Chapter 36

Summary of the previous chapter ------------------------------------------------------

After discussing with Yuki and the others, we decided to leave the town the day after tomorrow and return to Rafan.

The next day, I and Haruka strolled around the town of Saarstadt.

Yuki and Natsuki were doing their last job, and Toya was staying at the inn as a bodyguard for that.

Even though Natsuki had been able to deal with aggressive pick-ups using her martial arts, there was no guarantee that no one would do something strange once they decided to leave. This was a precaution.

Toya, dressed in solid equipment, looked strong enough to serve as a deterrent.

"Haruka, do you have any particular purpose? From what I heard from Natsuki and the others, this town doesn't seem to have much to offer."

It's a port town primarily for waiting for favorable winds, so it's understandable that it lacks appeal. The food was also terrible, and honestly, at this stage, I can't feel any charm at all.

There might be some good restaurants or inns, but the impact of yesterday's meal was too strong.

Even if it's below average, the fact that so many people come for that meal is telling.

Considering the presence of a signboard girl, it seems the surrounding food isn't much different.

"Even if the river fish isn't good as a dish, it might be usable as an ingredient, right?"

"Ah, I see."

"Of course, the mud removal for fish only works if they're alive, so it might be pointless."

"That's a no-go, then."

That mudiness couldn't be fixed by cooking methods.

"If we have time, we could come here to fish. The water might be clean upstream."

"That sounds good! I've never gone fishing before."

While I might have a vague longing for it, there aren't many opportunities to go fishing.

Places where sea fishing is possible are usually off-limits and fishing is prohibited, and fishing in ponds is questionable due to concerns about invasive species.

Besides, entering a pond without permission is illegal. If you fish in a pond you don't own, it's considered theft of found property, and releasing or dumping the fish is illegal dumping.

To fish legally, you'd have to go to a commercial fishing spot.

"If Natsuki and Yuki join us, we might have a bit more leeway. For now, let's enjoy that prospect, and today's goal is to find a bookstore."

"Books... Oh, you mean the alchemy encyclopedia? It was sold out in Rafan."

"Right. I took the alchemy course, but I haven't touched it much. I want to make a magic bag, you know?"

"Of course. I've been practicing, but my time-space magic level hasn't gone up yet."

"It's difficult, so you just have to keep trying."

While talking, we walked down the main street of Saarstadt and easily found the bookstore we were looking for.

It was a smaller store than in Rafan, and considering the size of the town, it was probably the only bookstore.

When we went inside, the store layout was the same as in Rafan, with bookshelves behind the counter, and customers couldn't touch the books themselves.

There was also a wagon sale with worn-out books, a common sight in bookstores in this world.

However, the books here were 1,800 rea each, a bit cheaper.

Even damaged books that would normally be discarded are sold because books are expensive, so they try to sell them.

"Is there an alchemy encyclopedia?"

"Sure, I have the 18th edition, though it's a bit old."

When Haruka asked the middle-aged man at the counter, he replied without checking.

To know the stock and even the edition number is impressive.

"What's the latest edition?"

"The 20th edition. For just looking up items, there's not much difference, though."

"That's true... By the way, do alchemists buy the latest edition?"

"They don't. There are supplementary editions, but most practitioners don't need them, so we don't stock them."

After the previous edition, new research results are occasionally reflected in new editions and supplementary editions, but for alchemists as a profession, the items listed in the old books are sufficient.

There's almost no benefit in spending extra money on the latest edition or supplementary editions.

As a result, they don't end up as used books.

That's how it is.

"How much is the 18th edition?"

"Since it's a bit old, how about 20,000 rea?"

"That's a bit expensive. It's two editions old, can't you make it cheaper?"

"Well, it's true that not many people buy it in this town..."

While Haruka was negotiating the price, I looked at the books in the wagon sale.

I can't help but look when there are such things, even though I know they're mostly unsold and not very good.

Why do I always think there might be a hidden gem?

However, with used books here, there's a chance that pages might be missing.

...If it's a mystery novel and only the final resolution is missing, that would be the worst.

Fortunately, there don't seem to be many entertainment novels, but even academic books might have important parts missing, making them risky to buy.

Unlike modern books that are mass-produced, it's not easy to find the same book.

-- Oh? Among the worn-out books, there are three clean books.

The cover and spine... have nothing written on them.

In this world, many books have no writing on the cover or spine, as they are primarily for decoration or protection, so this isn't unusual.

When I opened the cover... Huh? 'Time-Space Magic: Beginner', 'Intermediate', 'Advanced'!?

...Okay, stay calm.

Is this a mistake?

No, it's not.

These are 1,800 rea each?

For real?

But I shouldn't get too excited.

First, I need to confirm the facts.

I missed how much Haruka settled for, but I saw her get the book from the clerk in exchange for money, so I asked him to pick up the books.

"Hey, clerk, why are these clean books here?"

"Huh? Oh, those are time-space magic grimoires. They won't sell anyway, so I put them there."

"They don't sell?"

"Nope. Who would come to a backwater town like this looking for time-space magic grimoires?"

I see.

In a bookstore like the ones we know, where customers can freely browse the shelves, someone might buy out of interest, but in a store where you have to ask the clerk for the book you want, you won't buy unless you specifically want it.

Given the rarity of time-space magic, the clerk probably thinks no one will come to buy them.

"Then, they won't sell even if you put them there, right?"

"The content doesn't, but the books look impressive. Put them in your room, and you'll look smart and attract women."

"Really? That's an interesting perspective."

No, no, women aren't that simple.

If you invite them to your private room, you're already pretty close, right?

It's definitely just a sales pitch.

"What do you think, sir? The binding isn't bad, and they look good, right?"

"Hmm, as decorations? The price is a bit steep... 4,000 rea for three. How about it?"

"Hey, that's too low. At most... 4,800 rea. Your friend bought them, so I'll give you a deal at that price."

"Let me think..."

"Naoto, wasting money again?"

When I showed a slightly hesitant expression, Haruka, who had put away the alchemy encyclopedia, interjected with a slightly exasperated tone.

"Hey, that's harsh. With these, you'll look smart. It's not a waste, right? What do you think, clerk?"

"Of course. Fine, for your enthusiasm, 4,500 rea for all three! Take them!"

Thanks, Haruka, for the nice assist.

Maybe to sell them before I could back out, he gave an even better discount.

"Clerk, you're generous! Alright, I just got my reward, so I'll buy them and become a smart man!"

"Every time!"

I paid the clerk, who was smiling happily, and got the three books.

I was going to buy them even if he didn't give a discount, but I ended up saving 900 rea.

The clerk might have thought he was selling bad inventory to an ignorant customer for 1,500 rea each, but I was overjoyed to get the books I really wanted at a discount.

In a way, this might be a win-win situation.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Naoto, you did well, didn't you?"

"Yeah. If I had said something stupid like 'You made a mistake,' it would have been bad. Thanks, Haruka."

These books would probably cost ten times as much if bought normally.

If I had shown interest, the price might have gone up.

In this world, unlike modern Japan, 'If it has a price tag, it should sell at that price' doesn't apply.

"The three books are a bit heavy, but by the time we return, the dindles will probably be gone, right?"

"True, Natsuki and Yuki were really craving sweets."

"Not just sweets, but good food in general."

This morning, the two of them ate two dindles each.

In contrast, we were satisfied with one or two slices.

Well, we were the same at first, so I understand how they feel.

"But we finished our errands pretty quickly... Are we going back to the inn?"

"No, let's look for some easy-to-eat bread. We don't want to eat black bread today and tomorrow, right?"

"Right. I want bread that's not bad, even if it's not great."

The bread we brought to last until our return was all gone this morning.

Considering the cooking, I don't blame Natsuki and Yuki, but I'd like to get some decent bread, even if it's a bit more expensive.

"Since the town is small, there aren't many bakeries, which is a problem."

There were only two bakeries on the main street.

After asking the locals, it seems there are no other bakeries.

So, we bought one bread from each bakery and tried half of each.

"...How is it?"

"This one is bad. This one is not bad, but not great either."

"I agree. Let's go with this one."

We bought enough of the bread that wasn't bad but not great for the next day.

We can buy a bit more before we leave the town.

Next, we went outside the town.

We started a fire and cooked the boar meat we hunted yesterday.

Thanks to Haruka's ability to produce ice, we can keep it for a day by changing the ice occasionally.

I cut the meat, and Haruka seasoned and cooked it.

We put the cooked meat in the bread and took a bite.

"...Yeah, the meat makes it good enough."

"True. This should be fine even if it cools down a bit, right?"

We can't start a fire in the town, so we'll bring back the cooked meat for the three who are staying behind and for tomorrow morning.

It will be like a cold fast-food hamburger, but it should be much better than the meal we had yesterday.

"If we could, I'd like some cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes."

"Pickles might be possible, but cheese is probably expensive. Raw vegetables are risky. Fortunately, we all have the 'Tough' skill, but does it work against parasites?"

"Toya and Natsuki's 'Tough' is level 4, mine and Haruka's is level 2, and Yuki's is level 1. Natsuki was a bit sickly in her original world, so she took it to level 4. Yuki was healthy, so she only took it to level 1. The fact that Yuki hasn't gotten sick yet suggests the 'Tough' skill is quite effective."

"The effect is 'resistant to disease,' but parasites themselves aren't a disease, right?"

"Boiling is the safest method."

"There are other methods like chlorine or radiation disinfection, but they're not possible in this world."

"Radiation disinfection? Is it safe?"

"It's not widely accepted in Japan, but it's used in other countries. It's safe because it doesn't use chemicals like hypochlorous acid, and it can disinfect raw food, so it's a good method."

"But it's not accepted, right?"

"Yes. Japanese people are wary of radiation."

Since it can disinfect without heating, it's useful for preventing food poisoning from raw meat like liver, which was a problem a while ago.

It's also used for medical disinfection, so the lack of acceptance for food is just a matter of perception.

"Hmm, can we create a gamma ray magic? I want to eat raw vegetables."

"I understand the usefulness, but please don't. What if the gamma ray level exceeds the expected level during development?"

Historically, most radiation scientists died from radiation exposure.

I don't deny the benefits of radiation, but I can't support experiments in an environment without proper protection.

"Can 'Purification' work?"

"Whoa, 'Purification' isn't that versatile... but maybe? If it can clean out insect eggs, it might work?"

Haruka, who was about to deny it, stopped mid-sentence and tilted her head.

If this is possible, 'Purification' magic would be top-ranked, maybe even hall-of-fame material.

"Please try that. Or hypochlorous acid magic."

This way, we can tell by the smell, and if an accident happens, it can be treated with magic.

DNA damage, on the other hand, might be difficult to heal with regular healing magic.

"Hypochlorous acid magic... generating hypochlorous acid sodium? Is it possible with the electrolysis of salt water? What element would it be? Earth? Wind?"

While Haruka was deep in thought, I continued to cook the meat.

Unfortunately, I'm not good at chemistry, so I can't offer advice.

If Haruka, Natsuki, and Yuki, the three geniuses, get together, they might come up with a good idea, so I'll count on them.

But to me, 'Purification' seems easier.

After all, it cleans everything, even inside your pants, when cast on a person.

Of course, it cleans clothes as well.

It's like 'cleaning the oil deep in the fibers.'

Considering this, it seems like it could easily clean the dirt and insect eggs on the surface of vegetables, right?