Chapter 37 – Shopping Entrepreneur (1/2)
The sky had started to grow light again, and the light bouncing off of the atmosphere was starting to stream down in between the gaps in the roofs overhead. I scattered around some mana treats for the little fluff balls to kill time before the various places opened.
Pushing off of the wall, I deactivated my skills and joined the growing crowds on the main street, then entered the adventurer's guild building.
Inside, there were already people around. Some were gathered around the tables, having snacks and discussing thing quietly, but most were having a look at the filled requests wall. It was tempting to just pick up something, but I wanted to spend my day on moving my plans forward instead. It wasn't like I was hurting for money or anything. I hadn't even spent a single coin from what I've made since coming to this city.
”Oh Scarlet, welcome back.”
So instead I walked up to the Lucy. She greeted me with a smile like usual.
”Hey, morning. Umm, rather than the usual, I've got some questions?”
”Is that so? That's fine. What do you want to know?”
”I've been wondering if you could point me towards some shops?”
”You're going shopping? What sort of shops are you looking for?”
”Umm...I need a butcher, a place that sells cloth, and somewhere that sells soap.”
My eyes went up as I listed off the things I needed.
”Those are...certainly an unusual combination of stores.”
”Well, I'm trying something out.”
I didn't want to spread the news about what I was doing so early.
”I see? Well, the first two aren't too difficult, but the third...”
”I've heard that soap is expensive already. I haven't spent the money I made yesterday yet, so I should have enough to pay for it at least.”
Or the money from the day before either.
”Umm...well, it is expensive, but the other problem is where you'd need to go. Soap would only be sold in the noble district.”
”Oh. Is there a security checkpoint or something?”
”Huh? Do you mean a guard post? Well, they don't, though there are a lot of guard stations in the area, they won't stop you from entering. You don't look as bad as most of the other adventurers. At least if you put your hood down.”
She leaned forward and looked up at my face. I instinctively took a step back, before I realized what I was doing and returned to my position. But by then, the damage had been done, and Lucy looked like she was pouting a little.
”Sorry...”
”...No, it's no problem. Anyways, like I said, you'll probably be fine if you lower your hood. They won't think you're some rough adventurer.”
”From just that?”
”Rather, isn't that why you're hiding your face so much?”
”Ah, no. I just have a skin condition. If I don't wear something like this, I get burned pretty easily.”
”Is that so? I've never heard of such a thing, but I guess the world's always bigger than you think huh?”
”...yea, I suppose...”
I wasn't lying, but even then it was difficult to keep looking her in the eye.
”Anyways, as for the other two places...”
After receiving the directions, I left the building and headed out.
First thing first was the butcher. My plush bag prevented things from going bad, so I might as well go get the cuts I needed first since it was closer. The butcher's was toward the centre of the city, a few blocks from the adventurer's guild.
The walk only took a couple of minutes, and I arrived at a small building. There were a bunch of signs on the large, open shutters that advertised the types of meat that was in stock. Some of the names weren't familiar, but others were those of various monsters that were on request. Apparently they even sold goblin meat. Even if I was still human, I couldn't see myself eating goblin meat no matter how desperate I was. Not even for these rock bottom prices that were listed.
A little bit disgusted and apprehensive, I opened the door and entered.
”Welcome! What can I kill for ya?”
A large macho man in a simple leather apron greeted me from behind a large counter that stretched across the entire room. On the customer's side, there was a pair of tables against the walls, but otherwise it was barren. On the employee's side, several large pieces of animal carcasses and chains of sausages were hung, with even more large pieces of meat laying on a bed of crushed ice.
I was surprised to see ice in a store at first, but then remembered that it was probably made with magic. It was a given that if magic existed, it would be used in this sort of manner. I already used magic in similar ways myself, so it shouldn't have been such a surprise just because it was the first time I've seen someone else do it.
My eyes returned to the macho man. He had big arms with hair that ran all the way up his shoulders and chest, as well as most likely his back. There was no hint of a shirt underneath that big apron. I really hoped he was at least wearing pants, but I couldn't see due to how the apron wrapped around his body.
(That said, why isn't he wearing a shirt?!)
I was feeling embarrassed in his place, and we hadn't even started a conversation yet.
”Umm...”
”Yea, what'cha looking fer little girl?”
My cheeks instantly cramped up.
(This guy, he's not deliberately trying to annoy me, is he?)
Not only was he dressed in a way in which I couldn't tell if he was wearing anything under that apron or not, but he was already treating me like a kid.
I took a deep breath before letting it out, and tried starting again.
”I'm looking to buy some lard. Do you sell any?”
”Ah, lard? Sure. How much do you need?”
”Quite a bit. Could I get a bucket worth?”
”Eh, that much ah? Sure. Gonna make some candles or something?”
”...more like something...”
I guess that would be a normal use for a large amount of lard.
”Gimme a sec.”
The big man turned his body and went through a back door.
(Phew. He's wearing pants.)
The first thing I noticed was that he was, indeed, wearing pants. Full length brown leather pants. But he really wasn't wearing a shirt. Instead, his back was covered in black hair.
(They say that red meat puts hair on a man's chest, but if his back's any indication, I'd more suspect him of suffering from werewolf syndrome.)
The sound of metal against wood repeatedly rang out through the back door before the man returned with a large bucket with big chunks of lard sticking out.
”Here ya go. This enough?”
”Umm...yea, I think so.”
He put the bucked down onto the counter and tipped it over so I could see inside. Not only were there lots of large pieces of fat sticking out of the bucket, the inside was filled to capacity with smaller chunks.
”Right then. Do you have something to carry it in? Or are you gonna buy the bucket as well?”
”Oh, right.”
I hadn't thought of that. I was probably still too used to the idea of prepackaged goods and cheap plastic bags from Earth, so the thought of having to get my own container was still pretty novel.
But for every problem, there was a solution if you just took the time to look.
I removed an iron ingot from my bag, then applied some magic to form it into a large bucket.
”That should work.”
”Little girl, was that magic? You some sort of magical smith or something?”
”Huh? It was just a bit of [Earth Magic] though?”
”Just some [Earth Magic] huh? It looks way more than that, but I'll take your word for it.”
With his slightly confused words, the man sold me the lard for three copper plates. I had no idea if that was a lot or very little though.
Thanking him, I left the store and headed towards the tailor Lucy recommended.
The tailor shop was pretty close by as well, though it was a bit past the central plaza on the eastern side of the city. I quickly made my way through the main street, and arrived at a larger building than before.
The large window shutters were open and I could see some outfits hanging along the walls. The quantity of clothes was very little in comparison to Earth, and everything on display were things like capes, scarves, as well as large and loose outfits. If anything, it felt like what they were showing off were only things that could fit a wide variety of people with little to no work on fitting.
Rather, that was probably the entire point. This place was a tailor shop, so most of their products were probably made to order. That also meant that they had plenty of sheets of cloth. The question would be if they would be willing to sell those directly to a customer or not.
”Welcome. Oh my oh my.”
As I entered the building, I was greeted by a middle-aged woman in a moss-green one-piece dress with some simple yet eye catching white embroidery on the sleeves and neckline. She wore a white kerchief around her head with some dark green embroidery along the front edge. With how her sky-blue hair was folded in on itself underneath the kerchief, she gave a pretty homely feel. Or maybe the nice next-door granny feel? Though she didn't look to be that old yet.
(Maybe I'll keep that bit to myself?)
That said, she quickly made her way around the short counter in the back and shuffled straight towards me.
”Oh my, yes. You.”