Wandering Merchant
Wandering Merchant
A week had passed since I received lessons from Mrs. Arisa.
Mrs. Arisa was so versatile that it made me wonder why she lived in such a small, rural village.
Soap, which I thought wouldn't exist in this world, actually did; it was just that the ingredients were hard to come by.
And she not only knew how to make soap, but also how to prepare simple medicinal herbs for wounds, how to distinguish edible plants, and even how to process them.
Moreover, though I don't know why she knew it, she even knew how to maintain weapons.
Perhaps such a setting was confirmed during the development phase.
Actually, whatever it was, it was a good thing for me, who was in the position of learning.
As a result of spending a lot of time with Mrs. Arisa over the past week, she said there was nothing more to teach me.
And the moment I heard those words from Mrs. Arisa.
-Ding!
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[Finish Tutorial!]
1. Learn various crafting methods from Arisa (1/1)
2. Buy a desired weapon (0/1)
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"Huh...?"
This is, the Status Window...?
Was it not appearing because I hadn't yet completed the conditions to finish the tutorial?
Actually, while staying at Mrs. Arisa's house, I tried everything—Status Window, stats, whatever.
Of course, this game was one where you could manipulate the Status Window to receive points when leveling up.
However, perhaps because it was an older game, it wasn't detailed with categories like Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence.
Still, Health, Stamina, Mental Power.
A Status Window where these three could be raised definitely existed.
"Phew, at least that's a relief."
Confirming the existence of the Status Window, it was more reassuring than having nothing at all.
More importantly, a desired weapon...
Since I hadn't pushed through the game's story, I honestly didn't know what types of weapons existed.
The most basic straight swords and greatswords would definitely be there... it's a dilemma.
If possible, I'd prefer a ranged weapon like a bow.
If it were a game, taking damage that would cause injury would simply deplete Health, but this is reality within the game.
An arm could be severed, or a leg could be severed.
And above all, it's 'my body' that bleeds and feels sensations.
If I were cut by a sword or hit by an arrow, as a modern person, that pain would be unimaginable.
However, if I just blindly choose a ranged weapon, the poor compatibility with melee weapons becomes another problem.
"Haa... it's really hard to choose."
It seemed like today would be a day full of thoughts.
##
The next day.
The atmosphere in the village suddenly became lively.
As if a guest had arrived.
Throughout breakfast, Mrs. Arisa also seemed excited.
When I asked why,
"Ah, Lunia wouldn't know. A merchant has come after several months."
I had heard about merchants.
They were called Traveling Merchants, earning money by wandering through small, remote villages like this.
Traveling Merchants were mutually beneficial to the villagers.
Merchants liked being able to sell goods in the village that wouldn't sell well in the city, and villagers liked being able to buy necessary daily necessities.
Was that why Mrs. Arisa was also excited?
Because unlike shopping districts in the city where you could buy things anytime, here you could only buy them when a merchant visited the village.
"Lunia, you should come too. We need to sell the things we've made so far."
"Yes."
I wondered how much I could earn with these.
And I guessed that the merchant would probably sell a variety of weapons.
Otherwise, there would be no other way to buy weapons in this village.
I felt it instinctively.
That a giant, intricate gear had begun to turn.
In other words, that the main story had begun to flow.
##
"Oh, Mrs. Arisa, it's been a while. But... who is that young lady behind you...?"
"It's been a while, Kalle. This person here is Lunia, who is staying with me for a while."
"Nice to meet you. I am Lunia, currently indebted to Mrs. Arisa."
As I exchanged greetings with Kalle the merchant, he began to stare intently at me.
I wondered if the story was progressing, but it didn't seem to be the case.
Because the lustful gaze, which I had already felt many times in the village, lingered on my chest.
"Ahem, ahem! I am Kalle, a merchant who wanders the frontier regions. I look forward to your kind cooperation."
Mrs. Arisa and Kalle seemed to already know each other, exchanging pleasantries and chatting for a while.
After a little while, the main topic finally came up.
"Kalle, are you perhaps buying goods this time too?"
"Of course! Your skill, madam, is incomparable to other villages. I'd rather be asking you for a favor!"
Arisa took Kalle's words as mere courtesy, but Kalle was sincere.
Indeed, even I could see that Mrs. Arisa's skill was remarkable.
"Actually, this time, they're not mine, but Lunia's here."
At Mrs. Arisa's words, I began to spread out everything I was holding.
"Hmm..."
At the mention that Mrs. Arisa hadn't made them herself, Kalle let out a groan, seemingly displeased.
"Since I taught her myself, you won't be disappointed."
Perhaps Mrs. Arisa's flattery worked, as Kalle eventually began to inspect them meticulously.
Tanned leather, detoxified fruits, processed medicinal herbs good for wounds, and so on.
He examined all the items I had made after learning from Mrs. Arisa.
"Oh, the craftsmanship isn't bad. Alright, I'll buy them all."
"Th-thank you."
"The price... this should be enough. Here, 15 Silver."
Kalle placed the money in my hand.
15 Silver.
How much would this amount of money be worth?
"Excuse me, Kalle-ssi."
"Do you have a matter to discuss?"
"By any chance, do you have any types of weapons for sale...?"
"Huh... unlike your appearance, you dream of being an adventurer."
Adventurer? So, it really is a medieval fantasy setting, isn't it?
To learn such information only after almost ten days of possessing this body... the price for enjoying a story game without pushing through the story was harsh.
Anyway, enough with the self-pity.
"First, I will show you."
Kalle went inside the wagon.
And began to bring out a box.
-Thud!
"Phew! Honestly, these aren't high-quality weapons, but I do have one of each type."
With those words, Kalle opened the lid of the box.
"Wow..."
There were more types of weapons than I expected.
There were straight swords, greatswords, and even two-handed swords like curved blades.
And it didn't stop there; there were also large weapons like hammers, halberds, axes, and so on.
The ranged weapons I had thought of, bows and crossbows, also existed.
And among them, the weapon that stood out the most was,
"This is...?"
"This is a Magic Staff, but it would be difficult to use without aptitude."
"So, if I have aptitude, I can use it?"
"That's not entirely true. You also need to read books to learn magic."
Magic aptitude, huh...
Somehow, from the moment I saw the Magic Staff, my heart was already set on it.
An instinctive pull, or something like that.
If so, magic aptitude is the problem.
"For magic aptitude, there's a Magic Crystal Ball. Of course, I have one too. However, like other temples, I will charge 2 Silver for it."
"Then, what is the price of this Magic Staff?"
"It's 40 Silver."
My entire fortune was 15 Silver.
It was an absurd price.
Furthermore, considering the cost of the Magic Crystal Ball, I needed an additional 27 Silver.
Ah.
So, human plans don't always go as intended, do they?
If I miss this opportunity now, I don't know when another chance will come.
Of course, another opportunity might come in a week.
But what gave me certainty was the conversation between Mrs. Arisa and Kalle.
"Madam, is there nothing else you wish to buy? This time, I plan to go all the way to the Northern Region, so my next visit will likely be at least two months from now."
"Ah, I can just come buy it later."
The conversation indicated that if this opportunity passed, it would take at least two months.
The only methods I could think of were borrowing money from the villagers or selling expensive items to Kalle.
But even if I borrowed money to buy it, the only way to repay it would be to receive goods from Kalle two months later.
"Lunia."
"...Yes, Mrs. Arisa."
"You like the staff, don't you?"
"............Yes."
Mrs. Arisa pondered for a moment, then readily handed 2 Silver to Kalle.
"Please show Lunia the Magic Crystal Ball."
"...Mrs. Arisa?"
2 Silver was by no means a small amount of money.
I, too, was only able to save 15 Silver because I was staying at Mrs. Arisa's house, getting food, and receiving clothes.
Even if she were to demand payment for all the expenses so far, I would have nothing to say.
But she must have paid the price to alleviate my burden, even just a little.
"Then, I'll go get the Crystal Ball."
Kalle moved back to the wagon, leaving only Mrs. Arisa and me.
"Mrs. Arisa... why..."
"Lunia, you remember the promise I made last time, don't you?"
"...Yes."
"I had somewhat anticipated that Lunia would become an adventurer. But being an adventurer is a very dangerous job."
"...Yes."
"There will certainly be hardships, and you might even be betrayed by someone you trusted. Lunia, I have only one promise I want to make to you. No matter what nightmarish things happen, please don't give up on life until the very end."
Actually, I had thought about that too.
A week ago, when I discovered the semen of an unknown man.
The thought that I might be raped.
So, I seriously considered just committing suicide as I was.
I'm a man inside, but wouldn't it be better to just kill myself than be raped in a woman's body?
For a week, I was immersed in negative thoughts every night.
I pretended to be okay even when I wasn't.
Because if I showed weakness here, the village men might actually come to harm me.
The person who became a pillar of support for me was Mrs. Arisa.
I wondered why her single promise gave me so much strength.
Though I might have seemed a bit childish, I answered bravely.
"...*Sniff*, *sob*. Yes, I promise... I will definitely promise."