Novels2Search

Chapter 9

While throwing around thoughts in my head wondering about all the different things that I still have to do to get this store running like clockwork one of the hunters came back. Stubbles walked up to the counter holding a granola bar and plopping it down on the counter.

“Is this 5 dollars?”

“Nah that’s 2,95.”

“Ah alright” and with that, he picked up the granola bar and returned to wherever his buddy was leaving me alone once again. For about 5 seconds because then walrus walked up to the counter with a can of gel fuel for those camping stoves.

“Is this 5 dollars?”

“Uh no that’s 4,50.”

Nodding he pick up his item and walked back to where he had gotten it from. Another 5 seconds later stubbles returned with a new item in his hand, a bag of jerky and placed it on the counter.

“Is this 5 dollars?”

“... no that’s 3,50.”

Picking up the bag of jerky he once again disappeared behind the store's large wooden shelves. This little song and dance went on for about 4 more times until I finally decided to ask.

“What are you guys doing?”

Walrus who was in the middle of placing a new item on the counter froze.

“Uh, we are asking you for the prices.”

“Yea I can see that but why?”

“Well, we can’t really understand what these plaques underneath the items say.”

“... ohgoddamit.” I say in an exasperated sigh covering my face in a double facepalm.

Price translations welp, I guess that’s another thing to add to my ever-expanding list. I’m now thinking that it might be better just to have those magical doors removed and try my luck selling to desert hikers and the like.

“Alright, you know what,” I say standing up and hobbling towards the duo “how about I just help you directly.”

“Aye, that would help” responded walrus.

With me tagging along on their little shopping trip it went a lot smoother and I finally managed to find something to sell to them. The bag of jerky is what I sold them, yea I sold them a 3,50 bag of dried meat for 5 dollars, consider the 1,50 my fee for helping them, quit judging me I’m about to be broke here. Seeing off the two hunters with their purchase I went back to my list jotting down points on my phone as to what I needed to do.

-Better advertising: gotta somehow get the word out about my store and its location better as being on the outskirts is not getting me any foot traffic.

-Translations: customers have to somehow understand the prices I am displaying because I can't tell everyone the price of something every time someone asks.

-Signs: Need to tell those that do eventually find my store that, yes this log building is in fact my store and nothing else (there may be a woodworker or sign maker in town I might be able to hire).

-Change: I have to get myself a stockpile of local currency so that when I need to purchase something from this magical world I can do so.

-Improved security: I need to either get some armour or a gun I can rapid fire, I mean more bullets means a better chance at hitting things right (I think that’s how that works right?).

-Wildlife prevention: If those wolves attack me again or any of my customers it’s going to get very difficult doing any sort of business in this area.

Other than those 6 points I can’t think of anything else that might be needed for my little store, though something might crop up later on. So with potentially little to no other customers deciding to enter my store, I decided to close up shop early and set up my gear for another excursion into town. I also made doubly sure to load my rifle with more shells (this time of the slug variety) and cleaned off any dirt which clung to the gun after my extreme petting session with the local wildlife. Closing up shop and locking the door this time on my way out I began walking down the trail that led me to town wondering how I am going to be able to fulfil my mental checklist.

“I could just ask random passer-byes for directions, though the chance that they can tell me anything useful might not be high” I mumbled to myself throwing around ideas in my mind.

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Thinking of other options when it came to asking for advice and directions, I came up with two other ideas. One would be to ask the barkeep since I already have a business relationship with him via selling the party mix he could possibly help me with explaining prices to newcomers. He might know how to translate costs to others since he seems to cater to travellers and some of those might not be too familiar with the local coinage. My second and possibly best idea would be to ask Hotchlick as the local fur merchant might be able to help me the most seeing as we both have similar professions. I decided to visit the bar keep first in my little town visit seeing as the peddler might be a bit busy during the day.

Remembering my way back to the bar I had visited my first time in town took a while as there weren’t any kind of street signs I could rely on. Though eventually, I did manage to find it though not because of my acute memory skills or anything like that but because of a large crowd which had gathered around the front of the bar. Along with the crowd stood a familiar barmaid handing out small bowls filled with party mix to different groups of people sitting on outside benches. Along with the barmaid presumably selling the small bowls of party mix to different drinking groups was the barkeep himself selling drinks from barrels he brought to the front of his door. My happy musings of finally finding the bar I was looking for along with my products being positively received by the locals ended when I spotted that mugs of ale and party mix weren’t the only things being sold. A glittering bit of paper seemed to be sold as well, and only after closer inspection did I realise what it was and what it had been used for.

These guys were selling the opened-up bags of party mix as mirrors, by cutting the bags in two using the reflective insides of the packaging and affixing them to a pair of sticks. Making my way towards the bar keeping himself was for all intense and purposes easy as the crowd might be wide it is not especially tall. After much wiggling through drunk and about-to-be-drunk patrons I finally made it to the barkeep who immediately lit up upon seeing me.

“Ah our wonderful shop keep am I glad to see you” he thrusts his arms aside and pulls me into a meaty hug.

“I hope you are doing well these biscuits, what did you call them again party mix? Are wonderful I’ve never sold this much ale in a single day” he exclaims releasing me from his surprisingly strong grip.

“I am just as happy to see people enjoying my wares, though to be honest, I did not come here simply to see how well you were doing.”

“Oh, what do you need friend” the barkeep responded in between refilling empty mugs and taking in coins.

“Well you see I have a bit of a branding problem as no one seems to think that a log cabin on the outskirts of town is a general store, and was wondering if you could help me”

“I see, what you need is a sign my boy” pausing his continuous refilling of cups he points down the road.

“I got my sign from a local carpenter; his fletching may not be the best but his painting is the best in town. Head on down that way until you get to a building named Bortche’s carpenter something... ya can't miss it”

“Well if he’s such a good painter why doesn’t he just do that as his job” I reply tiling my head in puzzlement.

“Not much need for a painter in this town” comes the reply from the barkeep.

“ Thanks for the help mister...?”

“Mantivit” He smiles shaking my outstretched hand.

“Well, Mantivit seeing as you're busy I won't take up more of your time,” I say and make my way to this odd-sounding carpenter.

Leaving the bar I began down the street which in great contrast to the hustle and bustle of the crowd I left behind was bereft of people. It was leaning towards evening in the day but there meant to be some folk who should still be lurking around instead of the streets being as deserted as they are. But hey who am I to judge I’ve only just visited this town like twice aint my problem, and just as I had finished that thought I came upon the wooden house of my destination. Now a lot of these houses are very similar in their architecture and outwardly appearance but this one building here broke the mould quite spectacularly by having the image of a halfling welcoming people to BORTCHE THE GREAT ARTIST & carpenter’s STORE. Yea for whatever reason carpenter in the carpenter store was not as grandly written and seemingly added after the main artwork was put onto the building's walls.

Feeling a bit put off at the sight of my new sign-maker's clear disregard for the profession which would create my new sign I pressed onward into the building. Now upon opening the door, I have a slight question for you, what would you expect when first opening the door to a carpenter store? I would personally say I expected tools of the trade, maybe some stacks of wood to be turned into items as requested, that sort of stuff. No luck here though as the image that faced me was one more reminiscent of my university’s art room, i.e. full of brushes, paints and canvas to be painted on, though in this switch out the canvas for a type of thin wood.

“NOOOOOOooooooooo”

Oh and before I forget the most notable of all was the howling banshee of a halfling in the middle of the room crying over an empty cup of red paint.

“uh”

“WHYYYYyyyyy”

“h-hello”

“WHY ME WHY NOW WHY WHY WHYYYYyyy”

“HEY QUIT CRYING ALREADY”

With my oh so endless amounts of patience exhausted already at his incessant crying I snap the man out of his own sorrow-filled world he was currently residing in. Though while I managed to get the guy to take note of me he quickly returned to crying in a matter of seconds.

“Oh it's hopeless, all is lost.”

“What why- no never mind I was told I could get a sign done here.”

“Oh no it’s impossible I can't for I have no more red paint, all is lost all is hope-“

“WAIT... didyoujustsayyourequiremyservices” turning his head away from his beloved red to face me like I were in a Japanese horror flick.

“uh... y-y-yes I uh I do” but his unexpected change in demeanour defiantly put me on edge.¨

“OH HOW WONDERFUL with your funding I may have the funds to finish my masterpiece.”

“riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight” with a drawn out and highly unsure right I responded though it apparently didn’t shake the confidence of the carpenter. It seems as though the lack of a local currency stockpile is going to bite me in the ass sooner than I thought... unless.

“I might not be able to pay you in coin but something much more valuable,” I say with a big Cheshire smile appearing on my face. Though my sly little idea that was forming was something I immediately regretted upon seeing the carpenter's reaction.