Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Although they visited several shops, they didn’t end up buying much except for a few clothes Erina needed for work.

Having grown accustomed to buying only necessities, Erina firmly shook her head in a no, despite Dylan’s attempts to persuade her.

Unable to win her over, Dylan reluctantly turned his attention elsewhere.

“Dylan, could we check that place out?”

On their way back to the carriage after circling the street, Erina pointed to a spot with an intrigued expression.

Since it was the first time Erina herself had suggested visiting a place, Dylan nodded without hesitation.

<Meian Bookstore>

The place that caught Erina’s attention was a small bookstore nestled among the fancier shops.

Unlike its flashy neighbors, it had no magical effects adorning it, nor did it seem crowded with customers. Yet to book-loving Erina, it was irresistibly charming.

She carefully opened the door and stepped inside, immediately captivated by the scene before her.

Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books from floor to ceiling, and in the middle of the shop were pretty knickknacks and plants for sale. It was a place seemingly tailored to all of Erina’s tastes.

Unable to hide her excitement, she explored the store with a bright smile.

The children followed her lead, mimicking her by flipping books open and shut without purpose.

After spending a good while browsing, Erina picked out a study book for the children, along with a plant encyclopedia and a mushroom guide for herself, before heading to the counter.

Dylan casually stepped in front of her.

“I’ll pay for these.”

“No, these are books I’ll be reading myself.”

“But there’s a book for the children too. It’s only fair that I pay for them.”

Dylan pointed to the colorful study book. After a moment of thought, Erina nodded.

“All right, then please just pay for this one.”

“Erina…”

“I’ll pay for the books I’ll be reading. I have the salary you gave me, after all.”

Though Dylan’s eyebrows drooped in disappointment, Erina was resolute.

In the end, he begrudgingly paid for the children’s book, while Erina began paying for the ones she selected.

“Two books: the plant encyclopedia and the mushroom guide, correct?”

“Yes!”

The clerk, a woman with striking turquoise hair, asked as she rang up the books.

While waiting, Erina noticed a small calendar on the counter and quickly picked it up.

“Oh, I’d like to add this too, please!”

“Of course! That’ll be 21 wonin, including the calendar. Also, here’s a free gift for buying the mushroom guide.”

“A free gift?”

“Actually, I wrote that mushroom guide myself. And believe it or not, this is the first time it’s sold! I was worried no one would ever buy it, so I wanted to give a special thank-you gift to my first customer!”

The clerk beamed as she explained. Surprised, Erina quickly checked the author’s name on the book.

[Author: Meian Satchel]

“Are you… Meian?”

“Yes! I’m the owner of this shop and the not-so-famous author of that book!”

Meian introduced herself with a self-congratulatory clap.

Erina was amazed both at the fact that Meian had personally written the hefty guide and that this was its first sale.

“Wow, that’s incredible! I’ll treasure it and read it thoroughly.”

“Oh my, thank you! Should I sign it for you?”

“Pardon?”

“Just kidding! I’m so excited the book finally sold, I couldn’t help myself!”

Meian scrunched her nose playfully, adding her own sound effect.

Erina, unsure how to respond, gave an awkward smile.

It was then that Dylan quietly approached and whispered behind her.

“Erina, if you want a guide like that, I can create one for you myself.”

The children immediately chimed in, eager to contribute.

“I’ll write a book for Erina too!”

“I can catch bugs for her guide!”

“I, uh, I’ll…!”

Their determination to impress Erina was almost overwhelming.

“You all seem so close as a family!” Meian commented cheerfully.

“Well, uh, actually…”

“We’re close!”

“Erina, the best!”

“Erina Mama!”

Poi’s final declaration sealed the matter, leaving Erina too flustered to deny it.

Even Dylan, who had been conversational earlier, fell silent.

After what felt like an exhausting ordeal, Erina finally completed her purchase.

“The calendar has a feature that marks dates with a star and automatically reminds you when the day comes!”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes! It even tracks the dates automatically, so don’t forget to mark your important days with stars!”

“Thank you!”

Erina marveled at the magic-enhanced calendar, its ordinary appearance hiding extraordinary functionality.

“How fascinating that even small items like this have magic embedded in them,” she remarked, impressed.

Meian laughed warmly.

“You must be from another country! You seem amazed by magic.”

“Yes, I’m from a duchy next to Fukuran.”

“Fukuran? Isn’t that where the famous chaga mushrooms come from?”

“Oh, you know about them?”

Impressed by Meian’s knowledge, Erina chatted with her about mushrooms for a while.

Finally, realizing she couldn’t linger any longer, she gathered the children.

“Come back again! I’ll recommend another guide next time!”

“Sure, I’d love to!”

Promising to visit again, Erina left the shop.

***

Back outside, the children clung to Erina, pleading for more books so they could spend more time with her.

“We need more books! Buy them all so we can stay with Erina!”

“Guys, there’s no need to buy so many at once. Let’s finish these first, then we’ll come back and pick out more together, okay?”

“With Erina?”

“Of course! That’s why we bought only a few today. Once you study hard, you can choose your own books next time.”

The children quickly accepted her reasoning, their earlier demands forgotten.

Dylan, watching this, couldn’t help but respect her. With a small wink, he silently thanked her for defusing the situation.

Erina, receiving the wink, playfully smiled back.

***

That evening, the children, tired from their antics, insisted on sleeping with Erina.

As the noisy group finally settled down, the Harrison mansion fell into an eerie silence.

“Mitzu.”

“Yes?”

In the quiet, Dylan called Mitzu, who had been organizing papers. The red-eyed assistant looked up.

“How many dragons are left in Heriove?”

“Hm? Let’s see… After the mess you made last time, there are probably fewer than ten.”

Mitzu recalled the dragons who had been wiped out, most of whom had been vying for the Harrison family’s power.