Chapter 5

Yesterday, I was able to hunt the Stealth Bear, though it was a close call. However, it was also a battle that made me keenly feel my own weakness. It was the day I vowed to become strong enough to defeat such foes smoothly.

The meat of the Stealth Bear is hard and has a strong flavor, so it’s not really edible, and I just left it as it is. It’s in such good condition that it almost looks like it’s just sleeping. ... Maybe it could be made into a taxidermy mount.

The materials from the Stealth Bear can be used for anything except the meat. My father doesn’t know the details, but apparently, the fur can be processed into a highly stealthy coat. ... I thought I wanted one, but I’m only five, so I don’t really need it.

"Hey, it’s about time. Owl, the merchant should be here soon, so let’s get ready!"

"Okay!"

Wow, I’m really nervous. This is my first business transaction in this world. My father will mostly handle the talking, but I’m still excited.

"Ah, there you are. Hey, Lebrant!"

"Oh, hello there, Lark. You look well. The usual stuff, right?"

"Yeah, I need the usual consumables. Also, I have something I want to sell today."

"... You don’t mean 'that,' do you?"

"Yeah, actually, it appeared near our house. I managed to catch it with a trap I set up."

(Actually, Stealth Bears are cunning and intelligent, and they rarely make mistakes like getting caught in traps...) Lebrant thought, but he couldn’t think of a reason why it was so cleanly hunted, so he decided not to press the matter.

He glanced at the child standing next to Lark but thought there was no way a kid like that could have hunted it.

"A Stealth Bear in such good condition could be desired by nobles for taxidermy. It could also be used for materials, so it will fetch a high price. Fortunately, I have the funds from a large transaction in the previous town, so I’d like to buy it. Really, you caught it with a trap?"

"Yeah, that’s right."

Lark was lying, and Lebrant could tell, but he didn’t know why. Still, he knew that selling it to the nobles would bring in a good amount of money, and it might even help build connections with them. After considering everything, he decided to play it straight.

"Is that so... Given its quality and the individual, I think 100 gold coins would be fair."

"!!!"

I was surprised. To give you an idea of the currency value in this world:

1 iron coin = 10 yen

1 copper coin = 100 yen

1 silver coin = 1,000 yen

1 gold coin = 10,000 yen

1 large gold coin = 100,000 yen

1 platinum coin = 1,000,000 yen

Roughly like that. There are coins above platinum, but poor farmers like us only use up to gold coins. So, the Stealth Bear is worth 1,000,000 yen. I was secretly very happy, but my father didn’t look convinced.

"Hey, Lebrant, we’re friends, right? Let’s skip the haggling."

"Ah... I understand. 170 gold coins. I can’t go any higher."

!? I didn’t expect it to go that high... I should thank my father. If I were alone, I would have been satisfied with 100 gold coins.

Still, to try to overcharge by 70 gold coins... Merchants are not to be underestimated.

"Alright, that’s fair. By the way, do you have any turnip seeds?"

"Turnip seeds? I have a little. But how do you plan to use them? They’re quite difficult to grow, even I find them challenging."

"Yeah, my son wants to try growing them. It’s like a birthday present for turning five."

Lebrant seemed to understand and took out a small leather pouch, showing its contents.

"This will cost 20 gold coins. I’ll deduct it from the Stealth Bear’s price. Is there anything else you want?"

"Hmm, Owl, is there anything else you want?"

"I want a dagger!!"

Lebrant looked a bit surprised but thought it was just a child’s curiosity and prepared a few simple daggers.

"Here, these are the daggers. Which one do you like?"

There were four daggers. Each one costs 1 gold coin. They were more like simple knives than daggers.

Since the merchant only comes every two weeks at the earliest and once a month at the latest, I decided to buy all of them.

"All of them, please!"

"“Huh?”"

Hmm...? My father and Lebrant looked surprised. Did I sound too childish?

"I want all of them because they all look cool!" I said something childish, and Lebrant seemed a bit unsatisfied, but he seemed to accept it.

... My father is still giving me a suspicious look.

"Hey, Owl, don’t tell your mother. You don’t want to get in trouble, right?"

"Okay, I’ll be careful. Mother gets scary when she’s angry."

"Exactly."

After that, my father and Lebrant continued their negotiations, and I looked at the goods. I found something familiar from Earth.

"Is this soybeans...?"

"Yeah, that’s soybeans. They’re commonly grown in the Empire. They keep well and can be cooked and eaten anytime, so they’re very useful for adventurers."

"Really? This... The Empire seems to have Japanese culture."

(With this, I’m one step closer to making soy sauce and miso!)

Owl’s head was filled with these thoughts, and he didn’t even notice Lebrant giving him a suspicious look.

Looking closely, the contents of this small bottle...

"Lebrant, I want all of them! And this small bottle too!"

"Huh, sure, but are you going to grow them? ... Wait, do I even have such a small bottle?"

"Yes!"

"Wait a moment. Ah, here they are. A burlap bag costs 5 silver coins. I only have 3 burlap bags of soybeans, so I’ll give you all of them for 1 gold coin as a bonus. And I’ll throw in the small bottle. Let’s settle everything together. I’d appreciate it if you continue to be a regular customer!"

In the end, we settled for 142 gold coins, including consumables, daggers, and seeds.

Lebrant has a magic bag, and he stored the Stealth Bear in it. With that, he doesn’t have to carry heavy loads. It’s like a magical version of my item box.

I saw Lebrant off with a satisfied look and headed home. I gave 130 gold coins to my parents. They said I could use the remaining 12 gold coins when I grow up or whenever I want, so I decided to save them for now.

"Lebrant doesn’t seem to understand, but this is koji, right? How convenient."

"Alright, let’s start with the turnips. Aim for sugar!"

In this world, the method to make sugar is kept secret and is extremely expensive. I’ve heard that only nobles can afford it, while poor farmers in the borderlands might never taste it in their lifetime. I can’t accept that, so I’m going to make sugar from turnips to enrich our diet!

Of course, I could sell it, but it seems like a lot of trouble, so I plan to consume it at home. Maybe I’ll share some sweets with Mirei next door. Yeah, no ulterior motives.

Turnips, also known as sugar beets, are actually quite easy to grow. The main thing to watch out for is that they are weak against waterlogging, so proper drainage is essential. You need to create a way for water to drain. Additionally, if the soil becomes acidic, their growth will be poor, so you need to maintain an alkaline environment. If you follow these guidelines, they will grow well.

"Plus, I have magic now, so I can water them easily. There’s a seasonal issue, but I’ll use magic to cover that."

The growing season for turnips is around March, but it’s now the middle of summer in July. It seems impossible, but I’ll try. I want to eat something sweet soon.

So, I immediately cast a spell on the seeds. The image is of the seeds sprouting and growing into seedlings.

"Grow Up!"

After casting the spell, I continued to pour magic power into them. The seeds sprouted and grew into healthy seedlings. I mustn’t forget to focus on making them delicious while pouring magic power.

I used a lot of magic power, so I reluctantly planted the turnip seedlings in the field by hand. I planted 100 seedlings neatly. I still have some seeds left, but I’ll observe how they grow for now.

After a two-hour break, I cast "Grow Up" on the field again. The appearance didn’t change, but when I touched them, they seemed to have taken root firmly. I then watered them thoroughly.

For half of them, I used magic-infused water. It’s an experiment to see the difference between well water and magic-infused water. If I can see the results, I might be able to improve and make the highest quality sugar.

I’m so excited, but vegetables don’t grow that quickly. After preparing everything, it was time for dinner, so I headed home.

Recently, meat has become a regular part of our meals, which is great for a growing boy like me. Thanks to my mother’s processing, we have enough meat to last for a while, and my parents seem to enjoy it too.

"Wow, Owl, you got a good price! Thanks to you, we can easily get through this winter. We might even have a comfortable next year! Hahaha!"

"Yeah, it’s great that you didn’t do anything dangerous, but it’s nice to make so much money."

"Yeah, I’m satisfied too! I got what I wanted!"

"I was surprised you bought four daggers..."

Oops... I told myself not to tell my mother... Brainless gorilla.

"... What do you mean, Lark, Owl?"

After that, my parents and I were thoroughly scolded by Emilia, and it took about three hours before we were let go.

I’ll update this bit by bit.

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