Chapter 23
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Promotional Activities (1)
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***
The promise to have tea and snacks together at a cafe was additionally joined by Shasha.
Her purpose was probably to build a friendship not only with me but also with Pamela, whom I had chosen as a comrade.
In fact, since I planned to visit Cat's Commerce often, it was good for me that Pamela got along with Shasha.
Shasha boldly took Pamela's hand and said they should be friends.
And Pamela, who had never had a friend before, was not about to refuse such an offer.
In Lu-Fan, there were no episodes where Shasha and Pamela were connected, so for me, it felt like watching a new event affinity story.
While we were drinking tea and each eating an apple pie, Shasha spoke to Pamela with a sly business smile.
"What's your hobby, Ms. Pamela~ Please tell me!"
"A h-hobby? I, um... r-reading and c-collecting medicinal herbs."
"Aha, you're very cultured! As a merchant, I also know about various medicinal herbs with different effects!"
"R-really? Th-then... do you know about the red-leaf dandelion?"
Pamela asked Shasha with slightly expectant eyes.
It was very obvious that she was happy to see someone who knew about her hobby.
"Of course! It's a medicinal herb that's good for burns, right?"
"Th-that's right! A-and hehe, if you use it in combination with yellow tail grass, it helps even more with healing burns. You must know about that too, right?"
"Huh? The effect increases when you combine it with yellow tail grass?"
"Yes."
"..."
Shasha was silent for a moment, then her eyes lit up with a flash!
"Ms. Pamela! Are there any other useful medicinal herb combinations! I didn't know about that one! It's very interesting and fun."
"R-really? Th-then there's also this combination...."
Shasha's eyes sparkled as if she had discovered a new hit product.
Since I had no knowledge of medicinal herbs to begin with, I had just accepted it as "I see~," but it seemed that even Shasha, the owner of a commerce guild, didn't know about the medicinal herb combinations that Pamela knew.
And at Shasha's very active interest, Pamela was purely delighted and told her about the medicinal herb combinations she knew.
With each combination she mentioned, Shasha's eyes lit up and the corners of her lips went up.
It seemed there were quite a few useful combinations that Shasha didn't know about.
"Wow~ to be so knowledgeable about medicinal herbs! You're amazing, Ms. Pamela.
"I-is that so? I learned it all from my master. He, hehehe. I-I'm happy that you like it, Ms. Shasha. Th-this is the first time I've talked about my hobby with a friend other than Mr. Shih-han..."
"If we utilize Ms. Pamela's new knowledge, our Cat's Commerce can help countless people with unknown medicines that haven't been widely spread in the world yet...!"
"Shasha."
"Yes, what is it, mister?"
"Write a proper contract with Pamela before you sell it. You know that, right?"
Just taking the knowledge and running is not allowed. Absolutely not.
"Of course~ I'll make sure to take care of the intellectual property rights that Ms. Pamela has provided! Our Cat's Commerce! We pride ourselves on never! making inappropriate contracts!"
"H-huh, what do you mean? Intellectual property rights?"
"Pamela, it means you're going to be rich."
"R-rich!? Me?! Why!?"
In Pamela's mind, she was just talking about her hobby with a friend, but to Shasha, it was no different from being provided with an idea for a groundbreaking new product.
"Ms. Pamela! From now on, I look forward to working with you as a friend! And as a business partner!"
"Huh? Uh... y-yes!"
After that, we left the cafe, and while giving a rough explanation to Pamela, who had no idea what was going on, we returned to Shasha's office.
"Here! Please sign here!"
"I-is it okay to sign? And I'll get money for that?"
"Of course! Now! Now!"
"First, let me read the contents too."
"Come on, mister~ you don't trust me? We even have a contract~. Besides, Ms. Pamela and I are friends now! There's no way I'd scam a friend!"
Doesn't she know that saying that makes her even less trustworthy?
"That's that, and a contract must be read properly. You should know that well as a merchant. You too, Pamela, read the contents carefully."
"Y-yes!"
I reviewed the contents of the contract with Pamela.
The ratio was not bad.
Considering the cost of collecting, combining, and distributing the materials, Pamela's ratio was better.
I was worried that the period might be set short in exchange for a good ratio, so they could take all the profits, but there was no such content written.
Even after reading the contract three times, the contents were not biased towards either Pamela or Cat's Commerce.
"Pamela. In my opinion, there are no problems with the contract."
"See~ I was right, wasn't I?
"Th-then I'll sign."
Pamela signed her name on the contract.
"With this, Ms. Pamela and I are now friends and business partners! I look forward to working with you, Ms. Pamela! Let's sell the products you told me about like crazy and both get rich!"
As the contract was concluded, Shasha smiled brightly, took Pamela's hand, and shook it vigorously.
"Y-yes!"
I had handed over the Half-Moon Bear's corpse to Shasha.
I was also able to gift Pamela some suitable equipment, and although it was unexpected, the contract was successfully concluded.
After a few more words, Pamela and I decided to return to the Lucadia Academy.
"Shasha, please arrange a carriage."
"Huh? Are you leaving already? Why don't you stay a little longer?"
"Th-that's right. Mr. Shih-han. Th-there's no need to rush, is there?"
Not only Shasha, but also Pamela, who wanted to talk more with her second friend, tried to stop me.
But I shook my head from side to side.
"I can't be late for the entrance ceremony by dawdling. We can come to Valendia through the warp stone even after the entrance ceremony, so there's no need to be disappointed."
"Hmm~ I guess you're right. There are even academy students who have been expelled for not participating in the entrance ceremony."
"R-really?"
"Yes! The academy is famous for being strict about initial enrollment matters! Well, once you're enrolled~ they say you're not likely to be expelled! It's a shame, but Ms. Pamela! Let's talk for a long time next time!"
Shasha immediately left the office, arranged for a carriage for us, and didn't forget to give us the payment for the Half-Moon Bear and Red Half-Moon Bear corpses.
"Giddy-up!"
"Mister~ I'll be looking forward to your next spoils~ Ms. Pamela, see you next time~!"
As we left in the carriage, Shasha waved both her arms to see us off.
Inside the smoothly moving carriage, Pamela fiddled with her hands and said.
"M-Ms. Shasha. She seems like a really kind person. She listened to my stories happily... and even made a contract that would make me money! And to think that such a person is my s-s-second friend! I can't believe that only good things have happened since I became friends with you, Mr. Shih-han. Am I d-dreaming right now?"
"This is reality, Pamela."
From Shasha's perspective, it felt like she had become friends more for profit than for friendship.
Well, as long as Pamela was happy, it was a good thing.
***
After returning to the Lucadia Academy, Pamela and I immediately stopped by the tailor shop where we had ordered our clothes.
Just in time, the suits we had ordered were completed on the day we arrived.
"Oh my~ you look wonderful!"
I stood in front of a full-length mirror wearing the academy student uniform.
'The character customization turned out really well.'
Perhaps because it was the custom appearance I had chosen, whatever I wore suited me well.
Since I've already changed, I might as well go to the inn like this.
As I was thinking that and looking in the mirror.
"Ugh... c-can someone like me really wear such high-class clothes...."
Pamela, who was also wearing the academy uniform, came out of the fitting room.
"Ah, M-Mr. Shih-han!"
Pamela saw me, flinched, and trembled greatly once.
"Y-you look great!"
"Yes. You too...."
Pamela in her academy uniform.
At the new and striking appearance, I was at a loss for words for a moment.
Because among the outfits I had seen Pamela in were her basic illustration outfit, the bunny girl, dancer, and rabbit mascot outfits I had bought as skins.
Among them, there was no academy uniform worn by NPCs.
The Lucadia Academy student uniform, with a navy blue base and gold trim to highlight its sophistication.
The men wore neckties, while the women had a navy blue butterfly ribbon decorated on their necks, and the skirt was an H-line skirt, not the fluttering skirt that often appeared in subcultures.
The design was well done, but since the gacha characters all had their own unique outfits, only the NPCs who were walking around or standing still wore the academy uniform that Pamela was now wearing.
A sense of satisfaction, as if I had obtained a hidden DLC exclusive skin, filled my heart.
"Ah... th-that's right. It doesn't suit someone like me to wear something like this, so even if I try to force a compliment, the words just won't come out, right? I'm sorry. I'll change right away. I'm sorry for a worthless witch like me to wear such a wonderful outfit...."
However, it seemed Pamela had interpreted my speechlessness due to being moved in a very Pamela-like way.
"No, I was at a loss for words for a moment because it suits you so well."
"Huh!?"
"It suits you very well, Pamela. So much so that I was at a loss for words for a moment."
"R-really?"
"Yes."
"Th-thank goodness...."
Pamela let out a sigh of relief, stroking her chest.
After safely receiving our academy uniforms, I stayed quiet until the entrance ceremony.
I would wake up in the morning, do some light stretching, have a meal or a snack with Pamela, and then warm up by swinging my spear in the inn's backyard, followed by helping Pamela with her stamina training.
"Do your best, Pamela! Keep running!"
"Heuk! Pant! Pant! M-Mr. Shih-han! I can't go on anymore...!"
"Alright! Then let's rest for 10 minutes and run again! We can't overdo it!"
"Is there no option to stop...?"
"Pamela, it's only been 15 minutes since we started. Here, drink some water! Let's rehydrate and do our best!"
"Eek...!"
For reference, I had tried to split the payment for the Half-Moon Bear and Red Half-Moon Bear that I had received from Shasha with Pamela, but.
"I-I-I'm really fine! In the first place, I-I can't accept that!"
Pamela had vehemently shaken her head, saying she hadn't done much, so I couldn't give it to her.
Since Pamela would be getting more money in the future from her contract with Shasha, I accepted her opinion.
Of course, when we started hunting monsters in earnest, I would distribute the profits properly.
And so, time passed, and we participated in the entrance ceremony.
Basically, just as I had seen in the game, the director of the Lucadia Academy stood on the podium and began a very long speech.
To summarize, it was a speech about how, now that we were students of the Lucadia Academy, we should behave well, grow diligently, and contribute to the world.
After the long speech, the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived.
"From today, you are all students of the Lucadia Academy. Welcome to the Lucadia Academy!"
[You have enrolled in the Lucadia Academy.]
[Quest Complete]
[Reward: Rare Item Box, 2 Points.]
[Gather 6 group members within the first semester. Current completion rate: 1 person
Reward: Rare Item Box x2, 3 Points. Failure: World Destruction.]
A new crisis of world destruction had arrived.