It was already late, and dusk was beginning to settle in. The workday had ended, and people were heading back home, tired from their day's labor. Zack approached the alley where the sound was coming from. As he got closer, not only that noise but other different sounds started echoing in his ears.

Slowly, Zack left the main market street and ventured into the intricate side streets. After a while of wandering, he finally found the source of the noise. In front of him, in a narrow alley, there was a somewhat dilapidated establishment. Its facade, covered in withered vines, barely revealed the rusty sign that could hardly be read. The wood was weathered, and the bricks were worn. It's no wonder this place was so secluded. If it had been on the main street, people would have been scared away.

Curious, Zack struggled to open the door and entered the place. Upon entering, his ears were flooded with a multitude of sounds, and there was a pungent smell that combined old hay, wood, and a strange exotic fragrance. The interior was filled with cages and terrariums, housing various animals, some of which Zack had seen during his visits to the forest, and others he had only seen in books. Colorful feathered birds, snakes of unusual colors, and small wide-eyed mammals were in the cages. The terrariums displayed spiders, frogs, and various insects.

As Zack ventured further in, he couldn't help but be drawn inside. This might be one of the most magical scenes he had witnessed since arriving in this world. Zack observed everything around him like a curious child, but even though everything was new and exciting, something was missing.

"Hello?" While Zack was busy searching for the owner, a raspy voice suddenly sounded.

"Welcome."

Zack couldn't help but startle at the sound of the voice. If it had been a bit later, he might have screamed like a teenager. Seeing that he had achieved the desired effect, the culprit couldn't help but smile slightly.

Turning around, Zack saw the owner of the voice. The person in question was a man with disheveled hair and an unkempt beard. The clothes he wore made him look more like a wizard than a merchant, always dressed in tattered clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. If it weren't for the fact that Zack didn't sense any magical power in him, he would be certain the man was a fellow wizard.

"Sorry for that, young man. It's been a long time since I've had a little fun. Most people who come to this place are accompanied by customers who give them advance notice. I have to admit it's satisfying to see someone get startled after all."

The man approached and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Harris, the owner of this shop."

"Is this a shop?" Zack asked while looking around. Not that he hadn't suspected before that this was a shop; it's just that the place was so old. If this were his former world, it would have been closed down due to the risk of collapse.

"I'm Matthew."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Ah, the new doctor. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

By this point, Zack wasn't surprised that he was recognized. After explaining the situation, the owner apologized, and both of them sat in the back of the shop to talk.

"Ah, so you heard a noise. I'm sorry about that. My animals tend to get restless from time to time," said Harris.

"Don't worry. Would you mind telling me a bit about this shop?"

"Of course," the owner's eyes lit up upon hearing the question. "As you may have already guessed, this is a pet shop. We sell all kinds of domestic animals. It's quite common for one to feel lonely or overwhelmed, and a pet is perfect for solving this problem." Harris began to talk about the benefits of having a pet at home.

Upon hearing this, Zack interrupted, "So, you mean you sell these pets to the town's residents?"

Zack looked around. Whichever way he looked, he could see spiders, snakes, and insects. Definitely not the kind of animals one would want at home to keep their children company.

Harris sighed. "That was the plan, but sadly, most of the town's people are not interested in having pets," he said in a low voice. "The people who want pets already have them, and the rest don't want to buy one. That's why I've been forced to diversify my business."

"Diversify?" Zack asked.

The owner pointed at the animals in the cages. "The animals here are not pets. They are dangerous animals, most of which are trained to work with mercenaries."

"Look at that bird, for example," Harris pointed to one of the cages where a bird with multicolored feathers was squawking loudly. "That's a swiftwing bird. They are hardy animals that can fly faster than horses. They used to be used as messenger birds by the army. Later, they switched to a less conspicuous bird to avoid message interception. They are very expensive; hardly anyone in the town can afford them, but mercenaries like them."

"Look at this one," the owner said as he pointed to one of the terrariums. "That's a trapdoor spider. It specializes in digging holes in the ground and hiding in them. It's not venomous, but it's excellent at ambushing. A well-trained trapdoor spider can dig enough to conceal a person in no time."

Zack listened to the owner's words as he explained, one by one, the different animals in the shop. When he finished the explanation, he turned to Zack and asked, "What do you think? Are you interested in any of them?"

Zack was surprised to hear this. Obviously, he was a doctor (or at least pretending to be one), and he had no use in acquiring a pet from the ones being sold here.

Seeing his expression, Harris knew what he was thinking. "Not all the pets here have to be used by adventurers," he said. With that, he got up from his seat and approached a small cage on one of the shelves.

"Look at this." The owner lifted the cover that was covering the cage and showed what was inside: a small toad that Zack had never seen before, fast asleep.

They call it a treasure toad. It's usually bred in the southern part of the continent. It lives in warm-climate forests and feeds on all kinds of herbs. Pharmacists use it to detect medicinal herbs. The moment it detects one, it leaps for it. Are you interested?"

Upon hearing the owner's description, a hint of curiosity sparked in Zack's eyes. Searching for herbs indeed takes a lot of time. If he had one of these, his job would be much easier.

Zack's interested expression let Harris know he had a potential customer. He explained all the toad's features one by one while watching Zack's eyes shine a little brighter. Still, Zack wasn't going to be easily fooled. In the age of information, the world he came from knows perfectly well that there's always a catch.

"How much?"

"A steal compared to what you could earn if it falls into the hands of someone skilled," Harris said.

"How much?" When Zack finally repeated the very same words, this time more cautiously, Harris's smile shrank a bit.

"Ten gold coins."

"Ten gold coins?!" Zack exclaimed

The interest faded from his eyes.