The distant orc girl looked a bit flustered as she glanced in their direction. Edward, seeing an orc for the first time in his life, showed a surprised expression. Then, almost instinctively, he asked, "Um... can this child be sold too?"
"Hehe, please don't make such jokes, customer..."
Although the shop owner was momentarily nervous, seeing Edward's apparent unintentional comment, he explained, "Orcs are rarely seen in the South, so it's understandable if you didn't know. This child is an orc, not a monster, so she cannot be bought or sold."
"Orc?"
Although he had heard similar things in the capital in the past and had watched many monster girl anime in his previous life, Edward still showed a curious gaze upon seeing real orcs. On the other hand, though not as obvious as him, Wenli and the others also displayed varying degrees of curiosity.
Seeing their expressions, the shop owner chuckled, "You haven't been to the Western Territories, so you wouldn't know. Beyond the western borders of the Empire, there is a kingdom of orcs where various types of orcs live. I've heard there are even sub-elves, but due to the Empire's recent aggressive trade policies and colonization attempts, the relationship between the Empire and the orc kingdom has become tense. As a result, it has become increasingly rare to see orcs within the Empire."
"As for this child, I found her in an orc village when I traveled to the Western Territories. It seemed she was abandoned by her original parents, and since I was passing by the village while searching for rare magical beasts, I ended up taking her in. Although she had to leave her family, she doesn't seem to mind."
The shop owner spoke while casting an affectionate gaze toward the orc girl, who, despite looking fifteen or sixteen, seemed like an ordinary child in his eyes.
"I see."
Nodding, Edward, recalling some anime scenes in his mind, and considering potential future filming, attempted to ask the orc girl, "Could I know your name?"
"..."
Without receiving a response, the girl, with her big watery eyes, shrank back, avoiding Edward's gaze. The shop owner quickly explained, "She doesn't have a name yet. It seems she doesn't want to recall her past, and no matter how I ask, she won't reveal her previous name. So, I haven't dared to randomly give her a name."
"I see. Then, can I know your name? My name is Edward Durin."
"Of course, Mr. Edward. I'm Lawrence, the owner of this monster shop."
While Edward wanted to ask more about orcs, he realized that business was more important and promptly inquired, "So, Manager Lawrence, I came here this time to search for a creature called a Giant Slime. I've heard you travel a lot, so you should have some clues."
"A giant... slime?"
Expressing surprise, Lawrence thought for a moment before saying, "Well, there are some, but these creatures not only have a certain corrosiveness but also can't be kept as pets like regular slimes. When I hunted them before, I thought they were unique, but regretted it later when I found out no one wanted to buy them."
"They exist? Don't worry, I'll take all the giant slimes you have, and money is not an issue."
Surprised that the issue could be resolved so easily, Edward smiled, and Lawrence nodded while muttering, "Alright. But honestly, fewer and fewer people are willing to spend money on buying monsters nowadays. The nobles in town had considered buying a young silver wolf from my shop before, but due to some unforeseen accidents, his son got bitten. After the rumor spread, even fewer people dared to come and buy monsters. If no one is willing to buy monsters in a few months, I'm thinking of traveling to other towns with this child to seek new opportunities."
"I see."
Following Lawrence into the actual monster room, Edward was astonished to find that this monster shop possessed more creatures than he had imagined. Whether it was cute slimes and silver wolves or somewhat terrifying goblins and giant spiders, almost every kind of monster was gathered here.
Seemingly aware of Edward's surprise, Lawrence just smiled and said, "Are you surprised by why there are so many monsters here? In fact, I used to love traveling. During my journeys, I captured various monsters. Although taking care of them is quite troublesome, I don't find it annoying. However, if this shop were to go out of business, I'm afraid I'd have to bid farewell to these monsters. After all, taking care of them requires a considerable financial burden."
Hearing Lawrence's words, Edward, whose eyes were gleaming with excitement, quickly said, "That's fantastic! If there are so many 'extras,' Manager Lawrence, I have a proposal. Are you interested?"
"A proposal?"
Seeing the man's confusion, Edward smiled and said, "Yes, or you could call it a deal. A deal that could save this monster shop. In simple terms, it's an advertisement. Yes, an advertisement. Mr. Lawrence, have you heard of advertisements? A way to earn a living by generating electricity."
"Are you talking about those pieces of paper posted on the walls?"
Apparently, due to the invention of papermaking and printing technology, small advertisements posted on walls had already emerged in this world. However, what Edward meant by advertisements was naturally something more advanced.
Seeing Lawrence becoming increasingly unable to understand his words, Edward, no longer beating around the bush, explained the meaning of video advertisements. He pointed out that as long as Lawrence was willing to rent his monsters to Edward, Edward would then incorporate some monster-related advertisements into the movies he filmed. Of course, he assured Lawrence that he wouldn't include them in the main scenes but planned to insert them in the middle of transition animations or at the end.
This way, not only could monsters accumulate popularity and save the endangered monster shop, but Edward could also have a large number of monster "extras." It was a win-win situation.
Upon hearing the explanation, though not entirely understanding the concepts of "filming" and "advertisements," Lawrence, showing enthusiasm, said generously, "If it's about renting, of course, it's possible. After all, if we can't resist these few months, this shop might directly close down. Compared to that, Mr. Edward, what you're talking about may be a way to save this monster shop. I agree."
"Haha, don't worry. If the movie really gets made, remember not to be frightened by the crowds! If needed, feel free to ask us for help."
"I hope so."
Although Lawrence didn't explicitly say it, he evidently didn't completely believe Edward's words. After all, the idea that a single advertisement could attract numerous people to his monster shop sounded too ideal.
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