Chapter 41 – Starting up (Start)
Snow fell heavily for 3 days, but it was unable to resist enthusiasm. Rumont’s drugstore, within the countless amounts of hope and expectations of everyone, carried on without a hitch; the early stages of preparation was methodically arranged.
Different to how everyone thought, Rumont did not at all rashly choose to locate his store at Ricca town’s most flourishing district.
Normally, most people would choose to locate their store for their work in the area where people were most concentrated. They believed that the best district would be the one with the most flow of people. Some others would look at the rent, believing the more expensive the rent was, the better the shop would be.
Actually, just being aware of these facts still wasn’t enough.
You barely looked at the flow of people when finding a store, perhaps sometimes the rent would cause you to enter a deficit. Admittedly the flowrate of people was important, but what was even more important was whether it was effective in selling your products to the crowd in the district.
In other words, it’s whether the store location chosen was worth the price of you paid, whether the biggest advantages could generate out any profits.
Rumont’s idea was quite simple. His store’s primary clientele were the Adventurers that wanted to come to Ricca town and venture into the Briar Forest each year favourably. Speaking of this point, Rumont was somewhat wondering about it. Due to the figures this year being several times more than the previous; it seemed to be an unusual atmosphere.
Moving on, apart from Adventurers, his customers would be the most average of townsfolk, thus, he didn’t want to open his store in the central district of the town.
The first reason was because the stores there, the rent or the purchase price was relatively expensive, the current amount of money he possessed wasn’t considered a lot; he didn’t want to squander it beforehand.
The second reason was that the people that dwelled in the town’s central district were mostly the town’s figureheads. Even if they were ill, most of them would go to the Shrine to find a treatment from the Priests. Easily evident that they wouldn’t lower themselves to buy his medicines. Moreover was at that place, there was still the resentment between him and the Priest, as well as the Tax Officer.
As for the large majority of townsfolk that dwelled outside of the town’s central district, in the surrounding areas, it would be more convenient to the townsfolk if the store was set in the vicinity; it would also help him save a portion of money.
The third reason was that the Adventurers that were injured inside the forest of monsters, would be certain to first past through the outer districts on their way back to the town centre. Opening the store outside of the town centre was also not that far from the town wall’s large gate, providing both convenience to the Adventurers, as well as bringing himself tangible benefits; how could it not make him happy.
However, plans were only plans, carrying it out in real had a considerable amount of setbacks.
At the store location, although it was already determined to be set outside of the city central area, difficulties arose on which store Rumont should specifically rent or purchase.
Because the area in Ricca wasn’t wide, therefore, practically any individuality store was owned by a sole family. For example, the inn was the Mort couple’s. The other stores were nearly in the same way; with none of the so-called competition. Because the consumption levels were only so high, it was just enough that any kind of business maintained an income for the family. It was also because of this, that the town stores were basically maintained at a steady level. Apart from the central district’s few newly built commerce stores, it was honestly hard to find any other store fronts.
Finally though, it was still through Merchant Banner’s thread of connections, that an owner of a small store was found close by to Mort’s Inn, an agreement was reached by putting forth 150 silver coins to purchase the store.
The store area wasn’t actually too small. But because the consumption levels of the townsfolk wasn’t high, in addition with the goods inside the store not varying much, the business therefore was never good. As a matter of fact, the proprietor’s younger brother who was a shopkeeper, at a business within the small city, requested the owner to go over to help. A month’s salary was practically what he earnt in half a year. The shop owner naturally readily agreed. As it turns out, the business was the same one the caravan visited that time when Rumont was following the caravan group. Therefore, one wanted to leave and one wanted to settle down.
In the end, passing through Banner’s circle of influence and with a relatively suitable pricing, he had acquired the store. Along with this plot of land, Rumont’s issue of a store location was finally resolved. Viewing the store which hardly looked assuming and thinking that from henceforth he would begin to own his own property, Rumont was filled with absolute excitement.
“Rumont, when are you going to open? Tomorrow? At that time remember to invite me okay, we still didn’t drink enough last time eh.” Merchant Banner patted Rumont’s shoulder, laughing merrily.
Rumonted looked over area filled with the dilapidated store and scratched his head: “currently it’s not ready.”
“For what reason?” Merchant Banner followed along his gaze and looked, nodding his head: “that’s normal, just needs a bit of cleaning up. Rumont, need me to call for a few people over to help?”
Rumont quickly thanked him, only, he didn’t at all just want to merely clean the place up.
A new store with a new atmosphere, what’s more, he intended to treat this drugstore on the verge of opening as his first ever project, he naturally couldn’t open it carelessly.
“I’m prepared to renovate the whole store, it’ll probably take half a month to open up.” Rumont thought before saying.
“Half a month?” Merchant Banner was failing to understand. The people of this world still did not have any concept of having too much of a re-imaging. In accordance with his thoughts, so long as one swept clean the area, placed the items inside and hung a sign outside, then wasn’t it possible to open a business up?
Only, he was merely the middleman and Rumont was the owner. Therefore, he was surprised for a moment, following which he nodded his head: “okay, at that time don’t forget to invite me for a drink alright!”
“No problems, at that time I’ll be sure to invite you sir, being able to settle at this store this time, is absolutely because of your help sir.” Rumont was feeling good and thus he readily responded.
Hence, the following half a month was an intense bustle for the store renovation.
However, what made quite a few people not understand was that Rumont being on the verge of opening this store, from the moment he started renovating, the thick glass windows were covered up by a heavy thick curtain. Only the dingding dongdong sounds could be unceasingly heard from within; which honestly made people curious.
But even if they went and asked the people that came every day to renovate, because those people had already promised Rumont to not leak any secrets, even if they were questioned closely, it was still maintaining its mysterious imaging.
As this happened, not only was it those Adventurers that needed the convenient medicines, or the ordinary townsfolk that were paying attention, even the few families, who had a strong background, would also discuss quietly about Rumont’s strange activities. Everyone was full of expectations to this new store.
“Hmph1, once again making a mystery out of nothing!” Night time. Inside a room within the Shrine, a young Priest was fiercely throwing a letter onto the table.
This did not seem to have dispelled any hate. He picked the letter up again, and with force, he scrunched it up and placed it above the candlelight, setting it on fire. Once it was seen that the letter and the envelope had gradually turned into ashes in the flames, did the young Priest then feel better and at ease inside.
That letter was given to him by the Tax Officer. Due to the recent Tax Officer being occupied with settling the accounts of the year-end tax-duty reports, it was the reason why he hadn’t had time to meet up with him; but he still did send someone to deliver a letter.
The letter did not say much, only the recent events that had happened in the town had been written in detail in the letter. Among them, included all kinds of activity from Rumont within this short period.
The Priest, based on his self-status, wouldn’t easily leave the Shrine. Hence, the many events that occur in the town were obtained via the channels of the Tax Officer.
Seeing the fire sputtering, the paper was almost already burnt away. The young Priest stretched over his head, and gave a soft puff. At once, a layer of ash soared out, before scattering into the air.
“Rumont……don’t be so happy so soon, I……won’t let you go!” seemingly as if speaking to Rumont, yet also seemingly speaking to himself, the young Priest reclined his body back into his chair, speaking quite viciously.
Ever since Rumont appeared, the smiles the second Miss gave him was appearing constantly in his mind, causing him to be full of hatred.
At this time, a peal of wind blew over. The candle light within the room began to jump violently. Afterwards an erasing sound, the candle was extinguished. Immediately, the entire room was plunged into darkness, leaving only some sort of gasping.
“Nick, be careful, slow down a bit.” within a ordinary agricultural household in the Town of Ricca, a youth was currently cautiously and solemnly walking about in the courtyard.
This was the exercise he was required of daily. First was to make a few laps in the courtyard, before again lapping the small town once in order to toughen his own body.
As for who was by his side, it was an overweight middle-aged married lady, who was watching him carefully with tears at this instance.
“Oh, many thanks to the heavens, many thanks to the Goddess for my son, at last he’s finally lifted his spirits! Thank you for your protection! Thank you! Thank you!”
The middle-aged lady often placed her hands together in front of her chest, devoutly with her eyes closed, silently speaking towards the heavens.
“Mother!”
“Nick, what is it?” hearing her son calling out, the middle-age lady hurriedly opened her eyes, looking towards the youth’s direction.
The youth moved his body about at the location, before saying to the middle-aged lady: “mother, you best go home, it’s cold outside. I can go strolling by myself today.”
“What are you……” the middle-aged lady still wanted to say something, before her son suddenly did something to cause her to jump in fright.
She saw the youth’s face suddenly become more unsightly, “if you don’t go back, then I’ll stop exercising from now on!”
“My son, I’m going, I’m going, so don’t quit! Also don’t exercise for too long, it’s cold outside. We don’t need to rush your recovery at this time, okay?” not arguing with the youth, the middle-aged lady could only urge him for a while, before returning to the house inside.
“You really don’t have to spoil our kid, can’t you see that after this trial, Nick is already more sensible?” the middle-aged man who was currently working inside the house, lifted his head and spoke.
The middle-aged lady, as she turned her head back to look, she whispered. “Only, it’s really cold outside ah.”
“Only through experience and trials, can one become a successful man.” the middle-aged man sighed, looking towards the figure of youth walking off.
“It’s all thanks to Rumont ah!” they rejoiced.
And at this very moment, the young Nick had already slowly walked outside of the courtyard. Look up at the sky full of snow, he constantly maintained smiling expression disappeared. What remained was an expression of lifelessness.
The household money was nearly used up again. Although his parents haven’t told him, but with his current exceedingly sensitive nerves, he was naturally conscious of the fact.
For the purpose of nursing his health, the family’s savings had already been used up. Even though Rumont and company would frequently send money over, however, the recently beginning to be sensible Nick, couldn’t help but feel that it couldn’t continue on like this.
The matter of the hunting event, the initiative was of his own willingness. Rumont and them had already done enough by now; he couldn’t keep freely taking their money.
Even more so, they could help momentarily, but not for a lifetime. He understood his own body best. Even if he recovered to the utmost, in general he still wouldn’t be able to once again do the rough and heavy work of farming.
If not as a farmer, what else could he do then? It couldn’t be that he let his parents look after him for the rest of his life?
Letting his imagination run wild, he unhurriedly walked on. Roughly after an hour of exercising, did he return back to his household.
Arriving at his house, he discovered his parents was currently discussing something.
“Nick, Rumont just came over. Said that his drugstore would open in half a month, telling us to head over.”
Is that so? Rumont’s drugstore was finally opening? Nick, taking hold of the 3 red invitations, momentarily felt his emotions becoming utterly complicated.
Bo~ 