Chapter 1-8 : To The Market (part 2)
「Whoa… There are a lot of stalls here…」(Kako)
After strolling around the town with Nyat for about ten minutes, we came to a plaza where a large number of people were doing business.
「This is the free market in this town-nya. You can’t open a shop in this town unless you are a resident. However, you still can open a stall to sell your products-nya. The people who open stalls in this plaza are mostly peddlers from other towns. Some of them sell goods that can’t be found in this town-nya.」(Nyat)
「A free market, huh…」(Kako)
「In large towns, usually peddlers gather in the plaza like this to open their stalls-nya. After all, they would cause inconvenience for the townspeople if they open their stalls in streets-nya.」(Nyat)
「I see.」(Kako)
As Nyat said, the people here are mostly selling their products by lining them on mats or tables. There are also people with proper booths or tents.
The products they sell vary. Clothes, antique items, weapons, armor, potions, and many more. There are also people selling food on the edge of the plaza.
「If you’re going to do business, you better learn about prices of goods-nya. This is a good place to start-nya.」(Nyat)
「Alright.」(Kako)
I might want to sell the products I make with my Synthesis Skill to people other than the merchant guild, so at least I have to know the prices of products in this town.
I checked the price tags of the products lined up at the stalls as I strolled around the market.
「Hmm… I see. Daily necessities cost that much, huh…? The food ingredients are not too expensive… Hm? Wow, clothes are quite expensive!」 (Kako)
The clothes that are sold here are unexpectedly expensive.
They’re not high-end branded outfits like the ones in my previous life, so I wonder why they are so expensive.
「Nyat, why are clothes so expensive?」(Kako)
「Well, it’s because clothes are very hard to make-nya. Moreover, the demand for clothes is high, especially in the cold season. Humans don’t have fur like us, cattos, after all-nya.」(Nyat)
「Ah, makes sense.」(Kako)
I remember my history teacher in my previous life once said that clothes were extremely expensive but then they became cheaper after the industrial revolution began a few hundred years ago.
「Because they’re expensive, people normally take good care of their clothes so that they can be worn for a long time-nya.」(Nyat)
「I see. Now that you mention it, I notice there are some people wearing clothes with a lot of patchwork.」(Kako)
「Not only clothes, Ojou-san.」(??)
While I was talking with Nyat, suddenly an old man running a stall in front of us joined our conversation.
「Goods like perishable food ingredient will become more expensive the farther away they are from the place where they are produced. Even cheap food ingredients can be expensive in places with poor harvests. Peddlers who sell food ingredients usually buy their goods cheaply in areas with good harvests and sell them at high price in areas with poor harvests to make a lot of money.」(old peddler)
「I see. So not just clothes but other things can become expensive depending on the situation.」(Kako)
「Exactly. By the way, are you a merchant too?」(old peddler)
「Yeah, but I’m still new. I only just registered with the merchant guild yesterday.」(Kako)
It feels a bit weird to be called a merchant. Probably because I haven’t used to it.
「I see, so you’re just starting. I can tell you some useful information if you want.」(old peddler)
「Yes, please! I’d like to learn more about this business!」(Kako)
「Haha! I like an ambitious young merchant like you. Alright. First, I’ll tell you some common mistakes you should avoid as a new merchantーー…」(old peddler)
The old peddler taught me a lot of things.
He told me things I should do and should avoid as a new merchant, how to compete with other people as a new merchant, how to survive as a new merchant, and a lot more other knowledge I needed to succeed as a new merchant.
「…Kako.」(Nyat)
While I was listening to the old peddler, Nyat, who had been standing behind me in silence, suddenly called out to me.
「What’s wrong? Are you getting bored? I’m sorry I talked with the old man for too long.」(Kako)
「No, it’s not that-nya. I have something to do somewhere else, so can you wait for me here with this old man-nya?」(Nyat)
「Ah, I see. Alright, I’ll be waiting for you here.」(Kako)
「Don’t worry about the lady. I’ll look after her for you.」(old man)
Nyat nodded his head to us, turned around, and went somewhere else.
It’s not my business but I wonder where he is going…
After Nyat left us, the old man continued his lecture.
「ーーand that’s all the basic knowledge newcomers like you need to know.」(old peddler)
「I see. Thank you for the useful information!」(Kako)
「You’re welcome. Now’s the question time. What do you think is the most important thing for you as a merchant?」(old peddler)
「The most important thing as a merchant…?」(Kako)
I crossed my arms and started thinking.
Hmm… Is it money? Connections? …I’m not sure, but I know the most important thing as a human.
「Life… maybe?」(Kako)
「Hahaha! Certainly, life is important! We can’t make money if we’re dead after all!」(old peddler)
No, no. Why is he laughing? It’s not a laughing matter!
I almost died once in the forestー No, I literally died once in my previous world. Dying for me is the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had.
「Well, you’re not wrong, but that’s not what I mean. I’m not talking about life as a human being, but life of a merchant, which is the goods or products.」(old peddler)
「Goods… I see.」(Kako)
Certainly, you can’t call yourself a merchant if you don’t have goods to sell.
「Yup. Your products is your life as a merchant. Therefore, you need to think really carefully when you choose the products you want to sell. If you sell cheap products, you will likely compete with many other merchants. If you sell expensive rare items, you won’t have many competitors, but you’re more likely to be targeted by bandits and thieves. The quantity of your products is also important. You need to think about how many products you will sell so you don’t lose your money. By the way, do you have a carriage?」(old peddler)
「No… Do I have to?」(Kako)
「You better have one if you want to sell your goods in other towns. Well, some peddlers go from town to town on foot while carrying their goods in huge backpacks. Carriages are not cheap after all. However, it would be a tough job for a young lady like you, right? Well, if you don’t have enough money to buy a carriage yet, I suggest you sell salt for a starter because its value doesn’t change much, and more importantly, it’s easy to carry.」(old peddler)
「I see… But, what if I want to sell a lot of items but don’t want to have a carriage? I can’t drive and taking care of the horses seems like too much trouble, so…」(Kako)
「Well, actually there’s a solution for people like you.」(old peddler)
After saying that, the old man took out a worn-out leather bag from his robe.
Could it be… The fantasy-world item I’ve been looking for!?
You can gain access to [Early Access] page and read up to ten chapters ahead by supporting me on [Patreon]
Not enough space? You need a space bag!
I know where the exit is.