Ch.36The World Changed by an NPC. (1)

“Lady Ragni!! Welcome!!”

“””Welcome!!!”””

What’s with these guys? Are they gangsters?

Early in the morning, after waking up my companions to buy carriage tickets, I arrived at the carriage station.

Ira, her eyelids still heavy, rubbed her eyes and buried her face irritably in my arms as if the noise bothered her. Ragni, being carried on Gore’s back, waved her hand casually and spoke.

“Yaaawn… nom, hello. I’m sorry I’m not a morning person…”

“Not at all! You must be tired, we could have sent a carriage to you, but thank you so much for coming all the way here…!!”

“Ugh… I’m still sleepy, and some people are sleeping⎯ please keep it down.”

“Yes! Of course. Everyone, shush!!”

“””Shush!!!”””

The sight of these people—whether they were coachmen or gangsters—putting their hands to their faces and shushing at Ragni’s drowsy words was so revolting that I couldn’t even begin to describe it.

“What exactly is going on here?”

“Yaaawn… nom, carriage. Guide. Please… zzz…”

“……”

As Ragni fell asleep without answering my question, Rey and I stared at her in bewilderment. The man at the front approached me and began speaking quietly.

“You’re Lady Ragni and Lady Ira’s companions, right?”

“…Yes. I’m Ira’s older brother.”

“Oh my. So you’re the brother of this angel-like sister. I apologize for the noise, but I’ll personally guide you to the carriage where you can rest comfortably.”

“…Yes. Well, sure.”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion at these people who were acting as if they were serving their masters.

After putting the [Collar of Subjugation] on Ragni, I had only given her two commands: not to reveal anything about the [Hyper-Acidic Slime], and not to reveal that she was a princess.

In a way, those commands also meant she could try to escape if she wanted to. There’s no way she would have disobeyed those orders. If she had, she would be writhing in pain right now instead of sleeping.

Yet when I look back, she’s sleeping more comfortably than anyone on Gore’s back.

No, she’s even rubbing her cheek against Gore and sleep-talking about how nice and cool it feels.

What on earth is going on?

We were guided by them straight to the carriage… wait, car-riage?

“Here you go. This is the carriage prepared for you.”

“…What exactly were our kids saying?”

“Do you mean Lady Ira? Or Lady Ragni?”

“Either one.”

Could she have revealed her identity as a princess through Ira?

With this woman’s intelligence, it’s possible she manipulated Ira to speak in that direction. I asked with that implication, but the man who guided us first instructed us to put the sleeping Ira and Ragni inside, then called me aside.

“Rey, Gore. Guard them well.”

“Yes.”

[Leave it to me.]

Excessive kindness is often a cause for fear.

If that ridiculously ornate, large, and sturdy-looking carriage is actually a prison meant to trap us, I’m prepared to postpone all these coachmen’s schedules by several months.

And I’ll take the carriage as a bonus.

“Since you haven’t heard, let me explain.”

“Yes. What exactly is this situation?”

The coachman’s explanation, delivered with excessive bowing, was beyond absurd—it was downright bizarre.

Two days ago, Ragni, carrying Ira, had wandered around the carriage area and visited the merchant guild.

She apparently commented on the goods loaded in the merchant carriage.

Specifically, about taxes.

She explained that when certain items were loaded separately, they would be double-taxed, resulting in a significant tax burden. However, if packaged differently, it would not only reduce the volume of the carriage contents but also allow for tax reduction.

After having the merchant guild verify this information, which proved to be true, the merchant leader was reluctant to unload and repackage everything due to the additional labor costs. But Ragni offered to repackage and load everything within two hours if they would let her.

And the one who did the work was the maid golem beside her—Gore.

Having evolved into an over-specced monster, Gore could lift even the heaviest carriage cargo with just one finger.

Ragni gave instructions while holding Ira and chatting with the merchant leader in front of the carriage.

And indeed, in just over an hour, the repackaged carriage experienced a miracle—the cargo volume was instantly reduced by half, and the taxes were cut by two-thirds.

And somehow—who knows what she said—the merchant leader became so enamored with Ira’s cuteness and Ragni’s brilliance that he even expressed a desire to adopt them both as his daughters.

However, Ragni declined, saying she already had a husband.

Ira also refused, saying she had me, which disappointed the merchant leader greatly.

Instead, Ragni advised the merchant leader on additional goods to load and what would sell well in Aigram.

That information was apparently state-secret level, and after verifying its authenticity within a day, the merchant leader loaded additional goods yesterday.

Anticipating this, Ragni had Gore deliver a note yesterday afternoon…

“She asked if she and her companions could ride the merchant carriage to Aigram. Naturally, our master ordered us to prepare the best carriage, and even added protective magic artifacts. Do you see that orb over there?”

“…Yes. What is it?”

“That orb will, just once, protect the carriage from complete destruction or an impact of that magnitude, even if it’s a landslide.”

“…How much does something like that cost?”

“You’d be better off not knowing…”

“Then I won’t ask.”

…Are you crazy? Have you completely lost your mind?

What the hell is this? She really did all this just by talking to people for a day and using Gore for an hour?

Not by pulling rank, but literally by selling knowledge? Is this… is this the difference in intelligence…?

Some people kill monsters ten times their level, nearly die in a dungeon collapse, and earn 150,000 kan.

Others just chat a bit and use a single piece of paper to save 100,000 kan in travel expenses? Is this, is this right?!!

I thanked the coachman and returned to the carriage. My head was spinning.

“Mmm… big brother…”

“Yes, come here.”

“Heeeng, how could this be? Do you not like my embrace, Lady Ira?”

*nuzzle nuzzle*

Ignoring Rey’s disappointed voice, I stroked Ira’s head as she buried her face in my arms and fell back asleep.

And turning my gaze, I saw Ragni clinging to Gore like a cicada, drooling and grinning contentedly in her sleep.

I wonder if this is really the EP.5 raid boss queen I knew. Well, judging by her actions, she is, but her current appearance doesn’t match the story.

[Could you please get her off me? She’s drooling on my body.]

“…Just hold her for a while.”

[…Heeng.]

Why are you making that sound too? Is Rey’s speech pattern contagious? Should I ban “heeng”?

I finally closed my eyes while hugging Ira.

There was no point in thinking more about Ragni’s intelligence—it would only give me a headache.

Thanks to her, we saved money and got to ride in a nice carriage, so I decided to just accept the good fortune.

I found it a bit strange that Rey didn’t ask me about this carriage, but well, she might have already heard about it when they talked yesterday.

…Come to think of it, Rey might have felt like she didn’t really win even though she did.

With that thought, I slowly stopped thinking and fell asleep.

*

The months-long journey to Aigram was incredibly peaceful and comfortable.

Since we weren’t even guards, we could just sit still no matter what happened outside. Ragni, anticipating boredom during the long journey, had brought games like chess and poker.

However, those card games, chess, and poker honestly didn’t last more than a day. Well, the reason was simple.

“My goodness, is it possible that Gore is the only one who can challenge me? What is this? Aren’t you all too weak?”

“Ira can challenge you too!!”

“Yes. Only Ira and Gore—you two really need to reflect on yourselves.”

I’m not listening to the devil who deliberately targeted Rey and crushed her spirit.

No, even when I played with Ira, we were no match for her. I should make Life or Monopoly myself and challenge her with those.

Those games are mostly determined by luck, you say? Everything you brought requires brain power.

How can you expect an amateur to beat a professional gamer?!

“Sigh, I was a beginner at all these too, you know? Can’t be helped. Here, this is purely luck-based. You know how to play Blackjack, right?”

“No, that also involves calculating probabilities and such.”

“Oh my, you even know the term ‘probability’?”

“…Want to get punished?”

“Kyaaa~ Ira! Your brother says he’s going to punish me!!”

“Big brother! No! You can’t punish Ragni!!”

“…Ira, do you want your brother to cry?”

At my words, Ira’s eyes widened in confusion before she turned her head again.

“Uh, um?!! Um… R-Ragni… please get punished by my brother.”

“Then, shall I visit you tonight? Master?”

You crazy woman.

Over these months, Ragni eventually started speaking informally to me, but she’s been drifting in a strange direction.

She keeps emphasizing to me that she’s my slave, talking about “night services” and “morning services,” and even started using the insane logic that it’s normal to ask such things of female slaves.

Of course, I argued with her, telling her not to talk nonsense, but I gradually got gaslighted until I was just stuttering “uh, uh, uh?”

Thanks to my past life memories screaming “You’re not even twenty yet!!!” I managed to avoid becoming a criminal.

One crazy thing to note: in the world of Eight, there’s no distinction between adults and minors.

It’s not about being 15 or 19—the concept simply doesn’t exist.

Stories of 14-year-olds getting married and becoming mothers at 15 are common in this world.

Even I became a mountain keeper at 12. Understand?

Anyway, after that, I gave her an order prohibiting sexual advances toward me, but she still uses metaphors to tease me whenever she gets the chance.

Seriously, how detailed do my orders need to be? Why are all the women in my life obsessed with making sexual jokes?

“Ahem. Jack.”

“Oh? Rey, you’re still alive?”

“Yes. I was knocked out from getting beaten so badly, but I couldn’t help overhearing something.”

“Hmm? What was it?”

“That, that I too would gladly accept your punishment…”

“Please, shut up.”

I’m really starting to hate all of them…

[GET DOWN!!!!!!]

A status window suddenly appeared in the previously peaceful atmosphere.

Gore abruptly held Ira tightly to his chest, then immediately extended his hand toward Ragni, Rey, and me, emitting something. And then.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯!!!!

I felt a floating sensation that shouldn’t be experienced inside a carriage, heard the women’s screams, and had to endure the feeling of the world spinning around me.