Somehow it felt that I just fell to this clerk's scheme. I was indeed pleased by the clothes, but he was obviously excited about taking my money. I quietly wondered if I had enough...

[The trousers and the tunic are quite common so the two of them together are 10 copper coins. For the ten pairs of socks and four... make that five pairs of underwear will also be 10 coppers. Now the boots and the coat are a bit more expensive. The boots are made from boar skin so they are very resistant and water doesn't flow in. Even more, the material itself was imbued with mana, so there will be no bad smell even after wearing them a full day. Each pair is going to be 10 coppers. Lastly the coat you're wearing right now is made of a black wolf's pelt and is incredibly comfortable like you probably saw already. When you need to sleep out in the open, you could do so just by wearing it. It is obviously also very warm during winter and imbued with mana to maintain a certain body temperature, therefore even wearing it during summer when the temperature is very high, won't let feel hot. Its price is 50 copper coins. How does it sound?] (Clerk)

It reached a total of 90 coppers, meaning almost two silver coins. Since I had 32 in total after getting the reward from the Adventurer's Guild and paying for this night's stay at the inn, so it might be a splurge to get the overcoat. However, the color and the insulation of heat might be useful to me since I am a 'Scout'. Oh, right!

"How about some towels?"

[I can provide you with ten small towels or five big ones and it will be two silver coins in total.] (Clerk)

"Can you make it five small towels and two big ones?"

[Yes, that's alright...] (Clerk)

"Since you mentioned the item bag previously, does that mean you sell them as well?"

[Yes I do. Are you interested in them as well?] (Clerk)

"A bit. What are the prices?"

[Starting from 100 kg at five silvers, 250 kg at ten silvers and 500 kg at 1 gold coin. Any higher and you'll have to visit a store in the capital.] (Clerk)

"I would like the second one, but I am not sure if I should spend that much money on it..."

A sudden grin on the clerk's face made my skin crawl and I forced me to take a step back. I was right about him plotting something...

[In that case, since you mentioned that you would also like a type of cloth similar to what you are wearing at the moment, can I propose a deal?] (Clerk)

"...I am listening."

[I will provide you with the 250 kg item bag at only five silver coins, in exchange for your current clothes. Shoes included.] (Clerk)

I stood there baffled. He wanted my clothes and in exchange I'd get a 50% discount on the bag? Is it because they are strange, or because he hasn't seen anything like this until now? Also, the current state of them could barely be worth such a discount, with Goblin blood on the shirt, rips in the pants and the shoes that were barely glued together...don't even get me started on the socks!

"I don't mind, however, even after you study them you might not be able to replicate them. The materials are different and the way they are crafted is probably impossible to replicate as well. Are you still interested?"

[Dear customer, I am a merchant. Not only I'm I attracted to things I don't know, but I also have a keen sense of business when it comes to unusual products. Can I take it as a deal then? Also, you said that the current pouch you have and the jug of water you took them from a Goblin you killed, correct?] (Clerk)

"Indeed. What about it?"

[I will also give you a 10 copper coins for them since I am personally interested in them. To make the matters simpler, you'll pay 7 silver coins for the current products I mentioned and I will provide you with 10 copper coins as a different transaction for your belongings.] (Clerk)

He was greedy, but I doubt they were worth more than what he offered me. Rather, I was thinking that he gave more than the market's value for those items... Speaking of greedy...

"Instead of that, can I please get something that is easy to sleep in? Indoors of course."

[Nightwear is it? Usually men in our country tend to sleep in their underwear at night, some even prefer completely naked. You can take a look around the store and if you see something you'd like, you can chose that if it fits within the price, or if you are fine with covering the difference.] (Clerk)

I nodded and started to look around, but not even two minutes later I found something that left me entirely shocked.

"This is..."

[Hmm!? That? Is an idea from a traveler that passed by here this winter, but it wasn't very well received by the people here. I even took time to make it in different thickness since it might've had multiple wearing possibilities. Sometimes is like this in the clothing market...you take a bet on something unexpected and you lose.] (Clerk)

"No, no! This is definitely a win no matter how you look at it. What's the name of this type of clothes?"

[What? It is? It doesn't have a name yet... Did you perhaps seen this before?] (Clerk)

"I did. Is called a kimono...no I guess this is a yukata. There is an entire country that used this type of clothes as both formal and informal wear that I once visited."

[REALLY? Is that really true???] (Clerk)

Wow, wow,wow! Easy there man! Personal space! Personal space!!!

"Yes... please calm down. Well, I can guess why it didn't sell though. The yukata is a simpler version of the kimono, being a type of wear more casual. Maybe your customers would look for something else in it, something more sophisticated or unusual, since is mostly for the ladies. I would advise making them flashier and in colors that would please the women of this city. For example, make the material lighter and more pleasant to the touch...oh, and add a thin cloth similar to what I am wearing right now. That would be an under cloth, in order not to dirty the material with body sweat, so is good if you can make it light and absorbant. Also since you'll need to make it look good, use a thin sash to tie down the layers of it, making the final layer of the kimono being something similar to an overcoat that will cover the body's full length with a difference of only about five centimeters away from the ankles. Then using the sash I mentioned previously, tie it in a way to have it aligned with the spine and have it folded. Lastly, a belt that will be just as colorful...no even more, will go around the kimono similar to an accessory and tied at the back."

The clerk was quietly taking notes while I was fully immersed in explaining the beauty of a kimono. I can't help it since a woman in a kimono is truly a sight to behold. When I visited Japan back on Earth and I saw a New Year's Eve festival where there were so many beautiful kimono-wearing ladies, I kind of studied it...thoroughly!

Well, if previously I was worried about interfering with this world too much and changing their culture... I wouldn't mind changing it in THIS direction. I wonder how would the City of rubies look during a festival where all women were kimono and men casual yukata?

[TOMORROW!] (Clerk)

"Eh!?"

The hell! That scared me! I was so immersed that I didn't even pay attention to the clerk, which's eyes were pretty much flashlights at this point...

[Come tomorrow and give me details about how to finish it! If you do so, I'll give you another two silver discount!] (Clerk)

"Deal!"

Hesitation? Why? I'm getting everything I wanted cheaper and I'm helping the clerk create a paradise city filled with women wearing kimonos... What a goal to have for the future of this city! Nay! This world!

I left the store after purchasing three simple yukata of different thickness. These three, I actually got them for free from the clerk, were two in black color and only one in white, with the matching belt of the same color of course. He said something like 'I need to sample the products and give him some feedback regarding how it should be changed to make it better', so I took the deal instantly.

I figured I will use the white one which is the thinnest to sleep in, while the other two I'll use one for bathing and one for casual wear indoors, depending on the said thickness.

Feeling really satisfied, I dressed myself with the initial purchases from the clerk donning the brown boots, the hemp black trousers, the tunic and the coat. Everything else I've placed in the newly acquired item bag, including the remaining money.

After checking how the item bag works, I realized that is probably linked to the system and used something similar to slots in which the items are placed. When you need to pull something out of it, you know by instinct where to find it since the system suggest it. Truly game-like...

Now, I wanted to quickly take a bath since I didn't want to have my new clothes catch my smell, so I bolted back to the inn. Judging from the looks on the faces of the couple owning this place and their appreciative nods, I'd say the cleark named Martin did a really good job.

[I must say, the change is impressive. It suits you really well Mr. Michael!] (Caitlin)

[Indeed, indeed. Now you're looking like a proper lad from this Mirth country. You look like the son of a noble with that coat. It seems like Martin took really good care of you.] (Fred)

"Thank you very much. I really appreciate the compliments. Is perhaps my bath prepared? I would like to wash quickly, so that I can come and help preparing the dinner."

[I'll have it sent to your room right away.] (Caitlin)

When I reached the room I realized that I didn't have any soap or shampoo, nor did I knew if they existed in this world. A mishap on my behalf, but taken care of by the Faye couple. There was no towel, but on a stool next to the tub there was a bar of ...probably soap since it smelled rather nice and in a small bowl a yellowish liquid that had a flowery smell. This was probably a shampoo replacement. I also made a mental note of the name of this country being Mirth.

"I was expecting this to be goods only aristocrats have access to... I've never been so happy to be proven wrong before!"

After washing and relaxing for thirty minutes, I took the wooden sandals that Ms. Caitlin gave me to wear inside the inn and dressed in the thicker black yukata. Somehow, I felt very happy with myself, since even back on Earth I didn't have the chance to wear this.

Fixing it in the mirror of the room to make it look good on me, I put everything else in the item bag and hid it in the only closet to which I was given the key to. That was probably a safe?

Can't be too careful with my only possessions in this world after all. I also put my short sword in there and the only thing I was now wearing, were a new pair of underwear (by the way I didn't sell mine to the clerk...it felt wrong even if he insisted on it), the yukata and the adventurer tag around my neck.

"Now then, let's cook something! I am quite curious about their food culture."

I considered myself something of a globetrotter back on Earth, as I visited more than 40 different countries and sampled the local cuisine in each one of them. My knowledge of dishes was good when it came to the recipes, so I could write it down and give some indications at least.

This should be fun!