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TL: ALT
Chapter 5 – New Products and Bookstore
The royal capital bustled from early morning on.
Craftsmen and laborers were out working, and there were lines in front of bakeries.
Merchants who had been locked out at night passed through the city gates one after another. Caravans heading for other cities were accompanied by guards and made loud clattering sounds with their wheels.
The inn would have prepared breakfast for them, but Wataru and his companions decided to eat out.
It was a rare opportunity, and they wanted to explore the local shops and observe how the people lived.
The inn’s food was probably delicious and reliable, but finding business opportunities was also one of their goals.
“Well, where should we eat?”
“That’s a good question. There aren’t many places open for breakfast.”
“People around here don’t eat much in the morning, do they?”
“It’s just a habit, but I think it’s also because they want to reduce the number of meals they eat to save money. When I lived as a noble, I ate three proper meals a day.”
“We warriors eat too.”
“So not everyone eats only two meals a day.”
They bought some freshly baked bread from a bakery that caught their eye.
A street vendor was selling soup early in the morning right next door, so they decided to sit on a bench and eat bread and soup.
“To be honest, the bread and pastries in this country are a bit unusual. I guess you could say they’re simple.”
“Haha, that’s just because you live in such an advanced place.”
“Is that so? Well, sugar is expensive here, so I guess that makes sense.”
It’s not just the sugar. It’s as if they don’t have baking powder or yeast, so most of the bread and sweets have a dry, crumbly texture.
Or maybe “heavy” is the right word.
This has its advantages, such as being less likely to spoil while traveling and taking up less space. However, it’s not suitable for everyday consumption in the city.
The bread is meant to be dipped in soup.
Being able to spread plenty of butter or jam on it is probably limited to the wealthy.
That’s why there’s room for improvement.
“I guess the best places to look are the larger bakeries, pastry shops, or cafés in the capital city.”
“You want to expand your sugar business, right? Coffee or bread and pastries?”
“I’m all for the city being filled with delicious things!”
“There’s no particular reason. It takes a lot of effort to connect completely different fields of business one after another. I think it would be better to target adjacent areas and create synergies.”
Wataru doesn’t have any strong ambitions or goals when it comes to food.
He was fine selling whatever sold well, made money, and made people happy.
However, he ended up in another world, where he sold sugar at the Welcome Trading Company.
He began to think that this might be fate.
That’s all there is to it.
Moreover, he saw news about Japan’s top companies getting burned by venturing into unrelated businesses, which made him think that targeting adjacent fields might be a better strategy.
News about the world-famous apparel manufacturer “Unique” suddenly starting to sell vegetables flashed through Wataru’s mind. [T/N: You are probably familiar with this.]
〇〇〇
After breakfast, they continued exploring the city.
Once they had decided on the products they wanted to sell, Wataru and the others needed to find the right stores.
He couldn’t negotiate properly unless he found a store with enough financial resources to invest.
Confectionery stores were good targets because they used high-quality ingredients.
Crowded cafés and high-end restaurants were also worth trying.
As they walked along the main street, Wataru spotted a bookstore.
It had a long eave to protect the books from the sun.
Wataru’s eyes lit up with curiosity.
“Hey, it’s a bookstore!”
“You love books, don’t you, Master? You had a lot of books at home.”
“Well, I’m a writer, after all, and I read a lot. There are more e-books now, though. Let’s go in and take a look.”
“Fufu, you look like you’re having fun.”
“Yeah, I’m really curious.”
“I’ll wait outside the store.”
What kind of books are in a bookstore in another world?
He couldn’t help but feel excited.
Inside, bookshelves lined the walls, making it seem like the books were more important than the customers.
It felt like an old-fashioned, family-run used bookstore.
The narrow pathways between the shelves were so tight that customers could barely pass each other.
Perhaps to avoid sunlight, the interior was dimly lit.
In addition to hardcover books, wooden boxes containing unbound parchment scrolls rolled up and tied with string were in the corners.
“Most of the books on the shelves are dictionaries. This one is about the teachings of the sun god…”
“Books are expensive, you know. When you think about information worth compiling into a book, it tends to be dictionaries, technical manuals for rulers, or religious texts. If you’re looking for something more interesting to read, these parchments might be better suited for you, Master.”
Mariel whispered so as not to disturb the others.
“Paper and ink are expensive, and all manuscripts are handwritten, so it’s no wonder books are so expensive.”
He quietly returned the book to the shelf and reached for the parchment.
It had a tag with the title on it.
“Oh, this is ‘Memorandum on the God of Time and Space.'”
The timing is perfect, as you were just researching the gate.”
“Should I buy it?”
It didn’t look like he would be able to read it, even a little.
Probably because they don’t want it to get dirty or be read for free.
The dwarf shopkeeper watched the customers sternly from behind the counter.
He looked about forty years old but was no taller than a first grader.
To compensate for his small stature, his chair was placed high up, like the counter at an old public bath. He used a ladder to climb up and down.
“Thank you for your patronage. That will be three silver coins.”
“Yes, here they are.”
“I haven’t seen you here before. Are you a tourist?”
“I’m here on business. I’m overwhelmed by all the things I’ve never seen before.”
“Our shop is small, but we have a large selection of books. If there’s anything you’re interested in, let me know and I’ll put it aside for you.”
“I haven’t decided what I want yet. I’ll let you know when I do.”
When Wataru untied the string holding the parchment together, he saw that it was filled with tiny writing as if to avoid wasting any space.
One large sheet of parchment contained as much information as ten pages of a modern paperback book.
Realizing he couldn’t read it all right away, he put the parchment away again.
When he stepped outside, the sunlight was dazzling.
Aire greeted him with a yawn.
“Are you done?”
“Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting. It must be hard to restock the high shelves when the shopkeeper is so short.”
“Yeah, I wonder how he does it.”
“Does he jump or stand on the bookshelves?”
“There are rails at the top, and he moves around by hanging from ropes.”
“Wow, you’re so knowledgeable, Aire.”
“Hehe, well, I once met a warrior from the dwarf tribe who showed me how it’s done.”
“What? He can fight with that body?”
“Yeah, he’s small, but he can sneak under your feet and make it difficult to fight him. He was a great warrior.”
Aire has a good personality and rarely criticizes or disparages those who are weaker than her.
Instead, she acknowledges her opponents’ strengths and tries to surpass them.
It’s her competitiveness that drives her to grow.
However, the sight of the dwarf hanging from the railing while restocking books looks interesting and is reminiscent of a circus.
He wondered if he would be able to see it again the next time he visited.
As Wataru and the others walked down the main street and emerged into a large square, a loud voice suddenly rang out.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Aire-aneesama! I-I found you!”
The voice echoed throughout the square.
At the source of the voice stood a beautiful young woman pointing at Aire.
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Hmmm, seems trouble is brewing. 🤔
Thanks for the treat.
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