episode_0008

Meruru, a merfolk hidden on the giant trading ship Arkbari, was helping me with my cleaning instead of revealing her presence to the captain.

I never threatened her.

Meruru liked keeping her existence a secret from the crew, and I appreciated the help with the daunting task of cleaning alone.

It was a win-win situation where no one was at a loss.

“The narrator keeps trying to make me look like trash. I need to survive too.”

“Heh heh… I’ve cleaned all the rooms over there! How much is left?”

Meruru, holding a mop, rushed out of the cabin and asked me with a tired face.

Just cleaning one cabin already made her tired. How will she manage if there’s so much left?

“There are about fifty left now.”

“That’s too much! If I clean that many rooms, I’ll die!”

“Hey, I was planning to do it all by myself anyway.”

“Ugh… You’re not a kind person.”

Meruru shrugged and headed to the next cabin.

I also picked up my mop and resumed cleaning.

The cleaning of the Arkbari continued throughout the night.

It was definitely faster to clean together than alone.

While I cleaned two cabins, Meruru barely managed to clean one.

Thanks to that, it seemed like we would finish on time with some spare time left.

“It’ll be dawn soon.”

After almost finishing the extensive cabin cleaning in one night, I went up to the deck and saw the sun rising.

Since I didn’t know when the cleaning would end, I decided to clean through the night and see how much was left the next day.

But it seemed like we would finish early, so taking a break when the sun rose seemed like a good idea.

I was starting to feel sleepy.

“Hey, Meruru.”

I called out to Meruru, who was lying on the deck like a frog.

“Meruru is dead. Meruru has no strength left.”

“Stop exaggerating. We’re almost done for today, so let’s rest. How about you?”

Come to think of it, I didn’t know what to do with this guy.

I could sleep in a nearby inn, but Meruru was too conspicuous to go out on the streets like this.

Maybe in a city overflowing with different races like Kubele, but when I was out, there were no merfolk like Meruru.

“Meruru wants to rest too. Meruru is hungry. She moved a lot but didn’t get any food.”

“How did you survive hiding on this ship?”

“I ate the food on the ship little by little.”

“What’s your plan now?”

“I have to keep hiding on the ship until we reach the mainland.”

What is she talking about?

We’re already on the mainland.

“If we’ve already arrived, why don’t you get up and see for yourself?”

“Eeek! Is this the mainland? I thought it was a huge island!”

She just realized it now.

No wonder things seemed strange.

Why didn’t she come out even after the ship docked and the crew disembarked?

I thought she wanted to hide on the ship until we reached the next destination, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

She’s definitely someone who could get into trouble if left alone.

“We’ve finally arrived! Thank you for letting me know! I’m not thankful for the cleaning!”

Meruru suddenly seemed energized and tried to get up to leave the ship.

“Meruru, the merfolk from Helvetica Island, has finally arrived at her desired destination after a long voyage.”

However, she was unaware. If she were to enter the city of Kube without any precautions, she did not know what awaited her.

Coincidentally, in Kube, a slave merchant who had arrived recently was searching for a person to release and make a suitable target for sale.

“Hey! Hey! Wait!”

As soon as I heard the narration, I urgently grabbed Meruru’s tail as she tried to jump off the ship.

Meruru, who was about to run wildly, slipped and stumbled forward as her tail was suddenly caught.

“Ahh-!”

“Shh! Quiet!”

“It hurts! What are you doing?”

“If you go out like this, you’ll be caught by the slave merchant.”

Honestly, even if she were to be caught like this, it wouldn’t concern me, but it seemed too pitiful.

This little one must have her own story and have suffered to come this far, only to face slavery as soon as she arrived at her destination.

Although I wasn’t in a position to help or worry about anyone, it reminded me of when I first came to this world.

“Look at your ears and tail. There are no people of your kind in this city. Moreover, the slave merchants are looking for someone to sell with keen eyes. What do you think will happen if you go down there like this?”

“I dislike slavery. It’s… frightening.”

“Right? You were so scared of being caught by the ship’s crew. How do you think you’ll fare if you willingly go to even scarier people?”

“Then what should I do! I have things I must do!”

“Hmm…”

I carefully examined Meruru’s ears and tail as I circled around her.

Her ears could easily be hidden with a hood, but the problem was her large, fox-like tail.

When I touched it earlier, it wasn’t as thick as it seemed compared to its size.

It was just the fur that made it look bigger.

So, if I could find a long robe with a hood, I thought I could somehow conceal it.

If the narration was correct and the slave merchants were roaming around, she would need to hide her identity as a demi-human to be able to move freely.

“Meruru, for now, go back into that barrel where you were hiding.”

I was starting to reach my limit as well.

I needed to sleep and eat.

When the day broke, the captain or crew of the Arkbariho might come here to check the condition of the ship.

If I wanted this little one to be safe until I had rested enough and finished cleaning, it would be safer for her to hide in the barrel again.

“Ugh… It’s stuffy in there.”

“If you had been hiding well until now, a few more hours won’t kill you.”

“Ugh…”

“Just wait for half a day, and I’ll bring you clothes to hide your ears and tail. Endure until then.”

After telling Meruru that, I left the ship alone and headed towards the streets of Kube.

* * *

“Sigh, who said I wanted to enjoy any luxury.”

The early morning hustle and bustle of Kube.

Leaving Meruru on the Arkbariho, I headed to the shopping district before the inn.

I opened my purse and counted the money I had.

25 silver.

Of course, it hadn’t increased or decreased.

I should have been worried about my daily food expenses, but I still came out to buy a robe for Meruru.

Anyway, I could receive 1 gold as cleaning fee from the captain of the Arkbariho tomorrow.

In fact, if it weren’t for Meruru, I wouldn’t have been able to finish cleaning, so she also had a little share in it.

The shopping district of Kube had many shops, but there were also many street vendors.

The goods were diverse and the quality was not uniform, but the prices were cheap.

It felt like a traditional market.

I looked around the street full of street vendors to find a robe suitable for Meruru.

“How much is this?”

Discovering a perfect item, I inquired about the price, only to receive a response from the merchant in the form of two extended fingers.

“2 silver?”

“20 silver.”

Damn, that’s expensive.

I glanced at another item, and despite its slightly worn appearance, I chose a robe that seemed like it could cover my ears and tail.

“What about this?”

“10 silver.”

“Why is it so pricey for something so worn out and tattered like someone’s old clothes?”

“If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”

“Let’s negotiate instead of arguing.”

Thinking I could possibly get the robe for a cheaper price if I played my cards right, I tried to haggle.

I picked up the robe carelessly spread out on a mat and pointed out its flaws.

“Look here. It’s even stained with something weird. Since it doesn’t seem like it’ll sell anyway, give it to me cheap so I can use it as a rag.”

“Ah, trying to haggle even for something like this. Fine. Take it for 5 silver.”

Wow, a 50% discount.

I paid the price and purchased the robe to dress Meluru in.

It’s a bit dirty, but it’ll do since it’s not too noticeable.

Now I have 20 silver left.

How will I manage to afford lodging and meals with this?

With a worried heart, I set off to find a nearby inn.

—

“I’ve been completely ripped off…”

Kubel’s Inn.

I lay down in a cramped attic barely big enough for one person, looking at my purse and sighing.

I never thought the inn room would be so expensive.

Unable to afford a decent room with the remaining 20 silver, I reluctantly rented the attic for 15 silver.

I have 5 silver left.

If I buy a skewer of meat on the street, I’ll go bankrupt.

“But I’ll receive 1 gold tomorrow…”

I shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if I hadn’t managed to get a job from Captain Akbari.

Rolling up the robe I bought to give to Meluru, a nauseating smell wafted up.

This smell… the smell of poverty…

How long will I have to live this stench-filled life?

After calculating in my head, I realized that even after receiving 1 gold, I would quickly go bankrupt if I didn’t find another way to earn money.

But I’ve gained some time, so I’ll have to find a way to earn money slowly and steadily.

Sleep overcame me.

I must have cleaned the entire ship, of course.

Meluru must be waiting, so I’ll just take a short nap and then head back to the ship…

“In this new world, Yunoa was learning for the first time the value of earning money through hard work.

Unbeknownst to him, his future, which was destined to be a mere street performer, was slowly changing.”

…

“And exhausted from fatigue, Yunoa fell into a sweet slumber, unaware of this voice.”

—