Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement (Light Novel) Vol. 1

by Funa

  Why didn’t they stop her? How could they allow this?!

  “A pleasure to meet you. I am Mitsuha von Yamano,” she introduced herself. “As I came from a distant land, I felt I should acquaint myself with the ruler here—so I implored your butler for an audience with you. My apologies for such a brash decision.”

  Such refined speech at such a young age, the count marveled. I can understand why Stefan allowed her in.

  “I see. The long journey here must have been exhausting,” he replied. “Feel free to rest here as long as you need to. Now, if I may ask... Why, if you came from such a faraway place, did you choose to call upon us rather than those at the capital?” It was standard for foreigners to head straight for the capital. He couldn’t think of a single reason for them to stop by a town like this.

  “Yes, I can see why that might be curious. On my way to the capital, I was attacked by wild beasts, and the people of this region saved my life. I came to inform you of their deeds and express my immense gratitude.”

  “What? Is this true?!” he uttered in surprise.

  How delightful! Rather than looting or killing, my people went out of their way to help a stranger who now comes to express her thanks. And my children are here to see it, as well. What a glorious day! The count basked in bliss as Lady Mitsuha took something out of her pocket.

  “Though it may be a meager offering, there is something I would like you to have,” she said. “It comes from my country, as well. Please accept it as a token of my gratitude.” Stefan took the item from her and brought it to the count.

  “Wh-What is this...?” he wondered aloud. Its profound weight made it apparent that it was metallic, but it had a brilliant color and an elegant feel to it. It was an elaborate object he’d never seen before. He couldn’t imagine what it was used for, but somehow understood that it was the work of a master craftsman.

  “That is a foldable, multi-purpose knife,” the girl said.

  “A knife?! This?!” he exclaimed. It was detailed and looked to be worth a small fortune, but he couldn’t imagine how something so hard to grasp was a knife, let alone a foldable one.

  “Yes. Though it isn’t the sort you use in battle,” she explained. “It is more of a tool than a weapon. There are several small tools hidden within: a blade, scissors, and a file, among others. You will understand it if you pinch the side between your nails and pull.” The count did as he was told and managed to pull out the tools.

  “S-Such fine detail,” he said, dumbfounded by the object. He was not alone; his children surrounded him, staring at it with great curiosity. “This is truly remarkable. I feel I must give something in return. Lady Mitsuha, what do you intend to do next?”

  “I intend to make my way to the capital from here.”

  “You mustn’t!” He stood abruptly, raising his voice. “It will be dark soon! Not to mention that a child like you should never go on such long journeys alone! I cannot allow that!” He’d dropped his noble, overly polite tone and shouted, but that was the least of his concerns. “Wait three days,” he added. “A capital-bound carriage will arrive. You can take that.”

  “Umm, this is quite embarrassing, so please forgive me, but... I don’t believe I have enough money to pay for the carriage...”

  Huh? Lady Mitsuha’s unexpected response rendered him speechless. A girl in such fine garments, who just thanked me with a tool worth dozens of gold, can’t afford a simple carriage? Oh, of course... She and her party were separated, and they were the ones holding the funds. That makes sense; no noble girl with a group ever pays for things by herself.

  “Tonight, you may stay here,” the count declared. “And I expect an explanation later on.”

  He wanted her to rest before joining them for dinner, so he ordered Stefan to lead her to the guest room. Right after they left, he put his elbows on the table and his hands on his head.

  “Dear,” his wife spoke up.

  “Sorry, but allow me to gather my thoughts,” he cut her off, furrowing his brow. Iris smiled faintly and led the children out of the room. Left all by himself, Count Bozes wondered, “Just who is that girl?”

  The Bozes’ butler saw Mitsuha to the guest room. Though she wore an unassuming expression, she was grinning on the inside, thinking, Victory! Once she was alone, Mitsuha began taking things out of her backpack. The carefully-packed dress, the heels protected by packing material, the folding knife stored in its case, and the luxurious pearl necklace—today’s eye-catcher. The preparations were going swimmingly.

  I’m a new Mitsuha now, she thought. Not Mitsuha Yamano, but Mitsuha von Yamano... A high-class girl from a faraway land! I’ll play the role of a brave heroine—one who hides her true identity to live as a commoner in this country! Wait, no, I won’t “play the role”... I’ll become just that! She convinced herself with such thoughts as she looked in a mirror.

  Mitsuha had given up on trying to play a normal commoner from day one. She couldn’t have acted like a farmer if she’d wanted to; they’d have suspected her the moment they saw her clean, unblemished hands.

  A few hours later, Stefan came to escort Mitsuha to the dining hall. Upon seeing her, he was so flabbergasted that he accidentally let out a gasp. It was perhaps the greatest blunder the iron-willed butler had ever made.

  “Master Bozes, I’ve brought Lady Mitsuha,” Stefan remarked.

  “Excellent. Lead her to her seat.” Unlike Mitsuha’s previous audience with them, this was an informal and unofficial family dinner with a guest. There was no need for embellished language.

  The moment Mitsuha entered the hall, the entire Bozes family briefly forgot how to breathe. A shining, pure white dress, sparkling enamel shoes, and a pearl necklace of unimaginable value. However, all these were merely side-actors working to emphasize the girl’s beauty. All was silent, and it felt like time had stopped.

  Suddenly, a sound broke the spell. Stefan had made a particularly loud step, bringing the count back to reality. The others soon followed, albeit awkwardly. Iris, in particular, couldn’t take her eyes off of the necklace.

  “Thank you all very much for having me,” Mitsuha said as she lifted the hem of her skirt and lowered herself in a simple curtsy. She then took a seat in the chair Stefan presented.

  “B-By all means, make yourself at home,” said the count, whose full name was Klaus Bozes. “Once again, welcome to the Bozes mansion. This is a family gathering. No need to concern yourself with manners and whatnot, and feel free to dine at your leisure. If you are too tense, the food will not taste nearly as good.”

  Mitsuha merely responded with a smile.

  As they ate, they talked about only the most inoffensive matters. Klaus apologized for not introducing his family during the first meeting and proceeded to do so. Better late than never, of course. They moved onto discussion about the county’s specialties, places that sold the best food, et cetera. It was fun, but not exactly fruitful. But after dinner, with only tea, alcohol, and snacks left on the table, it was finally time to address the elephant in the room. Everyone was tense, Mitsuha included.

  “Now, Lady Mitsuha,” Klaus spoke up.

  “Y-Yes?!” she piped.

  “Oh, no need for such a reaction. Relax, it’s nothing serious.”

  “A-All right,” she replied, still tense. Relaxing wasn’t exactly easy in this situation.

  “Now, might you tell me who you really are? If possible, I’d like the most honest answer.”

  There it is! Mitsuha thought.

  “It’s true that I came here from a distant country,” she began. “I introduced myself using my family name to gain audience with you, but now that I’m in a foreign land, the social status I had in my homeland is almost meaningless.” None of that was a lie. She did indeed come from a very distant country and had used her family name to meet the count, regardless if the name was real or not. But from this point on, the floodgates for her lies were wide open.

  “As for why I left my country, well... There was
an issue regarding who would be the heir. My father passed away from illness, and it was only obvious that my wise and gentle younger brother would take his place. However, some fools insisted that I was the better candidate. Before they could make me the successor and commit any wrongdoings, I left a hastily written letter and my home behind.

  “I believe they intended to make me the heir so they could force me to marry one of their sons and eventually usurp the family name. If I’d stayed nearby, I would’ve risked capture, so I sailed to this continent. I brought with me only a few personal effects, including this necklace—a memento from my mother.” Mitsuha laid out her polished story.

  Oh, I think I can understand those who pushed for her to be the heir, Klaus thought. They must be quite distraught that she ran away because of them... He pitied the non-existent vassals.

  “Anyway, I can’t go back, so I’ve resolved to try to live in this country,” Mitsuha continued. “If I sell my mother’s memento, I should have some of the funds I need to—”

  “YOU... YOU’RE SELLING THAAAT?!” Iris screeched. “D-Do you have any idea what sort of necklace that is?!”

  “Ah, yes. These are real pearls, so I imagine it would be quite valuable. Are you suggesting these are fakes?”

  “Huh...?! You truly don’t understand!” Iris was so agitated that she started banging the table. “Listen, girl—pearls are priced in a very wide range. The value changes based on color, shape, size, nacre thickness, and more. Now, consider your necklace! The pearls are among the greatest in size, and almost perfectly spherical! The profound color tells me everything about the nacre thickness!

  “And to chance upon an entire set?! One or two pearls are more than enough! You can make beautiful rings, earrings, hairpins, or brooches with just that. But a whole necklace, made entirely of such high-quality pearls?! What nonsense is this?! Do you have any idea how many shells you have to go through to find one pearl?! And how many of those pearls, do you think, would be fit for accessories?! A necklace of the very best, most vivid pearls you could ever get?! Impossible! This simply shouldn’t exist!” She banged the table again.

  Seeing their gentle mother turn so menacing frightened the children.

  “Umm, Lady Iris, would you like to have it...?” asked Mitsuha.

  Her explosive offer turned Iris to stone. She slowly and rigidly looked at Klaus. The tectonic shifts in her neck were practically audible.

  Klaus turned pale and asked, “I-Iris, what would be the market price for this?”

  “Market price? Absurd. Again, this is something that shouldn’t exist. That is an invaluable, one-of-a-kind treasure. It’s a status symbol you could boast about anywhere in the world, and no one could ever hope to match you. It’s a dream of a treasure, and history would remember you for merely possessing it. Do you truly believe any affluent king or merchant would be averse to parting with their wealth for this?

  “Oh, and bear in mind, you mustn’t bring it to auctions. People would try to take it by force and wouldn’t hesitate to kill for it. And the one who presented it—you—would be kidnapped on the very same day, then violently interrogated about where you got it.”

  EEEEK! IT’S A WAY BIGGER DEAL THAN I THOUGHT! Mitsuha shivered at the lady’s words. She’d bought the necklace under the assumption that cultivated pearls didn’t exist here and therefore would sell for a good price, but this was beyond what she could’ve imagined. She was aware that a cheap accessory in one world could be a real treasure in the other but had no idea a cultivated pearl necklace would be this powerful.

  I should’ve gone for the necklaces in the 300,000 to 500,000 range, not the 1.3-million-yen luxury. Or maybe I should’ve gone with artificial gems... Mitsuha had tried to keep in mind that certain kinds of jewelry could mess with the market, and she could be hunted down for the source. That was why she’d brought it straight to the Bozes’ mansion—to keep it off the market entirely.

  This trade was my make-or-break gamble, she thought. I was sure I’d come out of this with enough money and allies to get my own place. That’s why I went for the most expensive one I could find, and... Ah!

  “Lady Iris... What if I break it apart and then sell the—EEP!” Mitsuha was immediately gunned down by Iris’ glare.

  “BREAK IT APART?! IT’S A DIVINE TREASURE FIT FOR GODDESSES! DO YOU WISH TO INCUR HEAVENLY WRATH?!”

  What am I supposed to do now?! After a brief silence, she decided to try selling it once more. She had no other choice.

  “But what am I to do if I cannot sell it? I have no money, and there’s no one I can rely on in this country. I’ll be at a dead end. No matter how pretty, this necklace is useless to me. I’d rather have the means to support myself!”

  “But is that not a memento from your mother?” the count asked.

  “Mother would never want me to cling to it so strongly that I starve to death. She’d prefer I sell it and live a happy life.”

  “H-Hmm, I suppose that is true...” The count was doing his best to prevent any sale of the item, but her argument made him fall silent.

  “That’s why I would like Lady Iris to have it. No one would press a countess into telling them where it came from, and it won’t appear on the market, so there will be no upheaval.”

  “B-But, the price...” The count grew stiff. It was time for her to go in for the kill.

  “I need only enough funds to start a shop in the capital. I can handle the rest myself!”

  “But Mitsuha, you...” Lady Iris looked completely taken aback, but Mitsuha couldn’t stop now. She already had a plan.

  “It’s fine. Also,” she said, looking up at her, “I really want you to have it. If I ever need to remember my mother, you could hug me while wearing it and...” She fell silent and cast her eyes downward. Lady Iris shook as tears filled her eyes.

  “Oh, Mitsuha!” She rushed over, her chair collapsing as she gave Mitsuha a tight hug.

  “Lady Iris...”

  Yes! It’s working! Mitsuha thought. These nobles had no TVs whatsoever, few books they could read for fun, and barely any other forms of entertainment. Their only access to stories was through plays—rare events even for the elites—and bedtime stories from their mothers or nurses. They had next to no resistance to basic, tear-jerking sob stories, so they’d quickly latched on to hers.

  Of course, the Bozes were no fools; in fact, they were really quite capable. But just as Mitsuha had been told, everyone in the family was a kind, generous person. Perhaps Mitsuha would have chosen a different path if this one had any downsides, but there were none. The situation at present was advantageous to all involved.

  After everyone calmed down and the hall became peaceful again, the three children, who hadn’t been able to bring themselves to speak over their father or enraged mother, finally joined the conversation. They were dying to talk to Mitsuha.

  “Mitsuha, your beautiful black hair, those mystifying dark eyes...” said the eldest. “They must be gifts from a goddess, bestowed to you alon—”

  “Ah, most of the people in my country look like this.”

  Alexis, the firstborn, was shot down within seconds at the young age of seventeen. Say a prayer for him, if you would.

  “Mitsuha, that multi-purpose knife you gave Father is simply incredible. Did you bring anything else from your country?” asked Theodore. He was the second son, fifteen years old. You could tell he was prudent just by looking at his face. In an RPG, he’d be the mage, no doubt about it.

  “Oh, I also have a regular folding knife,” Mitsuha said before lifting her dress, taking the knife out of a thigh belt, and placing it on the table. “Here it is.”

  “M-Mitsuha!” Beatrice cried, while Alexis and Theodore flushed red as beets. Huh? Did I do something?

  “It’s sharp, so please be careful.” Mitsuha unfolded the knife and handed it to Theodore.

  “Wow,” he gasped. The blade’s sharpness and beauty, the detail on the handle, the portability and security stemming from it
s foldability... All of it came together and left him awestruck.

  “Ah, would you like to have it?” Mitsuha asked him.

  “Huh?”

  “I keep it for self-defense, but I have another one. Care to buy it for one gold coin?”

  “Y-Yes please!” He didn’t hesitate one bit. The conversations during dinner had given Mitsuha a pretty decent grasp of the local currency’s value. She had spoken to the villagers about this as well but didn’t feel entirely confident in their fiscal sensibilities. No offense intended, of course.

  Anyway, she estimated that one gold coin was worth about 100,000 Japanese yen. I just sold that knife for a little under ten times its original value, so I’d say I’m being pretty generous here, she mused in satisfaction. At least by my store’s standards. I’m sure a gold coin isn’t much for a noble boy, anyway. Consider it a first-customer discount, kiddo.

  Wait a sec, I brought a weapon to a noble family’s dinner! Did I mess up? She quickly scanned her company. Oh, well, they don’t look all that bothered. Although Mitsuha didn’t think much of it, you could objectively say it was a really bad move. Her saving grace was that it happened in this particular household. Everyone here thought of Mitsuha as a pretty, yet frail, little girl. Surely someone like her needed a weapon for self-defense, right? That was the Bozes’ consensus, but if other nobles had been around, they wouldn’t have been so lenient.

  The gleam in his brother’s eyes must’ve made Alexis jealous. He closed in on Mitsuha and pressed, “Hey, anything else?! Do you have more stuff?!”

  “Hrmm...” Nothing came to mind at first. “I really can’t sell the other one, since I need it for self-defense on my journey. If there’s anything else from my country that I can get rid of, it would have to be my spare underwear!”

  “SOLD!” he shouted reflexively. He was immediately met with several ice-cold glares.