The Novice Alchemist’s Store

That was one day, as usual, when I was working in the alchemy.

My place was visited not by the village chief - but by Erin, acting village chief and not just the daughter of the village chief (but a substantial village chief).

There was some sort of consultation, so I was at the table placed in front of the counter - at this time, the reception room was not yet complete - and I invited Mr. Erin.

Did Erin also consider the time slot, just when there were no customers, and Lorea could talk to you here.

"So, Mr. Erin. What is a consultation? Are you talking about the herbal field?

"No, thanks to you, things are going well over there. Thank you."

"Then it was good. But that's because those couples are working hard, right? I just taught you politely, and it doesn't make any sense if you're clueless."

The herbal fields built next to ours, once and for all, belong to me.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael are the ones who are entrusting it there.

Unlike alchemists, they can't cheat magically to reclaim their failures, so they have to stay out of hand and take serious care of them.

It's all just manual, it's quite a hassle, but that couple was very serious about that.

Regardless of Michael, who used to live in this village, Izu, who grew up in town, comes to the field every day without skipping and takes care of him carefully.

Although it has not yet reached harvest, it will almost certainly be possible to expect enough harvest at this rate. Thankfully.

"But if it's not a herb...... any trouble again?

"It's not a problem...... does Sarasa know of any preserved food she sells at Darna's place?

"Yes, because I was looking out for you, too, until Lorea started making it for me"

I can buy it so I was eating with it when it was troublesome.

Dried vegetables and dried meat.

It's not tasty, but it's cheap and convenient to eat just by simmering in a pan.

"So all of that, too, is what Darna has been purchasing at South Strug?

"I didn't know that, did I? You thought so. Because I've never seen it dry."

This village is not large enough. Something that I think would have caught my eye for a little while if I had made dried vegetables and not much to walk away from.

"Yes. For once, I make enough to consume in each household, but not enough to stand out. Because it's in the backyard, under the house, that kind of place."

They were making it.

... well, the only way I usually walk is down the main street, huh?

You don't see the backyard or anything, do you?

"Until now, the number of collectors has been low, and I thought that would be a good idea, but more collectors have been based in this village lately. This is a chance, don't you think?

"Of the villagers, of the cash income, is it?

"Yes! Thanks to Sarasa, more people are making money from inside jobs, but as far as I'm concerned, I'd like to take another step forward"

The main industry in this village is agriculture.

The majority of them are cereals, otherwise crops are only a little excessive, except for what we consume ourselves and what we serve in the village cafeteria.

They will be sold by Mr. D'Arna in South Strag, but not all of them can be brought in due to sunshine, weight, ease of transport, etc.

"I've been saving vegetables that I can't eat and sell before, but that one doesn't have a good reputation, does it? - Except for a very few. Did you know, Mr. Sarasa?

"... oh, speaking of which. I've only heard stories."

That was definitely the first day I came to this village.

I remember something like that coming out of Mr. Dillall's conversation with Mr. Elles.

Luckily for me, I haven't had a chance to eat that so far, but it would fail as a preserved meal, as I seem to choose who to eat.

Of course, there are poorer regions than you can say that.

"More delicious preserved food would be appreciated as a gatherer"

"Isn't it? As for us, if we're good, we'll make our vegetable waste go away, and our winter table will be somewhat better. If collectors also seem to have a good reputation, you want to increase your village's cash income by also producing non-cereal vegetables. Because if you can now secure cash, you will be able to think about the grain market and buy and sell it!

"I see..."

When paying taxes in this country, whether they are paid in cash or crops as they are depends on the lord of the land.

The Rotze family, Mr. Iris' home, receives cash and crops, either, and the lords of this village receive cash only.

We cannot say which is better in general because the way in which taxes are calculated is also involved, but in the case of rural areas, we have to convert our own crops into cash in order to pay taxes in cash.

In a small village like here, that becomes the neck.

Unless you can afford to save in cash, I guess, but most villages can't afford that, and as soon as you harvest the crops, you have to put them on the market and sell them off and get the cash.

But it is the same for the other villages, and inevitably the cereal market will fall during that period.

If we can get enough cash in advance to pay taxes, we will be able to avoid that time of year and sell them, and as a result, the village's finances will be lubricated.

To do this, of course, we will need a new warehouse for storing cereals, etc., but I think that the effort to make it better to the extent that it is realistic will be just fine.

"I think it's good. If dried vegetables are domesticated, there will be less cash to leave and more cash to fall into the village. Two birds a stone."

I'm not familiar with it either, but I don't know about dried vegetables. I guess you just have to cut them and dry them.

I don't think it's the kind of product you can sell into other towns, but conversely, it doesn't matter which one you buy.

Extremely, if Darna, the only shop in this village, doesn't sell anything other than what she made in this village, the gatherers will have to buy it.

Unless you're of poor quality or overpriced, the distance between this village and South Strag is far enough to be tolerable if it's a little bit different.

"... but that doesn't matter to me, does it?

What do you want to talk to me about?

Miss Erin smiled at me twisting her neck so strangely.

"Yes, of course, I won't take the time of the alchemist to ask you how to make dried vegetables."

"Ha ha... I only know what's normal when asked"

I also return a dry grin to Erin, who laughs jokingly.

I was born a merchant's daughter.

Even if I had seen it as a product, I didn't make preserved food at home, and except for what I learned at school, I only have general knowledge.

Rather, I may not be more familiar with it than the farmer's children around it.

"What I'd like to talk to you about is dried vegetables… No, shall I sum them up and say preserved food? Is there any artifact to make it?"

"Right ~!"

Whatever Lorea might have asked me about cooking, it doesn't mean a lot.

"But that's right. Uh... wait a minute"

At least there are no preservative foods in the smelters (artifacts) that have been made so far.

Just five volumes of all the alchemy I'm working on right now.

I also feel like there was something like that on that...

It's five rolls and it's getting thicker, so you don't remember everything.

"If it's on, it's around here..."

Put all the alchemy I brought from the workshop on my desk with Don, and roll it apart.

For once, it's classified and listed, so I don't need to read it all, but it's a bit troublesome that it's not necessarily an imaginary classification.

For example, if it is a smelter (artifact) that makes dried vegetables, I think it is food-related, agriculturally related, or something that is dried, it is industrial.

Out of the question, I can't be alarmed.

Still, if you keep naming me Zubari, it's still easy to find.

Just look at it as a parallax, because it catches my eye.

But when you can give me a weird twisted funny name, I have to look through the description every time I find that weird name, so it's a little tedious.

Really, a weird self-explanatory alchemist is a pain in the ass, isn't it?