"So, Kaito-san, what can I get for you?"
"Oh, well... I'm going to the Treasure Tree Festival, so I figured I should get some things ready."
Alice asked the question while her long, blonde hair swayed. I answered by telling her the reason I'd come here in the first place.
Now that she wasn't wearing that mascot suit, she had a completely different vibe. If she just took off the mask and kept her mouth shut, she’d look like a delicate, beautiful girl. Her personality ruined the whole effect, though.
"Heh, the Treasure Tree Festival, huh? Leave it to me! My shop has everything you need—as long as it isn't food!"
"Wait, why no food?"
"Because if I had any, I’d obviously just eat it myself!"
"..."
Why was she such a massive letdown? Was it really okay to be asking her for advice? No, it definitely didn't feel okay.
At any rate, I decided I'd just buy five of the cheapest things I could find and get out of there.
"By the way, Kaito-san, is this your first time at the festival?"
"Eh? Yeah."
"In that case, you should start by picking out some shoes."
"Shoes?"
I tilted my head, not quite following her logic.
"Yes. It’s a mistake a lot of first-timers make. You’re going to be walking through a forest, so the footing can get pretty rough. Stiff shoes make it hard to walk."
"I-I see..."
It was true that leather shoes were the norm in this world, and the ones I was currently wearing were fairly rigid. I did have a pair of sneakers, but they didn't really match the clothes I was wearing, and since they’d stand out and make me look out of place, I’d left them tucked away in my Magic Box.
"The Treasure Tree Festival is ten days away, so you should buy them now to break them in."
"So I should look for something softer..."
"Exactly! And that’s why I recommend these! A masterpiece made with plenty of Aqua Lizard skin for incredible elasticity. They’re durable and they stretch, so as long as your feet aren't some kind of abnormal size, they’ll fit you perfectly. They're also stain-resistant, so you can hike through animal trails without a care in the world!"
"..."
Wait. Was it just me, or was that actually a decent sales pitch?
I took the shoes Alice held out with a smile and examined them. They were indeed very soft and looked comfortable to wear. The color was a subdued dark gray, and the design wasn't too flashy—it was actually quite nice. Honestly, I found myself wanting them.
"They look great, but... aren't they expensive?"
"Well, let’s see... the materials are high-quality, so... how about 100R?"
"What? I’ll take them."
"Thank you for your business!"
That was about ten thousand yen back in Japan. It was an incredible bargain. In fact, it was probably too cheap. Even with my limited knowledge of market prices in this world, I could tell these were high-quality shoes.
I was happy to get a good deal, of course, but after seeing her desperate "I'm broke" act earlier, I couldn't help but worry about her bottom line.
"...Isn't that too cheap? Alice, won't you be taking a loss?"
"Huh? No, not really. I mean, I made those shoes myself, and I gathered the materials too."
"Oh, I see. Is it that easy to hunt Aqua Lizards?"
"Well, they're just lizards about three meters long. It's no big deal."
"..."
A three-meter lizard sounded like a total monster to me. Were the people in this world just naturally capable of hunting things like that? That was terrifying.
While I stood there in a daze, Alice moved toward a shelf lined with weapons like knives and swords.
"If you need a harvesting knife, these are the ones. You don't look like you're used to handling them, Kaito-san, so a simple design would be best."
"R-Right."
"Yeah, it wouldn't be very funny if you sliced your own hand open. You’ll want a short, straight blade... Alright, how about this one?"
"What is it?"
"The material is Electrum. It's a bit heavy, but that gives it stability. The best part is the Magic Crystal embedded in the center of the blade. If you channel Magic Power into it, a Wind blade activates, so even an amateur can cut through things easily. The Magic Crystal is high-quality, too, so you won't run out of power under normal circumstances. Unless, of course, you force a massive amount of Magic Power into it to make the blade giant or something."
She’d brought out another incredible-looking item. It was a type of Magic Tool that generated a magical edge, making it easy for even unskilled users to cut things. The blade was a pale gold with intricate engravings on the hilt. It looked like it could be a work of art.
This time, it really did look expensive. I remembered seeing something similar when I visited the Magic Tool market with Kuro. That one had been a bit larger, but I think it cost around 2,000R. Two hundred thousand yen for a single knife felt steep, but Kuro had told me that was a fair price for a Magic Tool that doubled as a weapon.
"It looks amazing, but it also looks really expensive."
"It’s definitely pricier than the shoes. How does 500R sound?"
"...I'll buy it."
"Thank you for your business!"
It was shockingly cheap. No, it was way too cheap. Which meant...
"Hey, Alice. Don't tell me you made this, too?"
"Hmm? Yeah, I did."
"...I knew it."
"Actually, I make almost everything in this shop. I don't have the cash to stock things from elsewhere."
I looked around the shop in shock. Shoes, clothes, accessories, weapons, Magic Tools... Alice made all of this? This girl was unbelievable.
She could make shoes, sew clothes, had an eye for jewelry, knew how to smith, and could even hunt her own materials. On top of that, everything she made was of professional quality.
Why was someone with such incredible skills so poor she couldn't even afford to eat?
"...If you have all these high-quality items at such low prices, why isn't the shop more popular?"
"That’s what I want to know! I have no idea why, but most customers turn around and leave the second they open the door. Maybe my decor is bad?"
"..."
No, they were definitely turning tail because they saw a shopkeeper in a giant cat suit. I’d almost done the exact same thing. But even so, there had to be plenty of other ways to make money.
"Look, if the shop isn't working, why don't you just wholesale your goods somewhere else?"
"...Huh?"
"I mean, since you can make things this well, wouldn't a merchant guild or a trading company buy them from you?"
"...I never thought of that."
She really was a disappointment. She had the skills to earn a fortune, but her personality—or rather, her general behavior—ruined everything. Actually, I had a feeling she’d manage to mess it up even if she did try to wholesale.
"Oh, but wait. I did go to apply for a business license once. They almost kicked me out and told me never to come back."
"...Did you go wearing that mascot suit?"
"Eh? Well, yeah, obviously."
"You're an idiot, aren't you?"
"I get told that surprisingly often."
I stood corrected; she’d already failed.
It was hopeless. Her personal stats were through the roof, but she was fatally flawed. Truly, they say God doesn't give with both hands.
(I'm not the one giving out abilities, though?)
Shut up, Natural Goddess.
Dear Mother, Father—the items in Alice’s shop were all top-tier, but unfortunately, Alice herself seemed desperately lacking in business sense.