Upon waking up the next morning and leaving my space of holding, I realized there was no ground underneath my feet.
As soon as I woke up, I’d commented to myself what a good sleep I’d had, seen the pretty sky outside, and almost unconsciously walked out. Damn, that was close. If I’d carelessly taken a step forward, I would’ve fallen to my death! Scary!
Also, I know it’s after-the-fact, but now that I think about it, I wonder what that encounter in the alley yesterday was all about? Were they hitting on me? Were they trying to extort me, or perhaps even kidnap me? I guess I really was careless to walk into a back alley alone, huh? I didn’t lose my memory or anything, but I must’ve been pretty sloshed to think that was a good idea. I really do need to watch my alcohol intake from now on. Or maybe it was just because my former residence, Japan, was safe enough that women could walk to the convenience store alone at night without worry. (Although I was a guy back then.)
“Man, noon already? I overslept big time...” Making my way through the sky, I gave a big stretch. I could control the temperature and humidity of my closed space just the way I liked it, so maybe there was a way to tell what time it was outside. I’ll have to ask the Goddess next time I see her.
Why is it so bad that I slept in, you ask? Actually, I guess it’s not. I’ve got enough saved up that I don’t have to worry about starving, and I don’t have a boss, so it’s not like anyone’s gonna complain about me oversleeping. Whoa... Is this what freedom from the daily grind is like? I could get used to this! So this is what it’s like to have an OP ability in an isekai!
“All right, I think I’ll head to the Trader’s Guild and see what’s up!”
I could set my own schedule. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted! This rules! After teleporting myself from the sky to a ground path with no pedestrian traffic, I made my way over to the Trader’s Guild.
This was my second visit to the Trader’s Guild since arriving at Solasidore. This time, however, I had identification, and I wasn’t broke.
“Here’s my adventurer’s license.”
“Thank you.” The receptionist examined it for a moment. “Confirmed. It’s twenty-five silvers to register with the guild. Would you like the amount withdrawn from your account?”
“Yes, please!”
Thus, I became an official member of the Trader’s Guild. From this day on, I was a merchant! I decided to call my store “Shounin,” which means “merchant” in Japanese. Commoners didn’t have surnames in this world, but merchants apparently introduced themselves as though their store name was their surname, so now I could call myself “Karina Shounin.” Heh heh.
“What goods will you be dealing in?” the receptionist asked me.
“Huh? Uh, nothing in particular, I guess. Just whatever’s in vogue. Other than that, I’ve got plans to make and sell my own goods. And I plan to travel, I guess?”
“In that case, I’ll register your business as a general store. It’s common for adventurers to run businesses like these on the side. However, there is a regulation on some types of goods.”
“A regulation?”
The receptionist explained that when registered as a general store, there were several items you couldn’t sell: armor, weapons, or anything else related to combat; slaves; and monsters considered rare or dangerous. That said, a simple request wasn’t enough to sell these goods—you needed to contribute a certain amount to the corresponding guilds, as well as undergo a course that certified you to sell such goods. On top of that, there were apparently a limited number of merchants who could be certified at once, so parents would typically end up passing the shops down to their sons.
“For things like weapons, salt, and liquor, you’d probably be forgiven if you sold a little. But once the amount surpasses private transactions, you’ll be slapped with various fines and penalties, so do be careful.”
For instance, if an adventuring party you knew asked them to sell you a set of armor, that much could be overlooked. But selling them en masse to the general public would get you arrested. I see; that makes sense. You were also allowed to sell common, highly popularized potions with no repercussions—but especially potent poisons could be applied to weaponry, so you needed certification to sell those. If I hadn’t known they were illegal and tried to sell them, I might’ve gone to jail!
“I guess pleading ignorance wouldn’t work either, huh?”
“It would not. Therefore, if you come across an item you’re not sure you can legally sell, you should always check with the guild first.”
They’d probably confiscate whatever illegal goods you found, but I suppose it’s better than putting them on the market unknowingly and getting thrown in the slammer.
“We recommend that beginners start out selling common goods everyone’s already familiar with.”
“I see. Thank you for the advice! By the way, are there any places you’d recommend to procure goods to sell?”
“Well, how about going to the lounge and mingling with some of the other merchants? They might be willing to help newer merchants find inventory.” The guild receptionist pointed to a room nearby that did indeed look like a lounge area, complete with a bar. The one at the Adventurer’s Guild was busier and more like a café, but this one looked much more upscale, most likely to better accommodate business discussions. According to the receptionist, merchants with their own stores would occasionally show up here, but most were peddlers.
Well, if there’s a place in the Trader’s Guild just for talking to more experienced merchants, that suits my needs to a T. I did as the receptionist suggested and headed to the lounge. As I entered, all eyes in the room immediately gravitated to me—or more accurately, my chest. Seriously, you guys are way too obvious.
“Hey, little missy, I overheard that you’re a peddler? I have a few suggestions for you; wanna hear ’em?”
Uh-oh, a shifty guy right off the bat! Compared to the adventurers I’d met—especially Blade—this man was acting awfully timid. He kept stealing glances at my chest as he held his glass in one hand. Just by looking at the glass, I could tell the drink was expensive, though I wouldn’t expect any less from a guild based in mercantilism. All right—time to lead him on while fishing as much information as I can out of him!
“Hm? Suggestions? What do you mean? Won’t you tell me, big boooy?” The lean forward! The upturned eyes! The drawing out of syllables! The bewitching gaze! Tee hee, flawless, if I do say so myself! Doing this to a guy is giving me goose bumps, though!
He looked positively infatuated. “U-Uh, right. Suggestions. That would be magic stones, of course! They pay top coin for those over in the Kingdom of Alchemy. If you go over there, you can also procure magic tools and potions for cheap, then sell them at a markup here. Rinse and repeat, and you’ll never go in the red.”
“Oh, you don’t say.” Sorry, buddy. That kingdom no longer exists. Your information’s dated! Or maybe that’s common in this world, what with the old technology? Let’s check. “But I heard the Kingdom of Alchemy fell into ruin.”
“Ha ha ha, there’s no way that’s true. An entire kingdom can’t be destroyed so easily—especially not one of the most powerful kingdoms to ever exist, ruled by the God of Destruction himself.”
“Ha ha... Yeah. Right, of course not.”
Okay, looks like I’m not gonna learn anything from this guy, so time to switch targets! Let’s look for a woman this time... Whoa, hold the phone! Cute girl detected at the bar counter! Just at a glance, she looks younger than me—but that drink in her hand is most definitely alcohol! In other words, she’s a legal loli—ahem, I mean, a dwarf! I’ve already seen a half dwarf, so it stands to reason regular dwarves would be a thing as well! Besides, she’s drinking alcohol and she’s short—she’s gotta be a dwarf! (Author’s Note: this is a stereotype.)
I walked away from the man without another word and headed for the legal loli instead. She had cute, naturally curly red hair and large, green eyes. She was sipping her glass with both hands, which was cute in itself. Was she drinking wine?
“Excuse me, do you have a moment?” I asked.
“Hm? Who the hell’re you? I’m enjoyin’ my drinking time right now, so buzz off.”