**Day 20: Morning – Weapon Shop**
No money, a tab running, plenty of credit, but zero cash on hand.
So this is what they call a cash flow crisis? What's the financial lending system like in this other world anyway? I'm a solid borrower here—a hardworking shut-in, a loner doing his best in an unfamiliar town. I just want some money.
Even if I have something to sell, magic stones are paid on delivery, and I already cleaned out the guild's funds yesterday, so they probably don't have any cash either.
What else is there…? Let's check the item bag. Oh yeah, it's packed.
A normal weapon shop in town.
They sell ordinary swords, spears, shields, and such. Stuff I can't even equip. And I don't have money to buy anything anyway.
"Hey, old man. Do you buy goblin clubs?"
I ask the bald shopkeeper. I've got a ton of them I don't need, so even a low price for quick cash sounds good.
"Yeah, I'll buy 'em, but they're cheap. Five hundred ele each at best."
That's a rip-off. Store prices for clubs run from a thousand to two thousand ele, so buying at five hundred means he's making half the profit. Well, he's got shop upkeep and his own bald salary to cover, but fifty percent…? Then again, back in my old world at a buyback counter they probably wouldn't even offer a hundred ele. Maybe this is actually a decent shop.
"How many would you take?"
If he buys ten, that's five thousand ele. Enough for living expenses.
"How many? It's a weapon shop—if you're selling, I'll buy as many as you've got. I've got a sign up and everything, don't I?"
Oh, retail really is different. No refusing buybacks here. This bald guy must be pretty decent after all.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud… clang, clatter, thump.*
"…"
"…"
"…Sorry for talking big. I'll take fifty and call it even."
Guess he wasn't that impressive after all. Still, fifty is plenty. Real cash, actual money. Now I won't have to borrow while getting yelled at by the class rep.
"I won't be able to buy any more for a while. That much volume is too much for anywhere. Even fifty is pushing it—I'll have to move some elsewhere to clear inventory, you know?"
"Well, if every person in town equipped one, wouldn't that move them?"
"A whole town of people carrying clubs? That's terrifying! Travelers would run away, and married couples would destroy the city in their fights!?"
Yeah, I wouldn't want to live in a town like that either.
In the end, he bought fifty-one goblin clubs and one wooden stick. That included the goblin leader's club and the kobold leader's stick.
Apparently they were really valuable? I can't even tell the difference. The goblin leader's club is going on display in the shop or something…
He also picked out the higher-level goblin clubs, saying they were rare, taking his sweet time. For a guy, he sure shops slowly.
"This is everything I've got in the shop right now. Come back with more when you can. With this kind of club selection, we'll be the best in the country! I'm counting on you!"
He really loves clubs… By the way, he was a blacksmith.
Next time I come, this place will probably be a club specialty shop. Pretty niche.
It'll become a famous store that attracts club users from all over the other world.
I bet even that pummeling assault magic loli will show up, whining "Fueeeeh~ I don't have enough moneyyy~" when she can't afford one.
If I set up a stall, I could probably catch all the otaku types right away. They'll definitely come. Those guys are dangerous around little girls!
**Day 20: Morning – Inn – The White Weirdo**
I pay off the tab and today's inn fee in advance.
"Here you go, take it, you commoner plebeian."
"Uuuuugh~ Thank you very muuuch~"
Heh heh heh. I'm a minister now. A multimillionaire. What was supposed to be twenty-five thousand ele turned into one million six hundred thirty-two thousand three hundred ele. What a haul.
One night with meals is four thousand five hundred ele, but for repeat stays it drops to four thousand two hundred. Normal meals run from five hundred to fifteen hundred ele, and a bath is a thousand ele.
I can stay long-term as a regular. Living at the inn. Though being known as the white weirdo's regular customer sounds awful.
"Haruka-kun? What's with all that money in your bag? You were completely broke last night, right~? Why are you acting so high and mighty after begging for meals and a room on credit!? Why is your wallet so full of dramatic ups and downs!?"
.
"What do you mean, why? Even if it goes from eight million ele to zero, the next morning it's back to one point six million? So I'm in the black, right? A quality enterprise? Solid and reliable?"
It got confiscated. That's evil. Inhuman. Tyranny. Mom… My allowance was only fifty thousand ele…
I can't buy the pheromone ring now… Not that I could afford it even without confiscation. Apparently you can't buy favorability with the opposite sex anyway.
What do I need? Weapons are fine as-is, potions too. Seasonings and ingredients are essential! After that… daily necessities? Maybe a general store? I asked at the guild for the location, and I only have fifty thousand ele anyway.
"Oh~ it's Haruka-kun~ Did you get confiscated too~? That's so mean~ especially after you went shopping and everything~?"
Looks like the vice reps are back. B-san is swaying again today. Did she get confiscated because she was swaying too much? No, there's still plenty left. Way more than enough. Scandalous.
"Haruka-kun. It's sweet that you're worried about everyone's money, but you should really worry about your own first. You're the most concerning one here."
"I got confiscated too… They said I didn't need a dress… The clothes I could buy were all kids' sizes…"
A-san is still very A-like. Looks like she couldn't get confiscated. C-san is the same, still very A. Hard to tell them apart. Vice Rep A, AA, E… no, surely not F… *cough, cough*.
Enemy detected—two? No, three! Am I being targeted by freelance snipers? This other world is scary.
**Day 20: Morning – General Store**
A nameless general store. The sign is so faded I can't even read it, but apparently it has the best selection around.
"I'm looking for seasonings and non-perishable ingredients. Daily necessities too?"
Yeah, close. If she were ten years younger and five—no, ten kilos lighter, I'd probably come here every day. That kind of auntie.
"You a traveler? For seasonings we've got salt, pepper, and four kinds of herbs right now. Sugar's in stock too, but it's expensive."
Sauce would be too modern, soy sauce too Eastern. Herbs and spices would be nice to have.
"Any preserved foods besides jerky?"
"For long-term, we've got wheat flour, barley flour, dried sweet potatoes, dried persimmons. If you want the expensive stuff, dried mushrooms. Otherwise, long-lasting potatoes or dried bread. We've got various vegetables too."
They have potatoes? I didn't expect that since there weren't any in the forest. Mushrooms are pricey, so no thanks. Definitely not!
I look around at daily goods. Village Person A goods cover most things. A hat maybe?
"Black Hat – Defense +30, Presence Block, Stealth Up."
Huh? This is equipment? Does a general store really carry everything? The stats are pretty good too. The weapon shop didn't have anything like it.
"What about this?"
"Ah, that one came from a thief we stripped clean earlier. Leftover stock, so I'll let it go for a thousand ele."
Sold. It looks like a knit cap but actually has defense. And this auntie… big sis seems pretty tough.
For daily necessities, soap… they have it. A bit pricey, but it's essential.
I'll grab some towels—or rather, cloths and hand towels—while I'm at it.
I brought a toothbrush, but the toothpaste is running low.
Doesn't look like there's a good substitute for toothpaste. The toothbrush is basically a twig, so I'll use it carefully.
Looking at all this, I thought it was around medieval level, but the culture seems pretty advanced?
Spoons are sold normally, though they're wooden. I'm pretty sure real medieval times meant knives and eating with your hands.
Glass exists but it's expensive—brownish, cloudy, and warped. I'll keep the potion bottles.
Paper is expensive too, but it exists. It's rough and thick, but definitely paper. Papyrus should be thin and flimsy, so this must be real paper.
Iron ranges from "is this even iron?" quality to full fantasy materials. The gap is huge.
I never thought a general store would be proof of civilization. Mid-century still feels far off.
"Help me, Class Rep. My allowance is gone already~?"
"Why is it gone by lunchtime when I gave it to you this morning? That's like a hundred thousand yen! How did it disappear? And why are you treating me like a blue, earless cat-shaped robot?"
The class rep's deadpan glare. Lady Glare, thank you, thank you.
I thought one ele was roughly one yen, but it's actually two? I still don't get it.
For now, I quietly offer her the things I found at the general store.
"Here, some dried fruit as a souvenir. Share it with everyone?"
Yes. Her glare is now glued to the dried fruit.
So yesterday's scolding really was because I didn't bring souvenirs. Taking care of these things really is important.
"Geez, don't waste money like that anymore, okay? Just this once!"
Even while scolding me, she doesn't have the same intensity as before. Her heart has been won over by fruit.
"Seriously, no more!"
She says that but quietly slips me five silver coins—fifty thousand ele.
She quickly heads back to the room. Looks like a girls' meeting is starting.
Time for lunch. The girls have probably already eaten and moved on to snack time. I'll buy more stuff in case I get yelled at again.
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