Chapter 35: Selling vegetables

“Alright, this is pretty neat.”

I’m satisfied looking inside the warehouse. The large amount of vegetables is now equivalent to two cardboard boxes. Well, there’s no cardboard in this world, but I would say that it’s about that much. When I returned to the living room, Erna was teaching Pero the language of this world.

“Pero is quick to learn, just like you Shinichi.”

“Father, Pero did his best.”

Pero speaks with the words he has just memorized. Such a figure is so cute that I can’t help but gently pat his head.

“Let’s end your study till that part. Shall we go to town?”

“Understood”

I said so and wear the breastplate on my body. Pero specializes in agility so he doesn’t need heavy armor. So amongst the armors that had been collected at the disposal site, I just searched for the perfect one for him. As for the weapon, he has his sharp claws so that may not be necessary, but I would like to give him good things if possible.

We then packed up our luggage and left the hideout.

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When we entered Rodman’s Weapon Store, the shopkeeper displayed a big smile.

“The hero returned huh! You did it, Tanaka-kun!”

“Can you stop with that hero thing? I can’t get used to it, I feel uneasy.”

“You can only say that now you know. I’m sure big jobs will come to Homeless at a mad pace.”

As Rodman has said, the number of jobs will increase in the future. Especially now that we are famous in this Kingdom. It’s indeed impressive if you think of the adventurers who defeated the Bull king that only appears in a thousand years. However, I cannot help feeling embarrassed being called a hero.

“Rather than that, I came here today to shop.”

“Oh? It’s unusual for you to shop at my place.”

“Nah, I’m looking for a perfect weapon for my son, Pero you see. Can you choose one for him?”

“Son?”

The shopkeeper leaned forward from the counter, Pero, carrying a backpack, stood in front of his line of sight. With his small eyes, he stared strangely at Rodman.

“This is amazing! Isn’t it a sacred beast?”

“Did you use appraisal?”

“Of course. Appraisal is useful in such cases. More than that, is this Sacred Beast really your son?”

“Uhm, I decided to raise Pero as my son.”

Rodman folded his arms and thought for a while then he suddenly held his stomach and began to laugh.

“Buhahaha! That’s fine! I will look for good weapons for him! Tanaka-kun is a guy who really entertains me!”

“Rodman, I’m not entertaining you separately though…”

With rustling sounds, the shopkeeper searched in the back of the shop then he brought out something.

“This is a knuckle, it’s a weapon used when punching something. When I looked at Pero, I feel that he doesn’t use knife so I think hitting type weapon will fit him.”

As expected from the owner of a weapon store. Just by a glance, he seems to have figured out how Pero fights.

“Give me your hand for a minute.”

Pero obediently puts out his right hand then Rodman makes him grasp a silver knuckle.

“How is it?”

“This is good.”

Pero immediately liked it, he punches out his fist to check its feel. He tried to put on a few more but the first one that was attached to his fist seemed to fit on him perfectly.

“Then I will buy two of those silver ones.”

“Thank you for your continuous patronage! That’s 10 gold coins!”

Ten gold coins? There’s no way that Rodman would rip me off but no matter how I think of it, two knuckles for ten gold coins is too expensive. It’s 10 million yen if it’s in Japanese currency!

“…Isn’t it expensive?”

“It’s a given that it’s expensive. It’s made of Mithril you see. It’s harder and lighter than steel and has a high magic rate, so it’s a rare metal that everyone wants.”

“Mithril huh…”

That metal is the same as my sword. In that case, I can understand its high price. It was only natural that it’s expensive.

“As for the discount, I can give it to you for about two gold coins less, how about it?”

“If that’s the case, I’ll buy it.”

I paid Rodman the gold coins. Of course I can negotiate with the price, but he’s taken care of me and it’s my first time shopping here. There may be future transactions too.

“Thank you father.”

Pero clung to my leg. Seeing that eye-catching waging tail, I feel like I understand Freya’s feeling.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)

“Oh right, do you know where this can be processed?”

I started the conversation. This is one of the reasons why I came here. I took out the Bull king’s horn from the bracelet and placed it in front of Rodman. The corner is quite large, about one meter. The surface is black and seamless, as if cut from obsidian.

“This is…”

“It’s the horn of the Bull King.”

“F-For real……?”

Overwhelmed by the horn, Rodman didn’t seem to find the right words to say. Even after the owner died, its horn still had an overwhelming presence. As expected from a king.

“………”

Rodman stares at the horn, folds his arms and thinks for a while. All he has to do is introduce me to a blacksmith, but I’m really worried as he looked troubled.

“OK, I decided!”

“Decided? What have you decided?”

“Please let me handle this. I’ll surely show you a good sword.”

I got many question marks in my head.

 “Rodman, do you mean, you will make it?”

“Of course. I’m from a family that originally does blacksmithing. Most of the items in this shop were made by me you see. There is a workshop behind the shop. Do you want to see it?”This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)

We left the store and went to its backside. I saw a structure with a large chimney. We can hear the sound of metal being hammered from inside. When I opened the door and went inside, a young man was hitting a reddish metal with a hammer. Every time he hits the metal that generates heat, sparks scatter. His sweaty appearance while pounding his hammer down over and over again made him look as if he is obsessed with something.

“That’s my son, Cain.”

“What? You are married?”

“There was a woman who has a strange taste you see.”

Rodman says so and laughs. However, his son, Cain, keeps hitting the metal silently.

“The Rodman’s have been doing some blacksmithing even before the days of the Hero Pedro you see. We make good weapons and sell them to good customers. That is the Rodman’s motto.”

“Then Pedro’s sword is made by the Rodman family?”

“Yeah, it’s the work of my ancestors.”

I have decided.

“In that’s case, I’ll leave the production to you.”

“Leave it to me! You will never be at a disadvantage!”

Amazing person has different looks after all. I am looking forward to the weapon that will be completed from now on. Then I remembered something else.

“By the way, do you know an honest merchant in this City?”

“Hmm? Honest merchant? There are many of them, why?”

I took out a vegetable from the backpack that Pero is carrying.

“I don’t want others to investigate where I’m growing this one you see. I have a lot of leftover so I want to sell them, do you know anyone around here that buys vegetables?”

“Isn’t this a hasai…? I see, if it’s like this, others would indeed keep an eye on it.”

“Is it that bad?”

“No, it will be okay if it’s a proper merchant, but it will stand out if an amateur sells it. Tanaka-kun’s thinking is right.”

I also thought that I could just open a stall and sell them, but I stopped that idea when I thought of Rodman. I then came up with the idea of ​​looking for a trustworthy person who I could wholesale them to instead. Speaking of it, it’s just like we are farmers after all. All I need to do is sell them to someone who is good at it, in this way, we won’t have to work hard selling them ourselves.

Rodman thinks for a while then he began to speak.

“Then you could inquire about it in Arnold’s store. He has been dealing with food in the market for a long time now you see. That guy’s a little weird but once you get used to it, you’ll get along quickly.”

I felt a little uneasy with the term “weird guy”, but since Rodman recommended him, I think he is a reliable person. After thanking Rodman, we immediately started moving towards the market.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)

“Fuhahahaha! The grown young lady over there, how about this vegetable!? It’s fresh and delicious!”

“Oh dear, addressing me as young lady… Can’t be helped then, give me one of those.”

“Thank you for your continuous patronage!”

The store clerk poses with his muscles gleaming in black lustre, as he smiled broadly, his white teeth were displayed. There was only that store in the specified area.

“Hey, I wonder if that is Arnold…”

“Uh- uhm… shall we try asking?”

When I called out to the black man, he suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

“You have a good body boy! Would you like to train your muscles with me?”

“Muscle? I am also in favour of that. Muscles are good.”

“Oh comrade! You do know about the happiness in having muscles!”

He hugged me tightly. No, I do understand the importance of muscles but to suddenly ask someone who he just met to train muscles together is a bit…. Why is he shirtless in the market in the first place?

“Hey you pervert! Release Shinichi!”

Erna hits the black man with her cane. Pero was frightened with his tail curled up behind Erna.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)

“Fuhahahaha! That kind of thing doesn’t work on me! Look at this muscle! Such back muscles and well trained biceps! Nothing is better than this!”

Erna shrieks with a “Hiii” and moves backwards. Now that I’m released, I talk to the man who is posing nonstop.

“Are you the merchant named Arnold?”

“That’s right! I’m Arnold!”

Certainly, those muscles are impressive. It is very close to the body I want. He seems to be a man who is loved by muscles.

“We came here with Rodman’s recommendation. Could you hear me out?”

“Fuhahahaha! Rodman huh!? Okay, let me hear your story!”

His voice is very loud, it echoes throughout the market. Whether it’s a daily occurrence here, no one tries to look at Arnold. I see, they envy his muscles so no one dares to look straight at him. Well, his body is indeed one to be envious of. It seems that I still have to train hard.

“Pero, Shinichi is grinning…”

“Waauuu…”

The two of them were close to each other while trembling. Is there something wrong? I’m not quite sure. Well, I think it’s strange that his upper body part is naked.

For the time being, I explained the situation to Arnold.

“―I see, I understand your situation. Then, should I buy the vegetables you bring?”

“Yes, I’ll be grateful if you can do that.”

Pero put his backpack on the ground and many vegetables rolled out from inside. Arnold grabs a Hasai and stared hard at it.

“Good quality and size. This is a fine vegetable. Is this all of it?”

“No, I still have the others.”

I took out the vegetables from the bracelet. Arnold stared in wonder at the heaped up vegetables.

“Fu, Fuha, Fuhahaha! I love you guys! I’ll buy all of these!”

Arnold handed me two gold coins. It’s a little surprising that our first wholesale priced 2 million yen.Translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)

“From my point of view, they are all rare high-class ingredients. In this case, the nobles will buy them for a high price. I think many ordinary people will want them too.”

Somehow I was satisfied. Even Japanese people give high prices to matsutake. The price is given because it is rare, and the vegetables I brought here are similar to matsutake.

“I am Shinichi Tanaka. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“I’m Arnold. Same here, I’m counting on you on this.”

Arnold smiled broadly that his white teeth were in full view. Aside from me, Erna and Pero were looking away. When the business talk was concluded, we decided to head for the City Lord’s mansion. It was said that he was looking for us for something.

“Alright then, let’s go to the City Lord’s place.”

While being excited about what we are supposed to talk about, we started walking to the mansion in the center of the city.

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