"...M-Mile-san. Ah, well, you see...," as they neared the market, Marcella spoke to Mile in a manner that seemed very difficult to hear.
"Huh? What is it, Marcella-san?" then, with a puzzled look on her face, Mile answered.
"Um... well... actually, I've been wondering about this for a while, but everyone at Crimson Vow has been ignoring it, so it's been kind of hard to ask... And if it were to come to light that we are the only ones who can see it, it would be extremely frightening, or perhaps unbearable... Anyway, up until now we've never talked about it and have pretended not to see it, but all three of us are reaching our limit... What on earth is that creepy thing that looks like it's made of metal, peeking out from your chest, Mile-san? A monster? Or a transformed ghost?" (Marcella)
"Ah~……" (All CV, x4)
It was not surprising that the three members of Wonder Trio thought so. Its body had a metallic luster and was made up of angular flat surfaces. Visible rivet marks. And its eyes moved in a separate, uncoordinated way, making it difficult to tell where it was looking. In one word, it was creepy. There was no more appropriate word.
"... It's Mile's pet. It's nothing to do with us." (Reina)
"That's right! It's Mile-chan who keeps it and takes care of it! …I sometimes wipe its body or stroke its head, but…" (Pauline)
"Likewise, Isaka Juzo!" (Mavis)
"Ahhh...," Marcella and her companions somehow understood the situation. And…….
"I'm glad for you, Mile-san. Someone has come forward to use that material (Isaka Juzo)..." said Marcella. Yes. It was a joke that Mile had been using since her Ekland Academy days, but it was not well received in Ekland Academy and no one paid any attention to it. Despite Mile's best efforts, based on the belief that "Any words become a joke if repeated 100 times,"...
...It's obvious. Not a single person knew the original source, and the word "Isaka Juzo" was not even recognized as a person's name in the Old Continent—and of course, it was the same here in the New Continent. And it's not like Mavis thought the material was funny or anything like that. Mavis was a kind, compassionate and caring person. …Well, that was what happened…
"This child is Little Mecha-Bird (temporary)," Ignoring Marcella's comment about Isaka Juzo, Mile introduced Little Mecha-Bird (temporary) to everyone at Wonder Trio.
"Little Mecha-Bird bracket temporary-chan, huh? That's a bit of a long name," Marcella was a natural at making jokes like that. And then…….
"It's Little Mecha-Bird! No bracket temporary!"
"Gyaaaaaaah, it spoke!" (All WT)
"...Ah, I see! Indeed, the ancient dragons are gigantic lizards that can speak, so compared to that, a small bird talking is not that strange at all..."
"Yes. We, of all people, have been so narrow-minded. It's so embarrassing. It was an eye-opener."
"It’s true! To think that it’s weird for people other than humans, demons, and beastmen to speak… It’s like a human supremacist! Ah, as the daughter of a merchant whose philosophy is that 'no matter what kind of creature they are, anyone who buys our products is a valued customer,' what an incredibly embarrassing thing to do..." Mile explained.
"No, isn't that make sense? And rather than the scales falling from their eyes, is it more like the scales have now stuck in their eyes? ...And it's as big and thick as the scales of an ancient dragon!!" Reina, Mavis, and Pauline thought to themselves as the three members of Wonder Trio were completely fooled by Mile's explanation...
"...So, its official name, not temporary, is—," said Marcella.
"Still seeking," Mile responded.
"Oh, come to think of it, Mile-san had no naming sense...," and then, Marcella and her party somehow realised why Little Mecha-Bird's official name had not yet been decided.
"So anyway, Little Mecha-Bird is Mile-san's pet... no, her roommate, right? And because it is a rare species of bird, if it were discovered, it would likely be kidnapped or forced to be presented to someone in power, so they kept the fact that it could speak a secret, and to the outside world, it was just a creepy-looking bird they kept...," said Marcella.
Little Mecha-Bird seemed quite annoyed when Marcella said that it looked gross, but it didn't seem interested in interrupting in the middle of an important conversation. Also, up until now there hadn't been anyone within earshot of where they could hear what they were saying, but now that they were closer to the market there were more people about, and Little Mecha-Bird could no longer speak, or say anything that would be embarrassing if overheard. The rest of this story would be after they returned to the clan home, but right now, as per the original plan, they were going to the market to decide what not to buy as ingredients and what quality level to buy.
It was unlikely that anyone in this group would be extravagant or selfish, but there would always be agreement on things like, "I absolutely cannot have that ingredient!", "That cheap food is dangerous, I can't eat it", or conversely, "Don't buy that expensive food!", and this was absolutely necessary when living together.
Just looking at meat alone, there was high-quality beef that costed around eight silver coins (8,000 yen) per 100 grams, and there was also cheaper oak cartilage and organ meat that costed around four copper coins (40 yen). As hunters, they would eat anything when they went camping. However, they probably wouldn't want to eat bad, junk meat at a clan house in town, and on the other hand, they had big eaters like Reina and Mile, so they couldn't afford to buy high-quality beef.
Well, it was only natural that ridiculously expensive meat would be delicious. The real skill lies in how well you can cook cheap meat and make it taste delicious. Mile, who is particular about cooking; Pauline and Monica, the daughters of a merchant family; and Marcella, the daughter of a poor lower-class noble, all understood this very well. ...For Aureana, the daughter of a poor farmer in the countryside, just meat was a delicacy, so it went without saying...