CH 60

Shopping Completed

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After browsing through a miscellaneous shop and finishing shopping at a bookstore, Yuta is considering visiting a furniture store and the adventurer’s guild. He walked through the labyrinth city, occasionally asking other spirits for information, but it is unclear what kind of response he received.

So far, Yuta and his companions seem to be mostly interested in food, so they may be asking about delicious food.

(Sylphy, what happened to those thugs?)

“They’ve scattered. It seems like they can only trust the people they’ve been with all along,” replied Sylphy.

(Oh, I see. Thanks.)

With that, they probably won’t bother me anymore. While Yuta has damaged their friendships, it was their own fault.

They arrive at the furniture store, but he can’t seem to find any beds despite seeing wooden chairs and chests. It’s a small store, so maybe he went to the wrong place? Just to be sure, he asks the woman at the counter.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a bed. Do you know where they are?”

“Beds, huh? We make them to order. We use materials from monsters, and they take up a lot of space. What kind are you looking for?”

Are they made to order? Can they be made while Yuta is still in the labyrinthine city? Well, it shouldn’t be a problem if he can come and pick it up. He can fly, so it won’t take that long.

“I’m staying at the Govan Torque inn. Do you know anything about their bed?”

“Hmm? Oh, I know about that. It’s our work, you know. Is that the one you want?”

So this store made that bed too. It seems like it won’t be a problem then.

“Can you make the bed twice as big and a bit softer than the one at the inn?”

The bed at the inn is slightly smaller than a single bed, and he wants a bigger bed to sleep on comfortably. Even if he does find a partner to sleep with, they’ll be comfortable with this one. He’s disliked by the receptionist at the adventurer’s guild, where he’s most likely to find a partner, so he needed to be careful. He shouldn’t be swayed by his emotions, as it might lead to trouble later.

“Well, we can make it bigger, but if you want it softer, we’ll have to use higher quality materials, which will increase the price,” the woman at the store says.

“How much will it be in total?” Yuta asks.

“Well, if we use the next tier of materials, it’ll be about 400,000 Ert. The one at the Torque inn was 150,000 Ert,” she replies.

400,000 Elt… it’s expensive, but it’s a price he can afford. Now he’s curious about the next tier of materials.

“Okay, I’ll take it. The price is 1.2 million Elt, right?” Yuta confirms with the woman.

“Yeah, but you’re quite picky. This is the kind of bed that only rich people use. Are you sure you can afford it?” she asks.

What level of richness is considered “small fortune?” Yuta had some money saved up, but… He got carried away with their order, but he had no regrets. He can customize everything when he places an order, which is why he got so into it and upgraded the materials… But he doesn’t regret it.

“Where I come from, we say that we spend a third of our lives in bed, so we should use good ones. That’s why I splurged,” Yuta explains.

“I see. That’s a great selling point for beds. I’ll take note of that. It’ll be ready… in ten days. We can also arrange delivery,” the woman says.

Hm, it’s a little longer than their planned stay in the labyrinthine city. Well, they could extend their stay a little to pick up the bed before returning. They’re not going to deliver it to the land of death, right?

“Okay, I understand. I’ll come to the store to pick it up, so delivery won’t be necessary. I need some other furniture as well. Can I pay for everything at once?” Yuta asks.

“Sure thing. Buy as much as you need,” the woman says cheerfully.

Now, he needs a table and chairs. The only ones who will be using the chairs are Yuta and the great spirits. Bell and the others float while eating… Should he buy extra chairs for customers? He probably won’t get any regular customers in the Death Plains, but what if Sylphy’s friends come over or if he gets more members in the future? Better buy a couple of extra chairs. As for the table, I’ll buy the big one, and do I really need a chest of drawers and a cabinet?

If I just put everything in my bag, I won’t need anything else. Should I buy a small cupboard as an interior decoration for dishes? … No, I don’t need it. I’ll just buy it when I need it.

“I want that big table and seven chairs. How much does it cost?”

“The table is 80,000 Elt. The chairs are 6,000 Elt each. We only have five in stock, so do you want to order more?”

“Okay, please. I’ll come back to pick them up with the bed.”

“Sure thing.”

After paying for the furniture and storing it in the bag, Yuta was once again offered a job at the store. If he had a magic bag, he wouldn’t have to worry about earning a living in delivery. He informed the store he would come back in ten days to pick up the bed.

“Yuta, did you buy the bed? Can I sleep on it?”

“Yeah, I bought a big one. It will be ready in ten days. If Bell likes it, she can sleep on it too.”

“Sleep!”

Hearing this, Rain, Turu, and Tamamo gathered around as well. It seemed like they would all be sleeping on the bed when it arrived. Yuta tried to calm down the excited Bell and the others and headed to the adventurer’s guild.

“Sylphy, can you keep an eye on what people are saying about me at the guild? I want to know how I’m being perceived.”

“Sure, I’ll check for you.”

“Thanks.”

Well, it happened a few hours ago, but I wonder if the rumors have spread.

The rumors had spread widely. When he joined the guild, all eyes were on him, and whispers increased. Although Sylphy was checking for him, Yuta was afraid that people’s happy expressions might actually be hiding something else.

“Hello, Eltina-san.”

“Hello. Do you need something?”

Oh, she doesn’t even have a fake smile on her face. She’s completely expressionless. And the noise around us has stopped, drawing attention to us. I’ve never stood out this much in Japan, so I’m a bit scared.

“At the adventurer’s guild, they offer beginner’s classes. I want to apply for it. Is that okay?”

“Do you really need it? You seemed quite confident. And you’ve secured a lot of magic stones, haven’t you? Did you not defeat them yourself?”

She doesn’t even call me by my name anymore. It’s damaging to my psyche. But now she’s even questioning my ability to defeat those magic stones? She saw the power of my hammer, she doesn’t need to doubt me that much. Was it a mistake to say it was the Land of Death?

“I’m a beginner, so confidence and knowledge are two separate issues. When is the beginner’s class held?”

I’ll be thick-skinned and cheeky.

“Tomorrow. It starts at 8 a.m.”

Perfect timing.

“Okay, I’ll participate. Please help me with the registration. Also, I want to buy some magic potions. Where can I find them?”

“I’ll take care of the registration for you. The potions are sold at the shop next to the bar.”

Her expression doesn’t even flicker. The shopkeeper at the potion shop greeted me with the same emotionless expression. I got the minimum amount of information from my questions, but the feeling of isolation is overwhelming.

For now, I bought some low-grade and intermediate-grade potions and antidotes. Both low-grade potions cost 7,000 Elt, but the price jumped up significantly for intermediate-grade ones.

Intermediate potion costs 150,000 Elt. Intermediate detoxification medicine costs 200,000 Elt. There are also advanced and special grade potions, but I wonder how much they cost. I’m worried that I might be overcharged.

Feeling the gaze upon him, he exits the guild. The rumors have definitely spread. He decides to hear about Sylphy’s story after returning to the inn.

Oh no, I almost forgot. I have to return the temporary identification card I received when entering the labyrinth city. Otherwise, I’ll become a criminal. I was too distracted after receiving the guild card.

Before returning to the inn, he decides to stop by the castle gate to return the identification card. It’s a detour, but he doesn’t want to become a criminal if he forgets to return it after the beginner’s training tomorrow. The guild master might be delighted to hand him over to the guards.

—–

“Oh, welcome back. The boss has been waiting for you. Please listen to what he has to say,” Martha says before he can say anything, calling Torque over as well. They both want to hear what he has to say.

He hears the sound of someone running towards him. It’s a worrying sound; he’s afraid that the floor might collapse.

“Hey there, customer. You’re amazing. I was skeptical at first, but when I tried it, the meat became delicious. Why is that?” the boss asks as he slaps me in the back. It hurts a lot. I doubt the effectiveness of the armor I bought. Is it because the boss has strong arms, or is it the armor’s fault?

“Excuse me, it hurts, could you please stop?” I say, trying to get the boss to stop.

“I’m sorry. I got carried away. So, why does the meat taste better when cooked on charcoal?” the boss asks with curiosity, his rough face with the cut marks getting closer. It’s honestly scary. How should Yuta explain it? He doubts that infrared rays would be understood.

“Well, I think when you cook with charcoal, the heat penetrates the meat better and it retains its flavor. Also, the fat that drips onto the charcoal creates smoke that gives the food a good aroma,” Yuta explains vaguely, but he can’t provide a better explanation. He hopes the boss can understand that cooking with charcoal makes the meat taste better.

“I see. Come to think of it, the meat cooked faster too. It’s like the smell of smoke, like smoked food. Thanks for teaching me a good thing. Tonight, you can drink all the ale you want and eat to your heart’s content.”

Torque laughs loudly and returns to the kitchen. He’s a hearty person.

“I tried it too, and it really did taste better. If you come up with something else, let us know,” Martha says.

“Haha, I’ll let you know if I come up with anything. Can I get my key?” he says, pleased that his tip has been well-received.

It’s nice to have more delicious dishes, but dealing with these people seems tiring. I am not sure if I should offer help with improving the bread. I’ll think about it a little more.

“Oh, right. Here’s the key”

“Also, since my stay has been extended, is it okay to stay for five more days?” Yuta asks.

“No problem. Since you taught me about charcoal, I’ll only charge you 30,000 Ert this time. I really want to let you stay for free, but please forgive me,” Martha says.

Wow, it’s 20,000 Elt cheaper. He feels a bit guilty about staying for free, so this price reduction is more than enough. He thanks her and pays for the extension.

Now, should he listen to Sylphy’s story before dinner? He knows he’s been talked about a lot, so he needs to be strong-hearted