Strange Customers

‘More trees than people.’

If one were to succinctly describe the appearance of the capital city of the Harkin margrave territory, Urones, it would be like this.

The distinctive feature of the Margrave territory facing a Land of Death in the north is undoubtedly the vast forest area covering about eighty percent of the territory.

While some areas have been turned into autonomous regions by the elves, the benefits of the scattered forests are numerous.
Among them, the forestry and timber industry fostered by the Harkin family for generations boasted the most significant scale in the Kingdom of Lombard.
The timber harvested in each forest is transported by the Iluna River, which divides the margrave territory into east and west, to the capital city of Urones…
Urones is a port town facing the sea, and the timber gathered here is circulated throughout the country by maritime transport.

In such a city, naturally, the gender ratio of Urones becomes distorted and uneven.
Eight men to two women…
Furthermore, if we were to add, among the residents of this city, those who are purely born and raised Urones locals are pretty few.

Most are from various territories of the Margrave…
And sometimes even from other regions…

Men who came seeking work make up the majority of the residents.

On the well-maintained main street, during the day, processed timber is transported, pushing aside pedestrians…
In various places, including the harbor area, men with their bronze-colored skin exposed sweat as they carry and transport things…

The town of laborers is the Harkin Margrave territory, with Uroness as its capital.

No, it would be misleading to generalize them as all laborers…
Even among the men engaged in harsh labor, there exist differences in status…

“Welcome.”

*Chime, clink.*

Hearing the sound of the bell, I immediately threw out a friendly voice.
Glancing around the shop, there were clothes, clothes, and more clothes…
With that in mind, it’s needless to say that this is a clothing store.

What’s distinctive is that all these garments are tailored for women, and each one is of high quality… likely aimed at the rich.
A rarity in Urones, a boutique specializing in high-end women’s clothing… That’s what this store is.

“I want to find clothes that suit her.
She will wear them immediately, so please show us items that she can wear right away,”

The customers are a pair, a man and a woman.
The man is in his mid to late twenties, looking strong and dressed for a journey.
The other woman, on the other hand, is a beauty unlike any seen before.

Her hair, which extended to her waist, was solid black…
Her facial features were so perfectly symmetrical that one could be sure no sculptor could hope to replicate them.
If there was a flaw, it was in her emotionless expression without any hint of fluctuation… yet this, in turn, added mystery to the girl.

The girl was completely covered in a cloak, hiding her entire body underneath, leaving nothing to be seen.
But who could she be…? She was a person who sparked quite an interest.

However, this was no regular store; it was a high-end establishment.
At times, they receive customers with special circumstances… Without indulging in useless gossip, they immediately engage in business discussions.

“Understood…
We can prepare these items promptly, and here they are.”

I arranged several pieces of clothing on the long table inside the shop.
Each of the displayed clothes has distinct features, such as those with more exposure, dresses suitable for evening events, and frilly designs that would appeal to young ladies…
They are showcasing the variety of products to the fullest.

“Eve, which one do you think is good among these?”

As he casually set aside the revealing and glamorous dresses, a young man asked the nearby beauty for her opinion.
He seems to be neither a professional stylist nor looking for attire for an outing.

“I’ll leave it to Master’s judgment.”

“That’s what I find most troublesome, though…
Also, stop calling me ‘Master.’
Here, I’m Asuru.”

“Understood. Asuru it is.”

The young man, referred to as Asuru, smiles wryly as he gazes at the remaining candidates.

Asuru.

Hearing that name brought back memories from a few years ago… Lunatic, the mad prince exiled from the royal family.
As I recall, he was granted the Land of Death, a desolate territory in the northern part of the margrave territory, as his fief, and disappeared there – presumed dead by now.

He rarely appeared in public, so his abilities were uncertain. However, it was said that he had knowledge of magic, raising the possibility that he might still be surviving in that harsh land.

Well, it’s probably irrelevant.
As for Asuru, originally a renowned knight whose name is recorded in the kingdom’s history, there have been countless individuals named after him.

“Hey, mind if I ask for your opinion?”

The young man called Asuru, after pondering over the remaining options, eventually resigned himself and began a conversation with me.

“Well, I’m not really good at this kind of thing.
My budget is big, so feel free to choose items without worrying about the prices.”

Saying so, the young man placed several wrapped parcels in the corner of the long table.
Encouraged to check, the contents turned out to be small yet splendidly crafted gemstones.
These should match the finest items in the shop.

Although he appeared to be a mere traveler…
Could this young man possibly be someone of considerable stature?

“Well, well…
If that’s the case, please feel free to make your selection.
Do you have any preferences or specific requests?”

However, just like before, I refrain from delving into the person’s identity.
Perhaps he could be a potential VIP who might continue to favor us in the future…
Setting aside such considerations, being able to carefully select clothes for such a beautiful girl… makes all the effort put into this business worthwhile.

“Yes… Let’s exclude the items you rejected earlier.
I’ll leave everything else to you.
This is my first time coming to this store, but I have heard a lot from my friends about how good your sense of style is.”

“Well, it is truly an honor.
Then, I better get ready to choose!”

This is also the essence of the joy I have experienced in this business.
Even though I do not know who the customer is, there is no reason to feel bad for being complimented on one’s taste.

Putting in the most effort of the day, I will carefully choose an outfit suitable for the girl.
It seems that this greatly pleased a young man named Asuru…
As we parted ways, he handed me additional jewels.

He was indeed a pleasant customer, and the transaction was satisfying.