“It’s starting to get bad…”
“――？”
Arms crossed, I glared at the fridge. Aurora, the fairy, sent me the feeling of being equally troubled. She was probably mimicking me, crossing her arms just like I was.
The issue troubling us right now is… we’re running out of vegetables and various daily necessities. We still have plenty of meat, but the veggies are almost gone. And other things like toilet paper and detergent are also running low—it’s about time to restock.
Back in the day, this wouldn’t have been so bad, but now there’s Amazon, so stuff does get delivered. But, being in the countryside, it’s not like things arrive immediately. I completely forgot to restock earlier. Which leaves the only option—going to the supermarket. But honestly, the supermarket’s harder than a dungeon. There’s no way there won’t be people. Someone’s eyes will always be on you, so sneaky shopping is out of the question.
And relying too much on Takefumi-san isn’t great either. Knowing him, he’d agree to help in a heartbeat, but still.
“I’ve got no choice but to go…”
“――!”
I can’t just stay cooped up in the house, hiding away except when diving into the dungeon. Now’s the time to go outside! Alright, first thing’s first—grab the holey paper bag I used when I went to the hospital.
“――!?”
“Kidding, just kidding. Before being an elf, I’d just get arrested as a suspicious person!”
As the only elf in town, dressing up like a suspicious character and getting reported would be no laughing matter. That’s why I’ve got something better prepared. Behold: the ear-covering hat! It took me about two hours to find this after I remembered its existence.
It’s spring now, so it’s a bit out of season, but it’s way less conspicuous than a paper bag. Let’s give it a try!
“Ngh…! This is…”
As expected, it gets really caught on my ears. But it’s not impossible! If I force it—there, I managed! It feels super weird, and looking in the mirror, my ear area’s all puffed up, but whatever! I don’t have any glasses or sunglasses either, so that’s out.
Another option is a mask! No cloth ones, but here’s a paper one… Yes, found it. I bought this back when I was still a guy, so it’s a bit big, but that’s a minor issue. Now, I’m ready! Let’s do this!
“――!”
“Huh? What is it, Aurora?”
“――!”
“You want to come along?”
Aurora clenched her tiny fists and gave a big nod. I’d rather she stayed home, but… maybe showing her the outside world is important too? If I try to leave her behind, she might follow anyway and cause a fuss. Better to just take her along.
“Alright, Aurora, you can come. But! You have to stay hidden in this shoulder bag! I’ll leave the zipper slightly open, so you can peek out. But no sticking your face out, got it?”
“――!”
She saluted me, so I trust she’ll follow the mission properly. Alright, let’s go. Shoulder bag, check. Wallet, check. Phone, check. Reusable bags, check. Car keys, check!
Destination: the nearby supermarket! It’s not a sale day today, so it should be pretty empty!
…Haha! I don’t trip flags! It’s past 2 PM, the time when supermarkets are at their emptiest. Sure enough, the store was nearly deserted. The only customers were an old man shuffling along and a lady scrutinizing price tags.
This time, it’s a big shopping trip, so I grabbed a large cart.
“Welcome!”
…Huh!? A greeting from outside my field of vision and attention?! I was so focused on the other customers that I didn’t notice the staff. Hmm, doesn’t seem like anyone’s paying special attention to me. Let’s just shop quickly.
Let’s see… potatoes, onions, pumpkin, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers… Oh, cilantro! I’ll use this for a salad; we’ve got sesame dressing at home.
“Welcome!”
I don’t need meat, so next is fish… Oh, frozen seared bonito! Never bought this before, but since I can’t come here often, let’s get it. I’ll grab some frozen sashimi and fish fillets too. Maybe some pickled or fermented snacks while I’m at it.
“Welcome!”
Am I just imagining it, or do I keep running into the same staff member? Running into someone twice is one thing, but three times? It feels intentional. Could it be they’ve realized I’m an elf? Or maybe they think I’m shoplifting? Honestly, I’d prefer the latter… though I’m obviously innocent.
Still, being watched is uncomfortable. Let’s finish up quickly. Cooking oil, toilet paper, tissues, garbage bags… Oh, snacks too! Both Aurora and I like having something to munch on, so I’ll get bulk packs. And alcohol—packs and cans go fast, so I’ll restock those too.
“Welcome!”
Ugh, you’re so annoying! I get it, theft is bad for the store. But I’m not guilty, okay? Stop giving me a heart attack! Fine, I’m heading to the register.
“Welcome! Oh my, are you a foreigner? Would you like a bag?”
“No, thank you.”
“Oh, your Japanese is so good!”
Oh no, it’s a chatty cashier lady! Damn, I should’ve acted like I didn’t understand Japanese. That would’ve shut her up. But now she’s going on about how she doesn’t recognize me or how pretty I am. Just hurry up and finish scanning my items! I can’t say that, though, so I just forced a polite laugh.
“Phew, finally done…”
The total cost was over ten thousand yen, but it’s a necessary expense. The cashier was surprised at how easily I lifted the overloaded basket, but my trusty polite laugh saved the day again. Next time, I’m avoiding her register.
I feel like I’ve been shopping for ages… Let’s head home, relax, and prep dinner. That’s what I was thinking when I heard a tiny “click” noise. A shiver ran down my spine. Without turning towards the sound, I stayed calm and got into the car.
I hope it was just my imagination.
