"Yuu-chan - Slayers! Novel 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chan Yu)

"Sure. What is it, little girl?"
"...That `little girl'... Anyway have a seat."
Gourry sits down on a chair, facing me, "Okay, now I'm sitting."
"Okay, then IТll ask..." I look into GourryТs face. "What do you think of me?"
Gourry freezes. This is fun -- but I canТt leave him the way he is. "Just kidding."
Hearing those words, Gourry sighs. "That was a bad joke. I thought I was going to die..."
"Hey... whatТs that supposed to mean...?"
"Uh... well... WhatТs the real question? DonТt ask me for my three sizes...*"
What a sick joke.

[*Note: In Japan, as you may know, the "three sizes" are the bust, waist, and hip measurements, which usually accompany vital statistics. People that ask someone for these measurements are usually pretty hopeless.]

"You jerk! Well then, IТll ask seriously, how did you know they were after me?"
"I didnТt."
"But you said, СItТll soon be time for you to show what you can do,Т before they came into the inn."
"Oh, that. ItТs because I sensed that something with a murderous intent was surrounding the inn, so it was obvious that they were after somebody in the inn. If it were burglars, theyТd have waited till later."
"Then why did you think it was me -- are you on their side --"
"-- Listen. No matter who they were after, I figured you would stick your head in. You seem like a kind person and you seem to enjoy sticking your nose into things --"
I couldnТt say anything. It was the truth. IТll leave it to other people to judge whether or not IТm a kind person, but I know I like sticking my nose into things. I remember Sis back home saying the same thing.
"-- that should adequately explain everything, right?" Gourry continues.
"...I guess..."
"Any other questions?"
"...None."
"Then could you start explaining what you did and why theyТre coming after you?"
"All right, IТll talk..." I briefly explain whatТs been going on. I told him how I came across some villagers being troubled by bandits; how seeing the villagerТs plight, I decided to help them; how when I retrieved the treasure, I took a small portion as a fee; and how because of what I had done theyТre still coming after me. ... What? Are you saying I attacked the bandits because I was bored? Shhhh!
Gourry nods, once I finish my tale.
"Leaving out the part about Сhelping the villagers,Т I basically understand what happened." Oops... Really perceptive.
I change the subject back. "Well, now IТm satisfied."
"About what?"
"When I attacked the bandits, IТm pretty sure my face wasnТt seen. However, they still came after me. It seems they had a sorcerer with them."
"That mummy-man?"
"Yes. Probably, he was wounded when I attacked the bandits and hadnТt been able to come after me until today."
"So they used magic to track you?"
"Yup."
"Guess you can do just about anything with magic."
"Not `anything...' There are limits to what magic can do. For example, the mummy-man probably placed a СmarkТ on one or all of the items in my possession and using that as a guide, was able to find me. No matter how good a sorcerer or sorceress you are, itТs impossible to find somebody without some kind of clue."
"... so thatТs what magic is like..." says Gourry with a puzzled look.
"ThatТs what itТs like. Any other questions?"
"None, teacher."
"That ends todayТs lesson --" I was interrupted when somebody knocked on the door.
The two of us moved at the same time to the sides of the door. "Who is it?" I ask.
"I would like to make a deal with you. I will buy certain items in your possession at whatever price you name," said the person on the other side of the door.
"YouТre pretty untrustworthy."
"Of course. Saying it makes me think IТm untrustworthy, myself. Normally I wouldnТt let a guy like myself in a room." Hey hey...
"Well then, IТll heed your warning and not let you inside."
"Wait. I am untrustworthy, but right now I have no intention of harming you." WhatТs that supposed to mean?
"You won't change your intention the moment you enter the room, will you?!"
"DonТt worry... YouТll probably still be worried, but you have a bodyguard." We look at each other.
"If you try anything funny, IТll blast you with every spell IТve got."
"YouТre letting him in?!" panics Gourry.