Chapter 24
Emily clasped her hands and stared at me with proud and admiring eyes, making me feel bashful and uncomfortably grin.
After getting Katarina’s errands, it took a little time to get to the village.
There were several fine carriages, as one would expect from a grand Count’s house, and I could use one of them thanks to the Countess’s special permission.
Is this the power of affection?
I took my time admiring the quickly changing surroundings through the carriage window.
Yesterday, I was pushed to the edge of a cliff, but today, I was riding in a gold-trimmed carriage drawn by a coachman, traveling to the village for leisure.
Incredibly, all of these changes happened from a single pillow.
The clattering of horse hooves and the gleaming green backdrop soothed me, gradually easing my stance.
I sat squeezed in the corner of the carriage, which was as large as an average room, perhaps because I had grown accustomed to the modest servant quarters over the previous few days.
However, as time passed, I rested against the backrest, pleasantly stretched out my legs, and casually draped my arms over my back.
In modern terms, riding in a carriage drawn by a coachman seemed like riding in a luxury car with a personal driver to the grocery.
Despite a few bumps on the gravel road, the ride was comfortable, and my bottom didn’t suffer.
I must be a good servant by now.
“Hilda! We’re here! Come out!”
A little arrogant, I walked out of the carriage and into the village.
Despite its small size, the sensation of venturing outside the mansion for the first time was exciting and novel.
It was like strolling about in a game set in a virtual kingdom age, something VR games could never recreate.
“Evening gowns worn by a neighboring country’s princess, only 30 gold! Will you try one on before you leave?”
“Travel books about Galiba, hard to find, clearing out at 5 gold!”
“Last fountain pen, used by the kingdom’s scribes, now for sale!”
This market was lively, just like a traditional market I had visited previously.
Customers explored the displays or entered establishments to buy things while vendors screamed in front of their shops.
The only distinction was the historical setting.
“Hello, hello! Bastard swords forged from the finest mithril! Only five are in stock, so get them while you can!”
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TL: A bastard sword, also known as a hand-and-a-half sword, is a type of European sword that emerged in the Late Middle Ages. It is characterized by a versatile design that is somewhere between a shorter one-handed sword and a longer two-handed sword. The term “bastard” likely comes from the fact that the sword is not easily classified as either a one-handed or two-handed weapon—it’s somewhat of a hybrid. The bastard sword typically has a long grip that can accommodate one hand or two, giving the wielder the option to use it with either one or two hands, depending on the situation. This flexibility made it a popular choice for knights and other combatants during the times when swordplay was a common aspect of warfare.
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Swords, crossbows, and maces?
Even training swords made of wood?
It was incredible to be able to see all of the weaponry from the game in real life.
These are genuine.
Take a look at that blade…
The fantasy movie-like swords awed me.
When I was younger and more into RPG games, I attempted to construct my legendary weapon, but it was a bad copy covered in foil.
These were of unmatched quality to the forgery.
I wish I could only bring one bastard sword.
It may come with me if I keep it with me when I return to reality.
I’d like to preserve one as a memento…
I drooled over the bastard blade, and the arms trader gave me a funny look, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the glass display for long.
Being in this game didn’t feel wholly unpleasant for the first time.
“Oh right, I have errands from Katarina to do.”
After meandering about the hamlet, I remembered the errands I was supposed to do.
I took the crumpled note from my pocket and inspected the goods individually.
Sewing needles, a smidgeon of cotton wool, cotton thread, a smidgeon of salt, a smidgeon of pepper…
Fortunately, they were all light enough to be carried back.
“Let’s see, should I start by looking for a general merchant?”
The general merchant in any game usually carries everything: health pills, mana potions, arrows for archers, and so on.
Even beginners with limited funds and levels must visit the general merchant to purchase health potions.
When arranging a trade, saying ‘Meet in front of the general merchant’ guarantees that no one gets lost.
It’s like a meeting square game.
“Welcome! Oh, you’re the one! You’re related to the Pfalzgrafs, aren’t you?”
The middle-aged female seller greeted me first since she recognized me.
Inside the shop, a few customers were browsing.
I nodded, holding out the list Katarina had given me.
“Yes, um… First, I need some sewing needles. Approximately five different lengths. And some cotton wool.”
“Yes, yes, yes. And you’ll also need cotton thread, right?”
“Yes, I require one. And…”
“You’ll probably need leather thimbles and metal thimbles as well.”
The merchant recited the list fluently and began to take items from under the counter before I could finish reading it.
She was a very astute entrepreneur.
“Yes. And two pin cushions for the wrist…”
“They come in a variety of sizes. Please take them all.”
“All of them? That’s too mcuh.”
I hadn’t noticed it while reading the list, but the space beside the counter was already occupied.
It was exactly what I had requested, but it was overkill.
There were sets of 60 needles rather than just five of each length, a large bag full of cotton wool, and what appeared to be over ten wrist cushions of various sizes.
Katarina had not requested that much.
“I only need five needles. And that’s only half of the cotton wool. I don’t have enough money to cover all of this.”
“That’s fine. Take it free of charge.”
“Are you sure? You’re giving all of this away for free?”
At first sight, it appeared to be worth more than 50,000 won in Korean money, and the seller offered it all for free.
It appeared suspicious, quite suspicious.
Was this a trap placed by the game system due to my recent success?
Would taking these presents for free implies a lack of conscience or demands for compensation for theft?
The general merchant laughed loudly when he saw my suspicious countenance as I warily looked around, anticipating white letters to come unexpectedly.
“Don’t worry, it’s not a lie or a con. Everything is available for free. I’m giving you everything since you’re from the Pfalzgraf family. We are grateful to the Count for his kindness.”
“Indebted?”
“Oh my goodness, absolutely. Not only me but the entire community owes the Count. When mountain bandits assaulted our village, he deployed soldiers to help us more than once. And, during a recent flood caused by severe rains, he assisted in keeping our village from being completely devastated. The Count and his son, Young Master Adrian, are charming people. Their generosity is comparable to that of angels.”
“Ha, haha… I see…”
Adrian, an angel?
It seemed like an odd combination, but his actions were certainly shocking.
Of course, I couldn’t help but question his motivations.
“It’s more than that. He established a new orphanage and accepted all of the kid who had lost their parents in the slums. Slum children learn to steal as soon as they can walk. We had been relieved of a significant load. As a result, we provide everything to anyone in the Pfalzgraf family. So don’t be concerned.”
“But this is too much…”
“Here, take it!”
Before I could say anything, the merchant had packed the products and shoved them in front of me.
She packed a lot of goods neatly, yet I still felt like I was receiving something for nothing.
However, it seemed impolite to continue ignoring their kindness, especially because it was a gesture of thanks to the Pfalzgraf family rather than me.
“Thank you so much. Where should I shop for groceries?”
“Just go outside the shop; you’ll see the grocery store.”
Even though another client approached to pay, the general merchant continued escorting me to the street to show me the route.
Even though the grocery store was just two shops down from the general store, she followed me there, declaring to the grocer, ‘This customer works at the Pfalzgraf estate!’ before finally leaving.
“Oh ho, you’re from the Pfalzgraf estate?”
For a brief while, the grocer’s eyes twinkled.
“Yes. So I’ll need some salt and pepper…”
The grocer swooped in like an eagle as I described my demands while gazing at the note.
I expected him to fetch the items for me, but instead, he read the message casually and strolled towards the shelves.
“This, this, and this from the note. Oh, you’ll need this as well.”
This appeared to be a repeat of what happened in the general shop.
“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since the Count’s estate purchased basil. You must have rosemary if you have basil. You’ll also need bread spread… We recently purchased high-quality condensed milk and butter. I should bring you some.”
“…”
“Ah, and we also have some delicious milk from the sheep farm. Let me see…”
“Wait, that’s too much.”
“Is it too much? Take everything here.”
Sauces, spices, and condiments splattered upon the counter before me.
While Katarina included certain spices among them, they were only a portion of what was sent.
I pondered if it was right to accept all of these for free, as I did at the other shop.
Could this system be inventing an excuse to deplete my funds?
Given its proclivity to discreetly criticize for a lack of conscience, it may try to twist my titles again.
I felt pitiful as I stared anxiously at the air.
Being a victim of the game’s currency and system…