After they entered the backseat, the car began its journey, driving them through the city to their original destination. They were heading to the largest supermarket Arlo knew in all of London.

Unlike the previous car ride, where Vielle's eyes had sparkled with excitement, this time she was more relaxed, gazing worriedly at Arlo. He, on the other hand, was so lost in his thoughts that he had been silently staring out the window, his eyes fixed on the traffic lights and passing scenery.

Whoosh~

Vielle was curious about what was going on through Arlo’s mind, but she decided it would be best to leave him to his own musings.

Without a word, she turned her attention to the window, gazing at the twinkling lights that adorned the city as nighttime descended upon them.

'This otherworld is truly beautiful,' she thought to herself, a sense of gratitude washing over her. 'I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet Arlo and experience it.'

'I'm not sure if what I said was able to help him, but... I do hope that he gets better,' Vielle mused, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

Unbeknownst to her, Arlo had cast a quick glance in her direction, checking on her wellbeing. As he did so, the words she had spoken to him earlier echoed in his mind, vivid and clear. She had told him that he wasn't a piece of shit and that his efforts to change were not in vain.

It was strange, he thought, how just a few words from a girl he had known for such a short time could have such a profound impact on him. And yet, it felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, a burden he had carried for far too long.

For the first time in ages, Arlo felt at peace. It wasn't an overwhelming joy, but rather a sense of calm, a feeling that he no longer had to harbor such intense self-hatred. He knew that he still had a lot to work on, but he could afford to be a little easier on himself.

"...Hey, Vielle," Arlo suddenly called out, turning to face her, his voice cutting through the silence of the car.

Vielle, who had been gazing out the window, quickly turned to meet his gaze, her crimson eyes locking with his. Normally, such direct eye contact would have elicited a shy reaction from Arlo, but this time, he continued to stare at her calmly, his eyes unwavering.

"I don't know what you see in someone like me," Arlo muttered. "Honestly, I genuinely believed that I was the worst type of trash there is, and I still do, a little..."

Vielle opened her mouth to protest, but Arlo continued, cutting her off.

"But... thanks to you, I feel like I can hold my head up a little higher," he said, a smile spreading across his face. "So thank you, Vielle. For everything you said back there."

Vielle, who had been staring into Arlo's eyes, responded with a smile of her own. "I'm glad to hear that, but you don't have to thank me. I didn't really do much. I only said what was on my mind."

Arlo shook his head, his gaze never wavering from hers. "To you, it may have just been a few words, but honestly, it helped a lot. Just knowing that you believe in me, even after what I told you... It really meant a lot."

Vielle, who had kept her eyes locked with his, suddenly averted her gaze, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I-I see... Well, if that's the case, then you're welcome," she muttered, trying to maintain her composure despite the way Arlo's sudden change in demeanor had caught her off guard.

It was a stark contrast to the Arlo she had known, the one who always struggled to maintain eye contact with her.

After staring at her for a moment longer, Arlo recalled the warmth of her touch when she had rubbed his head. Quickly averting his eyes, he looked away, a blush spreading across his own face.

"...I'm not as kind-natured as you are. I probably wouldn't save or help someone without reason, but... never again. Never will I abandon my allies again," he declared.

Vielle, who had been looking away, glanced back at him, only to find him staring out the window, a determined expression etched upon his features. In that moment, she struggled to contain the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Good, because if you abandon me, I won't ever forgive you," she teased, playfully.

Arlo, who had been looking away with a flustered expression, suddenly turned to her, his eyes serious and unwavering.

"You don't have to worry about that. I won't ever abandon you. No matter what happens," he said.

Vielle's face turned a bright shade of red as she pointed at Arlo, her voice trembling with embarrassment. "W-What's wrong with you? I-I was joking! H-How can you say something so embarrassing with such a serious face!?"

Arlo, realizing the gravity of his words, grew flustered himself. "I'm being honest, though... Ah, now that you mention it, it is a little embarrassing," he muttered, his cheeks warming.

Vielle lowered the window and stuck her head out, letting the cold wind cool her burning face. With a small smile and a blush, she whispered, "Well, thanks anyway... for those words."

"Huh? What did you say?" Arlo asked, leaning closer to hear her.

Seeing his proximity, Vielle turned to him, her eyes narrowed. "Arlo, hasn't anyone ever told you that you shouldn't tease a maiden too much?" she asked, her blush deepening.

Realizing his mistake, Arlo apologized and scooted back to his side of the car. As he gazed out the window, his mind lingered on Vielle's flustered expression, the thought of it bringing a small smile to his face.

Arlo's attention was soon drawn to a large building in the distance, signaling that they were nearing their destination.

As they arrived at the entrance, Arlo and Vielle stepped out of the car, the vampire girl holding tightly to her staff as she stared at the imposing structure before them, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Wow... it's quite big," Vielle said. "Although not as big as the Shard."

Arlo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this is the largest functioning 'Supermarket' in London, after all."

Vielle noticed a large number of people entering and leaving the supermarket, pushing strange metal contraptions. Tugging at Arlo's shirt, she asked, "Hey, Arlo. Those are some interesting-looking vehicles. What purpose do they serve?"

"Those are shopping trolleys," Arlo explained. "They hold the products that people wish to buy. It's tiring and hard to carry most things with your arms alone, after all. You can grab one over there for free, but we have to make sure to return it after using it."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Upon hearing this, Vielle nodded eagerly and dashed off to retrieve a trolley from the pile outside the store. She returned quickly, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she examined the new contraption.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed, running her hands along the metal frame. "Your world has so many incredible inventions to make life easier."

“Is it really that amazing?” Arlo asked while scratching his cheek.

"To think they let people use something of such great quality for free..." Vielle marveled, her gaze fixed on the shopping trolley. With a sudden burst of excitement, she turned to Arlo, tugging at his shirt. "W-What are you waiting for, Arlo? Let's go!"

Arlo found himself being dragged into the store, a smile spreading across his face as he watched Vielle's childlike enthusiasm. In moments like these, it was easy to forget that she was easily capable of defeating a B-Rank Hunter without the use of magic.

As they entered the store, Vielle gasped, her eyes widening in awe. "A-Arlo! Look at all the goods!" she exclaimed, taking in the sight of the countless aisles lined with products.

With the shopping cart in hand, Vielle raced over to the nearest aisle, examining the items on display and their prices with rapt attention.

Arlo, meanwhile, glanced down at his reflection on the polished marble floor, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Somehow, she reacted exactly as I expected," he muttered to himself.

Without another word, he joined Vielle, accompanying her as they made their way through the store.

-

"'Supermarket' is what this place is called... How very interesting... It has such a wide variety of products for sale," Vielle mused, her focus unwavering as she inspected two different items.

In her left hand, she held a notebook, and in her right, a pen, both still sealed in their packaging.

"And this world's inventions... They never cease to amaze me," she whispered, her voice filled with wonder.

Arlo watched silently as Vielle moved from aisle to aisle, inspecting different products with a single-minded determination. She was so engrossed in her exploration that she seemed to have entered a world of her own, only remembering Arlo's presence when she needed an explanation for a particular item.

After what felt like an hour of browsing, Vielle suddenly stopped and turned to Arlo, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Alright, I've seen enough," she declared, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction.

Arlo's expression lit up upon hearing Vielle's words. Although he didn't want to admit it, he had grown tired of walking around the store non-stop. That being said, he had enjoyed the experience, as it allowed him to witness Vielle's cute reactions to the various products.

"Alright, I've decided on some ideas for you to trade," Vielle said. "Before I tell you, though, I'd like to hear your suggestions."

In response, Arlo placed his hand beneath his chin, contemplating the options. The time spent wandering the store hadn't been wasted; he had also given considerable thought to what would make good trade items and what wouldn't.

"I considered bringing in a tech invention, like a solar-powered flashlight or calculator, for example." Arlo said, his voice filled with confidence.

Arlo recalled seeing a group of adventurers carrying torches because they lacked access to magic. He was certain that flashlights would be popular among adventurers and other commoners, making them an excellent product to trade.

Calculators, on the other hand, would likely be popular among merchants and nobles. As long as Arlo taught them the meaning of each sign and symbol, the devices would simplify their arithmetic, making their lives much easier. He could even order custom-made calculators, assigning the digits to the same symbols used in the other world.

Moreover, based on what he had seen of the other world's civilization, it would be nearly impossible for them to replicate the technological products of his world. This would allow Arlo to easily monopolize the market when it came to producing flashlights.

The fact that the flashlights and calculators were solar-powered was another significant advantage. Those who bought them wouldn't have to worry about the power running out, as long as they kept the devices charged.

Of course, instead of solar-powered flashlights, Arlo could also provide cheaper alternatives that required batteries. However, he was sure these would be less popular, as constantly buying batteries would be a hassle for customers in the other world.

Arlo, who was planning to build a large customer base through the trading company, wasn't sure how he would handle transporting large batches of batteries to the other world.

After Arlo explained his thought process, Vielle couldn't help but show him a nervous smile.

"Those are some great ideas, Arlo," Vielle said, her voice filled with admiration. "I can definitely see how those products would be valuable in my world. Are you even sure you need me?."

"Yeah, I need you," he responded without hesitation.

Vielle's heart skipped a beat at his words, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in me, but alright… I was thinking about items that could improve daily life and hygiene. Things like soap, toothbrushes."

She then placed her hand beneath her chin, the blush fading as she contemplated more of her ideas.

“And If we wanted to do things on a larger scale then we could go with fabrics.” She said.

By fabrics, she was referring to textiles—materials used in the production of clothes.

Vielle had seen them in the textile section of the supermarket, and based on their quality alone, she was certain that they would sell well in the other world.

She explained how the fabrics would be popular not only with nobles but also with merchants and commoners.

"The quality of the products in this world is far grander than that of my world, and the fabrics here are no exception," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You said that they're cheaper to buy compared to the majority of the tech devices, right? If we were to order something on a large scale, I'd say fabrics for clothes would be a good option."

Vielle raised a finger, continuing her train of thought. ""There are also 'antibiotics,' I think that's how you pronounce it. If the medicine from this world is truly as revolutionary as you say it is, then I'm sure you could profit a lot from it... Speaking of that, I believe aphrodisiacs and 'contraceptives' would also be popular."

After giving her final suggestion, she looked over at Arlo with a nervous expression.

"In other words, there's a lot that we could do. All we need to do now is figure out which is the cheapest and most reliable option…" she said, her voice trailing off as she noticed Arlo's silence. "Why aren't you saying anything? Did I say something wrong?"

Arlo blinked, shaking his head as a smile spread across his face. "No, not at all! I'm just... impressed."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring. "I think you're right. Fabrics, hygiene products, and medicine would all be valuable trade goods. And the fact that they're relatively inexpensive means we could make a significant profit."

Vielle let out a sigh of relief before responding, "I'm glad I could help. That being said, we should start off on a small scale, so let's just pick one or two products from the many ideas that we came up with, alright?"

"Yeah, I also agre—"

Arlo's words were cut short as his phone suddenly began to ring from his pocket. He quickly checked the caller, only to find that it was Argus.

Confused, Arlo apologized to Vielle before picking up the call, wondering if it was related to the compensation they were supposed to receive from the association. It still hadn't arrived yet.

"Hey, Argus? Is everything okay?" Arlo asked.

"Yo, Arlo. I'm good. Are you free to talk right now?"

"I'm a little busy, but what's up?"

"I just wanted to check up on you, seeing as how you became so popular and all," Argus said, his tone laced with amusement.

Arlo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Popular? What're you talking about?"

"Huh? You really don't know? Check the link that I just sent you."

Arlo moved his ear away from the phone before opening the link Argus had sent him in a message. It was a short video recorded from someone's phone, uploaded a few hours ago.

As the video played, Arlo's eyes widened in shock. It was a recording of Vielle's fight against the B-Rank Hunter Michael. The video ended with Arlo running off with Vielle.

Arlo's heart sank as he scrolled down the page, his gaze falling upon the number of views the video had garnered.