Chapter 11: The Little Merchant – Part 2

“Wha-what is this—!?”

Lilcarlia-san’s shock was so sudden that she collapsed onto her rear, hitting the ground with a soft thud.

After forming a magical contract, I had brought her out into the garden. I figured it would be faster for her to see things with her own eyes.

As for Sena… she had already gone off on her adventure.

“Is that… beef? And over there is pork! And there’s chicken too—!”

“Yes. All of it is cultivated right here.”

“Cultivated… meat? No, that’s not all! Vegetables and fruits, in such abundance, and even mushrooms—all grown in the same place…!”

“Oh, by the way, I’ve recently been able to ‘produce’ fish too.”

That was thanks to reaching Level 8.

“…But this is inland, isn’t it?”

“Yes. So I honestly don’t know much about different types of fish.”

Around here, the only fish anyone ate were preserved ones—dried, smoked, or salted. I had tried cultivating a few species experimentally, but not knowing how to cook them properly, I had simply grilled them as best I could. Even so, they were delicious.

So far, the fish I could cultivate were as follows, all of medium quality:

• Horse mackerel (Aji)
  
• Herring (Nishin)
  
• Trout (Masu)
  
• Pacific saury (Sanma)
  
• Yellowtail (Buri)
  
• Salmon (Sake)
  
• Sea bream (Tai)
  
• Cod (Tara)
  
• Mackerel (Saba)
  
• Bonito (Katsuo)
  

“There’s no tradition of eating fresh fish around here, so I suppose it won’t spread to the market right away… but it’s certainly an interesting ingredient,” Lilcarlia-san said, nodding with the keen gaze of a seasoned merchant.

“By the way… how exactly do these fish… grow?”

“They sprout straight out of the ground, like mushrooms.”

“…That must be… an incredibly surreal sight,” she said flatly, her voice tinged with a deadpan amusement.

“…Even though you call it a ‘gift,’ I thought it would be the usual—reviving the freshness of vegetables, increasing sugar content, maybe a little more… at most,” she murmured softly. Then, a note of genuine astonishment crept into her tone:

“This is truly an extraordinary gift. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Apparently, even Lilcarlia-san had never encountered a gift like mine.

“It’s called a [Home Garden],” I explained.

“The very definition of a garden has been completely destroyed…,” she muttered, half-amused. Alicia-san had once said something very similar.

“So, how much can you harvest at once? You must be delivering some to Lulukas-tei as well.”

“Well… it takes roughly an hour from planting to harvest—”

“W-wait a second—!? One hour? From planting to harvest!?”

“Yes. And there’s no need to plant seeds, either. Harvesting is instantaneous.”

I demonstrated by harvesting a small section. Fully ripened vegetables, fruits, and even the meat vanished in an instant. They appeared neatly in a basket at my feet, seemingly summoned out of nowhere.

“Wh-whoa…”

Lilcarlia-san let out an odd, awed sound, unable to hide her astonishment.

“However… the garden is only so large. If you try to grow many types of crops at once, each will yield a smaller amount.”

“No, no—that’s plenty!” she said cheerfully.

“If I had more land, I could harvest even more… but…”

“…I see,” she nodded. Well, it’s only a home garden, so there’s only so much you can do.

“Then, for now, may I purchase what’s here for two gold coins?”

“Ehhh!? That much!?”

Two gold coins were more than enough to live comfortably for a month.

“No, no. Considering the freshness and taste, that’s the natural price. A merchant must assign a proper value to valuable goods—otherwise, one’s competence as a trader would be questioned,” she said matter-of-factly. It seemed my produce was aimed at wealthy customers.

I had hoped more people could enjoy it, but… oh well. I still supply Lulucas Inn at normal prices, so everyone can come and taste it.

Lilcarlia-san produced a bag seemingly from nowhere. Reaching inside, she pulled out another bag—larger than the first.

“It’s a magical bag. It can hold an enormous amount, so it’s extremely convenient!”

Inside the bag were stacks of gold coins. She handed me two of them.

“Fufufu… these are real.”

I stared at them, squinting and turning them over in my hands—gold coins were rare for me. Lilcarlia-san chuckled at my fascination.

One harvest, and this much profit…

I decided to keep it a secret from Sena. If she knew, she might abandon her adventures, claiming, “I’ll just let big brother support me instead,” and quit without a second thought.

Instead, I would lavishly provide her with anything she needed for adventuring—gear, potions, and this magical bag to lighten her load.

Lilcarlia-san placed the harvest into the magical bag. Despite the quantity, it all fit effortlessly.

We discussed and decided which crops to deliver and in what amounts. Apparently, this could yield a profit of five gold coins per day… it felt unreal, almost like someone else’s story.

“Depending on demand, we may adjust production or change the breakdown of crops. Of course, if that happens, we can renegotiate prices,” she said.

“Yes,” I replied.

“We’ll come at this time every day, so please take care of us,” she added.

“Likewise, thank you,” I said.

“Thanks to you, it looks like we can do good business,” she said, then left.

Watching her small figure disappear while holding the gold coins in my hand, I thought to myself:

“…I’d better hide this.”

I needed to find a place where Sena would never discover it.