Chapter 2 Episode 12
Capital of Commerce Erin
While taking short breaks along the way, we somehow reached the city of Erin before lunch. While traveling we burnt through our stock of preserved food. Eating high calories cookie made with lard and sugar.
Even though I could use regenerative abilities to prevent my muscles to snap from fatigue, without replenishing the spent calories I would have ran out of gas and died.

Erin is place where goods from all cardinal directions are gathered and sold.
With low taxes, and a location with easy access. Along with a climate that’s favorable for several races made that possible.

「That’s a long line of carriages」

Lucie, in my arms says so with astonishment. The city of Erin is prepared for foreign invasions. The entire city is surrounded by a 10 meter tall wall. In each direction there’s huge gate that is the only mean of entry. In the gate, there’s a long line of carriages. There’s at least fifty lined up.
「There’s a customs checkpoint. Since it’s a big city, when you enter they check your luggage, and collect a tax according to that. This checking takes time.」
「You have to pay when you enter the city?」
「That’s the easiest way. It also serve to prevent entry of hazardous products, and if cheap merchandise comes from outside, the products made by the citizens would not sell so they can also raise the prices with taxes」

This kind of thing happens in every world at every age.
Being the most efficient it naturally becomes like this.

「Do we have to enter that line? …… That looks like it will take the whole day by itself」

Says Kuu who’s being carried on my back with a unhappy voice.
I also don’t want that.

「Don’t worry, people without cargo don’t have to pa.s.s the customs check and can enter if we have a pa.s.s. This is a pa.s.s.」

I point at the side of the wagons where people with a wooden pa.s.s dangling from their necks were pa.s.sing through. From the upper pocket on my jacket I pull out our own pa.s.s.

「Cyril, so you had something like that」
「It’s because back in the day Dad came to shop. But the it has already expired so we’ll have to pay a renovation fee. You have to renew it once every two years.」

If I recall correctly, the fee is 5 gold coins(300,000 yen). Quite expensive, but our budget is 300 gold coins(18,000,000 yen) so paying is not a problem.

「It’s incredible, if you enter with luggage you have to pay, if you don’t you have pay, in this even if you didn’t do anything wouldn’t the expenses still pile up?」
「That’s right. But to administrate a large city takes a lot of money so I think it’s necessary. The administration is also very complicated so it’s not an enviable position. 」

In the past I was the governor of a city with a hundred thousand people. That time the stress was so great my hair started to fall down and I developed anorexia and insomnia.
The me at the time thought I was like superman and did everything alone. No, I didn’t have to courage to rely on other people. Because of that the work and responsibilities started to pile up and the strain was such that both me and the city crumbled down. It’s a bitter memory.

「So it’s like that.」
「It’s like that. Come, let’s enter the city」

I gently let Lucie and Kuu down.
Both of them plus the gold weighed more than 100 kg so my body felt light instantly.

I took the bag with gold from Lucie and we started walking.

「There’s a few warnings we have to go over before we enter. The most importan is that you have to realize that the city is dangerous」
「I understand, Cyril」
「Right」

Both answer me with happy smiles.

「Never get separated. Once we enter the city, you’ll both go together to buy clothes at that time never leave one another. Also never go where there’s no people around. 」
「That’s fine, but why?」
「I said that in this town you can find all sorts of merchandise, people are also counted as merchandise. For labor, they prefer healthy young men but for pleasure they usually prefer beautiful young women.」

Lucie and Kuu are both great beauties. And Lucie is still a virgin.

「If they can sing, dance or read and write the price goes up. In the first place elves and firefoxes themselves reach high prices easily」

Elves and firefoxes only start to show signs of aging after a certain age. It’s not like their lives are longer but the period they are beautiful is so they are popular as s.e.x slaves.

Aside from that, if they have children they can also be sold for money. If they get tired of them they can kill them and sell the magic stones for profit. These benefits are unthinkable.

「So if you’re careless, they can a.s.sault you from behind and attach a magic suppressing collar and run off to sell you, so be careful.」

From the tone of my voice, they realize i’m telling the truth and go rigid.

「With this, we can hide the ears」

Lucie’s we cover with earm.u.f.f and we hide Kuu’s with a hat. With this their identifying characteristics are hidden. Kuu’s tail was hidden under her skirt.
Like this, the three of us enter the city. Each pa.s.s allows up to five people so after paying six gold coins for the renewal fee are able to enter.

It looks like the price of renewing went up a little.
After entering the city, there’s people everywhere so Lucie and Kuu’s eyes dart around.

「First let’s look for an inn, we’ll have to spend the night today.」

After saying that, a cute noise sounds.

When I look at it, Kuu’s face goes red and she covers her stomach.

「After finding a inn, let’s go eat.」
「That’s, yes, I’m sorry」

Kuu apologizes with a red face. Now it’s not visible, but I’m sure under the hat her ears are dropped.

「I’m also hungry, so I would like that」
「Kuu, it’s all right. I’m also quite hungry so let’s hurry up and find an inn」
Then I got us a room at the inn with the best crime prevention measures. It cost 2 gold coins (120.000 yen). For just one night, it’s quite expensive, but tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast is included. More importantly I made the decision because they have a warehouse we can borrow to temporary store the ingredients we buy.

After wrapping up at the inn, we come to a street where merchants gather.

「It won’t take long so let’s buy something at the stands」

In the city of Erin, there’s a lot of stalls selling foods they are proud of.
They have ingredients from various places so just looking is fun.

「There is a lot of food I never saw before, some I don’t even know if they are edible」
「I’m also kinda scared」

Both of them are quite conservative regarding foods, setting aside the times they trust the cook, in a situation like this they hesitate a little.

「Want me to choose something good?」
「Yes, we’ll leave it to you」

Lucie answers while Kuu nods her head so let’s find something suitable.
I take my wallet from my breast pocket. First I buy some barley milk porridge, and three goat skewers.

The milk porridge was one silver coin(1200 ten), the goat skewers where 8 copper coins each(320 yen), a fair price.

Barley is different from wheat because you just eat the grains without having to make flour. The size and uses are similar to rice. The porridge sold at the stand is made by boiling the grains in goat’s milk and then seasoned with a bit of salt.

The lamb skewer are simply pieces of goat meat in a skewer roasted over a fire.

「Cyril has money other than the gold coins」

While looking at me with the wallet, Lucie says with a surprised expression.

「Well, I already came before with my father. If you try to pay with gold coins at a stand you’ll only get pestered 」

After all 1 gold coin is worth 50 silver. If you bring out something like that they probably don’t even have enough change.
By the way I took these silver and bronze coins from the imperial soldiers I killed.

To take things from the dead is basic in war. If you add together the small change from the over five hundred corpses it ends up as quite a lot.
From the beginning, The Empire and Korine Kingdom are separated by another kingdom. There’s no problem using it as a common currency.

The money I got from the ransom I’ll only use to help Elucie, but the money in my wallet I plan to use whoever I want.

「Here, eat while it’s still hot」

While saying that I give the lamb skewers and porridge to Kuu and Lucie in wooden bowls.

「The smell is kinda bad, but it tastes good」
「It’s indeed good but the smell is strange. It’s not so bad that I can’t handle , but I don’t like it.」

Kuu and Lucie make faces at the unique smell of the goat’s milk, but eat the porridge happily.

「You going to have to get used to the smell, I think we’ll end up eating something like this for a while.」
「What do you mean?」
「Barley is cheap, and holds well I is the main thing I plan to buy today. The milk is goat’s milk. After we buy and bring back goats we’ll drink everyday.」

That’s why i chose barley porridge and goat meat skewers. I wanted them to get to know what we’re buying today.

「I see, we’ll eat this every at Elucie. It’s all right, we’ll probably get used to the smell eventually and the taste is not bad」
「Yes, the meat is a bit hard, the smell is a bit sinewy. but the taste is fine so I look forward to it 」

Kuu and Lucie’s tongues get used to the taste and the objections towards goat disappear.
Actually, both the milk and the meat of goats doesn’t taste so good. Sheep is much better in both aspects.

Even so I chose goats, because they are a more hardy animal.
They can still walk around and sleep even at below freezing temperatures, even if you bait them into the forest at the middle of winter they’ll dig up roots to eat or snack on the bark of tree and will not die of starvation.
If you put a sheep in the goat’s place they’ll die in less than two days.

The goats that will not die even if you leave them alone are the best partners of the poor. Leaving aside the taste of the milk and meat, goats are also more nutritious.
Also it takes some effort to work the fur but you can make high quality goods with it.

「Now that we finished eating, let’s go buy clothes. I already asked where the biggest shop is so let’s go there.」

We don’t have much time so we hurry along.

Arriving at the store, it is bigger than expected.
About two times the size of the village chief’s house it’s crowded with people and clothes. I asked the owner of the inn to introduce me to one that the cost performance and quality was good, but I never expected this much.

「Welcome!」

The face of the employee who responded cordially, after looking at us distorted for a moment but soon returned to a friendly smile.
Lucie and Kuu’s appearance is good but, from the employee’s point of view their attire is pretty unfashionable. No matter how one looks at it, they are country b.u.mpkins.

Customers like that usually don’t spend much money so a sour face is expected.
I take two or three clothes and check the quality of the fabric and the sewing.
I ignore the displeased look from the employee for having a customer who looks like it doesn’t have money touching the merchandise.
We can’t be buying weird clothes.

「Good craftsmanship, the fabric used is also good. The quality is a bit too high though…」

The quality of the fabric and workmanship is a bit too good. If we give these to the firefoxes, the elves will complain. However, to buy clothes for all the elves would be difficult.
After thinking a bit, I find a good solution.

「Could you come over for a bit？」

After being called the employee approaches reluctantly.

「How can I help, dear customer?」
「I’ll give you 30 gold coins(1.800.000 yen). Those two will chose about fifty sets of clothes so deduct it from these. With what’s left, could we buy fabrics with it? Ask the two for which ones」

To buy fifty sets of clothes 30 gold coins is more than enough.
At this age, clothes are all handmade. One set costs around 10 silver(12.000yen) to 20 silver(24.000yen) at market price. 20 gold coins (1.200.00yen) is already more than enough.
So that they don’t think I’m lying I open the bag show the gold coins.

「If it’s fifty sets there will be a lot of money left over. If you use it to buy fabric the amount will be quite big」
「I don’t mind. Along with that let’s put a request to open holes for the tails and stuff. We’re leaving tomorrow so it’ll have to be done by then. We’ll pay extra for the rush. If you can’t do it, we’ll look for another shop, how about it?」

I’m buying the fabrics for the elves. Since it’s just the material it’s much cheaper than clothes. Unlike the firefoxes who have no change of clothes, the elves are better off. I can bring the fabric as a souvenir and have them make their own clothes during the winter.

「We’ll accept it happily. There are not many customers like you. We would appreciate the continued patronage from now on」
「Of course, there’s a few on display but the job is well done. Next time I’ll come and order a suit for myself」
「Yes if that’s case I recommend to have custom made for you. Our shop also provides these services.」
「Then i’ll do that at the time. What else… This is separated from before but I want you to use your abilities as a professional and bring out the clothes that draw out the most of those two’s charm」
「As a personal gift from, let’s keep a secret from them. The budget is up to 10gold coins(600.000 yen). The time limit is tomorrow, I want it delivered together with the fifty sets to the inn we are staying」

After I say that, the employee gives me a lukewarm smile.
These 10gold coins(600.000 yen), I take from my wallet. It my greatest private expenditure today.

「Of course, I can do that. I can tell the approximate size just by looking. For tomorrow completely custom made is impossible, so it’s fine if it’s only semi custom made? 」
「Let’s go with that」

The conversation is finished so I give the employee 40 gold coins and go back to the two.
「Sorry for making you wait, I already paid the money so all that’s left is to choose the clothes. Kuu when there’s need for a hole for the tails or any adjustments you can just ask the employee. Everything will be ready by tomorrow」
「The service is really good. The clothes are also good, isn’t it expensive?」
「Not at all. Every thing together doesn’t cost more than one fiftieth of what we got for the hostages. 」
「Cyril’s face doesn’t look like you are lying. That’s good, if it really is cheap I can rest easy.」

The fact that we s.n.a.t.c.hed two thousand gold coins(120.000.000yen) yesterday is a secret only I know. The elves probably estimate I got one at most two digits out of it.
Lucie and Kuu, even in their dreams wouldn’t imagine we spent 40 gold coins(2.400.000) in this store alone.

「So don’t worry and choose to your heart’s content. To give delight to the firefoxes waiting in the village is the most important thing」
「Right!」

Kuu answers happily. She’s probably happy to bring back good clothes to her friends.

「Lucie, I want you to help Kuu, and to choose fabric they use in the clothes here to bring back as a gift to the elves. The money for that is also paid. It will be bought with what’s left after the clothes so ask the employee how much it will be」
「Really? The fabric they use here is beautiful, with this we can have fun making various things. We’ll make a lot during winter 」

Lucie says happily while thinking of the elves making clothes.
From now on I can leave the rest to them.

「I’ll go buy ingredients and livestock. When I’m finished I’ll take a look at this shop, but after you two are done choosing you can go back to the inn earlier」

I give 10 silver coins(12.000 yen) to Kuu and Lucie.

「Cyril, what this for?」
「Just a little expending money. This is not from the village but my own pocket money so use it as you like 」
「That’s no good」
「It’ all right, we did come to the city so if you see something you like feel free to buy, they sell alcohol and meat here so it’s a loss no to have fun 」

Walking on the main road should be safe enough. Unless something unexpected happens, Kuu and Lucie are pretty strong. They can enjoy the city to their hearts content.
The only worry is them getting lost, but I can definitely find them.

「Even if want to return it Cyril will not take it back right?」
「Lucie understands me well」
「I will use the money well. Right, any way I want」

Saying that Lucie gives a mischievous smile.
Kuu, looking at Lucie’s eyes seems to realize something and they both nod.
I tilt my head while looking at them and leave the store.

After that, I come to a large goat ranch at the outskirts of the town.
After saying I want to buy goats, the owner happy shows me to where the goats are.
As expected of the ranch that supplies most of the city, there are thousands of goats.

「But, to buy goats at this time of year, you are pretty strange」
「I’m buying precisely because of the time」

Normally, you don’t buy goats giving milk at the end of pregnancy and if you do, it’s expensive. However, just before the winter it’s time to cull the goats so you can get some easily.

It’s difficult to procure food for the goats during winter so you have to make do with your stockpiles. But there’s a limit to that. So they sell the goats they can’t maintain for meat.

At Elucie we can solve this problem by letting them go to the woods but there’s no forest close to Erin. Even then one or two hundred is fine but if you release this much goats at a forest they would eat a the roots of every tree causing them to wither killing the forest, so you can’t do that.

「For the females at the end of pregnancy I’ll pay one gold coin each. For males I want two for one gold coin. I want ninety females and ten males, adding all together it comes out to ninety five gold coins. Hou about it?」
「Good, at that price ye help me lots」

What I suggested was a little under half the market price.
But, due to the timing, it is quite a good deal for the owner.

Goat meat is not very tasty so you can sell each 100g of meat for about 5 bronze coins. One goat weighs about 30kg, but there’s only about 15kg of useable meat. So each goat is only worth about 20 silver coins (24.000yen). If you add the fur and skin to the equation it reaches around 30 silver(36.000yen).

Disa.s.sembling the meat and processing the fur also take work. I, who removed all that work and offered a higher price than he would get, must look like a G.o.d to him.

「So choose the ones ye’ll want」
「Then i’ll do that」

After getting permission from the owner, I look over each goat, using 【a.n.a.lysis】 I check their age, health and build.

I select the young healthy ones and lead them outside the pallet. After separating them in two groups, I buy the one on the ousite.

「Ye’r a pro aintcha. Till the last ye only choose the one I didn’t want turned to meat」
「I’m not a pro but you can tell if they are healthy or not by looking」

Sayin the appropriate things, the negotiations advance.

「Here’s the agreed upon money. With this all these goats are now mine」
「Ye’r right, but how yer gonna carry them?」

The owner who accepted the money from me ask with curiosity.

「I have a secret magic. I’t troublesome if you see it, so I’ll need you to sleep for while」

While saying that I stealthy hit him in the jaw and making his brain shake.
After confirming he’s down, I start the magic.

「Release, my soul. Trace back the time of the patch once taken, here and now」

My soul heats up with 【Reincarnation Recall】that I haven’t used in a while.

「My wish is, the knight who continued to be virtuous in the world of vanity, the name is…」

What was once my name. I call out sonorously the nostalgic name.

「Deet! 【Reincarnation Recall】!」

Then, my body changes into the shape of knight in armor.
What I called Deet for is, of course, to use 【Item Box】.

However, there are two limitations to the item box. First you can only put things up to 4000kg in it. The second one is that living things can’t be put in.
Of course, goats are living things so they can’t be put on 【Item Box】.
But, there is a way.

「I’m sorry.【Electric Current Reinforcing】」

I touch the goats and activate the magic. The goat’s heart is stopped by the electricity.
「Baaaaaaaaaa!」

Doing that, the goat eyes’s go full white. The heart stopped completely.
I put this goat into the 【Item Box】.

「If it’s in a state of apparent death, it can go in」

That’s right, this is one way of using 【Item Box】.
Then the things inside【Item Box】are preserved the way they are when put in.
When taking them out, I can just resuscitate them and they can keep living normally. Using this trick, transporting living beings becomes possible.

I put every goat in that state and then into the 【Item Box】.
Each goat weighs about 30kg, so after putting a hundred in there’s still some s.p.a.ce left.

However, we need s.p.a.ce for the clothes so i’ll have to sneak out tonight and go back to Elucie and release the goats.
I release 【Reincarnation Recall】and return from Deet to Cyril.

「Old man, wake up」

I wake up the owner.

「Ah, er what was I?」
「You fell down all of a sudden, i was suprised」
「Sorry ‘bout that」

The owner looks around with a surprised face.

「What happened to them goats? The goats ye bought are gone」
「It’s all right, My companions carried them out」
「I see, that’s good. Thanks for buying the goats today.」
「I should be thanking you, it’s was a good purchase」

After that, I leave the owner and return to Erin.
It took longer than I though, so I decided to buy the ingredients tomorrow and went to pick the girls up.
First I stop by the clothes store but they seem to have already left, so I go towards the inn. Thanks for letting me choose clothes for those beautiful girls, the employee said. As expected of my brides.
After entering the room we’ve rented i hear their footsteps.
It’s Lucie and Kuu. They’re both alright so i’m relieved.

「Cyril, welcome back」
「You’re late. We waited a long time」

They seem to be in a good mood. Did something good happen?

「Sorry, it took longer than I thought to find the goats」
「Is that so? Good work Cyril-kun」

Kuu gives me these words of praise. I’m a little happy.

「That’s right, Cyril. After we finished choosing clothes we went into the city and spent the money you gave us」
「That’s nice. Did you buy something good?」
「We don’t know」
「Don’t know?」
「Yes, don’t know」

Lucie and Kuu look each other and laugh.

「That’ right, after all we haven’t shown it to Cyril yet so we still don’t know if its good or not」
Inside my head a lot of question marks pop up.

「Cyril, accept this present from both of us」
「Actually, we wanted to buy separately but we both saw it at the same time and there was not enough money to buy separately. Then we decided to buy together. And we thought that showing you how we are getting along would be best. 」

Sayin that Lucie hands me a small wrapped box.
Opening it, there’s a watch inside.
Uncommon for the age, there a silver pocket watch inside.

「Thank you for everything Cyril」
「We are really grateful Cyril-kun」

Their word of grat.i.tude, pierces through my chest.
I two-timed on them so I was afraid of being hated. Did I end up breaking their friendship, it always worried me. But with this, my uneasiness disappeared.

「… You could have bought something you two wanted」
「We wanted to make you happy. So we bought what we wanted.」
「That’s right. If you liked it would be a good purchase, it not it would be a bad one, do you understand it now?」

I feel something hot inside my chest.
My vision goes hazy with tears.

「This is the best purchase. I’m so happy, I, what can I say, I love you both!!」

While saying that I hug both of them and dive into the bed.

「Kya! Cyril, not so sudden」
「Er, Cyril-kun this is a bit too much」

They voice objections, but don’t really reject me.
I enjoy the heat from hugging them close.