Chapter 72

I haven't been in Japan for quite a while, but I still get treated as if I were here all along.

I think there was a test.

I checked later, and I had an average score.

I didn't study at all.

I might even fail and have to repeat the year.

It's better to be in the other world on test days.

With that thought, I head to the nearby supermarket.

Converting points to money... yeah.

There's an option to convert to Rikus coins.

It seems to change into the money I know.

I convert my points to yen and start putting seasonings from the seasoning corner into my basket—sugar, salt, pepper, umami seasonings, spices, herbs, curry powder, and so on.

I also add ketchup, sauce, and anything else I can think of that I can only get here.

Then I take it to the register.

I might buy in bulk later, but this should be enough for now.

When I take out a ten-thousand-yen note from my wallet, I always feel like I'm doing something wrong and get scared.

Well, it's better than buying knives or crowbars.

With that thought, I leave the supermarket.

Ah, I bought honey for Kumako as a souvenir.

And some toys too.

A boxing book... I don't know if Kumako can read, so that's fine for now.

"Alright..."

Should I go back to the other world now?

After finishing my shopping, I look for a deserted place.

Using visual transfer, I see that Kumako is performing.

She's recently learned ball juggling.

She's riding a large balance ball without getting her claws stuck in it.

Hagisawa said to bring a unicycle next time... Yeah, she always helps us out.

Thanks to Kumako, we can keep everyone entertained.

With that in mind, I set my sights and return to the other world.

"Oh, you're back."

"Gauu"

"Yeah, thanks. You managed to keep everyone here."

I give Kumako the honey and put the seasonings and spices I bought on the table.

"There are quite a few things you can get at the supermarket."

"Yeah, I bought a lot, excluding what we use at the restaurant."

I hand over the portion I was asked for by my classmate with cooking skills, and we examine the seasonings and spices we brought.

Indeed, I bought them randomly, but there are quite a few varieties.

There are even some that make you wonder who would buy them.

"Hakata no..."

While Hagisawa is playing with a bag of salt, Moshin chops him.

"Try not to go overboard with the jokes."

"I know, but I really appreciate all the things Kousuke brings back."

"Sure, sure, I get it."

Hagisawa ordered some equipment for tool making, like beakers and alcohol lamps.

If we need anything, I can buy it.

"Let's see if this can be a starting point. I'll ask how much they'll buy these seasonings for tomorrow."

"Alright."

The next day, we take our items to the castle and meet with a merchant who supplies ingredients, spices, and seasonings.

He's apparently a reputable and trustworthy person, as he's officially recognized by the castle.

The policy of favoring people from other worlds helps us a lot.

We need to be careful, though, as there might be people who try to deceive us.

The government is also concerned about the market being disrupted, so there's a review process.

If someone makes too much money with unknown spices, they might get involved in various troubles.

We have our seasonings and spices appraised.

First is sugar.

It's a bag of white sugar, the kind you can buy at the supermarket.

I think it's called white sugar.

When I cut the seal, it flows smoothly.

The merchant, who was introduced to us, looked at the sugar taken from the bag and seemed to use an appraisal ability.

Indeed, they have that kind of ability.

Incidentally, according to Hagisawa's appraisal, it's just sugar, and the point value is the same as when I bought it.

Since there's no magical enhancement, it might be a low-value item in this world.

"Amazingly white. What is this?"

"Yes, it's sugar. I think you understand that it's similar to tree sap or honey in this world."

My classmate with cooking skills explains.

He licks a bit of sugar from his fingertips.

The merchant also follows after getting permission.

"Wow... a sweetness different from honey, tree sap, or fruit... This high-purity sugar is a rare item."

The merchant's eyes sparkle with excitement, as if challenging the unknown.

"It's the same as sugar condensed using filtration abilities, but it's even denser..."

Is it that much?

There's a filtration ability?

It's probably a creation ability.

I imagine something like filtering water to make it drinkable.

I seem to remember that extracting only sweetness is quite difficult.

In that sense, we can secure good, cheap items in Japan.

"Given the quality... how about this price?"

6 Rikus silver coins for 1 kg of white sugar...

About 10 times the price.

As we hesitate to respond, the merchant seems to think we're trying to haggle and increases the offer, one by one.

"This is my limit. Any higher, and the profit..."

In the end, it became 10 Rikus silver coins.

How much is that?

"May I ask, what will you do with this sugar after you buy it?"

Moshin asks.

"Huh? If it's confirmed to be safe, I'll sell it as a rare item."

"Since you're willing to pay 10 Rikus silver coins, you must have a plan to sell it at a higher price, right?"

"Of course, with this high quality, no merchant would pass it up."

I see... The rarity and high quality are both factors in the evaluation.

Indeed, in this world, sweetness usually comes from honey, tree sap, or similar flavors.

Other sweet flavors are mostly from jam or fruit.

Japanese sugar is relatively rare.

Even with extraction abilities, they can only produce brown sugar at best.

So, the exact price is unknown, and they might want to buy it a bit cheaper.

"...Merchants make a profit this way, and we're doing something similar, so I have no complaints. Deal."

"Next..."

Next, we focus on the salt.

It's ordinary salt, the kind you can buy at the supermarket, in a bag.

"This is also of high quality... and it's salt, right?"

"Yes."

"There are salt merchants, and some adventurers carry as much salt as they can with their return crystals to make a little money."

Ah... Many problems related to distance can be solved with tools.

So, ordinary salt doesn't earn much.

"Still, this high-purity salt is rare. It's smooth, so there might be people who like it."

Oh, high evaluation here too?

But it might be a bit cheaper than sugar because it has fewer minerals.

Still, it's ten times the purchase price.

It could be a good business.

"Next... this is a seasoning, right?"

It's umami salt.

I have a few varieties of this, and I also have rock sugar.

"Umami salt. Please try it."

"Hmm..."

The merchant licks the umami salt and shows a slightly surprised expression.

"Not just salt... a mellow umami. It's definitely umami salt. The slight difference from salt adds an interesting twist."

"What's the salt like in this world?"

I ask my classmate with cooking skills.

"Salt can be made from seawater, but it has a different feel due to purity... I guess. There's also rock salt, but seawater salt is more popular."

"Either way, if you can supply in bulk, it would be a valuable item. This amount shouldn't harm the market."

Even selling at ten times the purchase price, the merchant still makes a profit... It feels like we're being used, but selling it here is a bit complicated.

It's not bad to sell it as a kind of commission fee for handling all the trouble.

Yeah, buying in bulk and selling in the other world could be a profitable trade.

"Next... this is a spice, right?"