CH 24

Day 20 – Morning, Weapon shop



I have no money and an unpaid tab. The guild owes me a lot, but I have no money on hand.



Is this cash shortage? What is going on with the financial system of the Different World? I’m a capable NEET, a hardworking shut-in, a loner doing his best in an unfamiliar city. I want money.



Suppose I try to sell something, the guild is paying for the magic stones in installments, and I took everything they had yesterday. So they probably don’t have any money at the moment.



What’s left…… The contents of Item Bag? Ah, there is a lot.



A normal weapon store.



The place where they sell common swords, spears, shields. I can’t equip any of that though. And also don’t have any money for them.



「Old man, will you buy goblin clubs?」



I ask a bald old man. I don’t need them anyway but have a ton. Even if they cost next to nothing, I still want some cash.



「Yeah, I’ll buy, but I won’t give much for them. From 500 ere for one.」



This is a rip-off. Clubs on sale at the stop are 1000-2000 ere, yet he buys them for 500? More than half is a profit. Well, even with the maintenance of the store and the baldie’s salary taken into account, 50% is…… No, stores in the original world probably wouldn’t have given even 100 ere for them? This might be a pretty good store.



「How many are you willing to buy?」



If I sell 10 of them, it’s 5000 ere already, which can cover living expenses.



「How many? We are a weapon store. We obviously will buy as many as you are willing to sell. We are running a legit business here, you know?」



As expected of a real store, no limit on purchases. The old man is probably a good baldie.



*Thud Clang Clang Clang Thud Clang Thud Thud Clang Thud Clang Thud Thud Thud Thud Clang Thud Thud Clang Thud Clang ………*



「……」



「……?」



「……I’m sorry, I was full of myself. Please let me off at 50.」



Looks like the baldie was nothing special. No, if he buys even 50 of them it’s already a great help. it’s money, it’s cash, I won’t have to go through scolding as I borrow money from the president.



「I won’t be buying any for a while. No one will buy that volume. Even 50 clubs are an overkill. You won’t be able to get rid of them without hitting other shops.」



「No, if every person in this town equips one, they might sell easily?」



「Imagine what a scary town it would be if everyone were to walk around with clubs! No traveler would dare to approach! Quarrels between couples will destroy the town!?」



Yeah, I wouldn’t like such a town as well.



As a result, I was able to sell 51 clubs and 1 stick. The additional sales are goblin leader’s club and kobold leader’s stick.



He actually almost begged me for them. Apparently, they are super valuable? I can’t tell the difference though? He was saying something about putting the goblin leader’s club on display……



He also said that clubs of other high-leveled gobs are valuable, so he spent a long time choosing them. Good grief, he takes so long to shop despite being a man.



「This is all the money that I have. I won’t be able to buy anything from you for a while, but please come again! This shop now probably has the best selection of clubs in the entire country! So, please.」



This old man is awfully fond of clubs…… He is a blacksmith by the way.



The next time I come here the place might already turn into a specialist shop with clubs only. That’s some zeal.



It might turn into a famous store, where all club users of this world are going to gather.



I’m sure assault-type club-using magical girls will come to shop here as well. They probably won’t have enough money and will wail 『Fuuue, I don’t have enough moooney』, I’m sure of it.



Hire one such girl, and we will find the geeks the next second. They will just pop out of thin air. Oh no, it will put the girl in danger!



Day 20: Morning, White Weirdo Inn



I pay the tab and today’s lodging fee.



「Here, gratefully accept this, you poster pleb.」



「Uuuuugh, thank you for the patronage…」



Fufufu, it’s like I am a minister. A rich man. What I expected to turn into 25,000 ere, became 1,632,300 ere. A great profit.



One night with meals included is 4,500 ere, if I stay for several days it’s 4200 ere. An average meal is 500 to 1500 ere. The bath is 1,000 ere.



I can stay here for days. Basically living in the inn. Though I don’t want to be called a regular of White Weirdo.



「Haruka-kun? What is that bag stuffed with money? Weren’t you penniless last night? Why are you so arrogant with your payment after they allowed you to eat and stay on the tab? Why are the contents of your wallet are so unpredictable?!」



・



「Why? Even though I went from 8,000,000 ere to 0 yesterday, the next morning I’m on 1,600,000 ere? So I’m in profit? An effective entrepreneur?」



Everything was confiscated…… An atrocious inhumane tyrant, a mother…… I got only 50,000 ere of allowance……



I won’t be able to buy Pheromone Ring…… I couldn’t buy it even if my money wasn’t confiscated though. Apparently, you can’t buy affection points with the opposite sex.



What do I need? Weapons and medicine are fine. But I absolutely need seasonings! And some everyday items, I guess? So, a general store? I asked for directions at the guild. And I only have 50,000 ere.



「Oh my? It’s Haruka-kun. You had your money confiscated as well? So mean, right? Even though it’s such a chance for shopping?」



Vice Presidents came back. B-san is swaying today as well. Did she go through confiscation because she was swaying too much? No, she still has enough left. More than enough. Outrageous.



「Haruka-kun. Thank you for worrying about our finances, but please think about your spendings. Your finances worry us the most.」



「I also had money confiscated. I don’t need dresses, they said…… And all the clothes I bought were for kids……」



A-san seems to be just as A as usual, it seems that they found nothing to confiscate from her. C-san is just as A as well. This is so confusing, so there are Vice President A, AA, and E, no, could it be, F…… *Cough Cough.*



Search spotted two enemies? No, three of them! Am I being targeted by a freelance sniper? This world is so scary.



Day 20 – Morning, General Store.



A nameless store. Or rather, the signboard is so scraped that I can’t read the name. It seems that this place has the widest variety of goods.



「I’d like seasonings and foodstuffs that don’t spoil fast. Also, daily necessities, I guess?」



Hm, such a pity, if only this auntie was 10 years younger and 5, no, 10 kilos lighter, I would’ve visited this store daily.



「A traveler? For seasonings, we have salt, pepper, and for now, just four kinds of herbs. And if you are fine with the high price, we also received sugar not so long ago.」



Yeah, sauce is a modern product, soy sauce comes from the east. But it would be nice to at least have herbs.



「Do you have any preserved food aside from dried meat?」



「If you want something that can be stored for a long time, then we have wheat flour, barley flour, dried sweet potatoes, and dried persimmons. For the pricey stuff, dried mushrooms. What’s left, maybe potato and dried bread. We also have various vegetables.」



So they have potatoes. I didn’t hope for that since I saw none in the forest. And mushrooms seem to be expensive. Not like I’d ever need any!



Let’s check daily necessities, though Villager A-san’s stuff is enough for now. A hat?



『Black Hat – Defense + 30, Erase Presence, Stealth Up』



Eh? Isn’t this an equipment? So they have everything here since it’s a general store? It’s pretty nice. They didn’t have such stuff at the weapon store.



「What about this?」



「Ah, there was a thief some time ago. We stripped him of all possessions. That’s the only thing that is yet to be sold. You can have it for 1000 ere.」



Okay, I’m buying it. It looks like a knitted hat, but it has def stat. And looks like this auntie…… No, I meant lady, is quite strong.



And then, daily necessities, a soap…… Found it. A bit expensive. But it’s necessary.



Let’s also grab towels.



I brought a toothbrush with me, but there isn’t much toothpaste remaining.



Looks like there is nothing that can serve as a substitute. Toothbrushes here also look like twigs, I should take good care of mine.



Looking like this, I thought they were somewhere in the middle ages level, but they seem to be pretty developed?



They even have spoons for sale. Wooden-made though. As I recall in real middle ages they ate using knives and hands.



They also do have glass, but it’s expensive despite being brown, clouded, and distorted. I’ll buy some potion bottles though.



And they also have paper, though it’s expensive as well. Rough and thick, but it is a paper. Papyrus should be thinner than that.



There is iron so bad that I’m not even sure that it’s iron and then some kind of fantasy materials. The difference is striking.



I didn’t think that a general store could tell so much about the development of the civilization. They are still far from XX century.



「President, help me, I don’t have any allowance left?」



「By noon you already spent everything I gave you in the morning? In Japan, it would be equivalent to 100,000 yen[1. TL Note: 1000 USD] where did it all go?」



She is giving me a flat gaze. Oh, the hailed flat gaze, such a blessing.



I thought 1 ere = 1 yen, but it seems to be 2 yen? I don’t get it.



For now, I present her what I found at the general store.



「A gift, dried fruits. Why don’t you have it with everyone?」



Nice, her stare is now fixed at dried fruits.



As I thought, yesterday she got mad at me because I didn’t bring any gifts. Attention is important after all.



「But, don’t waste money like this anymore, okay? This is the last time.」



Though she still seems to be mad, the previous edge is gone. Her heart is now all fruits.



「Really, this is the last time!」



Saying that she gave me 5 silver coins. 50,000 ere.



Then, she quickly retreated to her room, it looks like there is going to be another girls-only meeting.



Let’s have lunch. The girls probably had it already and entered snack time. Let’s buy some more, in case they get angry again.