How Everyone Spends Their Time

They returned home from the market, arms laden with groceries.

All four of them, everyone except Finn and Orleans, had their hands full.

There'd been a lot of good deals, so they'd managed to shop quite cheaply, which was satisfying.

On top of that, they'd found a new supplier for dried goods, something he'd been dissatisfied with for a while. Two birds with one stone.

"We bought a lot, didn't we?"

Azu set down a brimming paper bag on the kitchen table with a sigh.

The bags had been doubled up so they wouldn't tear.

A tomato that had been threatening to spill over rolled off, and he caught it, handing it straight to Azu.

She took it with a little giggle.

"Even all this is only a few days' worth."

"Having this many people really does make shopping trips more frequent, and it's a lot of work. Budgeting, too."

"And trying not to repeat the same meals takes a lot of thought."

"Elza, you always make the same thing… It's good, though, so it's fine."

"I'm confident in my soups. The vegetables bring out such great flavor."

How fast they went through food wasn't just a matter of headcount, but he'd keep that observation to himself.

With five women living under one roof, it wasn't just food that piled up but laundry, too.

He didn't know the specifics, but they apparently bought and shared various consumables among themselves.

They'd set up a chore rotation to keep things running smoothly and avoid any disputes.

They carried the vegetables, bread, and other groceries to the kitchen and put everything away.

The magic stone in the refrigerator was about to run out of power, so he had Alexia recharge it.

Having one of these made a world of difference for their food situation.

When it came to nutrition, he preferred fresh vegetables and meat over jerky whenever possible.

"Welcome back, sir. I'm sorry for leaving the shopping early."

"I'm the one who sent you ahead. Don't worry about it."

Orleans emerged from the back.

"What did the shop manager Kaimol say?"

"He said he understood, with a smile."

"I used to do things like that a lot back in the day. He probably figured it was business as usual."

These days, Yohane had mostly left the shop in Kaimol's hands, but before he'd purchased Azu from the slave trader, there had been a period when he was constantly scouting new suppliers.

Using your feet was the best way to find better quality at lower prices.

There'd even been a day when he'd found a product popular with adventurers in the morning, sourced it, and had it on the shop shelves by noon.

That kind of nimbleness was essential for a small shop.

The business had grown since then, and he didn't do that sort of thing as much anymore…

But he was confident he could start from scratch again if he had to.

For now, Kaimol would handle the rest just fine.

"Here, have one of these. I picked them up on the way back."

"Thank you very much."

He held a candy up to Orleans's lips, and she took it straight into her mouth.

Her cheek puffed out from the candy, making her look like a little hamster. Adorable.

"Come to think of it, I didn't hear about any plans. What are we doing today?"

"I'm heading out, so I need one person to come with me. The rest of you have free time."

"Then I'll go."

Azu's hand shot up first.

So he'd be heading out with Azu.

"I think… I'll go do a commission or two. Training in the backyard is fine, but nothing beats real combat for keeping my skills sharp. Elza, come with me."

"Sure thing. As long as it's nothing too dangerous, please."

"I know, I know. It's just the two of us, so I won't do anything reckless. That's fine, right, Master?"

"I'm not going to stop you from earning money. Just take the jobs through Kazusa's inn instead of the Adventurer's Guild."

These two would be fine on their own.

Even without Azu, ordinary commissions were well within their ability.

"Because the cut's better that way? Got it, I'll do that. Plus we can grab a bite to eat before heading out."

"Kazusa-chan's cooking really is so good…"

Alexia and Elza changed into their adventuring gear and headed off.

From the looks of it, they'd knock out one or two day-trip commissions and be back.

"I'll organize the paperwork while you're out."

"That'd be a big help."

And with that, everyone else's plans were settled too.

Nobody had coordinated, but things just seemed to work out naturally…

Probably because everyone had a good head on their shoulders.

"So where are we going, Master?"

"I need to look into something. Finn's on the move, but I want to do some asking around on my end, too."

"I see… Let me go change so I can guard you, then."

Azu changed into her adventuring gear as well.

She looked like a young girl, but in full equipment, she carried a certain presence.

The days of her looking lost inside her gear were long gone.

"Is something wrong?"

"I was just thinking about how mismatched you looked the first time you put on a breastplate."

"Wha— Come on, don't bring that up! I had no idea what I was doing back then… I never imagined I'd be handed equipment and sent straight out on a commission."

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't really know how to send you off, either. I tried to keep things as safe as I could, though."

"I know that. The fact that I'm standing here safe and sound is proof enough."

Azu puffed out her chest.

Elza's healing had helped, of course, but there wasn't a single scar on her body.

Beautiful skin.

"I'm counting on you."

"Leave it to me. I'll protect you no matter what."

"So, about where we're going. I was thinking of stopping by the salon at the royal castle."

"The salon…?"

A salon had been set up in one wing of the royal castle for social gatherings.

Nobles apparently gathered there daily to exchange information and mingle.

He'd never actually been, but it should be a good place to pick up information.

"Will it be alright, though? A place full of nobles?"

"With my current standing, they won't brush me off. After all, I'm the political officer serving directly under Her Majesty the Queen. They can't easily meet Queen Tianis, but I can see her anytime. If anything, I'd bet they'll want to talk to me."

"Is that how it works? I'm not really sure about that stuff."

"Honestly, neither am I. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out."

"What kind of attitude is that?"

Azu laughed wryly.

Nobles were a prideful lot. Some didn't even consider commoners to be fellow human beings.

But self-interest trumped pride. The more capable the noble, the more true that was.

"If we're going to the salon, is what I'm wearing alright? Maybe I should wear a dress… Oh wait, mine's still torn."

"You're an adventurer, so there's no problem at all. That's your formal attire."

With Azu in tow, he set off for the salon.

Their audience would be nobles. He was, honestly, a little nervous.