The city looked even more striking up close. Wagons rumbled down the long streets. Countless people—young and old, men and women—bustled about. The marketplace, just inside the city gates, was a cacophony of smells from various food stalls and the shouts of merchants advertising their wares. I couldn't tell how the food was being cooked, but the smell wasn't exactly pleasant.
*Grrrrowl.*
Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. But sitting down to eat instant ramen here would draw too much attention.
"Might as well buy something, I guess?"
Seeing is believing, after all. It was better to just try something. It might even be good.
"Welcome!" a cheerful voice called out.
A bald shopkeeper wearing a leather apron was grilling strange, skewered things that I couldn't tell were fruit or vegetable. The smell of spices wafted from his stall, but it wasn't too overpowering.
"Look at this juicy beauty! Sweet with a savory finish, this is the most delicious Kurufupa skewer you'll ever taste! One bite and you'll be hooked for life!"
It didn't sound too bad. But right now, the most important thing was the price.
"Let's see how much money I have..."
Checking my inventory, I saw I had about 300 bron left from selling the canned goods. The menu on the counter showed that one skewer cost about 20 bron. A chicken skewer in Tokyo costs around 200-300 yen, so 1 bron was probably worth about 10 yen.
I took 20 bron out of my inventory, and two copper coins marked with the number 10 appeared in my hand.
"Just one, please."
"One Kurufupa skewer, coming right up!"
The shopkeeper handed me a freshly grilled skewer, drizzling a bit of some unidentifiable liquid over it. I slowly brought it to my mouth and took a bite.
"Oh?"
A sweet juice, like that of a fruit, burst into my mouth. The texture was like an overripe tomato, which wasn't great, but the more I chewed, the more a savory flavor seeped out from the pulp. And the sauce? The sauce was tangy and a little spicy, blending with the savory sweetness. It made me smile without realizing it.
I devoured the first one in an instant and immediately ordered another, finishing it just as quickly.
"Thank you! Come again soon!"
It was a surprisingly satisfying meal. Maybe I didn't need to cook ramen and could just buy food instead.
However…
"260 bron left."
Not enough money. I only had a few cans left, not really enough to sell. And if I kept buying and selling things like this, it was bound to cause problems.
"I guess I need to find a job first…"
Money is a problem in this world, just like in my old one. If I'd known this was going to happen, I would have withdrawn every last yen from my bank account.
"Then again, how could I have possibly known...?"
If I had, that would be precognition. So, first, I needed to make some money. With my current skill, starting a business was the obvious way to do it. But what could I possibly buy with just 260 bron? To make any real profit, I'd need to buy and sell in bulk.
"Should I sell my bike for some startup cash...?"
I put the bike in my inventory to check the selling price. But it would only fetch about 500 bron, since it was used. I couldn't take that much of a loss.
"Maybe I should start by selling something cheap and useful?"
I browsed for useful household items and found something. An inexpensive daily necessity that a lot of people would probably buy.
"Hmm…"
I looked at the towel I had draped around my neck. People in this world must wash themselves, too.
"Selling a travel toiletry kit seems like a good idea..."
A travel kit with body wash, shampoo, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel—an essential for any traveler. The people here probably used toiletries, but they likely weren't as good as the ones from my world.
"Let's check the price..."
I sighed as soon as I saw it. One travel kit cost 50 bron. With all the money I had, I could only buy five of them.
"This is pretty much my last bit of cash... I can't risk it on something that might not even sell."
What about selling the items individually? I searched for each item in the kit. The only things cheap enough to buy in bulk were towels and soap. But the real deal was the towels. There was a special offer: buy 100 towels, get 10 free. That was an extra 10% profit right there.
"Next up, market research."
Even a great product is just useless junk if there are no customers. I couldn't imagine people not using towels, but it wasn't smart to stock up before knowing if they would sell.
"How much could I sell them for?"
I walked around the market to see if any other merchants were selling towels. It was just as I expected. The "towels" being sold here were just plain cloths. They were made of cotton and absorbed water well, but they were so rough and scratchy you'd hesitate to wipe your face with them.
"This could actually work."
I decided to start small and bought 40 towels.
*Ping.*
40 bron disappeared from my inventory, and 40 towels appeared before me.
"Alright, where should I sell them...?"
With my remaining money, I bought a sign to write the price on and a small ground tarp. The local towels were 1 bron for one. The ones I bought from Conve∞ were about 3 bron each, so considering the quality difference, maybe 5 bron was a fair price?
"It's almost double the price, but..."
With this quality, people should be willing to pay. I wrote a "5" on the sign and looked for a spot. All the good locations were already taken by other merchants. The only place left was a corner spot. I spread out the tarp, arranged the 40 towels, the sign, and my camping chair, and sat down.
"So many people…"
Even in this out-of-the-way spot, a lot of people were passing by. Unlike me, who had always been rushing around, they all had smiles on their faces.
"Come on by! High-quality towels for sale!"
I smiled and greeted the passersby, but they only gave me a sideways glance, showing no interest in buying.
"Is the price too high...?"
It was almost double the price of the cotton cloths sold in the city, so it probably was.
*Tap, tap.*
As I was debating whether to lower the price, a small child stopped in front of my stall.
"Hmm?"
The child tilted their head, a finger in their mouth.
"Mister, what's this?"
"Mister, he calls me..."
I was only 28, still young enough to be called "big brother," but the long hours and stress had aged my face. I couldn't even argue.
"It's a towel."
"A towel?"
The child picked one up, felt it, and giggled.
"It's softer than the one I use!"
"Right?"
They've probably never felt anything so soft. Even for me, it felt better than the ones I used back in Tokyo. Anyone who hadn't used one wouldn't know how good it was.
"Ah, that's it!"
I think I finally understood why people were just glancing and walking away. They already had towels at home, and they didn't *know* how soft mine were. So, the most important thing was to let them experience it first. That's why supermarkets have free sample corners. You let people try something, and if they like it, they buy it.
If I gave this kid a towel for free as a promotion, maybe their mother would use it, come back, and buy a few more. Even better, if she spread the word, I could sell a lot more.
"Alright, let's call it an investment."
With people just walking by, there was no telling how many would stop and buy one. It might be worth the gamble to just give one to the kid.
"Want to take one?"
"Really!?"
"Yeah. Take it home to your mom."
"Wow!"
The child grabbed the fluffy towel and ran off somewhere.
"Was that the right move?"
Well, what's done is done. No use regretting it now. The right thing to do was to use that time to try and sell more.
"Step right up, everyone! Towels for sale, get your towels!"
Business is tough. Really tough.
Days turned into a routine of selling by day and sleeping in a tent by night. How many days has it been now?
"Shouldn't at least one have sold by now...?"
Not a single towel sold. It seemed I'd overlooked one simple fact: people already have towels at home. And they usually don't buy new ones until the old ones are falling apart. It was probably the same here.
"Haaaah..."
I should have gone with soap instead.
"What else can I sell with the money I have now..."
I opened Conve∞ and scanned the list. Computers, cell phones, all sorts of machines, and even trivial things like cotton pads for makeup, tissues, and toothpicks. It felt like everything in the world was in here. If I chose wisely, I could make a good amount of money.
"So, what would I even do after making money...?"
Open my own shop here? Or buy land and get into real estate?
"Hold on a second."
I rubbed the bridge of my nose, weary. I suffered in that corporate hellhole for three years. Why am I already thinking about working again?
"I don't *have* to do anything."
My original plan was to take a break from work for a while. The location has changed, but that plan hasn't. Since I don't know how to get back, I'll just have to adapt to this world. I can just take my time, learn about this world, and live.