Chapter 7: Deviation from the Original Story
“It’s quite lively here.”
“Well, it’s the day off, you know. This city is flourishing and ranks among the top three in the kingdom.”
“True, it’s the city my father governs. It’s only natural.”
While in the story, Xenon’s dad came across as cold, in reality, he possessed tremendous combat and governing abilities. He played a significant role in prospering a city that wasn’t doing so well at the time.
I wish the original Xenon had learned something from him.
“Lord of the Manor, he’s amazing! When he became the Lord, my mother said… um, something happened… Anyway, she said it became much more comfortable here!”
“I suppose so. Even I, who will never become the Lord, can understand his incredible leadership. And our eldest brother has the talent to be the Lord. Something I lack.”
“Is that so? Well, Lord Xenon seems like he could be a good Lord too!”
I felt overwhelmed by Celestia’s words. Her genuine smile and unadulterated expression didn’t seem like flattery or lies. Besides, Celestia, with her tough personality, didn’t strike me as someone who would flatter.
Her sincerity left me at a loss for words. The Xenon she knew and I were different.
“…A man who spends his days immersed in magic without lifting a finger for physical activity could never become the Lord.”
“Absolutely!!!”
“Hey…”
“Huh?”
This one… While honesty is a virtue, being too honest can be rude… Well, that’s also one of the things I like about Celestia.
“Oh! There’s a delicious skewer stall!”
Celestia pointed to a skewer stall with a look that seemed ready to drool at any moment. The enticing aroma of the sauce and the satisfying sizzle of the meat were indeed tempting.
I sighed at Celestia’s sparkling eyes and headed toward the stall.
“Two skewers, please.”
“Sure thing. That’ll be six copper coins.”
“No need for change.”
I handed over a silver coin, and the somewhat excited stall owner gave me the skewers.
The whole sequence felt like a familiar trope that sent shivers down my spine from my past life’s perspective. However, in the context of this otherworld’s values, tipping like this was quite important.
It influenced the quality of service and products. Unlike in Japan, this place wasn’t particularly fair. The prevailing notion was that if you got cheated, it was your own fault.
If you could avoid trouble by being a bit generous with money, then there was no harm in it.
“Here, take it.”
I handed the skewers to Celestia, who had her eyes wide open.
Her eyes sparkled, and she had a beaming smile as she lowered her head.
“Wow… thank you so much!!! It’s been so long since I had skewers from a stall… Hehehe… chew, chew… Mmm, mmm… Delicious… It’s so delicious!!!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
If she’s this happy about something like this, I must be doing something right as her master. Perhaps being straightforward is indeed a virtue.
“By the way, I want another one!”
“You’re not just straightforward, you’re downright greedy.”
“Geez, that’s rude. Say I’m greedy.”
“Why did you change the wording…?”
I can’t quite grasp this maid’s sense of values…
“Well, fine. Let’s regain our composure and head to the blacksmith.”
“Blacksmith? Are you going to get a new sword or something?”
“Something like that.”
“Oh, I see…”
…I can’t really say that I want to try it out just because I came to another world.
Swords and armor are a kind of fascination. Even dwarves and elves, from what I’ve researched, exist in this world.
Surprisingly, I’m quite trendy. I’d never admit it to anyone, but fulfilling a small desire or two shouldn’t hurt.
So, we asked people nearby and made our way to a reputed blacksmith.
☆☆☆
“Oh…”
“Xenon-sama is so cute, getting visibly excited at the sight of swords.”
“Did you say something?”
“Excitedly─!!”
“Alright, alright! That’s enough!”
I should stop expecting sensible responses from Celestia.
Anyway, it’s true that my excitement is real.
Unfortunately, the blacksmith was human, but all the swords he forged seemed to be of high quality.
…Of course, that’s just my subjective opinion since I can’t yet discern the quality of swords.
Having an appraisal skill would be convenient, but unfortunately, I don’t possess such a skill.
“Hmm, the Morning Dew Sword. It slightly boosts water magic affinity when equipped… This is a magic sword.”
“Huh?”
“Hmm? What’s the matter?”
Casually, Celestia murmured those words next to me, causing my thoughts to momentarily freeze… I mean, stop. Well, you get the idea.
“Wait… Do you have an appraisal skill?”
“I didn’t mention it?”
“You didn’t. Probably.”
“Hmm, well, I acquired it recently, but it’s strange, isn’t it?”
…What does this mean?
In the original story, Celestia definitely didn’t have such a skill. Even in the official guidebook that describes the abilities of all the characters, Celestia had no abilities listed. While it’s possible for abilities to develop later on, it’s a certainty that she possesses a skill not found in the original story.
I found myself troubled by the deviation from the original that had become apparent since I arrived here.
…This is strange. No, it’s the world of the original anime… but for me and Celestia, this is undoubtedly reality.
…I’ve always regarded the anime’s settings as an absolute reference point.
“This is bad…”
In a situation like this, even the protagonist doesn’t know what’s going on. Well, I don’t think his rotten personality would change anytime soon. Let’s just leave him be for now.
…I need to switch gears!
For now, all I can do is pretend to be Xenon Lestinata.
“…Let’s go.”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“Yeah… Let’s go grab something delicious.”
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
“…You’re so noisy.”
I sighed and moved forward.
I’m moving forward on my own path.
…I really don’t want to treat this annoying maid.
_____
Next time, the city date will come to an end.
