The markets of Inazuma were quite interesting to explore.
Thoma specifically chose ones that were open in the morning, noon, and evening, leading me through them to shop for various items.
"Miya, what do you think of this pattern?"
The young man squeezed through the crowd, showing me a stack of fabric he had picked out. The material was excellent and retained its luster. Thoma gestured for me to touch it.
"This fabric feels so comfortable. As expected of Thoma's taste," I said, not holding back on praise and seizing every opportunity to compliment him.
I had my eye on a collar and specially made paw covers for Kettle. I planned to take her into the wilderness, and the ones I made weren't durable enough. According to Thoma, my sewing skills were lacking—but his bargaining skills were top-notch. Anything I wanted to buy, he could haggle the price down by half without offending anyone.
Unlike my purchases, which were mostly small items, Thoma would often have merchants deliver large quantities of goods to the Yashiro Commission for anything he selected.
He never explicitly told me his specific role within the Yashiro Commission, but such information was easy to find out with a little inquiry.
Thoma probably assumed I already knew.
"If it's protective gear for Kettle, I can make it from now on," Thoma suggested, perking up at the mention of animals. I remembered from his story quest that he enjoyed making clothes for small animals—he was quite skilled with his hands.
I agreed immediately. Turning him down would likely disappoint him, especially since he loved petting Kettle's fur so much.
"Ah—" I let out a long sigh.
"Miya?" He glanced over. "Tired from shopping?"
I shook my head, reaching out to hold onto the hem of Thoma's clothes as I followed him through the crowd. Since I was so much shorter, Thoma simply rested a hand on my shoulder to guide me.
"Having Thoma as my cousin is just too wonderful," I mused. "You're practically the most reliable big brother in the world."
I wasn't sure if Thoma heard me. After saying it, I looked up to gauge his reaction. The young man still wore a warm smile, politely apologizing as he navigated through the crowd—I almost thought he hadn't heard me. Just as I was about to repeat myself, I noticed Thoma briefly glance at me before turning away, revealing slightly reddened ears.
He'd heard me, after all.
I had deliberately asked the System to temporarily disable the favorability notifications. I wanted to see if Thoma and I could interact normally without such prompts influencing me.
As it turned out, Thoma was so genuinely kind that I ended up becoming an unstoppable compliment machine.
I marveled at his capabilities while brainstorming ways to deliver high-quality praise.
"—Finding you, Miya, has been my good fortune too."
Hearing those words unexpectedly, I suddenly couldn't bring myself to look at Thoma's expression. The impact of his words hit me even harder than I expected. The moment our eyes threatened to meet, I quickly turned away, staring at the ground as my face flushed intensely.
Well, there goes my composure.
Sometimes, the most effective compliments are the simplest ones.
Straightforward, yet utterly disarming.
The market was so lively that as Thoma guided me past a certain street, I even hallucinated hearing someone shout, "I'll never lose!" in that familiar, boisterous tone.
It must have been my imagination. Definitely.
But I couldn't help glancing in that direction—
"Ha! Nine-Tails Turtle, dare to face me in a proper sumo match!" Near a noticeboard, a certain crimson oni was bent over, scribbling graffiti while loudly talking to himself. With a final flourish, he drew a large red turtle. Something about his outfit seemed off—it looked like he wasn't wearing anything under his robe.
Could he really be wearing nothing but a loincloth underneath?
Public sumo challenges—only he would do something like that.
Three of his lackeys cheered him on while the crowd formed a wide circle around them, unsure whether to watch or simply avoid getting too close.
Thoma paused for a moment, glancing at the oni and then at my stunned expression. He promptly covered my eyes, turning me away and guiding me down another path.
"That's Arataki Itto, uh—"
Thoma didn't know I'd already met Arataki Itto twice. Seeing his struggle to explain, I stayed silent. His introduction faltered. "He's a well-known crimson oni in this area. Not a bad person, but..."
Shouts from guards and the oni's loud protests echoed from behind us.
"Never mind," he gave up explaining. "Just keep your distance from him."
I could only nod.
I needed to change the subject.
"Hey, Thoma—" I recalled the matter with the house. "I have the 600,000 Mora ready for Mr. Yamada as agreed, but I can't find him anywhere. Sometimes he runs away as soon as he sees me from a distance."
"Any way you can help me find Mr. Yamada?"
Thoma's relaxed expression shifted to one of slight surprise. After a moment of thought, he took the check from my hand. "Let me handle this. You just focus on settling in, Miya."
Mr. Yamada's full name was Yamada Taichi, a merchant who followed his family into business.
Although he'd had some conflicts with the Yashiro Commission and Thoma, it shouldn't have reached the point where he'd flee at the sight of Thoma's cousin. I suspected there might be new issues with the Yashiro Commission. Considering the man's timid nature, I wondered if he was planning some form of retaliation or if something else involving Thoma was happening.
I purchased a collar and paw covers for Kettle, along with special brushes and soap for cleaning, foldable chairs and a table, new cups and a kettle, fresh bedsheets, more towels, and emergency medical supplies. Everything was stuffed into bags that I carried over my shoulder.
I couldn't openly use my inventory space in front of others, especially since it had limited capacity.
Thoma initially offered to carry some of the load since it seemed heavy, but I could easily lift his purchases with one hand.
"Don't worry, this isn't even as heavy as ten Debate Clubs."
When Thoma tried to take his share, I deftly dodged him. As he persisted, I evaded while pleading, "—Let me handle it. This is a rare chance for me to help you."
［You're getting better at acting spoiled］
I stepped away slightly, whispering to the System.
"Of course. I've rarely had the chance to act spoiled in my life, let alone someone to act spoiled with. Now that I have the opportunity, I'm going to be the delicate flower I never was."
［A delicate flower that can carry ten tons?］
"—Get lost."
The System never failed to be sarcastic.
After gathering all the essentials, I found myself wanting to buy something else. The crowd had thinned, and since I was carrying two large bags, I was easy to spot. Thoma followed at a distance.
"Thoma, do you know where I can buy alcohol?"
The young man paused at my question. Of course he knew where to find it, but his expression quickly turned stern. "Miya, you're not an adult yet. No drinking."
"I won't drink it."
"Then why do you want to buy alcohol?"
I slowed my pace, letting Thoma walk beside me so he could hear me clearly. "Mother taught me how to mix drinks. When she was sad, she would stay in the wine cellar, though she never drank herself. The drinks she made were always finished by Father."
"I don't want her skills to go to waste, so I want to buy ingredients."
My intentions aligned with the memories within me.
Thoma quietly took one of the bags from my hand without another word. Then, he gently patted my head.
——
Thoma walked me all the way to my door again.
He didn't take me to buy alcohol directly, but he asked me what I needed and promised to find a reliable source for me next time.
From behind the door, Kettle's whistling whines were audible even from a distance.
Members of the Shuumatsuban occasionally appeared nearby, though not frequently. I understood this was likely the Yashiro Commission's doing—whether to protect me or keep me under surveillance, or perhaps both.
"Lift the favorability block."
I instructed the System, and immediately, a series of notifications chimed in my mind—
［Thoma Favorability: 25］
［Thoma Favorability: 30］
［Thoma Favorability: 33］
［Kamisato Ayato Favorability: 5］
［Kamisato Ayaka Favorability: 7］
［Thoma Favorability: 35］
Wait, what were the Kamisato siblings doing in there?
Had they seen us spending the day shopping together?
Puzzled but undeterred, I took Kettle—who had been cooped up for a while—out for a walk. Then I prepared her meal and tried out the new collar and paw covers.
"How about going to the forest in a couple of days?" I teased Kettle. "We'll go hunting."
She responded with happy whimpers.
"Good girl, good girl." I gave Kettle's head a loud, affectionate kiss.
［Important character detected: Sayu］
［Sayu Favorability: 5］
Me: ????
I had just mentioned not seeing the Shuumatsuban for a while, and now Sayu shows up. I couldn't see through a ninja's disguise, but this was Sayu—just look around.
That barrel behind my house with a leaf on top and a tail sticking out definitely wasn't Sayu!
Totally inconspicuous!
How was her transformation as unreliable as in the game?!
So I had no choice but to avoid the area behind my house.
I went inside and organized the purchases, putting everything in its place. By the time I finished, the sky had darkened. Remembering the previous incident with Arataki Itto petting Kettle outside, I let her sleep on a soft mat beside my bed.
After settling everything, I changed into sleepwear and lay down.
I could even hear the faint snoring from behind the house, accompanied by occasional soft murmurs from what sounded like a young girl. It was so contagious it made my eyelids heavy.
Whatever, time to sleep—
——
Before becoming Miya Ryuguu, I was an only child, the eldest among my cousins. My family was matriarchal—my mother and grandmother were both strong, independent women, while the men were either idle or focused on household duties.
Like my mother, I was the eldest of my generation.
Whenever I was expected to act as the responsible older sister, I often wished for an older brother or sister of my own. I dutifully doted on my younger cousins, earning their respect and reliance. I studied abroad, earned money, supported the family, and held everything together when my mother fell ill.
I brought honor to my family.
Sometimes, I wondered what it would be like to have an older brother or sister. Would they protect and cherish me as I did for my family?
If I had one—someone like Thoma—
I would be the luckiest person in the world.
——
［Bzzz… bzz...…］
［#$%&! Favorability: 5］