章 4: Making my debut as a merchant
With only 1 gold coin and 50 silver coins left, I knew I had to double my money before leaving Isselburg. The city was alive with potential customers due to the election, but with only two weeks to sell, I had to be smart. Food and beverages came to mind, but the market was saturated—making a fortune off something so common seemed unlikely.
I wandered through the bustling market, observing countless stalls selling everything from fruits to trinkets, yet nothing screamed "profit" to me. That's when I remembered the upcoming speech by the King of Yolhalm at the city square. The heat would be intense, and people would need refreshment. Cold water! But then reality hit me—ice was a luxury here, imported all the way from the northern mountains of Alpania. Selling cold drinks would be a logistical nightmare.
Feeling defeated, I almost gave up. My thoughts drifted to home, to my comfortable life before all of this. But suddenly, a new idea sparked: fruit shakes! They would be refreshing and unique enough to stand out, especially in the heat of the square.
I hurried back to the market, buying mangoes, watermelon, and milk—basic but delicious ingredients. The vendor initially asked for six silver coins, but I haggled him down to five. Saving a coin might not seem like much, but every bit mattered. Next, I bought wood and nails to build my stall, saving three more silver coins, and then commissioned a workman to construct the stall, complete with wheels. It cost me 20 silver coins, but I knew it would pay off.
I spent my last 10 silver coins on 30 cups, bringing my total expenses to 45 silver coins. With only 5 silver coins left in my pocket, I felt the weight of risk—but I still had my gold coin, so I wasn't entirely broke.
The next morning, I set up my stall at the city square. At first, business was slow, and I began to doubt my idea. But as the crowd grew, people started to buy. Within two hours, I had sold out, profiting 35 silver coins. Encouraged, I reinvested in more ingredients and did another round of sales before the king's speech.
As the royal carriage pulled into the square, all stalls were ordered to close, so I obliged. The king's speech was brief but captivating, rallying the people for the election. As soon as the speech ended, I reopened my stall, and business picked up again. By the end of the day, I had 135 silver coins—triple what I started with.
Just as I was closing up for the night, a fellow vendor approached me. "Good work today, mate," she said.
"Thanks," I replied. "Honestly, I wasn't sure my product would sell, but people seemed to like it."
She smiled. "I'm Jessica, by the way."
"Jacob," I responded, shaking her hand.
We talked for a while, and I learned that she had been selling pastries in the city square for three years. Recently, competition had been eating into her profits. It made me realize how lucky I was to avoid a similar fate by taking a different approach. If I had stuck with my initial idea of selling basic drinks, I might have ended up bankrupt.
After parting ways with Jessica, I headed back to the inn, grateful for the day's success and looking forward to a peaceful night's sleep.
Current balance:
1 Gold coin
135 Silver coins
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット