Bettis felt something touch her hand. She lowered her head and realized she had been lost in thought.
"S-Sorry!"
She hurriedly took the money pouch, removed one Leo, then handed it back.
Nora shook her head. "They're all yours."
"A large serving of French fries and fried fish comes to one Leo."
"And hers, too."
Nora did not say who she meant, but Bettis understood. She was referring to that Nora.
Big Nora did not have a job, so naturally she could not earn Leos. Whenever she got French fries from Bettis, she had never paid.
Bettis panicked a little—she knew?!
"Th-That doesn't count. Nora and I are friends!"
"Friends can't just take things without paying, either."
"They're only French fries that wouldn't sell anyway. Just... just consider it a friendship fee!" Bettis said nervously. She did not know why she was so flustered; it felt like when she was little and her best friend's parents suddenly showed up, leaving her unsure how to face them.
Calling Nora Nora's mother seemed strange, but whenever Bettis saw Nora's ever-serious expression, she could not help feeling uneasy.
Nora blinked. She did not even check the pouch, merely stowed it away with some difficulty before turning and jumping back into the self-propelled artillery.
With the engine roaring, the self-propelled artillery left the street. Only then did Bettis come back to herself. She wiped her hands on her apron and turned to toss the Leo into the cash box on the counter, but paused just as she reached out.
She raised the Leo for a look, then slipped it into her skirt pocket.
After leaving the fried fish stall, Nora's self-propelled artillery continued down the streets of Blood Port.
The self-propelled artillery was quite heavy. Though its many wheels spread out the pressure, driving