Earth Dungeon 53.1

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Chapter 53.1. New Goods

Sakimori was sitting on a sofa in his living room, pondering about the future. To attract people from the outer town as customers, he needed something appealing. 

With the market bustling and visitors from the outer town slowly increasing, he decided it was time to introduce a catalyst. Considering the lineup had been expanding, it didn't seem unreasonable.

So, I added a new lineup to the Core Store. Well, it was more like it was expanded. The contents are as follows:

-Bag of Pest-Repelling Flower Seeds (Non-breeding, Annual Plant): 100 G cores-

-1 kg of Fertilizer: 100 F cores-

-Bag of Buckwheat Seeds: 100 F cores-

-1 kg of Charcoal: 10 F cores

-Bag of Soybean Seeds: 50 E cores-

-Bag of Cabbage Seeds: 50 E cores-

Accumulated cores were enormous, allowing for a significant expansion of the lineup. Cores kept accumulating day by day. G Cores were already too many to count. 

There are around a few million. That was because I installed the stores in major cities across Japan. I set up around 200 stores for each city. Observant individuals were likely doing something similar to what I was doing.

There were also hundreds of thousands of F-rank cores. That quantity wasn't a concern anymore. The issue lay with E-rank cores. Even after adding all the cores I conquered, I had only around 20,000.

That included the rewards for conquering dungeons I entered, so the actual count was likely less than 10,000. There seemed to be little demand for corn. It appeared to be an unpopular product.

So, I added soybeans, known as "field meat", and versatile cabbage. Cabbage was an ally in any dish. It's a good way to bulk up meals.

Soybeans could also be used to extract oil, and tofu could potentially be made from them. The problem was the lack of electricity and refrigerators. I'm nostalgic for deep-fried things. I'd love to eat inari sushi or kitsune udon after so long.

The pest-repelling flower looks like a chrysanthemum but is slightly different. It's a new type of flower that repels pests. It's non-breeding, and obviously, it didn't work on bug-type monsters. As for charcoal, it's easy to see how useful it can be with a little thought.

I have modest expectations for the buckwheat seeds. I want to eat soba. Making the dipping sauce is... I need rice. I should get some soy sauce, it seems expensive.

As for the fertilizer... I don't know its effect, so I'll expect it later. I hope it won't provide abnormal nutrients to the field... I think it's probably fine. I believe it's a one-time effect based on my previous experiences.

As usual, each product includes 20% for maintenance, 20% for my profit, and the rest added to the price.

And now, the final flagship product is this:

-30 liters of Ale: 3 D Cores-

I added ale as maintenance costs and profit, 1 core each. The cost price is one core. I intend to sell 500 ml of ale for 500 yen. Working backward, I want the cost price to be 30%, so the purchase price for D Cores is 3,000 yen. It's quite cheap, so not many will go out to kill Goblin Knights. They're monsters that people can only encounter in the deep layers of the dungeon. Also, Knight-level monsters are quite strong. Without firearms, it's difficult for an ordinary person to fight them.

Alcohol is the catalyst for the market. Adventurers who dive into dungeons are often rough individuals, so they desire alcohol. Spend the money you've earned. If the economy improves, I might attract more merchants to this market.

The alcohol in the outer town is expensive at 800 yen for a glass because it's mixed with various things and doesn't taste good. An unadulterated ale might become quite popular... or maybe not. Would lager have been a better choice?

[No, it won't work, Sakimori-san. Adventurers want ale. All beginnings start with ale and end with ale.]

She raises her hand solemnly and speaks in a serious tone. Today, it's Saintess Shizuku-san. But, ale? Is it that good? I've only had lager before. Is it common around Europe? Do inland people drink it like water or something?

"Is ale tasty?"

[I don't drink alcohol because it's bitter. It's all about the atmosphere. In a tavern that reminds you of the Wild West, adventurers with swords or staffs drink ale. Cheers. Sake or sours wouldn't suit, right?]

The beautiful girl acts like she's holding a glass, simulating a toast with a heavy breath. She mutters, seemingly aiming to break the other person's glass.

"I see, Shizuku-san."

Well, she's still a young girl. That was the obvious answer. But, seriously, this girl is so foolishly cute. Anyway, is she being treated as a prop to pursue that kind of romance? Is that so? There probably aren't taverns like that in Japan. In the outer town, people probably drank diluted shochu or sake-like water while chewing on smoked meat, right?

My head hurt a little, but I've already added the items to the lineup. The rest will work itself out. I'll exchange a few hundred liters of ale using my D cores. I can leave it with Shingen. I can overlook a small reduction in the number.

I summon the Equal Exchange Store and select ale. I have around 3,000 D Cores on hand. I can exchange them.

With a clattering sound, ale appears just like water did. I panic, wondering if only ale will show up, like water. But it was a needless worry. Barrels of ale, the size I can carry under my arm, appear before me.

I take the lid, pour it into a glass, and bring it near my nose. It surprises me a bit because it has a pleasant fruity aroma. Does ale smell this good?

I take a sip to taste it. The texture is heavier than lager, and it's not as refreshing. It's not the kind of drink you'd gulp and let out a big "ahh". It's more weighty. The difference might be like that between cider and stew.

I roll it on my tongue to savor the taste. Well, it's not bad. It's good. At the very least, it's much better than what people sell in shabby taverns in the outer town. Did people in Europe drink stuff like this from morning?

I'm starting to understand why lager is preferred. Lager is sharp and light. You can have many glasses of it, but with ale, one or two would probably fill you up.