TNZKMA 98

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Not good. Just remembering it almost made me feel hard. I stop walking and count numbers.

When this happens, just having the cloth brush it is bad. Honestly, I’m embarrassed by my lack of discipline. But according to Haruka, it’s because I have the body of a 16-year-old. In other words, I’m apparently around that age.

Meeh-chan, the sheep, rubs her head against me as I fight my earthly desires in the middle of the road. It seemed to be interested in the things in my hands and was sniffing it.

[Meeh-chan, I don’t think you can eat that.]

When I said that, Meeh-chan shook its head once and left.

Meeh-chan calmed my naughty crotch and I started walking again.

Don’t imagine dangerous things on the side of the road. I tell myself. It’s ‘recall’ rather than ‘remember’, isn’t it? It’s fine to laugh at the memory, but getting an erection when you remember it is not a joke.

But yeah, let’s go home early. Saine only came back yesterday, so he probably won’t start working right away from today. 

During the Guard Season, Saine went to work 21 times. I’m keeping track of it all. I wonder if this number is high. When I asked about it at the guild, it seemed normal.

Being a guard is seasonal so when it’s time to work, they work really hard. Saine also continuously accepted 21 jobs ranging from 3-night missions to 10-nights. He rests for 1-2 days per job. Although he works seasonally every six months, I think he’s a hard worker.

If there are commissions during the Monster Season to cross the mountain or forests, the guards will accept the job. There are people like Olphynn who like to get close to monsters regardless of the season.

It seems that there are people who take the job of a guard lightly because it’s a job that’s done every six months and enter that world, but those people apparently usually don’t last long.  

It requires training to be a guard but most importantly, it needs guts. After all, even if they don’t like it that there are lots of monsters, if the customer wants to go then they will accept the job wordlessly. Of course, the pay for out-of-season work is high.

Saine, who left earlier than me, was back when I got home. Looking at our dinner for today, he was a little surprised.

[This looks delicious, doesn’t it?]

I proudly show it to Saine. What I have on both hands was totally different from what I know in size and it was heavy. 

[It’s the first time I’ve seen it this big. To be exact, it’s the first time I’ve seen a sea creature since reincarnating.]

They’re shrimps. Huge shrimps. I’ve seen a spiny lobster on TV, but it’s nothing like that. 

These are about as long as my shoulder to the tip of my finger. The thickest part of its torso is about the size of my thighs. I couldn’t grab it all the way, so I carried it by the shell, but my fingers hurt from spreading it out for so long. It was so heavy that my arms and palms hurt.

But there’s a sense of accomplishment. By the way, do shrimps also have shells?

I shook my arm, which was painful and numb, and rubbed the base of my fingers, which were left spread apart. My hands hurt, and as I took turns doing that, Saine started massaging them.

Saine is really good at massaging the shoulders and legs. He massages the pressure points accurately. If Saine was reincarnated in the other world, I think the suitable job would be as a masseur. People who do rehabilitation, that kind of thing.

[Saine, have you eaten shrimp before?]

[Yeah. Only once, though.]

[Once? Could it be hat you don’t like shrimps?]

Saine eats whatever I give him so I thought there was nothing he dislikes. Does he dislike the shrimp which he just ate once?

When I looked up at Saine in wonder, he suddenly laughed and shook his head.

[I only ate it once because it was only sold once.]

[I see! It was my first time seeing it too, so it must be rare.]

I really like shrimp, so I jumped at it without thinking, but the people around me were just waiting to see what happened. There’s the case that it’s expensive but it’s also rare for the people in the Eastern Section so they might not know how to cook it.

Most of the ingredients sold at the market are used at the food stalls. It’s rare for people like me to take food home and cook it. Therefore, many of the people who buy ingredients at the market are stall owners.

Because the sea is far away from the Eastern Section, seafood is not readily available. Or rather, there might none. That’s because it’s been a year since I reincarnated but I’ve never seen one. I guess the food stall owners in the East can’t imagine how to cook seafood from the sea. 

[These were expensive but…… can I give one to the grandpa next door?]

Saine isn’t fussy with money. But these shrimps were truly expensive.

I try to make do with 30 ales for two people per day. But these shrimps were 1000 ales each. I usually wouldn’t ever buy it.

But you know, they’re shrimps, shrimps.  It’s the first time I’ve seen one since coming here and according to grandpa, it’s very rare for seafood to arrive in the Eastern Section. If I let the shrimps go then there may not be a next time. When I thought like that, isn’t it normal to buy it?

But when I think about it again, a 1000 ale shrimp is worth 33 days. Since there are 2, it’s 66 days. It’s inexcusable as someone who was left to manage the household finances. It’s the same price as the scoop I gave up on before, and it’s also the same price as the pot that seems to be able to cook the rice I’ve been aiming for.

I must have been too excited, as I hung my head down in dejection, Saine stroked my head consolingly.

[If you want something, just buy it. Don’t worry about money. No matter how much you spend, I’ll just need to earn it again.]

Saine is so manly when handling money. I tightly cling on to him.

[Sorry. I overspent. But I’ll start saving again tomorrow.]

When I looked up and said that, Saine looked down at me with strange eyes.

[What will you do with the saved money?]

[What do you mean ‘what’……]

I wonder.

Saine will no longer have the Ceremony and we will not move houses. If I think about it, there’s no point in saving money for us. Of course, if i think about our retirement, it’s better to save money, but we don’t need it so much as if to undergo a ritual.

In this world, food expenses are ridiculously cheap. You can live on 1/60th of the money Saine earns in a year. Although there’s the cost of housing, this place is a bachelor pad, and if you can shell out 10,000 ales for the whole year, you’ll even get change.

Even after subtracting the costs of purchasing weapons for occupation tools and having his swords sharpened, it is calculated that half of his earnings can still be saved.

Before I was reincarnated, Saine ate out all of his meals. He also paid to have his laundry done. Even then, he apparently saved a quarter of his earnings.

Being a guard is a half-year job, so the annual income will be lower than that of a thriving food stall owner, but if you become a skilled Dauntless class like Saine, you will be nominated. When that happens, your earnings will skyrocket. Now that I’m saving money and cooking for ourselves, our savings have been steadily increasing.

[Right, you’re not taking the Ceremony anymore. I see…… I don’t need to save up to 1 million ales anymore.]

[That’s right. So just buy anything you want.]

[Nononono, I can’t do that. I can’t spend it just on myself. You’re the one earning the money so let’s buy what you want first. Oh, that’s right. Do you want to drink expensive liquor?]

When I said that, a large hand strokes my head.

[Whatever you want is what I want.]

I tilt my head in thought at his riddle-like words. Hmm, saine bent down and kissed me while I was thinking.

[Up until recently, I was working to have the Ceremony. But ever since I got you, I’ve been earning money to make you happy. If you say you want it, I’ll buy whatever it is for you.]

I so was shocked and happy at Saine’s words that I hugged him tightly.