"Barbara, how are we looking on spice stocks?"
"Let’s see... we're still doing fine for now."
This was Erik’s Shop, the only store in Kaina Village.
It functioned as a branch of the Raglann Company and served as the central hub for all procurement in the village. The shop primarily dealt in daily necessities and clothing.
Since Kaina Village was a small settlement of only about a hundred people, customers paid for their goods in one of two ways: with currency or through bartering.
"Today’s sales were fairly decent, too," Barbara remarked while tallying the figures.
Having worked alongside Erik for several months now, she had grown quite adept at the bookkeeping.
"I see. That’s good to hear."
The revenue for Erik’s Shop came from two primary sources.
The first was direct sales to the villagers.
The second was wholesaling to their headquarters, the Raglann Company. These wholesale goods consisted mostly of furs and magi-stone sand obtained through bartering with the villagers, as well as rubber products like pen nibs and rubber balls procured from Jin via Jin Castle.
In addition to those two streams, the shop also occasionally acted as a middleman for rare magic tools developed by Jin. When they delivered these to the main store, they were paid a handling fee.
"It’s almost time for your father to visit again, isn't it?"
"Yeah, you're right."
"The journey from the royal capital is so long. It must be exhausting for him."
"It is. But that’s the nature of trade."
"I suppose so."
"Would you like to go back there again sometime?"
"Hmm, let me think..."
At Erik’s question, Barbara found herself reminiscing about their visit to the capital not so long ago.
"This is the capital, Alban."
"Wow... it’s huge!"
To report their marriage, Erik and Barbara had traveled together to the Raglann Company’s headquarters—Erik’s childhood home.
They had reached Toka Village in a single day by riding a Golem horse, but they had to travel on foot from there. It took two days to reach the Town of Charles, and another three days from there to reach Alban.
Alban had a population of roughly eight thousand—eighty times that of Kaina Village.
"So many people..."
Barbara’s eyes darted everywhere at once. She was a wide-eyed country girl through and through.
Compared to Kaina Village, the sheer scale of the crowds was on another level. The people wore elegant, sophisticated clothing that left Barbara completely captivated.
"The city really is something else," she whispered with a sigh.
She and Erik, meanwhile, were dressed in their village clothes and carrying heavy travel packs. To any observer, it was painfully obvious they were from the sticks.
"Come on, let’s head to the company first."
Erik adjusted the weight of his pack and signaled for Barbara to follow.
The Raglann Company’s main store had moved to the center of the main thoroughfare earlier that year. It was a testament to how much the business had flourished.
"We're here."
"Oh, wow! It’s incredible!" Barbara gasped.
"I’m home," Erik called out as he entered through the side service door rather than the main entrance. Barbara followed close behind him.
"Oh, welcome back!"
"Barbara-chan, it’s so good to have you here!"
Roland, Erik’s father, and the rest of their relatives had all gathered to meet them.
"I’m just so happy Erik found such a wonderful bride! This calls for a celebration!"
"Barbara, our son can be a bit unreliable, but we hope you'll look after him for a long time to come."
That night, a grand banquet was held to celebrate their union.
"Thank you so much. I’ll do my absolute best," Barbara replied, her face flushed with happiness. She felt truly blessed.
Barbara stayed in Alban with Erik for a week following the party.
She spent her time learning the fundamentals of the trade. It wasn't all work, though; she had plenty of opportunities to explore the city in her downtime.
In the beginning, Barbara’s eyes had sparkled at every new sight in the royal capital, but as the days passed...
"...It’s actually kind of boring."
Learning the business was fine—she was still studying hard for that. What she found dull was the lifestyle of the capital itself.
Certainly, it was crowded, bustling, and glamorous, possessing all the energy one would expect of a capital city. But that was all it was.
"...I think I miss the village."
She had been away from Kaina Village for only a week—two weeks if the travel time was included—but Barbara had already become homesick. And it was no wonder.
"I miss the hot spring..."
She missed the communal bath in Kaina Village.
"And the food... the meals at the castle dining hall were so much better."
She would go sightseeing and eat lunch at a local diner, only to feel that the food wasn't particularly tasty for the price they charged.
"Even the toilets..."
While the Klein Kingdom was beginning to focus on public sanitation, it couldn't compete with Kaina Village, where Jin had personally supervised the construction.
She realized that once the novelty wore off, the people in the city were no different from the people in her village. If anything, she felt the villagers might actually be smarter, given how they were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and practical wisdom.
"Yeah, Hanna-chan is definitely more brilliant than most people here."
It seemed to her that Hanna was wiser than the average adult—perhaps even more so than the people they called "scholars."
It was only by stepping outside her world that Barbara truly came to appreciate the virtues of her home.
"Waaaah!"
"B-Barbara!?"
The moment they crested Togo Pass and saw Kaina Village nestled far below, Barbara leapt from the carriage and started sprinting.
"Hahaha! Erik, I suppose she must have missed it dearly," Roland, who was traveling with them, laughed. "It was the first time in her life she’s been away from home for nearly a month, after all."
He looked out over the landscape. "It’s been a while since I’ve visited Kaina Village myself. It does feel quite nostalgic."
"Huff... huff..."
Having sprinted all the way down from the pass, Barbara crossed the bridge over the Erme River, dashed past the side of Jin Castle, and practically flew into Kaina Village.
"I’m home!!"
"Oh, Barbara, welcome back."
"Barbara, did you lose a little weight on the road?"
When she burst into the village chief’s house, Barbara was greeted by her uncle, Giebeck, and his wife, Sally-sensei.
"Ah, Onee-chan, welcome home."
Lou, their adopted daughter, also greeted her with a warm smile.
"I’m back, Lou....Here, I brought you a souvenir."
"Wow, thank you!"
Barbara reached into her pack and handed out gifts for her uncle, her aunt, and her new cousin.
"Oh, thank you, Barbara. This is very kind."
"Where is Erik?"
"I ran all the way down from Togo Pass, so he's still behind me."
At that, the three of them looked at her with slightly exasperated expressions.
"...Well, I suppose I can understand the sentiment," Sally said. Since she hadn't originally been from the village herself, she could empathize with the feeling of belonging. She decided to offer a few words. "Barbara, don't ever lose this feeling you have right now—this sense of how much you cherish your home."
"Y-Yes!"
Having reaffirmed that Kaina Village was where she truly belonged, Barbara resolved to work even harder for the sake of the village.
"Heeey, Barbara!"
Erik’s voice drifted in from the distance.
"Ah, sorry! I'm coming!"
Barbara gave a spirited shout in return. "Well, Uncle, Sally-sensei, Lou, I'll see you later!"
With a quick bow, she hurried out of the chief’s house.
The sky over Kaina Village was a brilliant, clear blue, and an early autumn breeze chased the wispy clouds across the horizon.