Before going to bed, Ada invited me to embrace her.
Apparently, it was because she had her first period.
In other words, it was her menarche.
In this medieval world, boys are considered adults around fifteen, or when they can work, and girls are seen as adults when they get their first period. There’s no legal definition of adulthood here.
So, Ada, proud of becoming an adult, happily reported this to me and asked to be embraced.
As for chastity, while infidelity is frowned upon, in reality… there’s not much else to do in the countryside, so people engage in sex frequently.
Probably the reason I have so many siblings is because my parents didn’t have much else for entertainment other than sex. In hindsight…
Also, Ada might be desperate to secure her place by being my lover. In this world, women have a lower status. Even though Ada is a mage, she’s a commoner who has severed ties with her family. If I were to abandon her, she would have no means to live.
Being my lover is the safest and most advantageous position for Ada. She has her calculations too.
In this world, even commoners rarely marry for love alone. That’s just how it is.
So, I embraced her.
Of course, I used magic to prevent pregnancy.
By the way, I noticed Francis was secretly watching.
After breakfast, Ada and I decided to explore the town.
Francis claimed she was too tired from the journey, but it was obvious she couldn’t sleep due to the excitement from watching our act.
Leaving Francis to her second sleep, I headed out into the town…
The Royal Capital.
Compared to my hometown village… no, there’s no comparison, it’s flourishing.
It resembles Kyoto during the Warring States period, but much more dazzling.
However, in the back alleys, there are beggars and stray dogs, and it’s not surprising to find corpses in the slums.
The main reason for this prosperity is the Mikurof River, one of the country’s largest rivers.
The river serves as a canal and a water source.
There’s also Lake April, a freshwater lake connected to the Mikurof River.
The land is relatively fertile, and there are forests nearby that provide natural resources.
In a simulation game, this city would be considered a “god-tier location”!
In other words, even idiots could make this place flourish.
The royal family is not particularly competent or anything.
As I wandered through the dazzling capital, I decided to search for the merchant guild.
I asked a passerby for directions, preferably a woman.
“Excuse me.”
“Huh? W-wow!”
Since I’m handsome, most women react this way.
“Do you know the location of the ‘Beaks Merchant Guild’?”
“Y-yes! It’s over there! Go down that street and turn right at the white sign!”
“Thank you.”
And I gave her a charming smile.
“Eek…”
Leaving the overwhelmed woman behind, I headed for the merchant guild…
The Beaks Merchant Guild.
Their emblem was a white sign with the profile of a crow.
I entered.
Ignoring the people lined up at the counter, I cut in and slapped a document on the desk.
“This is… a letter from the Marquis of Carrenheit?!”
Yes, I had received a letter from the Marquis through my teacher, Margaret.
I mentioned selling game consoles during our journey, right?
“Please wait a moment!”
The receptionist, after confirming the seal on the letter, quickly retreated to the back.
A couple of minutes later.
“My apologies for the delay, Lord Rayvan.”
A middle-aged man with a big smile appeared.
“I’m planning to abandon the name Rayvan. Call me Exus.”
“Understood, Lord Exus…”
The middle-aged man had a round beer belly and a well-groomed beard.
His hair was shiny with some kind of oil, and he wore strong cologne that masked his aging smell, making his presence quite intense.
“I am Bax, president of the Beaks Merchant Guild.”
“I’m Exus. This is my apprentice, Ada.”
“Oh, what a lovely young lady. You are fortunate, Lord Exus! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
“Ah, enough with the formalities and flattery. Let’s get down to business.”
“…Very well.”
Bax’s shiny face and friendly smile disappeared, replaced by a businessman’s serious expression.
Ah, that’s good.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a proper business face.
I handed over printed materials and displayed a PowerPoint presentation on a magical device monitor.
“You plan to sell this?”
Bax asked, looking at the monitor.
“No, this isn’t for sale yet. It would be too expensive to sell now.”
“Indeed. As I understand, this is a magical device that displays any image?”
“Yes. This time, I want to sell something called a ‘game console’ using similar technology. Please open the first page of the materials.”
…
…
…
“So, we aim for a suggested retail price of 2 silver coins.”
“Hmm? Is it alright to set it so low?”
“Chasing short-term profits and missing out on bigger ones disqualifies you as a merchant. What’s most needed now is publicity.”
“I see. Selling the console for 2 silver coins and continuing to sell game software for 1 silver coin each?”
“Yes. This way, we can expect long-term profits. Additionally, we will offer expansion items like communication cables and premium versions of the console…”
…
…
…
“That’s the plan. Any questions?”
The negotiation was concluded.
