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The End of Shopping
After studying the vegetables and
mushrooms, Dad bought the ingredients he had in mind.
He then began to discuss the ingredients with the owners of the stores and the farmers.
When I glanced over at him, I saw that Hart was naturally mixed in there.
“These tomatoes taste better when they are grilled. They become sweeter when heated. It's great in a gratin with cheese, vegetables and pasta.”
“Oh, I see! I'm going to try that in today's meal.”
It seems that today's meal is gratin.
From what I've heard, it sounds pretty good, so I'm looking forward to it.
“Hey, Tori. Can you follow me for a minute? I've already bought the vegetables, but I haven't bought the seasonings or fruits yet.”
“Yeah, I guess so. It's going to be a long day over there, so why don't we finish Ayla's shopping?”
I said a few words to my father and then went with Ayla.
He had already bought the vegetables he needed, and now he needed to buy some seasonings and fruit.
It shouldn't take too long.
“Excuse me. Can I have some sugar, please?”
“The amount of this leather bag is 3 silver coins.”
Condiments are a bit expensive in this world. However, it is not so precious that it can be said to be as valuable as gold, as it was in my previous life.
It's not high-quality pure white sugar, but it's a price that we commoners can afford to pay.
Of course, things that can only be found in different countries or are rare are ridiculously expensive.
“Do you mind if I check inside?”
“Ojou-chan, you’re strong for your age.”
It's rare, but sometimes seasonings like sugar and salt are mixed up.
It's not common in these markets, but the ones sold in the back alleys are often mixed up.
When I bought some without checking the inside, I found that the contents were different. I often hear that only the top part is real and the bottom part is mostly sand.
Of course, the stores in these markets would never do such a thing, but it is important to check everything.
Even if the price is affordable for the average person, it's still rather expensive.
“Yes, no problem. Thank you very much.”
After carefully checking the contents, Ayla presented the 3 silver coins to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper didn't care that she had checked the contents, and accepted the gift with a smile, and said, “Anytime”, without worrying about the contents being confirmed.
“Now all that's left is the fruit, right?”
“Right.”
Ayla and I moved on, while she looked at the fruits to buy.
In the meantime, I took a curious peek at the magic tools shop across the street.
A Magic Tool is a tool in which magic power is put by a wizard.
It is a very useful tool that can bring about magical phenomena by using magic stones that can be taken from demons as an energy source and having the wizard draw magical characters on them.
It is still affordable for the average person to have a simple device that can produce water or fire.
However, the ones that produce offensive magic and the complex ones that build defensive magic are quite expensive.
The cheapest ones are said to cost more than 50 gold coins, so commoners like me will never be able to afford them.
Well, it's not that I want to fight. I don't want to fight, I'm fine with just working at an inn and having a good time.
However, there is a magic tool that I want.
It is a magic tool that can emit heat for long periods of time, and a magic tool that can produce hot or cold air.
As long as I have these, I can relax in hot summers and cold winters.
Especially in the winter, it is quite difficult to sleep in an attic with thin walls and no fireplace.
I would definitely like to get some magical items that can heat the room.
I glanced at the magic tools lined up in the store.
A magic tool that can produce warm air. 60 gold coins.
A magic tool that can produce cold air. 70 gold coins.
In addition to this, if a large magic stone is needed, as an accessory, the amount of money will increase even further…
It's not something we can afford to buy at home.
“Well, are you looking at the magic tools?”
As I was thinking about the price and letting out a sigh, Ayla came over to me probably because she had finished shopping.
“That's right! I wanted this magic tool that can produce warm air and this magic tool that can produce cold air.”
When I pointed out to them, Ayla immediately frowned at the price.
“We can't afford something that expensive. That’s for rich merchants and aristocrats.”
“But if you have this, you can sleep more comfortably. In the hot summer, the cool air keeps the room cool. In the cold winter, the warm air will warm the room…!”
“Tori has a funny way of doing things, right?”
When I spoke passionately, Ayla looked at me with a subtle expression.
I'm not afraid of inconveniences once I get used to them, but the human heart still wants to live a life of luxury if possible.
“I still want magic tools to spend a comfortable and relaxing life.”
It's not a bad thing to have a goal to enrich your life.
I’m going to do my best to buy this magic tool.
Of course, I won't work the way I did in my previous life.
In this life, I'll work leisurely and earn money.
Sadly, I can't do such a normal thing as I did in my previous life, but in this world where everything is rough, anything is possible.
Yes, this time, I will work moderately and live a relaxed and happy life.
That's the major premise.
“…Well, I guess we should head to the fruit stand as the first step.”
“Why?”
Laid-back life and fruits. I wondered how I could make sense of it.
When I looked at them with a suspicious expression, Ayla looks amazed.
“A souvenir for Letty. Abel-san, you're so absorbed in talking about ingredients that you've forgotten all about it.”
“…Ah.”
I forgot about it too.
If I had gone back to the inn, Letty would have been in a bad mood and I would have been in trouble.
I leave the magic tool shop and hurry to buy Letty's favourite fruit.
In order to live a comfortable life, it's important to keep promises to your family. Though it's not a promise that I made, but I'll follow through.
-o-
“Then I’ll be back! Do your best in the night, Tori!”
“Yes, yes, be careful.”
After we finished shopping, my dad and I saw Ayla off.
“She’s become cute, hasn’t she?”
“Yes, she has.”
I agreed with my father as I watched her disappear into the crowd.
He poked me in the side of the head and said in a hushed voice,
“… What do you think Tori?”
“What do you mean?”
I agreed with him and called her cute.
“Mmm, you’re a bad guy. Don't you like Ayla?”
“Well, even if you say so, …”
It's true that Ayla is cute and I feel comfortable with her, but I don't feel like thinking about such things at this age, probably because of my previous life.
“You're 12 years old now. You should be old enough to have a love affair or two, right?”
Yes, in this world, 16 is the age of maturity.
Which means I'm in the same position as that of a high school student in my previous life.
It was natural for my father to worry about my love life.
But for me, I would rather work and have a good time than have a family.
I don't want to tell my dad this, because he might get angry.
“I mean, it's not nice to have two lovers, is it?”
“What are you talking about? When I was young, I had a lot of women—”
“Is Kaa-san aware about this?”
“Wait a minute! You can't leak a man-to-man conversation to a woman!”
My dad and I went back to the inn, diverting the topic appropriately like that.
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