Chapter Twelve: Procurement

“Huh?” Yu Higashino was briefly puzzled, then realized Ayano Natsukawa was talking about his pen spinning. “Oh, that? It’s nothing.” Yu Higashino stopped spinning the pen in his hand. “So, the price is fine, right?”

“No problem,” Ayano Natsukawa replied, coming back to herself. “We should be able to buy everything in half a day. As for the renovations… it’s just a simple job, so it shouldn’t take long. About a day?”

“All right, I’ll take this commission. When do we start?”

“As long as the shopping’s done today, that’s good enough. The renovations have to be tomorrow, though, because I have to attend a gathering tonight.”

“Fine, no problem. Where’s the shopping list?”

“Right here.” Ayano Natsukawa pulled out a small slip of paper and handed it to Yu Higashino, filled with items to buy.

“And this, the funds for shopping. If it ends up being short, could you cover it for now, Yu, and I’ll reimburse you later?”

“That’s fine.” Yu Higashino took the envelope of money from her.

“I’m counting on you for everything, Yu.” Ayano Natsukawa said as she stood, preparing to leave.

“I’m just getting paid to do a job. It’s nothing troublesome,” Yu replied in his usual cold tone.

Ayano didn’t mind. After saying a few words of farewell, she left.

Yu Higashino gazed toward the door, recalling what Ayano Natsukawa was actually skilled at. If he could gain a skill from her, he wondered what kind it would be.

Truthfully, he was rather looking forward to it.

“Yu!” The cry came again from the doorway—it was Naruto, returning.

“Yu, I saw that lady again just now! Did she come by again?”

“Yeah.” After acknowledging, Yu saw Naruto’s curious expression and decided to explain a bit more.

“She had something she wanted me to help with.”

“A commission!? That means we’ve got business!” Naruto exclaimed loudly, seemingly more excited than Yu, the shop owner himself.

“Yeah.” Yu nodded helplessly.

“What kind of commission? When do we start? Are we going now?” A torrent of questions spilled from Naruto.

This was why Yu felt resigned. He knew Naruto would ask a lot, and he’d have to explain everything.

“She’s opening a shop and needs it renovated. She asked me to buy the materials, and tomorrow I’ll help with the work. As for when we start…” Yu paused, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “Let’s go shopping now.”

Since he’d accepted the commission, he had to do it well.

It wasn’t just because he’d gain a skill if the client was satisfied, but because it was his life’s creed: once he promised someone something, he would see it through with care.

“Great! Let’s go shopping now—” Naruto began excitedly but suddenly stopped.

Shopping… If he went, wouldn’t it mean…

Eyes filled with disgust, voices refusing to sell him anything—all of it flashed through Naruto’s mind.

“Forget it, Yu, you go alone. I just ran around, and I’m a bit tired,” Naruto’s voice dropped, genuinely sounding weary.

Yu Higashino wasn’t so clueless that he couldn’t guess the reason for Naruto’s change.

“Let’s go together.”

“You should go alone, Yu. I’ll watch the shop.”

“Are you worried they’ll dislike you?” Seeing Naruto like this, Yu decided to ask directly.

Naruto pressed his lips together and shook his head.

“Then why?”

“If they see me walking with you, and refuse to sell you anything, that’ll be trouble,” Naruto said. He seemed carefree, but deep down was sensitive.

Yu felt a twinge of sympathy, though his tone remained as cold as ever. “It’s fine. It won’t cause me any trouble. Let’s go.”

That familiar, indifferent tone made Naruto lift his head again.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“And there might be a lot to carry. I’ll need you to help me with some of it.”

“…Okay then.”

In the end, Naruto followed Yu out, though his mood was no longer as excited, more anxious than before.

As they walked, Yu began to ponder: if they really encountered what Naruto had described, what should he do?

He’d just said it wouldn’t be a problem, but thinking it over, given the temperament of the villagers, it was actually quite likely.

Unable to come up with a solution, Yu shifted his attention to his two skills.

The Sword Technique skill—should he use force to buy things? That didn’t seem right; even aside from the consequences, it would set a bad example for the child.

What about the Transformation skill? How could it be used?

Gradually, an idea formed in Yu’s mind.

On the way to the shops listed on the paper, Yu plucked some leaves from the trees and put them in his pocket, right in front of Naruto.

Noticing this, Naruto was curious. “Yu, what are you doing?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Yu replied, offering no explanation.

Naruto was still puzzled, but didn’t ask further.

Once that was done, Yu led Naruto toward the places he remembered.

The list was long and varied; visiting just one shop wouldn’t suffice. Their first stop was a paint store.

Natural pigments, bright colors, non-toxic, food-grade.

The shopkeeper was decent—he didn’t react negatively upon seeing Naruto, maintaining a friendly demeanor.

This put Naruto at ease.

Next was the second shop. The owner frowned briefly at the sight of Naruto, but soon relaxed. His attitude wasn’t as warm as the first, but he didn’t push Yu and Naruto away.

With two shops passed without incident, Naruto’s anxiety gradually eased.

Until they reached the third shop, which sold glassware.

“Hey! What’s that demon fox doing in my store!” The owner was a fierce-looking, middle-aged man.

Yu Higashino frowned, Naruto grew flustered.

“Get out, don’t scare away my customers! If people say everything here’s been contaminated by that wicked demon fox, what then!”

Yu couldn’t understand the reasoning of these people.

“He’s with me. Are you doing business or not?” Yu’s tone was icy, even colder than usual.

The shopkeeper paused, but quickly put on a tough front. “Hmph, since you brought that demon fox in, I won’t do business with you either!”

Hearing this, Naruto’s anxiety spiked. He glanced at Yu and then at the fierce shopkeeper.

“Please! Sell Yu the things, I’ll leave!” Naruto was about to run out, but suddenly realized his hand was being held—by Yu Higashino.