Leopin Wheat Flour Game

I thought that with this, he would have learned his lesson and gone away.

However, after having his face wiped off by his bodyguard, the guy resumed negotiations as if nothing had happened.

“…Think carefully. Even if you had wheatgrass, it would only be a waste on trash like you. I don’t think someone with ‘Knowledge’ of 1 would understand, but wheatgrass can’t be eaten as-is. The method is a secret, but it has to be turned into wheat flour through several steps.”

Even after going through all that, Payper still looked down on me as usual.

“Turning wheatgrass into wheat flour is something that may as well be impossible for trash like you. But we of the Grand Merchants’ Union have many underlings at our disposal. If we have them help, making wheat flour is easy enough. Let’s see, with this amount, one day would be more than enough.”

Payper didn’t know.

That Maachan and I had been making wheat flour until just a little while ago in the workshop in my yard.

“Paaah, now you understand, don’t you? Then the deal is settled.”

He cut off the conversation unilaterally and jerked his chin at Maachan.

“Maachan, return to the residential district at once and bring the underlings here. Then haul this wheatgrass away.”

“Eh, by underlings, could you possibly mean…”

“Paaah, obviously I mean your Class 1-09. You people haven’t been able to do even a single thing befitting merchants. The principal has also taken that very seriously, and it’s already been approved.”

Kakerukun, standing behind Payper, nodded with a bright smile and said, “Yep!”

The principal too kept acting as though the result of that earlier game had never happened.

“Ugh, n-no way…!” said Maachan.

Why had Payper come here, and why were the principal and vice principal with him too?

But as I listened, I was able to grasp the rough situation.

Basically, they were just trying to come up with some excuse and steal my crops.

The moment I grew crops in a place visible from the residential district, they came swarming over like pests.

I spat all of that out at once.

“Like hell I’m giving anything to the likes of you. This wheatgrass has already been traded to Maachan.”

At that, Payper made that irritating cross-eyed look again.

“Paaah~? Were you not listening to what people were saying? Wheatgrass can’t be sold in the residential district unless it’s made into wheat flour. Or what? Are you saying you’ll turn the wheatgrass into wheat flour and hand it over to Maachan?”

When I nodded and said, “Yeah,” Payper burst out laughing.

“Paaah~! Papparapaaah! You’re going to turn wheatgrass into wheat flour all by yourself!? And this amount too!? How delightful, how delightful! You really don’t understand how hard milling is, or how much manpower it takes!”

As though they had arranged it in advance, Kakerukun came butting in again.

“All right then, let’s make it a game! This time it’s the ‘Leopin Wheat Flour Game’! Right! Right! If you can turn all the bundles of wheat piled up here into wheat flour before the clock tower rings noon, Leopin-kun wins! And Pay Par-kun will give up on this wheatgrass! But if you can’t turn all of it into wheat flour by the time limit…”

Kakerukun’s face twisted in a vulgar way like some lecherous middle-aged man.

“Then Leopin-kun loses, loses, loses! From here on out, every crop grown in Leopin-kun’s field will aaaall belong to Pay Par-kun! And Class 1-09 will go from the ‘Merchant Union’ to the ‘Underling Union’ and work under Pay Par-kun foreeeever! Nii!”

The lecherous middle-aged man finished by sharply raising the corners of his mouth in a grin.

Maachan tried to cut in with “No way!” but, as if pushing her aside, he shouted even more loudly.

“Well then, Leopin-kun, are you ready!? Ready!? Oops, even if you say no, no means no! Because this game too is proper educational guidance approved by the Board of Education! It’s loving education for your sake! Right! Right!”

Was I really going to be forced into participating in a game again through sheer momentum?

“Principal, that part is fine, but there’s absolutely no benefit for me if I win. If I win, please allow the ‘Merchant Union’ to distribute my crops in the residential district. And also, the ‘Grand Merchants’ Union’ must be forbidden from harassing Maachan and the others.”

Kakerukun answered like a spinal reflex.

“Okay, sure! If Leopin-kun wins, then I’ll give my personal seal of approval to Leopin-kun’s crops! I won’t let anyone interfere with them being sold in the residential district! Right! Right!”

“Don’t forget those words.”

“Then, game start!”

At that signal, Maachan came rushing up to me with panic written all over her face.

“W-why did you accept the game!?”

I answered her while loading the mountain of wheatgrass onto the cart.

“There was nothing else I could do. He said even if I said no, no still meant no.”

“But until noon means there are only about three hours left!? And with that much wheatgrass, turning it into wheat flour all by yourself is impossible! Lord Pay Par said so himself! Milling takes a whole day with lots of people working on it!”

“That’s if you do it by hand.”

“Eeh? Don’t tell me, Leopin-kun, you can use some kind of magic that turns wheatgrass into wheat flour?”

“There’s no such magic. But it might be easier than magic. Anyway, just stop talking and follow me.”

At that, Maachan first made a startled “Eh” expression, then suddenly blushed bright red.

“T-to tell me to stop talking and follow you, that’s just…”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Once I had finished loading the wheatgrass, I set off, pulling the cart behind me.

“Paaah~? Just where do you think you’re going?”

“Kakakaka! You’re trying to do a daylight midnight escape! Right! Right!”

Payper and the principal followed behind me, skipping along.

Behind them came Maachan, looking anxious beyond measure, and the vice principal with his sticky smile.

Where I was headed should go without saying by now.

It was the nearby river created during those Seven Days of Flame.

“We’re here. Well then, let’s get started milling right away.”

The moment they laid eyes on the building by the riverside, several shrieks crossed over one another.

“W-w-waterwheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelーーーーーーーーーーーーー!?!!?”