Profession, Merchant Volume 13 Chapter 9 (Light Novel Exclusive) (Patreon)

Chapter 9 – Miss Priestess, the Ever-Reliable “Big Sis” IX (Light Novel Exclusive)

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The months flew by like arrows.


One month, two months, three months, and by the time we know it, about half a year had passed since I was first exiled to the island.


No matter how I make up an excuse, it would be bad if I did not go back home.


I even thought that I might not be able to return as a merchant at this point.


If that were the case, I should just ask the priestess for the collar and go home, but I couldn’t do that.


Lately, I’ve been trying to say that today is the day, but I just can’t seem to get it right.


“How long has it been since we were exiled to the island?”


“Probably about half a year.”


We have been left alone for such a long time. The demon lord really did something outrageous.”


“Huh? Ah… y-yeah, you’re right.”


“But on the other hand, if we could do something about that collar that restricts your magic, we could easily get off an island like this.”


“Uh, yeah. Hm. If only that were possible, yeah. Ah. By the way, we still have nothing to eat. I’ll go look for some, so stay home while I’m away.”


Even if I said something like that in a roundabout way, the priestess would shrug it off.


Well, even I don’t have the will to cut things off in one fell swoop.


I guess I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow.


I got up and went to the shore to catch some fish.


As I dove into the sea, I thought to myself.


Why can’t I feel like going home right now?


I’ve tried to come up with a lot of complicated reasons, pretending to be a strategist. Still, in the end, it’s probably because I like living here.


I have to admit this.


That’s why I don’t feel the urge to actively say, “Let’s go home!” because if I did, our life here would be over.


There’s no point in panicking now, so I’ll just wait until tomorrow.


Besides, whether I say it in a roundabout way or in a direct way, there’s no way I’m going home if the priestess doesn’t want me to.


But I also know that I can’t stay like this forever.


No matter how comfortable our situation is, neither I nor the priestess can stay here indefinitely…


When I returned to the beach and grilled the fish I caught, the priestess returned.


“What are you doing?”


“Ah, welcome back. Well, Miss Priestess is late, so I caught some fish in the meantime. See?”


“Like I said, if you want to cook some fish, won’t it be easier if I use my magic? Even though I’m weakened, I’m not so weak that I can’t cook a fish. Here. Give it to me.”


The collar has long since come off, but she’s still saying things like that.


“It’s okay, it’s okay. Besides, if we make a fire like this, maybe a distant ship passing by will see the smoke and save us.”


“Kufu, hahaha.”


When I said that, the priestess suddenly started laughing.


“No rescue will come.”


And since she said that, I had no choice but to be shocked.


It was as if she knew that I knew… that she would turn away the rescue ship that came to us.


“Eeeh, don’t say such hopeless things.”


“Hopeless? This? Let me correct you on that mentality. First of all, this is not hopeless. In fact, you are in a realm of extravagance right now, if I do say so myself. After all, there are many poor men in this world who have not been blessed to acquire or even encounter a sex friend in their lives.”


The priestess continued, tucking her silver hair behind her ears.


“Which do you think is happier: the life of a man who was not exiled to a deserted island but never had a sex friend, or the life of a man who was exiled to a deserted island but had sex friends?”


“Gh, mmmm…”


This woman is asking quite the philosophical questions.


“Besides, if things continue like this, you and I will soon have a child. After all, we do it raw every day.”


“Ugh, it can’t be helped. It’s a deserted island, and we can’t use birth control pills.”


“Yes, it can’t be helped. So just give up and think that this is happiness.”


“But is that really okay, priestess? At this rate, you’re really going to have a child with me.”


“I…”


Saying that, the priestess leaned in a little closer.


Her bare shoulders touched my arm, and her sharp eyes reflected the flames of the bonfire, giving a slightly softer impression.


“I couldn’t be happier with that.”


◇◆◇


The priestess, like a member of the clergy herself, had folded her hands and lowered her eyes as if in prayer.


As the sun set, we returned to our recently completed house.


This house was different from the previous hut I had built.


It was about the size of a hotel room, and it even had a window.


It was made almost entirely of wood, but the structure was sturdy and would not be affected by the slightest wind or rain.


As for the lighting, we have oil that is extracted from plants and then poured into the shells that serve as containers. It’s a bit dim, but at least we can see for a while at night without worrying about the smoke or the house burning down.


However, even though we had a house built and all, we still had to sleep in wooden planks, which was a bit sad, but we had no choice since we were still unable to make cloth. Besides, this island has a warm climate, so at least we won’t die of cold.


In fact, the heat from the day doesn’t dissipate even at night, so it’s so hot that it’s hard to sleep.


Since nobody is to blame for this temperature, we usually take off our clothes and lie down on the floorboards.


The grain of the wood is somewhat cool, but our bodies are still burning from the day’s work, and we couldn’t help but start sweating.


“It’s night.”


The priestess mutters.


I looked out the window and saw a perfectly round full moon floating in the sky.


A horizontal streak of cloud was trailing across it.


The stars were twinkling more and more, and the color of the sea in the distance was as deep as an abyss.


It was definitely night.


A time for people to sleep.


But in the city, the night never sleeps.


This is in stark contrast to this deserted island, where when the sun goes down, it is night, and when the sun comes up, it is morning.


“It’s been a little hot lately.”


“It’s probably because of the increase in humidity.”


The island is tranquil at night, so I don’t feel comfortable. That is, unless I’m talking about something.


Despite the silence, from time to time, the sounds of wild animals could be heard from far away, making the night terrifying.


Maybe this was the origin of all those spooky stories you heard as a child?


I couldn’t help but think.


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