Chapter 62: A Fortunate Encounter

It had been just over a month since I signed the lease for the workshop.

During this time, we had installed flooring in six brewing research facilities, purchased equipment for spinning and weaving, and at the same time, I had begun hiring craftsmen to work in the workshop.

It had taken a while to get even the minimum essentials ready, but there was no real rush—after all, Vessel-san was absent, and without him, we couldn’t submit the official application to open the workshop.

Besides, even if we couldn’t conduct commercial activities legally, there was no problem with producing goods for now.

So, I transported the raw silk I had made at the manor to the workshop, where it was spun into thread and woven into cloth.

“This is the fabric woven entirely from Bisil?”

Holding and stretching the pure Bisil cloth to check its texture was a woman named Hodeliefa. She had been hired as the workshop’s dedicated seamstress and was also responsible for overseeing the team.

“This one has Esil as the weft and Bisil as the warp,” said Flowl, an elderly woman in charge of weaving, showing Hodeliefa a hybrid fabric designed to stretch in only one direction by combining Esil and Bisil threads.

“Ah, so this is Esil, then,” said Chantal, a young woman who had just reached adulthood and was responsible for thread production. She was also Hodeliefa’s daughter.

So far, these three were the only craftsmen I had hired for the workshop.

“You three will use these three types of fabric to make women’s undergarments,” I said.

I had taken the lead up to the point of producing the cloth, but I decided to leave the detailed explanation to Rugena. It was a bit embarrassing to personally explain women’s undergarments to newly hired staff, so I quietly excused myself.

“Just undergarments? We could make so many other things with this fabric,” Hodeliefa remarked.

“Since thread production is limited, it’s best to start with items that require the least amount of fabric,” Rugena replied.

The Adventurers’ Guild had been consistently supplying ambush spider abdomens, but the conditions for harvesting were tedious, making the task unpopular among adventurers. As a result, the quantity delivered was less than expected.

So for now, we would focus on producing a large number of undergarments, which require less fabric, and gradually introduce as many women as possible to Esil and Bisil.

“All right, let me explain in detail—”

Watching the craftsmen listen attentively to Rugena, without underestimating her as a mere servant, I felt a quiet sense of relief and slipped out of the room.

“Al-sama, are you finished?”

“My role is done. From here, I leave it to Rugena. Let’s head back,” I said.

“Yes,” she replied.

Leaving the workshop under Rugena’s care, I walked away with Stefana.

“…Hey, Fana, I want to do a bit of shopping on the way home,” I said.

Since I wanted Rugena to focus on getting the workshop running smoothly, I figured I could pick up a small reward—some alcohol, perhaps—for motivation.

“I’ve heard that in the western part of the southern district, there’s a merchant’s guild that deals in rare spirits,” Stefana said.

“Who told you?” I asked.

“Vessel-sama. He mentioned it when he was training Rugena this morning,” she replied.

Not just me, but Stefana and Rugena had received training from Vessel-san as well. Since I hadn’t been told, they had probably been chatting casually during a mock battle.

“Ah, if Vessel-san said it, it should be reliable. Let’s go there, then,” I said.

And so, we proceeded west from the eastern part of the southern district, crossing the plaza and heading toward the western middle street.

“I’m pretty sure it should be around here…”

We scanned the area for the merchant’s guild. According to Vessel, it was supposed to be on the north side of the street, where restaurants and inns were common—but we couldn’t find it anywhere.

“Let’s ask someone,” I suggested.

After asking a passerby, we learned that it was… apparently gone.

“Uh… did it close down?”

“It seems so,” Stefana confirmed.

The building had been small, with a store on the first floor and living quarters above. People still seemed to live there, but the sign of the merchant’s guild was gone.

“Well, it can’t be helped,” I said.

As we were about to leave, the door opened and a man stepped out.

“Were you customers? Sorry, the shop… hmm? Oh!”

The moment he pointed at Stefana, she instinctively leapt back, clutching me.

“Oh, sorry, it’s me. I’m Damian, the traveling merchant I assisted before,” the man explained.

The only traveling merchant I was familiar with in Helvendorp was Blows.

“Oh, that’s right,” Stefana said.

“Do you know Fana?” I asked.

“Yes, Al-sama, you’ve met him too. He was the merchant we encountered on our way to Kaupstat when we were attacked by bandits,” Stefana explained.

Ah, I remembered that incident… but he looked different now. He appeared to be around thirty, slightly shorter than Stefana, with a slender build, short hair, and a hunting cap. I hadn’t really paid attention back then, distracted as I was by thoughts of my mother.

“Um… it’s been a while,” I greeted.

“Yes, it has, Arthur-kun. It’s not the best place to talk, come inside,” Damian said.

We followed him into the store. It was about six tatami mats in size, with a counter at the front, shelves behind it, and a door leading to the back.

“I’ll get some drinks. You wait at the table there,” Damian instructed before heading to the back room.

“You remembered so well,” I said.

“Just because someone survived a bandit attack doesn’t mean they’re innocent,” Stefana replied with her usual vigilance.

“I’ve brought you some Lilrant tea, a specialty of Ravenstadt,” Damian returned with a tray.

“Lilrant tea?” I asked.

“It’s made from the seeds of Lilrant, extracted during the production of Reveril. It’s mildly sweet and popular with children,” he explained.

I remembered Lilrant as a pear-like fruit, its core dotted with finger-sized seeds. I had never imagined tea could be made from them.

“Thank you,” I said, taking a sip. Unlike the sugar-rose blend I was used to, this tea was refreshingly tangy yet sweet, light and easy to drink.

“So, what brings you here today?” Damian asked.

“I came to buy some rare alcohol, but…”

“The shop was closed?” he finished.

“Yes,” I confirmed.

Apparently, the supplies that survived the bandit attack weren’t enough to restart the business. As a result, the shop, which had relied heavily on traveling merchants, had to close.

“This shop was known for rare spirits, even those not sold in normal liquor stores,” he explained.

“I see…” I muttered, feeling a twinge of awkwardness.

“Wait here a moment,” Damian said, disappearing into the back again.

“Fana…” I whispered.

“There’s nothing we can do,” she replied.

Hearing that someone you know has gone out of business is never pleasant.

When Damian returned, he placed a bottle of pale red liquid on the table.

“This is Red Wine, made from honey collected by bees called Red Bees. It’s rare, and I’m giving it to you as thanks for what you did for me,” he said.

The alcohol came from a small village in a neighboring territory. Over years of building trust with the villagers, he had been recognized as a friend and allowed to have some for personal use, under the condition it would not be sold.

“Thank you very much,” I said, accepting it with a smile.

“What about your future, Damian?” I asked.

“Once I finish sorting the remaining goods, I’ll look for the next job,” he replied.

“Would you consider selling new products? If you’re interested,” I ventured.

Damian’s eyes flickered with interest.

“New products?”

“Yes. We’re producing new threads and fabrics,” I explained, showing him samples.

“Interesting, but production seems low for commercial use,” he observed.

“We’ll increase output once we get used to harvesting, but the spiders are tricky…” I trailed off, glancing at Stefana. Damian understood immediately.

Insect-based harvesting is generally unpopular, not just among women.

“Waiting alone won’t help…” he said thoughtfully.

“You find it intriguing, don’t you?” I asked.

“Haha, I suppose I do,” he admitted. “But I can’t decide immediately.”

Although he didn’t accept the proposal on the spot, he was clearly interested.

“We’d better be heading home now.”

“Arthur-kun, here—”

“Take these three types of fabric. Consider them samples for your evaluation,” I added, handing them over to Damian.

They were small enough to be harmless, and I trusted Damian not to resell them and damage his reputation.

“Well then, we’ll take our leave,” I said.

I had come merely to buy a celebratory drink for Rugena, but unexpectedly, it turned into a fruitful encounter.