NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: The Market
Chapter 13: The Market
From then on, I wandered around the town of Savoia, gathering information. As a result, I found out that there are three major markets in this town. By the way, there is also a market on the main street where I bought the egg skewers yesterday, and it seems to be the most unsafe among the three markets. It’s commonly known as the Dogor Underground Market. An underground market… Here, there seems to be no stall fees, and small stalls are tightly packed in a small square. Despite being called an underground market, there are many people and it’s lively. However, it seems that there are also many stolen or illegal goods being handled. Troubles are constant, and the local residents generally avoid getting too close. I’ll stay away from here for a while… The second safest market is the Flanier Market. It’s situated in a fairly large square with many stalls lined up. It’s the largest of the three markets, with many people. It seems that stall fees are required, but they are quite cheap. It has a miscellaneous atmosphere, and the customers range from wealthy to poor, with mercenaries and locals mixed in. However, I occasionally saw pickpockets and suspicious characters. The safest market is the Misharl Market. It’s located in a prime location on the main street. It’s close to the guard station, and being along the main street, the clientele is quite good. Naturally, there are fewer troubles. Everyone, from customers to stall owners to passersby, exudes cleanliness and dresses decently. When I mingled around, I felt a bit out of place with my shabby appearance. In this market, in addition to the stall fees, it seems that shops that sell a certain amount of goods are also taxed. The stall fees themselves are high, and the prices of goods tend to be somewhat higher. If I were to sell chocolate, this would be the place. I need to buy some decent clothes…
As I observed the Misharl Market, Edda called out to me.
“Hey! Bonus~”
“Oh? Edda! It’s been a day for Jeda and everyone else too! Were you also doing business at this market?”
Menas and the others have secured a pretty good spot in the market. Well, of course. They’re a caravan of ten people. Naturally, they handle a wide variety of goods.
“Yeah, that’s right. Our main business is wholesale, but depending on the merchandise, we often set up stalls here or at the Flanier Market. Bonus, are you enjoying the city?”
“Thanks to you guys! I’m currently looking around. And then, somehow while watching, I started to feel like trying out a stall, so I’ve been observing and studying various markets.”
“Oh~ Bonus wants to run a stall? Selling meat, perhaps?”
“If I sold meat at a stall, I wouldn’t be able to give meat to Menas and the others anymore, would I?”
“No way!”
However, consulting Menas and the others about business is definitely the right move. They seem experienced in market trading.
“Do you have any specific products in mind?”
Gazat seems interested and joins the conversation.
“I haven’t decided yet, but I’m thinking it might be risky to sell things from Kidanakemo or other unusual items. Still thinking about it.”
“Definitely better to avoid things clearly from the Hell’s Cauldron.”
“Yeah, Gazat thinks so too, huh?”
Menas seems to be out, but Gazat isn’t a bad person to consult with. He explains things clearly while understanding our situation. By the way, according to what I heard from Jeda yesterday, this slightly chubby middle-aged man has three beautiful wives, each with a different type. When I heard that, I was a bit put off, but he’s reliable after all. I’ll just listen to his advice.
“Ooh~ that sounds good, Bonus! If you do that, we can enjoy delicious meat while we’re here!”
“I’m sorry for Edda, but it’s difficult to stably supply meat. But actually, I already have some ideas about food.”
“Oh~ too bad. But what could it be? Have we eaten it before?”
“Secret. Well, if I can set up a stall successfully, I’ll let you taste it. But I want to start with beverages first… By the way, can you rent a stall for a street vendor?”
“You can rent one. The place managing this market is near the entrance of the square. You can rent it there. It’s quite old-fashioned and a bit expensive, though.”
“That’s good to know. Thanks! I’ll go check it out right away.”
“Take care.”
“See you later~”
Indeed, there was a corner where several stalls were set up near the entrance to the market. Now, who should I talk to? As I looked around, a petite old lady approached me smoothly.
“…Are you going to set up a stall?”
“I’m not doing it now, but I’m planning to open a shop soon. I just don’t know how to go about the procedures.”
“It’s simple. When you want to set up a stall, just come to me and pay the stall fee.”
“Can you also rent this stall?”
“Yeah, you can. The price varies depending on the item, so once you’ve decided which stall you want to use, ask about the price.”
“Roughly, how much should I pay, including the stall?”
“The stall fee is 5,000 rei per day, and the stalls range from 3,000 to 15,000 rei. If you’re making a lot of money, tax collectors might come and take some, but it’s not an unreasonable amount, so just pay up if that happens. The lord here is pretty decent.”
“Got it, thanks.”
With that, the old lady smoothly moved away.
Well, 10,000 should be enough. The location is good, but the cost of setting up a stall is still high… I’ll need to sell quite a bit to make it worthwhile. However, compared to running a regular food and beverage business, the risk is almost negligible. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at the food and beverage business, so this seems like a good opportunity. But somehow, what started as a little sightseeing has turned into planning to become a street vendor. Oh well, that’s life for you. I don’t want to suppress these desires.
The problem now is what to sell. I’d like to start with coffee, chocolate, or incense. Figuring out the product lineup is difficult. If I focus on chocolate, the business might be easier. But for building a reputation in the city, it’s better to focus on coffee. I want people to stay longer and engage in small talk. By gradually building a reputation and establishing the business, it would be better to expand later on. Alright, let’s go buy some things. It would be better to buy them at this market if possible. If I tell them I’ll be setting up a stall myself next time, maybe they’ll stop by. Then I’ll need a place to stay for around 5,000 rei.
After wandering around all day, I couldn’t find the cup and saucer I imagined. In fact, porcelain products are suspiciously nonexistent. I only see large jars, bottles, and big plates made of pottery. They look quite rugged and yet are quite expensive. On the other hand, wooden cups are sold cheaply. There are also metal tankards, but they are too expensive. I can’t seem to find anything suitable. It’s frustrating when things don’t go well from the start. Well, that’s business for you. I’ll give up for now and look for a place to stay first. I turn off the main road where the Misharl Market is. There are small eateries and accommodations, but there doesn’t seem to be any place for less than 10,000 rei. When I venture further in, I come across what seems to be a craftsman’s district. It’s interesting to see various professions as I walk around. There are almost only craftsmen and related merchants on this street. Surprisingly, the public safety doesn’t seem too bad. In fact, I’m the one who stands out in a bad way. In the midst of it all, I find a bathhouse. It’s probably a steam bath. I want to take a bath, but I can’t leave Kuro alone. After a while of wandering around, I come across a place that seems to be a rest area for craftsmen. It’s not a private room, just bunk beds lined up where anyone passing by can see. There isn’t even a front door. A middle-aged man with a clean-shaven beard, sitting on a wooden box like a statue with his eyes closed, is at the entrance. Since it’s daytime, not many people are sleeping, but some are lying on the beds reading books. Well, this place will do.
“Hello. How much does it cost to use this place?”
“1,000 rei for half a day.”
Surprisingly, his voice is loud, and for a moment, I didn’t realize it was the voice of this bearded middle-aged man. …At least open your eyes when you speak. But it’s quite cheap. Surprisingly spacious. There are bunk beds on both sides of the room, with an aisle in between. There must be about 20 beds. …There’s no consideration for privacy or security. However, if the craftsmen around here use it regularly, having people around might actually make it safer. There might be theft, but I probably won’t be killed. I’ll stay here for a while.
“Thank you. I’ll come back later to rent it. See you then.”
“Yeah.”
As I leave the inn, I see what looks like a carpentry workshop across the street. They seem to be making something like staircase railing parts using a manual lathe. Do they have a lathe…? Maybe they can make cup and saucers.
“Hello! Master, I have something I want you to make.”
“What!?! Who are you? Do you have money!? Hmmm, wait a minute!”
“Alright, sorry. You seem busy.”
It seems like two craftsmen in their thirties and a little kid are working. The craftsman with the beard, who answered loudly, is quite big.
So, this guy is the master, huh? Hmm, he’s missing his index and middle fingers. Machines like these are prone to finger accidents.
“Oh, what do you want me to make?”
“Can you make a set of cups and saucers like this?”
I draw a picture of a cup and saucer without handles on the scrap wood lying on the ground.
“What’s that? Looks good!”
“I find it easy to draw with. But it was a gift. I don’t know where you can get one anymore.”
He’s interested in the pencil.
“I understand your feelings, but take a look at the drawing.”
“So, what do you think?”
“Hmm… cups and saucers, huh? Well, I think I can make them easily. But, you can’t use them as they are. They’ll break easily.”
Well, yeah, they’ll soak up water.
“What do you think will make them not break?”
“Well, you have to put something on them to strengthen them, right?”
“Can you do that for me?”
“We don’t do that here! But I know a place that does, so I can introduce you there.”
“What color do you think they’ll be if I paint them?”
“If you want to keep costs down, um, you can use lacquer, right? Then the water won’t leak much. As for the color… it might have a wet look?”
“That sounds good. How much will it cost to make 20 sets?”
“Hmm… I don’t know.”
“What if it’s just woodworking?”
“Hmm… I don’t know until I try it. Well, I don’t know… but… let’s say 10,000 rei for everything.”
That’s cheap. Is he sure about this…? In the market, even simple cups cost 3,000 rei each. But it’s good that this conversation is going quickly.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you!”
“Then, in 5 days! Oh, well, I might be able to do it by 4 days.”
“I’ll give you 5,000 rei first. I’ll come back between 5 and 7 days from now.”
“Got it!”
He looks extremely happy when I give him the money. I wonder if he’s okay… Somehow, I managed to solve the cup and saucer issue unexpectedly while finding an inn. There’s a saying about this, isn’t there? Hmm… “From a gourd, a horse.” That’s good, maybe I’ll make it the name of the shop. It might be hard to pronounce in this language, though. Let’s forget it. Now, I need dishcloths and towels. It seems cheaper to ask the craftsmen directly. Let’s try to find a place that makes fabric like this. I searched around for a while, but couldn’t find any such shops. There are plenty of shops, but they don’t sell retail. Of course… Maybe if I buy more, they’d do it differently, but it’s tough with small batches. I’ll go back to the main street and look for a suitable shop. This time, I got some attention, but new fabric is quite expensive… As I looked around various fabric shops, I found a shop that also had a clothing store attached. It seems to be run by the shopkeeper and his two daughters. Watching the interaction between the absent-minded craftsman-like father and the savvy daughters was heartwarming. It’s quite a large store, but it seems that the older daughter is quite savvy. There are a lot of things I want, but I can’t afford them right now. New clothes seem to be completely made to order. A simple jacket costs 5,000 rei plus the cost of the fabric. When I think about it being a hand-sewn full-customized outfit, it feels quite cheap. When I have a little more money, I’ll see if they can make something similar to the suit I have. It would be awkward to leave without buying anything… I only bought a slightly shiny piece of red fabric that Kuro seemed interested in.
“Gyaa! Gyaggyaggya!”
He seems very happy. I told him to be quiet in the city, but it seems he couldn’t contain himself. He’s trying to tie the scrap of fabric to his messy hair. Kuro has sparse hair on his head. It would be tough to tie it to that hair for various reasons. For now, I wrapped it loosely around his neck like a ribbon.
“It suits you well!”
“Gyaa!”
He’s happy with a cry I’ve never heard before. This fashionable guy.
After that, I went back to the market once and bought some fried bread-like snacks from a random stall, then returned to Craftsman Street. I went to the bed rental place and paid the bearded middle-aged man who still looked like a statue. I was given a mysterious numbered tag, so I headed to the bed with that number. It was on the top bunk, so I climbed the ladder and lay down on the wooden bed. It’s just a bunch of wooden planks laid out for a bed. The ceiling is covered in graffiti… I need to secure my belongings so they won’t be stolen. But food costs more than accommodation. Next time, I want a place to stay with cooking facilities. I sleep with Kuro and my belongings sandwiched between us for security. Tomorrow, I’ll go back to the hideout once. Before that, I need to prepare fabric and basic cooking utensils for the shop. I’ll quickly check out the market in the morning. …Worst-case scenario, I’ll cry to Menas.
Amidst the unfamiliar men singing in a chorus of snores, I was very worried about whether I could sleep on this kind of board. However, perhaps due to fatigue, I slept like a log without waking up in the middle of the night.