The Legend of the Reclusive Princess Zuicho of the Rikan Empire ~She Escapes From The Palace Everyday and Works as a Capable Government Official.~ - Chapter 15

Now, Saya stood in front of the spice shop, which the owner of the sweets shop had told her about.

“Hey there! Come on in! We’ve got all kinds of spices!”

The voice of the plump shopkeeper rang out loudly along the main street.

Several people stopped at his call, their eyes drawn to the colorful goods on display.

Saya, blending in with the curious crowd, peeked inside the shop.

In front of the store, various seasonings like salt and miso were piled up. A vast array of spices was arranged on the back shelves. The more expensive ones were neatly stored in jars.

(…Sugar… no price change, huh.)

Next to the high-end spices was a jar filled with slightly brownish white lumps. The price tag displayed figures that closely matched the ones Saya had been monitoring.

“Looking for sugar, young man? You’ve got excellent taste! This is high-quality sugar from Taga Province!”

The shopkeeper shook the jar proudly as he spoke, showing it off to other customers as well. Saya smiled a little at his enthusiastic sales spirit.

If he’s doing this much to attract buyers, he probably has plenty in stock.

With no market price changes and no shortage of inventory, it seemed Saya had completed her goals for today.

(But maybe this shopkeeper has heard something from the supplier…)

If he dealt with merchants from Taga Province, he might know some real stories from the area.

Since she had come all this way, she figured she might as well ask a few questions.

She waited for the crowd to thin out, then casually approached the shopkeeper.

“Hey there, anything catch your eye?” He was greeted with a friendly smile.

Saya pointed at the cinnamon sticks inside a jar.

“Could you grind one stick into powder for me?”

“No problem at all! You’ve got outstanding taste in spices. Must be someone of fine status, huh?”

Still smiling, the shopkeeper took out a cinnamon stick and began grinding it in a ceramic mortar that looked like it belonged in a pharmacy.

As Saya watched curiously, she joined in on the small talk.

“Not at all. I just stopped by a sweets shop earlier. I thought cinnamon might go well with some tea.”

“That sounds like a lovely tea time. In that case, how about some sugar too? A little sweetness in the tea makes it even better.”

The shopkeeper handed her the jar of sugar, then returned to grinding the cinnamon.

Saya gently shook the jar, watching the pale brown lumps inside, while steering the conversation.

“Yes, I was thinking about that but the sweets I bought are already quite sweet. However, I’ve heard sugar demand is rising these days.

“Oh yes, you’re well-informed! Besides the sweet shops, many private customers also buy it. We’re thankful it sells out as soon as we stock it.”

“If it’s that popular, wouldn’t it go out of stock quickly unless you stock up a lot?”

“Haha, exactly. That’s why we restock from Taga Province once a week. The suppliers know it’s in demand, so they bring extra. We don’t have any shortages.”

The shopkeeper laughed cheerfully. Judging from his words, there didn’t seem to be any problems caused by any beast attacks in the sugar-producing regions. On the contrary, if they’re bringing even more to sell, the area must be doing quite well.

(Wait… Could the damage really have been so small that it didn’t affect the market at all? But then why there’s such a large compensation…?)

If the actual damage was minimal, the amount of public funds used would be questionable. It could even suggest embezzlement, which would mean Saya needed to re-investigate the situation.

(…Ugh, this is a hassle…)

Of course this issue would come from that man’s report… Saya sighed inwardly. Not noticing Saya’s reaction, the shopkeeper continued.

“To tell you, I’d love for them to deliver twice a week. But they say the beast attacks make things tough, so it’s not easy.”

“…Beast attacks, you say?”

(Here we go…!)

Not wanting to show too much interest, Saya kept quiet and let the shopkeeper keep talking.

“Maybe the monsters like sugar too? They say it was terrible. The beasts came in huge numbers, ruined the farmland, destroyed tools… Even the farmers who tried to fight them off were bitten to death. After the attacks, there were pieces of flesh and bl00d everywhere. It’s frightening.”

“That’s… really awful…”

“Sure is. I even double-checked my stock after learning about the three previous attacks. But as you can see, we’ve got plenty in stock, so if you ever feel like it…”

Saya brushed off his sales pitch with a smile.

But if the story was true, then the beast attacks were actually quite serious. The damage wasn’t just to the crops, but also to people. It would make sense for the government to send more soldiers for protection.

(Still… I’ve never heard of monsters craving sugar…)

She had once tried offering something sweet to Ichiru, a beast herself, but the reaction was just a bored look. Ichiru showed no interest at all.

Maybe some species of magical beasts liked sweet things, but…

“…Did they really target the sugar?”

Most magical beasts are carnivores. If they attacked people who were nearby, that would make more sense than going for sugar.

However—

“They ignored everyone nearby and went straight for the sugar storerooms. If they had just run away, they might’ve lived. But they tried to drive the beasts off…”

“Did that many people die?”

“I heard only a few. They said that each time, they managed to kill at least one beast. The farmers must be skilled.

The shopkeeper chuckled, suggesting maybe farm work kept them strong. Saya, stunned by the story, was lost for words.

“Wait… they killed one monster each time!?”

“Yes, apparently so. It’s a shame it always ends in mutual loss, but they did find the monster corpses with the victims. Ah, here you go.”

With that, the cinnamon had been fully ground into powder.

The shopkeeper poured it into a small paper bag and sealed it neatly before handing it over.

“Ah, thank you. The payment…”

“Yes, that’s the exact amount. Hope to see you again soon!”

With a cheerful smile, the shopkeeper saw her off.

Saya would’ve liked to hear more, but another customer had just come in, so she thanked him and left the spice shop.

(Ordinary farmers, not even armed soldiers, managed to kill a monster…?)

Magical beasts are so violent and clever that even trained soldiers can be torn apart. Yet these farmers managed to kill one every time? That was impressive.

Though there were casualties, taking down a monster each time made the damage surprisingly small.

She definitely wanted to hear how they did it. That knowledge could be useful for soldier training.

(Next… the merchant from Taga Province, who brings in a good amount of sugar every week…)

She wondered if they would continue delivering stable amounts in the future. This would depend on the outcome of the current situation. She would like to talk to them too.

(Ah… cinnamon smells so good…)

The sweet, distinct aroma lifted her mood a little.

It was expensive, but occasionally it’s okay to treat yourself.

With that thought, Saya headed toward the waiting carriage. Judging from the position of the sun, plenty of time had passed. The coachman likely wouldn’t complain.

(I’ll share these sweets with His Majesty too~)

Suppressing the urge to skip happily, Saya walked gracefully down the main street…