The blacksmith workshop was already busy when Adrian arrived.
Two apprentices were hammering heated iron while another worked near the furnace.
Gareth stood beside a wooden counter, examining a horseshoe.
“You’re late.”
“Sorry.”
“Your excuses won’t put food on the table. Take those iron bars outside and sort them.”
Adrian nodded.
He wasn’t interested in creating unnecessary trouble.
For now, he needed to understand his surroundings.
As he carried the iron bars, he carefully observed the workshop.
The equipment was relatively primitive.
The furnace used charcoal, the bellows were manually operated, and most of the tools were made from iron.
However, the workers were skilled.
They understood their craft through years of experience.
That was something Adrian respected.
He wasn’t going to assume that everyone in this world was ignorant simply because their technology was less advanced.
After completing his assigned work, he approached another apprentice.
“Thomas, can I ask you something?”
The young man looked up.
“What?”
“How much does an ordinary worker earn?”
Thomas laughed.
“Have you forgotten how money works?”
“Just answer.”
“Depends on the work. A labourer earns around three copper coins a day. Skilled workers earn more.”
Adrian nodded.
“What about silver?”
“One silver coin is worth a hundred copper coins. Why?”
“Nothing.”
He continued asking questions.
A loaf of ordinary bread cost two copper coins.
A modest meal cost three or four.
Rent for a small room was approximately two silver coins monthly.
A decent pair of boots could cost between twenty and thirty copper coins.
The information was useful.
By the time the sun began setting, Adrian had developed a rough understanding of the local economy.
He also learned something important.
Most ordinary households depended on products manufactured by local craftsmen.
Soap was one of them.
But unlike the soap he remembered from Earth, the common varieties were crude, expensive and unpleasant to use.
Some were made using animal fat and ash-based alkaline substances.
Their quality varied considerably.
Adrian immediately became interested.
Soap was a necessity.
It was relatively inexpensive to manufacture compared with complicated machinery.
And most importantly, it could be produced using materials available in this world.
That evening, he visited a small marketplace.
The marketplace was crowded.
Merchants shouted their prices while farmers displayed vegetables, meat and grains.
Adrian stopped beside a stall selling household products.
A middle-aged woman was arranging several blocks of greyish soap.
“How much?”
“Four copper coins.”
He examined one.
The texture was rough, the colour uneven, and the smell was unpleasant.
“Why is it so expensive?”
The woman frowned.
“Then make your own.”
Adrian smiled.
“I might.”
He walked away.
Four copper coins.
If he could produce a better-quality product and sell it for three copper coins, he could potentially capture a large portion of the market.
Of course, there would be complications.
He needed raw materials, equipment and a safe production process.
But those were problems he could investigate.
As he returned to his room, another notification appeared.
[Quest Progress: 0/3]
[Hint: The Host may utilize existing knowledge and available resources to complete the assigned task.]
Adrian sat on his bed.
He needed a plan.
Tomorrow, he would visit the local market again and investigate the availability of animal fats, oils and alkaline materials.
He would also need containers and a suitable heating arrangement.
The first stage of his new life was simple.
Make money.
Acquire knowledge.
Build something that nobody in this world had seen before.
And avoid attracting the attention of people powerful enough to take it away.
For now, that last part would be the most difficult.