## Chapter 377 – A Color From Space
“Why the hell are you going on a business trip? Can’t you just work in the city? Why do you need to go so far?”
“They say a meteorite fell. I have to go.”
Karin seemed to be against the business trip.
“Huh? A meteorite? Ah, now that you mention it, I think I heard something about that. I didn’t know my husband would be so easily swayed by such stories.”
Karin approached me, sitting on the sofa, and sat between my legs, leaning against me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and whispered in her ear.
“Apparently, the mages at the Magic Tower are saying a huge number of meteorites fell. Winia thinks there’s a good chance, so I’m going. They say a lot of people have already found meteorites.”
“Ah, that Miss Winia? Tsk, then I guess I have to let you go.”
“Miss Winia, you say.”
“I’m still a bit uncomfortable just calling her by her name. But since we’re sharing a husband, I wouldn’t mind getting along with her.”
She rubbed her cheek against mine. She was being so affectionate; I felt like I was getting seriously hard.
“Want me to bring her over sometime?”
“Sure, whatever. But how long will you be gone?”
“A little over ten days, I think.”
“What the hell? Is that the best you can do? You want this older sister to be weaving cobwebs while you’re gone?”
“Hey, no need to talk like that. ‘Weaving cobwebs’? Be nice.”
“Ugh, no, but when are you leaving? Why did you have to come at this hour and say that? I’m already short on time as it is.”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Then come by tomorrow morning or night.”
That was Karin’s permission.
Anyway, I left after that, since she said she was short on time. Next, I should go see Lady Risha. Thinking about it, it’s pretty amazing.
I can’t believe I have to tell them I’m going away for work like this.
“Shall we go to Jongno?”
As soon as I arrived in the slums, I called out Seol Woon-do’s compass.
—Kyaaaaaaak!!!
—Huddadak!
Immediately, screams erupted from here and there, and the slum dwellers jumped up and started running away.
I don’t have time to leisurely collect alimony from these beggars today. If I see their faces, I’ll want to dropkick them, so it’s best to just chase them away.
The slums are gloomy but quiet today.
Soon, I arrived at Lady Risha’s shop.
“You’ve come!”
“Oh.”
As soon as I opened the door, Lady Risha in her adult form hugged me. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Hehehe, it’s only been a few days, hasn’t it? This lady is always waiting so eagerly. Is your arm feeling better?”
She rubbed her face against my chest, acting all coy, and asked about my arm with a worried tone.
“It’s all better now. Hehehe, were you waiting for this Kim Kat so much?”
“Nothing makes me happier these days than seeing your face.”
“I’m happy too, Lady Risha. Oh, but you’re in your true form today? Last time I came, you said you were low on mana.”
The last time I saw Lady Risha in her true form was when I gave her my breast milk. I visited her a few times when I hurt my arm, but she couldn’t transform then either, saying she was always a little short on mana.
“I’ve had a little more to spare lately… Ahem. W-will you go up to the second floor right away?”
“Sure. Oh, but you look so cute today.”
“To think you would call this lady cute, hehe. Don’t tease me too much.”
“Why is saying you’re cute teasing you? You’re cute, so I’m saying you’re cute.”
“Don’t make me blush.”
Anyway, I immediately picked up Lady Risha and went up the stairs to the second floor. I naturally laid her down on the bed and took off my clothes.
“But Lady Risha, I’m going away for work a bit far from the day after tomorrow. I might be a little late coming back.”
“The day after tomorrow, you say? When will you be able to come back?”
“I’m telling you because it’ll probably be a little over ten days.”
“T-ten days?! Isn’t that too long? Is it that important?”
It’s true that the period is getting longer because I’m going far away.
“They say a meteorite fell, so I’m thinking of going there.”
“Hmm… A meteorite… I don’t know much about celestial bodies, so I’m not sure. Anyway, if you get anything interesting, come show me. Now then.”
“Slowly. Gently?”
“You’re so mischievous.”
Lady Risha’s fair face flushed red at my question. Her defense is so low that I have to drastically reduce my speed and strength.
“Just a moment before that. Do you remember me saying I wanted to make proof last time?”
“Of course, I remember.”
I went on top of Lady Risha, who was already in her underwear, and touched her face. She also touched my face and continued.
“This black earring…”
Her hand moved towards my ear.
“Ah, my earring? I got this from the Swordsman Guild.”
It was the earring Karin gave me as proof of being a guild member after I registered at the Swordsman Guild when I first came to Isbanth and took lessons for a month.
I remember her putting it on for me back then.
I haven’t taken it off since.
“It would be good to do it here.”
“Do what?”
“Just a moment.”
—Pachit.
I heard that sound.
“Oh, damn. Lady Risha, what did you do?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted me to make proof that you’re my man? That’s it. Now, don’t take off the earring.”
It happened so quickly that I don’t know what she did.
“I won’t. But what did you do?”
“It’s a secret.”
“I don’t forgive secrets, dejaaaaaaaaat!!!”
“Ah, aaaaaah!! D-don’t thrash around!!!”
And so, I spent some unilaterally enjoyable time.
* * *
After stopping by the monastery, which was my original purpose, and getting my final treatment, it was almost sunset.
When I returned to the inn, Claudie and Winia had almost finished packing.
Well, we didn’t have that much luggage anyway.
Clothes and equipment. And Winia’s books and some household goods and supplies. Still, it filled four backpacks. Of course, it was a small amount of luggage considering how long we had been staying.
With Alaune’s pot added last, that was all our luggage. After packing everything up, the room felt empty.
Well, moving out will be easy.
“Blackie, you came earlier than I thought? I thought you’d be busy having fun with your dick and come in the middle of the night.”
Anyway, Winia said to me, pushing her chest out.
Looking at her glaring at me… Is she angry?
“W-Winia? You’re not angry, are you?”
“Why would I be angry? I already understand everything.”
“Winia-sama, I love you.”
“Suddenly saying you love me? Well… I love you too. Give me a hug.”
She asked me to hug her for a moment, so I hugged her. After a while, she pulled away from my arms and sat down in a chair.
“Anyway, Blackie. I’ll explain the travel plan, so listen carefully.”
“Katt, come sit here.”
It seems they had established a travel plan while packing.
This must be the thoroughness of a mage.
“Can’t we just take a carriage?”
I pulled out a chair and sat down.
“No, it’s a bit difficult to take a carriage this time. There are no carriages going that way.”
“Really? Then can’t we just rent one? I think we can with our credit.”
Ah, but we don’t know if we’ll be able to get a meteorite, so we need to invest carefully. Renting a carriage is quite expensive.
“Blackie, why wouldn’t there be carriages? There aren’t any because the road is difficult for carriages to travel on. Terrain that carriages can’t travel on. Understand?”
“Ah. I understand.”
“So I’m saying it might be better to walk.”
In this case, taking a carriage would take longer because it would have to go around. That’s why they’re saying we should walk.
Damn, but that means we’ll be walking for a little over five days.
“Winia. But wouldn’t that be too hard?”
If we don’t use a carriage, we’ll have to carry all this heavy luggage. Since we’re going away for several days, we’ll need a lot of clothes and other things, so we can’t really reduce the luggage significantly.
If anything, we’ll be adding to it.
Even if our family’s average physical strength is good, carrying this much luggage on a long march will be a disaster. Mainly in terms of mood.
“Hehe, Katt. Do you think Winia wouldn’t have thought of that?”
“Blackie, do you think I wouldn’t have thought of that?”
The two women said at the same time to my question.
“We have it all figured out. There’s a place that rents out luggage-carrying Cockatrice subspecies over there. We’ll rent one with our mage credit and have it pull the luggage.”
“What? Luggage-carrying Cockatrice? Ah. Now that I think about it, there were those guys.”
Luggage-carrying Cockatrice sounds quite unfamiliar, but in this world, in addition to horses and donkeys, they domesticate Drake subspecies that look like dinosaurs, or bipedal bird monsters with sturdy thighs called Cockatrice subspecies, for transportation and riding.
They are common livestock that can be seen quite often on the streets.
When I first came to this world, I was terrified and confused when I saw dinosaurs pulling carriages and ancient ostriches that looked like crazy thugs.
That was a long time ago.
“Then we can just walk without luggage. That’s no problem.”
“That’s right.”
The domesticated Cockatrice subspecies are cheaper than horses.
They are easier to handle than horses in many ways and are not particularly restricted by terrain, but they also have the disadvantage of being less powerful.
Each mode of transportation has its pros and cons.
“The Cockatrice subspecies is called Quites, I think. Anyway, we’ll rent it and load our luggage on it. If we find a meteorite, we can load that on it too. I’ll take care of renting it.”
“That’s Winia for you. So reliable.”
Then we can buy travel supplies tomorrow and be ready to go the day after tomorrow.
“Anyway, that’s the end of the travel plan. Blackie, you understood everything, right?”
“I understood it like it was nothing, damn it. I’m not an idiot.”
“When I look at you, I think Blackie is an idiot. When you look at it, you really don’t know a lot of things.”
“Damn it.”
“Hehe.”
“But is the location of the meteorite accurate?”
“It’s not 100% accurate. That’s why we’re going to search the area.”
Anyway, that’s what it seems like.
If Winia is this motivated, I feel like we can definitely acquire at least one small piece of meteorite.
If we acquire just one, we can turn our losses into gains. I believe there will be a clear result for the time and money we invest.
* * *
Two days later, at dawn.
We packed our luggage and came down to the first floor. Winia and Claudie each carried one backpack, and I carried two in the front and back.
Of course, I didn’t forget to bring Alaune.
The flower had grown quite a bit, but I wrapped it up well so it wouldn’t be seen and put the pot in a pocket attached to the side of Winia’s backpack.
“You’ve been staying here for quite a while. Aren’t you renewing your contract?”
An employee asked in the lobby on the first floor.
“I have to go far away. I’m thinking of renewing the contract when I come back.”
“I see. I understand. I’ve received the keys.”
And so, we left the inn that we had grown fond of.
I plan to stay here again when I find the meteorite and come back.
“Blackie, Sister. Follow me.”
Winia took the lead and guided us to the Quites rental shop.
We have to carry our backpacks there. They’re bulky and have a lot of stuff in them, but they don’t feel particularly heavy.
Every time, I feel that I have definitely become stronger.
Looking back, when I was in the army, I would curse every second during a fully armed march.
But if I did the same thing now, it would be so easy that even a child’s outing would be a challenge.
I could easily do a fully armed rapid mountain march.
My mentality, muscle strength, stamina, and endurance have all become superior.
With this kind of power, I will definitely get my hands on a meteorite. And so, after a long time after the morning dawned, we arrived at the Quites rental shop.
—Quek, quek!
—Kweeeeeek!
—Gyuek! Kweeeeeek!!
The rental shop was located right outside the city, and it was surrounded by a fairly large wall, as if business was doing quite well.
Of course, it was smaller than the city walls.
Still, it seemed like it could fundamentally block the invasion of bandits or monsters. But it didn’t seem likely that there would be an attack since it was built right in front of the city.
It seems like they just built the wall to prevent the livestock they were raising from escaping.
—Kweeeeeeeek!!!
It’s already so noisy.
—Quek! Quek! Quek!
This is the cry of the Quites, a domesticated Cockatrice subspecies. As expected of a monster with lowly origins, even its cry is quite fierce.
It also smells musty.
When we all went inside, a brown-haired girl who appeared to be an employee ran out.
“Welcome, customers! You’re the mage from the Magic Tower who came the day before yesterday! We’ve prepared the luggage-carrying Quites as you requested!”
