"What do you plan to do with that egg?"
"Incubate it."
After returning to the city and collecting the reward for the order, we went back to the inn to take a break.
Near the bookshelf, I made a makeshift nest to place the egg I had found in the kidnappers' hideout.
I plan to nurture it with my magic, little by little, and make it hatch.
"Lucia-sama, have you forgotten that you are a goddess? You know very well that whatever hatches from that egg will be nothing like what you expect."
"Yes, that's why I'm being careful about pouring magic into it; I'm also slightly altering its nature so that nothing dangerous comes out."
I'm not really planning on raising a calamity, I just want a pet.
"I'll take your word for it, you've certainly finished compiling the reward's contents, but... do we really need this?"
"mmm"
If you think about it, the truth is, I can practically create gold from stones and create tools that make gold from stones. Besides, money is only useless in the hands of someone who can do anything.
"We don't really need it, but since the topic came up, why don't we take a stroll through the city's shopping district? I'm curious about the things they sell there."
"I highly doubt there's anything worthwhile in a city that's underdeveloped in terms of civilization."
"Don't say it's not possible; the world is a big place after all. So what? Don't you want to go out with me?"
I said that last part while tilting my head to one side and giving a melancholic look.
This is a very unmanly action, but I don't care anymore. Besides, I discovered a while ago that I love it when she acts a little spoiled.
"...it's not that I don't want to, it'll be fine just to take a look."
I'm calling this girl; she's easy to convince.
With this thought, a mischievous smile appeared on my face.
"So, do you want to lie down while we wait for dawn?"
She said nothing but nodded slowly as she affirmed, her face slightly flushed.
She also likes to be pampered.
......
The next day we went downstairs for breakfast; we didn't need it, but the innkeeper's husband was quite good with his food.
It's surprising that grilled meat tastes so good with just salt and pepper.
"You're also very good at cooking, Lucia-sama."
"Thank you, Maria, but my kitchen feels a little fake to me."
I also knew how to cook; even before I came into this world, I used to cook because my grandfather was too weak to cook anything for me.
When I tried to cook again in this world, my skill had improved by leaps and bounds.
But I think it's because of my pride that I'm not satisfied with it; maybe it was something I wanted to perfect on my own.
"Boss, bring me a beer!"
"Immediately."
There's no point in overthinking things; getting depressed about something like this is just childish selfishness. It's better to drink and drown your worries in alcohol.
"Are you going to drink early in the morning?"
"What are you? My wife? It's fine anyway, I can't get drunk."
"Here you are."
"Thank you, Noel."
I took the large wooden jug that little Noel brought to my table.
When it comes to beer, there's quite a variety in this world; the downside is that the distillation process is reserved only for dwarves.
Damn dwarves are hiding the tastiest part of the beer.
I thought resentfully as I downed the mug of beer.
"Ha ha ha, I really envy the Majin's stamina, drinking so much in such a short time without blinking."
The one laughing so outrageously was a rather burly werewolf beast who didn't look a day over 30, with a raspy beard and long, disheveled hair.
This guy is the one who's been cooking until now, and the innkeeper's husband's name is Doguer.
He's also the guy who told his daughter that white horned demons are the oldest.
"Is it okay for you to be here, boy? Your wife will scold you if you skip work again."
The first time we ate here, this guy had been sitting and drinking with us until his wife hit him with a rolling pin and dragged him back to the kitchen.
"It's okay, just a moment won't hurt."
Well, I warned you.
"By the way, what are you going to do now? Aren't you going to submit an application to the guild?"
"We don't plan to go to the shopping area today; we didn't have time to go when we arrived in the city."
"Is that so? Mercenaries usually rush off to another mission if they survive the first one."
"It's not that we were mercenaries just for the money."
"Really? Hahaha! They'd be the only mercenaries who'd say that!"
Well, he's not wrong; the only people who become mercenaries are those burdened with debt and looking for ways to make money quickly.
"Well anyway, if you go to the commercial area, I know someone who owns a hardware store. Maybe he'll give you a discount if you mention me there."
"Tools?"
"A bunch of useless trinkets that hardly ever sell! The poor guy is desperate, ha ha ha!"
I suppose it's a form of promotion.
"We'll go there if the opportunity arises."
"Yes, do it. The guy is a little devil named Gudou, and the shop has the same name."
"We'll take that into account."
"Great! Then let's toast with another glass of 'BOONS'."
"Please excuse any inconvenience my husband may have caused you; I will take him away immediately."
"Don't worry, it wasn't a problem... Will he be alright?"
"Of course, he's used to it."
With those last words, she hoisted the dying man onto her back and carried him back to the kitchen.
Surprisingly, a woman who could be used as a logo for a bread brand is quite strong.
"Your mom is very strong, isn't she?"
"Yes! Mom is the strongest!"
"And you are the most tender thing."
"hehehehe"
What an adorable little girl!
Someday I'd like to have children too, of course! I WON'T BE THE ONE GIVING BIRTH TO THEM!
After finishing our breakfast, Maria and I got up and went straight to the shopping area.
There was a large crowd of people gathered together, along with several food stalls and trinket vendors positioned on the pavement.
The shops were quite varied: armories, alchemy shops, restaurants, clothing stores, etc.
"Even though we left early, it's quite noisy."
"People are usually more active in the market at this time of day."
"God helps those who get up early, right?"
"It would seem more like a curse if the goddess of death and vengeance herself were the one to say that."
"It's not that people are dying, just that it helps a little, you know?"
"The previous goddess also 'helped' a little and ended up destroying humanity's greatest empire, almost leading to the extinction of a race that is supposedly impossible to extinguish without her direct interference."
"Oh, okay... look, let's go to that store."
Trying to change the subject, I dragged Maria to a gun shop near us.
It wasn't just an excuse, I was genuinely interested.
"mmm"
Inside the store, there were various types of weapons for sale, but many of them were common grade and only a few had the uncommon grade.
If you compare them to the weapons I've made, they're practically garbage, but for most people, rare grade weapons are the best they could have had.
"It has good weight distribution, although the blade is slightly bent to the right. The sharpness is good, it's not made with magic ore, and yet it possesses enough resistance to be durable... It seems to have been made with considerable care. Have you found anything interesting, Maria?"
"Only this morning star, but I would only be able to withstand a few turns with my strength; perhaps I'll take it as a disposable weapon, it will be useful at some point."
"I'm fine with this house knife; if I use the ones I have in the inventory it would be dangerous."
"Do you plan to use it for anything?"
"Well, the monsters outside the mountain range are weaker, and there are also monsters that don't appear in the Vanaheim Forest. I don't need something too powerful to dismantle their bodies here."
"Will he continue with his strange experiments here so well?"
"I'm just taking notes on their properties; my experiments aren't that unusual."
"Let me remind you of the amorphous chimera you created last time."
"Well, that... was a small mistake. I didn't think that altering the elements would end up turning it into a giant, deformed blob."
"That 'small mistake' almost swallowed the forest."
"In the end, it was able to be destroyed, wasn't it?"
"...I would tell you not to play with life like that, but what could I say to a goddess about something like that?"
"sorry"
"Okay, let's leave it at that, we still have to pay for this. Let's go."
After finishing our conversation, we approached the counter where a large, bearded man stood behind it, who appeared to be the owner.
He's not a dwarf; don't always expect to find dwarves in every blacksmith's shop! Humans forge weapons just as well!
"How much for this, boss?"
"That's 10 small silver coins."
It wasn't as expensive as I expected for being rare grade weapons, although for ordinary people it's probably quite expensive; 10 small silver coins are equivalent to half the value of one large silver coin.
"those"
"Thank you for your purchase."
I replaced the house knife I had with the new one I bought, and I put the other one in the inventory, pretending to put it in the travel bag.
Maria did the same, except Maria's travel bag is a magic bag with a storage capacity of almost two containers.
Magical handbags aren't impossible to find, but they are quite rare, which is why Maria always avoids putting large things inside hers, even though the morning star isn't exactly small.
Luckily Nadia is watching us now—
well, not yet!
They haven't stopped staring at my boobs! It's been like this ever since I walked into the shopping area, damn it! Now I know why women get so angry about this!
I sincerely apologize for that, as someone who was once a man!
Even so, I'm not going to stop loving big boobs.
"Let's look at another place. Is there a shop you're interested in, Maria?"
"Hmm, so how about a clothing store?"
"Clothes? Why not? It's surprising you're interested in fashion knowing you'd happily walk around naked if it were allowed."
"That's another matter; I also have a feminine side, you know?"
"You were always quite feminine, you know? You're pretty after all."
"...Stop the flattery and get moving already! Lucia-sama!"
"hahaha"
"Don't laugh!"
"You're adorable, Maria."
"Lucia-sama!"
I couldn't help but heal my soul interacting with this girl. She's cold sometimes, but in moments like this, she brings out the fact that she also has a heart.
I really don't know what I would do without her.
We both went towards the clothing store while Maria pushed me forward, still blushing.
Later I regretted having approved her proposal.
.......
"Lucia-sama looks quite good."
"It really suits you, dear customer."
This is hell.
We had arrived at what appeared to be a rather expensive clothing store. Maria insisted that we go here.
Just as we entered, I realized it was a trap.
Maria didn't want to see clothes to wear, but rather to use me as a mannequin and dress me however she liked. The saleswoman was also quite excited when we introduced ourselves.
The result is that I'm now wearing a somewhat revealing black dress with a plunging neckline, along with other details here and there.
"Maria, why are you doing this to me?"
"Don't be so dramatic over a dress, Lucia-sama. You always wear military style clothing and you've never worn anything like this. I've always wanted to portray you with a more feminine and dignified side."
"You could have asked me earlier, you know?"
"A sectarian?"
"..."
Honestly, I really wanted to avoid wearing outfits like this as much as possible. These are barriers I put up to avoid losing my masculine essence, although this isn't the first one to be broken.
The first, and I think the biggest, was with underwear.
My breasts would bounce a lot if I made intense movements, and the clothes that rubbed against my nipples made me feel uncomfortable. I had no choice but to start wearing a bra and panties since my hips are wide and my thighs are a little chubby.
But it's sports underwear! I haven't given up yet!
"And when are you going to finish? The women around me are looking at me with hatred."
This store mainly sells women's clothing, so there are only women here, and for a while now they've been staring at my breasts like they want to rip them off.
"After we finish with three more sheets, we'll try with another five sets of dresses."
"Have mercy on me."
Several hours passed before I was finally able to escape my torment.
"How cruel you are, Maria."
"Don't be childish, they're just dresses and they looked great on Lucia-sama."
"That's not what bothered me, you know," I sighed. "Let's go to the store Doguer told us about earlier."
"I understand, Lucia-sama."
"Yes, he said."
They were following us.
Ever since we left the inn, they'd been following us. I could get an idea of who they were, which is why I left them alone until now. They can't do anything with so many people around.
"Let's move to a secluded place."
"Understood."
Maria and I walked for about 30 minutes, then we turned around and went into a nearby alley. There we hid, waiting for our pursuers to fall into the trap.
It only took 5 minutes and they were already here. There were 5 of them in total, all wearing black capes and masks with snakes on them; they were the same masks worn by the man who tried to surprise Maria in the kidnappers' hideout.
And the leader was probably the one wearing the mask with the black snake.
Where did they go?
"How did they disappear in this alley?"
"What should we do, boss?"
"Mmm, spread out for now, the target has probably noticed us."
Baya, the leader, had good judgment; he immediately noticed the situation. Unfortunately, I can't let them leave.
"GOAT!"
""Boss""
"Sorry guys, but you're staying here."
I said that while holding the weapon with which I had subdued their leader.
It was a stun baton that the police used in my world, although this one is different.
There was a time when I was researching something to immobilize an opponent while ignoring defensive abilities like resistances and immunities.
The result is the rod I have.
This does not make physical or magical attacks, but rather creates frequencies that alter the veins of the soul and paralyze the internal magical circuit of living beings. This makes them incapable of using abilities or magic and paralyzes the entire body regardless of how strong their defense is.
And if you use it at full power, it will explode your opponent from the inside.
It's a pretty broken weapon, and its production cost isn't that high; you just need to follow the steps and have good magic control.
"Damn it!" "Impact!"
One of her companions tried to attack me with a dagger, but before he could get close, Maria had blown his head off with her new morning star.
"I'm sorry, I killed him by accident."
"It doesn't matter, the leader is enough, the others are just fodder so it's better to kill them."
With that said, despite shooting the last remaining pursuers, they were killed at that very moment.
"Ugh," they're really rude, trying to ruin our date.
"That's not important now. What will we do with the one that's left, Lucia-sama?"
"Oh well, I just wanted to get a little revenge on him, I'll put it in the inventory later."
Fortunately, the inventory I possess does have the capacity to store living beings.
Suck it, average isekai protagonists.
"And the corpses?"
"I'm just going to burn them; almost no one should be passing through here anyway, and I'm not going to put them in the inventory; they're useless to me."
It would be quite strange if I kept human corpses; no one would know, but for some reason, I really don't like the idea.
With my useless thoughts, I discreetly proceeded to burn the corpses to ashes.
One hour later I finished the job without any problems.
"Okay, that's it, let's go to that store now."
Leaving the crime scene, we moved towards our destination.
We walked for approximately 15 minutes; the store that Doguer told us about wasn't very far from where we were.
It was a small, two story house with nothing remarkable about it except for the sign hanging at the entrance that said "Gudou Shop."
"Tin tin."
There's also a bell; this kind of thing seems normal.
"It looks like a convenience store."
There were many things on the shelves, each one different from the other.
Just by looking at this, it's hard to tell what this store specializes in, unless it sells a variety of items.
"And what is this thing doing here?"
I wondered as I looked at the strange pear shaped object.
I know perfectly well what it is, but I'm not going to mention it. I'll just say that it was something used to make smaller holes bigger.
"You're not thinking of buying something like that, are you, Lucia-sama?"
"I don't have those kinds of hobbies, so who do you take me for?"
"I thought I was preparing it for the poor unfortunate soul that now lies in its inventory."
"I'm not a sadist."
"I see you're interested, dear customer."
In the middle of our argument, a strange creature appeared from behind the counter.
To say he was small would be an understatement; he literally only reached my knees (although I'm also very tall). He had a thin body with short legs and a pair of small black horns on his forehead. He had no hair and his skin tone was a grayish brown.
This is a little devil and probably also the owner of the Gudou shop.
"It's very good quality, strong enough to easily open a rock opening. I also have some smaller versions if you're interested."
The sly smile he gives me while promoting the product annoys me, and besides, I'm not going to buy it.
"No, no, I'm not going to buy this."
"I see. Is it too violent? I also sell some black leather outfits to add a touch of class to your activities."
"I'm not a dominatrix! Do you just sell stuff like this or what?"
"Hehehe, sorry, sorry, I was just kidding. Not long ago, a succubus came to my shop and sold me several of her items, and now I'm trying to get rid of them. Are you interested?"
"No, thanks."
"Melo imagined, so what can I offer you today?"
"Well, we came because Doguer mentioned this place to us. Do you have anything interesting?"
"The key was Doguer," he sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't have many things that attract attention; they are all everyday items."
"Don't you have any tools?"
Imps are like dwarves within the demon race; the difference is that imps have a certain skill for making inventions and producing magical tools.
In fact, it was the little devils who made the entire internal structure of the aircraft in this world.
"Things haven't gone very well on that front either; the last thing I did didn't seem to completely convince my clients."
"I can see."
"Forward."
What he had presented to me was a flint very different from the one used in this world.
Tenia, a cylindrical shaped device with a wooden handle carved with various magical circuits, appears to have been made to facilitate spreading phlegm and prevent sparks.
It seems useful but—
"I don't think anyone uses it."
There are many simpler and cheaper ways to make fire than using magic tools.
"I'm a little embarrassed, but unfortunately, wit isn't my strong suit, despite being a little devil."
It's a little pathetic to see someone so small with the face of an old man depressed by his flaws.
"mmm"
What if I show him that? I don't think anything bad will happen; it's not a weapon anyway, and it will be a step towards the progress of civilization.
"Hey, why don't you try to recreate this?"
I showed him one of the plans drawn in my research book that I always carry with me.
"This is it! Are you sure I can do this?"
"Of course, I don't really have a use for it right now, and I'd also like to see this become more widespread."
"I really don't know how to thank you."
"Don't worry, I'll come back another day. Good luck."
I left the store, leaving the very grateful Gudou inside.
"Is it okay to give her that, Lucia-sama?"
"It's fine, I don't think it'll do anything wrong, not that I could do anything wrong with it, not with the design I gave it."
There may be one or two problems, but at least the kingdom won't be destroyed.
"It was an interesting day. Did you have fun?"
"Well... it wasn't bad."
"Hehehe, I'm glad to hear it."
This kind of thing isn't bad once in a while; anyway, we have all the time in the world.
These quiet days feel good.
"Next time we'll try some more revealing dresses."
"Are you going to keep doing that?"
With our hearts content, we returned to the inn.
A—
I forgot about the guy in my inventory.