Dad has returned from the deserted island.
Chapter 10
Belouan, where the two people and one Divine Beast arrived, was the most bustling town in the vicinity.
Not only was the shopping district thriving, but it was also a place where a night market was held every week and wandering troupes frequently visited.
"Wow! Look at that!"
[Ooh-ooh-ah-ah!]
Vivian puffed out her breath in excitement, as if she had discovered a new world. Seeing Vivian so excited, Kiki, who was beside her, also let out a cry, feeling excited for no reason.
"First, I need to exchange the jewels for money and buy a carriage. That way, we can have our luggage brought to the carriage. It’s fine to buy clothes after that, right, Vivi?"
"Yes!"
In truth, she didn't need him to buy her things like clothes. Really.
It was her first time seeing so many people, and her first time seeing such tall buildings. Clothes were not important.
"Let’s go to a restaurant, eat something delicious, and look around here."
"Yes, yes! I love it!"
Vivian stomped her feet in excitement.
The carriage stopped.
"Well, we’re here. Let’s get off, princess. Heave-ho."
"Heave-ho!"
Jean lifted Vivian up and set her down from the carriage. Kiki was clinging to Vivian’s shoulder, so there was no need to set him down separately.
Jean, who was looking around, lowered his body and whispered to Kiki.
"Um, Divine Beast. I’m saying this just in case, but you must not wander off away from us. People here have never seen a monkey before. If you’re not careful, you might get sold off."
[How dare you! If anyone tries to pull any funny business, I’ll turn into a shark and bite them, so don't you worry!]
"A shark? He says he’ll turn into a shark and bite them. He says I don't need to worry!"
Jean rubbed his forehead. A shark suddenly appearing among people who had never seen the ocean in their lives? He didn't even want to imagine it.
"That is, of course... not allowed. Just stay on Vivian’s shoulder. Vivian, you shouldn't talk to the Divine Beast outside, either. Understand?"
[I wondered who you took after to be so cheeky, but it seems you take after your father, Vivian.]
"Kiki, who do you take after to be so cheeky?"
At Vivian’s words, Kiki was struck dumb.
Jean took Vivian and entered a jewelry store.
There was a large man who looked like a guard, and a man wearing a monocle standing behind the counter.
"Welcome."
The man with the monocle, presumably the shop owner, quickly scanned the two.
Their attire was neat but the designs were long out of fashion, and the child was scrawny, not looking like she was well-fed. The father and daughter were dazzlingly beautiful, but they looked like ordinary customers.
He made his assessment in an instant.
His eyes widened slightly when he saw the monkey clinging to the child.
"What kind of animal is this?"
"It’s a monkey, an animal that lives in the New Continent far away."
"Ho-ho, an animal only seen in the New Continent. It looks cute."
[Heh-heh. This old human has an eye for things.]
At the mention that it was an animal from the New Continent, the owner upgraded the customer’s status by one level.
"Are you here to look for a gift?"
"No. I’ve come to sell some jewelry."
Jean took out a pouch.
He had only brought enough to fit in one pouch, as exchanging too many jewels at once would prevent him from getting a fair price.
"Ah, yes. I’ll need some time to appraise them. Could you wait a moment?"
"Understood. Vivian, let’s stay still here."
"Okay."
Having never entered a shop with this kind of atmosphere, Vivian felt intimidated for some reason.
So, she whispered to Kiki, who was perched on her shoulder.
"Aren't you amazed by this place? There are so many jewels."
[What’s so special about having a lot of jewels?]
"Ah, right."
Come to think of it, this Divine Beast was a being that had been sleeping inside a treasure chest filled with jewels. There was no way these jewels would amaze him.
While Vivian was looking around the shop with curious eyes, the owner finished the appraisal.
"These are high-quality jewels. If I may ask, what is their origin?"
"They are keepsakes left behind by my wife."
In reality, they were jewels from the treasure chest.
Most of the keepsakes his wife had left behind had been sold off during the process of settling assets for business, and what remained were only the pieces she wore so often that he couldn't bear to sell them.
"Oh, my apologies. I asked because there were no certificates. Basically, the stones are large, clear of impurities, and have a beautiful luster. However, the craftsmanship is a bit disappointing. Look here, you can see the cutting is a bit dull, right? The symmetry is off, too. Because of this, it might look a bit dull from certain angles instead of transparent. It doesn't seem like it was made by a skilled jeweler."
"Is that so?"
Jean asked in a skeptical tone. When he had examined them, they were perfect jewels with no flaws.
He suspected the owner was looking down on him and trying to swindle him.
"At this level, I think it would be about a thousand gold in total. I’m giving you a very good price."
A thousand gold was several years' worth of living expenses for a commoner family. No, there were many people who wouldn't even touch a thousand gold in their entire lives.
However, this was only about half of the appraisal Jean had made based on his past experience. Just as his suspicion was deepening further, Kiki, perched on Vivian’s shoulder, snorted.
[Vivian, that old human is trying to scam your father.]
"Huh?"
[The jewels in that box were all from the Imperial Palace. Naturally, they are top-tier jewels cut by the greatest craftsmen! To ignore things that were kept with me—what an impudent human!]
The only part Vivian understood clearly was that the jewelry store owner was trying to scam Jean.
But that was enough. Vivian secretly tugged on Jean’s sleeve.
"Vivi?"
"Dad, wait a moment."
Jean didn't scold her for interrupting the conversation; instead, he leaned down toward Vivian. He knew very well that Vivian was not a child who would step in at just any time.
"Dad, that man is trying to scam you."
"…How did you know that?"
"Kiki told me. He said the box he was in came from the Imperial Palace. He’s very angry, saying everything that was with him is top-tier."
"The Imperial Palace…?"
A glint passed through Jean’s eyes. Certainly, it was strange that a Divine Beast said to have been left behind by the dragon, the founder of the Empire, was on a deserted island instead of in the Imperial Palace.
Some accident must have caused it to drift to that island.
Jean lifted his chin and replied to the owner.
"Then I suppose I should look elsewhere."
"Y-yes?"
"I mean I should find someone who properly recognizes the value of these jewels. Do you think I came here without knowing the value of these?"
"Customer, we operate honestly and transparently! We never swindle customers who don't know any better!"
"However, your ability to recognize the craftsmanship of jewelry seems a bit lacking. Vivi, let’s go somewhere else. There is another jewelry store."
"Customer! Wait, wait a moment! I’ll add five hundred gold to that!"
At the mention of visiting a competing shop, the owner even came out from behind the counter to stop him.
But Jean had already lost the desire to trade a large sum with someone whose trust had been broken.
Fortunately, the other jewelry store offered a fair price, and Jean was able to make a quite satisfactory deal.
With his pouch full, Jean smiled and said to Vivian.
"Thank you, Vivi. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to sell them at such a good price. I did think that man was offering too little, but if I hadn't gained confidence after hearing the Divine Beast’s words, I might have settled for a price lower than what they were worth. Thank you, Divine Beast."
Although he had seen many high-quality jewels before his regression, Jean hadn't professionally learned appraisal, nor did he know the current market prices.
[Heh-heh. Worship me, human!]
Kiki stood on Vivian’s shoulder and puffed out his chest.
"-ship me!"
Having been praised by her dad, Vivian also puffed out her chest.
Jean, now flush with a large sum of money, bought a carriage with a roof—something Vivian had never seen before—hired a coachman, and then took Vivian’s hand to go achieve today’s goal.
In front of a shop with a sophisticated atmosphere.
Since she couldn't yet read the letters on the sign, Vivian didn't know what kind of shop this was.
"Dad, where is this?"
"Yes. This is where we’ll have beautiful clothes made for our princess."
"Beautiful clothes! I love it!"
[Get me some clothes too, human!]
0 Comments