Episode 13
"Shampoo's back in stock!"
At Megan's shout, business resumed.
"Shampoo?"
"Didn't they say they were out?"
"Looks like they got a new shipment!"
The word "shampoo" was like a signal, drawing people from all directions like a tidal wave. Shampoo, indeed. The effect was incredible.
"Thank you, please come again!"
People left with huge smiles on their faces, shampoo in hand. A few who looked like nobles bought more than ten bottles at once, filling their baskets.
"Do you have any more shampoo back there?!"
"Just a moment, please!"
As soon as I refilled the empty shelves, hands reached out to grab the bottles.
After a frantic sales rush, the last customer finally left as dusk began to fall. The work was finally over.
"Haaaah…"
"Hee hee hee~"
Megan was biting her lip, kicking her feet with glee. She let out a cheer as she gazed at the mountain of moneybags behind the counter.
"Yes! Shampoo really is the best!"
How could she have so much energy after all that chaos? This, I supposed, was the difference between a veteran and a novice.
"Thank you, Yuji! Thanks to you, I've made a fortune again~"
"Don't mention it."
I staggered to my feet and walked over to the counter.
"So, shall we settle up?"
"Yes, just a moment. Let's do it after I close up shop."
But just as she was about to close the shop…
"Wait, please!"
Someone came running up to Megan as she was closing the door. A small girl with a large bag on her back, wearing a brown beret, a brown leather vest, and hot pants. Her hair was tied in two braids.
*'That girl…'*
I felt like I'd seen her somewhere before.
"Oh, Rueli?"
The girl, called Rueli, wiped the sweat from her brow and bowed with a bright smile.
"Hello, Aunt Megan!"
"Ah, yes…"
Megan looked troubled, glancing back at me.
"I heard you got a shipment of shampoo, so I came running as fast as I could!"
"Is that so? Oh, what should I do… the person who delivers it has already left for the day."
"What?! No…!"
Rueli collapsed on the spot.
"I asked so many times…"
Her voice cracked, and she looked like she was about to cry.
"What's wrong?"
"Well… Yuji. A moment."
Megan pulled me aside and whispered.
"That girl really wants to meet you. But I couldn't just tell her about you without your permission, so I've been telling her you're not around… Is it okay if I tell her about you?"
"Who is she?"
"She's from the Tuscard Merchant's Guild."
Hearing that, my thoughts grew complicated.
"Wait… there's more than one Merchant's Guild?"
Megan nodded.
"There are two types. One is the state-sanctioned guild, which authorizes commercial activities in each country. The other is a private guild formed by the merchants themselves. The Tuscard Merchant's Guild is the latter."
So, the guild I had applied to was just a place to get a business license, while this girl's guild was more like a franchise. Why would someone from a place like that want to see me?
"Rueli has been coming by once a day, asking if you've been here…"
"For how long?"
"Let's see… it's been a few months now, I think?"
A girl who had been visiting for months just to meet me. I couldn't just ignore a kid like that.
"I'll meet with her."
"Really?!"
Megan clapped her hands, a bright smile on her face.
"Then I'll leave it to you. I'll be in the back, settling the accounts!"
With those final words, Megan disappeared into the back room. I walked over to where Rueli was.
"Um."
"Huh…?"
Rueli looked up at me, wiped her tears, and stood up.
"Mister… you're the mister who gave me directions the other day…"
So she remembered me.
"I have a question. Why are you looking for the person who delivers the shampoo?"
"That's… I'm looking for them to invite them to our guild."
"To invite them to your guild?"
"Yes. Our Master said she absolutely must meet them."
"May I ask why?"
The moment I asked, the girl's eyes filled with suspicion.
"Who are you, mister? Why are you asking so many questions?"
"Because I'm the one who supplies the shampoo here."
As I said that, Rueli's expression filled with shock.
***
The rattling sound of a wagon.
*Woof, woof!*
Haru barked, looking out the wagon window. The day after the festival ended, I was on a journey for the first time since coming to this world.
"What a beautiful day~"
The reason was simple. The Tuscard Merchant's Guild had invited me. The reason was about supplying them with goods. Right now, I was only occasionally delivering shampoo to Megan, but the Tuscard guild wanted all the products I had.
In other words, they wanted Conve∞.
Of course, they had no way of knowing about Conve∞. But I had an ability that allowed me to purchase anything in the world. That alone made me a person of interest to any merchant guild.
*'I'd better be careful not to let them find out about Conve∞.'*
Being a person of interest meant that bad people would be drawn to me too. For someone who wanted a peaceful slow life, that was the last thing I needed.
"How much longer?"
"We're almost there!"
Hearing Rueli shout from the driver's seat, I poked my head out to look.
"It's not exactly a city, is it?"
It was a village surrounded by a wall of sharpened logs. It had a more rustic feel than the city I was in. Still, it seemed to be growing, as there were half-finished buildings outside the walls.
"So this is Murubas…"
The village of Murubas. I would be spending the next few days here. It was a free trip, just when I was looking for something new.
"I might as well enjoy myself for the next few days."
I had made a lot of money selling shampoo during the festival. I could spend some of it on my trip and live it up. Like a rich man.
***
Merchant wagons passed through the village gate.
"Whoa, the scenery here is completely different from the city."
Unlike the meticulously built city, the buildings in Murubas were constructed haphazardly, as if built wherever there was empty space. Most were wooden cabins, but as I walked down the street, I occasionally saw brick houses. The owners of these houses were either nobles or merchants, judging by the berets they wore.
*Neigh!*
The wagon stopped with the powerful neigh of a horse.
"You're here."
A slender man's voice came from outside.
"Yep!"
"How was Jelnota?"
"Totally boring."
"Really? It's a city, wasn't there anything to see?"
"Sightseeing gets old after a day or two!"
"Didn't you say there was a three-day festival?"
"The festival was just crowded and boring."
From the sound of their conversation, they didn't seem to be in a hurry to open the door, so I opened it and stepped out myself. A young man with black hair and matching black eyes, wearing a contrasting white suit with green stripes, stared at me, dumbfounded.
"Huh?"
"Ah, right! Sorry! I completely forgot…"
"No way…"
Rueli made a V-sign with her fingers and said proudly.
"I'm the one who brought him!"
"Master!"
At her words, the flustered man quickly ran into the building.
"Wow, this building is huge."
Either the guild was very large, or the land here was cheap. The Tuscard Merchant's Guild's guild house, built of brick, was quite big.
"Brother Rukon is making such a fuss over nothing… Lord Yuji! Come, let's go inside together!"
She said that, but the corners of her mouth were twitching, about to break into a grin. It was clear that, to her, this was a huge accomplishment.
*Creeeak.*
The door opened to reveal numerous merchants in berets bustling about inside. Some were carrying boxes, others were checking ledgers. They all looked incredibly busy, and a few rushed past me and out the door.
"Rueli!"
A girl approached her. She was a little taller than Rueli, with white hair under a brown beret. Her half-lidded eyes and the beauty mark beneath one of them were striking. She wore a brown leather vest over a white dress. She took Rueli's hand and looked at her with concern.
"Are you hurt?"
"Nope, I'm fine!"
"I heard the city was dangerous, I'm glad you're okay."
"Dangerous?"
"They say you can't let your guard down for a second in the city."
"Really? It didn't feel that way to me."
The girl tilted her head as she looked at Rueli, who was also tilting her head in confusion.
"It didn't?"
Feeling like I had become a background character, I touched Rueli's shoulder.
"Rueli?"
"Ah! Nuran, say hello! This is Lord Yuji Sakamoto! He's the one who supplies the shampoo for Megan's Beauty Shop! And Lord Yuji, this is Nuran! She's my friend!"
"Hello."
At my greeting, Nuran looked me up and down.
"A merchant?"
"Yep! And one who sells incredible things!"
"He doesn't look like one…"
I didn't know if it was because of her eyes, but her gaze felt like it was seeing right through me, sending a shiver down my spine.
"So, your mission was a success?"
"That's right!"
Rueli cleared her throat, puffed out her chest, and struck a triumphant pose.
"As expected of Rueli. That's amazing."
"It was nothing."
"Rueli!"
The man named Rukon, who had run inside earlier, came rushing down the stairs.
"What are you doing? We need to take him to the Master right away!"
"I know, I know! Sorry, Nuran, I have to take Lord Yuji to the Master. See you later!"
"Okay, good luck!"
"Lord Yuji, this way, quickly!"
Rueli grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the stairs.
*Knock, knock.*
"Master, it's Rueli…!"
Rueli's face was tense with nervousness.
"Enter, Rueli."
A woman's voice came from inside. Rueli opened the door, and the room was revealed. A fireplace on the left wall. On the right, a sofa and a long tea table for receiving guests. Straight ahead, a desk for work, accompanied by a bookshelf. A red carpet with golden vine embroidery covered the entire floor, and a chandelier on the ceiling glittered in the candlelight.
She had wavy, crimson hair and sapphire-blue eyes that held an unforgettable strength. She wore no makeup, as if uninterested in adornment, but her features were so well-defined that she would have been stunningly beautiful if she did. She wore a white dress with long green stripes, and on her chest was a badge in the shape of an eagle, likely the guild's symbol.