LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 178
Chapter 178. The Bumpy Family And Smooth Days
“Where are you headed?”
While walking through the streets of Sevites, Eutis asked.
“To the merchant association. Have you heard of the Adele Merchant Association?”
“No, I’m sorry. I’m not very familiar with merchant associations outside of fashion…”
“Ah, I see. After that, I plan to head to the Guard Headquarters.”
“The Guard Headquarters?”
“Yeah, do you know about it?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I remembered it last night while looking over some notes. When we arrived in this city, I was advised to stop by. I can’t believe I forgot.”
“What business do you have there?”
She answered in a slightly quieter voice. It was a busy street, so it was out of caution.
“I was thinking about finding out the identity of the person who became the vessel.”
“Oh… that was a blind spot.”
“Yeah. Given their current situation, I can’t send them home just yet, but once I know their identity, things will be easier later. I can’t believe I forgot something so important.”
“That’s okay. You’ve had a lot to do.”
“Thanks for saying that. It does make it a little easier.”
Though, it’s not exactly something I can easily excuse.
We left the subject there and continued chatting on our way to the Adele Merchant Association.
“By the way, what’s the typical athletic wear in this country?”
“Athletic wear… you mean?”
It seems she didn’t quite understand.
“Hmm, it’s clothes meant for when you need to move your body.”
“I don’t hear much about clothes made for that specific purpose…”
Ah, that’s right. In this world, clothes are custom-made. It’s rare for ordinary people to own anything other than everyday clothes.
“I see, I understand now.”
“Sometimes we get orders for clothes that are easy to move in, but mostly it’s from merchants.”
“I see.”
“However, people do care about appearances, so the clothes tend to have elaborate decorations.”
“I see.”
It seems like there isn’t a category for athletic wear here. But hearing that merchant clothes are designed with movement in mind was useful.
“Maybe I could make a line of clothes for aspiring merchants, including ready-made clothing.”
“Clothes for aspiring merchants?”
“Yeah, the economy is doing well in this country, right? I think the number of merchants is rising. If it’s clothes they wear every day, they’d want them durable, easy to move in, and decent-looking.”
“That could be a good idea.”
“And if they’re cheap and new, they might catch on. Not just with merchants, but even the townspeople could start buying them if they see them as decent clothes.”
“That would probably work.”
“Then maybe shirts like the one I’m wearing would be good.”
“…The white dress shirt?”
I tugged at my shirt to show it, and Eutis nodded.
“At first, I thought a plain white shirt seemed too plain, but the more I see it, the more the other clothes look overdecorated. Plus, it looks easy to move in. Even though it’s long-sleeved, if it were short-sleeved, it would use less fabric. The pants also seem easy to wear.”
“Hmm…”
Come to think of it, even the guild master had wanted to learn how to make shirts like this. In this world, clothing often has a Middle Eastern vibe, with loose robes tied at the waist. Maybe fully separated outfits like mine are rare.
“Then I’ll try making patterns for dress shirts, T-shirts, short-sleeved shirts, and slacks.”
Our chat with Eutis proved to be quite meaningful.
◆
“Hello, Akira-san… Oh, who is this beautiful lady?”
When we arrived at the Adele Merchant Association, Lotton Magua, with his monocle, greeted us like a true merchant.
“Oh, this is Eutis. She’s been helping me a lot.”
“I see. I’m Lotton Magua. Nice to meet you.”
“Uh, yes. I’m Eutis. It’s a pleasure.”
Eutis seemed a little awkward, likely not used to merchant greetings.
“Has the goods arrived?”
“Yes, but…”
Lotton glanced at Eutis before continuing.
“Oh, I’ll wait here. Please go ahead with your work.”
“Sorry, just wait a bit.”
“Yes.”
I left Eutis behind and went to the back, where a large number of mirrors were carefully stored. Lotton brought one over.
“Ah, this one has a crack in it.”
“Yeah. The delivery person didn’t notice, but when I opened the blanket…”
“I see. And who was the delivery person?”
“He said he’d report it tonight.”
“That’s fine. We’ll deliver the replacement at a later time.”
“Thank you. Now, here’s the stock for today. 100 pieces.”
“Thank you.”
This is the third lost item. It’s fewer than I expected.
Remaining balance: 1,125,842 yen.
Ah, I wish I had saved this much in my original world…
“What should we do with the broken mirror? It’s not shattered, so it’s still sellable.”
“No, please handle it however you see fit.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I want to stay on good terms with the Adele Merchant Association.”
“That’s our line to say.”
We exchanged friendly smiles, but the underlying situation was murky. But that’s how business works.
“By the way, about that matter, we’re ready to proceed anytime.”
“I see… but we haven’t reached the set number of 1,000 pieces yet…”
“The current stock should be enough. If we display what we have, we can manage.”
“I feel like I’ve found a strong partner.”
“I feel like I’m teaming up with the devil.”
We smiled at each other again, peacefully.
“Well, I think it’s time to move. Do you have the cash?”
“Yes, plenty.”
“Understood. Let’s proceed.”
Soon, I’ll be going to end that guy’s life.
◆
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No, but it’s impressive how quickly you’ve made connections with a merchant association after just arriving in this country.”
“Lotton’s a good guy. Now, could you guide me to the Guard Headquarters?”
“Of course.”
She led me to a sturdy-looking building located in a prominent part of the main street, near the central square with the endless water jars.
“I thought it would be attached to the castle.”
“In this country, it’s separate.”
The castle in this country was smaller than Pilatus Castle. Maybe it’s because they don’t have a monarchy?
I entered the Guard Headquarters while thinking about irrelevant things.
――.
――――.
“How did it go?”
“No leads. There seem to be missing persons, but none match the description of the woman I gave.”
“That’s… unfortunate.”
“I’ve asked them to let me know if anything comes up.”
But this is a different world. Unlike Japanese police, I don’t expect them to be overly helpful. I’ll have to solve this on my own. For now, their treatment comes first. Once they’re mentally stable, things will work out.
“Let’s move on to your business.”
“Yes.”
“So, what did you want to show me?”
After scanning the surroundings, Eutis leaned closer to me.
“I’ve prepared a small workshop for practicing with a sewing machine. I wanted you to see it.”
“Ah, I see. Where is it?”
“Near the guild.”
“Got it. Let’s go.”
Guided by Eutis, we headed to a small building right next to the fashion guild. It seemed like a building from a bankrupt merchant association, isolated from the surrounding noise.
Inside, several women who were introduced as part of the sewing machine project were busily cleaning. The first member, Preliana, was also there.
“Ah, hello, Akira-sama.”
“I told you to stop with the ‘sama’.”
“Sorry… but…”
“We’re all part of the same project, so relax.”
“Yes… Akira-san.”
It was hard to ignore the rosy cheeks