Chapter 11

The meat of the Rotcrow was tender. When you bit into it, the umami flavor slowly emerged. The skin was crispy, and the slightly spicy seasoning was, I thought, perfectly balanced. I could understand why Hitaer said it was delicious. It was as if the meat had been infused with a rich broth... simply delicious.

“Mmm. This makes me want a drink today!”

It seemed Hitaer enjoyed it too. Everyone else was also smiling and digging in. I was glad, very glad.

As I alternated between the skewers and the bread we had received, I felt happy. It’s important to have compatible tastes, isn’t it? If the inn’s food is just average, there’s only despair.

“Rotcrow is something we eat occasionally, but this seasoning is fresh. Is it something you can get anywhere?”

Sukuro asked while chewing.

“It’s the leaves of a plant called Rokka. I just dried them and crushed them. They grow pretty much everywhere, and I think you can probably find them at herb shops too. They’re used as ingredients for stomach medicine.”

“Herbs? And they’re this delicious?”

“Well, the Toi grass, which is an ingredient for healing potions, is also edible.”

“Really!?”

Toi grass is the ingredient for basic healing potions. It’s a hardy plant that grows everywhere, and anyone can make a potion by boiling it. I’ve heard that in some regions, people drink it as a tea.

“You can even mix the leftover residue from making healing potions into stir-fried vegetables. Of course, people who don’t like bitter flavors might want to avoid it.”

“Toi grass, huh. I could probably find that.”

Hitaer nodded thoughtfully. Everyone seems to know so little. For me, wild herbs were a source of sustenance. I’ve eaten just about everything that’s edible, as taught by my grandmother.

“Hmph. You’re all fools.”

A voice that dampened the warm atmosphere. It was the brat, sitting apart from us, miserably gnawing on dried meat.

“To talk so freely without any compensation. I’d sell the information instead of giving it away! If it’s available everywhere, it’s a great business opportunity.”

I shook my head, sighing.

“You’re a small-minded person.”

I took a gulp of cold water to moisten my throat. Incidentally, the temperature of water can be changed with a simple living magic spell. It’s incredibly convenient.

“Thinking about business and profit is natural for a merchant. But is it right to say it out loud? You don’t have any friends, do you?”

“Wh-what?”

“You see people around you only as sources of money. And because you look down on them, you can’t negotiate. You need to distinguish between who you can take money from and who you can’t.”

“W-what do you mean, acting all high and mighty! I have skills!”

The brat stood up, trembling. By the way, I still don’t know his name. If you’re going to call yourself a merchant, at least introduce yourself first.

“So what? Do your skills sell things for you? Your approach is one that sacrifices great trust for small gains.”

“Grr. What’s trust? If it sells for a high price, that’s what business is all about!”

“I’m saying you won’t sell anything without trust. Who’s going to buy overpriced, poorly dressed, and arrogant goods?”

“D-dirty... I’m from the capital!”

“This isn’t the capital.”

The brat gritted his teeth. Behind him, the older man was fidgeting. I thought about ignoring it, but I was starting to get angry. It was ruining a good meal.

“If you can’t say anything but insults, at least shut up.”

The atmosphere fell silent.

Oh no, I did it again.

“Sigh... Sorry, I need to cool off.”

I tossed the skewer into the fire and walked away. Hitaer called out, but I didn’t look back, walking to a spot where the firelight didn’t reach. I didn’t want to go too far and attract monsters. I squatted down just within the human perimeter.

“Ugh...”

What was I doing? I should have just ignored him. I should have just let it slide. I shouldn’t have acted all high and mighty. I should have just shut up.

As I stared into the darkness, my eyes adjusted, and the outlines of things became clearer. Since I woke up in this world, I’ve never been afraid of the dark. There are no streetlights, so it’s pitch black when the sun sets. I used to listen to the lively voices from the house while sitting in a dark stable. The unusually bright voices of everyone around me brought back those memories.

I heard a rustling sound and turned around. It was the older man who had been fidgeting behind the brat.

“What is it...?”

Did he come to apologize?

But the older man bowed to me instead.

“I should have been firmer...”

He began to tell his life story, sounding tired. I didn’t really want to hear it.

He spoke as if confessing, while I squatted and looked up at him.

Apparently, he was like that even in the capital. He was the grandson of the head of a large trading company, so he had been pampered. After acquiring the ‘Business’ skill upon adulthood, he became even more arrogant, thinking his future was guaranteed. However, his manner of speaking became a problem, and he was sent to the regions for training. The older man was his uncle, who had been tasked with looking after him. But the brat was disrespectful and wouldn’t listen.

“...So?”

So what? I don’t care. What am I supposed to do with this information? I’m only seven, you know. Or rather, what I said earlier wasn’t like a seven-year-old at all.

“What should I do...”

No, no, no, I don’t care! Don’t look at me with those pleading eyes. You said you should have been firmer, right? That’s the right approach.

I sighed and stood up.

He’s not a bad person, I guess. A middle manager, maybe. Yeah, yeah. It must be tough.

By the way, I seem to know the melancholy of middle managers. I don’t remember how long I lived in my previous life, but I must have been a certain age. I knew the taste of alcohol, after all.

Anyway, that’s beside the point.

“Why don’t you just take him back to the capital? If he fails and causes trouble, let the pampered ones take responsibility. Maybe he’ll succeed. If you can’t handle him, why not give him back?”

“S-such a thing...”

“Is the business even working?”

The older man was silent. Are they just traveling around the regions? Because these people don’t have any goods. Or are they just doing sales talks?

“...You know what? This way, time will just pass uselessly. Actually, I was supposed to be given a store to manage after this, and I jumped at the opportunity... I thought I could use this as a stepping stone, but I couldn’t see the future. It’s my fault. I’m a failure as a merchant. Hahaha.”

Oh wow. The older man is talking a lot. Did he let go of his worries? Is he giving up? I can’t take responsibility for this.