"Look, Lord Lucas is coming out!"
"Is that Princess Lucy? She's truly beautiful."
"..."
As Lucas, Lucy, and the others appeared at the entrance of the Gold Coin Supermarket, the crowd immediately erupted into a flurry of discussion.
"Everyone, today marks the grand opening of the Gold Coin Supermarket. For today only, everything is 10% off!" Lucas announced loudly.
"Lord Lucas, what exactly does this 'Gold Coin Supermarket' sell?" A merchant shouted.
"What do we sell? Just like the name implies, this is a supermarket named after gold coins. We sell valuable and novel items. Before entering, please undergo a financial check—you only need to present one gold coin to gain entry," Lucas said indifferently.
By ensuring customers had the financial means, he didn't have to worry about people entering who couldn't afford the goods, which also served to reduce incidents of shoplifting.
"Oh? Interesting," Viscount Gini said, raising an eyebrow. "Requiring a gold coin just to get in? It seems this shop has some character."
"I wonder if they have perfume for sale?" Viscount Isaac felt for the coin purse in his coat. He had previously relied on purchasing agents for his perfume. He had heard that Sedona City's perfumes were in limited supply; at places like the Realm Shop, the stock was usually snatched up almost as soon as it hit the shelves.
"We'll find out once we go in," Gini said, also pulling out his coin purse.
"A reminder to everyone: the goods inside are also in limited supply. Please purchase according to the quantity limits indicated on the shelves," Lucas added coolly. Sedona City was currently home to many wealthy merchants and nobles—people who didn't lack money or who wanted to flip the goods for a profit. Without purchase limits, the high-end stock would be gone instantly.
Of course, these limits were a trick Lucas played. They weren't strictly for rationing; they were more about creating a sense of scarcity. The real secrets were hidden in the fine print on the shelf tags.
"Ah? Limits again?" A merchant wailed.
"You merchants shouldn't be so greedy. You snatch up all the good stuff every single time!"
"Exactly! There should be limits, otherwise we won't be able to buy anything decent."
"..."
A few nobles who had failed to secure goods in the past started snapping at the merchants. They wanted to get into the resale business too, but they were never as quick-witted as the professional traders.
"Everyone, please come in," Lucas said, stepping aside and moving toward the counter.
Tramp, tramp, tramp...
A crowd of nobles and merchants rushed through the doors, only to find a series of zigzagging barriers similar to those at the customs office. Knowing the rules, they lined up and began presenting their gold coins for verification.
As the crowd filed into the supermarket, they were stunned by the rows upon rows of merchandise. Unlike the individual stalls at the Market, seeing all these goods displayed together in one place was a staggering sight.
Near the entrance stood a wooden sign with a single line of text: "Honesty is the foundation of character. Shoplifters will be fined ten times the value and reported in the newspaper."
The faces of several nobles and merchants with sticky fingers immediately turned grim. A ten-fold fine was one thing, but being called out in the newspaper was going too far.
The Sedona City Newspaper was incredibly popular; it was a daily essential for many, and some nobles even collected every single issue. Even neighboring cities sent people to buy every edition because the stories were so interesting. If someone was outed as a thief in the paper, they would be utterly disgraced—everyone would know they were a common crook.
"Why put up that sign? Surely these nobles are too proud to steal," Lucy whispered.
"Too proud?" Lucas chuckled and shook his head. "You think too highly of people. Without that sign as a deterrent, they'd be buying one and taking two. My merchandise is tempting enough to make them do very shameless things."
"Eh? Is that so?" Lucy blinked in surprise.
"Anyway, do you have any inspiration for your new novel?" Lucas asked, changing the subject.
"A novel? That... not for the moment," Lucy said bitterly. She hadn't been thinking about writing lately.
"Now that you've seen what Sedona City looks like, aren't you going to write a book?" Lucas teased, nudging her. "Look at all the interesting things here. A novel set in a place like this would be very popular..."
"Wait!" Lucy's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! Let me think..."
"The pizza shop would be a perfect place for a date, and the shadow puppet theater too..."
Lucy became lost in thought, eventually grabbing paper and a pen from the counter to frantically jot down her ideas.
On the other side of the store, Gini and Isaac were a bit dazed. In fact, everyone was overwhelmed by the sheer variety of goods.
"Viscount Gini, what do you plan to buy?" Isaac asked.
"I don't know yet. I'll browse first." Gini shook his head. Noticing people carrying bamboo baskets, he quickly grabbed one for himself and told Isaac, "Go get a basket. We're definitely going to break the bank today."
"Right." Isaac grabbed a basket as well. "Look at this... it seems to be called Instant Noodles. What a strange name." Gini stared at the rows of uniquely packaged items.
"There's a description here," Isaac read aloud. "'Instant Noodles are Sedona City's latest research in fast-food noodles. Simply place the noodles and seasonings in a bowl, pour in boiling water, cover, and wait ten minutes to eat.'" After finishing, he immediately reached out and took five packs.
"You're buying that?" Gini asked, likewise grabbing five packs. If the sign hadn't said Limit 5 per person, he would have taken the whole shelf.
"You're certainly not slow," Isaac rolled his eyes.
"Heh... I'll take them back to try. Twelve copper coins a pack isn't expensive," Gini said nonchalantly. He noted the fine print on the sign: 'Instant noodles will be available in large quantities next month. Stay tuned.'
He had seen many such notices—for example, under the exquisite porcelain, there was a line explaining which shop it came from and inviting customers to visit that shop for bulk orders.
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