Chapter 492:
Encounter
The next day, Patrick-san and the others immediately went out to check the availability of ships. Oh, it seems they'll also be casually stopping by to greet the local lord.
"”Think Dill-san will be around~?"”
"I hope so."
Since there was a possibility that we might be leaving sooner than planned, we decided to head to the Adventurers’ Guild and the Dungeon Management Headquarters for greetings as well.
"What a surprise! Isn’t that Takumi-san over there~"
"”Ah!”"
"Mu? Who’s that?"
"... Vivian."
On the way, we unexpectedly ran into Vivian."Why are you in the Regulus Empire?"
We often bump into each other by chance, and each time it's in a different place, but this was the first time I’d met Vivian outside of Guardia. She was, as usual, dressed in a maid outfit, but the color and design seemed different from before.
"New clothes."
"Not quite."
Allen and Elena seemed to have noticed the change in Vivian's outfit as well. Well, there's no issue with wearing different clothes, but up till now, Vivian had always worn nearly the same maid uniform.
Come to think of it, both the kids and I tend to wear the same everyday outfits — or rather, our usual adventuring gear. They’re sturdy and we have plenty, all gifts from Syl.
"Oh~ I’m so glad you noticed! Until now, I wore my own, but this is the uniform from the mansion I’m currently infiltrating!"
"”Infiltrating?"”
"Yes, infiltrating!"
"......"
I wanted to ask whether it was wise for someone in the middle of infiltration to casually approach an acquaintance, but I had a feeling I'd get a carefree response, so I decided not to say anything. Thinking the conversation wouldn’t end quickly, I changed direction and started walking towards the plaza, and without a word, Vivian followed.
"Isn’t this uniform cute?"
"”It’s cute~”"
"Would you like to try it on?"
"Allen too?"
"I want to try!"
Vivian spun around to show off her uniform, then asked Allen and Elena a peculiar question.
"Although it would be unwise to use the actual uniform from the infiltration, I have a separate set for Elena-chan — a cute maid outfit! And for Allen-kun, I have a butler’s uniform ready!"
"”Ohh~””
"And if Allen-kun wants, I also have a maid outfit perfectly prepared!"
"Huh?!"
"No worries. It has minimal frills!"
A maid outfit for Allen, too?! Well, he might still be in the “it looks cute on him” age, but I’d rather she not suggest it.
… But considering we just met Chris-san, who often dresses as both genders... what if Allen actually says he wants to try it?
"No, no, no! Why do you even have outfits for Allen and Elena prepared?"
"Because I’ve prepared lots of tradeable items that I think will be worthy of Takumi-san's cooking! So, please, share your food with me!"
"... Oi!”
So it’s all about the food, huh? Vivian never changes.
"I’ve been to this country, but also visited the Jackal Union, so I’ve got unique medicines from there too! But, oh... have you already bought all the specialty items from here, Takumi-san?"
"Oh, come to think of it, we haven’t been to the apothecary."
"”We haven’t!”"
We didn’t need any specific medicines, nor had we gone to sell any herbs, so we completely forgot to check out the apothecary.
"That’s excellent! Oh, and I’ve also made extra Blue Rose Drops, so feel free to use them plenty, Takumi-san!"
"Hey, Vivian! If you keep making strange remarks, I won’t trade with you anymore!"
"Eep! My apologies. Let me rephrase! Um, I mean for trades and such, not for Takumi-san’s personal use! So please, don’t take away my food~~~"
Vivian tends to get carried away and make odd comments, which is really troublesome. Suggesting that I use a lot of Blue Rose Drops—a pregnancy potion—is simply terrible for appearances.
"Takumi, who is this person?"
"Oh, sorry, Kaiser, I was leaving you out. This is Vivian. I got acquainted with her when Vector picked her up, half-starved and collapsed, and now she occasionally demands food whenever we meet."
Caught up in the interaction with Vivian, I had completely forgotten to introduce her to Kaiser. Vivian is... well, an acquaintance, I suppose?
"Nice to meet you! I’m Vivian, a devoted servant who’s become completely hooked on Takumi-san’s delicious food! Recently, I’ve been risking my life to gather rare medicines that might serve as trade items for more of his meals!"
A servant?! What kind of self-introduction is that?!
I wanted to call her out, but I didn’t want to delve deeper into the topic, so I decided to let it slide.
"I understand! Takumi’s cooking is phenomenal. I completely understand gathering trade-worthy items to get more of it!"
"You get it! Right? Takumi-san’s cooking is simply addictive!"
"Indeed! After tasting his cooking, you want to try more, and there are still so many dishes I haven’t had... it’s quite the predicament!"
"Exactly! It really is a struggle~"
… Kaiser and Vivian unexpectedly hit it off.
"Oi~ Vivian, we have our own plans, so if we’re trading, let’s get on with it. That said, since we’re traveling and we just came from exploring a dungeon, I only have simple dishes prepared."
"That’s no problem! Even Takumi-san’s simplest soup is delicious!"
"... Alright then."
Sensing it would be best to finish this trade quickly, I searched through the Infinite Storage for food I could give to Vivian.
I wasn’t sure if there’d be much difference in a simple soup, but if Vivian was fine with it, I’d gratefully add it to the count.
"This, and this..."
Vivian also began pulling out her trade goods and arranging them. She even had small pots and dishes at the ready, clearly expecting me to fill them.
"Are you kidding? You actually have this stuff prepared!?"
"Of course~"
On top of that, she had even handed maid outfits to Allen and Elena. And the kids, in turn, readily accepted them!
"Here’s a butler outfit. I wouldn’t want to treat them differently. Naturally, I also have one for Elena-chan. Something cute, of course. Oh, my, they’ve grown since I last saw them! I’m glad I brought larger sizes."
If they’d been too small to wear, this conversation would’ve ended here. Why is she so thorough?
"I can give you soup, white wheat dishes, meat, fish, sweets... this is about what I have for now."
"Thank you so much! Wow, they all look so delicious... mmph."
"... You’re already eating?"
Vivian immediately began munching on one of the rice balls I’d just handed over.
"Ahh, it’s so good... mmph."
"I see. Glad you like it."
She didn’t stop with just one, biting into a second rice ball as well.
"Alright! I’m still on the job, so I’ll hurry back now! Takumi-san, I’ll prepare more trade goods, so next time, please make some elaborate dishes for me~”
After finishing her rice balls, Vivian dashed off somewhere in a hurry.
“"And she’s gone~”"
"Words like ‘restless person’ or ‘like a storm’ really do suit people like Vivian."
"She was quite lively. But I see potential in her."
I found it a bit odd that Kaiser seemed to rate Vivian highly. Maybe my own opinion of her is too low? Her information-gathering and potion-making skills are impressive, but her mannerisms put her in the negative for me.
"Well, when it comes to Vivian, it’s best not to sweat the small stuff. She’ll probably pop up and call out to us out of the blue somewhere else."
"”That’s true~”"
Thinking of Vivian as something like a sudden shower or a passing storm might be best.
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