Hmm, hmm, hmm...
Hmm, today I'm in a really good mood.
It's been two months since I joined, and I've properly learned how to make weapons from drop items, and I'm getting good feedback from the senior smiths.
Probably by next week, I'll be able to supply goods to Babel too... Ah, of course, not selling under Hephaestus's name, but only under my own. Only High Smiths of Level 2 or above can sell with our familia's mark, and I'm not there yet.
It's been a while, should I visit Limus's place? Let's see, go down this alleyway... Was it here?
"Hey! Open the door!"
Loud banging sounds echoed.
"Shut up, you horny bastard!"
"What are you gonna do about it, shorty?"
"You fucker, is being short a crime? Is it?!"
"Yeah, so how tall are you?"
"Aaaargh!"
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Roughly after exchanging banter like this (Limus was serious... a little? mixed in, but let's move on) I entered Azure Wind.
"So, what's up?"
"Well, do friends need a reason to meet? It's not meeting because there's a reason, but making a reason to meet."
"Brat, if you can't even speak properly..."
Even though he said that, perhaps because the height teasing was somewhat resolved, his expression softened a bit.
"By the way, isn't the security around here unstable lately? There's a rumor that in Daedalus Street, if you don't hear screams at night, that's even stranger."
"Here, it's always turf wars between back-alley familias, so there's no peaceful day. But because of that, the cheap potions we sell at our shop do well."
"...Don't you get shaken down for protection money or something?"
"I just get by by giving a slight discount on potions sold to back-alley familia members. Since I'm the only one selling potions in Daedalus Alley, I have some leverage. Without me, they'd have to go outside to buy, and it's much more expensive out there."
"Supply and demand, and a monopoly due to being the sole seller."
"But if I cross the line with prices, they'll just cut me off and buy from outside. The reason they don't mess with here is purely for convenience. If the convenience they get from me and the price tilt too much, they'll deal with this place and just buy from outside."
"A relationship like a crocodile and a plover bird..."
"I've never heard that analogy before?"
"Ah... so, animals from where I lived. To put it simply, there's an animal with a huge number of teeth and a very small bird. That animal called a crocodile has so many teeth that when it catches and eats an animal, meat scraps get stuck between its teeth, and if left alone, they rot and affect other teeth."
"So?"
"So, a very small bird, almost sparrow-sized called a plover, stands in the gaps between the teeth while the crocodile has its mouth open, and picks out the meat scraps one by one. The crocodile is happy because its teeth are clean, and the plover is happy because it can fill its belly. But if the plover gets too fat and can't properly remove the debris, or if another bird appears that does the job better than that plover, then the moment the plover sits between its teeth..."
"..."
"...it would snap its mouth shut."
As the story ended, suddenly silence fell between us.
Seems like I came to hang out but only talked about heavy stuff...
"By the way, I heard a new tavern opened on West Main Street. Want to go check it out later? Rumor has it a retired high-level adventurer opened it."
"Why would an adventurer open a tavern? With the money they've earned, they should live well... What's the name?"
"Probably... Hostess of Fertility?"
"...What?"
"Hmm... it was definitely something about Fertility."
"No... Hostess of Fertility must be right, I think I've heard of it too. Are you busy tonight?"
"I'll be busy for a while. As I said earlier, these guys fight constantly, so I need to stock up in advance."
"Alright, let's go together when we have time."
"You're going?"
"Yeah, I'll go. You drink some milk and grow a bit taller."
"[A string of harsh Pallum curses]"
"Whoa, I'm going."
"{He spat out a severe Orario curse.}"
"Yeah, yeah, it was good to see you too!"
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Hostess of Fertility... Come to think of it, wasn't it said to have been created about 10 years before the original? Since I asked to be sent exactly 10 years before the original, the timeline matches.
...A good idea came to mind.
1. Hostess of Fertility has just opened, so there are no regular customers or anything yet.
2. There are still 10 years left until the original time.
3. The owner of Hostess of Fertility, Mia Grand, is Level 6.
4. If I become a regular now, I'll be a regular of a Level 6 for 10 years.
5. My life is safe! (Plus, if I befriend Mia Grand from now on, I can also befriend the beautiful waitresses later.)
It might seem like the last plus is the most important, but that's a misconception.
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...Really.
Well, from today on, I'm a regular at Hostess of Fertility!
...But first, earn some money. The food there seems a bit expensive.