Chapter 271

For the time being, Tatsuro and his group had figured out the whereabouts of the blacksmith Rudolf Thiele. With their primary objective accomplished, their next task was to procure household furnishings for their home in this town.

“So, let’s find out where the shops of craftsmen who deal in that sort of thing are located,” Tatsuro said.

“Hey, hey! Not just furniture, but don’t you want to look at clothes too?” Ai chimed in.

“Huh? Don’t you already have tons of clothes?” Tatsuro replied.

“But, but, we should get more clothes for Leah Schleiermacher too, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“Yep, yep♪”

It was obvious that Ai’s desire to shop for herself was the main driving force, but it was also true that they needed to prepare more clothes for Leah Schleiermacher. So, they memorized the locations of relevant shops from the information board, mentally mapping out the shortest route, and set off.

At the ArtCo, even with vague conditions like “we have this much budget and want something like this,” they were provided with precise information and catalogs, making it an incredibly convenient place for consumers.

As a result, they were recommended several promising shops. After returning to their inn for lunch to fill their stomachs, they eagerly set out to visit the stores.

Since shopping for clothes was likely to take a while, they decided to start with furniture. In this town, only a few people bought food or daily necessities at department stores.

While guild-operated stores existed, they were slightly more expensive, so most people overwhelmingly preferred individually owned shops.

Amid the town’s grand shopping district, lined with stores like a super deluxe version of a traditional shopping street, Tatsuro and his group enjoyed window shopping while searching for the recommended stores with a map in hand.

As they leisurely moved along, they finally found their target store. This time, their budget allowed for slightly pricier items, but they prioritized things that would last a long time.

The store they were directed to, called “Möbelt,” was a two-story, individually owned shop with a workshop and residence in the back.

The store’s exterior exuded a refined, high-class design. Upon opening the door and stepping inside, they were greeted by a spacious interior with a few customers and several staff members attending to them.

A staff member immediately noticed Tatsuro’s group and approached, but they brushed him off, saying they just wanted to look around, and began browsing for items they might like.

“Everything here is so stylish. The prices are steep, but that probably means they’re high quality,” Tatsuro remarked.

“This dresser is so cute!” Ai exclaimed.

“It really is. Oh, this one’s nice too,” another added.

“Truly!” someone else agreed.

“This would look great in a room!” another voice piped up.

“Peewee peewee!”

“Neigh!”

While Tatsuro was simply impressed by the store’s interior and displayed goods, the women in the group had already switched into full shopping mode, eagerly browsing the merchandise.

Cardina and Jeanne, who were allowed inside in their Child Form state (as animals under a meter tall and well-behaved were permitted), were confidently perched on Ai’s head or at her feet, inspecting items.

Tatsuro had thought Athena might not be interested in such things and that they’d end up watching from a distance, but even she joined Ai and the others, excitedly squealing and having fun.

“Well, I guess I’ll take my time looking around too,” Tatsuro said to himself.

Lacking the “maidenly instincts” to dive into the fray with the others, Tatsuro lagged behind at a slower pace, searching for a desk for himself. As he wandered, he found a section lined with desks.

“Oh, this one’s nice,” he said.

What caught Tatsuro’s eye was a desk slightly larger than a standard study desk, predominantly white. It had a sturdy build with intricate black-and-gold engravings across its surface, protected by a smooth, transparent coating.

This coating likely smoothed out the unevenness of the engravings, allowing the desk to be used for writing despite the detailed patterns.

Feeling a surge of interest in buying it, Tatsuro wanted to check the drawers. However, since the items here were one-of-a-kind rather than mass-produced, he hesitated to touch them without permission. Spotting a tall, lanky male staff member nearby, he decided to ask.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes, how may I assist you?”

“I’d like to look inside the drawers of this desk. Is it okay to open them?”

“Of course. Just to be safe, could you wear these gloves?”

“Understood.”

The staff member handed Tatsuro a pair of white gloves, different from the ones he was already wearing, likely prepared specifically for customers handling the merchandise. Relieved that he hadn’t touched anything without permission, Tatsuro put on the gloves as instructed.

Though the gloves looked like linen, they felt slightly like rubber, which surprised him as he carefully opened the drawers.

“Wow, even the inside—amazing,” Tatsuro muttered.

As he’d expected, the drawers were adorned with exquisite engravings. With three drawers on the right and six on the left, each bore a different pattern, showcasing incredible craftsmanship. Tatsuro opened them one by one, unconsciously letting out sounds of awe.

The staff member, perhaps pleased by Tatsuro’s reaction, began speaking more animatedly.

“You have a keen eye, sir. This is a masterpiece crafted by the Möbelt couple, the owners and artisans of this store.”

“Oh, it’s made by a husband-and-wife team?”

“Yes, the synergy of their teamwork is what makes our creations stand out.”

“Interesting.”

As Tatsuro listened to this tidbit about the store, the staff member continued to share details about the desk. What caught Tatsuro’s attention was that the protective coating could absorb moderate impacts and automatically repair minor scratches.

It also prevented long-term deterioration, ensuring the desk could be used for years without losing quality.

“That’s exactly what I was looking for—something durable. Do you have a chair that would match this desk?”

“A chair? Let’s see, for this desk…”

Following the staff member’s lead, Tatsuro was shown a chair that, while not specifically made for the desk, complemented it perfectly when placed together.

“How much for the two together?”

“Well, the total would be 3.4 million Shis, but if you purchase them together, I can lower it to 3.2 million. How does that sound?”

“Three million and change? That’s cheap…” Tatsuro muttered.

“Pardon?” The staff member’s eyes widened at Tatsuro’s casual remark.

He had assumed Tatsuro wasn’t just browsing, given his serious inquiries, but hadn’t expected someone of his apparent age to make such a large purchase. Being called “cheap” was the last thing he anticipated.

Tatsuro, meanwhile, was startled by his own words.

(Whoops, my sense of money’s getting skewed. I need to be careful since Shis can’t be used in Japan.)

He recalled hearing on TV that it’s easy to raise one’s lifestyle but hard to lower it. While indulging during a trip might be fine, letting it become a habit could be risky. But then, a sudden idea struck him.

(Wait a minute. I’ve confirmed I can still use the system after returning. If I can come back here using Interdimensional Transfer Magic, I could buy items from shops like this, store them in my Infinite Item Field, and bring them back to Earth. If I sell them in Japan, I could convert Shis to yen…)

Items made from materials exclusive to this world might be problematic, but if he brought materials from Earth and had them crafted here, they could fetch a high price. With so many skilled artisans in this town, it could work.

He’d need money to raise kids in the future and didn’t want to burden Ai. Working a regular job while dabbling in this as a side business could be interesting.

(Let’s call it interdimensional trade. If I look hard enough on Earth, there might be items that could sell here too, expanding the possibilities.)

Lost in thought, Tatsuro noticed the staff member looking troubled, maintaining a forced sales smile while waiting for him to respond.

“Oh, sorry, I got lost in thought. My friends are probably buying something too, so could you combine our purchases for the final bill?”

“Of course, that’s no problem at all,” the staff member replied, calling over another employee to move the items to the checkout.

As Tatsuro watched them go, he mentally refined his idea before rejoining Ai and the others.

Ai and the group had found items that caught their fancy, and a pile of furniture awaited at the checkout. When Tatsuro offered to pay for everything in one go, the staff member was inwardly shocked again.

But when they asked where to deliver the items, and Tatsuro stored everything in what seemed like an Item Box in an instant, the staff could barely contain his curiosity and questions.

After that, they visited a few more stores, purchasing additional interior decorations for their still-bare home. Next, they headed to clothing stores.

Though they’d said the focus was on Leah Schleiermacher, Ai was the most excited, prompting a wry smile from Tatsuro. Still, seeing Leah Schleiermacher nervously enjoying her first girls’ shopping trip, he decided to brace himself for a long haul.

His instincts were correct. Choosing furniture had taken a fair amount of time, but it was nothing compared to this. Women, it seemed, loved shopping, and Leah Schleiermacher was no exception.

Ai and the others got carried away, treating her like a dress-up doll, trying on various outfits and picking some for themselves, keeping them busy.

Tatsuro’s role was simple: answering whether things looked good or matched their tastes. But since half-hearted responses wouldn’t do, he took each question seriously.

As a result, while the women were physically tired but mentally satisfied, Tatsuro was exhausted both physically and mentally.

(Having only one guy in a group like this is rough…)

Still, he had no intention of casually adding more members. Everyone in their group was too unique.

(But, well, Ai is the cutest in the universe. Any guy from this world would fall for her, so I can’t let them get too close!)

Sure, Ai was above-average in looks, but calling her an unparalleled beauty might be a stretch. In Tatsuro’s boyfriend-tinted vision, however, no woman could compare. Of course, Ai likely felt the same about him.

With his boyfriend bias in full swing, it seemed unlikely he’d find anyone to share this burden with in the future.

“Tatsuro, let’s head back!”

“Got it.”

When Ai grabbed his hand and smiled, Tatsuro felt a surge of energy. It might have been partly due to some title effect, but he was confident it was more than that.

As the town, now lit by streetlights and exuding a different charm from daytime, came into view, Tatsuro tightly held Ai’s hand and headed back to the inn with renewed vigor.