Chapter 2: Shopping

Early next morning, Master and I decided to go shopping in order to prepare for our journey.

Although going out like this was a bit unnatural and made me kinda look like some traumatized sick person, if we didn’t do this then we wouldn’t be able to hide my strange figure.

「In contrast, Stands out?」(Eir)

「……Muu」(Eir)

Master, that comment was hurtful nonetheless.

「Next, use this ribbon to hide the horn. As for the wings try to make them as small as possible and hide them within your clothes」(Rimuru)

Doing as I was told, I made the wings about 30 cm small and put the clothes on top of them.

And with this the disguised me, though it gave off an impression sorta like a heavily wounded little girl, I looked normal.

It resembled a collar for a large dog-sama, so hiding it with bandages and such was way too tough.

Wait, it would make for a fas.h.i.+onable accessory, I suppose?

「Well, like this I think with this much we can deceive people into thinking that you’re a battle wounded slave…… maybe?」(Rimuru)

Still, since the wings on my back were rigid, I couldn’t stop using the mantle though.

Since walking down the main street would draw attention, we headed towards the clothing store by using slightly complicated side-streets.

Although I’ve gotten a lot of experience with it, I couldn’t walk smoothly with my unbalanced limbs. In a good way it made the disguise more believable.

「That sure is a clunky way of walking, right?」(Rimuru)

「『This body』 you say…… Was it different before?」(Rimuru)

「That mountain at the southern border of the Forneus Commonwealth huh. If I remember correctly it erupted one month ago or something like that」(Rimuru)

One Month…… Since it took 3 weeks to travel here, that means I was buried alive for over a week.

「I was wrapped up in that eruption. During that time, this hand and foot――」(Eir)

How should I explain it?

……Meh, guess it’s fine if he doesn’t.

「I found a Dragon’s Corpse, use it’s flesh and blood to stave off hunger, and became like this」(Eir)

「It’s true. But, it’s fine if you don’t believe it」(Eir)

「Hmm…… Then, when you got those Gifts, it might have been at that time as well」(Rimuru)

More like, I can’t think of any other possibility.

There was a lot of free time on our journey, so I somehow ended up having a lively conversation with Master.

「What about Family?」(Rimuru)

「The shock must’ve been too strong… though that might not be the case huh. Perhaps absorbing a large amount of 『Dragon’s Blood』 made it circulate in your brain and caused your thoughts to change……」(Rimuru)

「…… Feeling so little sadness, it’s a blessing in disguise I guess」(Rimuru)

Somehow, the way Master looked at me, it had sympathy mixed in with it.

Would this be mutual sympathy as people who have both lost their families?

「As for Rimuru-sama?」(Eir)

「Sad?」(Eir)

「At the time, yea. But now…… Well, I’ve come to terms with it in my own way. But still, I’m stuck in the middle of my training because both of them ended up dying……」(Rimuru)

Inheriting the techniques that his family had left behind.

That’s why, even going as far as to take part in slave trafficking which he despises, I bet that’s why he is going to study at the academy in Raum.

For me who had a an unstable way of walking, Master was leading me by the hand.

That’s why, He who didn’t hesitate to touch me, it must be true to say that he hates slave trafficking.

An injured girl being led by the hand, and a young boy in nice attire.

From other people’s perspective it must have looked like a naturally lovely and heartwarming sight. That’s why――

「Hey, you brats! Ya must be enjoying life huh~. Share some of dat happiness with us」

「If yaa want~, It’d be fine if ya give us that woman ya know? hehehehehe」

「Hey, now that I look at it dat girl’s a slave right? dat means if we have sum fun wit ‘er den we can’t be punished for it」

Getting involved with a bunch like this, the universe might have pre-determined it.

…… By the way Master.

「Why are you hiding yourself behind me, Rimuru-sama」(Eir)

「As for me, I was looking forward to seeing my new Master-sama show off how cool he was」(Eir)

「I have a policy of not doing things I’m not capable of」(Rimuru)

Just after saying that you’d journey to Raum, Declaring that you won’t do things that you can’t… What happened to the person from before?

The bunch of ruffians placed their hands on my shoulder, and pushed me aside.

Once the ruffians grasped my shoulder, I had Flashbacks of the slave dealer’s 『Training』. I reflexively shoved it away because of the unpleasant sensation.

*Gokyaa*!

Making a dull sound, the ruffian’s arm was bent into a position where you should not bend it.

With just a light push from my Left ・Hand, my arm that was like an iron gauntlet ended up breaking his arm.

「A, aah? AAAH GYAAAAAA!」

「You wanna fight? you brat!」

After momentarily having a dumbfounded expression, a scream echoed through the streets.

But the Me right now won’t hesitate in a moment like this.

―― Kill, before you are Killed.

Because that teaching was already carved into my heart.

With a *squish* I could feel his bone and flesh being smashed. With this 2 of them are down.

Landing on the ground, I simultaneously threw a punch at the nearby man using right hand… but it didn’t cause much damage.

―― As I thought, if it’s not with my transformed limbs then the power is not enough.

Using the recoil to pull back my right arm, I twirled my body while rotating, and with a slight hop I roundhouse kicked his back and sent the 3 people flying.

He struck my left arm with the blade――

*Clang* Together with a clear sound, the sword broke.

「…… Still, wanna go?」(Eir)

「Ah, D――d.a.m.n MONSTER!」

With that single word, the remaining fragments of mercy left in my heart vanished.

The force didn’t stop with just that. Together with a few broken rib bones, the man fell to the ground.

That makes 4 people, Battle Over.

「What do you mean 『Never fought before』. Aren’t you crazy strong」(Rimuru)

「That was first time fighting. The ability of these limbs is amazing, is all」(Eir)

Since it would be bad to stick around that place, we hurriedly escaped the scene.

Overwhelming physical capability. Despite it being 4 vs 1, there was absolutely no problem dealing with those adventurers.

Staggering Speed that didn’t let them draw their swords; Herculean Strength that could easily deal with steel.

「But, left hand and right leg, only those……」(Eir)

My right hand that I hit that man with, my fist was the one injured instead.

「Eir, Let me see that hand. It’s wounded, right?」(Rimuru)

「……Nn」(Eir)

Master took my right hand, and treated it with healing magic.

「Even though it’s just a scratch」(Eir)

「Just for me, Even though you plan on forcing me to be a meat s.h.i.+eld?」(Eir)

「I decided that you’re the right person for the job, you see」(Rimuru)

This Master… He’s really good at making fallacies.

「Now let’s hurry up and get to the clothing store. After all, you really stood out just now」(Rimuru)

「I definitely think you’re wrong about that」(Rimuru)

It was agreed upon that the plan for now was “We need to get a change of clothes”. While arguing 『Not true』(Eir) and『Yes it is』(Rimuru), We hurried on our way to the clothing store.

At the clothing store it developed into a situation where Master was primarily the one to pick out the outfits.

On my head was a casquette cap[1] to cover my large skull. St.u.r.dy boots were also bought for my feet.

All that’s left is to put on a long mantle to hide the wings and the image would be complete.

「But, it looks hard to move around in a mini-skirt so――」(Eir)

「On a journey the practicality of the pleats will be――」

「……………………」

「……Understood」

Well, I am a slave to begin with.

Although I feel that there’s a bunch of mismatched combinations, If they are Master’s preferences then I have to accept it.

「All that’s left is to get some clothes that have a similar pattern to these. Also I guess it would be good to get some spare boots too」(Rimuru)

「I’ll leave it to you, also the underwear will be primarily White――」(Rimuru)

Ehhh, he even went so far as to decide on the color of underwear. Even though he’s aShouta[2], Master is quite the Ero.

While I had a wearily expression on my face, a different empolyee-san called out to me.

「Oh dear, you’re really being taken care of」(employee 2)

「No, you really are being cared for. Just think, there isn’t any master who would enthusiastically pick out a slave’s clothes like this」

「…… I, suppose so」

The next place we went was the equipment store. It mainly dealt with equipments for adventurers.

「First, to see how heavy of a sword you can carry,  Let’s confirm it」(Rimuru)

Going along with Master’s and the Shopkeeper’s enthusiasm, they joined forces to make me swing swords one after another. The result: The right hand could carry a Dagger[3], and the left hand could carry a two-handed greatsword.

For the left hand, I could swing a two-handed great sword as if it was a twig.

「To think, a person exists that could swing this sword with just one hand……」(Shopkeeper)

「I ain’t got no hobby of chatting about customer’s privacy. In any case Jou-chan[4], Yur just like a legendary knight ya know?」(Shopkeeper)

One of the fairy-tales, a story about a knight who wielded a two-handed sword with one hand, I often heard it. I think the shopkeeper was talking about that same story.[5]

「But for me, sword technique is still a beginner’s so」(Eir)

「The right arm is powerless, so can you supplement it with the dagger? If you strike barehanded then you’ll end up getting hurt again」(Rimuru)

「Okay」(Eir)

As for two-handed swords, “Other Dimension Storage” has countless numbers of them in it, so if I really need to then I can make use of those.

First off, was the fact that I could not walk smoothly. Because of my body’s terrible balance, we were at a loss at decided how heavy the armor I wear could be.

In the end, we decided on a light breastplate that was easy to move in.

「With this, I suppose we’re done with the general equipment?」(Rimuru)

「…… Master[6], I’ll leave the choice of armor for the left hand up to you」(Rimuru)

「Ah yea, ya mean for when the left arm gets. .h.i.t with a sword eh」(Shopkeeper)

Having said that, he brought out the sh.e.l.l of a bug that could be used as a gauntlet.

It was so light that I felt like I was wearing nothing at all.

「In the labyrinth, this is a gauntlet that used the sh.e.l.l of a ‘Huge Ant’. If it’s this then even Jou-chan can use it」(Shopkeeper)

「Ordinarily it would be 7 Gold coins. But ya showed me something interestin’ so I’ll give it to ya fer 5 coins」(Shopkeeper)

「Swingin’ a greatsword with one hand, dat ain’t something ya see everyday. It’s payment for dat」(Shopkeeper)

And thus, I (just as a pretense) had finished gathering my equipment.

Additional note that I’m too lazy to add in:

Forneus is the name of a great marquis of h.e.l.l mentioned in the Lesser Key of Solomon. He is the 30th of 72 demons

1.

TL note: A Casquette cap is a french “newsboy cap”. Example Picture here

2.

TL note: If you didn’t know, Shouta/Shota is male version of a Loli. Eir really did call him that.

3.

TL note: Technically the word for Dagger can be translated to either Dagger or Short Sword. Not sure what I should go with since each has it’s own connotations so I went with the more contrasting Dagger.

4.

TL note: Jou-chan is referring to Eir. It pretty much means “La.s.sy” or “Young lady”.

5.

Random TL note: This is probably a reference to the prequel, haven’t read it though. Just thought I’d point it out.

Edit: Yea, It’s a reference to Yuuri’s party from the prequel.

6.

TL note: This Master is Rimuru talking to the Shopkeeper, as they are sometimes called as such.