Allen the Reincarnated Merchant: A Plan to Get Rich in Another World

In the world of Asphial, just like in Japan, there are daytime fireworks to announce special events—what you might call signal fireworks or burst thunderclaps.

With a loud “Bang!” the sound echoed through the sky, accompanied by a trail of white smoke. This was the signal that the Royal Capital’s Market Day had begun, drawing people from all over to explore the wide avenues in search of rare and unique goods.

“Welcome! We’re selling high-quality mineral accessories imported from Ilione!”

This was my first time participating in the Royal Capital’s Market Day, and the weather was perfect—clear skies with the morning sun shining brightly. From early in the day, people were already flocking to the market.

Normally, the West District is a quiet part of the capital, but today it was buzzing with activity, the lively atmosphere truly befitting the term “festival.”

(As expected, being so close to the Central District, most of the customers here are from the upper classes…)

The 13th area where I had set up shop was indeed close to the Central District, so the stalls around me were also offering high-quality products.

Likewise, the customers visiting this area were well-dressed, showing that many affluent people had come. Though they weren’t quite at the level of the nobility who lived in the Central District, they were clearly wealthy.

On the flip side, this meant that even at a market stall, if my offerings weren’t up to a certain standard, they wouldn’t even give me a second glance. Plus, there were simply fewer customers overall compared to the first area, so I needed to seize every opportunity that came my way.

(They say the market really picks up in the evening and at night, but there are already quite a few people out and about. Is this just how it normally is in the capital?)

The stall I set up was similar to the ones you’d find at a Japanese festival, with eye-catching items displayed at the front and smaller goods arranged neatly along the sides.

For this event, I brought mostly consumables—chocolate sweets and snacks that I couldn’t sell in Elacton. I also brought some books like “Yume Koi” just in case, but I plan to be selective about who I sell those to.

(I also brought some TCGs, but I wonder if they’ll sell…)

The truth is, I don’t want to sell too many books since they’re bulky. On the other hand, I was curious about how a trading card game would fare, so I decided to bring some.

In the world of Asphial, there are plenty of reincarnated and transferred individuals like me and Saioji, so things like chess and playing cards already exist.

Unlike the general public, who indulge in drinking, gambling, and other lowbrow entertainment, board games like chess and card games like poker are widely popular among the upper classes.

So, I brought what could be considered the original trading card game, developed by an American mathematician, known as M◯G.

It took some effort, but I went through the trouble of opening the packs and creating smaller sets, complete with instruction manuals and starter decks for immediate play.

Why did I choose M◯G? Well, I thought it might fit in well with this world. Honestly, I’ve never played this type of game before, but it’s easy to transport, and if it catches on, it could be a goldmine. If it’s well received, I might even bring out other trading card games like Yu◯i◯h or Deu◯Ma, which are popular in Japan.

By the way, each pack is priced at 3,000 gold. The starter deck is a whopping 30,000 gold. Even I think I’m charging a lot, but considering the quality of the illustrations, I thought it might still be a reasonable price.

***

“It’s not selling…”

A few hours had passed since the Royal Capital’s Market Day began, and it was now around noon, but my stall was almost completely deserted.

Some of the chocolate sweets had sold, but the customers who came here didn’t seem like the type to eat on the spot, so I wasn’t able to gauge their reactions, which was a bit disappointing.

Maybe the products I brought were too unusual. It felt like the novelty was overshadowed by an air of strangeness, keeping potential customers away.

(Well, the market happens every week. Maybe next time I’ll try setting up in a more central area…)

They say the market really comes alive in the evening, but having only a handful of customers by noon was a bit worrying. Looking around, other stalls weren’t exactly swamped with customers, but there was a steady flow of people browsing, which made it clear how few were stopping by my stall.

(Well, I guess it’s to be expected that a novice like me wouldn’t succeed right off the bat…)

In terms of quality and rarity, I believe the goods I’m selling are top-notch, not just in the Royal Capital but in the entire world of Asphial.

If it’s something made in Japan, even in this fantasy world, which has a civilization level similar to medieval Europe, there’s no competition.

To be honest, I’m tempted to pack up and go check out the other stalls, but Ryuka and the others are planning to visit in the evening.

(I guess I’ll just have to make do. If there’s anything left, I can always give it to Ryuka and the others as gifts.)

With that thought in mind, I prepared myself for the afternoon session.