Volume 5 Chapter 13 It's Trending, But...
Even as Aina and I continue to flirt, we stroll through Eubarest, occasionally snacking on sweets and foods from stalls and street vendors.
Being a tourist spot, there are plenty of attractions in this town.
There's a plaza where street performers gather, a hall where musicians hold concerts regularly, and a theater where actors showcase imaginative stories. There are also things I won't find in the royal capital. Even just walking around the city is enjoyable in Eubarest.
――BOOM!
However, a sudden, intense noise breaks the cheerful atmosphere, causing Aina to flinch beside me. I, too, hold my breath for a moment.
The sound seems to be coming from ahead. Then, the area where the sound originated from starts getting noisy.
Yesterday, during my date with Kyunei, there was a lively (scam) event, but it seems like the atmosphere was the complete opposite. There was a mysterious look on the expression of a passerby who came walking from the direction of the sound.
As I scratched my head, wondering what to do, I walked along wondering if it was okay to continue on this path.
When I looked at Aina as if seeking her judgment, she wore a troubled smile and then nodded. It seems like, just like me, she wouldn't feel good about turning back now.
So, we continued to walk.
After a short while, we reached the center of the commotion, where it seemed like there was trouble at one of the street stalls.
I saw an overturned cart and nearby, a large wooden box, blocking the front of a certain stall.
"Hurry up and move this thing! We can't do business like this!"
"Well, I feel bad, but this thing is a bit too heavy. Even a few big guys wouldn't be able to lift it up."
The one raising their voice is probably the owner of the stall blocked by the wooden crates in front.
On the other hand, the one being confronted seems to be the owner of the cart. However, they don't seem to be taking it seriously at all — or rather, not at all.
"Um... what happened?"
"As you can see. The cart flipped over, and the stuff it was carrying fell in front of the stall."
When Aina asked someone nearby, she got a half-expected answer.
"If you need more help, call someone quickly!"
"Well, we're short-handed too. Even if we call, they won't come right away."
"What!? This is the busiest time of day!"
"I know, right? I dropped important stuff and now I'm wasting time like this. Ahh, I can't even guess how much I'll lose."
Although he showed signs of lamentation, there wasn't a hint of panic in the man's face.
Looking around, there didn't seem to be anyone willing to help. Passersby glanced but continued on their way, and those who stayed put showed no signs of moving.
While some might be interested in getting involved in trouble, there aren't many who would willingly step up.
"Why are you doing this to me? I found a lucky spot to set up my stall, and now I won't even be able to pay the rent!"
"Oh? So it's all my fault?"
As the stall owner let out another distressed cry, the attitude of the cart owner suddenly changed. Frowning as if to intimidate, he approached the stall owner.
"If there wasn't a stall in a place like this, I wouldn't have been so bad as to drop my stuff. So, are you gonna blame me for dropping it?"
"Uh..."
It was an extreme argument, but overwhelmed by the man's intensity, the stall owner couldn't retort and stumbled back.
'That stall owner seems like he might just give in under pressure.'
If he messes up, he might actually be held responsible.
'Well, what will you do, partner?'
I could sense through telepathy from Gram a smug feeling that he knew exactly what I was going to do next. Despite feeling frustrated, he really understood me well.
It seemed Aina felt the same way. Without much surprise, she followed me as I took a step forward.
"Sorry about that."
I interrupted the tense atmosphere between the two people. As they both turned towards me, I first fixed the fallen cart.
"W-who are you..."
The cart owner was surprised by my sudden appearance. I greeted him warmly nonetheless.
"Don't worry, looks like you needed some help."
I crouched next to the wooden crate, temporarily removing the black spear from my back and placing it on the ground. Then, with my hands spread out, I grasped the edge of the crate, lifting it as if embracing it.
"Hmph!"
When I put a little strength into my hands, legs, and waist, I heard a creaking sound coming from the box. Holding it like this, it seemed like the box itself was about to break before it even lifted off the ground.
"Hey Aina, can you use magic to increase the strength of the wooden box?"
"Well... I think I can manage it by applying some defensive magic."
"Alright then."
When I asked, Aina held out both hands in front of her. Magic circles appeared in the air, and a faint light covered the wooden box.
I put more strength into my hands again, but this time, I didn't hear the creaking sound.
"Huh? This is..."
"Alright, let's go! Hnng!"
While Aina tilted her head, I didn't notice and pushed with even more force to lift the wooden box.
"It's heavy! This is really a bit heavy!?"
"Of course it is. That thing is something that several grown-ups would have to lift together. There's no way a young guy like you could lift it alone."
The cart owner said in a bewildered tone. But honestly, this weight was not something that a man could easily lift with the help of several people. Besides, can such a heavy thing be loaded onto a cart and pulled?
"He probably tried to show off something cool to her, but it was a shame."
The cart owner's face is not visible as he half-buries it in the wooden box. However, I feel somewhat ridiculed.
I really want him to stop.
I'm the type who gets motivated when I receive that kind of reaction.
"Here we go――"
After taking a deep breath.
"Hnnuuuaaaahhh!!"
The creaking sound was not from the wooden box, but from the ground I was stepping on. And then, from the ground the wooden box was touching.
Half out of stubbornness, I exerted all my strength to lift the wooden box no matter what.
The creaking sound, almost like a scream, gradually grew louder.
"Huh... wait... what?"
"Yukina-san, wait a sec. Could it be that that box—"
The man's voice was uncertain and muddled as he tried to grasp the situation. Aina seemed to have noticed something, but I was too focused on using all my strength and concentration on my limbs to react to them.
"I'll lift it no matter what!! Hnnuuuaaaahhh!!"
I shouted with determination to lift it once again.
--BOOOMMM!!
I muttered to myself that I had heard a similar sound yesterday, and with that, the weight that had been pressing down on my body was suddenly released.
I understood that the wooden box had been lifted from the ground, but it felt familiar somehow. I thought to myself, and when I looked at the bottom of the lifted box...
"Hey, isn't this the same old trick!?"
It was the legendary sword (laugh) scam that I encountered with Kyunei. Just like last time, the bottom of the box was stuck with a huge clump of dirt, almost a whole armful.
Is this kind of trick becoming popular lately!?
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