Chapter 12 : Something That Is Not Natural

I finished packing up the camping gear I had bought along with my clothes—oil-filled bottles, utensils, clean cloths, and so on.

Lastly, I packed everything into a bag.

‘It’d be nice if there were a proper tent. The ones here have such a strange structure.’

I thought back to the A-type tent I had used in the military as I packed the bag.

With my max-level barbarian physique, I was fine, but I was worried about Neb, who seemed to have an average build.

…Then again, it wasn’t cold enough to freeze to death yet.

Maybe Neb knew what I was thinking, as she smiled and nodded a couple of times.

“The goddess seems pleased.”

“…Goddess, my foot.”

The dwarf, who had been watching us, mumbled in a dissatisfied tone.

But despite that, he seemed quite satisfied with the sight.

“She does look good, after all.”

It was clear he was admiring Neb’s appearance.

I suppose he hadn’t expected such beauty to be hidden inside that sack.

Neb walked over to me at a quick pace.

“So, what should we do with these clothes?”

“Hmm.”

I glanced at what Neb was holding.

It was the clothes and shoes Neb had been wearing earlier.

Carrying them around was a bit inconvenient.

Since our journey wasn’t exactly short, it’d be better if our baggage was as light as possible.

…It’s a bit of a waste, but I guess it’s better to just toss them.

I was about to suggest this to Neb.

“Hmmm, would it be okay if I take a look for a moment?”

But the dwarf, who had been watching, butted in.

Neb’s gaze immediately turned cold.

It was a look that seemed to say, “What the hell is this pervert asking for?”

The dwarf, looking flustered, waved his hands quickly.

“It’s not like that! If you’re just going to toss them, you might as well sell them to me!”

“…!!”

Neb stepped back a little, clearly repulsed.

It seemed like she was feeling a deep sense of disgust.

I mumbled, glancing at the dwarf.

“Wanting to buy clothes someone else has worn… That’s quite a shocking preference.”

Now I understood why he had been so insistent on recommending the cuffs, gag, and blindfold.

When Neb and I shot him a look of disgust, the dwarf raised his voice and shouted.

“Damn it, it’s just because the material is interesting!”

“If you don’t want to, fine! I was just trying to help, thinking I could sell them at a high price…!”

He sounded truly indignant.

Neb, probably thinking the same thing as me, placed the clothes and shoes she had been holding onto the counter.

“…Then, go ahead, have a look.”

The dwarf cautiously picked up the clothes and shoes Neb had given him.

After putting on his round glasses, he inspected them closely.

“Do you know what material these clothes are made of?”

I looked at Neb as the dwarf asked the question.

Neb, in turn, looked at me.

I silently conveyed Neb’s thoughts to the dwarf.

“She says she doesn’t know.”

“Hm.”

Even I had to admit, the material was interesting.

It was soft, and the surface was neat.

Neb had worn this outfit the day before, even camping in it, and yet it was still spotless, without a trace of dust.

I leaned in close to Neb, speaking in a hushed tone.

“So, what’s the real deal with those clothes?”

“They’re made from the bedding of that inn.”

“…?”

Neb said this with utmost confidence.

“The goddess can’t walk around in raw form, can she? So, when I first met you, I gathered the dust,

feathers, and leftover stains from the bed and shaped them into this outfit…”

“Stop.”

I didn’t want to hear any more.

In essence, she had made clothes out of the trash from a bed.

I nodded silently, understanding.

It wasn’t that precious of an item.

And at that moment, the dwarf, who had been focusing on the clothes, broke the silence with a quiet voice.

“I’ll give you thirty silver coins.”

“…?”

“If you sell me these clothes and shoes, I’ll give you thirty silver coins.”

In this world, silver coins were generally considered valuable.

It wasn’t as much as gold coins, but thirty silver would be enough to stay at a decent inn for a month.

For reference, even with the cloak, leather shoes, belt, short coat, and camping gear that Neb had, the total wouldn’t exceed thirty silver.

…That’s more expensive than I thought.

I wasn’t an expert on nobles’ clothing, but thirty silver coins seemed like a lot, even by their standards.

‘Clothes made from bedding… trash… thirty silver.’

I paused for a moment.

The modern-day part of me silently screamed, wondering if I should sell trash for money.

“Let’s sell it.”

But Neb’s words came before my own thoughts.

“After all, these are things the goddess no longer needs.”

“Excellent choice…!”

The dwarf’s voice followed, full of joy.

He was happy to buy trash…

Well, it wasn’t actually trash, though.

I felt a slight pang of guilt.

Still, the coin pouch that returned to my hands felt heavy.

Neb led the way with a happy expression.

“Hehe! The goddess’s first earnings in silver!”

“It was earned from selling trash.”

“…Doesn’t that sound a bit off? I simply sold the items to someone who needed them.”

Either way, it was a win-win for both sides.

The dwarf seemed pleased too.

I followed behind Neb, scanning the surroundings.

The attention from people had definitely decreased.

It was on a whole different level compared to when Neb wore the sack.

“Wow…”

“…Damn, you’re pretty.”

Of course, there was still some attention, but it wasn’t the suspicious kind.

If earlier, people had seen us as “the barbarian kidnapper and the hostage,”

“Now, they probably just see us as a regular barbarian slave and a rich traveler.”

Naturally, I played the role of the barbarian slave.

“…Aren’t you being a bit too harsh on yourself?”

“It’s just being objective.”

Anyway, that was the case.

Neb lifted her head and looked at the city.

Her golden eyes reflected the cityscape entirely.

“Hmmm.”

Neb raised her finger as if searching for a direction, alternating between pointing left and right.

I silently observed her.

It was now time to address the original reason we came to the city.

‘…The holy artifact.’

I suddenly thought about the clothes I had just sold at the dwarf’s shop. Shouldn’t they also be considered “holy artifacts”?

I wondered what exactly qualifies something to be considered a “holy artifact.”

What circumstances had caused Neb’s power to be embedded in that object?

‘I just hope it’s not a difficult place to get into.’

I thought of places like the nobles’ castles or churches where priests stayed—locations with tight security in the city.

Then, Neb’s finger, which had been pointing around, settled on the ground beneath our feet.

“…Oh.”

Neb tilted her head slightly.

“It seems like it’s below the city.”

I felt a headache coming on.

It wasn’t a place that was hard to enter,

It was simply a difficult place to find.

And for a large barbarian like me, it was a cramped and stifling place…

“But why in the world is there a sewer full of monsters under a perfectly fine city? This goddess simply cannot understand such common sense.”

I agreed with her.

“Let’s sell it.”

But Neb spoke before I could finish my thoughts.

“After all, these are things the goddess no longer needs.”

“Excellent choice…!”

The dwarf’s voice was filled with joy.

He was happy to pay for trash…

Well, it wasn’t really trash, though.

I felt a slight pang of guilt.

Still, the coin pouch that returned to my hands felt heavy.

Neb walked ahead with a happy expression.

“Hehe! The goddess’s first earnings in silver!”

“It was earned from selling trash.”

“…Doesn’t that sound a bit off? I simply sold them to someone who needed them.”

Either way, it was a win-win for both sides.

The dwarf seemed happy too.

I followed Neb, glancing around the surroundings.

The attention from the people had definitely decreased.

It was on a whole different level compared to when Neb wore the sack.

“Wow…”

“…Damn, you’re pretty.”

Of course, there was still some attention, but it wasn’t suspicious.

Earlier, people had seen us as “the barbarian kidnapper and the hostage,”

“Now, they probably just see us as a regular barbarian slave and a rich traveler.”

Naturally, I was the barbarian slave.

“…Aren’t you being a bit too harsh on yourself?”

“It’s just being objective.”

Anyway, that was the case.

Neb lifted her head and looked at the city.

Her golden eyes reflected the entire cityscape.

“Hmmm.”

Neb raised her finger as if searching for a direction, alternating between pointing left and right.

I silently watched her.

It was time to address the reason we came to the city in the first place.

‘…The holy artifact.’

I suddenly thought about the clothes I had sold to the dwarf earlier.

Shouldn’t they also be considered “holy artifacts”?

I wondered what qualifies something to be considered a “holy artifact.”

What circumstances had caused Neb’s power to be embedded in that object?

‘I just hope it’s not a difficult place to get into.’

I thought of places like the nobles’ castles or churches where priests stayed—locations with tight security in the city.

Then, Neb’s finger, which had been pointing around, settled on the ground beneath our feet.

“…Oh.”

Neb tilted her head slightly.

“It seems like it’s below the city.”

I felt a headache coming on.

It wasn’t a place that was hard to enter,

It was simply a difficult place to find.

And for a large barbarian like me, it was a cramped and stifling place…

“But why in the world is there a sewer full of monsters under a perfectly fine city? This goddess simply cannot understand such common sense.”

I agreed with her.