Isekai Absolute Copy and Online Shopping

Chapter 108: Visiting Lala (SS)

Today, was a bright and peaceful day as usual. Since I decided to take a day off from the adventuring and slaying monster stuff, I have more free time these days.

All of sudden, I recalled a cute little girl the night, after the monster horde incident.

Her name was Lala. Remembering that I made a promise to play with her when I had free time, I thought about visiting her.

Recollecting Lala's cute figure who gave me a flower after the Monster Horde battle, I unconsciously smile warmly.

'Since I promised to visit her when I have some free time anyway, so why not visit the cute little Lala today?'

Using an Illusive barrier as camouflage, I set out from Al's manor and went down to the town.

Since there would be a lot of people who would frolicking to me once they knew I walking around the town, I decided to become invisible and trying to find the way to the slum where Lala's mom told me her address before.

I didn't know where exactly her house was, but she said once after I found a worn-out orphanage building, I would find Lala playing with the other children in there during the noon.

'It surely hard to be a single mom in this world. I can't imagine how these two, mother and daughter can survive until now...

I guess Lala's mom who her name again? Ah, yes, if I recall it correctly, she introduces herself as Agatha at that time. 

Agatha is it? she's a strong woman. I can't imagine the trouble she faces to raise a happy child, like Lala... she's surely a good woman and mother~'

Upon arriving near the Arkhaim town slum vicinity, I decided to equipped a cloak to cover myself before undo my illusive barrier skill.

When I just take one step into the dirty alley, a strong rotten stench suddenly hit my nose and made me frowned uncomfortably.

Without knowing, I hurriedly trying to control my illusive barrier to mask my face as it covered it with a blurry noise mask in reflex.

I didn't know how this barrier thing worked in a detailed manner or scientifically, but since it could cover the space around, I just thought maybe it could lessen the stench a little bit, but after activated and controlled it, it turned out this thing could mask my face with a somewhat blurry screen that made me unrecognizable along with masking the air around me to not contaminated by the stench!

'If I know this method earlier, I didn't have to hide like a thief in the town earlier that reminds me, did madam Catherine use this method to cover her appearance before?'

I recalled Madam Catherine's blurry appearance when she stopped my fight with Li Gang before. I was sure that the method I used right now was the same technique she used when she covered herself in a big cloak to stay anonymous.

I realized that even though I could copy the technique, but I still need to explore further to find the hidden possibility from the skill itself.

I forged this experience into my mind before continuing to walk farther into the slum area throughout the damp and dirty alleyway in the entrance of the slum.

Along the way, I saw some dirty beggars and homeless people sleeping on top of a dirty rug in the corner and the side of the dirty alley.

After appraising them one by one, I found out that a lot of people here wasn't a common beggar.

Most of them had a criminal job as Thief and pickpocket. some of them had a strange job called Informant too. I didn't know what kind of job Informant was, but just from its name, I could feel that this job was the same as Spy or Information seller.

'Maybe these guys are "Rat" that Eliz mentioned at that time. Seeing the nature of the job, it seems this Informant isn't a criminal job. So, that's why they can blend in smoothly to any territory, and hard to clean them up. Since someone could get a criminal job just by killing them hmm but there's still some loophole in it, the noble surely already find the method I speculated right now when they want to erase the one that sniffed a piece of important information about them'

'Yes, that method is hiring a killer or assassin. With this, these pretentious noble can keep their hand clean, and erase these poor dirty fellow to silent them forever'

I shrugged after thinking about how terrible and high risk these poor and dirty fellow job was in my mind, but after I thought about their situation further, maybe these people didn't have any choice either. When I observing their appearance, somehow most of them had a handicap in some of their body parts. In short, they're mostly people with disabilities.

Realizing how cruel this world was, it made sense that they ended up here, in this slum.

'I doubt a few people want to hire a disabled person to any job here sigh, what a poor fellow'

I shaking my head before walking off from this depressing and damp alleyway. After exiting the alleyway, I somewhat found a dirty bar and small worn-out grocery stores lined up on the side of the dirty and muddy road. This time, I found out that most of the people who were littering in this area were a ruffian and a goons

'I wonder how Agatha can survive by living near this environment. Looking at her complexion, I'm sure she was not the kind of woman who will sell her body for money. If you guys asked me how did I know it? Of course, it's from the experience! Hmph!! I used to have that kind of woman's service when I down and didn't believe in any modern woman or thots anymore. So don't question my perception when coming to identifying those kinds of Slut'

I walking farther and passed this area before finding myself arrived in the slum settlement area. Upon entering this area, I could feel the surrounding environment changed drastically. After observing the surrounding area where I could find a worn-out wooden building and a fragile tent of the Slum dwellings lining up in an unorderly manner, I realized that there's no ruffians or goons that could be spotted here!

Even I can't find a thief from this group of people who were wearing worn out and obsolete clothes!

'Strange now I know how Agatha can survive. Hm?'

When I observing the area and checking my surrounding, Somehow I could feel a strong presence among these people

'So, this is the reason that no ruffian and bastards could enter this area. Looking at these people's aura, it seems they're a veteran adventurer that already retired and became disabled. Some of the healthy ones seem just a veteran that has no place to go, or maybe they just want to accompany their friends? What a group of nice old people'

I nodded at the hidden strong people that mostly had the same strength as Gold Ranker adventurer before walking and trying to find the orphanage that Agatha told me before.

After seeing me nodding at most of them, these people were stunned and looking at me curiously. I decided to ignore their curiosity and continued my journey.

'I just appreciate you guys for protecting these poor fellows, so ignore me please~'

As I ignored them with this thought, before long I spotted a worn-out building that seemingly used to be a wealthy person's small mansion. Seeing a lot of small children playing around on its lawn, I know that I found the correct place and decided to head toward it.

Upon arriving at the entrance, I was very surprised after seeing a familiar woman holding a thin small girl in her embrace looking at me menacingly. After confirming her familiar appearance once again, I unveiled the cloak that hiding my head and Illusive barrier that still covering my face to show my true appearance before calling her name

[Anna?]

After seeing my true appearance and hearing me calling her name, Anna opened her mouth in surprise as she answered me

[Sir Alex? Why are you here?]

[It should be me who asked you that question Ah~ I see, so that's why they're so many veteran and retired adventurer protecting this area~ you're a nice person aren't you~ ]

Hearing my compliment Anna suddenly blushed before trying to hide her embarrassment by asking me further

[So, sir Alex, do you have a business in this place?] 

Before I could answer her question, all of a sudden, a cheerful young girl's voice could be heard from behind the entrance

[Swir Aleex!! Dwid ywou rweaally come to pwlay with me?! Yeeeeayyy!!!]

Upon turning my head, I found a cute little girl trotting in a pitter-patter toward my direction with a happy and excited expression. Seeing the familiar little girl face which I met that night after the monster horde incident, I smiled gently before lifting her little body who trying to hug me, up to my embrace

[Ohh~ Lala, it seems you're cheerful as usual, good girl~]

[hehehe~ Swir Alex looks happy too! Swir Alex, do ywou cwame hwere to play with Lala? Hehehe~ I'm vweryy happy giggle*]

[Ah, as a promise, since I have free time today, I decided to play with you~ here, I have chocolate for you~]

[Woooowww!! Thwank you vwery much! Swir Alex is the kindest! Hehehe~]

Looking at Lala who get a delicious-looking chocolate from me, the thin little girl who still at Anna's embrace seemed to want to have one as well. She gazed at the chocolate in Lala's hand as she sucked her thumb into her mouth which already drooling cutely.

Looking at her pitiful and malnourished appearance, a slight pain suddenly came from deep inside my heart.

[Little lady, here, I have another one for you~]

I took out a chocolate bar from my inventory before giving it to the thin little girl. The little girl looking at me hesitatingly with her big innocent eyes before taking the chocolate from my hand and hide her body in Anna's embrace in embarrassment timidly. After hiding for a moment, she opened the wrap like Lala did and ate the chocolate bar in a tiny bite little by little with a small smile plastered on her tiny face.

Looking at this scene, Anna nodded her head at me appreciatively as she started telling me the little girl circumstances

[She's a new orphan it seems her father who was a small merchant, died after getting killed by a stray monster from the monster horde on the middle of the way he goes back to this town as her mother... sigh...]

Hearing her explanation, I stunned for a while and sighed in helplessness. Without hearing her next words about her mother, I somewhat knew that she abandoned her here...

'I thought there's no casualty in the monster horde back then, but it seems I'm not looking it further enough it's unfortunate, but it couldn't be helped as it already happens and I can't judge her mother either, after all, not all woman is strong like Agatha here...'

[Sir Alex, thank you for sparing your time to visit Lala today]

With a sudden voice of a familiar woman sounded behind the entrance, I decided to throw back the melancholy feeling at the back of my mind and turned my head toward the voice direction. Upon turning my head, I saw Agatha who had somewhat a tired face, smiling gently toward me with the happy Lala who was still busying herself enjoying her chocolate in my embrace.

Looking at her complexion, I could feel that something bad happened to her,

[Agatha, what happen? Wait Lala please share this chocolate with the other kids and play by yourself first, Don't worry, After talking with your mom for a while, I will playing with you later~ okay?]

I gave a bag of chocolate to Lala as she obediently nodded her little head in her innocent consideration. I put Lala down as she started trotting cutely toward the other kids of the orphanage and sharing the chocolate inside the bag with them happily.

'What a good girl~ Anyway, it's not the time for this'

[Miss Agatha, Sir Alex, please head inside~]

Seeing that both of us needed someplace to discuss a private matter, Anna considerately brought both of us to one of the tables placed on the orphanage lawn.

I gave her thanks before giving a signal to Agatha to sit and told me about her circumstances.

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A few minutes later after the long conversation*

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After telling me about her circumstance (The detail was on the next Interlude chapter tomorrow*) that made she ended up being unemployed. I touched my chin and pondering for a while.

'Since I have the plan to do a fast food business and need a lot of man-power, it seems it's not bad if I gave her a job as a manager there. Looking at her hardworking self by raising Lala as a single mother, she seems trustworthy enough the problem is her leadership skill. Hmm'

[Agatha, I can give you a job opportunity, but, before you can be a full employee I have to see your ability during the first month first. Don't worry, even after you failed that month trial test, I still pay your original salary for working at that single month. Are you interested?]

After hearing me offering a job for her, Agatha lit her eyes excitedly as the gloomy atmosphere around her suddenly disappear like a lie

[I-is this true? I-its not a joke right? S-sir Alex, l-let me hear about the job!]

[hohoho~ look at you, as expected, you're more charming when you have a bright face on you~]

Hearing my teasing laugh, Agatha suddenly blushed as she glanced at me shyly

'Hehe, what a charming Milf, anyway, it's not bad for helping a single mother who struggled to raise her daughter right?'

With this thought, I began to explain the business I will build with Al as well as the manager's job to her.

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As Alex and Agatha having their serious conversation, the clueless children still busily themselves, running around and playing cheerfully as usual. They're playing and giggling with some snack and juices box in their hand that Alex gave to Anna before entering the Orphanage.

Unbeknown by Alex, the day in the orphanage was more vibrant and cheerful than usual by his sudden visit~