The Seirei Gensouki Spirit Chronicles
Chapter 1: Journey to the Neighboring Country

“It should be fine, sir, as it does not cause any inconvenience on our behalf.

Now, would it be okay if we switched to business? ”

The flames of curiosity lit up in Lotte's eyes, but the smile of her customer service did not diminish. He had no intention of intruding on the privacy of his customers, so he got straight to the point.

“Yes, I came today to inquire about buying pasta. If they can be stored longer in storage, I want to buy in bulk. I also want some ingredients and seasonings. ”

“So so. We do have a type of dry pasta available for purchase. As long as it is not left behind in a hot and humid environment, we can guarantee that it will last at least a year in storage. ”

“Can I ask how much is it worth?”

“Definitely. We charge one large copper and five small copper for every 500 grams. ”

“Thank you. And how much does it cost for barley? ” Rio asked, putting a hand to his mouth in a mock mind.

“One big copper for one kilogram, Sir.”

“Then .. can I ask you to prepare fifteen kilograms of pasta and ten kilograms of wheat for me?” Lotte's eyes widened slightly at the numbers that Rio issued. That's quite a lot for your average adventurer... Will this be alright?

Fifteen kilograms of pasta and ten kilograms of wheat are normal for traders who

wanting to resell his product, it was a sizeable amount for an adventurer to buy for personal use. In addition, pasta is still a new product – mostly

the general public does not know how much is needed in one serving.

Only merchants and nobles really understood its weight. Since there have been many cases where misunderstandings have brought conflict to discussions related to business, Lotte checked that the numbers were correct.

“500 grams of pasta will feed five or six people. Fifteen kilograms would be a sizeable amount for one person to consume .. Are you sure this is okay, Sir? ”

“Iya. Fifteen kilograms will feed about 150 to 180 mouths and cost four small silvers and five large coppers, right? That is indeed the amount I mean.” Rio smiled faintly, immediately counting the numbers on his head.

“I'm sorry, sir. We will prepare fifteen kilograms of pasta and ten kilograms of wheat for you soon.” Lotte lowered her head deeply, impressed at Rio's instant arithmetic skills.

At that time, a shopkeeper in his late teens carried a tray of tea.

“Excuse me,” he said in a soft voice, and started pouring tea. The soft aroma of tea leaves

high quality floated in the air, tickling the feelings of Rio and Lotte. Rio nodded to the officer with gratitude.

“Thank you very much.”

“Please help yourself, Mr.” Lotte offered him tea.

“Thank you. Then, if you don't mind .. ”

Thinking it disrespectful not to touch the tea offered at all, Rio received the cup. The table was a bit away from the sofa, so he took the plate with his cup and admired the color and design first. Then, after assessing the color and aroma, he sipped his tea. Lotte found herself unable to take her eyes off the graceful movements of Rio.

“Do you often enjoy tea, Mr Haruto?”

“Iya. I have an acquaintance of a woman who is very fond of drinking tea, and I took a lot of relevant knowledge by drinking with him.”

Rio nodded with a smile. He remembered the times he would drink tea and chat with Celia almost every day. Thanks to those experiences, he had perfected the etiquette of drinking tea to the point where he could easily attend a tea party hosted by a noble princess without feeling awkward.

“Oh, very happy to hear that, sir. People often say that tea is a drink for women to enjoy, so not many men are interested. Could it be that you know what kind of leaves are in this tea?” Lotte asked, a bright expression like a blooming flower.

“Value from this unique aroma and faint bitter taste, in my opinion it is a leaf produced in Lis?”

“That's right.”

“Then, you do use good quality tea. And I saw the tea set was also of outstanding quality. Forgive me for saying this, but from what I can see from the sofa, as well as the table .. Isn't the furniture a little too quality to use to greet small trade customers? ”

Rio asked, trying to cover more topics from Lotte. Their sitting space is arranged with partitions to mimic personal space. The sofa placed there is of high quality, can be easily used in the conference room for high-class guests. Lotte's face shone with a happy smile as she answered Rio proudly.

“Fufu, the best business transactions start with the perfect business environment! That's our guild motto, sir. And that doesn't change depending on the scale of the transaction. ”

“...So so. It must be one of the secrets of the Ricca Guild's sudden growth. With a waiter as young and sweet as you, Miss Lotte, I can understand why people feel inclined to empty their wallets. ”

“Oh, you flatter me.” Lotte covered her mouth with her hands timidly.

“No, I really believe it. I have a few other items I need, which I think will be bought here as well. ”

“Fufu. In that case, how about we continue our business discussion? After all it is the duty of a merchant to meet the demands of the customers. We will be happy to prepare all the items you need for your trip. ”

it will be found elsewhere, as many spices are cultivated and imported from the southern islands. And with his main goal of buying pasta achieved, Rio was very satisfied with the results of his visit.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“No, that's all I need. But if your guild also offers a mail delivery service, I would also like to ask that ..” Rio made one last question once all their business discussions are over.

He could not leave the Strahl region without sending a letter to Celia.

“We do have that service, but we do not ship to certain regions. Where do you want to send the letter? ”

“Capital kingdom Beltrum.” His good answer prompted Rio to tell him the purpose of his letter.

“It won't be a problem. Your stuff needs time to be prepared, so do you want to write a letter at that point? ”

“Ya please.”

Rio paid for his purchase with coins and Lotte left the meeting room to make some preparations. Not long after, a female shopkeeper appeared with some parchment, quill pens, and ink for Rio to write his letter. Rio received the equipment and – after hesitating for a moment – bowed on the table and dipped the quill pen into the ink. His hands moved steadily on the parchment and scribbled a neat character.

The letter spoke of his journey so far: that he was in Galarc at this time, and other small things that happened on the road. He signed it as ‘Haruto’ at the end. After he finished writing, he waited a while for the ink to dry, then rolled the parchment into a scroll. He used the candle on the table to melt the sealing wax and drip it onto the scroll before sealing it. With the seal from the Ricca Guild on his scroll, the letter was finally completed.

Having a merchant guild run by the duchess' daughter who was responsible for sending the letter was much more convincing than asking for an organization or individual at random, because there is a much lower risk of losing a letter or violating confidentiality.

Rio called the nearest officer and told him that he had finished writing. The attendant retreated backwards for a moment before returning with Lotte and the tea attendant from before. All of Rio's purchases had been prepared and left outside the meeting room.

“Please pass this on to Professor Celia Claire of the Royal Academy of Beltrum.” Rio handed the important letter to Lotte.

“Understanding. The address is the Royal Academy of Beltrum, for Professor Celia Claire. We'll definitely send it, sir. Your order goods have also been collected, so please confirm that everything is in place.”

Lotte's eyes widened faintly when she heard the receiver was Celia, but only someone who was next to her would recognize the change in her expression – and only after being closely observed.

Rio packed those things into his backpack as he inspected them. It was quite a lot of stuff, but the bag was big enough to hold everything. As soon as the backpack was full, Rio swung it over his shoulder easily, making Lotte's eyes widen in shock.

“I know you have a lot of power. Good for an adventurer. ”

“Traveling can be harsh, after all .. I make sure to prepare myself for it. Now, I'll go.” Said Rio, Lotte's words made him smile. With that farewell word,

he bowed once and turned around.

“Thank you for your protection, Sir. If you ever pass Amande again, our door will always be open for you.” Lotte said farewell words, then bowed beside the servant next to her. The two lowered their heads until Rio left the building. Then, as soon as Rio was outside that place …

“Celia Claire .. Outstanding daughter of Count Claire, from a family of famous witches. The genius magician who graduated earlier from the Royal Academy,” Lotte raised his head and muttered.

He was aware of Celia's reputation as a genius magician Beltrum, despite living here in the Galarc Kingdom all his life. Due to the fact that just having good grades is not enough to graduate early, a large amount of excellence and talent must be displayed in a particular field. That's why early graduates

rarely does – occur once in a decade if the Academy is lucky – so that any educated person in the circle of nobles will know the name Celia. In addition, Celia was the youngest graduate in the history of the Royal Academy of Beltrum, making her far more famous than she had realized.

“Who is that mysterious boy, miss Liselotte.” Officer next to Lotte – or rather, Liselotte – speak up.

“I wonder if he's a noble son who slipped away on a trip. And I'm ‘Lotte’ now, Cosette.” Liselotte narrowed her eyes and looked at the girl named Cosette.

“By the way, the inspection time is over. Aria and Natalie sent a message to hurry back to the estate and finish off the accumulated documents, Cosette's”lapor with her shoulders drooped.

“Yeah, then we should hurry.” The tip of Liselotte mouth appeared with a pleasant smile, making Cosette look at her curiously.

“It looks like you are in a good mood today.”

“It was a change of speed .. The business talk was very pleasant.”

“Hmm. Ah, I understand now. That kid was just good-looking, wasn't he? ”

“You ... not wrong, but it has nothing to do with it.” Liselotte denied it reflexively out of desperation, but the memory of Rio facial features resurfaced in her mind, making her respond in a puzzling manner. Seeing her master's attractive reaction made Cosette smile mischievously.

“See? Surely so. ”

“That's enough. I'm leaving now!” With her slightly blushing cheeks, Liselotte walked away

quickly. Cosette chuckled slightly before following from behind.

The End Chapter 1