeing how it turned out.

There was apparently still room for more expansions, so if we worked hard and earned enough, the shop would keep growing.

(A big shop, huh. I'd love to work in it at least once.)

I had no complaints about adventuring, but I wanted to try wearing a proper outfit and helping with customer service.

(Maybe I should ask Yohane-sama? Would he get mad?)

While I was thinking that, I heard the sound of an argument from inside the shop.

Normally I would use the back entrance, but since we'd been sent on an errand, I went in through the front.

Inside, the usual employee was arguing with a nasty-looking man.

"Like I said, we only sell items that are in proper condition at this shop."

"You kiddin' me?! This lamp is defective!"

It seemed there was a problem with a product the shop had sold.

But when I looked at the lamp the man was holding, something felt off.

I'd been given lamps from this shop a number of times for expeditions, and when I compared them from memory, I figured out why.

"Excuse me."

"Huh, what do you want, kid? This ain't a show!"

"That lamp is a counterfeit, isn't it?"

"Wh-what are you talking about? I bought this lamp right here…"

"No. That's wrong. We don't sell shoddy products like that here."

I said it plainly.

The lamp the man was holding had a similar design to the shop's, but it was a cheap knockoff.

This shop sold proper lamps, even if they cost a little more.

People who wanted something cheaper would buy torches or candles instead.

"Ah, so he was trying to swap out a broken cheap lamp for one of ours."

"That simply won't do. How unscrupulous."

The other two came into the shop as well.

The man's expression confirmed it was true; he was at a loss for words.

Then he clicked his tongue and his face flushed red.

Even I could easily predict what was coming next.

The man swung his arm wide and lunged at me, so I kicked his shin.

"Aaaaagh?!"

I'd held back a fair bit, but it was more than enough.

The man clutched his shin and groaned in pain.

"Should I hand you over to the guards?"

"F-fine, I get it. I'm leaving, so give me a break."

With that, the man hobbled out of the shop.

Given the state of him, he wouldn't be coming back.

"Thank you. He'd been at it for a while and I was getting stuck. You're Azu-chan, right? The boss's in-house adventurer?"

"Ah, yes. Hello."

He didn't know we were slaves.

As far as he was concerned, Yohane-sama was simply housing an all-female adventurer party.

Well, it wasn't exactly wrong, so I supposed it was fine.

I handed over the memo, and he promptly prepared everything that was available on the spot.

Items that needed to be moved in bulk were apparently stored in the warehouse and would need to be brought out separately.

I was glad I could be of some help to the shop.