When I regained my composure and entered the store with Sieg-san, I was immediately approached by a woman who looked clerk, wearing a uniform-like outfit.
[Welcome, what are you searching for tod... Mhmm? Mhhhhmmm?]
[Eh?]
[...Fumu fumu, hou hou...]
[Ummm...]
The clerk seemed to have noticed something while she was speaking, and then, for some reason, she circled around me, looking as if she was evaluating me.
As I was feeling puzzled by her incomprehensible behavior, the clerk nodded once and spoke.
[We've never met before, have we?]
[Eh? Yes, I don't think we have.]
[However, I have this feeling like I've met you before... This must be that, right!? You're my fated person! After all, that's what it says in the book I read the other day!]
[.......Yes?]
[Someone I admire told me, that the moment you see that special someone would make you feel that spark... Thus, after tens of thousands of years living in this world, my fated person has finally appeared!]
I don't know what's going on, but she suddenly started saying something incomprehensible. Her story is so far-fetched that putting aside throwing a tsukkomi at her, my mind couldn't keep up with what's happening at all.
In front of the confused me, the clerk gave me a thumbs up with a big smile on her face.
[Alright then, for the time being, how about you fall in love with me?]
[No, thanks. I'll pass.]
[...An instant rejection after an encounter, this feels very painful.]
After hearing my words, the clerk over exaggeratedly slumped her soldiers, her tension fluctuating wildly. However, just after her shoulders slumped, the clerk immediately looked up.
[This was that, right? It was just a bad encounter... For the time being, I think I should prepare "bumping into you with a piece of bread in my mouth", so you'd better watch out for "when you're turning corners under the moonless nights"!]
No, no, if you mix up all sorts of things like that, you'd sound like you're planning a sneak attack on me, you know!?
[Well then, let's get back on track... What are you searching for today?]
No way, this girl... From all the tension she had earlier, she immediately returned back to serving customers? As I was puzzled by how quickly she switched faces, Sieg-san, who had recovered from her confusion earlier, spoke.
[...Errr, we're here to look at your Teleportation Magic Tools.]
[I see. If that's the case, there's a section on the second floor dedicated to Teleportation Magic Tools, so please go there.]
[Ah, yes. Thank you very much.]
While I was astounded by the clerk who treated us normally that I really wondered what had just happened, I felt like I would get tired if I dealt with her any longer, so I just said thank you and decided to quickly head upstairs with Sieg-san.
Then, climbing upstairs and checking the floor map that was right next to the stairs, and moved to the Teleportation Magic Tools section.
[...That clerk was kinda amazing, wasn't she?]
[Yes, I couldn't help but be dumbfounded.]
After I said this with a wry smile, Sieg-san smiled as well. At that moment though, I suddenly remembered something.
[...Sieg-san.]
[What is it?]
[That clerk earlier... She was quite tall, wasn't she?]
[That's right. She was obviously taller than me, so I'd say she was about 180cm...]
(T/N: 5′10 or 11″)
[...She had deep purple hair, tied in a ponytail, right?]
[...That's right. I don't think someone with such a deep purple color would be usual.]
I felt that the characteristics of that strangely enthusiastic clerk earlier perfectly matched with the person I had just heard a while ago.
[...Could it be that the person those two were looking for...]
[H- Hmmm, as expected though, couldn't it be that she's a different person? I mean, those two obviously just came out of the store earlier, so I don't think they would have overlooked the person they were searching for at the entrance of the store.]
I was wondering if she was the one the twins, Cento and Cien, were looking for, but as Sieg-san said, that was probably not the case.
As expected, if that clerk is who they were looking for, I would rather be wondering about what skit they were playing here.
[Indeed... but I'm still a little curious, so can we go back for a moment?]
[We're not really in a hurry, and I'm curious too, so let's go back.]
After getting Sieg-san's approval, we went back to the first floor to check the clerk. As I recall, the two of them seemed to be looking for someone they called "Esteemed Sister Tre", so I could easily find out her name by asking her.
With that thought in mind, we went back to the first floor...
[...Arehh?]
[...She's not here.]
We should have only gone for a short time, but the clerk from earlier had disappeared. I looked around and tried to find her, but although the floor was fairly open and clear from clutter, I couldn't find that distinctively tall clerk.
[She might have already returned. I'm curious, but I don't feel comfortable going to the trouble of asking another clerk to call someone we don't know... Let's not mind her and just check out the magic tools.]
[I guess so. Let's do that.]
Feeling as if I'm bewitched by a fox, I moved upstairs with Sieg-san.
But come to think of it... I came to this store once before to buy magic crystals, but was there a clerk at the entrance to guide me back then? There was a floor map right after we entered, just like the one upstairs, so I think I just checked that out...