After leaving the Adventurers' Guild, we immediately went to check on the Mimina Trading Company.

"It looks like it’s fallen into decline all at once…"

"Yeah…"

The store was still open, but the atmosphere felt heavy. Perhaps it was because the clerks standing at the storefront exuded absolutely no motivation. Seriously, was it necessary to sigh that dramatically?

Well, since there were people here, this was a good opportunity.

"Excuse me."

"Yes? What is it?"

When I called out to a bald, nervous-looking clerk, he responded with a sour expression, showing no hint of politeness or enthusiasm. Did he even want to be in business?

"Is Branch Manager Tochiliano here?"

I decided to be direct. The wedding ceremony was in two days. Anything that might cause interference needed to be dealt with beforehand.

"Oh, Tochiliano? That guy got fired."

"Huh?"

"Seriously, he really screwed things up for us…"

While I stood there in shock, the clerk started ranting. I couldn't understand half of what he was saying, but apparently, tripling the interest rate had violated the Commercial Guild’s regulations. Not only was Tochiliano dismissed from the company, but he was also sued for damages and left saddled with debt.

"Huh, I see."

"Yeah. So he’s no longer here. By now, he’s probably a debt slave somewhere."

"Got it. Thanks for the information."

"No problem. Oh, and if you ever see him, give him a good punch for me."

"Ahaha…"

I avoided giving a direct response and left. In the end, we still didn’t know his exact whereabouts.

"He must have been really hated, even within the company…"

"Seems like it."

"Maybe we should let our detection skill handle this one."

What was Tochiliano’s presence like again? I could track a presence I had memorized clearly, but something vague might be tricky.

I expanded my Presence Detection skill across the city. If I spread it too wide, the range wouldn’t extend far, so I narrowed it into a long, thin shape and slowly rotated it around the area. This city was quite large, making it a difficult task.

"Hmm… This is pretty tough."

"You got this!"

Rio’s encouragement lacked enthusiasm, but this was more of a "if we find him, great" kind of search. No need to stress… Oh? Did I just pick something up?

"I think I found something."

"Oh, really? Should we check it out?"

"Yeah. Since we found it, might as well."

And so, we headed toward the detected presence. It wasn’t far—just behind the Mimina Trading Company. Even though it was the back area, it wasn’t some narrow alley. It was just a street one block away from the main road, still fairly bustling.

"What is that place…?"

"…Looks like a slave trader’s shop."

"Ah, I thought so."

Pointing at the building in the distance, I carefully examined it. Rio also concluded that it was a slave trader’s establishment. Well, the signboard made it pretty obvious.

The building had an air of luxury to it, far different from the grimy, oppressive slave markets I had imagined from fantasy novels. Maybe those kinds of places only existed in fiction. Well, of course, they’d at least keep the exterior clean.

"Hmm… Now that we know this much, I think that’s enough."

"Yeah. No need to go inside just to confirm."

Agreed. Honestly, I had no desire to step inside.

"Alright, let’s head back."

"Yeah."

From now on, if this presence ever emerged outside, I’d confirm his face then. Tochiliano was a merchant who had lost his position. He probably didn’t hold much influence anymore. Judging by what we heard, it was almost certain he had become a debt slave.

With that, we decided to relax until the wedding in two days.

The next day, I was out in the city alone, unusually accompanied only by Nir. Ever since it had been just the two of us in the Demon Forest, I had never really acted on my own. This felt surprisingly refreshing.

It wasn’t like I had cold feet before the wedding or anything. Rio had actually suggested we spend some time separately. It felt a bit late for that, but still, this was my last day as a bachelor.

Hmm. This really made the fact that I was getting married tomorrow sink in.

"Hello."

"Welcome, nya~!"

I had come to Fleur’s shop in search of a surprise present.

"I’m looking for a ring. Do you have any in stock?"

"Yes, right this way, nya!"

Following the lively, cat-eared shop clerk, I left Nir waiting outside with some treats.

"What kind of ring are you looking for, nya?"

"I want to get a gift for my fiancée. We’re getting married soon."

"Oh! Congratulations, nya! What’s your budget, nya?"

Ah, right, I hadn’t thought about a budget. But money wasn’t an issue.

"Hmm, don’t worry about the budget. Just show me your recommendations."

"Wha—?! U-Understood, nya!"

The clerk enthusiastically explained the different types of rings available. There were simple accessories as well as magical rings with various enchantments. Of course, there were also rings with automatic size adjustment. Since I didn’t know Rio’s exact size, I opted for one with that feature.

"So, these are the candidates."

"Nya-ha-ha…"

After adding a few specific requests, the total price had skyrocketed, but I didn’t mind.

"Alright, I’ll take this one."

With my purchase made, I left the store in high spirits.