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Chapter 110: Roseline (2)
「Ah… I’m not someone like that, sorry but you’ll have to look for someone else.」
Saying that, Mira turned around and walked further away. As she went further away, the onlookers around them began shouting 「Ohh he got dumped」 while laughing loudly, though a few also cheered him on to keep on trying.
Apparently those guys had been betting on whether he would succeed or not. That was one of the reasons why so many people were cheering him on to keep trying with Mira. Their comments ranged from 「you’ll have to cough up more dough if you want to get her」 to 「it’s better if you don’t get involved with him girly, just go home」 and 「someone stop him before he hurts her」.
「You’re an odd lot. Usually in these situations the guys would surround the girl and go all 『Heheheh, you have a really nice body, do you want to play with us?』 and get all aggressive.」
Mira stopped, turned around, and said that. The overweight man had followed her a while still trying his luck.
「But that’s illegal. If we do that, then we won’t be able to trade in this country anymore.」
The guy looked like a stereotypical sex offender, but he stopped and spoke like he was perfectly sane. A moment later he seemed to notice something however, as he opened his eyes wide.
「Wait, are you actually trying to say you’re into that type of guy?!」
Mira’s unbothered response had been really unexpected, so the man looked at her with an even more sleazy look and gripped the coins tightly, his eyes dancing up and down her thighs peeking out from her short skirt.
「Not in a million years.」
Mira stepped back increasing the distance between her and the man even more, rejecting him in a swift blow. Then she pointed to his hand and said 「Doesn’t that count as a crime as well though?」 Forcing himself on someone was obviously a crime, but remunerated prostitution was probably also penalized.
He looked confused for a bit, and following Mira’s gaze he quickly bent over and spoke quickly.
「This is a natural reaction okay! There’s nothing I can do about it, and I’m not touching it or showing it in public!」
「That’s not what I meant, I’m talking about the money.」
Even though he looked like a pervert, Mira still took pity on his ridiculous reaction as she explained herself.
But the man eventually understood what she meant and looked at the coins in his hand, his cheeks flushing red as he cursed himself. At the same time a barrage of laughter came from the onlookers.
「I heard it’s banned in some countries, but here it’s regarded as a legit form of trade, so no need to worry about that. What do you say then? I’ll be as gentle as you want, and I’m sure I can make you feel good too.」
As he spoke, he produced two gold coins and offered them to Mira. 「That’s it, that’s it」 came the voices from the rest, while a few also got closer saying 「I’m sure I can do a better job than him.」
「I see, trading huh. Well, bad luck but I’m not for sale. Sorry but look somewhere else.」
Different worlds had different customs. Making a mental note of all the new things she was learning, Mira gently pushed the coins away and rejected him with a smile. Then she looked at all the onlookers, said 「I’ll see you around then」 and left that place.
They just laughed at the interesting encounter they had witnessed and entertained themselves with their bets. Only the overweight man was different, staying still muttering to himself 「My little angel…」 while burning into his memory the feeling of Mira’s fingers on his hand.
Mira brushed away without much concern anyone who approached her, only sometimes scolding them as well. From time to time she would see open shops in the alleys as well, though there were no signs outside. They all sold items that were not exactly illegal, but existed in a grey zone they could not display openly. A couple of them also dealt with information.
Mira had overheard people talking about that place while she was wandering through the commercial district, so she went there afterwards.
It was like an underground commercial district. Unlike the exterior, there was barely any light there and the alleys were mostly silent, though there were still some people visible so it was not entirely barren. Still, the people she saw all fell into only one or two categories.
The shady items they looked for: materials smuggled from the army, stolen goods, and looted items from the ruins.
Mira was there for something similar, she was checking if she might be able to find something stolen from the Graveyard of War Memorials. If she did, she could also ask the seller for the location of the ruins. Interrogating the seller ought to be easy as well. Information was considered a tradeable item in Roseline, so no matter what the surface might be like, once she was in the underground market she would be able to get anything she wanted as long as she paid the price. contemporary romance
The only issue was whether any item that came from the Graveyard of War Memorials existed, and if it was genuine or not. Back in that part of the city there was no guarantee for the quality of items, so a good eye was also needed.
「Ah yeah, we do. They’re on the shelf over there.」
Mira had asked the owners of all the stores she visited for that, and after a few dozen shops she finally had hit a positive reply. When she checked the indicated shelf, she had a strong feeling they were the real thing.
The small shelf held a glass bottle, which was filled with a small quantity of a black substance reminiscent of mist.
「So, what do you think? Real pretty those black mist stones, and quite decently sized too. Usually those go for 250’000 Rils, but I’ll always cut a deal for a cutie like you so you can have them for 200’000 Rils no questions asked.」
The tall and lanky shop owner put on a business smile while saying that. It was hard to say whether that price was actually cheaper than it’s real value, that was another spot where having a good eye helped. But Mira was not there to buy items like that, she wanted information from whoever procured them.
「That’s quite the pricetag-」 could you tell me who brought these here though? Before Mira could finish her question…
「Hey, I told you I’d buy that. Why are you trying to sell it to someone else?!」
A female voice thundered into the shop.
「Wait, Mira? Why are you here?」
The raging voice quickly lost its edge and turned into a confused murmur. Hearing her name, Mira turned around and saw Sasori, one of her comrades who was tasked with infiltrating Roseline. Apparently she had hit the same lead as Mira and wanted to buy the black mist stones. In the time she had taken to go out and get money to buy them, Mira had arrived there.
「Ah, it’s a long story.」
Saying that, she turned to look at the shop owner, who hid behind the counter afraid of Sasori, and suggested she and Sasori talk somewhere else.
But even so late at night there were always people walking down the streets and it was impossible to find a place without listening ears, so talking about their secret matters would be tricky.
「Hmm, where should we talk…」
As Mira surveyed their surroundings, Sasori suggested they go to the inn she was staying in at.
「It’s kinda expensive, but it’s worth it. There’s barely any shifty people there, and I wouldn’t be worried about someone listening in.」
「Hmm, that makes sense.」
An inn should provide an environment for them to talk at length without worrying about their surroundings. Agreeing to Sasori’s idea, Mira followed her back into the commercial district.
Updated from f reewe bnovel