Catato Patch 

 

“Is that so….That’s too bad….” Mr. Rowan said, taking my scabbard from me.

 

I was at the leatherworking guild. I had come to return the borrowed scabbard, and could only reply to Mr. Rowan’s pestering that I’d said I’d return with the tales of my adventure into the dungeon.

 

“But if the monsters living there hadn’t just been slimes....then you’d have had more action, you know.”

 

“No, no. They were enough. I’m not an adventurer afterall.” I’m just an ordinary appraiser playing at being an adventurer. Isn’t this kind of situation something you’d only find in a novel, I wanted to say. Everything in moderation, but this would be the tallest of tales.

 

—Just forget it.

 

I dropped my gaze down to my feet for an instant as I bowed to Mr. Rowan. “That reminds me, Ms. Nanna was telling me the other day...something about making a request for some leather boots to be made. Thank you for all your hard work.”

 

“No no...how does it feel wearing them? Since I only had two days to make them...I was hoping they wouldn’t be inadequate for some reason or another.”

 

“I didn’t have any particular problems. The shoes were easy to put on.” It seems highly likely that they were indeed made in only two days. The clothes were the same way. The articles of clothing were even easier to put on than regular everyday clothes, and the texture of the fabric was also of a high quality. If they’d have had a slightly simpler design, I’d wear them everyday as my usual attire without bothering to mention they were travel clothes.

 

I regret having this conversation. I feel so wasteful.

 

“I wonder if I at some point I could make an order for a pair of shoes I can use everyday.”

 

“An order is it?...We welcome your business! Whatever you need, Mr. Io,” Mr. Rowan grinned, taking out a massive catalogue from the shadows beneath the counter. Samples of leather were affixed to it in a curtain-like pattern.

 

“Sheep leather...no, wild goat is also difficult to ignore.”

 

“Um, I didn’t mean to make the order right now.” The conversation had gotten quite hasty.

 

Mr. Rowan’s shoulders shook as he laughed, closing the catalogue discreetly.

 

“There’s nothing better than continuing to polish the idea of what you want….whenever we do receive your order, it will be fine…” He reposition the glasses which slipped down the slope of his nose and stared fixedly at me. “To allow me to make the highest quality item...I’ll be waiting for your order.”

 

“That reminds me, I never had the opportunity to use my sword either. But, it’s as they say; it’s best to have a shelter prepared for every type of storm,” I said as I stared at the sword Mr. Voss Rye had given me. I shrugged in regret.

 

I remembered that I had previously said that I had wanted to learn how to properly wield it. Since I had already visited the leatherworking guild, I took the opportunity to also visit the blacksmith guild as well.

 

“Even though I didn’t get the opportunity to use it, thanks to its light weight, I never felt burdened while carrying it. I regret that this is the only impression I can report to you from my trip.”

 

“No, what you said is fine. I appreciate you coming to tell me your honest opinion,” Mr. Voss Rye said.

 

“Then, what about the sword? Now that the dungeon expedition is over, it doesn’t seem to have a purpose.”

 

“That’s true…” I looked down at the sword and nodded. Originally I had bought it for just that. And now that I had accomplished my task, it’s fine to say that it had no purpose.

 

The scene in which an appraiser wielded a sword, it felt as though there were no limits to my everyday life.

 

If the time came that the laborer doing the dissections wasn’t enough, so much so that someone else needed to be called in….no nevermind.

 

Mr. Sheik is the kind of person who can do the job of more than one man. It could decidedly never be said that he was an amature in the ways of handling a knife.

 

“If you like, we could keep it for you here?” I blinked at Mr. Voss Rye’s sudden proposal.

 

“Is that alright?”

 

“It’s a sword we sold you. Rather than just focussing on selling, we also double as a storage site for the products we’ve sold. It’s a side business.”

 

Whenever something happened at the guild, this would be more comfortable than returning to my home to get it. That being said, I energetically nodded my head in agreement. Although the time when something did happen at the adventurer’s guild was still only in my imagination.

 

I left my sword in Mr. Voss Rye’s care.

 

“Well then, since you’ve left it to me, don’t hesitate to tell me if the time comes that you need me to bring it out to you.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Holding the sword I entrusted to him, Mr. Voss Rye entered the back room of his guild. “Of course, I’m also looking forward to any new orders you make. I can barely wait to make the highest quality items.”

 

The corner of my mouth revealed a smile as I gave him a hearty laugh.

 

——These are the connections to people that I should maintain. In this way, when I have troubled times there are people willing to help, and so I’m able to live my everyday life with some peace of mind.

 

I love the life I’m living right now. In order to protect this way of life it’s important to connect with the people I meet.

 

These thoughts secretly passed through my mind as I shifted my gaze to the back room into which Mr. Voss Rye disappeared.

 

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