Chapter 60

Equipped with armor, I walked through the labyrinth city feeling good. There was some trouble at the adventurer's guild, but the city itself felt nice.

This is it. It seems to be a place where grocery stores gather. Should I stock up on things that catch my eye?

While talking to the shopkeepers, I bought meat and vegetables. Since this is a labyrinth city, most of the items sold here seem to be from the labyrinth.

The vegetables seem to be transported from the surrounding towns and villages, but the meat and fruits seem to be from the labyrinth. I didn't know fruits could be found in the labyrinth.

Bel and the others, who don't go near vegetables, seem interested in the fruits. They are sniffing the fruits that are lined up, saying, "Hmm, hmm." Don't eat them.

I gathered the fruits that smelled good, telling me, "This smells good." Since Bel and the others are happy, I end up buying more than I intended. Ideally, I should taste them before buying, but... everyone pulls me along, signaling, "This, this." When I buy them, they dance with joy.

Bel and Tulu wiggle their hands and feet with a big smile, Rain flaps her fins, and Tamamo wags her tail, looking very cute, so I end up buying a lot.

The meat doesn't seem very appetizing when it's uncooked, and everyone's interest is low. Since it's from the labyrinth, I prioritized the variety and bought a small amount.

This area seems to be a commercial district where commoners gather, and it seems that items from the relatively shallow levels of the labyrinth are gathered here. It seems more cost-effective to get them myself. The processing is troublesome, so I need a connection with a butcher.

The vegetables include those similar to those in Japan and some I've never seen before, so the variety is quite rich. I bought a lot of the ones I knew and tried a little of the ones I saw for the first time.

I was happy to find tomatoes, potatoes, and onions. I bought a lot of both. I heard that tomatoes grow well with less water, so I want to get some seedlings.

But don't tomatoes grow in warm places? Since it's hot around here, it should be fine. Before returning to the spring's house, I'll visit the nearby villages.

I bought quite a lot, so I was told that I must have a good magic bag. I got carried away with the shopping and the delicious-looking ingredients. It might not be wise to shop here anymore. Let's go to the next place.

I walked towards the general store while looking at the map. I need to get cooking utensils, dishes, seasonings, and clothes.

"Yuta. Four people are following us. From what I heard, it seems they are after your bag. One of them is just watching, but the other three don't have weapons, so they say it's fine. They plan to attack all at once in a deserted place."

I should have calmed down earlier. I got carried away. I showed that I had a lot of money and that my magic bag is good. If they find out it has infinite capacity and time stop, I'll be in even more trouble.

If I don't go through deserted places, I won't be attacked, right? I won't go down narrow alleys, so I think it's fine. I'll ask for surveillance just in case.

"Understood."

I got carried away in a world with poor security. Even in Japan, doing such things would attract attention. It's even more so in a different world.

But I worked hard to grow plants in the land of death, and I hadn't seen normal meat except for zombie meat, so the normal ingredients looked so appealing. I couldn't help but get excited.

This time, it seems I won't be attacked if there are people around, so in a way, I was saved. However, don't they think it's strange that I have a magic bag and no weapons? I'll walk a bit faster to the general store.

This is it. Since there are many items gathered here, it's a large general store. It feels like a department store. I'll go in first.

(Sylph. Are they still following?)

"Yes, they are following. Wait a moment... One is watching the front, another is watching the back, and the rest are calling for more people. Three more will join. They plan to drag you into a back alley and make false accusations."

The situation has worsened. With Sylph, it shouldn't be a problem, but I'm tired of violence. Should I run while there are fewer people? The ones watching will just follow me. If I fly away, it might cause a bigger commotion. What should I do?

(Sylph, are the ones following strong?)

Even if I ask for help, since they are following me, it won't work. It will just end with me pretending to be innocent.

"No, they are just thugs. They won't be able to move with just Bel's wind wall."

If that's the case, it shouldn't be a problem. It will be troublesome if they follow me to the inn, so I'll try to drive them away peacefully. I'll deal with them all when they gather. For now, let's shop. I'll ask the staff for help since I need to buy a lot.

(Bel and the others, look around the store. If you find something you want, come and get me. Sylph, please stay with me.)

"Understood." "Got it!" "Quack." "Yeah." "Koo."

I watched Bel and the others fly off happily and looked for a staff member. Who is the staff? The receptionists at the adventurer's guild wore the same uniform, so there should be a uniform. ...The same clothes... That uniform looks like it.

"Excuse me. I need a lot of different items. Can you help me?"

In a different world, if I ask, they should at least guide me to the items, right?

"Sure. A bulk purchase, huh? We welcome that. I'll help you. What do you need?"

The staff member I called smiled and responded. She looks like a businesswoman. The money signs in her eyes are a bit concerning.

"Well, I need a complete set of cooking utensils. I need a lot of pots. Next, I need dishes. I want a lot of regular plates and soup bowls. I need about ten glasses. Next, seasonings. I'd be happy if you have a variety. Lastly, underwear and pajamas. I need five sets of underwear and two sets of pajamas."

"Understood. I'll guide you. Let's start with the cooking utensils."

Somehow, I heard a voice saying, "Got a big customer." I hope it wasn't the staff. As I followed the guide, I arrived at a shelf with cooking-related items. And somehow, the staff increased to three. This store is a bit scary. Are they ninjas?

"Please tell me what you need, and I'll get it for you. I can also recommend items, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. However, my three sizes are a secret."

Marie winked and lightly waved her fingers. There are people like this in a different world too. I didn't expect to hear a three sizes joke in a different world. I've only seen it on TV in Japan.

"Don't look at me like I'm a rare animal."

I couldn't help but stare at her because she was so rare.

"Ah, sorry. Well, I don't need anything special, so I'll basically get the cooking utensils I need. I want items that a regular household would use."

"Understood. I'll prepare them."

Her face turned red, and she said, "That's strange. The other men were happy to increase their purchases." Is he into men? She muttered rudely while selecting the cooking utensils. The other staff members were surprised by Marie's ultimate technique. I'm more surprised by the "lady" term.

However, the three sizes joke is her ultimate technique. It might be the latest joke in this world. She is beautiful, and if I wasn't surprised by the three sizes joke, I might have bought things easily. And I'm not into men. I like women.

"Here is a complete set of cooking utensils. Knives, cutting boards, ladles, spatulas, frying pans, and pots. Do you need anything else?"

Basic cooking utensils are available. I checked the quality, but I couldn't really tell. They seem to have a solid feel, unlike mass-produced items. I'll go with these for now.

"Can I have four more large pots? And if you have a grilling rack, I'd like that too. How much are the cooking utensils alone?"

"Understood. I'll prepare the grilling rack. All together, it will be 60,000 elts."

That's expensive. Cooking utensils are more expensive than I expected. Is it because everything is handmade? ...I need them, so I have to buy them. If cooking utensils cost this much, how much would furniture cost?

"Understood. I'll buy them, so please gather them."

"Understood."

Marie snapped her fingers, and three staff members carried the cooking utensils away. I think the training is excellent, but the movements seem a bit old-fashioned. Is it just because I'm Japanese?

"The dishes are right next door. Please follow me."

Moving to the next room, I saw various types of dishes. Oh, there are ceramic dishes too. No glass dishes? Wooden plates are fine for serving food.

I want ceramic cups, but if I contract with Nomos, he can make various glass items, so it's a bit uncertain. Ah, but I want ceramic cups. They seem good for drinking coffee.

"Well, I want thirty regular wooden plates and thirty soup bowls. Twenty wooden cups. Twenty sets of knives, forks, and spoons. Are the ceramic cups expensive?"

"Understood. Ceramic cups cost 5,000 elts each."

One cup costs 5,000 elts. Is that expensive? In a different world, it might be cheap. But it is expensive. Hmm, if I buy them for everyone, it will be 45,000... That's quite a price.

I don't know how much furniture costs, so I'll hold off for now. I'll come back if I have extra money.

"Ceramic items are expensive. Are they rare?"

"Ceramic items require a lot of charcoal, so the price is inevitably high. They are also used for potion containers, so cups are even more expensive."

Oh, potions are very important. Why did I forget that? Can I buy charcoal here?

"Marie, can I buy potions and charcoal here?"

"Charcoal and potions. We have both, but the potions are only for minor cuts and mild health issues. For more effective potions, you need to buy them from a pharmacy or the adventurer's guild."

"Then, I'll just get the charcoal."

Potions. I definitely need to get them. More and more things I need are coming up. Maybe I bought too expensive armor. I'm starting to worry if I have enough money.

Thank you for reading.