Suteko Ni Narimashita 12

Apparently, the name of the city was Eline.

I thought it was a big city, but when I went to ask around, I found out that it was the sub-capital of the Kingdom of Essen.

Despite being a sub-capital, there were multiple other places like this town, with each of them being ruled by either an adult member of the royal family or an aristocrat.

By the way, the village I grew up in was also part of the Kingdom of Essen. That nameless village was pioneered by the current residents fifteen years ago, and has prospered to this day.

Disparities existed even within this city, which consisted of royalty, aristocrats, and commoners. The residences were roughly segregated. The administrators and big merchants could be found in the first district, while the second district was home to the rich. There were craftsmen in the first district, and so on.

Roughly speaking, the area was divided into squares, which were numbered from 1st to 12th. However, the slum was an exception. Although, it could be said to be the 13th district.

***

“So, what did you bring today?”

I’d become quite familiar with the store owner.

In response to that, I gave him a fowl wrapped in a leaf. At first, I exchanged some fish and fruit, but then I found out that it was easier to catch a few birds in addition to the usual stuff. Also, the price was good.

I also tried to change the handling method. I’d severe the carotid artery and drain the blood. I also took apart the wings. As a result, the price changed. When I first brought it in, it was 7 iron coins, but now it was a copper coin per bird.

The price changed depending on how it was handled and caught. I didn’t know if it was legitimate, but I was still glad to be appreciated.

I didn’t know if the old man prepared or outsourced it, but sometimes, the fowls would be sold as jerky.

But whenever I attempted to make one, it’d just turn foul, and I’d have to throw it away… Is there a secret? Maybe next time I should sneak in and take a look.

“I want to exchange it with money.”

—Kachink, kachink…

Some copper and iron coins were laid on the table. They got bulkier as their number increased.

At the highest order, there was a gold coin, followed by silver, copper, and iron. However, their rates weren’t in decimal notation.

A single gold coin was worth 25 silver coins, 200 copper coins, and 2000 iron coins. In addition, there was ‘half a coin,’ which was made by dividing each coin in half.

I couldn’t understand it at first, but now that I’d gotten used to it, I’d become able to do calculations.

“Eight copper coins and ten iron coins. Can I receive a silver coin and a copper coin instead?”

The shopkeeper counted each one and stared expressionlessly at me.

“Please. I’ll pay a fee of an iron coin?”

“Alright.”

I nodded, gave him the iron coin, before turning around.

As usual, there was no greeting.

***

I wandered in the streets.

It’d been a month since I started living in this slum.

I saved a lot of money. I still didn’t know what to do with them, but it felt nice to see my efforts turned into value.

I trod along the familiar path while avoiding debris and garbage. However, someone stood in front of me. When I saw his face, I recognized him as someone whom I’d often stumbled across lately.

“Hey, Crow Bastard!”

“Uh, you’re Hylo, right? Do you need something?”

The boy who glowered at me while wiping his dirty cheeks was none other than Hylo.

“Are you hoarding money again!? Let us catch birds, too!”

“I don’t get it, but you’re free to catch them? No one’s stopping you.”

As always, I didn’t really understand what he was talking about.

“Quickly, tell me the secret! It’s unfair to keep it all to yourself!”

“Again?” I sighed.

I wasn’t hoarding money. In the first place, I earned it on my own.

Besides, it wasn’t like he and Rico weren’t making any money. In addition to stealing and pickpocketing, they made a living by foraging and fishing.

Pickpocketing, among other things, could earn them big if they chose the right target. Regardless of what I said, he wouldn’t listen.

Moreover, I always told him the ‘secret.’

“I already told you. I used my magic to catch them.”

“There’s no way that’s true!”

—and his response was always the same.

“Magic is an amazing thing that even more amazing people study and use! There’s no way a bird bastard like you can use it!”

Hylo said while ruffling his gray hair, and his dandruff fell everywhere.

Actually, I found this repeated exchange annoying. I endured it while kicking the pebbles under my feet. I mean, I could simply threaten him with magic, but my reason prevailed.

“Then, please study hard and become a great person.”

I cut off the conversation and turned on my heels. 

Let’s go home using a different route today.

***

I returned to the vacant house where I lived and stuffed myself with today’s meal.

Occasionally, I’d buy apples and dried meat to eat, but I usually ate what I caught myself.

Even if I could manage, I still had some issues—

—namely that I was bored.

This is no different than living in the forest.

Every day, I just hunt and survive. With the addition of having some savings.

I want to do something new. 

I wanted a change to happen in my life.

Despite thinking that, I couldn’t take a step forward.

***

“I’m sorry, I won’t be able to buy fowl for a while from now on.”

That day, when I went to the Stone Shop to sell fowls as usual, the shopkeeper said flatly.

“…Why?”

I don’t understand. There should always be a demand for a certain amount of food. After all, fowl was also part of the preserved food that was exchanged at this store.

Did something happen? 

The shopkeeper shook his head when I asked.

“It’s not a big deal, but recently, there’s been a bad rumor about this fowl.”

“What did you say…?”

“Rumors said that your fowl is of the lowest quality.”

The shopkeeper sighed.

“Because of that, there are complaints about the meat that I exchanged. If I’m going to serve that meat, I’d have to increase the amount or make something different.”

“Huh…?”

“As it turns out, I can’t make a deal because it doesn’t pay. I can buy it at a bargain price, but I’m sure you wouldn’t want that.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Leftover fowls were a waste, I always scarfed them down.

“If it’s another product, maybe…”

The shopkeeper hesitated and blinked several times, before continuing.

“I can still purchase them for a while, so keep them coming.”

“Got it.”

I felt that something was amiss, but I let it go.

***

Even if the bird and other meat were no good, I could still exchange some ingredients, such as fish or fruits.

But then I had a second thought.

In that case, I should gather useful items that I could get in the field. Some minerals, medicinal herbs, tree branches… They were easy to obtain, albeit low-pricing. Is there anything else?

The shopkeeper stared at me, who was silent for a moment, perhaps thinking that I was going to make a fuss. But I’d already given my answer. I replied that there was no problem.

“Then, could you tell me what I can get outside of this city that can be sold for a high price?”

The shopkeeper widened his eyes. He’d never been so surprised before. However, he immediately reverted to his usual self, and spoke after some contemplation.

“…You can buy information on nearby resources if you like.”

The shopkeeper went to the back. There were bundles of papers, documents, books, etc on the shelf.

A piece of white paper was spread on the counter, on which a quill pen that’d been dipped in ink ran. The shopkeeper drew a small circle, probably as a symbol for this town.

“I’ll start with something that you can get your hands on. But what can you do?”

I put my finger on my lips and stared at the shopkeeper. It was probably my imagination, but he seemed to be smiling.

“I’d like to exchange it with my personal information.”

“Kuku.”

The shopkeeper curved his lips and chuckled. Then, he was back to being expressionless. 

He sure is expressive today.

“Of course, that’s fine. In return, I’ll provide you with this information.”

“Okay… I can use basic magic.”

I lit a small fire at my fingertip. Upon seeing that, the shopkeeper smiled.

“I see. So, you used magic to gather the usual ingredients. Then…”

The shopkeeper turned his attention to various parts of the white paper.

“About 300 ri (150 km) North of here is a mountain called Kozu. A stone has fallen in the river at the foot of it.”

“A… stone?”

“Indeed. It’d sunk to the bottom of the river. Most of the time, it’s jade, but if you’re lucky, gold might be mixed in. While it may not be a lot, the amount is still decent.”

“I’ll be sure to get it.”

“Great, if you can do that, you can make a lot of money, and so can I.”

The shopkeeper crumpled the paper and gave it to me. A rough map of Mt. Kozu, along with the characteristics of jade and gold ore were written there.

“Do others often go there to get ores?”

If it could fetch a high price, it must be sought after.

“No, almost no one goes there.” Affirmed the shopkeeper. “First of all, it’s quite far from the city. They’d have to walk in the forest for days, and survive in the wild.”

“Anyone can survive in the wild.”

“Well, if you’re a traveler or a monk, that might be the case. But that’s not all.”

“What do you mean?”

I had a bad feeling.

“There are monsters in that river.”

Ah, I knew it.

As expected, it won’t be so easy.

“However, it’s rare to encounter them. Do you have any experience fighting monsters?”

“I do, I defeated one back then.”

“Hoo…” Impressed, a glimpse of a smile could be seen on the shopkeeper’s face.

“Then, I’ll make it brief. There’s a giant snake.”

“A snake? What kind of snake?”

“A yellow snake with fish fins. Some say it’s a child of a dragon, but I don’t really know.”

Also, he especially said that it was a giant snake, I assumed that it was big? Could I eat it?

“How big is it, exactly?”

“It’s unclear because the story differs from mouth to mouth, but it should be around 3 ft (10 m).”

“That’s impressive.”

The shopkeeper went on, paying no heed to me, who was pondering a bit.

“Not only did it take time, there are monsters, so it’s not worth it. That’s why no one goes there.”

You can stop if you don’t want to, the shopkeeper seemed to be implying, but I ignored him.

“What a good opportunity. I’ll do it.”

“…? What do you mean?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, please don’t mind it.”

I clapped my hands and smiled at the owner. This time, the shopkeeper smiled back at me.

“So, do you sell anything that might help me to collect it?”

What did the shopkeeper think when he saw that I didn’t give up? I couldn’t fathom it, since his expression was blank.

“Basically, it’s something that’s fallen, so you’ll need a bag to put it in. As for living outdoors, I believe you’ve got it handled?” 

“Yes, I’m used to it.”

“Still, you’ll need other things. I’ll take care of some.”

In the end, I bought a cloth bag, durable clothes, a simple dagger, and a simple meal. I still had some savings left, so it was okay.

“I’d never worn such nice things before!”

I was so happy with my sturdy shoes, I couldn’t help but jump up and down, causing the dust to scatter in the narrow store.

“It’s not that great, so don’t overestimate yourself.”

When I was grinning, the shopkeeper quietly scolded me. I replied, “Okay…”

The shopkeeper was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking about something.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“What?”

I needed one more piece of information.

“Where can I sell that snake body?”

The shopkeeper was visibly taken aback.

For that piece of information, I had to pay two iron coins.