Chapter 157 – Travel Stories
“This is… backgammon, right? Mr. Nime owns this game because he likes to collect them, but I haven’t tried it myself.”
“I also only heard about the rules from the merchant selling it. We’re on the same level.”
“Did you bring it to play with us today?”
“That’s right. Are you interested?”
“Yes. I want to play with you.”
I set up the board and pieces according to what I remembered while reviewing the rules. Once everything was clear, we started the first round.
“I remember you wanted to hear stories about my trip to Makji, right? I can tell you while we play.”
She gave me a joyful smile.
“Yes, please.”
Thus began our moment of fun. For the first time since I was sent to this planet, I felt like I was truly taking a vacation day. There was no stress, no urgent task to do, no contract to respect. It was all about having fun, relaxing, and an extreme excess of food. I hoped Suuru would feel the same, whatever she was doing right now. I should probably play some of the local games with her too at some point. We were so much into sex recently that it didn’t leave much time for anything else.
At the very least, I could see that Kuini was enjoying the moment without possible doubt. Even though it was my first time playing this game, it wasn’t like board games were unknown to me. As for Kuini, she played like a complete beginner who had no idea what move was good or bad. She was losing badly, and yet, that didn’t seem to bother her in the least. Her expression was bright and she reacted very well to my narrative.
“At that moment, on both sides of the road, two groups of ten bandits attacked us in pincer!”
She jolted in surprise, her face tainted by worry.
“Bandits! Did you get hurt, my Lord?”
“Wait, I can’t jump to the conclusion like that. Each side had a rank 3 sorcerer and they greatly outnumbered us 3 to 20 while we only had a rank 6 and a rank 2 escort. The bandits rushed at us at full speed…”
Kuini was entranced by my story to the point she stopped playing until the bandit attack arc concluded. She sighed in relief when hearing the positive conclusion and I continued with what happened after that. Of course, I skipped the sexual parts, creating a much more wholesome epic than what truly occurred.
The bunny got angry when hearing about the thief and the behavior of the duchess’ army. She rejoiced when hearing about the eventual successful trade, and her eyes widened at the large amount of profit it generated.
“250 golds. This is so much money…”
“The timing was right and the goods targeted their needs. Of course, the actual amount is a bit less since I had to pay for all the expenses during the trip and the mercenaries’ salary. It’s also the price of risking our lives on those relatively dangerous roads. But yes, having a successful transaction can earn a lot of money. You should try and be a merchant too, Kuini. I can help you set yourself up.”
She shook her head.
“I’m a bunny with disparate eyes. It’d never work. Farm work in this village is better for me.”
“That’s a shame. I’ve realized a lot of the cooked meals and baked sweets made in this village taste great. I’m sure many would be interested in buying them.”
“In that case… What about you sell them for us, my Lord?”
“That’s an interesting idea. Tell me more.”
“In this village, we have many widows who lost their husbands. Have you ever wondered how they made a living, my Lord?”
“No, I was always careful not to touch upon the topic after your mother told me about this situation.”
“I can tell you. They receive a subsidy from Geola. Some women chose to receive a field to grow crops or fruits, however, most of them simply get money every week to sustain their needs.”
That was a bit surprising. I didn’t know the exact circumstances but was certain this wasn’t something that applied to everyone living in Geola. It showed once again how much Lady Vejas cared about bunnies.
“Is it enough to live?”
“It is. But that doesn’t solve all the problems. A lot of them are idle and spend the days chatting with their neighbors or cooking food. That’s why there’s so much food variety in this village. I’m sure that a lot of them would be happy to cook food to sell in Geola and make a living like this. It’d give meaning to their lives.”
This didn’t seem like a bad idea at all. I was selling selnic items because of the circumstances and their profitability but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t diversify my businesses. To be exact, I was planning to do that eventually and it was just a matter of when.
“That sounds like an amazing plan. You might have a talent for this, Kuini.”
“It’s not such a big deal, my Lord.”
Despite saying this, she was visibly happy about the praise.
“It’ll have to wait until the timing is right. I’ll think about it when it happens.”
We continued playing while chatting for some time. Kuini was getting better at the game very slowly, so I ended up winning all the rounds. When we were in the middle of our fourth try, loud bells resounded all over the village. I was now used to it and quickly stood up.
“I’ll wait outside.”
However, Kuini held my sleeve as I turned my back to her. Startled, I looked at her with interrogation. She trembled a little, blushed, and looked away, before finally staring at me right in the eyes.
“M-My Lord. Would you like to watch over me?”
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