Thanks to Meryl, I got more customers, and by the end of the day I had made about 2,070 rims. The average amount I earned per customer was around 200 rims. Meryl had gotten way too fired up trying to win, so I was sure she’d spent 300 rims, or maybe more! Teary-eyed, Meryl had finally won her redeemable coupon on her seventh try. It was only worth about 30 rims, but that was more than enough to satisfy her, and she’d told me she’d come again tomorrow. It seemed like Dagashi-ya Yahagi had gained some cute new regulars.
Oh right, I wound up naming my shop something simple: Dagashi-ya Yahagi. Something super stylish wouldn’t be fitting for a dagashi-ya, and I thought it was the perfect way to get my name out there.
✦ ✦ ✦
For dinner, I stopped by a street stall to buy some bread with meat and vegetable filling and headed for the inn that I’d had my eye on. It was the Safe Swindoll Con Inn. Seeing it in the darkness like this, the vibes reminded me of the slums I’d seen in foreign films, which made the inn look twice as shady.
When I passed through the small door, I found an old lady behind the counter idly propping her cheek up on one hand. Her frame and the look in her eyes both reminded me of a wild boar. Upon noticing my presence, she spoke in a cold, gruff voice. “Night’s stay? A break?”
The old lady’s voice was so sharp, I kinda felt like I was being interrogated.
“I’ll be staying the night,” I said.
The old lady rose to attention, scrutinizing me. “What’s your job?”
I hesitated. “I’m a street vendor.” I left it vague since I didn’t think she’d understand if I told her I was a dagashi-ya, and I was too exhausted to explain.
“I need 850 rims up front.”
As shady as this place was, I couldn’t say that the price tag was false advertising. After I handed over the 850 rims, the old lady wearily heaved up her hulking form to guide me to my room.
“Keep quiet at night. You could start a fight if you’re too noisy.”
The walls were thin enough that your voice could easily be overheard. If you accidentally woke up the wrong adventurer, they were likely to complain with a drawn blade in hand.
Better tread as lightly as I can...
The room I was taken to was small, no bigger than three tatami mats. But even if it lacked in size, it had been kept pretty clean. There was nothing inside except for a shabby bed and a lamp set on a bedside table. The bedding only included a pillow and a thin blanket.
“That magic lamp there only has two hours worth of magic crystals in it,” the old lady informed me.
It seemed that meant the magic lamp would automatically turn off in two hours. I was thoroughly beat, so staying up late wasn’t the plan anyway. As soon as the old lady left, I pulled the thin blanket over my head and conked out.
✦ ✦ ✦
The sound of footsteps woke me up the next morning. It was difficult to keep the floor from creaking no matter how careful you were, so I couldn’t be mad. Once I was awake, I headed toward the well in the courtyard. The wooden floorboards groaned beneath my weight, and I heard someone somewhere suck their teeth in disapproval.
Lots of moody folks around here, huh...
I splashed some water on my face at the well and wiped it off with the hem of my shirt. Now that I thought about it, I lacked so many things; I didn’t even have a towel. I currently had 920 rims. The street stalls at the dungeon plaza sold a variety of items. If I looked hard enough, surely I could find a towel.
I’d been told I could leave at any time to check out, so I did my best to soundlessly make my way outside.
✦ ✦ ✦
I purchased a towel for five hundred rims at a street stall that opened early in the morning. Although I called it a towel, it was a far cry from the type I knew. It was made of a simple cotton fabric. Still, it’d be useful to me. If I wrapped it around my neck, it could serve as a scarf, and I could also use it to wash my face or my body.
I went to browse the street stalls, searching for some cheap food to have for breakfast, when a lively voice called out to me.
“Oh, there you are! Is your store not open yet?”
It was Meryl and Mira.
“Good morning, Meryl. And good morning to you too, Mira.”
“Hey, hey, is your store still not open yet?” Meryl asked again. “I think I wanna buy at least three more of that Ten-Rim Gum.” Her expression pleaded with me that she simply couldn’t wait.
“Roger that. Well, I’ll be opening pretty soon, so come with me.”
I led the two of them to a place that looked like a decent spot to set up shop.
“Store, open!” I said. “Dagashi-ya Yahagi!”
My carrying pole immediately appeared at my call.
“Oh my,” Mira piped up happily, “you’re a mage just like I am?”
Well, the truth was a little complicated... My job was just a dagashi-ya. “I’m not sure. This shop’s about all I can do with my magic.”
“Still, it’s a rare power. Maybe it’s a form of spatial manipulation magic?”
The free-spirited Meryl then butted into our conversation. “More importantly, I need that Ten-Rim Gum. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late for our meeting time.”
She had already bought so much yesterday, but it looked like she still hadn’t had her fill.
“Are you going to be all right buying that much?” I asked her.
“If it’s just thirty rims, then it’s no big deal,” she replied.
I guess there’s nothing to worry about when my dagashi are so cheap.
“Also, I’m going to use that gum to dish out plenty of power shots in a row. I’ll earn it all back and then some!”
“How do you earn money?” I asked. Mira and Meryl looked dumbfounded at the question.
“Obviously by taking down monsters, duh!”
Yeah, I figured that much.
“No, that’s not what I’m talking about,” I said, trying to clarify. “I want to know how defeating monsters translates into making money. I’m guessing you fulfill bounties or something?”
The two of them exchanged glances as if to say, Is this guy right in the head? And so, Mira carefully explained it to me like I was a five-year-old.
“When you defeat monsters,” she said slowly, “they drop magic crystals and money before disappearing. Were you unaware?”
Well, I guess you learn something new every day.
“I see,” I said, “so the more monsters you defeat, the more money you earn.”
“Exactly,” Meryl said before she paused. “Oh crap, it’s getting late, Mira!”
“Oh no, we should be going now.”
Meryl and Mira hurriedly gathered their things.
“We’re off,” said Meryl, “see you again tonight.”
“Got it. You better come back alive!”
“Gosh, don’t say such ominous things!”
“We’ll come by again later,” Mira said.
With that, the two of them dashed toward the dungeon’s entrance.
“Hello—”
As if switching places with them, a group of young adventurers approached me. One of them had stopped by yesterday and was back this morning with a bunch of his buddies. All of the adventurers were young, with boyish innocence still left in their faces.
“Welcome,” I greeted them.
“You still got those Curry Rice Crackers? I wanted to show them to my buddies.”
His friends were eyeing him doubtfully. “I heard those things are delicious and restore stamina. Is that even true?”
“I’m telling you, it’s true,” he insisted. “Fine, consider it a scam. Just buy one anyway. It’s only twenty rims.”
“Then I guess I’ll get one.”
“Same here.”
In the end, they picked up some cola- and soda-flavored Odama Candy along with the Curry Rice Crackers.
Product name: Odama Candy
Description: Slightly increases agility upon consumption. Flavors available include cola, soda, grape, lemon, and more.
Price: Ten rims
The morning rush was hectic. I didn’t get much time to sell my products, but I still turned a profit of 360 rims. With that, I had a total of 720 rims. Even so, another stay at the Safe Swindoll Con Inn remained 130 rims out of reach.