Otherworld Dagashi Shop Yahagi

Chapter 27: The Witch in the Menko

Merle and Mira were drinking Nikki when I entered the room.

[Yuusuke-san, this one makes my throat hurt, but it’s pretty tasty. However, I don’t know how to open this ramune.]

The marble attached to the drinking spout of the ramune needs to be pushed into the bottle first.

That’s something people didn’t know when they first heard of ramune.

[Ou, I’ll open it for you in a minute.]

I opened four bottles one after another.

[They are delicious. Moreover, I can feel the flow of mana in my body becoming smoother.]

The Mage Mira seemed to be very pleased with the ramune.

[Unnn, this is very good.]

Minerva immediately bought a bottle and put it in his bag.

We sat side by side on a stone bench Minerva had made for us and enjoyed a relaxing moment after our bath.

[It’s nice and quiet here. Moreover, because there are no monsters around, I can feel safe.]

[Right. I’m also getting sleepy. I wish I had brought a futon or something.]

[If we use this place as a rest spot, it will be easier to explore the 2nd Underground Floor.]

Hearing the words Mira said made me realize it myself.

[It certainly would be nice if I could do business here.]

[Here?]

[Yeah, I’m going to open the bath to the adventurers, while I run my dagashi shop here. There are no monsters here, so I can do my business in peace.]

[If Yuusuke-san comes here, I’m sure the rookies who frequent the shop would be delighted. Many of the rookies wanted to go to the 2nd Underground Floor.]

Alright, I’ll advertise this place to everyone.

However, there’s still a problem.

[There’s only one bathroom here. I think it’s inconvenient that there’s no changing room.]

[Fumu, would it be better if there was a dividing wall?]

Minerva stood up.

[What are you going to do?]

[With Earth Magic, I’ll make partitions.]

[You look tired though, are you alright?]

[After entering the onsen, I can feel myself revitalized.]

Minerva, with his hands on the bathroom floor, sent his mana into the bathroom.

Thereupon, the floor rose up and rocks were lifted to almost the ceiling.

With that, the bathroom was now completely bisected.

[Amazing......]

[Now, all we need to do is add another entrance.]

Although it was roughly done, the bathroom was divided into two in an instant.

Well, this is an unmanned bathhouse in a dungeon. It doesn’t have to be that elaborate.

[I think the cleaning could be done by everyone who uses this place.]

[If there are Mages who can use Water Magic and Wind Magic, cleaning the place won’t take long. I’ll help out too!]

Mira is very motivated.

[Alright, I’ll give the Mages who help out with the cleaning some 10-rim gums or some or other mana restoration snacks.]

I hope this place will be a place for adventurers to relax.

One week later.

The onsen on the 2nd Underground Floor was crowded with adventurers.

Many of them especially come in the evening after work, returning home after taking a bath.

Until now, the only customers of Dagashi Yahagi have been relatively young adventurers, but recently, the number of veteran customers has been increasing as well.

[Ou, I’ll have a ramune.]

[Thank you for the purchase!]

Sales are gradually increasing, especially for the after-bath drinks.

The product that especially got popular is that squirt gun.

[Kazakh, shoot me in the back.]

[Can’t be helped. Shoot me in the back in exchange.]

[I know. Oh, a little more to the left. There, right there! Ofuu..... You’re really good, Kazakh.]

The sight of naked men shooting each other is quite surreal, but squirt guns are now selling well, especially among middle-aged people.

The number of naked men with towels in their left hands and colorful squirt guns in their right hands was rapidly increasing.

Speaking of things that have gotten popular, menkos were enjoying a quiet boom among young adventurers.

Product name: Blast Menko

Description: Toys made of cardboard. Palm-sized cards in various shapes. Usually used as a game or a collector’s item, but when used against monsters, it generates Storm Magic to blow away the enemy. When used as a magic tool, it will disappear.

Price: 20 rims

Playing menko is simple.

First, the first and second attackers are decided by rock-paper-scissors (they exist in this world too).

The second attacker places their menko on the ground.

The first attacker would then slam their menko against the opponent’s.

If they manage to flip over the opponent’s menko, they win and they can keep the flipped-over menko for themself.

The menko sold in my shop had illustrations of famous adventurers of the past.

Many of them were either cute or handsome with a cartoonish touch.

Just like trading cards though, they are sold in booster packs, so you don’t know what kind of menko you’re getting until you open it.

[Geh, I got a Witch Michelle card!]

There also seems to be menko of active adventurers.

One boy was sad for pulling out the menko of the witch, so I traded it with my own collection.

Witch Michelle really is unpopular.

On the surface of the menko, there’s a description added.

Witch Michelle: The Great Mage who constructed the ∞-type mana circulation theory. SS-Rank Adventurer.

Despite being so strong, for her to be so hated, I guess it really has to be because she put a curse on the King?

Perhaps, it may be because of the negative campaign by the country.

Or perhaps, is it because she really is a bad guy?

[I think she’s pretty cute though......]

I ran my fingers through the black hair of Michelle, the witch depicted in the menko.

The witch in the painting has a grumpy, frowning expression on her face, while for some reason, Minerva’s mood was good all day long.

Translator’s Notes:

Menko. Seems like the Author is only talking about the rectangular menkos though.