“Are these coats famous here or something?”
“Oh, no. They were ordered from a different town… But why do you ask?”
“I just thought it was strange to sell coats when it is so warm here.”
The girl thought for a moment after this.
And then she answered.
“…Well, apparently it is quite cold in Rikardo this year. And so people buy coats.”
“…But, isn’t Rikardo quite close by? Could it really be cold enough to require a coat?”
“Hmm. I haven’t gone to Rikardo this year, so I cannot say for sure. But you definitely didn’t need a coat the last time I went! Rikardo was even warmer than it is here!”
I see.
So Rikardo was experiencing irregular chill this year.
Even so, it was hard to believe you would need a coat.
“Well, the people of Rikardo hate the cold. So maybe they want one even if it’s just a little cool!”
The girl suggested as I pondered on this.
Indeed, perhaps people who were used to a comfortable warmth would find it hard to deal with a little chilliness.
In that case, maybe it wasn’t so strange that coats were being sold.
On the other hand, I didn’t really hate the cold. I quite liked it.
Back when I was a corporate slave, we were forced to work several nights in a row in extreme coldness. Out of the thirty people that were there, 27 either escaped or collapsed. I was one of the few who continued to work until the end(Of course, I was sent to the hospital right after. But then my boss ordered me back to work the next day).
So I doubted I would need a coat, since it would only be considered ‘cold’ by the standards of people not accustomed to the real cold.
…But then again, I had taken quite a bit of this person’s time, so it would be rude not to buy one.
And so I decided to buy a coat that I wouldn’t likely use.
“Alright, I’ll buy this coat.”
“…But it’s probably not very cold. And since you’re not from there, I don’t think you will need it?”
“It’s just in case. Since I still don’t know how cold it is.”
I said as I gave her the money and accepted the coat.
At the same time, the slimes seemed to have finished their meal, as they were now returning to me.
‘Put this in storage.’
‘Okay!’
I put the slime on my shoulder and handed it the new fur coat.
When the slime put it away…the clerk’s eyes widened.
“That slime just ate your new coat!”
Apparently, she thought the slime had eaten it.
Now that I think about it, this magic was quite rare.
“No, it wasn’t eaten. I’m having it store the coat for now.”
And so I told the slime to take the coat out.
And then it did.
“Yeah. I am a Tamer.”
“I don’t see Tamers very often, but it seems very useful! …And your slime is very cute.”
She said as she started to poke my slime.
Perhaps she didn’t hold any prejudices against Tamers because she wasn’t an Adventurer.
…We parted ways after that and I left Mariardo.
The sun would set if I took too much time.
‘Yuji. What are you going to use that furry thing for?’
The slime asked as we continued our journey.
Furry thing… They must mean the coat.
‘That’s something to wear when it is cold.’
‘…But it’s warm here. I don’t think you’ll need it?’
‘Yeah. I doubt I will use it in Rikardo. …But, uh. I might need it eventually. So it can’t hurt to have it.’
As long as I was an Adventurer, I would find myself in climates that were not normal.
Besides, there were some places that were warm during the day and very cold at night.
So having a fur coat was not a bad thing.
Well, I wasn’t going to use it now. So it’s not like I couldn’t have just bought it when the need arose.
…Such were my thoughts, but then…
‘Uh. Has it gotten colder?’
‘It’s getting chilly! Though, us wolves prefer colder climates!’
After about 30 minutes passes, the temperature dropped dramatically.
In Mariardo, it was hot with my current clothes, but now I was starting to feel cold.
As the Proud Wolf was covered in fur, he preferred it like this.
‘What about you slimes?’
‘We’re fine!’
‘I’ve never heard of a slime dying from the cold!’
Apparently, the slimes were strong to the cold.
Slimes were monsters that could be found just about anywhere. So they had high adaptability.
Still, this wasn’t cold enough to affect me negatively, and I wouldn’t need the coat.
That’s what I thought as we advanced…but the closer we got to Rikardo, the lower the temperature dropped.
Eventually, it was a temperature that made wearing a coat seem very natural.