A mid-level (middle-aged) office worker's laid-back industrial revolution in another world - Chapter 37

Translator: Darling | Editor: Coming soon…

Takeo and Alice took a little while to finish their lunch and then left the café.

“Sir Takeo, what should we do after this?”

“That’s right…….

Can we go to a general store other than the one we went to earlier?”

“Understood. Let’s go there.”

Alice turned towards a different location.

After reached the general store, Takeo dubbed it as ‘general store 2’.

“Sir Takeo, this is another general store.”

They entered inside. The shop assistant greeted them.

“Lady Alice, welcome.”

“Yes, today we would like to look around at various items.”

Alice greeted.

Alice and Takeo went their separate ways to look at different things this time as well.

The atmosphere in this shop was a little dark. It had antique-like accessories.

Takeo searched for those items that he hadn’t thought about in the store earlier.

He was specifically searching for nightwear.

He had no idea about the type of nightwear that they had.

After looking all over, he was wondering if they had any tie-up type. Soon……….

He soon found nightwear.

However,………eh? Negligee?

He was worried…….all of these looked like hospital gowns.

……….He put it on hold for now and decided to ask Alice later.

Next, he wanted to look for something that could replace his cigarettes.

He only had a few more cigarettes left.

There are several types of cigars.

Paper wrapped cigars, leaf-wrapped cigars, pipe, water pipe type…….each country has different types.

This is a medieval time so I guess they would have pipes……

Takeo had only used regular paper-wrapped cigarettes.

He had seen pipes only in movies and games.

Would he be able to smoke that?… Even if he could, should he buy it to test it out? 

He was wondering.

He found a shelf that had various cigars lined up.

He glanced over the shelf…………..and didn’t understand a thing.

He hadn’t really tried them before, so he didn’t know which ones were good and which ones were not.

Anyway, he decided to start checking them out from the beginning. After he saw several types of cigars, he finally found one that he had seen before.

It was a smoke pipe.

Eh? Why is this here?

It is often used in historical dramas.

Since it is also often used in Rakugo, he knew how to use it to a certain degree.

He decided to purchase that and went to look for the shop clerk.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes. What is it?”

He spoke to a male shop clerk.

“I want to but cigarettes.”

“Cigarettes………..what is it?”

“Ah, I want to but a pipe.”

“Ah, understood.”

Takeo and the shop clerk went to the cigar section together.

“Since it’s my first time, I cannot judge the ones that would be good.”

“I see……..then, for a first-timer, how about this one?”

He handed over a small pipe that is usually shown in mangas.

“Is this easy to smoke?”

“Yes.”

“By the way, this is a completely different shape.”
Takeo looked towards the smoke pipe.

“Ah, that has come from a country that I haven’t even heard about before.

After circulating, it finally reached till here.

There is a manual but it has the same things written as the pipes that we already have here.”

“You didn’t understand the details?”

“I’m sorry, I saw it at a wholesaler and bought it at a cheap price.

People who use pipes do show interest in this………….though it doesn’t sell at all.”

The shop assistant made a disappointed face.

“…………How much is it?”

“……….Will you buy it?”

“I’m might consider it.”

“I see……….how about 10 copper coins?”

………..Eh? isn’t it too cheap?

“That’s………cheap isn’t it.”

“It’s the price that I got it at, that’s why.”

“Do you have more than 1 piece of this?”

Takeo randomly asked. He also wanted a spare.

“………Actually I have 5 pieces.”

……….He under pressure isn’t he………Takeo sympathized a little.

“I see………I’ll buy 2 pieces for now.”

“Eh !? Really !?”

The shop clerk was shocked and then became happy.

“I’m thinking of using this as my first one.”

“I see. This even comes with a portable case so I’ll add that as well.”

He bought out a smoke pipe from the drawer next to him.

“I’ll be checking out other things so I’ll pay for this together with the rest.

Please place the leaves in a small box and please chop them if possible.”

“Understood. I’ll keep it prepared.”

The shop clerk took 2 pieces of the smoke pipes, their portable cases, the tobacco leaves, and a small box and made his way to the counter.

Takeo looked for Alice.

Alice was carefully looking at a small accessory box.

“Lady Alice, so you were here.”

“Oh my, Sir Takeo. What happened?”

“Actually I need your advice.

……………..Do you like that small accessory box?”

“Yes, I think it’s nice.”

It’s gorgeous, but it’s just a small accessory box.

Although it’s heavier than it looks.

“……….Something is strange.”

“You also think so?”

“Yes. It’s a lot heavier for its size.”

Even after opening the box, they found that it was a normal box with a shallow bottom.

…………Weird…….

“Shall we buy it and see?”

“Yes.”

They decided to purchase it.

Takeo took Alice to the section selling nightwear.

Alice came along restlessly, jerking slightly.

Her face was bright red right till her ears.

“……….Sir Takeo……….”

“Yes? What is it?”

“This is the male underwear section……”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What about it?” Takeo asked Alice.

“Normally, women don’t come to this section……….”

“?…..Why?”

“Eh? Why?……….because it’s for men.”

“Well. If that’s the case, let’s finish this quickly.”

Takeo held the nightwear.

“Is this the normal type of nightwear here?”

“Yes. That’s right.

But when you sleep outside, you wear normal clothing.”

“……………By the way?

Do you wear something underneath…….while sleeping?”

“!!………I don’t know! They probably do, I don’t know !”

Alice replied desperately in a small voice.

“Is that so?”

Takeo took 2 pieces.

“Which pattern do you think is better?”

Alice selected one.

“Then, I’ll buy this.”

After the selection, they quickly left the men’s corner.

“Thanks to you, I was quite embarrassed.”

Alice grumbled with a red face.

“Hn? Is it that embarrassing?

Even so, an embarrassed Lady Alice is pretty cute though?”

“Hmph………even if you say something like that, I won’t be fooled.

Moreover………..normally………..the women who go to the men’s section are the ones that are married or have a lover………..”

Alice muttered while looking down.

Takeo didn’t hear it at all.

“Then if there is nothing else, shall we do the billing?”

Takeo took Alice to the billing section.