The shop project for the Village of the Great Tree.
Did the village really need a shop? That was the question I had asked myself a long time ago.
While the village provided everything necessary for work, there was no way for individuals to acquire items they wanted for personal use. I had thought a shop could serve as that means of acquisition.
Based on that logic, I had started planning it on my own quite some time ago.
However, the plan had unfortunately stalled.
The reason was simple: the village didn't have a currency. Or rather, it did have one. In fact, we had mountains of it. Gold coins, silver coins, and various denominations of copper coins were piled high. However, these were only used for external trade; they weren't used within the village itself.
Since the Reward Medals I had introduced served as a precursor to currency, they had become the primary way for individuals to get what they wanted.
In the Village of the Great Tree, the representatives of each race were responsible for organizing the exchange of Reward Medals or requesting necessary supplies. For the other villages, the caretakers handled the organization and relayed the needs to the main village.
Specifically, Mam, the beastman girl, handled Village One. Nuph, the lizardman, took care of Village Two. Rasshashi, one of the Civil Official Girls, managed Village Three. Village Four didn’t have a permanent caretaker, but since Bell or the Universal Ship were constantly moving back and forth, Tou, the ship’s captain, took charge of organizing their requests. For the Hot Spring Area, Yor would usually bring word whenever she visited the main village.
I supposed it just wasn't the right time to open a proper shop yet. I decided to revisit the idea once the population of the villages grew a bit more.
Or so I thought, but the physical shop itself was actually already finished. The High Elves had worked hard to build it in the residential area. It looked quite like a convenience store or a general shop, complete with rows of display shelves.
But as I mentioned, we had no internal currency. So, how was this shop being used?
It functioned as a barter exchange. People would leave something and take something else home. That was it.
Of course, the exchange wouldn't work if there was nothing to start with, but it survived because many people simply left things—vegetables from their gardens, prototypes from work, or tools they no longer needed—and took nothing in return. Strictly speaking, it seemed they were allowed to take things without leaving anything at all.
I suppose that meant it wasn't really a barter system, but it didn't matter. It was a place where surplus items were left and necessities were found. More than anything, it served as a social hub for the residents.
While there were no official clerks, Zabuton’s children took turns managing the place. Their main duties were opening and closing the shop and bringing any leftover perishables to my mansion at the end of the day. Fortunately, perishable items were quite popular, so they rarely remained on the shelves. Since the spiders were in charge, the shop was usually closed during bad weather or when the snow was deep.
Speaking of the shop, we sometimes used it as a training ground for the children and residents to practice shopping. For those sessions, we would line up specific items so they could simulate a real market experience. They were taught how to count money and how to conduct transactions as both buyers and sellers, all in an effort to prevent future trouble.
Surprisingly, the Civil Official Girls found this quite educational. Since most of them were born into the nobility, their experience with shopping was limited to sending butlers or maids to fetch items or calling merchants to their villas. Even during those interactions, the ladies themselves never handled money; that was left to their attendants.
Apparently, young noblewomen didn't touch currency. If they did, it was strictly gold or silver coins. This wasn't out of vanity, but hygiene. Currency was touched by countless people, so from a sanitary perspective, it was considered best to avoid it. Gold and silver coins were supposedly safe because the butlers polished them beforehand.
I see. Thinking about disease prevention, I wondered if we should wash our currency periodically. When I asked, I was told that Lu and Tia were already purifying any coins brought into the village with magic. Even outside the village, larger nations and reputable companies apparently used magic to clean their coins as soon as they acquired them.
Still, not everyone could use that kind of magic. What about small villages? In the Demon Kingdom, the church apparently handled coin purification. While some sects refused, the larger ones considered it part of their duty. It was fascinating to learn how the world worked.
I digressed, but practicing in the shop meant the residents would have fewer problems when they left the village. Once they felt confident, they would head to Village Five for the real thing.
I spent some time watching the children practice their haggling.
"How much is this?"
"Twenty medium copper coins."
"That's way too expensive. How about ten?"
"Ugh... how about eighteen?"
"Hmm, twelve."
"I can do seventeen."
"Thirteen!"
"Fine, sold!"
The moment the deal was struck, both children looked toward the Angel who was serving as their teacher. The Angel picked up the item and showed the price tag on the bottom to the children.
"The wholesale cost was seven medium copper coins, and the fair price was ten. That means the buyer paid a bit too much. You have to start your offers from a surprisingly low point, you know."
"What? Is starting at half-price not enough?"
"Sometimes you have to start at one-tenth just to see their reaction."
"Nuuu... I wish there was a law requiring price displays."
"Hehe, I suppose so."
In Village Five, most of the shops I was involved with displayed their prices, and many others followed that example, but it wasn't the norm everywhere.
"Let’s train your eyes to judge the product and the person across from you," the Angel continued. "For the record, I bought this product for eight coins in Village Five. And for the seller... why did you start at twenty? Since you knew the fair price, you could have gone even higher."
"The situation card I drew said 'Overstocked Surplus.' I wanted to set a price that wouldn't scare the buyer away."
"Excellent. You properly understood the context. Furthermore, the buyer had a card saying they didn't have to buy if the price was more than triple the fair value. Well done, both of you."
"Ehehe."
I see. By giving the buyers and sellers individual "Situation Cards," they made the roleplay much more complex. I had imagined something much simpler, like just counting out the change.
"Next pair, please! Draw your situation cards. Remember, don't let the other person see, and don't let it show on your face!"
"Okay!"
I had a feeling they were going to be much better at shopping than I was. I was never very good at negotiating, regardless of which side of the counter I was on. I eventually asked to join in and study with them. The children’s ruthless haggling almost brought me to tears.
Next was the matter of Yoko’s vacation.
I had made extensive preparations to ensure that Yoko, who had been working so hard, could finally take a break. With the full cooperation of the Village Five civil servants, Yoko’s personal secretaries, and the Angels serving as proxy administrators, we managed to secure a sixty-day vacation for her. I even helped out by increasing my own visits to Village Five.
I had hoped she would enjoy visiting her hometown or spending some quiet time with Hitoe. To cut to the chase: Yoko gave up after five days.
I didn't even know it was possible to "give up" on a vacation.
On the first day, Yoko headed to the Hot Spring Area with Hitoe. She planned to lounge around for a couple of days while deciding what to do with the rest of her time. However, two days later, she returned to the mansion in the Village of the Great Tree and shut herself in her room.
Hitoe seemed fine, so I wondered if something had happened at the springs. Apparently not. It was just that time had passed with absolutely nothing to do, and Yoko couldn't stand it. She stayed cooped up in the mansion until the fourth day, when she emerged with a hollow, lifeless expression.
"I will... do my best... to rest..." she muttered.
It was so nonsensical that I just told her to go back to work. Hitoe was a bit disappointed, but Yoko regained her vitality the moment she stepped back into her office. I suppose a break can actually be more exhausting than work if the person isn't suited for it. It was a learning experience for me. Instead of forcing her to stop, I’ll have to find ways to support her within her daily routine.
Oh, and to the Angels who were acting as her proxies: I’m sorry to tell you this just as you were getting ready to head home, but the work is continuing. It’s an order from Malbit, the Angel Chief. Please keep at it until spring. I’ll do what I can to help.
Angel Teacher: "Be careful, everyone. If you only focus on profit, you'll end up suffering for it."
Child A: "I know that from stories!"
Child B: "Wasn't it a book called 'The Merchant Who Manipulated Wholesale Prices for Excessive Profits'?"
Child C: "Yeah, that's the one! He gets kicked out of the city."
Child D: "And he got expelled from the Commerce Guild, too."
Child E: "Even his family abandoned him."
Child F: "His mistake was focusing only on the money and not looking at the customers."
Child G: "I thought he’d reflect and make a comeback, but he just kept falling into ruin..."
Child H: "Reality is harsh."
Child I: "I think stories should be a little kinder than that."