Chapter 61

Well, I've finished buying the cooking utensils and dishes. The next things to buy at the general store are seasonings and clothes.

"Miss Marie, next please show me the seasonings."

"As you wish. This way, please."

Marie led me with a smile. She seems to be expecting an increase in sales, as her movements are sharp. While moving through the store, I can see Bell and the others playing tag, darting around. It seems Rain is the "it." Rain is flying around the store in all directions, and Bell, Tulu, and Tamamo are laughing and running away happily.

For now, they seem to have no interest in anything other than food, not even looking at the tools. Well, they seem to be having fun, so that's fine.

When we arrived at the seasoning corner, Marie placed several seasonings on the table. There are various types, some in leather bags and others in wooden boxes. The bundled dried leaves look like basil.

"These are the seasonings we have. Would you like me to explain them?"

"Yes, please."

From Marie's explanation, I learned that there is no soy sauce or miso. That's a shock. The seasonings I recognize are salt, sugar, pepper, chili, basil, and cress. No mint, I see.

Also, pepper seems to be a luxury item. It can only be obtained in the deeper parts of the labyrinth, and the harvest is small. It would be helpful if I could gather it myself.

The good news is the sugar. It's surprisingly cheap. When I asked why, it seems that sugarcane is commonly cultivated. This continent is warm, even hot, so it makes sense that sugarcane can grow. If that's the case, it seems like pepper could also be cultivated, but there must be some reason why it isn't.

The rest are things I don't understand, so I bought small amounts to try. I hesitated about buying pepper but ended up giving in to my desire and decided to buy it.

"Hmm, Miss Marie, do you sell any powdered seasonings?"

"Powdered? Everyone prepares their own seasonings when cooking, so there's no need to sell them in powdered form, I think."

So, there's no garlic powder. I like that, but making it myself would be a hassle. What should I do?

"Hmm, would it be profitable? It's a dilemma."

"Sir, would you mind telling me what you're thinking?"

Marie's eyes started to sparkle as she picked up on my muttering. If I tell her, she might make it, but I'm not sure if I should give away knowledge that could be profitable for free. Well, it's probably not worth a fortune, but if it makes things more convenient and earns me a little money, that would be enough.

"Hmm, it's a business idea, so I'm not sure if I should just tell you."

I glanced at Marie.

"Anyone who tries to skimp on the idea fee is not welcome in this store, so please rest assured."

I nodded, and she immediately led me to a reception room in the back of the store.

"Let me introduce myself again. I am Marie, the second daughter of the Porlius Trading Company, and I serve as the manager of this store. I promise to provide fair compensation for your ideas. Please rest assured."

So, she's the second daughter of the president. She's young and probably got the position through family connections, but still, she's quite proactive.

"My name is Yuta. I'm a new adventurer, so no need to worry about me."

When I introduced myself as a new adventurer, she seemed a bit surprised. Was it my age or the fact that a new adventurer has money?

"I understand. What kind of idea do you have?"

"Well, first, I want to mention that it's easy to copy, so I hope you consider it as a product line. Is that okay?"

"Hmm, if it's easy to copy, the compensation will be lower."

Well, even if it's cheap, as long as it's convenient and earns me some money, that's enough.

"As a pioneer, I think you can gain some profit and recognition. If the quality is high, it could be a unique product. The compensation can be whatever you decide."

"Oh, you might try to lowball me?"

Marie tilted her head cutely. She would be attractive if not for the aura of money.

"If that happens, we'll deal with it then. I'm not a merchant, so I trust you."

If you're trustworthy, I can come back with more business ideas. If not, I can go elsewhere. If I come up with something, I can offer it to someone else.

"I'll do my best to earn your trust."

"Thank you. I have two ideas. One is to thinly slice raw garlic, soak it in water lightly, and then dry it in the sun until it's completely dry. Once it's dry, grind it into a powder to make a seasoning."

"That's an easy idea to copy. Without tasting it, it's hard to say, but just drying and grinding might not be enough to make a business out of it. What's the other idea?"

"The other idea is to dry all the seasonings and herbs you showed me today, grind them, and mix them together."

"Is that your idea? As I mentioned, people usually do this at home. It might not have much value, and mixing them could limit their uses."

Marie looked visibly disappointed. Did I phrase it poorly?

"The key is to study the types and ratios of the mixtures. For example, a seasoning that makes grilled meat taste the best. The combinations are endless. If you create a mix that people love, it could sell well. It's convenient and delicious, especially for camping or taking into the labyrinth."

Marie started to think seriously. It would be great if we could create a product as good as Creole Salt.

"Yuta, is this the first time you're sharing this idea?"

"Yes, it's the first time."

"I see. Please wait a moment."

Marie left the room, and I asked Sylph to check the situation outside.

"There's one person in the back, one messenger, and five people in front. They're not much. The plan is to harass you and drag you into an alley. Some rich kid is wandering around without a bodyguard, and they're laughing about it. They're just talking about what to do after they succeed."

Some rich kid, huh? I've been through a lot in the Land of Death, but I don't seem to have gained an aura of strength. As I was thinking, Marie came back.

"Yuta, 500,000 elts. Please accept this for now. I feel the potential, but there are many uncertainties, so this is all I can offer right now. I promise to add more if it succeeds."

Just for a casual conversation, 500,000 elts. That's a good profit, and she's even offering more? Can you really make that much from seasonings? I have a lot of questions.

"500,000 elts is enough, but do you really think it will be that profitable?"

"If it goes well, yes. I have a strategy that could be profitable if the research goes well. Please look forward to it."

She seems confident. She mentioned a contract, but I declined because it seemed troublesome. However, she made me promise to keep it confidential, which is only natural.

After the discussion, we returned to the store, and I chose some underwear and pajamas. The underwear was trunk-style, and there were some with string instead of elastic, so it shouldn't feel too strange.

I also bought some stationery. The prices were a bit high, but since they are sold normally, it seems that the knowledge cheat with paper is difficult. If there's any potential, it might be with pens. They seem to be the type that you dip in ink, so maybe pencils? Hmm, I don't know how to make them. The knowledge cheat is difficult.

At the register, I paid the total of about 180,000 elts. That's not a small amount for a general store. I put the items in my magic bag.

"That's a nice bag. How much capacity does it have?"

"Um, it's a secret."

It would be troublesome if I said something specific and it turned out to be a lie.

"Yuta, would you like to work at our store?"

It feels like her eyes are on the bag, not me. Maybe it's because the bag is useful for merchants?

"For now, I plan to focus on being an adventurer, so maybe another time."

"Hmm, that's a shame."

"Hehe, thank you."

While chatting lightly, I asked Sylph to gather Bell and the others and say goodbye. I wonder how the thugs will react?

As I started walking, five shady-looking men approached with smirks. I don't need to ask Sylph; they're the ones.

(Sylph, can you stop them? It's too much trouble.)

I thought about threatening them with a hammer, but swinging a hammer in the city would be inappropriate.

"I stopped them."

The men's steps halted abruptly. They seemed confused, not knowing what happened. As I approached the immobilized men, their eyes focused on me. Did they realize I was the cause?

"I'm not a rich kid. You want to drag me into an alley?"

The men shuddered. This is kind of funny. Regardless of what they planned to do, it would be bad for me to take action before they do anything. I'll leave them alone and go to the bookstore. After walking for a while, Sylph suddenly started giggling.

(Sylph, what's wrong?)

"Those men are fighting. They're arguing about their plan being exposed. They're accusing each other of being the traitor and have started fighting. It's because Yuta said something mean."

Her words sound accusatory, but her face is smiling, so it's not very convincing. She clearly enjoys it. If the thugs start fighting among themselves, it might make the Labyrinth City a bit more peaceful, which is a good thing.

(Well, they brought it upon themselves, so I'll leave them alone.)

"Hehe, I understand."

I arrived at the bookstore and went inside. The store is small, and Bell and the others seem a bit bored. Looking around, there aren't many books.

"Excuse me, do you have any books on the basics of being an adventurer or popular stories?"

I asked the old man behind the counter.

"There are no books on the basics of being an adventurer. You should take the beginner's course. As for stories, the most popular one is about the hero party that has cleared 87 floors of the labyrinth in this city."

So, I have to take the beginner's course. I was hoping to gain knowledge from a book to avoid feeling awkward. It didn't work out.

The story of the hero party is about a labyrinth with an unknown number of floors, with the highest floor reached by humans being the 87th. The book is about the party that reached that floor. Currently, they are stuck at the 50th floor.

If we can break through the 50th floor, maybe the guild master will be impressed. I'm getting a bit excited. I looked at other books, but they didn't interest me much, so I bought the hero's book and a history book of this country and left the store.

Two books for 20,000 elts. Considering they are handwritten, it might be a fair price, but there are few books, and no comics. I want more entertainment.

Thank you for reading.