Visiting Sutherland (14)

I went around to various shops with the children, but in the end, none of them would let me pay.

At every shop, the same back-and-forth played out: "I'll pay." "Please, don't." Ultimately, the residents around us would prevail, saying, "Please understand how the shopkeeper feels."

Thinking what a splendid display of teamwork it was, I suffered yet another defeat.

The children, who'd been eating all sorts of things from the shops with me, seemed full. They rubbed their eyes and said, "Great Saint-sama, that was delicious," before heading home.

It seemed to be nap time.

As luck would have it, I managed to slip out of the circle of residents surrounding me and headed deeper into the alleys in search of another shop.

The residents I passed looked curiously at my red hair, but the next moment, they turned away without saying a word.

...Apparently, the story that I was the Great Saint's reincarnation hadn't reached this area yet.

All right, then. I'll shop around here and finally pay this time.

As I looked around, thinking that, I met the eyes of a middle-aged man...