Side story 9 - About what happened to “that” (1/2)

(Translator note: This first part of the chapter takes place from the perspective of an unnamed villager.)

“Oh~! That, it’s amazing~! Daddy, I, I want it!”

My son who had come to town this time with me, kept pulling on my hand, and pointing to something in a store window. I’m familiar with this shop, it mainly deals with things made of wood.

It’s said that this shop has both high quality and a great quantity of goods to choose from, and even nobles are rumored to buy and sell goods here, I wonder what item could have caught my eight year old son’s attention, causing his eyes to sparkle?

As I was wondering, and looked to where my son was pointing - I saw a snake.

I was shocked to see a snake sitting quietly on the store’s table, but…… when I looked closer, I finally noticed that it was fake.

“Amazing~, amazing~!”

My son seems to be completely enamored with the toy snake sitting on the table, and his eyes kept sparkling starrily.

This snake really has quite the exquisite workmanship. I don’t think that it’s only me, most other people would probably be fooled into thinking that it’s a real snake as well at first glance. My son was now kneeling in front of the table with the toy snake, and staring intently at it.

“Ohh, welcome.”

The shopkeeper noticed us and greeted us.

“Ahh, sorry for the bother.”

I also happen to be friends with the shopkeeper, so I asked him about the toy snake that my son is going crazy about. His reply was,

“Ahh, what you’re interested in is something that a certain noble sold to me. It’s quite amazingly well made, it seems that a servant made it. She said that she was in a bit of trouble and she absolutely had to sell it.”

“Ohh, so it’s from a noble.”

I wonder if some noble with too much money had it made on a whim? At any rate, it’s really well made. Then -

“Hey, daddy. Buy this, please??”

My son was desperately begging me with those shining eyes of his. Just like the real thing, something about the toy snake seems to attract children’s hearts.

I asked to see the toy snake from the shopkeeper, and borrowed it from him. It was much lighter than I expected, and it fit surprisingly well in my hand. It’s almost as if it was intentionally made easy to hold, for someone’s hand. I thought about it for a moment, and decided to ask the shopkeeper.

“Hey, about this toy snake. Could you let me have it?”

“Ahh, if you really want it, sure.”

As I thanked the shopkeeper for immediately saying yes, I asked him another question.

“By the way, which noble did this toy snake come from?”

“Ah, it’s from Duke Claes’s family. Even though they’re high ranked, everyone there, including the servants, is really friendly.”

“Ah, I see. So it’s from Duke Claes’s family. By the way, what does a toy snake have to do with being in a lot of trouble?”

“Ahh, if you’re asking that much…… You, could it be, you want more toy snakes?”

I grinned and laughed at my shopkeeper friend who seemed a bit surprised.

“That’s right. Look, at how my son’s eyes are so bright! Something like this that’s so lifelike really gets the children going! What’s more, it’s so light and easy to hold in your hands. This really makes a great children’s toy. It’ll be really popular if it’s sold in town!”

“Well, I don’t really know the most influential merchants around here that well, but if it’s you, the richest person in these parts saying it, it must be true.”