"These are almost level 2 healing potions. We'll purchase them at the level 1 price—does that sound good?"
"Of course," he said.
"Inspection is now complete."
"Are you sure one sample was enough?"
"I've heard about the amazing alchemist who's even better than the deputy guildmaster, so it's all good."
Even if it was flattery, it still made me feel good.
Afterwards, I was handed 252 gold coins. After counting the gold coins in the small pouch, I signed the receipt and then put the coins back in the pouch, storing it in my item box.
Then, I introduced the kids to the inspector and confirmed that we could bring goods here from tomorrow onwards before leaving.
Next stop: the adventurer's guild.
I didn't think we had walked that far, but the kids seemed tired. They didn't have much stamina. Iona, especially, had thin legs probably due to her previous mobility issues. We needed to build up their strength, but I couldn't push them too hard.
"Hey, let's take a break. How about we get some drinks from that stall over there?"
The stall sold grape juice and orange juice, so I let each of them choose what they wanted.
The juice came in clay cups. My grape juice was lukewarm and more sour than sweet, so it wasn't particularly tasty. However, the kids seemed to enjoy theirs, sipping happily. We returned our used cups to the stall; whether they washed them or reused them as-is, it was probably best not to know.
While the kids were guzzling their juice, I asked the stall uncle, "Do you happen to know where I can buy a cart around here?" He pointed me in the right direction: "Head straight to the Adventurers' Guild, and there's a big general store facing the street. You can get a small household cart there."
We returned our cups and headed for the store. The kids followed the uncle leading the way in a single file—just like little ducklings following their mother.
We found the store quickly, went inside, and when I told the clerk we needed a smaller cart, they led us to the back and said, "Pick any cart from these."
I wanted something sturdy that wouldn't break while carrying loads, so I chose two carts that were somewhat heavy but looked solid. I also bought ten spare wooden boxes just in case. I stored everything in my item box. The clerk was surprised but didn't say anything.
We left the store and arrived at the Adventurers' Guild right away. Maybe because I brought the kids with me, some of the adventurers inside glared at us. But I ignored them and walked to the left side of the hall, calling out to the auntie at the stall, "I've brought more potions today."
"Oh, thank you," she said, handing over the wooden box containing 120 potions and receiving 84 gold coins in return.
"Starting tomorrow, these kids will be bringing the potions here, so please take care of them," he said.
"Sure thing. Take care, now. But what about the payment? Is it okay to give such a large amount to the kids?"
Indeed, letting the kids carry a lot of money would be risky.
"When I come by, you can give the payment to me," he replied.
"That sounds better."
He thanked the lady and left the Adventurer's Guild. Worried about the Alchemist's Guild too, he decided to stop by on his way back to the inn to discuss the payment arrangements. Now he felt more at ease letting the kids handle the potion deliveries.
There was still time before lunch. As he walked down the street, he spotted a grocery store and decided to pop in just to browse. Then he remembered that he wasn't actually cooking, but they did have dried fruits in the store. He thought those would make good snacks for the kids, so he picked up a decent amount.
Just as he left the store, the noon bell rang, so he went into a nearby cafeteria for lunch. It was certainly unusual to see him, who looked like an uncle, dining with four kids who didn't look anything like siblings, and they drew quite a few curious glances from other customers. Ignoring the stares, they finished their meal and left the restaurant.
I said we could have free time during the day, but I decided to walk around the city for some exercise and to explore. As I strolled along, I spotted a large building in the distance.
"Hey, do any of you know what that big building is?" I turned around and asked the four kids following me.
"I think it's the town hall," Iona replied.
"Town hall, huh? By the way, what's the name of this town?" I asked the kids, though knowing the town's name wasn't really necessary.
They gave me a puzzled look. Fair enough.
"The town's name is Vale," one of them answered.
Looks like I need to brush up on the basics of this world first. Even though the "town hall" wouldn't be the same as a modern Japanese city office, I figured we could go in for a little field trip with the kids.
Inside the town hall, there were no citizens around, unlike what I was used to back home. There were people in work clothes taking orders from a woman in slightly nicer attire, and guards coming and going. With our group of one adult and four kids, we drew quite a few curious glances.
Realizing this place wasn't meant for us, we quickly made our exit from the town hall.
Only then did I notice another impressive building standing next to the town hall, which I hadn't seen before because of the town hall's size.
"What's that building?"
"I've never been inside that building, but I think it's probably a library."
This place seems a lot more useful than the city hall. Let's check out the library right away.
I decided to take the kids into the library that just happened to be right in front of us.
We entered through the impressive stone entrance and found a counter where we had to pay an admission fee. The fee was one silver coin per person, regardless of age. Based on my light novel knowledge, books are usually expensive in such worlds, so the admission fee wasn't particularly high.
Beyond the counter was the reading room, where books were laid flat on table-like stands with their covers facing up. There might be bookshelves behind the counter, but there weren't any in the reading room, which means there weren't too many books available for reading.
We went in just to see what it was like, and we didn't have anything specific to research or any particular book to read. Still, I was curious, so I flipped through a book lying on a nearby stand. It was filled with handwritten text and occasional illustrations. Since the books were written on what seemed to be parchment, they weren't very thick, even if they were bulky.
I've seen paper before, but it wasn't of high quality, so paper books might not be widely used. If only we could import copy paper from modern Japan, we'd make a fortune. However, while importing high-quality paper might contribute culturally to this world, it wouldn't be as profitable as selling potions.
I was flipping through a book without really reading it, but the kids weren't even touching their books; they were just watching me.
Still, remembering the atmosphere of places like this will surely come in handy someday.
I closed the book I had picked up and took the kids for a quick tour around the place.
"Shall we go now?"
They replied with enthusiastic "Yes!" which might have startled the other visitors quietly reading their books, but oh well. Kids will be kids; please cut them some slack.
The kids seemed uncomfortable with this kind of atmosphere. I remember feeling the same way when I was a kid, so maybe it's a universal thing.
As soon as we stepped out of the library, there was a café right in front of us.
The kids looked worn out despite not having read any books at all. Feeling sorry for them, I took all four into the café and let them order whatever they wanted.
"You can order anything you want."
"Really anything?"
"Of course! Don't worry about the price."
They thanked me with a chorus of "Thank you!"
We pushed together two tables for four and sat down as a group of five, each ordering our favorites. I went for spaghetti, while the kids chose sandwiches with meat and vegetables.
Of course, the dishes probably aren't called spaghetti or sandwiches here, but my brain automatically translates everything from the other world's language to Japanese. When I speak, it sounds like Japanese to me, but the listeners hear it in the other world's language.
So, lip-reading might be meaningless, or there might be some mysterious correction that makes it possible.
The kids had only ordered food, not drinks, so I said, "Don't hold back—order your drinks too."
They each ordered their favorite drinks. All four of them went for juice, and naturally, none asked for alcohol. I would have loved a cold beer, but since they didn't have any, I ordered water. The water was not free, by the way, and it wasn't much cheaper than juice.
While watching the kids drink their juice, I wondered if I could make ice inside the alchemy workshop, so I gave it a try—and it worked just fine.
"Hey, do you guys like cold stuff?"
All four of them were surprised by my sudden question and paused their meal.
"Place your glasses on the table in front of me," I said.
They lined up their glasses on the table. I put the ice cubes I made in the alchemy workshop into their glasses.
"I've added some ice to cool down your drinks. Give them a try."
They cautiously picked up their glasses and took sips of their now-chilled juice.
"It's cold! That's ice inside," I explained.
"Yummy. This is the first time we've seen ice."
"Wow, it's super cold when you touch it."
"..."
The kids seemed to have never seen ice before. So, I guess it doesn't get that cold around here even in winter.
Once they finished their food and juice,
"Since you're done eating, let's head back to the inn."
"Aye aye!"
The kids, unfazed by the cold, were rolling chunks of ice around in their mouths.
Wandering around like this is fine for now, but living in an inn long-term isn't very convenient, and I can't always be dragging the kids along. Looks like we need to rent a house. But then, I'd need to hire a cook since I can't cook, and there's no way these kids can cook either.
A cook would be perfect, so let's start by seriously looking for a real estate agent.
Wandering aimlessly won't help find one, so I thought about asking passersby. However, I don't know anything about real estate in this world. I assume there are rental houses, but do they have specialized agents or real estate professionals here?
So, I decided to ask the kids nearby.
"I'm thinking of renting a house. Do any of you know where I can go to rent one?"
The three ever-cheerful sisters tilted their heads, and Iona chimed in, "I'm sure they handle it at the Merchant's Guild." Despite being quiet, Iona seems pretty smart.
We walked while asking for directions to the Merchant's Guild. Since we were already near the center of town, we didn't have to walk far before reaching it.