Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 75
75. Mari-nee and the Peerles Letya
Letya-san and Ryle were not with me as I visited the bustling market again to buy ingredients for making cassoulet.
The first place I headed to was the shop that the man who mainly sold leafy vegetables had recommended for cassoulet ingredients.
“Hello.”
“Oh, if it isn’t the young lady who bought a lot of herbs from us the other day. Are you here for another errand?”
“It’s not exactly an errand, but I came to buy herbs again. I want as many of the same herbs as last time for the cassoulet.”
“Oh, in that case, I can offer you a special discount…”
There was tension on the man’s face as he started to speak.
His eyes widened and met Letya-san standing nearby.
Huh? Is something wrong?
Letya-san remained calm and smiled gently.
Yet, the man seemed extraordinarily tense, as if a battle were about to begin.
Trembling, he spoke as if squeezing out the words.
“Y- you, why are you here…”
“I’m helping Maria-san with her shopping. Please don’t mind me and continue.”
The stark contrast between Letya-san’s smile and the man’s desperate attempts to wipe the sweat off his palm was striking.
What am I getting involved in this time?
Could it be that things are about to get tense again?
For a moment, an image of personified tension popped into my head, saying, “Did you call?” but I quickly dismissed it.
I don’t want to remember what that personified tension looked like…
Alright, it’s time for a change of mindset!
I’ve got this, switcheroo! I’m on it!
Boosting my spirits with a little one-person show in my mind, I examined the herbs the man showed me. They seemed to be of similar quality to last time, so I intended to buy them at the price he suggested.
“Oh, these herbs indeed have a wonderful aroma. But this parsley here seems to have some lighter green leaves mixed in. And the bay leaves, they seem smaller compared to the ones sold at other shops. You’re aware that larger bay leaves generally have a stronger aroma, right?”
“Well…”
“I understand that it’s difficult to maintain consistent quality when dealing with perishable leafy greens, and that variations in growth can make it challenging. However, can you truly recommend ingredients to Maria-san, who’s buying such a large quantity, if you’re not confident in their quality, and then sell them at your usual price?”
“That’s…”
“And from what I’ve heard from everyone here, the demand for leafy greens has been higher than the supply for the past few years, and prices seem to be gradually decreasing, right? Compared to the prices I heard at that time, the price you’re suggesting…”
“I need to study more about pricing! So please spare me!!”
Finally, the man raised the white flag.
As I stood there dumbfounded, Ryle remained unfazed.
“Is Letya-san always like this when she’s shopping?”
“She’s always like that! But, that’s probably better than usual.”
“S-So that’s how it is. Better than usual…”
In reality, I hardly ever engaged in negotiations like this, as I mostly bought items with price tags attached.
And as Ryle said, it was quite remarkable once the man mentioned studying more (meaning, lowering the price).
Letya-san, now switching gears, praised the leafy greens the man was selling, stating they were highly regarded by the citizens of the city, and spoke to him with an intimacy as if they were partners in hardship, acknowledging the challenges he faced in maintaining quality.
The man, who had been so cautious, was now shaken by both rational and emotional appeals, eventually conceding defeat.
Before I knew it, the man and Letya-san were shaking hands firmly, and I was able to purchase the ingredients at a significantly lower price than initially suggested.
Moreover, Letya-san, with a delicate touch that didn’t seem presumptuous, proposed increasing the quantity of items purchased in exchange for the significant discount, further impressing the man and leading to even more reduction in price.
As a result, although the quantity purchased increased, the unit price dropped to one-third of the initial price.
“We made a good deal. Let’s move on to the next shop, Maria-san.”
“Ah, yes…”
The man waved goodbye to us as we left.
Thank you, sir.
But later on, make sure to balance your books properly, okay?
And at that time, keep your spirits up, alright?
Next time, when I come to buy other vegetables…
Oh, but what if Letya-san is with me again then…? Yeah, it’s time for a change of mindset!
After that, we went on to buy the ingredients needed for cassoulet, one after another.
If I were to describe Letya-san’s demeanor at that time in one word,
<<Letya-san is Peerless>>
That phrase sums it up, doesn’t it?
But it’s amazing that despite all this, she doesn’t leave a bad impression on the shopkeepers.
Letya-san said she used to work as a waitress in a tavern, but did she choose the right profession?
I wonder if “merchant” would be an appropriate term, but considering how willingly the other party is taking a loss, it doesn’t quite fit.
Someone who skillfully causes loss to others with words, or deceives them for money…
Ah, a scamme-… No, it’s dangerous to dwell on this further, so let’s stop.
Hehe, I’m growing more and more, aren’t I?
If I were to gaze into the distance now, I wonder how far I’d be able to see?
While pondering such trivial matters, we ended up buying a large quantity of apples at a shop on the outskirts of the market.
We could eat them as they are, or cook them with honey and spices, perhaps even use them for apple pie.
As usual, we paid the reduced price thanks to Letya-san’s prowess and packed the apples into our item box.
Then, one of them slipped from my hand.
Perhaps because the city area is higher than the outskirts, the apple rolled toward the outer part of the city.
I instinctively chased after it, but the apple’s momentum didn’t wane.
Finally, when I thought the apple had stopped, it was at the gate separating the city and the outskirts.
And there, the apple was lifted by small hands.
Before us stood a pair of siblings, dressed in clothes that bore signs of mending, much like the ones Ryle used to wear.