When I had free time that I wasn’t using in writing grimoires or practicing cooking, if I wasn’t back at the same spot I’d arrived in this world from, I was out exploring. I didn’t run into any scenarios that could’ve resulted in a bar fight like that one instance before; this was not to say that things were always smooth sailing, however.
For example, there was another small incident where I accidentally walked into what I quickly realized was a lizardmen brothel thinking it was a tavern (it probably functioned as both actually), though thankfully I hightailed out of there fast enough before it could’ve ended up going horribly wrong.
All in all, life was not bad here in Libraria. I might’ve even recommended it as a vacation option to some people - but I wasn’t here on vacation.
I had to get back home, and whenever I would become too relaxed or complacent, that thought would always jolt me out of my stupor.
One day, over dinner, Granny Qi said, “Looks like the Book Fair is coming on time this year. I don’t know if you heard the news, but they weren’t waylaid by the dryads thankfully, and should be here in two weeks like they usually are.”
She said this as if I was expected to know what she was talking about. Upon seeing my confused face, she sighed. “Did no one at work mention this to you?”
“Uh, no,” I said while she started explaining what she was talking about.
There was a large merchant caravan that made its way through several countries in a regular path throughout the year. It carried lots of normal goods like rice, spices, oils, and whatnot. But, this world was run by Liberomancers, and much of what they carried were the greatest treasures of all - grimoires. Grimoires from various countries and differing languages as well as regions. If there was a rare grimoire that did not exist in your own language, this would be the best place to find it. That was why most people called it the Book Fair, although things other than books were also bought and sold during this event.
This caravan made its way from the neighboring kingdom of Hitutsa, which I had heard occasionally came under attack by creatures called dryads. Many people had feared that there might be such an attack that would lead to the caravan being delayed, or worse yet, not even come at all, but thankfully nothing of the sort had happened.
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The huge caravan would make its way first to the capital of Chipker, and then to Arconia. News of them approaching the capital had already made its way to Arconia, meaning it was only a matter of time before it arrived.
The caravan would not only unload a good amount of merchandise here in Arconia, but would also be picking up new merchandise as well.
“Including grimoires,” Granny Qi said. “Get used to working on your days off as well for the coming weeks.”
My stomach sank at that thought. Working eight days for only two days off felt like a scam anyway, but now you’re telling me that even that was going to be taken away? “Even on my days off?”
Granny Qi nodded. “They’ll want as many grimoires as possible to sell during the Book Fair. And you’ll get time off enough when the Book Fair is set up.”
I sighed - I hoped it wouldn’t be so, but something was telling me that Granny Qi was talking from experience.
“Chin up,” Granny Qi said. “The Book Fair is also filled with many opportunities - you’ve been saving for a translating device, haven’t you? You can probably win one in this year’s tournament, or get one for cheap from there.”
My mood perked up at that.
And hey, there was also the chance that I would be able to find something that might tell me more about this world. Or figure out why I was here.
The next day, at work, Mark had an announcement to make - and confirmed what Granny Qi said. Even the part about having to work weekends for the next few weeks.
I had kind of been anticipating that, but I groaned inwardly all the same. Sure, we would be paid overtime for it, and the more we produced, the more we earned since we got a cut of all sales. Still, it was a hard thing to ask someone to work for weeks on end with no day off, no matter how much money was involved.
There were special instructions for me - I was asked to stop making anything other than Sonnet 95. Lauren and Mark were convinced it would sell like hotcakes, and they wanted as many copies as possible. I was no longer even selling any of them, everything I made was stored just for the Book Fair. As for other grimoires, their prices had jumped by twenty percent that week, and then forty percent the next. Some of them, like Sonnet 95, simply could not be purchased on the open market.
Twelve days in I felt absolutely drained. At this point I wanted to ask for a day off or just pretend to be sick - it wasn’t even as if the work I did was in any way meaningful. I just copied the same poem over and over again until my mana was exhausted, and then waited for my mana to recover, only to do it again.
I didn’t even get the customer interaction I used to have since I wasn’t selling anything. Which meant I saw nothing in tips or sales commissions either for now.
Yes, this would eventually pay off, but ‘eventually’ had its limits as to how long it could motivate someone for.
The only reason that I kept up the pace even though I really did not want to, was because no one else in the shop complained, and I did not want to be the odd one out. Yes, I could see that they were also becoming exhausted, but they managed to trudge on - so why couldn’t I?
And with that in mind, trudge on I did.