Chapter 4 (1/2)

Chapter 4: Fundraising

Part 1

”Yea, this is quite bad”

It's a shed was not because of the stale townscape It was because of the disastrous contents of my purse

After paying three silver coins to enter the country, there was a lonely huddle of just three copper and one silver coins there

Moreover, sadly, fro there, you would have trouble distinguishi+ng the silver from the copper coin It was also unknohether I could use it or not

The value of a copper coin, in general, was that it could buy you one bread

A silver coin could let you stay for a night in a cheap inn, but if it's the gold coin, you could get yourself a high-class one with decorations

Speaking aboutinn with a noisy door, eat just bread, and sleep wrapped up in a thin sheet while enduring the hunger

Simply put, I'll die soon

”What should I do”

I' while holdingstomach

Froetables were shi+ning like jewels in order to te me

Aah, I want to eat

I want to eat──

”Excuse me, a bread please”

Without noticing, I ended up standing in front of the stall that had a rich aro around it The prices were not written there

A lively granny, sitting at the opposite side of the bread looked at me and smiled

”It's three coppers”

Whoops, that was impolite I was mistaken

It was a dirty old wo money from the poor person

”Eh? Excuse me It seems I didn't hear well Can you repeat it one more time please?”

”It's three coppers”

”I see, so three coppers for three breads right?”

”It's for one Are you a half asleep or what?”

Are you yourself half asleep or what are you saying? Are you an idiot? How can you charge three copper coins for the crusty breads that see outside for a while

Although I wanted to leave at least one coy to do so

In the end, I left that place without saying anything completely exhausted

Gulping air and saliva all together, I left the evil stall that tempted me behind

As I advanced on the main street, I ended up on a plaza

A giant fountain was stretching up to the sky It was a totally ordinary sight that you can see anywhere And on the bench at the side of the fountain, there was a couplestares, it was truly an ordinary scene

For so the towards the fountain

Then, I drew the floater with both hands and started drinking Cold water went down my throat and filled my body with the moisture it lacked

”Hey look darling! That Witch is drinking the fountain water”

”It's true, such a shabby appearance! Hahahahaha!”

””

I loadedthe staff I took out

A moment later

Along with a plain sound, the bench got split in half

”Kyaa! What happened to this bench?!”

”It probably got too jealous from our passionate love! Hahahahaha!”

””

Soer also completely vanished

My feeling of hunger disappeared a little, so I put away

After all, I needed to find the inn to stay for tonight

Part 2

”Inn cost? It's thee silvers”

”For three nights? Sorry, but I plan to say for one night only”

”No, it's three silvers for one night”

””

This place was already the sixth one I alking around in hope of finding a satisfying hotel, but why did this happen? No eneral market price

In this cru inn that had a hole in a wall and no bath, the innkeeper asked three silvers for the night You have to be kidding me

I hanged my head down

”Can't anything be done about it?I only have a silver and three coppers with me”

I turned my purse inside out on top of the counter A Lifeless sound reverberated

”Aren't there just 4 coppers there?”

”Ah, that's a silver coin”

”It's true It's too unclean”

”Can't there be done anything?”

”There's no way” - The innkeeper uncle let out a sigh

”Please understand, Ojou-chan This is also a business”

”Is ripping the money from a poor person a business?”

”Business is usually such a thing”

”Fununununu”

I can't deny it

Somehow, it feels unreasonable to ask for the shelter in this inn

I shi+ftedthe coins one by one

”I have a question if you don't mind”

”What is it?”

”Aren't the prices in this country a little too high? The town scenery is also nothing extraordinary, and there doesn't see money for”

”Ah”

“Since you are a traveler, you don't know, huh, Ojou-chan?” ── The innkeeper said those words

Looks like there are circumstances after all

The innkeeper sees, so I lowered my voice

”The foolish king that was crowned recently, started fabricating large quantity of coins”

”Fabricating? Youfake coins circulate in the market?”

The innkeeper nodded

”Yes And with the appearance of the money in the market, the value of coins was dropped For you who are a traveler, the prices see here, they are valid prices”

”Valid you say But, you are using fake coins right? Wouldn't you receive punish them?”

”The one who circulated the fake currency was the king himself There's no way that ould receive punishments”

I see

I think I saw the true colors of this country I don't understand what the king's objective was, but if he circulated the fake currency to liven up the country, then that would be befitting for a moron

But there are no one ould oppose the use of fake currency in the country, huh?

”To us, it's not really ienuine or fake If the money inside the country increases, then it would be fine even if the prices are raised, and whether they are fake or not, the citizens won't have a problem with it The only ones troubled will be you travelers”

”That's right I think people coh prices”

Just like me

The Innkeeper glanced behind me

Looking back, there was another custo three silver coins in hands── Seeht here

The prices that are three tieneral, certainly do seem like they are valid prices for the people of this country

”We should be done, Ojou-chan”

”Yes Thank you very much for the important story”

I bowed and left the inn

Part 3

I decided to work in order to earn incoes

I returned back all the way to the street where I couldn't buy the bread Then I sat on the side of the street for a bit Looking at the people passing by, they see with completely carefree faces

Their shah they were aware of the fake currency

””

Since I'm a traveler, my funds will hit the bottom sooner or later It was not work in order to settle down here, but an essential thing to do

That being said, I've had proble many time until now If money runs out, I won't even be able to enter the country after all

Usually, I would save a person from merchant's shams and earn few coins from it

But, I started to think

But, since for this country, it's fine whether it's real or fake coins, then there are no disadvantages

When I think that I would receive the threefold amount as well, then just like the people of these country, I also won’t feel bad in the least about using fake coins

”Hey, you”

I called out to the youth walking along the road with sullen face

His shoulders flinched and he looked at me, ”Eh, me?”

I nodded and beckoned him

”You seeht?”

”Umm, who are you?”

”Oh ot to introducefortuneteller”

As I shamelessly declared that, I pushed up my tricorne and looked at the sullen-faced youth

He replied without erasing the dubious expression

”Troubled you say Do I really appear so troubled?”

”Yes To me, you seem to be full of troubles”

”Is that so”

”That's right”

I erated nod

Fro in the middle of business leads to failure The moment I wavered──The moment I opened up, they would start to hold suspicions towards me

In short, the number one rule is to make an impression

I began:

”You yourself can't fully understand what you are troubled over ──For example, it could be because you don't have confidence in your looks, or o s unable to meet your destined person no matter how much time passes──”

”!”

His face twitched just for an instant, but I didn't miss that

I see, so he is worried about not having a lover, huh? I see

”You are feeling anxious about not having a lover──A?”

”Well Probably”

He said that tohis eyes

”I shall offer you a divination──About the day your destined person would appear before your eyes”

I took out ic power into it

Poh - With a sweet sound, fire was produced

”Aah”

And i born, it ept away by the wind and faded

It seeic poas too weak

Regretfully, I raised the staff that had s, I wanted to have a develop at the flames, but that's already impossible

After blowing off all steam from it with my breath, I put the staff away

”I see, I understand”

”Eh? With just that?”

”Yes The smoke divination just noas a method of divination where you look at the shape of the smoke and predict the fortune”

That's a lie though

”I never heard of it”

”Even so, it's like that After all, this fortune telling is a secret art that has been passed down in enerations It's not possible for others to be aware of it”

I forcefully ended the talk in order to not let the lie be found, ”By the way, about your destined person”

”Y-yes What? When will I meet her?”

”Today it seems”

”Eh, Today? In other words, that means you are──”

”Tonight, your destined person will appear right before your eyes”

I feel like he was trying to say soard it as nothing but nonsense

Before he ended up saying another verbal slip, I opened my mouth

”There should be a plaza with a fountain up ahead right? There should be a broken bench on it's side”

I took out so as I presented it to him

”If you put this on your hand and stand near the bench, your destined person will show up before you without fail”

After he took it froot puzzled

”This is? All I see is just a nor”

”That is nothing like a nor that is loaded with ic power It holds the power to draw in the destiny”

Of course, I didn't do so, and in the first place, even if I did, it wouldn't have power to pull in destiny

Speaking of which, if I' that I picked up near the stalls

”If I have this string Then, the destined person”

”That's right You will surely meet her Well then, it would be sufficient if you wait till night with a neat appearance So that way you don't disappoint the destined person”

Sorasp the string before long

”I understand I ait near the bench while wearing this”

He tried to depart with a refreshed smile But, I hurriedly stopped him

”Custoold coin”

I began sayingyouth ”Don't worry If by chance you can't encounter the destined person, I will return all of it”

It was about one hour after the sullen faced youth left

One woman passed in front of my eyes

She was a plain woe was approximately saood points see as though it were just thrown together from her closet

Just like that darkened silver coin

Anyhow, I decided for that girl to be my next customer

”Hey, you You are worried for being unable to find a lover right?”

I called out to her alking with her head down

Her shoulders flinched and she turned towards me

”M-Me?”

”Yes You”

”Umm, who are you?”

”Oh ot to introducefortuneteller”

As I shamelessly declared that, I pushed up my tricorne and looked at the her

While shi+vering just like a herbivore under the gaze of a predator, she asked me timidly

”H-how did you know?”

”I understood it I a about you starting from your troubles to your destined person”

”E-even the destined person? Is that truee!”

”Yes I saw it clearly with these eyes”

Obviously, it was a lie

”Then, ill my destined person appear?”

”It seems today”

”To-today?”