Chapter 290: Market

The next day.

Yesterday, we were exhausted from traveling, so I slept deeply.

Back when I lived in Japan, even sleeping was a struggle, so being able to sleep soundly even in an unfamiliar place like this made me happy.

That said, leaving the fact that I could sleep aside for now, today is sightseeing in the trading city of Ludark.

Yesterday, we really only ate a meal, so I still don’t really understand what kind of place Ludark is. But according to Sheila and Velvet, it’s a city where all kinds of goods circulate.

Apparently, most items coming in from other countries are first brought to Ludark before being distributed throughout the kingdom.

The flea market in the town of Renovie had plenty of goods as well, but Ludark is apparently on a completely different level.

In terms of price, the flea market wins. In terms of quantity and quality, Ludark does.

However, the public safety here isn’t very good. If you’re looking for cheap goods, you can go to the eastern side of Ludark, where you can find things at unbelievably low prices.

That said, we’ve been strictly warned not to go there, because it includes a “thieves’ market” filled with stolen goods, a “black market” selling illegal items, and even dangerous drugs spreading through the area.

I tend to forget it because everything around me has been so peaceful, but this is a reminder that this world also has its dark side.

According to Ren and the others, the safety level here is far worse than in Japan.

When visiting unfamiliar places, I need to be careful not to get too naïve.

“Good morning, Sato.”

“Good morning, Sato. Did you sleep well?”

After getting ready, I left my room and found Velvet and Sheila already waiting in the lobby.

I thought I got up fairly early, but it seems they were even more motivated than I was.

“Good morning. Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“No, I just arrived as well,” 

Sheila said.

“Yeah. No need to apologize. More importantly, let’s go explore Ludark. Where should we start?”

“I don’t really know anything about the city, so I’ll leave it to your recommendations.”

“Then we’ll start with whatever Sheila wants to see. Have you decided on a place?”

“Yes. I want to start with the area where foreign goods are sold. There’s something I’m looking for, and I wanted to go first thing in the morning.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go there first.”

Led by Sheila, we headed toward the area where foreign goods were sold.

Since she wanted to go early in the morning, it must be something popular.

To me, who didn’t even understand the goods of the Grayland Kingdom, this entire world already felt like a foreign country, so I honestly couldn’t relate much.

Still, if Sheila was specifically looking for it, it must be something special.

Walking through Ludark under the pleasant morning sun, we arrived at what looked like a market.

It was a large, lively marketplace, almost like Tsukiji, bustling with people despite the early hour.

“It’s lively even in the morning. And the items being sold really do seem unusual.”

“Since they’re foreign goods, there are many things you don’t see in the kingdom. So, Sheila, what exactly are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for Shieldrake. It’s a crop that only grows in tropical regions, and eating it temporarily increases your defense.”

A crop that temporarily increases defense… I never imagined something like that existed.

Until now, I had only ever thought of crops in terms of taste, so it felt like my eyes had been opened.

“So there are crops that enhance physical abilities. Are they rare?”

“They can’t be grown in the kingdom, so they’re quite rare and are traded at high prices. Enhancement-type crops generally only grow in tropical or polar regions.”

“Right. And the cultivation methods haven’t been figured out for most of them, so they rarely make it into circulation.”

“I see… so they really are that rare.”

If we could get seeds, I’d love to try planting them in my skill-based field.

Given the climate issues, they probably wouldn’t grow—but with the skill field, there might be a chance.

Still… crops that only grow in harsh environments, huh.

Maybe it’s precisely because they grow in harsh conditions that they grant enhancement effects.

Lost in thought, the three of us continued through the market in search of Shieldrake.

It was described as looking like a large, deep-blue melon, something easy to recognize—but so far, we hadn’t seen it anywhere.

“Nothing so far. If we’ve searched this much and still can’t find it, it might already be sold out.”

“It might not have even been stocked in the first place. If it’s not here, we should switch our focus and look for something else.”

As a sense of resignation began to settle in, I alone refused to give up and kept scanning the surroundings… when a large, deep-blue spherical object caught my eye at the edge of my vision.

I immediately turned toward it—and saw something unmistakably unusual sitting there.

I didn’t actually know what Shieldrake looked like, but instinctively, I knew that was it.

I quickly called out to Sheila and Velvet, and the three of us hurried toward the stall.