Metropolis, Breitburg.
“This is amazing! A big town I saw after a long time!”
Looking down from high ground at Breitburg the biggest merchant town in the southern part governed by Brihedar margrave, I’m thrilled by seeing a big town after a long time.
I heard that the population’s about two hundred thousands.
It was not that great compared with town in Japan Heisei era but from living with many people in poor village for this past years, its looks like a really big town to me.
And I had spent a week to reach here.
The mountains that lie between Baumeister knight territory, the caravan brings cargo once in several months so mountain path exists for now.
Though it apparently take one month for around trip via there.
I had the thought that they came to do business with us even without specialty products but it seems to be half public service with almost no profit.
Brihedar margrave, the south’s greatest noble that unified the noble in this southern region, seems to make an active effort regularly for the vassal Baumeister house and its territory people until in deficit.
I heard this story before from Erich nii-san, Baumeister house received considerable damage in personnel and financial from unreasonably dispatching troops.
And this dispatching troops requests came from Brihedar margrave side.
Father greed might also have been substantial but a vassals could not decline request the lord they served, they come only twice a year so far after that incident when the caravan comes three times a year, this also to prevent criticism rather than apology.
Erich nii-san told me all about that circumstances.
The road in the mountain range exists for now because of that.
Monster in this mountain range seems to comes out accordingly.
That does not mean nothing appear as normal bear and wolf appears frequently so precaution was needed.
And the reason why I do not use flight magic.
I don’t want my family and territory people who look at the mountain to see me flying.
The other reason is that I want to exercise a little for my physical fitness.
I return home with teleportation after I make progress as far as advancing about one day, the next day I starts to move back into teleportation advanced point from yesterday.
It take extra time because of that.
But thanks to magic I succeeded in going over the mountain half the caravan time.
“What’s wrong boy?”
“I’m shopping in the town as errand.”
I moved into Breitburg gate after the excitement.
Breitburg great forest’s monster territory that close by which adventurers seclude themselves, that’s why this Breitburg is surrounded with three meters wall.
Monster never invaded to the outside even once though, maybe this is to fight against human.
Small-scale skirmishes between nobles because of territory and water rights always occur once in a few years.
Noble with territory in particular have many conflict like this.
Brihedar margrave also actually not in good relationship with some nobles house in its vicinity.
By the way, the rights dispute with other nobles never happen to Baumeister house.
Because it is physically isolated by mountains.
“Do you have a warrant card boy?”
“I’ve none. I’ll make a member’s card in commercial guild later.”
“Is that so. Can you pay one copper coin for entrance town tax?”
“Yes, I can.”
I actually have a warrant card but it’d became serious problem if anyone know that the eight ages of Baumeister eight sons in Breitburg.
So I tried to enter the town as a boy from the nearby farm village.
Because you need to go to Breitburg to issue it.
Then what a county bumpkin do to enter town for shopping?
The answer is to join a guild.
I can cheat my age a little since there no family register in this world but it would be useless for me today.
So that left artisan guild or merchant guild.
There many kid like me became apprentice of renowned artisan and merchant.
And there many case that they go to Breitburg as errand by the instruction of their master or boss.
“I see. So you want to sell that rabbit?”
The gatekeeper guard confirmed several rabbit skins that hanging on my waist.
This is something I had obtained in the middle of mountain road.
“Yes, I’d sold it as I heard that it was needed for member’s card in commercial guild.”
To be exact, it was needed for warrant card.
The town residents own the warrant card from the beginning, the member’s card that belong to various kinds of guilds will serves as substitution.
You had the obligation to show this in trading goods for crime prevention.
It was surprisingly strict but there also shop in the slums that do business without warrant card, and guild member’s card originally a trap for outsider to establish whatever they want.
I can make a member’s card easily also thanks to that.
I sets foot into Breitburg after paid one copper coin for the tax to the guard.
It seems we must pay the tax when entering the town.
Though one copper coin not really that many.
Coincidently, the monetary system was unified in all Lingaia continent.
Although money design was different in Helmut kingdom and Urquhart holy empire, the convention of gold, silver and copper used has been unified, so no problem in using it anywhere.
There also money type and value but cents has been adopted for money unit.
I had only the opportunity to feel the monetary economy from trading with caravan that comes once a few months, I usually done it with barter as our Baumeister knight territory rarely hear the word of it.
One copper is one cent, ten copper or one copper plate is ten cents, tens copper plate or one silver is hundred cents,
ten silver or one silver plate is thousand cents, ten silver plate or one gold is ten thousand cents, ten gold coin or one gold plate is hundred thousand cents, ten gold plate or one platinum is one million cents, ten platinum or one platinum plate is ten million cents.
You can buy one apple for one copper which the same amount of tax frequently paid for entering town so about one hundred yen for one cent when converted into yen.
“Welcome to commercial guild. Issuing member’s card isn’t it. Write the necessary item to this document.”
When entering into large build which the commercial guild told by guard’s Onii-san, it was crowded with people who came for various business.
When I talk to young Onee-san that sits at the counter that written as member’s card issuance counter, she in polite tone made me to write in the document.
This document listed about name, birthplace and age.
I wrote my age normally, address with the appropriate name of poor village that was a little away from here, and I decided to pretend to be a commoner kid that have only Wendelin as last name.
There was only misstatement but a lie like this won’t became a problem.
There also some people who lie about their name unabashedly.
“Member’s card issued for first time is free. Note that it will take one silver for reissue fee if you lose it. And be sure to pay 10% of sales when the goods were sold to the stationed supervisor in the specified position given. Understand that harsh treatment is waiting for violating the rule.”
I take my leave from receptionist Onee-san and start to move to where bazaar take place.
Just like receptionist Onee-san description, when enters town main street through little narrow alley, there many young, old men and women selling various things by expanding mat on the road side.
There also kid like me here, that is why the receptionist Onee-san would not be surprised even if I request for commercial guild member’s card.
“Are you helping your father boy?”
When I’m talking with a middle-aged man of guild staff that partitioning the bazaar, he greet me kindly thinking that I’m a dutiful son that came to sell the prey my parent had hunted.
“I catch it with my own traps.”
There is no need for me to claim that I can use magic, I had decided to say that I captured the rabbit with my own trap near the village I live.
When I look around, there also another kid that sells rabbit captured with trap just like me.
“Well, You are quite skilled for a kid. You can sell it in the vacant place over there. It will sell quickly as the stock for rabbit fur and meat is always lacking. I guess the current market for one meat and fur is about five coppers plate.”
It’s around five thousand yen.
I can see why as on my way to the specified place, I saw people selling rabbit fur and meat with all the price tag is five coppers plate.
So it’s around 4,500 to 5,000 yen.
I do not want to spend extra time for small profit so I set it to five copper plate is the normal price, I arranged the four rabbits on the mat that I brought.
And a man voice call out to me immediately.
A man around forty age with appearance like merchant.
“Are you helping your father?”
“No, this is something I have captured with my own trap.”
“Oh, You’re quite skilled for a youngster. And also your way of tanning the fur is quite good as the meat still fresh.”
Draining the blood from the meat, dismantling and tanning the skin.
The effort to learn that magic and it was a challenge at first from antipathy in dismantling the prey.
The meat that I bought from supermarkets in my previous life is nothing but a product that bundled in pack.
Let just say that it was something a former modern people like me can’t get used so easily.
“I’ll take everything. I’d be happy if you come to sold it again.”
“Thanks for buying.”
Rabbits sold by two silver in total, I paid two coppers plate for the 10% sales to the guild staff.
“What would you do now?”
“I had been asked by father to buy rice.”
“I guess it’s about five coppers plate for ten kilos. Though it differs fairly with its producing area and varieties.”
I express thanks to guild staff, I return home with teleport after buying ten kg rice for five copper plate from nearby rice shop.
The purpose is of course to cook the rice I bought earlier.