CH 43

Finding an inn wasn’t easy. Most of the people lining up to enter this town were actually part of merchant caravans, and as always, that means a lot of people are looking for a place to stay.

I had to pick a somewhat expensive inn, which cost me a total of six silver coins for three days.

“Master, this is good.”

Hikari started calling me something else after we performed the slave contract.

I told her she could keep calling me by her name, but she stubbornly refused. I’m guessing that there are some sort of personal rules inside her or something. In the end, I was the one who relented.

“I hope I can make food this good someday.”

“You can do it master.”

“Aren’t you supposed to say ‘leave it to me’ or something like that?”

“Everyone has things that they are good and bad at.”

Is that a declaration that you won’t do any cooking…

That night, we sleep side by side in the same bed. Actually, she holds on to me again, but at this point I’m used to it, and it doesn’t even make me feel nervous. Is this what it’s like to have a little sister? I’m an only child, so I wouldn’t know.

Judging by what I heard from others, it doesn’t really sound like a good thing.

After waking up, we have breakfast and leave the inn. Our destination is the merchant guild.

Hikari still looks sleepy, even after having breakfast, so I take her by the hand as we walk. She’s probably still tired from traveling.

After entering the guild, I receive an explanation that’s pretty much the same as the one I heard in the capital.

One thing that’s new is that I’m told guild cards have a functionality that’s like an ATM card on Earth. I didn’t hear about it last time, probably because it’s something they explain when people are actually registering with the merchant guild.

“Is the registration fee withdrawn automatically?”

“That is optional, but most people choose that.”

I want to avoid forgetting to pay and having the card expire without me realizing it.

“Stores where you can pay with the card have a specific mark, so please look out for that. But bear in mind stalls and things among those lines won’t accept it. It would be better to still have some money on hand to avoid trouble and hassle.”

I can keep it in the Item Box, so it’s no big deal.

I exchange three gold coins into silver, copper, and coins with a hole, and put them in the Item Box. The rest is deposited into the card.

“Oh, and I want to sell this. Will that be possible?”

I take out thirty healing potions, ten mana potions, and ten stamina potions from my bag and place them on the counter.

“Potions? Sure. I will call the person responsible for this sort of thing, so please wait.”

The receptionist goes to the back, and I don’t have to wait long until said person responsible arrives.

“How did you get these?”

“I got them from a certain connection while traveling.”

I obviously can’t say I made them.

“They are pretty well made. Are you selling all of them?”

“Ah, yes.”

“I see. I can pay three silver coins for healing potions, fifty for mana potions, and ten for stamina potions. That brings us to a total of six gold coins and thirty silver coins. Will you sell them?”

“…Yes please.”

“Should we deposit it into your card?”

“Only the gold coins.”

I take the silver coins, and we leave the merchant guild.

“What is it master?”

“I don’t know the standards of the value of potions. Do you know?”

“Yes. Your potions are high quality.”

“That’s not true. Those potions were all slight and small in regards to their quality.”

“…? What are you talking about, master? They were all high quality.”

I don’t think we’re on the same page.

After patiently hearing Hikari’s explanation, I learn that potions’ quality is separated by color.

The lighter they are the worse their effect, and the deeper they are the better. So my potions were bought at a high price because they all had a nice, thick color.

Is that right? When I check with Appraisal, it says slight, small, medium, or high. I figured this was about the effectiveness of the healing itself, but have I been wrong?

Do I need to test it? But testing healing potions means hurting myself and draining my HP… I don’t want to go out of my way to be in pain.

That means I have to test with mana potions or stamina potions, but they are pretty expensive. Still, I think I really should test this.

“Master, where are you going?”

“To an item shop, and I also want to stop by a weapon shop. I want to head to the holy capital, so I need to prepare.”

“All right. I want a weapon to protect master with these hands.”

“Thank you, but don’t try so hard. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“You would be sad?”

“Yes. So make sure to treasure your life.”

“Yes. Understood.”

I need to be insistent to the point of being annoying or Hikari won’t understand, since she’s pretty indifferent about herself. She said yes without any resistance, but if she acted like a rebellious kid and said something like ‘you’re being annoying master’ I’d probably take some emotional damage. Is this what it’s like to have a daughter…? Probably not.

I check when horsebuses are leaving… And just as I expected, they’re full.

“Master, are we walking?”

“Yes. Are you all right?”

She nods, and seems fired up.

“Tomorrow we’ll buy ingredients to cook. Let’s go around the stalls and eat some nice things there too.”

“Wonderful suggestion.”

So I wasn’t just imagining it when I thought she’s actually kind of a glutton.