Maiza giddily skipped down the rural paths of Hinamakuru while Zaltaro whistled with Maiza's package wrapped in his scarf as he slowly strolled behind Maiza. Maiza hopped onto the mini stone by the path and pretended to tightrope on it as she walk beside Zaltaro. An 8-bit-sounding tune rang from Maiza's clothes for a few seconds as she allowed it to play. Maiza pulled her folding touchscreen phone out from her hoodie and checked her text messages.

Maiza abruptly paused her walking and puffed up her cheeks as she stared at her phone. Zaltaro walked a little ahead of Maiza before coming to a stop when he noticed Maiza wasn't walking beside him anymore.

"Is something wrong?" Zaltaro asked. Zaltaro stared at Maiza as she intently stared at her phone. Maiza sighed and stowed her phone in her hoodie pocket while begrudgingly exhaling.

"I can't believe Zoiraka and Shinza went to Shubunia without telling us," Maiza complained with a flat tone. Maiza pouted her cheeks even harder and flailed her arms around as she continued to voice her frustration. Zaltaro lightly exhaled while tapping his finger against his forehead and tapping his foot.

"I assume you mentioned your package to them at some point... right? " Zalkutaro asked. Maiza halted her complaining and perplexedly squinted to her side as she wondered about something.

"Oh yeah...," Maiza muttered meekly while she covered her eyes. Zaltaro rolled his eyes and turned before he walked off with Maiza hurrying after him.

The duo stopped before a genie-themed single-storey building with a large Harmonio sign on the front. Zaltaro yawned before Mazia grabbed his hand and led him into the building. The duo walked through the front door and were greeted by a thick smog of distinctly feminine perfume as they made their way through the open area of the eastern-themed pawn shop.

Maiza walked a little ahead of Zaltaro before the two arrived at the only open counter of the pawnshop. They waited by the counter as the sound of violent hacking emanated from behind it was accompanied by a more pungent smell of perfume. Maiza glanced back at Zaltaro with her fingers pinching her nose. Zaltaro gestured for Maiza to say something, and Maiza turned back to the counter.

"Hello?" Maiza asked, causing a young female voice behind the counter to yelp in shock. The rapid sounds of rustling boxes and jangles of bottles echoed through the room as a short figure walked through the maze of stacked boxes. A set of hands made of super dark royal blue opaque gelatin slime plopped themselves onto the counter before the slimling (a humanoid slime) girl they belonged to hoisted herself onto the counter. (the slimling girl has long and fluffy-looking gelatin hair with super faint cyan blob tips, cyan eyes, and white and cyan blobs all over her body; she's also wearing an eastern-themed merchant attire, no shoes and a genie hat made from her slime)

"Oh... Miss Minia?" Maiza uttered monotonously as she and even Zaltaro gave Minia confused stares. Minia cheekily giggled as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Oh. Hiya, dearies. As you can see, I had a little accident with a de-ageing perfume, which you probably smelt when you walk in," Minia remarked as she placed her hands on her thick thighs.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"At least it's not as bad as the guppy incident," Zaltaro remarked. Minia giggled at Zaltaro's comment and placed her hand under her chin like a cat.

"That aside, what brings you to my store today, you two?" Minia said with a coy tone. Maiza turned to Zaltaro, and Zaltaro lowered his scarf to the counter and had it place Maiza's package on the counter. Maiza took the old-looking papers out of the packaging, and Minia involuntarily cooed upon seeing the papers.

"Oooh~ now, those look like a catch, especially those two," Minia said while pointing at the paper with the six tiles containing different insignias and the treasure map.

"You think so?" Maiza said emotionlessly.

"You bet, merchants intuition; so, I take it you want these to be restored?" Minia asked.

"Yes... please," Maiza said shyly while she reached for one of her hoodie pockets; however, Minia waved her hand in front of Maiza's face.

"Don't worry about the price; I still owe Zaltaro for the... Guppy Incident," Minia said while saying guppy incident with an overly edgy voice while looking at Zaltaro. Zaltaro rolled his eyes and flicked his scarf onto his back.

"You sure?" Maiza asked calmly.

"Of course, as a pro merchant I'd look like a clown if I allowed myself to be indebted to anyone for too long, so I'd gladly do it for free," Minia stated while carefully sliding the papers back into their packaging.

"I'd say, given the wear and tear of the papers, I'll have them in a better state within a month," Minia said confidently.

"They're that old?" Zaltaro asked, with a hint of interest in his voice.

"Puft, as if something as simple as age degradation would hamper my skills, although I'm not sure what caused the papers to get in this state; I have dealt with something similar, so I have that for reference," Minia said smugly.

"Right...; we done here, Maiza?" Zaltaro asked. Maiza gave Zaltaro a quick nod before she quickly rushed for the exit to Harmonio. Zaltaro turned and walked towards the door before stopping as he felt Minia coyly staring at him.

"Enjoy your day off~," Minia said coyly with a mix of cockiness and smugness. Zaltaro remained silent and walked off while Minia wiggled her fingers at him.

Zaltaro exited Harmonio and held the door open for a while to let some of the perfume smell out.

"What did Minia say just now?" Maiza asked monotonously.

"She just told me to enjoy my day off," Zaltaro said.

"You should," Maiza uttered coldly, causing Zaltaro to place a hand on his hip.

"Are you implying sleeping isn't a valid way for me to enjoy my day off?".

"It is... but...,". Zaltaro sighed and removed his hand from his hip.

"Fine... it would be in poor taste to cut this date short, I suppose," Zaltaro said before he felt Maiza wrap her arms around one of his arms while she had her ever-present neutral expression on her face. Zaltaro yawned and clicked his neck with his free arm.

"Alright, where would you like to go?" Maiza asked.

"My room.". Maiza looked at Zaltaro with a neutral and unamused expression while Zaltaro was on the verge of snickering.

"I kid, I kid. How about we check out that event being held at Makuruiao Shrine?". Maiza happily nodded with a neutral expression and hopped onto Zaltaro's arms. Zaltaro rolled his eyes, and the duo walked off.