"Ugh, why does it feel so heavy? Am I just exhausted?"
That feeling hit me as I awoke. Indeed, I'd just endured a lengthy journey to reach the city of Bezos. You know? Four days, it's utterly insane.
Oh, right. After arriving, I noticed they had numbers here, only not modern numerals but Roman, and that only up to a hundred. Hence why the currency increments every hundred units. As for letters, it seems they utilize an Alphabet too. I hadn't realized before, but after seeing Riese's status and the name of the Blue Moon Inn, I became sure. The same X language as my country is spoken here.
Contemplating this, I slowly opened my eyes.
("Eeeeeehhhh~")
I gasped in shock.
Riese and Alice were asleep, clinging to me—no wonder I felt so burdened. But how did this happen? While thinking this over, Riese's greeting brought me to my senses.
"Ummm... Ah, good morning, Uncle."
Riese greeted me with flushed cheeks.
"Sorry for falling asleep here, Uncle. It might have become a habit from back when we lived in tents."
"Ahahaha, it's fine, don't worry about it,"
I stammered with equally reddened cheeks and, rising, I placed Alice back on the bed since she was still asleep on top of me, clutching a Garfield plushie.
Alice seemed utterly exhausted.
Ah, to dispel this awkward atmosphere. If not, my embarrassment will only grow.
"Riese, I'd like to inquire about a few things that confuse me."
"Sure, ask away, Uncle. I'll answer to the best of my ability."
"Ahahaha relax, Riese, it's just general stuff. Earlier when you showed your status, weren't cooking and water magic your only skills? But I saw you dismantle an Orc with ease. Isn't butchering also a skill?"
"No, it's not like that, Uncle. Essentially, skills not employed for seven days disappear from the panel except for magic."
"I see, is that so?"
"Check out my status, Uncle, 'status open.'"
---------+++++++----------
Name: Riese
Age: 15 Years
HP: 80% (+20%)
MP: 50% (+20%)
Unique Skill: -Soul Winner
General Skills: - Water magic lv2
- Dismantle lv8
--------+++++--------------
"Right, the cooking skill is gone because I've been preparing meals for us all."
I observed her status; it did make sense. Then, why isn't magic lost? Is it special?
"Exactly, Riese. But why doesn't a unique skill have levels like general skills?"
"Because it pertains to every individual's uniqueness and it can't be leveled up."
"And why doesn't magic vanish?"
"I'm not quite sure, but according to the village chief, it's a gift given to us."
"eeh~ I see..."
Well, no need to fret over it now. Let's plan ahead. After consulting with Riese, I decided to register at the traders' guild. Why the trader's guild? First, as for distributing hunted monsters, traders can only buy from adventurers; it's not freely sold unless processed. Here's the kicker: Dismantling is not hard to learn, so most can do it, but the challenge is in the hunt, a butcher isn't necessarily a hunter, while a hunter can almost certainly dismantle their catch. Second, I could teach Riese how to use a revolver in an emergency. I will take on their care and their advancement. Third, an adventurer must roam for livelihood whereas traders... Well, that should be the case, but I can circumvent that with my online shop. I can use the pricey travel port-gates in this town.
YES, THE INTERCITY PORTAL, IT'S TRULY ANOTHER WORLD.
The thought alone fired me up. This is advanced technology surpassing Earth.
"Ah, I just remembered, Riese, how's the education level here?"
"ummm, typically, common folk are educated in basic reading, writing, and arithmetic for day-to-day life. The costs being high, only merchant children can afford academy."
Upon hearing this, I noticed Riese's sad expression and inferred her keen interest in learning.
"Riese, would you like me to teach you more? I can educate you in a variety of subjects."
Riese looked at me, stunned. It seemed I had given her quite the surprise.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I'll teach you in the evenings."
Hold on, why does this sound awkward? Friends, please don't get the wrong idea. It's purely educational.
"Thank you, Uncle, really."
Riese said with tear-filled eyes.
"umm... Good morning, Uncle, Sis Riese..."
""Good morning, Alice.""
That was our morning discussion. After Alice awoke, we welcomed her and proceeded to breakfast.
"Uncle..."
"What's wrong, Alice..."
Alice looked a bit down. Was she in a foul mood today?
"I'd like your cooking, Uncle..."
"Alice..." Riese admonished.
"It's okay, Riese, don't worry."
Riese seemed embarrassed by Alice's request.
It appeared she'd grown accustomed to my cooking seasoning. However enticing the inn's meals appeared, one taste revealed a lack of seasoning.
"Alright, I'll make you something special for lunch."
"Yaaay, thanks, Uncle!" Alice's spirits lifted.
Post-breakfast, we hastened to the Traders' Guild to register. I also took Riese and Alice along. I planned to register Riese as my apprentice.
"Welcome to the traders' guild!" A kitty-eared receptionist greeted us.
She was a beautiful short-haired brunette with cat ears atop her head.
Wow, a beastman, and utterly adorable.
"Ah, ex-excuse me. ehehe... Ack!!!"
"hummph."
Hey, hey, hey, what's with Riese? Why is she pinching me?
I pretend to bear the pain and step forward to the reception desk.
"I want to register as a merchant, and the lady beside me as my apprentice."
"Alright, for registration that'll be one gold coin for you, the merchant, and fifty silvers for the apprentice."
"Ah, one moment please."
I withdrew one gold and fifty silvers, handing them over.
"Thank you, please fill out this form for identification badges and wait about an hour. We will process your registration. And, would you be interested in renting a shop? We can provide one."
Something felt off. Didn't I need to be tested? I should ask.
"Do I not need to undergo a test or anything?"
"No need. Once your card is ready, fill out a form with your shop's name and the goods you'll be trading. Trading risks rest on the shoulders of the merchant, a personal responsibility."
"Understood. About that storefront rental, how much is it?"
"Two gold coins a month for a small shop. A shopfront house, twelve gold."
"Can I see the location?"
Seemed straightforward enough. I should be able to generate a good income. Spices, perhaps—they seem quite valuable here.
"I'll take the location here, at the edge of the market area."
With others filled up, what could I do? With that sorted, I completed the payment, leaving around a 100 million in my balance.
With mine and Riese's IDs created, we took them and I filled out the trade goods form, making our way to the rented shop space.
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