Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 40 Shopping

In the end, on Sunday afternoon, We explored the forest and defeated three goblins.

After that, We gathered some taro potatoes, matsutake mushrooms, and such, and finished the exploration.

For dinner, I made a dish similar to last week, with plenty of wild herbs and dried meat.

And so, Monday came.

After having breakfast and bringing Lania along, I headed to the Dridon General Store.

“Dridon-san, how’s it going?”

“Well, there’s only a little bit of jam left, but it’s almost sold out. It’s expensive, and we don’t have many in stock, so if someone wants to buy it, it’ll sell out quickly.”

“I see.”

“There’s still a bit left, should I settle the accounts? It’s sure to sell, and there’s no problem selling it today.”

“Well then, please.”

And so, I settled the accounts for the strawberry and ripe grape jams.

Strawberry: 20 pieces, 10,000 Darrils, ten gold coins.

Grape: 10 pieces, 6,000 Darrils, six gold coins.

“Well, that’s a total of sixteen gold coins, right?”

“Thank you very much.”

With a slight bow and both hands extended, I received the gold coins.

“Then, would it be alright if I take ten coins, and Lania receives six coins?”

“But…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Here you go.”

I handed six gold coins to Lania.

We’ve certainly been earning quite a bit lately.

However, the jam is a seasonal item and serves as additional income, so it would be difficult to rely on it for our livelihood.

Especially in winter, there are fewer fruits available for making jam.

It’s important to remember that this is just a bonus and should not be considered part of our regular salary.

“Alright then, let’s go to the guild.”

“Yes.”

“Our magic stones have been accumulating as well, haven’t they?”

“Yeah.”

There were still some magic stones from the slimes and goblins we encountered earlier that had yet to be exchanged for money.

We passed through the eastern gate and entered the city of Trieste.

Until recently, I used to wander around the city every day, doing odd jobs for menial pay. Looking back now, it seems like all those efforts were in vain.

Jobs that allowed slum children to work were either extremely low-paying or too demanding. They barely provided enough for their pocket money, and it was questionable whether they could even be considered real jobs.

As I walked along the streets, I witnessed some of those children being exploited near the well, forced to do laundry and carry heavy loads.

While part of me wanted to find them higher-paying jobs, I also respected the fact that they had their own work, and I didn’t want to impose on them.

Arranging jobs, especially ones that were stable and well-paid, was not something I could easily think of at the moment.

If there were high-paying and stable jobs available, I wished someone could refer them to me.

We arrived at the adventurer’s guild.

As always, the familiar sound of the cowbell rang.

It felt nostalgic and reassuring.

And so, I lined up at the receptionist counter, where the elven sister, who had always taken care of us, was stationed.

Well, when I say “line up,” there were only two or three people since it was daytime.

“Here you go, thank you for waiting, Miss Elf.”

Even Minya, who is an elf herself, nodded and responded with a slight familiarity.

“I would like to exchange the magic stones.”

“Yes, I’ll process it right away.”

The receptionist worked efficiently, handling the paperwork.

I wonder if there’s a way to simplify or expedite this kind of administrative work.

Government jobs must be quite demanding.

Afterwards, I received one gold coin and several silver coins.

Since the jam is priced in gold coins, it could easily disrupt the monetary value, but having a few silver coins as well is normal.

“Thank you for using our services.”

“No, thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude to the receptionist, the elven sister, and then headed towards the usual shop corner next to it.

“Now, let’s get to the main point of today: buying armor. And if you want, clothes too.”

“Yes! Let’s do it!”

“Understood.”

And so, we looked around at the displayed armors and such.

Let’s review for a moment.

I’m wearing a shabby shirt and cropped trousers.

Minya is wearing a normal knee-length dress in brown, the cheapest option.

And Lania is wearing a blue and white dress, a hand-me-down from a noble. It has an enchantment for increasing attack magic power through magical enhancement.

However, it doesn’t provide defense enhancement, so it’s not strong as armor. It’s made of different fabric, though, so it’s stronger than our second-hand clothes.

This is Lania’s special attire, and she wears it almost every time we go into the forest.

The weapons are reasonably expensive, and the armor prices are quite high as well.

Children’s armor should be cheaper since it’s smaller, but in reality, there’s not much difference in price.

While the amount of fabric and materials may be less, the same amount of effort is required, so it can’t be helped.

There’s no reason for processing fees to be lower in the dominant cottage industry of this otherworldly realm.

“Let’s start with choosing clothes for Minya.”

“Nya!”

Minya’s ears perked up, and her face turned red.

“Will Ed choose for me?”

“Well, you can pick whatever you like yourself.”

“R-Right, okay. I understand.”

We won’t be buying any ridiculously expensive dresses, so it should be fine.