CH 13

After reporting to the guildmaster, I went to my favorite material shop.

It's nice how I could stop by on my way from the guild since it's located nearby but the place is hard to find hidden in a narrow back alley.

Inside, the store is dimly lit, with an occult atmosphere and a questionable interior design choice.

It looks like a witch's store no matter how you look at it. From all angles.

I personally thought it's pretty nice inwardly though.

Alma is looking around curiously at the eerie looking shopkeeper and shop. Doesn't seem like she's scared.

The old woman shopkeeper laughed eerily and let out an evil looking smile as she appeared behind the counter.

"Hhi, hhi, hhi, welcome. Oh you've brought a girl with you today, that's the one you always huddle up together at the inn?"

"Quit it with that easily misunderstood phrasing. I'm here to shop, also got some news for you."

I usually speak using polite tone with other people but that slips up whenever I'm talking with this old woman.

Nothing to do with skills or anything, just comes naturally.

"One Spark Wolf's horn and a small vial of Fire Frog's oil please."

"That again, used up the last one already? Those things shouldn't come cheap for a rookie adventurer. Hhi hhi."

"Yeah? Then how 'bout throwing me a bone here. I'm gonna be your loyal customer."

"No can do. I don't get many customers coming here, barely scraping by selling at this price point. Hhi."

"Then put up some lights inside this store, would you. What's up with this cave-like atmosphere, are you even trying to run a business?"

"Too many guests are also a pain."

Can't tell if she's running this store for money or as a mere hobby.

She wrapped my order and handed it over.

"Here you go, that'll be 7200 en. You're gonna be financially ruined if you go out of control with your spending, careful now. That much oil is more than enough for lighting, Hhi hhi."

"Are you telling a joke there? That's a miss if so. Here you go, 7200 en... Aah, almost forgot, apparently there's gonna be a Stampede from the Magic Beast Forest in three days, you'd better start preparing to take shelter. Like packing up and stuff."

"Oho, that doesn't sound good. Where did you get that info from?"

"We just got attacked by ten or so magic beasts coming out of the forest earlier you see. Might have been a close call if not for this horn and oil."

"Hhi hhi! Well done surviving that. Good to hear our items came in handy."

"So yeah, found out it's an omen for a stampede after reporting to guildmaster. Apparently, been happening frequently in other places."

"And now it's Guruoz's turn eh. I suppose I should evacuate from this street then. Appreciate going all the trouble to notify me. Hhii hhii hhii."

"You're welcome. Ah, here's some snack if you will. It's thanks for the horn and oil. I mean we managed to escape with our lives thanks to them after all."

It's my special-made candied sweet potato-like in an oil wrapping.

The potato isn't as sweet as actual sweet potato but after baking and sprinkling it with sugar and big sesame seeds, it came out nicely sweet and flavory.

I was gonna eat it as today snack, but well it's the least I could do to this store for saving our hide.

...Kinda feel like I've been getting into cooking lately. Guess that's how it goes in a world with few recreations.

"My, my, are you sure? This can't have come cheap."

"Eh not really, I made it myself. While I wouldn't say my own cooking's crap, it shouldn't taste bad either."

"You're an adventurer, yet can cook? Quite resourceful of you. Aah right, I have something else for you. Here you go."

She handed me a pouch with something inside.

From its feels, there's some sort of slightly smaller glass marble-like objects inside? There's a few of them.

"And this is?"