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Chapter 11 – The Guild Master and the Tailor
“And next is this. If this wound is deep… is this enough?”
Gwaine sprinkles medicine on the wound. The amount is controlled, and it is clear that he is used to handling medicine.
After making sure that the wound is completely closed, Gwaine clenches and opens his fist several times, then nods with satisfaction.
“Indeed… the effect is the same as the old woman’s medicine. The old woman is not the type to sell something she made by saying “the apprentice made it” out of love for her apprentice. She probably won’t tolerate boring lies like this. There are no strengths or weaknesses in medicine, right?”
“That’s right. There is no problem there.”
“That’s fine. I will continue to buy it at the same price as the old woman’s medicine and treat it the same way. Is that okay? As the guild leader, I will guarantee the quality.”
“Thank you.”
Clare bows in response to Gwaine.
“…Even so, you’re pretty used to handling medicine.”
“This medicine was a great help to me when I was an active adventurer. When we didn’t have much money, my friends and I would use it as frugally as possible.”
“Oh, so–”
So that’s why Clare understood that he could tell the appropriate amount of medicine to use depending on the condition of the wound.
On the other hand, Gwaine was impressed. As long as he wanted to negotiate, he was prepared to mercilessly point out any inferior effects, whether it was a child or Rona’s apprentice.
After all, adventurers also entrust their lives to this medicine while working. There was no room for unnecessary consideration.
That’s why he made himself the test subject, and tested it based on his experience and pride. The result was… the quality of the medicine was comparable to Rona’s.
Contrary to Gwaine’s rough tone and attitude, he was proud that his judgment was the most rigorous method he could use.
As for the other medicines that haven’t been tested, we can try out samples in a non-urgent place and sell them to adventurers if there are no problems. There is still stock.
“So, how was it–I don’t think I need to ask.”
When Rona saw Clare, Gwaine, and the staff return, the girl doll gave a thumbs up, and Gwaine seemed a little surprised that the master and disciple seemed more relaxed than expected.
“Well, I thought he was a serious honor student, but he seems a lot more interesting than I first thought.”
“I think the way he uses magic and the ideas behind it are interesting, so I’m not bored.”
Anyway, I received the usual payment for the medicines and other materials needed by the Adventurer’s Guild. With this, I can say that my business in visiting the Adventurer’s Guild is done.
“I think I’ll be coming to the capital alone more often from now on, so please look after me then.”
“I understand. So if that’s the case, then there’s no need to worry?”
Hearing that she’s alone, Gwaine turns his gaze to Rona.
“She can defend herself and make decisions, so this is also something she’s been training for. I’ve also taken precautions.”
“Then there’s no need to interfere.”
Clare’s judgment is no different from that of an adult. Rona estimates that even if she’s lacking common sense, she’ll be able to deal with crimes like fraud and kidnapping.
“Well, then, I’ll give you a quick tour of the town while we visit some familiar shops.”
“Well, I’ll be off.”
“Yeah. Come visit again.”
Clare and Rona leave the guild together.
They sell materials that the Adventurer’s Guild doesn’t handle, and buy food, clothing, and other items that aren’t available in the Great Sea of Trees. Although it was meant to introduce Clare to the merchants Rona usually associates with and to keep in touch with them, these were more greetings than training.
Where is in the city, and where should we go? Rona briefly explains the general points as she goes through the city.
“Even if they say the security is good, that’s probably because of Margrave Tolland’s military power.”
“That kind of person gathers because of the location. They’re just keeping quiet because of Tolland’s military reputation.”
It’s also a city where people who aim for the Great Sea of Trees gather. By its nature, there are many rough people, and they tend to hang out with others like them.
There are bad bars and brothels. It’s an area where such night establishments are concentrated. On the other hand, if you avoid such places, you won’t have any problems for now.
You can find most of the things you need for daily life by looking around the stores along the main street.
Many of the materials Rona handles are not limited to these, so while she explains the town and buys daily necessities, we also visit the shops in the backstreets at key points.
“When we’re done, we’ll go to the inn on the main street. You can find most of the things you want along that street.”
“Oh… spare time.”
The reason we allow Clare to act independently is that we don’t need to treat her like a child. It’s probably a rehearsal for acting independently in the town.
“–You’ll be back by dinner. I’ve already paid for that.”
“Well… that’s right. I’ll be back before sunset. It looks like you’re going out to play.”
“It’s training, but it’s not about playing. Sometimes you should stretch your wings like a child.”
After finishing various errands in the town, we rented a room at the inn, and from there it was Clare’s spare time.
“Fufu. I’m off to play for a bit then.”
“Yes. I’m going my own way. I’ve got something to buy.”
After waving goodbye to the girl doll, Clare leaves the inn.
“Now then – where shall we go?”
When it comes to doll making, there’s the tailor shop… and the general store. There’s also a bookstore, which I’m interested in.
“Hmm. I looked around a lot while I was walking, but… hmm.”
The girl doll puts her hand on her chin and ponders. She clearly remembers the streetscape and the locations of the stores she had her eye on. While thinking that it’s good to have good health and a good memory, she draws a map in her mind with the inn at the center, and then starts walking down the street.
First, she goes to the tailor shop and asks the female owner if she can buy some fabric, even if it were just scraps, not clothes.
“It’s okay. Do you need it? If you want to match the frayed part, it won’t be noticeable if you match the color and material of the original clothing, do you know that?”
“Oh, no. I’m not going to mend the frayed part, I would like to make clothes for a puppet, like this. Can you please show me different fabrics?”
“Oh. That sounds interesting.”
“Yes. It’s interesting. Since you’re here, can I show you different scraps?”
“Okay, I’ll bring some from the back. Do you need needles and thread?”
“Both are consumables, so it’s good to be able to buy them here. I also want cotton.”
“Thread, needles, and cotton.”
The owner disappeared into the back of the store and returned a little later. Clare was stacking various scraps as samples to look at the colors, and the owner asked with a smile, “I wonder what kind of clothes you’re planning to make?”
“Yes. I’m thinking of combining this fabric with this… to make clothes like this. I want to add embroidery and three-dimensional decorations to the sleeves and hem…”
No matter what the appearance, Clare wants to make something similar to a bisque doll. In her previous life, one of the things that was well-received in her live streams and street performances was making dancing dolls with fantasy elements, which appealed to people who had never been interested in puppetry before.
Clare herself likes that memory.
She has handmade various costumes with fantasy elements, so she has a lot of experience making doll clothes from scraps. She has also dabbled in frills, lace knitting, and embroidery.
Meanwhile, the shop owner was surprised at the unexpectedly detailed knowledge that Clare revealed. She thought it was just a child’s play, but she has a lot of knowledge about fashion and a good sense of color. What’s more, she sometimes mentions the names of techniques she doesn’t know.
“…Do you work as a seamstress or something?”
“No. It’s just a hobby.”
The doll says, waving her hands side to side. The tailor smiles at the girl doll’s movements.
“A hobby…I see. Can I see the doll’s clothes when they’re finished?”
“Okay. I’ll bring them next time I come to the capital.”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”
No matter how the girl’s doll clothes turn out, if she has a lot of knowledge, she might be able to give us some ideas for new clothes. If necessary, she can ask for permission to make new products… The shopkeeper imagines the future, showing Clare clothes instead of fabrics, and Clare and Clare have a lively conversation about fashion and techniques.
Clare leaves the shop feeling satisfied that she had a very enjoyable conversation with the tailor.
I look for things that can be used for doll accessories at general stores, and look for other materials that might be needed for doll making, and actually collect them.
In my previous life, I was interested in handmade doll making, and I researched various things to see if I could make not only clothes and props, but also the doll itself, especially the face, as I wanted.
For example, bisque dolls are made from clay and bisque fired, and if you apply glaze and fire it, you can make it into ceramics such as white porcelain. That’s why I also went to pottery classes.
However, considering that it is a type of marionette that is hung by strings, if the material is too heavy, it will interfere with the important puppet operation, and if the material is brittle, there is a possibility of it breaking.
Even if the parts that use them are only the face and hands, you have to think about the balance, and no matter how much you like the texture of the other materials, you have to consider the weight and durability. This is true not only for the doll itself, but also for the gimmicks to be installed and the clothes to be put on the doll.
“But now it’s different.”
Clare’s face, hidden by her hat, is not much different from usual, but inside she is in a good mood. With the current magic thread, she can manipulate even metal without worrying. She can even manipulate things that aren’t dolls in the first place, like wood or lumps of earth. Making clay and forming three-dimensional objects is also not much trouble since she can directly manipulate them with the thread.
When you think about it, you can prepare any kind of gimmick you want. She can get as into the structure and shape of the doll itself, and the clothing itself. She’s also learning alchemy from Rona, so she has a lot of ideas in the works.
So Clare goes around buying various materials that aren’t normally used for dolls – including metals.
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