Ghorise is the complete opposite of Flotol. In more ways than one.

  Everything is so different in fact that the color palette of the world changes from bleak gray to bright yellow. I'm not sure if it's just me but it's like someone put a filter over my eyes, everything just seems so much brighter here.

  There are the clear differences like Ghorise being built on dry land instead of a floating raft but there are other, minor things too, changes that aren't immediately obvious such as the buildings here having stones in them.

  A strange thing to say, I know. But stone in houses is considered a luxury back in Flotol and only the church has it.

  It served its purpose as well, the church has these pillars– also made with stone. – underneath it that reaches the murky depths, anchoring it in one spot. Because of its general stability, every other house, building— hell, the raft itself is connected to the church.

  It is said that the first building ever made in Misery Swamp is our church and I believe that.

  As for why it's a church? No fucking clue.

  Since it's too wide nowadays, there are stilts built on the edges of the raft every passing generation in order to keep it from breaking apart. But in the beginning, it is said that the only thing needed to keep the currents from ruining Flotol was the church.

  Now I'm depressed. I should go back to comparing my village to this one.

  Back in Flotol, we only had a few priests and priestesses are nonexistent. Here in Ghorise though, several acolytes stood guard alongside [Town Guardian]s by the gate. They didn't seem all that attentive though.

  Maybe they're only here to accompany the priest that's with them?

  Anyway, the fact that the church here can afford to train so many acolytes that they had spares to watch the gates means that this place is thriving.

  And why wouldn't it? The Haromago live here, this is the main town that particular family lords over and every other settlement that's under their family name are just branches that pay taxes, Flotol included.

  Ghorise is the capital of the Haromago household, there's no denying that.

  This is why the Day of Piling is held here in Ghorise while people from across the territory come to the town to celebrate and join in on the festivities.

  When we passed the guards, I took a moment to look around. It's my first time here and just as I thought, Ghorise is so much cleaner. Only the main street seems to be dirty, and that's thanks to all the horses passing through it, which often shit while running.

  As compensation, the sidewalk that pedestrians walk on is so much higher than the street the carriages run through, and the reason for this is simple: Water is pushed out every night from the highest point of the town to clean the streets of horse dung. If there are still some left afterwards, kids will get hired to clean it up for some quick cash.

  Luckily for me, Flotol could never have horses so I didn't have to take that kind of job... Instead I made coffins for the deceased children of the village.

  Everyone here seemed friendly, they're kind enough to move aside when they see me pushing my wagon and some of them even stop to ask me what I am doing. I told them that I want to set up a stall, they laughed it off and called me cute before assuming that it's Laself who must be the one doing it.

  Well, they wouldn't be wrong in that assumption. Laself will be manning my stall.

  I asked my brother to send me his girlfriend in hopes that a girl will come, it was just my luck that Laself is attractive enough to be the perfect face for my stall.

  I'll cook in the back while she stands idle, attracting customers with her good looks and selling stuff to them. Wardcruncha will be there just in case some idiot wants to haggle and the two thugs will be with me for protection while Karuiz and Maldon will stand by the stall to make the shop look more appealing because of their class.

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  A common selling strategy all things considered, but it wouldn't be so wide spread if it isn't effective to begin with.

  "Okay, we're here." Everyone stopped when they heard me.

  We found a spot on a road that leads to the adventurers guild. Professional adventurers would be passing through here constantly so it's the perfect place to set up a food stall.

  Our group stopped right next to an alleyway. I'll hide the cooking back here while the stall is on the open street. "Okay, here's what's going to happen. Laself will be the one standing there and selling stuff while I cook in the back."

  "Why me?" Laself pointed at herself. "Shouldn't it be you?"

  "I'm too short." Not a lie. "I also can't be too busy, I'm not gonna cook and sell stuff at the same time, but don't worry, I'll pay you later."

  Laself nodded, a look of understanding crossing her features. Karuiz spoke shortly after, "I'll stand by Laself."

  "Yep. I agree, Upinte and his friend will be in the alleyway with me, they'll act scary and will push any homeless person who thinks they can take advantage of a little kid cooking inside an alley." Really, this is the perfect set up.

  "Wardcruncha, stand by Laself, I want you to haggle when she can't." And the underlying implication that I want him to stop Karuiz's advances should also be understood by him. "Great." I smiled when the man agreed with a nod. "Set up the stall, I'll also set up my own stuff back here."

  Unlike on earth, Ghorise didn't have laws that prevented people from setting up stalls. Anyone can sell anything, especially food. Flea markets exist because of this lack of supervision and so do cheap food stalls.

  Right as long as I don't cause trouble and attract the attention of the local guards, I should be fine. But that's why Karuiz and Maldon are here with me, they'll act as my shield against anyone trying to use the law against me.

  Once everything was set up, I covered the back of the stall with a curtain to stop people from seeing the alleyway behind it. Then I started cooking.

  Animal fat was a common way for people to store cooking oil in this world. Not only does it have a long shelf life, but the fact that it has its own flavor makes frying things with it so much more delicious.

  Frying dough for example adds a meaty taste to an otherwise stale bread— this and stuffed cake are going to be the first foods I'll sell. It's still morning so selling these is basically perfect, at the same time, I also boiled some goat milk to go along with them.

  When I finished cooking, the street was starting to get filled with people. I brought the hot milk out as well as the tray full of bread.

  "Make goat milk more expensive if people buy it alongside our cups. Then offer them a discount if they bring their own container, say that you'll fill a bowl or something." I told Laself this knowing that goat milk is cheap back in Flotol.

  Adding the discount is also a decent strategy because it'll mean that some adventurers who didn't have bowls will ask the locals for them in exchange for money and those locals will in turn tell other adventurers about my shop so they can sell more of their bowls.

  This creates a self propelled money making system.

  "Okay." Laself looked determined. "And the bread?"

  "Cake." I corrected her, she nodded. "Call them stuffed cake and tell people it's full of delicious fillings." Once I got another nod, I snapped my fingers. "Sell them at the same price I told you about, and also get one for yourself and start eating it."

  People seeing her eat will naturally make them go hungry and if those guys eat around my stall, they also attract more people.

  I ran back to the alleyway to fry more bread. A few minutes later, someone came to my stall.

  "How much is that lass?"

  Yes. Yes! I grinned as I listened to Laself talk to the man, he bought one bread, ate it, and then got himself three more before promising Laself that he'll be back with a bowl for the goat milk.

  After that, several more people started buying and I knew that a line had formed because I heard the first guy grumbling about how he was too slow when he finally came back several minutes later.

  I brought out more stuffed cakes, replaced the goat milk, and then went back to the alleyway. Everything is going so well!

  "Want some?" I offered non-stuffed bread to Upinte and Jasiin. "We're making a lot of sales so I think I can spare this much."

  The two of them looked at each other, hesitant. Jasiin opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "We only stood around and didn't really do anything..."

  "It's fine!" I shoved the bread towards them and left to give Karuiz and Maldon the same thing.

  While Jasiin and Upinte looked guilty, Karuiz and his buddy didn't hide their disappointment when they saw it wasn't stuffed cake. Thankfully, they didn't verbally complain about it.

  Before long, all the stuffed cake got sold and Wardcruncha came in with a dazed Laself. The old man carried a wooden bucket full of coins, he looked like he was struggling to hold it but I know he's faking.

  "That's a lot of silver!" He laughed as he dropped the bucket. "People loved it! You said there aren't any more cakes?"

  "Nope." I smiled lightly, it's better to keep the adventurers wanting. "That's on purpose, tomorrow some other group will try and sell their own cakes too, but it'll be a while before they figure out what to do to make the fillings."

  Mayonnaise isn't common here, I'm pretty sure it's never been made before actually...

  "Right. And I'm guessing they'll mess with us then?" Wardcruncha's guess was spot on. I wasn't fazed though.

  I nodded. "Pretty much. Anyway, I saved us some cakes, call Karuiz and his buddy here, we're going to eat these and then wait for lunch before we start selling more stuff."