The trading city of Marchelg. A city where various goods gathered from across the continent are unloaded and traded. Year-round, it is overflowing with many merchants, and it's even said that a merchant’s ability can be measured by how well they can stock up on good products here.
Despite being such a city, for ordinary citizens and adventurers, it's perceived merely as a city with vigorous logistics. While occasional bargains can be found, most of them are snapped up by keen-eyed merchants. Therefore, many decide it's less hassle to go directly to the merchants, and they head towards the royal capital instead.
Originally, the city was established as a place for merchants to gather goods before entering the royal capital, with full-scale business for the merchants taking place in the royal capital, a day's carriage ride from Marchelg. Here, it's nothing more than a preliminary battleground for merchants.
"But the number of people is impressive, isn't it? The same or even more than during the Termus festival," Yuka says, somewhat overwhelmed by the wave of people flooding the main street in front of her.
"Absolutely," replies Izayoi with a weary expression. The scene unfolding before Izayoi, who fundamentally dislikes crowds, is akin to hell. Honestly, she would prefer to turn on her heel and hastily return to the inn right now.
However, Yuka, her companion, while indeed overwhelmed, shows no sign of dislike. Rather, with the impatience of an excited preschooler on a field trip, she tightly clutches a wooden tag in her hand.
"Let's hurry up, Izayoi!"
"I get it, so calm down a bit," Izayoi responds, firmly grabbing Yuka's shoulder, which seems ready to bolt at any moment.
"What do you plan to do if you get lost?"
"Do you think I'm a grade-schooler!?"
Almost voicing her thought that mentally there might not be much difference, Izayoi—
"—Did you say something?"
—quietly shuts her mouth in front of Yuka, whose smile doesn’t reach her eyes one bit.
With a huff, Yuka glares at the silenced Izayoi. However, unexpectedly, her expression crumbles into a somewhat bashful one as she speaks.
"But, since we went through the trouble of getting a permit from Genova, it would be a waste not to use it."
The wooden tag Yuka holds is a permit needed to buy and sell goods on the merchant street where they currently stand.
Normally, only merchants belonging to a trading company can hold such a permit. However, Genova, who took a liking to Yuka and felt greatly indebted to her, utilized her connections and bridged the gap with the Marchelg branch.
Thanks to this, the two of them were able to receive a permit for trading on the merchant street, enabling them to shop freely.
Even though Yuka has come to another world and has become a failed hero, she remains a maiden who blushes like a flower. There’s no way her heart wouldn’t leap at the mention of shopping.
Izayoi, slightly exasperated, interjects as Yuka swells with such expectations.
"Just so you know, I don’t think they have things like bags or fashionable clothes here."
"I know that! You're underestimating me."
Yuka, too, is fully aware that this place is different from their original world.
"But you might find a hidden gem, you know?"
Indeed, Marchelg is the continent's premier city in terms of logistics. Even taking the quality of goods into account, items gather here from all across the continent. It wouldn’t be strange if one or two hidden gems could be found with enough searching.
But—
"To find one amidst all this?"
The merchant street is, true to its name, brimming with a vast number of merchants. Wholesaling, stocking, and merchants engaging in intense verbal duels to close deals.
Searching for an uncertain hidden gem on a street enveloped in a festive yet divergently fervent atmosphere, just imagining it is exhausting—an absurd notion.
"Can we go back to the inn?"
"At least keep me company for a bit, you spineless thing."
"There's no way anything of great value is here."
"You've just picked a fight with everyone here, you know."
Indeed, as Yuka pointed out, Izayoi's statement could easily be taken as picking a fight with all the merchants present. In fact, several nearby merchants are glaring at Izayoi.
But Izayoi has her say.
"It's nothing compared to the castle's treasure vault."
"Your comparison is ridiculous!"
Indeed, comparing anything to a castle’s treasure vault would make most things seem nearly worthless.
Yuka shakes her head dramatically.
"It's fine even if we don’t find a hidden gem. There's meaning in the act of shopping itself."
Yuka's point is not that the purpose is to buy things, but to enjoy the process of shopping. Therefore, even if they don’t find anything noteworthy, it doesn’t bother Yuka in the slightest.
Izayoi shows a degree of agreement with Yuka’s words, and at last, the two of them ventured onto the merchant street.
Both sides of the street are lined with parked cargo wagons, and many people are engaged in direct negotiations there, or laying out their goods on mats to physically display them and bring negotiations into the fold.
Since Izayoi and Yuka are not merchants, they were observing the items laid out on the latter. From commonplace items that could be found in any general store, to tools whose purpose and origin were unknown, the gathering of goods, fitting for a trading city, was diverse.
Yuka was repeatedly window shopping, finding items that piqued her interest. Honestly, window shopping isn't very commendable behavior on the merchant street, but for better or worse, Yuka, viewing things through the values of her original world, doesn’t realize this. There is no concept of window shopping in this world.
Izayoi, dealing with the rampant Yuka, primarily aimed at gems and metals that seemed likely to become Yuka was intrigued by what Izayoi wanted to do and persistently inquired, but Izayoi merely brushed her off, not engaging in the discussion. He simply allowed a faint smile to cross his face.
Then, the two wandered around the merchant street until the beginning of dusk. Also, in the end, Yuka didn’t purchase anything at all.