Chapter 7: Semi-aristocratic grandfather.
Marie and I helped out for about an hour after the busy opening of the evening shift. Many people eat dinner at home, so it seems that only those who come to the store to enjoy alcohol and snacks are the majority of customers, making it not too busy.
The evening menu consists of only two items: ale and a daily snack set. Since everyone orders those two, it seems like serving customers is very easy.
While thinking about that, a single customer arrived.
"Welcome, please take any seat you like."
"I'll have the ale and snack set."
"Sure. I'll bring it to you right away."
This customer is a regular, so there's no need for explanations about the menu.
Afterward, five more customers came, and then the flow of customers stopped.
"Leon, Marie, you can both go home now," my mother called out. Our work was done.
When Marie and I went to the kitchen, our mother handed us our dinner.
After this, we would eat our dinner, clean ourselves up, and go to bed. My mother and father would prepare to sleep and eat after the customers left.
"Marie, let's eat dinner."
"Yeah! I'm hungry!"
We went to the living room while chatting and began eating dinner together.
"Bon appetit!"
Today's dinner was just soup with plenty of bread and vegetables, but in this world, dinner is usually light.
They don't eat much for dinner, but they eat a lot for breakfast and lunch to work hard.
Chew, chew... The bread was hard, but it was good with the soup.
"Big brother, the strawberry dish was really delicious."
"You mean the pancakes."
"Pancakes? Is that what they're called?"
"Yeah, I named them. It's easy to remember, right?"
Even if we call it by another name, we would still call it pancakes, so I decided to name it pancakes.
It doesn't taste like pancakes at all...
"Yeah! I want to eat pancakes again."
"I'll make it again. We also have to go pick strawberries."
"Yeah! I'll pick lots!"
We chatted like that while eating dinner, cleaned ourselves up, and went straight to the bedroom.
Marie seemed tired and fell asleep as soon as she got into bed.
The bedroom was small since it was the only one, and we all slept there as a family, but it was nice, and I thought that while looking at Marie's sleeping face.
Then, I also fell asleep quickly, perhaps because I was tired.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the morning bell.
"Ugh... Ah, I slept well."
I woke up and sat up on my bed, but stopped moving as I realized where I was. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was.
Oh, right... I became Leon in a different world for some reason. It wasn't just a dream after all.
As I was thinking that, I heard a voice from beside me.
"Leon, what are you spacing out for? If you're awake, go wash your face."
"Good morning, Mom. I'm up."
My mother and father had also gotten out of bed, it seemed like they had just woken up. Marie was still fast asleep.
My parents quickly went downstairs. I followed them, washed my face, and sat down on the living room chair.
Yesterday, I didn't feel like it was real, but I really am going to live in this world for a while.
As I was thinking about that, my mother woke up Marie and brought her over while my father brought breakfast.
"Well then, let's eat. Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu."
"Ita... dakimasu..."
Marie still seemed sleepy and was rubbing her eyes trying to wake up.
For breakfast, we had bread, fried eggs, and some kind of meat and vegetable stir-fry. Everything tasted salty, but it was delicious with the natural flavors of the ingredients.
"Do you have any plans for today?"
When my mother asked Marie, she seemed to remember her plans.
"I'm going to the food stalls with Luke today!"
"Oh, that sounds like fun."
My mother looked at Marie with a gentle smile.
Marie was going out with Luke. That's good, I wanted to walk around the town by myself.
"Are you coming with us, big brother?"
"Nah, I have other plans, so it's okay."
"Is that so? See you later then!"
"Yep, let's go together next time."
After finishing breakfast, I helped with the laundry and cleaning the house. Then I helped with the shop's business at lunchtime and had some free time afterward.
"Okay, I'm going out now!"
"Be careful, okay?"
"Okay!"
With the money I had saved from my allowance, I left the house. There was something I wanted to buy if I saw it.
However, I only had five small coins, so even if I could buy something, it would only be a small snack. I also wanted to earn more money.
Even if I sold my knowledge, I needed someone who would buy it at a fair price, and I didn't have the funds to make things... it seemed impossible for now.
As I thought about these things, I walked in the opposite direction of the forest from my house.
Leon had never gone far from his house, so he didn't really know much about the town, but there was apparently a small square on this side with some food stands.
I decided to go to the square first and then to somewhere I had never been before.
After walking for about 20 minutes, I arrived at the square. If I walked straight down the main street from my house, I would reach the square. The main street continued on the other side of the square.
I thought about going down the street at the back of the square, but I noticed that there were also narrower streets to the left and right of the main street.
For some reason, I felt like there might be interesting shops on the narrower streets, so I decided to go down the left one.
As I walked down the left street for a while, most of the buildings were just houses, but occasionally there were workshops with pictures of hammers and saws on their signs, as well as pictures of clothes, thread, and wood. They must be furniture workshops, clothing workshops, textile workshops, and woodworking workshops, right?
I could hear voices and loud noises coming from inside.
As I passed by these workshops and houses, I eventually came across a sign with words on it. Most commoners couldn't read well, so signs with pictures were more popular...
As I thought about that, I absentmindedly read the words on the sign and it said "Magic Tool Workshop."
A magic tool workshop!? There were such things as magic tools! Did that mean there were machines in this world, like the ones in Japan? If so, there might be many things I wanted!
I was very curious, and even though I thought it might be rude, I decided to take a peek inside the workshop.
"Hello, is anyone there?"
I called out, but no one came out. There was no sound either.
"Hello~! Is anyone there~?"
I tried calling out in a slightly louder voice this time. Then, the door in the back opened and a person appeared.
"You don't have to shout that loud, I can hear you just fine."
He was quite an old man. His face was wrinkled, his hair was thinning, and his back was hunched.
Is this old man the one who makes magic tools?
As I was wondering, the old man spoke to me.
"What do you want? I thought there was no one who had business here."
"I'm interested in magic tools..."
"What? Can you even read?"
Ah...! I'm not supposed to be able to read, but I can't help but read normally.
What should I do... but I want to learn a lot, so maybe I should admit that I can read.
"I learned from someone nearby who can read."
I said that, but I don't really think there's anyone like that.
"I see. That's lucky for you."
"Is it really that rare to be able to read?"
"It's rare for commoners. Only wealthy merchants can read."
"I see. So I'm lucky then."
I answered with a laugh, and the old man looked at me suspiciously again.
"Did someone teach you how to speak like that?"
"Speak like what?"
"You've been using appropriate honorifics since earlier."
Ah... I tend to use honorifics for people older than me. I was trying to be careful!
"Yes, someone who taught me how to read also taught me how to speak."
"It's natural for you, though. Commoners use more casual language. But there are some commoners who use polite language like wealthy merchants... Are you really a commoner?"
I felt like he was really suspicious of me... Is this bad? What should I do... As I was sweating nervously, the old man's expression softened a bit.
"Well, maybe you had a good teacher."
It seemed that the old man stopped suspecting me... That's a relief. I let out a quiet sigh.
Come to think of it, he's been talking about commoners and non-commoners since earlier, and he seems to understand honorifics too, but isn't this old man a commoner?
"What are you, old man? Not a commoner...?"
"I am a noble, at least technically. But I'm just a semi-noble, not much different from a commoner."
But why would a noble be in a place like this? And what exactly is a 'semi-noble'?
"What do you mean by 'semi-noble'?"
"A 'semi-noble' is the child of a noble. They can become a noble if they become the head of the family, but many of those who are second sons or lower remain semi-nobles. I'm one of them."
"I see. I understand now."
So that's how it works...the eldest son inherits the family and becomes a noble, but the other children remain semi-nobles. So what happens to the children of semi-nobles?
"What happens to the children of semi-nobles?"
"They become commoners. Otherwise, there would be too many nobles."
"I see...so being a noble is quite difficult... If you're born as a second son or lower, does that mean you can't become a noble?"
"No, you can become a noble if you receive a one-generation peerage. It's called a knighthood, and it's given to those who cannot pass on their title to their children. If you achieve some great feat, you can receive it."
"I see..."
Being a noble is difficult too. I thought that if you were born a noble, you would be set for life. As I was thinking about that, I realized that Grandpa was looking at me with a bewildered expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Sigh...don't you realize how strange you are?"
"What do you mean? Did I say something weird?"
"No, you don't say anything weird enough. You're only around seven or eight years old, but you accurately understand the complicated topic of the noble system and ask questions about it. Clearly, you're not the child of commoners."
Oh no...! I asked too many questions because I was excited to get information. Can I still pretend that I was taught this information? Will it be too obvious?
While I was thinking about that, Grandpa continued the conversation.
"Well, if you have a reason for not wanting to say anything, then you don't have to. I'm old now. I'm just glad to have met an interesting child like you for the last time."
"Um...thank you?"
"But you know, it's best not to show too much difference in front of others. There are a lot of bad people out there."
"Okay!"
He's a really nice grandpa. I'm glad... I'll be more careful from now on.