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Chapter 6 Midsummer Excursion
Preparation For Travelling
「……right, that’s right, concentrate.....what’s this smell?」
A large warehouse owned by the Viscount House, close to the wharf. The basement was surrounded by cold stone. A shelf had been installed in the place that had been cleaned without a speck of dust, with countless jars on it. The only light was a single lantern. And it was also just hanging in the corner of the room, so the surrounding area was dimly lit. There was a window, but it was shut with double layers, and no light from outside came in at all.
「The bark of Tsumaraka tree」 (ツマラーカ)
「That’s right」
Right now, I was receiving instructions from the husband of the head maid, the caravan leader.
I was reassigned to the external trade team. This was really for my age. Normally, children would start studying around the age of 10 years old when they want to become merchants. Until then, they would be studying how to read and write, and arithmetic. But I could already do that from the beginning. The only problem was whether or not I could physically endure the travel, but there were no other worries besides that.
「Now explain the effect」
「You can get the resin when it is heated in a moist state. The resin not only has a mild stamina-increasing effect, but it also serves as a solvent for other drugs. It hardens when cooled」
I knew this. It’s part of the materials for the magic pill hanging on my neck.
But I had been receiving instructions from him about all sorts of drugs for the past several days.
「Correct」
His dark brown hair was covered in a round, red hat, and he was wearing the matching red clothes on his upper body, the man was indeed a man befitting his knightly rank, having an intellectual expression. With a thick beard, neither long nor short, and a finely chiseled, rugged face. And his eyes were surprisingly round and bright.
「Listen well, I will say this again and again, the important thing is the smell. That’s where you judge a medicine from」
There were many medicines that were sensitive to sunlight. Of course, they would deteriorate when you exposed them to outside air, so you needed to pack them tightly, but even in that situation, part of the medicine would stick to the container. When exposed to sunlight or outside air, they would produce a distinctive smell. That smell could be used to find out the type of medicine and also its quality.
There were situations where you couldn't find even the slightest smell or color of the medicine since they were completely sealed, such medicines were placed in a glass container, and with another container covering them on the outside. You could only carefully check such special medicines with your eyes in a dimly lit room.
And since they were medicines, it was difficult to handle. There were people who sold them at a high price, while the inside was clearly inferior-quality goods. So in order not to get deceived by such means, I had to hone my knowledge and experience from now on.
「Did you really remember it properly? I’ve shown you over 100 medicines in this short time.....」
「It is all thanks to you」
He tilted his head in contemplation, but I was not worried.
Strangely, I was able to easily distinguish them by smell. Moreover, I remembered it immediately and don’t forget it. Was I really this smart? So I thought, but well, this was thanks to my skill. With Level 4 in Drug Compounding, it was the same as someone with more than 10 years of training.
「Well, never mind then, more importantly」
He took out gold coins from his breast pocket. They were slightly smaller than silver coins but just as heavy. There were 10 of them.
「……what is this」
「Money entrusted to you」
As I looked up at him in doubt, he continued explaining matter-of-factly.
「I have also received permission from Ifroz. You could use these 10 gold coins however you want. But, you have to return the whole ten gold coins after I return from my travel, which starts next week」
He told me to use it and give it back.
In other words, this was not pocket money.
「What happens if they’re not enough?」
「Nothing happens. The cost of buying yourself back will just increase a little」
That was probably not all. This directly relates to my evaluation.
「On the contrary, even if you make more than 10 gold coins, I will only take 10 gold coins. Still, I expect you to show me how much profit you made」
「Is that how it is?」
「But」
He crouched down in front of me and spoke.
「Don’t go crying to Gruvy just because our destination is Korapt」
「I won’t do that」
That’s right.
The market we were heading to now was Korapt. Located inland, the city serves as a frontier base of development for Pyris. Gruvy was also based in this city.
Apparently, Ifroz had ended up completely misunderstanding me. He was convinced that I had some connections with Gruvy.
「Then it’s fine. Don’t you worry. You’re still a 6-year-old kid. It’s okay if you couldn't ride a horse, and there is no need for you to walk by yourself. I will take you and your luggage in the carriage. The adults will take care of everything from food to your sleeping arrangements along the way. Other than that, you will have no other task but to observe us……you’re lucky, you know?」
Lucky? I felt like being cornered.
He would take care of all difficulties in the journey, the procedures that require identification, and other problems. So I just had to make a profit, he meant. It was a situation that was set up so I could not make any excuses like saying the failures were due to another cause.
「There is still one week. In the meantime, think carefully and prepare yourself」
「Yes」
Ifroz ordered the secretarial section to change my stationing. I didn't know what kind of instructions he gave them, but right now, I was being assigned to the sales team.
And my superior was the head maid’s husband, the caravan leader, Khan (カーン). He was a quarter Saharian, but his physical features made him almost look like a Forestian. But the hat and upper clothes he was wearing were clearly Saharian-style. However, it was different from the one worn by Myluc and Gruvy.
It was an easy-to-move-in tunic worn by the people living in the northwest of the central Saharia, in the surrounding area of the border with Seripasia. The climate over there was not as severe as the area in the central Saharia, and the temperature difference between day and night was not that great. Therefore, you do not need to wear long garments like those worn by Myluc. Khan always wore this kind of easy-to-move-in clothes with a pouch of small tools hanging on his waist. At a glance, his outfit makes it easy to imagine how light he was on his feet.
www.ihavesinnedtranslation.comOnly, if it was easy-to-move-in clothes, it should be better to wear Forestia’s travel clothes. Saharians were considered people who carry out their revenge unconditionally as well as shrewd merchants. Perhaps he was trying to use that impression on others.
「Aah, that’s right, also」
「Yes」
「It’s practice. If you want to become a medicine trader, foundation practice is indispensable. Process this Kona (コーナ) fruit. I taught you how to do it, yes? I don’t mind if you fail since this is your first time. Until our departure, process all the fruits in this jar for now. And show me the quality of your processed result later. You can use the rest of your time freely」
Khan asked me, the one being sent here. “There is no merchant who excels at all field.....so what do you want to learn?” He asked.
I chose medicine without hesitation. I already had a skill that was worth ten years of experience after all. This world was neither safe nor hygienic. So if you were well-versed in the study of pharmacy, you could sustain life itself. Also, even the catalysts of magic often use medicine or pills. Having actually received tremendous benefit from Physical Strengthening Magic, I couldn't help but seek the power of magic.
Khan was not an expert in medicine. But he could discern them to some extent. It seemed that he did not have that great of a skill when it came to actual processing of medicine or using them in practice. But still, according to him, he understood the very basics of medicine at least. That was not a problem. Since he was in charge of trading medicine, not a pharmacist himself. And what he expected of me was also becoming a medicine trader.
Generally, the future course of being a medicine trader was not that bad. Medicine was basically for the wealthy. They would at least be within the means of reach for the middle-class families and the majority of commoners; as for the poor, they would cure their illnesses with fighting spirit. In other words, the customers would be people with money.
「Understood」
「The mixing room next door and the resting space above are open to anyone. Well, no one else will use it until our departure so you can use it as you like. Prepare your luggage before the day of departure. Also, this homework.....what are you going to do today?」
「I’ll stay」
Khan listened and partially granted my request. When I said I wanted to read a book, he actually borrowed one for me. But it was only work-related books. He brought 3 books, all of which were books about raw materials for medicines and their processing methods. Of course, just that alone was something I’m grateful for. And so, I remained in the warehouse until the last moment every day like this.
「Okay. Go home quietly when it’s time for the evening patrol. I’m leaving now」
「Yes」
Khan was originally very busy. He was not in a position where he could keep an apprentice boy like me for a long time. I bowed my head.
With a jar of Kona fruits in one hand, I entered the mixing room next door. The window near the ceiling was open. Unlike the storage room, this room was often ventilated. There was a thermometer on the wall. Some medicines were strongly affected by temperature after all. Depending on the indoor environment, the materials may end up being wasted. Although processing Kona fruit was a task handled by a rookie pharmacist, it was not something that required that much attention.
I stepped on a chair to close the window and waited until the air in the room settled. Then I took out a mortar from the nearby shelf. I placed it on the workbench and sat down. Taking out a white walnut-sized Kona fruit from the jar, I pressed it with the handle of the mortar to apply pressure. It got crushed easily, so all I had to do was grind it down finely with a grinding motion. I continued to work carefully without cutting corners until it became powder.
www.ihavesinnedtranslation.comNext, I soaked it in water. Just for a short while. The harmful ingredients would remain if it was too short, and it could cause skin irritation. If it was too long, the medicinal components would be lost. The book also wrote the appropriate time but it still takes one’s discernment to judge. When the sour smell subsided, pour out the water. It would not do if you waited until it was completely gone.
Throw away any large fibrous chunks that remained. The white powder that remained at the bottom was collected and packed into a jute bag and squeezed out again. I just had to dry it after that. Of course, I had to wash my hands immediately after. Perhaps it was thanks to the skill that I could feel I did it properly. Well, it was by no means a difficult process. There should not be any problem with the quality as long as you did not pour out the water at the wrong timing.
Kona fruit was, simply put, a disinfectant. It was also cheap as a medicine and fairly easy to use. Where would my processed Kona’s medicine be used, I wonder? If the quality was above a certain level, it might be used in the mansion.
Khan probably thought that I would be confused with my first task. He probably thought that I could pick up the trick while repeatedly making a small number of mistakes since there were a lot of Kona fruits. But, I disregarded his expectation. I’d take care of all of them today.
Once I finished all the work, I leaned against the wall while sighing. It was not difficult, but it was monotonous and tiring work. But with this, I now had a week to move freely.
I looked at the 10 gold coins in my hand.
I wonder what Khan was thinking? First, I had to see through his intention.
Does this mean he wants me to use this money and purchase goods of value in Korapt and sell them in Pyris? No, that was not all. In that case, he should have given me the money once we arrived at Korapt. So giving it to me a week in advance meant.....
I’m sure he meant for me to purchase goods in Pyris and sell them at Korapt.
But, this was troubling. There was only one week left.
My weapons were Piercing Hand and the high-level techniques I acquired with it. But, none of those skills had been developed enough to be called first rate yet, and above all, they lacked the knowledge to go with them. Since I had a book about mixing medicine, there should not be any problem with my current level for mixing stuff. However, even still, all I could produce was ordinary medicine. And since the goal was to sell them, simply making something good would have no meaning if it does not sell over there.
Were there other weapons I could use? In a way, there is. My previous life’s knowledge. What if I made and brought several of my original savings boxes that did not exist in this world? It was an interesting idea, but it was going to be a gamble. People paid for something because they realized it had value. When it was about ‘something new’, it made us think that it would have some value, but that was a dangerous assumption.
In that case.....there were 2 things I had to do. First, to have a rough idea of how much things cost in Pyris right now. This was important information to have for when selecting items at Korapt.
The other one, was to know the current market price in Korapt. However, no matter how shrewd and high-level a merchant it is, there was no way I could understand that, having never actually seen the situation myself.
So, where could I get this information from? Khan would probably know about it. But, I wonder what he would do if I were to ask about it. Would it be fine to overcome the test that he had set up for me using his power? An X mark appears in my mind.
In that case, I could only act based on conjectures, huh. I dug out the information I stockpiled from my time in the housing facility.
Korupt was a city located in the northeast of Pyris. It was much smaller and located near mountains, rivers, and forests. If you head east from there, you would reach the fertile Exee region (エキセー). Myluc’s housing facility was located around there. If you go north from there, you would eventually reach the main Exee river and beyond that was Tintinabria.....my hometown in this world.
Right in the middle of the regions of Pyris, Exee, and also Tintinabria, Korapt stood all alone. But, the surrounding area remained largely undeveloped. After Gissian Chirem’s Unification War, the world was opened up little by little, but it was all ruined 300 years later due to the Wars of the Nation. Currently, the kingdom of Esta Forestia extended only to the cities themselves, and at best, the roads that linked them.
www.ihavesinnedtranslation.comBecause of that, Korapt was still a frontline city for development. The surrounding area was rich in diverse natural environments, and because valuable herbs and mineral resources found nowhere else could only be collected there, it attracted merchants and adventurers to stay in the area. And let us not forget about the presence of the rowdy miners. It was a city with a much rougher atmosphere compared to the seaside town of Pyris.
Korapt was not particularly far from the sea. But the nearest port city - Pyris - was about a 7-day walk away. So, what was the item that was lacking in Korapt? .....salt?
No, let’s better not jump to such a conclusion. Indeed, countless merchants may already be carrying and selling salt in Korapt. Even if that was true, merchants made a living from the profit so I should be able to make some profit myself if I do the same. But, how about producing salt inland in Korapt? I had never heard that rock salt could be gathered, but it might have been just not written in books.
Not good. As expected, it was scary to act based on conjectures.
No, wait a minute?
What’s scary, was conjectures.
So I should just check it out.
How to do that? Definitely not asking Khan. And the people in the mansion.
I would know if I go there directly.
It was a seven-day walk. If the distance traveled in a day was around 30 km, then even at the farthest, it would only be around 200 km. If it was in a straight line, it would be even shorter.
And, I had the means to travel at high speed. If I turned into that giant crow-form. Large birds could reach speeds of up to 100 km/hour. Even if it was not that fast, at least half of that was possible. The efficiency may change with the weather and wind, but it should still be manageable.
What’s troubling was the actual location. As expected, I couldn't walk around naked over there. It would be a little bit of a burden, but I could only bring the worn-out clothes from the time in the housing facility fly with me. It looks so shabby that it would be inevitable that people would think of me as a beggar kid.
What about time? No problem. I’d been allowed to act around freely for this one week. Although that was probably under the condition that I didn't leave Pyris. Even if the gatekeeper saw me, they would probably not let me out. But they would not keep a watchful eye on flying birds.
Yosh, it’s decided. I'd tell them I would go to the warehouse first thing in the morning tomorrow, and after that, I’ll check around the prices in the city’s market. That way, no one would think it was strange that I was not around. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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