The Villainous Young Lady Would Even Risk Her Life for Her Beloved ～ Her Fiancé, the Prince? By All Means, Please Be Happy with the Heroine! - Chapter 1.36 (1)

The four of us each had different places we wanted to visit in the castle town.

“Let’s go check out the hand bombs from earlier!”

“I heard there are multiple specialty weapon shops…”

“I’d like to see the monster trading post.”

“The Adventurers’ Guild, obviously!”

Normally, the opinion of Leonhart, the prince, would take priority.
But in our group? That wasn’t the case at all.

Geoffrey used to align his opinion with Leonhart’s most of the time, but since the prince himself had openly expressed his dislike for that, he had recently started voicing his own thoughts more freely.

(This part of Leonhart’s personality feels just like in the original story.)

His relationship with Geoffrey was more of a friendship than a master-servant dynamic.

Meanwhile, Lord Finley, though momentarily troubled, seemed rather pleased—likely because every destination was an exciting one.

“We don’t have enough escorts, so you’ll have to give up on visiting every place today,” Eliza stated bluntly.

The other guards and attendants cast her relieved glances, clearly grateful that someone had put their foot down.

This was the largest adventurer’s town in the kingdom, attracting seasoned fighters from all over the world.
While major crimes were rare due to the vigilant eye of the territory’s guards, fights between adventurers and petty theft were common.

Even though we were in disguise, our fine clothing still made us an easy target.

“In that case, let’s buy some clothes before we leave. It’ll be useful for next time.”

“If only the Lydiana from a year ago could hear herself now,” Luca teased with a dramatic sigh.

Hey! I still like beautiful dresses, okay?!

I do—but noblewomen’s attire is heavy. Especially for women, the designs were never meant for mobility.
You’d never realize just how heavy they were just by looking at illustrations in a book.

I needed something simple and lightweight, like what I was wearing today.

“The Adventurers’ Guild is where we might meet famous adventurers!”

That came out sounding way too eager, but I had to make my case.
Since our group didn’t automatically defer to ladies first, I had to argue my point properly.

“Then let’s split into two groups. That should be fine, right?”

Lord Finley checked with the guards.

“In that case, let’s agree to regroup a little early. The taverns get rowdy once the drinking starts, and it could be troublesome.”

“Got it! Let’s do that.”

We split into two groups:
Leonhart and I went together, while Luca and Geoffrey formed the other pair.

Lord Finley had something to take care of first, but he said he’d join us later.

The first place we visited was the monster trading post, which was managed by the Lias family.

Posted outside the entrance was a list of current monster buyback prices.
Alongside the prices were simple illustrations—likely intended for those who couldn’t read or who had traveled here from foreign lands.

Even so, the sheer number of entries was staggering. I had no idea there were so many types of monsters.

“A harpy,” someone muttered.

Following the voice, I turned toward the gate.

A group of four men was carrying a massive bird—easily twice the size of an ostrich.

Its large, striking feathers were highly prized by nobles, so I imagined it would fetch a good price.

“That’s still a juvenile,” one of the Lias family knights informed us.

“Can it fly?”

“No. Despite its bird-like appearance, it cannot. However, it is extremely fast on foot. Its beak and talons are razor-sharp, and it possesses immense strength in both its neck and legs… It’s not a creature you’d want to encounter if you can help it.”

How big must the adult ones be…?

Beyond the gate, the trading post opened into a large courtyard, divided into different sections based on category:

(Beasts, fish, birds, plants, minerals…)

It seemed word of our visit had already reached the person in charge, as I spotted a slightly stout man walking briskly toward us from one of the buildings.

Before he could bow and formally greet us, Leonhart raised a hand to stop him.

“There’s no need for formalities. This is a personal visit, so don’t worry about it.”

“But…! To have His Highness take an interest in our work…!”

Though he spoke in a hushed voice, his shock was clear.

It was obvious that he had never expected the kingdom’s prince to appear before him.

“My apologies for my appearance…”

Clearly unsure of how to act, he continued speaking in a low voice.

Despite being an official, he was dressed in well-worn work clothes, similar to what skilled craftsmen in this kingdom typically wore.

Moreover, his clothes were visibly stained.

That was unheard of in the royal capital—no one would dare greet a member of the royal family in such attire.

“Don’t be ridiculous. If you’re working here, that outfit is the most practical choice. It’s clear that the Lias family’s retainers are devoted to their duties.”

“Your words honor us greatly…”

A genuine smile spread across his face.

This man, who introduced himself as Ford, was apparently an expert on monsters.

Not only did he oversee buyback transactions, but he also personally evaluated and dissected specimens.

His expertise was well trusted, as his subordinates frequently approached him for consultations even as he guided us.

“I’m less skilled at dealing with merchants. If you ask me, those people are far more— oh! M-my deepest apologies!!!”

As if suddenly recalling Leonhart’s lineage, he nearly fell to his knees in panic.

“It’s fine! Don’t worry about it. I know exactly what you mean,” Leonhart reassured him, laughing.

He really wasn’t bothered.

This side of Leonhart—his patience and easygoing nature—is a great quality for a future king.

“You even conduct direct transactions with merchants here?”

“Y-yes. Many materials need to be sold quickly due to their perishability. The sooner they’re traded, the better the price. Some merchants also prefer to handle the dismantling themselves rather than having it done here.”

Near the dismantling area, well-dressed merchants stood inspecting the recently acquired materials, evaluating their worth.

It looked just like a bustling market.

As soon as the harpy carcass was carried in, a group of merchants immediately followed after it, eager to appraise its value.

“Do adventurers and merchants not trade with each other directly?”

“They used to, but… well, the merchants were, um… better at negotiations than the adventurers…”

I could tell he was carefully choosing his words.

“They got ripped off, didn’t they?”

“Er… yes, that’s exactly what happened. And, well… let’s just say it occasionally led to violent disputes. Because of that, the previous margrave decided that the Lias family would step in as intermediaries.”

I see. So that’s how this system came to be.

It made sense. After all, adventurers risked their lives to obtain these materials—having them undervalued would be infuriating.

“Setting prices must be difficult.”

“Exactly! The hardest part is researching the current demand… Trends change, and we have to predict what will be valuable in advance… It’s not easy!”

That explained why some of the listed buyback prices seemed unusually high for certain creatures.

“Merchants who want specific materials can place requests with the Adventurers’ Guild. It’s more expensive, but it guarantees they get what they need. Everyone here has learned to make the system work for them.”

It seemed this town had developed an efficient trade network.

“Ford! Good news! We got fresh harpy meat!”

“Store it in the cold room!”

A dismantler called out excitedly from a distance, grinning as he made the announcement.

“M-my apologies,” Ford said, slightly flustered. “Harpy meat happens to be my favorite… It’s low in fat, but the flavor is incredibly rich. May I have some delivered to the castle later?”

“That would be wonderful! But are you sure? You enjoy it, don’t you?”

“Oh, please! In fact, last night’s dinner was also made with ingredients purchased from here… I was thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed it, so I wanted to do my best again today!”

It seemed he didn’t just evaluate monster materials—he also tested their flavors.

He should write a book.

‘The Gourmet Guide to Monsters’ …Yes. I’d absolutely buy that.