Chapter 31 : They Use A Cowardly Way!
「…..This is weird…」
Ten days had passed since the store opening.
While I was on an adventure, Mira-san did a good job keeping the store.
Our sales were high till the fifth day.
However, it wasn’t so good after that.
Our sales decreased slightly on the sixth day, and the number of customers also decreased day by day.
At first, I thought it was normal because people were just curious about the store in the beginning.
But… it’s kinda strange…
The customers were strangely unfriendly, and sometimes they were whispering to each other suspiciously when they entered the store.
「Maybe it’s because of my bad customer service….. I didn’t make a gratitude expression…」
Mira-san looked down.
「No, it’s not your fault, Mira-san」
I stroked her head.
Hmm. Maybe I really need to go to find the cause.
I went to the guild to ask March-san about our store’s reputation.
But when I entered the guildー
「―Ehh?」
The poster of “Adventurer Store : Egg Tart” that was on the bulletin board was gone.
「March-san. Why is my poster gone?」
「A, Ahh… I, I-I thought it’s good enough s,since that poster was there for several days already」
Suspicious…
March-san was acting suspicious…
「…March-san, you’re really bad at lying… Please, tell me the truth」
「Uhh… As I knew it, I’m bad at this… Hahh. How can I do this job if I suck at convincing people…」
「Don’t say like that. People who can’t lie are people who can be trusted, you know?」
「Trust, huh… It made me feel even more ashamed of myself…」
March-san toyed with the tip of her hair. She looked really tired somehow.
「March-san. Just what exactly happened?」
「Umm… There are some bad rumors about your store, you know?」
「Rumors? What rumors?」
「It said, “The one who owned the store is a blunt weapon user who made a contract with Evil God”
」
「Haahh!?」
「It wasn’t me who spread it, it’s just a rumor!」
As I shouted, March-san panickingly waved her both hands, making a “not me” gesture.
「Many people complained if I kept displaying the poster on the bulletin board. They said, “does the guild support that evil god believer’s store!?”, and then the guild master said, “it can’t be helped. We can’t do our job if the situation continues like this.”」
「That’s why you peeled off the poster…?」
「I’m sorry, Hanna-chan. I denied them and told them that I know what kind of person Hanna-chan is. But they didn’t listen…」
「It’s okay, March-san. Me too. I’m sorry. You’re getting so much trouble because of me…」
Perhaps March-san was just concerned about me and tried to keep the bad rumors a secret from me.
Even if people might be blaming her, she tried to protect our store, Egg Tart’s name.
I can’t blame such a good person.
The main problem is… discrimination against blunt weapons.
Well, I have a feeling it will bring me trouble someday.
The fact that I was a blunt weapon user had spread in a very short period of time.
They would be thinking that I was able to do great things with a blunt weapon because I had divine protection from Evil God Dortos.
And it would become a strong shackle for me.
「Hanna-chan. You don’t have to worry about stupid rumors. If you’re doing business seriously, people will understand eventually」
March-san tried to comfort me.
However, I still can’t accept this bullshit.
Why do I have to be looked at by people with prejudiced gaze just because I’m using a blunt weapon?
It’s not that I like using a blunt weapon!
If only the god of sword or the god of spear loved me, I’m sure I would be using a different weapon.
But nope. They didn’t even look at me.
No matter how hard I practiced until my hands were full of calluses.
My level didn’t go up at all.
That’s why I picked up a blunt weapon.
And that’s why I realizedー
That I have to keep struggling. That I have to keep fighting against this nonsense prejudice!
For Boss. For Master. For the carpenters. For all the people who are treated poorly just because they use blunt instruments even though they can create wonderful things using it.
「…….I can’t accept this…」
I won’t lose to this bullshit.
Discrimination. Prejudice. Persecution.
I’ll crush such things into pieces with my hammer!
And I believe that this is my true calling. My duty. My missioー
「Ha・n・na ♪」
「Nyuwaaー!」
When I was quietly burning my fighting spirit, I was suddenly hugged from behind and made a strange voice.
「Haha! Did I surprised you?」
「R, Rozelia, huh… What do you want?」
Rozelia seemed satisfied after successfully surprising me.
A bully remains a bully forever after all.
Is it fun making fun of people?
「Hanna. I have something to tell you…」
Rozelia whispered into my ear while still hugging me.
「It was Cecil’s family behind the bad rumors about Egg Tart」
「Eh? Cecil?」
「Yes. Well, it’s more like the chairman did the most than Cecil though」
Bazel Sortlarc.
The chairman of Adventurer Academy and also the man who was called the Sword Fighting King.
Also, the man who kicked me out of the school…
I tried to remember what Cecil said 10 days ago.
『Making a store that contributes to the city, huh… But, too bad. It’s impossible』
I wondered if she said that because she knew it would happen.
Or… maybe she told her father bad things about our store so that they could destroy it…
Either way, she really pissed me off!
If Rozelia here, she might also be here.
I quietly looked around the guild, but apparently Cecil wasn’t here.
「Rozelia… Don’t tell me you also helped spread the rumors…」
「Me? No way I could do that to you! I swear by the god who resides in my magic staff decoration!」
「What kind of swear is that…」
She put so many decorations on her staff in the first place.
Which one do you swear on!?
With that many, I’m sure she wouldn’t even notice if she lost one.
Well, I guess I can believe her for now.
Besides, there was no merit for her to spread such rumors.
Also, she was the one who told me the source of the rumors.
I had to thank her for this.
「Neeー neeー Hanna~ Don’t you have something to say to me~?」
As if she could read the narration, Rozelia said that with a smile while still hugging me.
「Th, Thank you, Rozelia」
When I honestly thanked her, Rozelia’s smile got bigger and brighter.
「Ehehe~ You’re welcome. We’re besties after all~☆」
After that, she released me from her arms and left the guild while skipping. She looked really happy.
Hahh… Really… That person always made me uncomfortable.
However, thanks to her, I knew what to do now.
I had to confront that man after all.
The Sword Fighting King, Bazel Sortlarc!