Chapter 2-11 : Gemstones (part 1)
I still couldn’t believe I had become a golden-ranked merchant which was the highest rank in the Merchant Guild.
A lot had happened since yesterday and my mind couldn’t keep up…
「Kako ojou-sama, is there anything you would like to do after this?」(Marqise)
Marqise asked me as soon as we got into the carriage after leaving the Merchant Guild.
「Anything I want to do? Hmm… Honestly, I’m curious about the Keemariq bandit group. We came to this city to capture them in the first place.」(Kako)
「You don’t have to worry about them. Elvent-sama and Maitena ojou-sama are currently working to track them down.」(Marqise)
「Eh? I know Maitena onee-sama is tracking them down, but… Father too?」(Kako)
「Yes. Elvent-sama is commanding the knights for the time being. Keemariq bandit group has been doing illegal business in multiple regions. If Elvent-sama can capture them, the other lords in other regions will owe him a favor.」(Marqise)
「I see.」(Kako)
Even Father is doing his best to capture those criminals.
I want to do some investigation, but it’s too dangerous for me to do it alone. I wonder what else I can do…
Oh, right! The stolen goods!
I think I can start by looking for the goods they stole. They might have sold some of them in the market. I can use my appraisal ability to find them.
That means, my next stop will beー
「Marqise, I think I want to go to the market. As a merchant, I have to learn about the market prices for various goods in this city.」(Kako)
「Understood.」(Marqise)
Now we’re heading to the market in the center of the city.
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I can see so many stalls and shops here. Not only that, there are also so many traveling merchants with their carriages which are filled with various goods.
This market is massive. Obviously, it’s much bigger than the market in Tranto Town.
I wanted to find the stolen goods, so I visited the stalls that sold weapons and armor as I walked, but I couldn’t find them.
After walking around the market for a while, a shop selling colorful-looking things caught my attention.
I looked at the signboard. There was a picture of multiple rounded things in various colors on the board.
「Oh? What is that shop?」(Kako)
「Kako ojou-sama, that’s a gemstone shop.」(Marqise)
「Gemstones? I see.」(Kako)
So, the picture on the signboard seems to be a picture of gemstones.
「However, that shop only sells cheap low-quality gemstones that can’t be used to make jewelry. Usually, they sell them to travelers as souvenirs or the people who like to collect stones.」(Marqise)
Cheap, low-quality gemstones… Wait, isn’t it perfect to practice my Synthesis Skill?
「That’s interesting. I want to take a look.」(Kako)
「We’re right behind you.」(Marqise)
We headed for the gemstone shop on the other side of the market.
Marqise and Thea were walking next to me on both sides, making sure that I wouldn’t get separated from them in the sea of people.
「Whoaa…」(Kako)
As soon as I entered the shop, I could see so many gemstones with various shapes and colors.
Some of them were displayed on the shelves and some of them were packed in wooden boxes. I could also see some stones scattered on the floor. However, all of them looked pretty.
「Welcome, cute lady. I hope you find stones you like here.」(shopkeeper)
I was greeted by a middle-aged woman behind the counter.
I nodded at her with a smile and looked around the shop.
I know little about gemstones, so I’m not sure which ones I should buy.
They look almost the same to me, and I notice that yellow and white stones are dominating this shop for some reason.
Unable to decide, I approached the woman and asked.
「Auntie, how many types of gemstones do you sell here?」(Kako)
「Hmm, I’m not that sure myself, but I think there are ten types.」(shopkeeper)
「I see. I want to buy fifty of each typeー No. One full box for each type.」(Kako)
「Whaー A full box of each type!? That means you want to buy ten boxes of gemstones!?」(shopkeeper)
The woman looked very surprised as if she was saying, “For real!?”
「Umm… Yes.」(Kako)
「UーUnderstood! Please wait a moment! …Thor! Mary! Come and help your mother here! We’ve got a generous customer today!」(shopkeeper)
The woman turned toward the back of the store and called her children.
Not long after, a young girl and a boy came out.
「Whoa… Is she a princess?」(girl)
「……」(boy)
They looked at me in awe when they noticed my presence.
The girl thought I was a princess, while the boy was staring at me silently with a blushing face.
Are they bewitched by my charm…?
Hm? Wait… The girl is definitely looking at me, but… the boy’s gaze seems to be pointing slightly off from me.
Aa! He’s not looking at me! He’s looking at Thea who’s standing behind me!
I wonder if all males like maids… Well, I quite like maids myself, so it’s not that I don’t understand his feelings at all.
「Don’t just stand there! Help me pack these stones into these boxes!」(shopkeeper)
「All of them!?」(boy)
「Yes, hurry up!」(shopkeeper)
The children looked surprised. It seems that they rarely sell so many gemstones at once.
When her children started packing the gemstones, the woman approached me in a hurry while carrying a chair.
Seems like she considers me as a VIP customer now.
「I’m sorry, my lady. It will take a while, so please have a seat while waiting.」(shopkeeper)
「Thank you.」(Kako)
「Kako ojou-sama, your dress will get dirty. Please use this.」(Thea)
The wooden chair was a bit dusty, so Thea put a clean cloth on it before I took a seat.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the woman and her children finished packing all the gemstones into ten wooden boxes.
「I’m sorry to keep you waiting, my lady.」(shopkeeper)
「No problem. How much is it?」(Kako)
「It’s four gold coins in total.」(shopkeeper)
One gold coin is around 150,000 yen, which means four gold coins equals 600,000 yen (around 4,100 usd)
Let’s say, one box contains a hundred gemstones, that means there are about a thousand stones in these ten boxes.
So, one gemstone is worth around 600 yen, huh? That’s not too bad. (around 4 usd)
I took out my wallet, was about to pay, but Marqise stepped forward and talked to the woman.
「Someone from Marquis Kushaq’s mansion will deliver the money with a little bit extra later.」(Marqise)
「Understood. Thank you, sir! I will carry the boxes to the carriage.」(shopkeeper)
「Let me help you.」(Marqise)
Marqise and the woman started carrying the boxes full of gemstones and put them into the back of the carriage.
「Uhh… I can pay for it myself…」(Kako)
「Kako ojou-sama, the daughters of nobles don’t pay with their own money.」(Thea)
「Is that so? But…」(Kako)
「Well, if you don’t like the idea, you can talk about it with your father when you get home.」(Thea)
「You’re right.」(Kako)
After they finished loading boxes into the carriage, I decided to return to the mansion.
I have to talk about this with Father. If this continues, he will end up paying for everything I buy…
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Bet your father will say no as long as you are in his city cuz butler is there assisting you lol
Thanks for the chapter