**Day 22: Morning – White Weirdo Pervert Inn**
Ahh, what a thing to happen. I never even considered it. My thinking was too naive. I underestimated this other world. I thought, "It's just another world," "It's nothing special," "This so-called other world is beneath me." That's why I didn't even try to think about it. I didn't even attempt to consider the possibility. Such foolish behavior. What a stupid act. It deserves to be called the height of idiocy. To think I would experience this level of shock, this level of astonishment. I can only marvel and be utterly dumbfounded in admiration. Who would have thought I'd taste such utter amazement, such trembling, such shuddering… from breakfast in another world? Yeah, I tasted it. It's soy sauce. There was soy sauce in this other world. I'm shocked. I'm going to buy some. Obviously.
I interrogated her. This was an inquisition. I pressed her hard. This was condemnation. I questioned her relentlessly. This was an interrogation. I dragged it out of her. This was a confession. With this I managed to get the truth without having to drag her to the edge of a cliff. The signboard girl had teary eyes too.
It was that general store from the other day. I was deceived. Betrayed. Trampled on. You never said there was soy sauce!
"Come on! I know you're hiding it. Hand it over. Come on, hand it over. Hand it over right now. Put it here. Even if you hide it, I already know! If you confess honestly, I'll forgive the lie!"
"What? What? What's going on? What happened? Wait, it's that boy from before? Has his character completely changed? What's wrong with you?"
She still seemed intent on playing dumb.
"It's soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Soy sauce! It has to be soy sauce! Where's the soy sauce!? Soy sauce! Hurry up with the soy sauce! Quick, soy sauce! Fast, soy sauce! Right now, soy sauce! Soy sauce please! Come on, soy sauce! I mean, soy sauce!"
"…Soy sauce?"
"Hiding it is useless. The white weirdo confessed yesterday that he bought some here. He spilled everything while crying!"
"Ah~, you mean soy? The black, salty, really salty one… Wait, why are you making the signboard girl cry!?"
I got yelled at.
Geez, but everyone was hiding it from me. The fact that soy sauce exists in this world. The truth of this world. The laws of this world. The reality of this world. It's soy sauce.
"The other day when I asked to see the seasonings, you were hiding it, right? You said there wasn't any, right? You concealed it, hid it, and refused to sell it, right!"
"Soy only came in yesterday! I wasn't hiding it. Besides, it hardly ever comes in stock. It's rare and doesn't sell that well anyway. What are you making such a big fuss about!?"
It doesn't sell that well? Soy sauce? Soy sauce!? Hah, it really is just another world after all. Not understanding the wonder of soy sauce—truly another world. A mere other world could never comprehend the greatness of soy sauce. This rural other world. This backwater other world. This so-called other world. Other worlds are just like this. Other worlds are nothing more. Seriously, it's unforgivable that soy sauce isn't popular… but
If that's the case, it probably hasn't sold. There should be leftovers. Therefore, there should still be some left.
"Give me all of it. Hand it all over. Come on, sell it. Sell it right now. Sell it quickly."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down. Your character has completely changed. The other day you were a polite, normal boy, right?"
"But it's soy sauce. Soy sauce."
What is she even saying?
"Well, I'll sell it, and I'd actually be happy if you buy it, but 'all of it' means barrels, you know? The big ones. Two barrels that are almost full. Do you really need that much?"
"I'm buying everything! Payment in mushrooms!"
I still have plenty of mushrooms left. Even after stuffing the girls' simple item bags, there are mountains remaining.
"Where are the mushrooms!? Mushrooms! Hurry up with the mushrooms! Quick, bring them out. What are you doing? Mushrooms, mushrooms! Are they ready yet? Where are the mushrooms!? Mushrooms! Mushrooms! Mushrooms! Mushrooms! Mushrooms! Mushrooms! Mushrooms!!"
My character has completely changed. Is this mushroom withdrawal? Mushroom dependency? Was there some dangerous mushroom mixed in? I have no composure at all. A calm and clear mind, accepting things as they are, is supposed to be important, yet here I am losing myself over something like this every day. How pathetic.
.
The general store auntie… big sis had used up all the shop's cash the other day to buy mushrooms. She stayed up all night sorting and processing them, then started selling the next day. They sold out completely that same day, and she made half a year's worth of profit in a single day.
She made profit, apparently. Money really does blind people. Since then, she's been getting inquiries every day about the next shipment. Merchants are supposed to be modest and steady, holding to simplicity and frugality, focusing on increasing revenue while cutting expenses, and working diligently and thriftily. This is troubling.
"Want to try some?"
After finishing the soy sauce and mushroom trade—I bought out the entire stock—I dried a single mushroom with Temperature Magic while brushing it repeatedly with soy sauce and grilling it with Fire Magic. Kuuu~, the smell of this soy sauce caramelizing is irresistible! So I gave one to big sis to try… and she ate it looking incredibly delicious. The food in this other world really is bland.
"Please sell me soy sauce!"
Another soy sauce believer has appeared in this town. Well, she's the first one in this other world, but it looks like she's awakened to the glory of soy sauce.
I divided some into a small bottle and sold it to her at double the price. She had teary eyes.
I also gave big sis information about rice. I told her that if she finds any, I'll buy it with mushrooms. Her eyes were dead serious.