NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
After finishing my chores at Taeko’s house, I went to a small shop in the village and bought some cheap snacks.
I bought inexpensive items that children could buy with their pocket money, like a 10-yen Choco and other similar sweets.
I brought them to the world of Asfial and took them to a merchant I knew.
“Allen, where did you get this?”
Albert, a merchant acquaintance of mine, sampled the palm-sized, simple chocolate after shaving a bit off with a knife. Initially suspicious of what he was being fed, he was surprised by the melting sweetness and unique aroma of the chocolate.
“How is it? Do you think it could sell to the nobility?”
Leaning over Albert’s counter in his small shop, I asked. From his reaction, I thought it might be possible to sell it to nobles or wealthy merchants in the capital.
Listening to me, Albert pondered deeply, frowning. The 10-yen chocolate I brought from Japan was cheap there, but in the world of Asfial, it would be quite valuable.
“This chocolate would definitely sell to the nobles… but I don’t have the connections. I might be able to do it through acquaintances, but trying to sell directly to the nobles would draw a lot of unwanted attention.”
Unlike me, Albert inherited his business and had been helping out since he was a child, making him a genuine merchant despite being in his early twenties. According to him, the chocolate I brought had a quality that would definitely appeal to nobles, predicting that some might become addicted to its aromatic sweetness, different from sugar.
However, it seemed there were unspoken rules among merchants that this would break.
“Is it that serious?”
“Yes, the merchants who supply sweets to the nobles wouldn’t take kindly to it. If my shop were larger, it might be a different story.”
Many nobles were fond of sweet treats, to the extent that they would hire personal confectioners and farmers. Typically, they would employ merchants to manage these sweets collectively. In noble society, delicious sweets were a diplomatic tool showcasing a house’s wealth. Therefore, even nobles who weren’t particularly fond of sweets would covet excellent ones, treasuring the merchants who supplied them.
“Albert’s shop is small, after all…”
“Shut up… I’d like to say, but you’re right. A small-time merchant like me can’t compete with those who trade with nobles.”
With a sigh, Albert relaxed his body, though a vein bulged on his temple in response to my words.
From his reaction, it seemed there had been similar situations before. There was a sense of frustration and resignation, knowing he couldn’t do anything about it.
“Sorry about that. I’ll look for someone else.”
“Yeah, do that.”
I left the shop after saying this to Albert.
(Things aren’t going as smoothly as I thought…)
The city I live in—Elarcton—serves as a relay point connecting various cities.
On the south side of the city, there are warehouses where goods destined for major cities are stored, and many merchants frequent the area, considering the city’s size.
Among them are many adventurers who escort caravans headed for distant destinations. In the tavern I stopped by to plan my next steps, many of these adventurers who had come to Elarcton for caravan escort missions were gathered.
“Earlier today, a huge horde of goblins appeared on the Ankia Highway. Our employers were worried, so we killed a lot of them and got 5000 gold!”
“5000 gold for goblins! City merchants sure pay well!”
These were conversations between adventurers who had come to this city, laughing boisterously.
From their stories, it seemed they had gotten a lucrative job and were sharing their success while drinking and discussing whether to head to the brothel district on the west side of the city.
In this world, young people’s usual activities include gambling, drinking, and visiting brothels. Hobbies like art and music are typically for the upper class in major cities, so in addition to Elarcton, there are many gambling dens and brothels for commoners.
That said, these places are primarily frequented by rough adventurers. Young locals, who often start families early, usually gather at taverns to drink.
“Hey, Allen, you look gloomy!”
“Greu.”
While drinking cheap alcohol and contemplating my future plans in a public tavern, a familiar face approached me from the back of the tavern.
His name is Greu, a man about two to three years older than me.
He belongs to the city’s security force, so he’s more robust and better at handling rough situations than a regular citizen like me.
“Are you still wandering aimlessly? You have a good face, so why not get a stable job? How about joining the security force?”
“No way. I don’t want to deal with drunkards.”
“Hahaha, well, that’s true. But it’s rewarding to be respected by the kids!”
Greu, seemingly quite drunk, had a slightly red face.
Judging by the multiple large wooden mugs he was holding, he probably came to this public tavern with his colleagues.
Even when I spoke a bit harshly, Greu just laughed it off and kept inviting me to join the security force.
“You’re strong and good-looking, Allen! You’d make it easier to deal with the town’s ladies!”
“What does that mean?”
From my perspective, Greu is quite good-looking himself.
In fact, the world of Asfial is full of attractive men and women. It feels like an anime or light novel world brought to life.
According to Greu, I have a face that the town’s ladies would favor.