Chapter 08 - Megane Kun and the Deepening Mystery of the Numbers

Chapter 08 - Megane Kun and the Deepening Mystery of the Numbers

No way I can refuse to listen if they’ve come all the way to my inn.
But wait a minute.

"I get why Loloberu is here, but not you."

I hadn’t forgotten our promise. It was on my mind. After all, I’d made a deal with Loloberu to exchange information.

But this red-haired girl? No idea. She shouldn’t even be involved.

"I told you already! I have business with you! Please, just hear me out!?"

…Well, she already knows where I’m staying. Guess I have no choice.

"Again, I get why Loloberu knows, but how’d you figure out I’m staying here?"

"Probably the same reason."

Oh.
So, people brought here by the Selection Ceremony stay at this inn. She must’ve known that.

"I’ve never seen a brazen adventurer like you before. Figured you were some country bumpkin fresh from the Selection Ceremony. You don’t even know who I am."

I’m not an adventurer, don’t plan to be, and I’m definitely not brazen… but whatever.

"Hold on. I’ll go handle the extended stay paperwork."

No point running now, so I might as well hear them out. I did promise Roroberu. As for the girl… if it’s not too troublesome, I’ll listen for now.

---

After finishing the paperwork, I led the two women to my room.

Well, calling it a "room" is generous—it’s tiny, with nothing but a bed. The fact that it comes with a bath but no meals…

…Ah, now that I think about it, this is probably a lodging for those brought here by the Selection Ceremony.
"Don’t show up looking like filthy peasants—at least clean up first." That kind of thing.

Back in my village, the only bath was a small public one.
Even in the city, I’ve seen a few public bathhouses, so having one per household isn’t common.

A cramped inn like this, with no meals but a bath? Clearly, it’s meant to clean up grubby kids from the countryside. No other reason makes sense.

For now, I let the two women sit on the bed while I lean against the wall.

If anything goes wrong, I need to be ready to bolt. The redhead seems harmless, but the blonde bob-cut girl? Dangerous.

—And then, it happened.

Once we were inside, the numbers above Roroberu’s head reappeared.
This time, they read "31."
At the guild, it was "52." Now, "31." What do these numbers mean?

Wait a second—

Is it me seeing them? Or is Loloberu emitting them?

Earlier today, I looked around, but no one else had visible numbers. So, Roroberu’s the only one.

…………No idea.

The girl next to her can’t see them, so maybe it’s not about me.
Or—what if she can see them, and I’m just out of the loop? Maybe this is common knowledge in adventurer circles.

No clue. But could it be related to my "glasses aptitude," some kind of "number aptitude"? No idea why, though.

At first, I thought it might be her age, but "52" and "31" are way off… She can’t be more than twenty.

…………Still no idea.

For now, I’ll pretend not to see anything. If the numbers are coming from Roroberu, no need to let her know I can see them.

"Loloberu, I should apologize first. Sorry for running."

"Don’t worry. I get why you did. If anything, I’m sorry for almost dragging you into trouble."

Good. She understands.

I ran because I didn’t want to get caught up in Roroberu’s mess. Not because I did anything wrong.

"Still, you’re fast. No one could keep up. Never thought I’d see a dine-and-dash at the Adventurer’s Guild."

Roroberu laughs, amused.

"Everyone was groggy—it was early."

My master once told me: When you erase your presence completely, animals struggle to track you visually. Instead, they rely on smell, hearing, vibrations in the air or ground.
Humans lean too much on sight, so if you disappear from that, they’re lost.

My master’s presence concealment is insane. For a guy built like a bear, he can turn into a shadow—like his existence just fades.
During hunts, half the time I’d blink and he’d be gone.

Of course, those in the same league (or close) develop sharper non-visual senses. Like my master. Like Loloberu. Me, to some extent.

"Let’s go with that."

"I’ll pay you back for the meal."

"No need. I covered it."

"I’d rather not owe you—it’ll cost me later."

"Hah. No need to be so cautious."

Yeah, I should be cautious. Paying for breakfast might land me another job.

---

After handing over the money, Loloberu got to the point.

Right. The glasses. That’s why she approached me.

"I know someone with poor eyesight. Their current glasses don’t quite work—lens quality seems off. Like it’s blurry from the start, foggy. Then I saw yours. Crystal-clear, flawless lenses… never seen anything like it. I want them."

Huh. A perfectly reasonable request.

"Where’d you get them? Can you tell me?"

The truth? I made them myself.
But I don’t like sharing personal info. Whether useful or not, my "aptitude" is rare. I don’t want unnecessary trouble.

…Still, I did promise Roroberu I’d talk.

Meaning, I can discuss the glasses without mentioning my "aptitude."

"I’ve got spares. You can have one. But the source stays secret—that was part of the deal."

"You’d just give it to me? I’ll pay."

"Consider it hush money. Just don’t tell anyone."

I reach into my bag—as if it were there all along—and "create" a pair before pulling it out.

…Second pair today. My magic’s spent.

"Here."

"Wow… Thank you! This helps a lot!"

I could probably tweak the lenses to fit someone else’s vision. But admitting that would reveal too much.

The pair I gave the noblewoman this morning and this one for Roroberu? Both are calibrated for my eyesight.
I’d like to adjust them properly, but my "aptitude" can’t be exposed. The noblewoman didn’t give me time anyway.

Speaking of which—

"Why are you putting them on?"

Loloberu casually slips the glasses on. Wasn’t this for her acquaintance? …Damn, she looks way smarter now. Blonde bob + glasses = unfairly intellectual aura.

"Never tried ones this clear before… Wow, it’s a total difference."

"Wait, those were for your friend, right?"

"Yeah, just testing them."

She hands the glasses to the red-haired girl beside her.

"Huh? Wh-what’s this?"

"You were staring."

Yep. The moment glasses came up, her face was intense. She stayed quiet but couldn’t hide it.

"I-I don’t care about that! Can we get to my business now?"

No way. I have zero obligation to listen.
But if it stops her from pestering me, fine.

—Still, the numbers changed again. Now it’s "74."
Loloberu’s floating numbers are really bugging me.