"Here, this is for you guys as well," I said, handing over small containers of spice to Roya, the others, and Fia.

"Are you serious? We get some too?"

"Yeah, but in return, let me know what dishes it works well with. It might even make that awful-smelling dried meat from before more palatable."

"Seriously? If it can fix that meat, I’m all in!"
"But this spice is so valuable. We can’t just take it for free..."
"Yeah, it's too pricey for us to accept casually..."

"Actually, keep this between us, but I got it at a really low cost. So don’t worry about it and just take it. Fia, make sure to share it with your mom for cooking too."

Although spices like this are considered luxurious here, I could buy them for just two silver coins at the outdoor shop.

"That’s great! Thank you, Tetsuya!"
"Thanks, Big brother Tetsuya !"

The group spent the rest of the evening enjoying a hearty meal at the inn. The addition of the outdoor spice enhanced the already delicious food, making it even better.

After dinner, I walked Fia back to her home before returning to the inn to focus on the next task—testing the water purifier.

I pulled out the water bottles Roya and the others had filled from different parts of the river. The purifier I bought was a straw-type water filter, a thin tube designed to remove bacteria and impurities through built-in filters and activated carbon.

Although not capable of filtering heavily contaminated water like industrial-grade purifiers, this model was sufficient for river and spring water.

"Alright, let’s see how this goes," I muttered, inserting the filter into one of the water bottles and taking a sip.

The water tasted fine, but I decided to wait two days to see if I experienced any adverse effects before considering it safe for sale.

Two days later, with no signs of illness, I prepared to introduce new items in the shop. Sales of the initial products, like compasses and carabiners, had started to decline. Most adventurers and merchants in town had already purchased what they needed.

However, I decided against selling the outdoor spice. A market survey revealed that spices like salt and pepper were tightly controlled by established shops. Selling a high-quality spice without a store of my own could attract unwanted trouble.

To avoid conflicts, I planned to save up enough money to rent a shop and hire a staff member who could double as a guard. Even in a relatively safe town, bad actors exist, especially when rare goods are involved.

"Alright, time to work hard and make this shop a reality," I said, mentally preparing myself.

"Big brother Tetsuya?"

"Oh, sorry. Just psyching myself up. Let’s open the shop!"

"Okay!"

The shop opened with its usual highlight: the fire starters, sold on a first-come, first-served basis to the three customers who had already lined up.

"Step right up, everyone! Today, Al-Flare’s beloved outdoor shop is proud to unveil its next wave of products!"

It was time to show the adventurers of Al-Flare just how valuable my new inventory could be.