落とし穴１４１堀：最近の町と意外な一面 (Part1)
Pitfall 141: The Recent Town and an Unexpected Side
Side: Kaya
"I’m heading out."
"Got it. Have a good one. Oh, and don't forget my snacks!"
"Kaya, you don't need to buy snacks for Riel on your way back."
"Eh? Why not?"
"Because Sakura and the others saw Riel eating nothing but sweets and started copying her, remember? It’s a bad habit."
"It’s fine, isn't it? I just want a break from babysitting for once. And for the record, I love Sakura and the others, really!"
"Honestly, you just had a day off yesterday."
I left the house, the sound of that bickering fading behind me.
"...Today is for shopping. Or rather, a breather."
Today was the day off we had all agreed upon. Lately, we’ve been busy to an absurd degree. Yuki and the New Continent group are dealing with the issues in the Seasypho Kingdom, while Seraria and the Weed group are busy coordinating intercontinental relations. That leaves us to fill in for Kirue and Sasari as the household team.
"...Housework and childcare are genuinely tough."
As far as chores go, it’s easy enough thanks to the various tools from Earth that Yuki provides, but as Riel mentioned before I left, the childcare is the real challenge. Sakura and the rest of them play with everything they’ve got, so I can’t take my eyes off them for a single second. For some reason, the moment I look away, someone trips and starts crying. I have to be careful about their meals, and on top of that, I have to take care of my husband, too. It’s making me realize, belatedly, just how incredible housewives really are.
I took over the housework and childcare because Kirue and Sasari were going to the New Continent for a break, but I never imagined it would be this exhausting. Everyone seems to understand that, though, which is why we’ve set up a rotating shift system for time off, just like I’m doing now.
"...I thought I could handle it better, but being a maid is hard work."
I’ve felt that especially since Kikka was born. When she cries at night, my maternal instincts kick in and I want to soothe her. But usually, once one starts crying, the rest follow suit, and then it’s total chaos. That’s been happening every day lately, which is why I’m so worn out. I can’t blame Riel for complaining; I wish I had another two or three days off myself. Still, it’s not like I dislike the children.
"Right, enough of that. Today is my day off, so I’m going to walk around town and relax for once."
With that decided, I headed toward the commercial district. My goal was to find some snacks for Riel or perhaps a nice gift for everyone else.
When I finally arrived at the Weed commercial district...
*Buzz, chatter, bustle...*
"...Still as crowded as ever. No, it’s even more packed."
Since the declaration of intercontinental relations, the number of tourists visiting Weed has skyrocketed. Naturally, that’s led to more trouble, and Tori and Riel have mentioned how busy they’ve been. Though, since the police work has been handed over to Poni, it isn't quite as bad as it could be.
"Still, the energy is nice, I suppose."
When I first arrived at this dungeon, this floor didn't even exist. When we started developing it, there was just the Adventurer’s Guild over there and the Super Bathhouse over here, with nothing but empty space in between. Now, buildings line the streets, and the area is overflowing with smiling people. Seeing this makes all our hard work feel worth it.
"Now then, it’s great that Weed is thriving, but what should I get for everyone?"
First, the gifts. I was peering into shops, wondering if there was anything interesting, when—
"Oh? Isn't that Kaya?"
I turned at the voice behind me to find...
"Hm? Oh, the Useless Fox and Claudia."
The two Holy Sword wielders were standing there.
"Who are you calling a Useless Fox, you—!"
"Calm down, Kaya. And don't tease her, Kaya. She just said hello normally."
"Sorry. Kaya is just so easy to tease, I couldn't help it."
"Hey!?"
"See, Kaya, stop reacting to every little thing. Honestly, you two are always like this whenever you see each other..."
That stems from the time that Useless Fox intervened in my dreams, but it’s pointless to bring that up now, so I stayed silent. More importantly...
"So, what do you want?"
I should probably ask why they called out to me. The Holy Sword wielders are supposed to be conducting intelligence activities on the If Continent. If the two of them are here when they should be busy, something must have happened.
"No, we’re off today, so we just came to look around the commercial district."
"Well, we thought we’d buy something if we found anything good."
I felt like a fool for worrying. Well, Holy Sword wielders are people too, so it’s not strange for them to be out shopping.
"...I see. I’m on a break today, too. I was just looking for a nice gift for my family."
I had no reason to hide it, so I answered honestly.
"Oh? So Kaya shops here too? Can’t you just get everything you need with DP?"
"It’s not exactly omnipotent. DP can only purchase items from Earth or things Yuki has seen or heard of."
"It still seems pretty omnipotent to me. Though, I suppose I can see how there might be something unique in a place with so many shops."
"Right, it’s like a treasure hunt."
"That’s not a bad way to put it. Something like that."
And so, I ended up walking through the commercial district, chatting with the two Holy Sword wielders.
"Raising children is tough, isn't it? I know that well."
"In our case, it was taking care of orphans younger than us, though."
"...Right. You two were orphans picked up by Comet, weren't you?"
I was surprised that we could talk about child-rearing. Well, since they were gathered as orphans by Comet, they must have had experience with that kind of upbringing.
"Then why not buy some toys for Sakura and the others? They might not be as good as the things Yuki-dono brings, but still."
"DP toys aren't everything. Things from this world have their own charm. Especially the handmade ones."
"Then how about a stuffed animal shop?"
"Oh? Do you have one of those?"
"My, even Kaya doesn't know that?"
"I’ve been busy lately. I don't know the shops in the commercial district anymore. That’s part of why I came out today. Besides, the turnover of shops on this street is intense."
The shops on this main street are a battlefield. The rent is high, and the buyout prices are astronomical. Well, we don't allow total buyouts to prevent the wealthy from hoarding everything, so only a few shops are allowed to be bought, while the rest are rented—but many still go under. Then, a new tenant moves in. Yuki says this is a place for healthy competition. Because the shops change so rapidly, there’s always something new to look forward to. I understand the logic, but it’s still a shock when a shop I liked disappears.
"Ah, that’s true. That crepe shop from before is gone, too."
"No, that shop just moved two alleys over. It didn't disappear."
"But moving off the main street means they couldn't maintain their spot here, right?"
"...Not necessarily. Some shops come to the main street temporarily for publicity, build up a customer base, and then move to the alleys to run a stable business."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I do see that sometimes."
"Everyone is thinking about their business in their own way, aren't they?"
Well, only a handful of people can truly succeed on a main street like this.