Chapter 40

This morning's bread is naan. ...No, I just wanted to say that. I bought tomatoes at the morning market, so I ate them with a makeshift ketchup and steamed chicken.

I head towards the Adventurers' Guild.

As usual, I go to the library. I don't have a good impression of this guild. The librarian asked me in a lazy tone, "The library?" and the place is covered in dust. I open the windows to ventilate, flutter around a bit, and then start reading the documents.

"Looks like there's a lot, but the documents seem old."

What I'm looking at is gathering information, but the paper has faded. It seems it hasn't been updated in a long time. I check it with the map just in case.

"The monsters are the same as the ones I saw in the previous town."

"That's right."

"I'm not sure if this matches the current situation."

Kokushin looks up from the monster encyclopedia he was reading. Maybe he doesn't prioritize paper documents. Well, if the literacy rate is low, that might be the case.

I decide to browse the shop and then check the bulletin board.

"Hmm?"

There are almost no gathering requests. The usual request for Tokii grass, which should be available anywhere, is barely in a corner. Then there are mushrooms treated as food. The rest are only distant land gathering and hunting requests.

There are regular miscellaneous and monster hunting requests, though. I tilt my head in confusion when I hear the word "gathering" from the counter. I turn around, and it's the wimpy pharmacist from yesterday.

"Do you really have to?"

The receptionist, in a bothered tone, says to the pleading voice,

"As I've been saying, please buy them at the Rerla Pharmacy. We don't generally accept herb gathering requests here."

What does it mean that the guild doesn't accept gathering requests?

"Excuse me."

When I call out to the receptionist, her gaze wanders to find the source of the voice. She stops at Kokushin, who points down to me. I saw his fake smile disappear for a moment.

"Why are there no gathering requests?"

"Oh, are you new to this town? We have the Rerla Pharmacy here, which has its own team of adventurers for gathering, so they don't need to make requests. They also cooperate with other towns."

That means they can save on the cost of requests by handling it themselves.

"But there are other pharmacies, right?"

"Well, the Rerla Pharmacy supplies all the necessary herbs to the Adventurers' Guild, so they are popular and cheap for the citizens. There are no complaints for now..."

Wow, so this comprehensive pharmacy is dominating the market. It's like a big shopping center opening and small individual stores going out of business... Is it okay to cut off a public institution like the guild too?

The wimpy pharmacist looks pale.

"Are you told not to accept gathering requests from other pharmacists by the Rerla Pharmacy?"

The receptionist's eyes widen in surprise.

"No way. The reward for such requests is minimal, and even if we accept them, no one takes them."

No, that smile is scary.

"I see. Adventurers go for the better rewards, so the probability of unfulfilled requests is high."

"Yes."

"I understand. Thank you for your kind explanation."

I'll give her a big smile as a service. I don't want to be targeted. No, I won't take any requests. I'm going home today.

As we turn around, the receptionist's "Please come again" follows us.

"Ah, ah!"

After walking for a while, the wimpy pharmacist catches up to us. We stop and turn around.

"S, so what did you mean by that earlier..."

He didn't understand. I look up at Kokushin, who shrugs. It means do as you please, I guess.

To find a place to calm down, I was led to the pharmacist's shop. It's on the outskirts of town, like my grandma's. The familiar mixed smell of various medicines. However, the shelves with products are almost empty, and it doesn't look like he's making much money.

"My name is Rada. I just started on my own, but I'm in trouble. No one accepts my requests, and even if I go gather myself, I can't get everything. When I go to the Rerla Pharmacy, they charge a huge fee..."

Rada sighs. I feel like sighing too.

"Is this your shop?"

"No, it was originally my master's. After he taught me everything, he said, 'I'm going on a journey!' and left. I bought the shop because it was my dream to own one..."

"What? Did you have a debt or something?"

Rada shakes his head.

"No, it's my fault. I thought if I had a shop, customers would come."

"You're wrong, or rather, you're underestimating business."

Rada shrinks, saying, "I have no words to say."

"So, what's the situation in this town?"

Kokushin tilts his head.

"Well, to put it simply, the Rerla Pharmacy is in control."

"Is it an evil organization?"

An evil organization? Since when did it become a hero story...

"It's just a store. Well, there might be scary people at the top. They're just gathering customers. By doing everything in-house, they can lower the price. As a result, individual stores can't compete, and one store wins. If they make a profit, they open branches in other towns, exchange gathered items, and further lower prices. Once all other pharmacies are out of business, they can raise prices. Then, even if it's expensive, people have no choice but to buy from them..."

"What kind of thoughts do you have?"

Kokushin leans on the counter and gives me a look of disbelief. Rada is trembling.

"Well, the latter part is just my imagination. Maybe the master saw this coming and quickly sold the shop."

I say this with a laugh, but tears stream down Rada's face.

"D, did the master mean this? If the town is doomed, why didn't he say it clearly!"

"Raito..."

Kokushin glares at me for making Rada cry. I'm innocent.

"What about the guild joining in?"

"Hmm, from the way that lady acted, maybe they're getting some favors. For example, they might be pocketing the difference by supplying at a lower price. Or they might be getting something in return for directing people to the Rerla Pharmacy..."

Kokushin sighs deeply.

"Is everything so corrupt?"

"Well, well. It's just imagination."

But it's hard to imagine otherwise. Is it because the lord is corrupt? Is this fief okay?