Since there was still some time before the debut party, today I decided to stroll around the capital city.
Of course, there was no way I would be allowed to go alone.
I got into the carriage with Sara and Reine, and the carriage was driven by the butler, Sebastian.
"Reine, Cain, is there anywhere you want to go?"
Sara asked.
That's perfect. I want to try talking to the gods.
"I'd like to go to the church. We've arrived safely in the capital, and I haven't been to church since my baptism."
"That's right. Cain, with all the blessings you have, it's best to show your gratitude."
"Once we go to the church, I want to go shopping for clothes afterward!"
"Let's do that. Sebastian, can you take us to the church first?"
"Understood, Miss Sara."
The carriage moved forward. The streets of the capital visible from the window were beautiful. The population of the capital is said to be around 200,000. The entire Esfort Kingdom is said to have a population of about one million, but in this world where the household registration system is not well established, it's hard to know for sure.
We arrived at the church after about twenty minutes. The church in the capital is indeed larger than the one in the Gracia territory.
The carriage stopped, and we entered the church.
At the entrance, we made an offering to the sister and were guided to a place for prayer.
In the center of the chapel, seven divine statues were displayed.
The one in the center is the Creator God Zenom. Honestly, it doesn't look like him, but I can't say I've actually met him here.
I knelt and began to pray.
Then, light enveloped everything.
As my eyes adjusted, I found myself in the same pure white world as during my baptism.
There was a table in front of me, and the seven gods were sitting there as usual.
"It's been a while. I've come to the capital, so I thought I'd visit the church to thank you for my baptism. I was worried if I could come here, but I'm glad I could."
Cain bowed and greeted them.
"Fufufu. You've finally come, Cain. I've been waiting for you. Well, I've been watching what you've been up to, of course."
"Have you been watching me?"
Cain asked, feeling curious.
"Aye. It's like this."
A screen appeared on the table, showing scenes of Cain checking his status, fighting in the adventurer's guild, battling orcs on the way to the capital, and even the scene of him holding flowers in both hands in the carriage.
"Hey! Don't look at such things!"
"Basically, all we gods can do is watch. Your actions have been quite interesting, so we couldn't help but watch."
"Please spare me the private moments. Really."
"Don't say that. Today, Grim and Panamus have something to discuss with you."
Grim, the god of skills, started talking as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Right. Cain, there's not much entertainment in this world. Could you create something from your previous life?"
This world lacks entertainment. People go to bed early, and the concept of playing for fun is not common.
"Entertainment? I can only come up with ideas. I've never made anything myself."
"I know. You can work with a merchant guild. If you submit the first item you create to Panamus, it will be registered. That way, it won't be replicated."
It seems there's something like a patent system in this world. By dedicating the first item you create to Panamus, the god of commerce, it gets registered. There are penalties for trying to replicate it later, though I didn't ask what those penalties were because Panamus's smile was a bit scary.
"Understood. I think I can manage something simple like Reversi. I'll discuss it with someone from a merchant guild."
"Good. We're looking forward to it."
Grim and Panamus nodded with smiles.
"By the way, I have a question. How does my status compare to others?"
Cain asked frankly.
"Aye. You're already beyond human. Although your experience hasn't caught up, you're probably the strongest human right now. You could become a demigod if you keep going."
"A demigod..."
"Like divine beasts and dragons. You're already quite close."
Zenom was smiling.
I didn't realize I had come this far without noticing!
"However, it's important to understand that there are limits to what one person can do. Don't overexert yourself. It's time to go. Come again soon."
Then, I was enveloped in light again.
When I came to, I was back in the chapel.
I bowed to the seven divine statues.
Then, I thanked the sister and left the church.
"Cain, are you done with the prayer?"
Sara asked.
"Yeah. I thanked the gods for all the blessings. Thank you very much."
"Next, let's go shopping for clothes! I'm looking forward to seeing the stores in the capital."
The carriage moved a bit and headed toward the commercial district.
"We've arrived."
Sebastian, the carriage driver, called out.
We got out of the carriage and entered a store. It was a shop for the upper class of commoners, which was a good choice as it wasn't too aristocratic. When Sara and Reine led me upstairs, it turned out to be a women's clothing section.
"Huh? This is a women's section..."
It was very uncomfortable to wait while they were choosing. I felt so out of place that I decided to leave the store.
I headed to a nearby general goods store.
As I was about to enter, I saw a familiar face. Or rather, a familiar pair of ears.
It was the cat-eared girl, Parma, who had attended the debut party.
"Hey! Parma!"
Parma, who had been attending the debut party, was flustered.
"Huh? Ah! Master Cain? Why are you here?"
A voice came from the back of the store.
"Hey, Parma. Did a friend come to visit?"
A man came out of the store. He looked like Parma's uncle, Tamanius, but a bit older.
"Oh, a friend of Parma's? What a cute boy."
"Uncle, Master Cain is a noble!"
"Wha!!! I apologize!"
He bowed politely.
"Master Cain, I'm sorry."
Parma's cat ears drooped as she apologized.
Hmm, she's cute.
"Don't worry about it. I'm alone, so it's understandable. I'm Cain von Silford, the third son of the Lord of Gracia. Don't worry about it."
"…The Margrave… I'm terribly sorry."
He bowed so deeply it looked like he was about to kowtow.
"Don't worry about it. Is it okay if I look around the store?"
"Yes! Please look around. By the way, I'm Tamanius, Parma's uncle. My brother, Sabinos, is always grateful for your help."
"By the way, why is Parma in the capital? Is it okay with the Gracia guild?"
I was curious about why Parma was here.
"I'm currently apprenticing at my uncle's store in the capital. I came with my father when he came to the capital for supplies."
"I see. Then we'll probably see each other more often."
"Master Cain, aren't you going back to Gracia after the debut party?"
"I was planning to, but the king gave me a title and a mansion, so I'll be living there."
"Really!!! Congratulations!"
Parma's eyes sparkled.
"Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again."
With that, I started looking around the store. It was mainly a general goods store with wooden products and other items.
This might be a good place to make what I told the gods about.
Parma's father also seemed like a good person, so I felt comfortable working with this merchant guild.
"Parma, I have something to discuss with you and Uncle Tamanius. Is that okay?"
"I actually want to create some entertainment items. I was wondering if you could handle the production and sales."
Tamanius's face turned serious.
"Master Cain, please come to the back. Let's discuss it there."
Cain wrote down the details on a piece of parchment. He drew an 8x8 grid and wrote that he needed sixty-four round pieces, about three centimeters in diameter, with one side white and the other black. He also wrote down other details.
"It's called Reversi. I want you to create a prototype first. After it's registered with the commercial god, I'd like to entrust you with the production and sales. What do you think?"
"Of course, I'd be happy to. If you're willing to let us handle the production and sales in exchange for the idea, we'll take 20% of the sales as a fee. This is the standard rate when making a contract with the commercial god. The breakdown is 30% for materials, 10% for sales tax, 20% for shipping, and 20% for our guild's expenses."
"That's fine. Please let me check the prototype when it's ready. I'll also teach you how to play it. I'll leave the cost of the prototype here."
Cain took a gold coin from a small bag and placed it on the table.
"That's too much!!"
Tamanius anxiously tried to return it.
"Think of it as an advance investment. After the prototype is ready and I've confirmed it, we'll move into mass production. Use this as the initial capital. Please pay me back when you make a profit!"
Cain said with a smile.
"Understood! I'd be happy to. The Saracon Guild, including my brother Sabinos, will do our best."
"Please contact the Silford residence when it's ready, and I'll come over."
With that, I left the store.
When I got to the carriage, Reine came out of the store with an angry face, though she had many shopping bags.
"Hey! Where did you go, Cain? I wanted you to see the clothes!"
"I want to see your clothes at home. You can't really tell from just trying them on. Show me when we get back."
Cain replied with a smile.
"Fine! I'll show you when we get back!"
Reine's mood improved, and she got into the carriage.
Sisters are so easy to please.
Though, I did have to sit through about two hours of a fashion show when we got back.