Chapter 6 - Groundwork 2
As Mercedes was wandering around, mapping the second floor of the dungeon, several vampires walked up to her from behind.
There are.... thirteen of them. It’s a pretty big group.
The dungeon's passageway was not that wide, so it was not suitable for large groups. However, they seemed to understand that, and walked at a reasonable distance from each other, so as not to get in each other's way.
They seem to be quite familiar with the dungeon. They are probably fellow Seekers.
"Hmm? Why is there a brat in this kind of place?"
The man in front of the pack spotted Mercedes and uttered such words mockingly. His face was full of contempt as he looked down on her. Vampires were creatures who valued strength above all else. For that reason, they were so hard on the weak.
"I don't know how you got here, but you need to know your place. Dungeons aren't a playground for children. From what I can see, you didn't even have a torch. The general store on Zaha Street is selling long-lasting kindle lantern at a bargain price. I'll give you this torch for now. If you understand, then go home quickly."
The man roughly pushed the torch onto Mercedes and told her to go home. He also shooed Mercedes away with his hand, which she found it rather unpleasant.
"For a newbie, buy incense to ward off monsters, do simple requests, and save up money. Otherwise, it'll be hard later. Haaa.... this is just a waste of time. Know your place, little girl."
Another man insulted Mercedes and walked away without looking back.
"Hey, you didn't even carry a weapon. Aren't you underestimating the dungeon too much? If you're interested, go to the construction site on the fourth block and ask them for some iron pipes. They're sweet to kids, so if you ask, they'll even make a spear for you. It's better to do that than buying cheap weapons.... Well, it's not like I care. Just don't wander around like a novice who doesn't know the basics of dungeon exploration.”
Having said that, the rest of the group walked away.
I'm sure they will head deeper into dungeon from now on. The fact that they gathered so many people shows how serious they are.
It was an insult, but also a fact. I'm just a novice who don't even understand the difference between me and them. You can't blame them for thinking that I was just playing around.
I can't go to the same place as them yet --- with that in mind, Mercedes went back to mapping the dungeon.
*****
By the time Mercedes returned to the capital, it was already past 11.00 a.m. The sun had already risen, and because it was already late in the morning, most households were asleep. Normally, you would say "early in the morning" but for vampires, "late in the morning" was the correct expression.
The city was so lively at night, but it’s so quiet now.
Mercedes entered the Seeker guild, which was open for twenty-four hours, followed by a blue werewolf tied with a rope. Compared to the giant mole, Vravulf Blau was a very docile monster. Just seeing her was enough to make it lost its will to fight. Mercedes brought the werewolf back with her after disciplining it a bit.
"Oh, you are back already. Have you given up on the requests?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Can you see what's behind me?" (Mercedes)
Considering the round trip time, I indeed returned too early. Therefore, he assumed that I had given up on the requests, but that is a huge misunderstanding.
Mercedes handed over a complete map of the first and second floors of the dungeon, a bottle of water from the spring on the second floor, and finally, the Vravulf Blau she had captured.
"I’m impressed. To go back and forth in such a short time, what kind of trick did you use?"
"I just used magic." (Mercedes)
"Now that I think about it, you have an aptitude for wind attribute magic. But I wonder if it's possible to travel that fast even if you fly with Fliegen.... Well, anyway, you have completed the requests. Here is your reward."
Having said that, the receptionist handed four 10,000 elka bills to Mercedes. The 10,000 elka bill was the highest bill in the country, with a portrait of a great man from the past on it. From what Mercedes read in book, this skinny-cheeked vampire was the first king who founded the first vampire country in history.
"I've added a little bonus because this map is so well made. I'll ask you to draw map in the same style next time."
*****
The following night, Mercedes visited the capital again.
Just for a reminder, in this world.... or rather, for the vampires, the beginning of the day refers to when the sun sets and the end of the day refers to when the sun rises.
The dark night illuminated by the moonlight was the vampires' active time. The dimly lit city was filled with noise and hustle like usual. The first place Mercedes visited was a large general store. Here she found a variety of daily necessities, some of which could be useful during exploration.
First is a candle lantern. The candles are sold separately in sets of ten and one candle can last for two hours. It's a convenient item that can be used without any hassle by simply replacing the candle.
Mercedes put a lantern and three candle sets in her shopping basket and headed to the next location.
Next is shoes. Seekers' jobs require them to walk around in rough terrain, and flimsy shoes would break down quickly. In fact, my shoes are already at their limit after just one day of heavy use yesterday. Therefore, I’m looking for shoes that focus on durability this time.
If you look at the description next to the product, it says that these shoes are made of Lesser Dragon skin, which offer great durability and water resistance. In addition, the tip of the shoes are reinforced with Lesser Dragon bone to provide additional protection for the feet. It's like safety shoes.
Mercedes put two pairs of these shoes, one pair as a spare, into her shopping basket and headed to the next location.
I need some clothes that are sturdy enough to withstand the elements and I won't mind them getting dirty.
Mercedes' current outfit was frilly and not exactly suitable for exploring. Then, after looking around for a while, she decided her choice on a white shirt and a dragon skin manta ray vest to be wore over it. For the bottom part, she picked short pants for ease of movement and spats to protect knees and other parts of the legs. Mercedes also grabbed a nearby black coat to protect herself from the cold.
Mercedes’ last destination was the food section. Her purpose was, of course, to buy preserved foods that would last a long time.
If I may ask for something extravagant, it will be nice if there's a block-type balanced nutritional food that can be eaten like a snack. However, I know that's very unlikely, so for now, I’m looking for chocolate.
Most people associate chocolate with sweets, but it's a well-known fact that chocolate is an excellent emergency food. Considering that I might be diving in the dungeon for days, I'd like something that doesn’t take too much space. If they have canned food, I would like buy some, too.
However, Mercedes' expectations were betrayed. Or rather, she had too high expectations. To sum up, it was obvious that there was no block-type balanced nutritional food, chocolate, or canned food. It didn't mean that the cultural level of this world was low. First of all, the block-type balanced nutritional food that Mercedes wanted first appeared in the 1980s. There was no way that something like that could have appeared in this era.
The history of canned food dated back to 1810, when the first canned food was made in England, long after the Middle Ages had passed. Although chocolate has a longer history, it was not until after 1540 that the drink that would become the prototype chocolate appeared in Europe, and even then, it was only popular in Spain. The well-known modern chocolate itself did not appear until the 18th century.
So, what foods are popular as preserved foods and emergency foods? The answer is the bottle of red liquid lined up in front of me --- blood.
This is the country of vampires, after all. The food they love the most is blood without a doubt. I don't know if blood can be preserved for that long, though. But since they actually sell it, they must be doing something about it. That's a fantasy world for you.
Of course, it doesn't mean vampires only consume blood. They can also eat vegetables, fruits, and meat. However, blood is still the most efficient diet for them.
It's not like I haven't drunk blood myself. Because I was born into this race, I've accepted that I'll just have to get used to it. So I've tried it a few times, but...it just doesn't suit my taste.
I do think it's delicious. Being a vampire, it's only natural that I would feel the taste of the blood passing over my tongue like nectar. But at the same time, I felt disgusted with myself for thinking that it was delicious. This subconsciously created a belief that I didn't like the taste, which led to a mild rejection towards blood.
I've never consume blood more that necessary. I've also told Granny that she didn't have to tell me when she mixed blood into my food. Because if I know, it will affect my perception of the taste, and I won't be able to enjoy the food. It's sad because even if I don't know, my body will instinctively find it delicious. Despite my mind rejects it, my body still craves for blood.
"In any case, it's still too early to give up." (Mercedes)
Then, after wandering around the food section for some time, Mercedes finally came across some cocoa beans. However, it seems that they weren't very popular, and were treated rather carelessly, being placed at the corner of the food section. Even Mercedes couldn't help but frown at this.
“Hey, hey, hey, these are luxury product that was once used as a currency on Earth. Does no one realize the value of cocoa beans in this world?” (Mercedes)
The chocolate that we knew only appeared after the 18th century, but the cacao itself had been popular as a luxury item even before that. Since ancient times, people had loved the drink made by powdering cacao beans, dissolving it in hot water, and adding vanilla or other condiments. Then, as time passed, it had gradually been developed to take that shape.
I've never thought that cacao beans would be sold at a bargain price in this world. I heard that drinks made with cacao were used for medicinal and tonic purposes. But I guess that's not necessary for vampires, who can get all the nutrients they need from blood. Maybe that's the reason it never catch any attention.
Oh well, there's no point in speculating things. There must be some reason I don't understand that's creating this situation. Either way, what I can say now is that there's a pile of treasures right in front of me. Looking at the price, it's probably not even considered that valuable.
"I still have many things to point out, but let's just consider it as an advantage. If everything goes well, I can make a fortune out of this." (Mercedes)
There's is a money tree in front of me, but everyone around me just passes by without even sparing a glance. If I can turn this into a business, I wonder how much profit it will generate. If no one wants it, then I'll take it all for myself.
Mercedes stuffed as many cocoa beans as she could into her shopping basket, and also some sugar. Unfortunately, she couldn't find any milk, so she'd have to look elsewhere. Mercedes also bought something that looked like a mortar and pestle. Although the names were different, cooking tools tended to have similar shapes no matter what country or place they were in. Lastly, she bought a pot and a spatula that she planned to use later.
I was lucky to find something similar to vanilla, as it is a flavoring with a long history. I guess even people from another world aren't going to ignore it.
Next I need something to cool down the chocolate. I don't think refrigerator exists in this world. I wonder if there's something I can use as a substitute.
Thinking that, Mercedes wandered around for a while, and eventually she arrived a section called "Magic Stones."
"Excuse me. What are magic stones?" (Mercedes)
"Oh, is this your first time seeing magic stones, young lady? This is an item that allows anyone to use magic easily by sealing magic in a stone that traps magic."
After hearing the explanation from the clerk, Mercedes was impressed that there was such a useful item.
In a world where magic exists, it seems that technology will develop in its own unique way.
Mercedes searched for a magic stone that sealed ice magic and found several of them. When she asked the store clerk, she was told that the more expensive the stone was, the stronger the magic it sealed. It seemed that the main use of the stone was for combat. Mercedes decided to buy the cheapest one, and also bought an ice cube tray and a highly airtight box. Leaving the general store, she headed to the cow shed next.
Apparently, you can get freshly squeezed milk with a cheaper price there.
Mercedes had imagined black and white Holsteins, but the cows kept in the shed, surrounded by a fence, were black and white patterned bipedal monsters.
"What is this...?" (Mercedes)
"What do you mean, young lady? Is this your first time seeing a Minotaur?"
The keeper didn't seem to be particularly concerned about the Minotaur's appearance as he milked the bipedal monster. The sight of a cow-like thing standing on two legs crying and squirting white liquid collected in a bucket was like a scene from hell on earth.
There may be normal cows if I look hard enough, but at least in this city, milk is squeezed out of monsters like this.
Mercedes bought the milk, trying not to worry about the bipedal cow as much as possible. After finishing her shopping, she returned home.
What a change of plans. I was actually planning to go to the dungeon again as soon as I finished shopping, but I've found something more important. If I can do this well, it will make the future dungeon exploration easier. In other words, this is also a necessary preparation.