A Cozy, Family-Friendly Workplace

He strolled around town with Orleans, killing time.

The population really had grown.

Holding hands so they wouldn't get separated in the crowd, he took in the sights while thinking about how things had changed.

Her hand was warm.

Was this what it felt like to have a daughter?

Given Orleans' age, she was too old to call his daughter. The thought struck him as funny, and he let out a small laugh.

"Sir?"

"It's nothing."

Orleans peered up at him curiously.

Not wanting her to know he'd been thinking something silly, he brushed it off.

He didn't even have anyone. Honestly.

Just as the Gypsy sisters had drifted in, the rumors about people gathering here seemed to be true.

Many vendors had set up shop on cloths spread on the ground.

And they were actually selling. Some might even make a small fortune.

As a shopkeeper, he felt a surge of competitive spirit.

"This is really good. How about it?"

They'd been looking for a drink vendor as it was getting to be time, and someone called out to them.

A woman about Alexia's age, probably from the Empire by the look of her.

She had an array of fruits laid out and was making juice to sell.

"Ten cold ones. Dealer's choice on the flavors."

"Of course! Just a sec."

He handed over three silver coins.

The large order put a bright smile on her face, and she got right to work.

She magically filled an empty cup halfway with water, then squeezed in fruit she'd punctured repeatedly with a knife.

Then she stirred in a viscous liquid.

As she mixed, it gradually turned into something like a sherbet.

She was chilling it with magic, probably.

"What is that?"

"This? It's sweet tree sap. Totally safe to eat, don't worry."

Made sense. Sugar was expensive; honey could be harmful to small children.

Sweet tree sap could be sourced cheaply, making it perfect for a stall like this.

If she could use magic, preserving it wasn't an issue either.

"Here you go. Oh, can you carry all that?"

"I've got this."

He opened his enchanted bag.

It could hold more than it looked like and kept things at temperature, plus it was easy to carry.

For reasons he didn't quite understand, liquids never spilled inside it either.

"Oh wow, mister, you're loaded!"

"It's a work necessity."

Back when he'd tried to save every coin he could, he used to haul merchandise himself.

The bag had been a huge help back then.

He'd passed it to Azu for a while after she became an adventurer, but he'd bought her a better one and reclaimed this.

"Thanks for your business! I'll be around, so come back!"

"If it's good, I'll think about it."

"It will be. I'm confident."

He stowed the drinks in the enchanted bag and headed back to the Cat's Paw Inn.

As a taste test, he and Orleans sipped theirs while walking.

He'd expected it to taste watered-down since it had water in it, but thanks to the sweet sap, it didn't feel that way at all.

The tartness and flavor of the fruit, combined with the icy texture, made for an interesting sensation.

"It's delicious. Thank you, sir."

"Don't worry about something this small. Drinking alone isn't any fun."

They finished before arriving.

Last summer he'd had frozen drinks too, but this was tastier.

Maybe he'd have Orleans pick some up now and then.

When they reached the Cat's Paw Inn, the elder Gypsy sister was in an argument with someone out front.

Three men.

He couldn't make out what they were saying, but the mood was far from friendly.

"Go away! We're done with you!"

"You think I'm just gonna say 'sure, fine'? That's real convenient for you. Now come on."

One of the men reached to grab her hand.

But Kazusa batted his hand away.

"You got business with my employee?"

"Your…? Listen, little girl. This is adult stuff. Butt out."

"Huh?"

The next instant, the man's body left the ground.

Kazusa's right foot was buried in his gut.

Her uniform skirt fluttered.

Having worked as a porter for adventurers, she must have been used to rough situations.

The kicked man hit the ground and stayed down.

Nice kick.

The other two scrambled to reach for their waists, going for weapons.

But the next moment, the weapons were gone.

"Using cheap stuff, huh."

Finn had disarmed them in a flash.

Left weaponless in the blink of an eye, the men still glared at Kazusa, though they were clearly unnerved.

"Hey, are you going to make me clean up by myself?"

Alexia emerged from inside, assessed the situation, and sighed.

She raised her right hand, and fire magic blazed to life.

The flames writhed as if alive.

"… We're leaving."

"And don't come back!"

Apparently deciding they were outmatched against a mage, the men withdrew.

Kazusa shooed them off with a wave of her hand.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you?"

"Y-yes. I'm fine. I'm sorry. I thought I'd cut ties completely, but for them to come all the way here… E-even if you fire me, please, my sister…"

"Calm down… We're not going to throw you out that easily. Just tell us what happened."

"Alright."

Good thing he'd kept the drinks in the enchanted bag.

If the drinks had been sitting out through all that, they'd have gone warm for sure.