We head across the street to the general store the trinket shop lady told us about.
“Maggie, it’s fine if you want to go get some candy. I mean, who knows if we’ll even find an instrument here.”
We gotta finish shopping while Maggie’s father’s still eating, so I’m in a bit of a rush.
We already spent so much time picking out ribbons!
“Oh, it’s totally fine! My dad likes to take his time eating. He’ll probably be happy to have an excuse to order another ale.”
Won’t his wife scold him when he gets back? Well, Maggie doesn’t seem worried, so I guess it’s fine.
Besides, I was feeling a little unsure about shopping on my own. I mean, I do shop alone at the general store back in Lang Village, but still...
“There it is, I think!”
Even Carlton doesn’t have as many shops as the cities I remember from my past life. There seem to be lots of inns, though—probably for the adventurers?
We cross the dirt road toward the general goods store.
“Hey, why don’t they pave the streets with cobblestones or something?”
It’s not muddy since it hasn’t rained lately, which is good, but I can see deep, dry wagon tracks in the road. They’re kicking up quite a bit of dust.
“Oh, Matthew said the roads in Heinz are paved with cobblestones. His father took him there once.”
Ugh, Matthew again! Still, Heinz does sound interesting…
“So, what did they go there for?”
Matthew’s father is the village chief of Lang Village. I guess he might need to meet with the local lord, but why visit another noble?
“Something about the lord of Carlton being his patron, or so he said.”
Oh! That’s just like in Selina’s novel. The one where the noble patron tried to force the heroine to become his mistress. Another one of those “you’re not allowed to read this” books.
“Huh.” I don’t really know what that’s about, but anyway—we’re here for instruments!
“Hello!” Maggie calls out at the general store.
Hehe. I follow behind Maggie as we step inside. Too shy to go first.
I was hoping for a young woman like at the trinket store, but it turned out to be an older lady.
Still, better than a scary old man, I guess.
I glance around, but all I see are pots and dishes. No instruments in sight—so I ask directly.
“Um, do you sell musical instruments? I’d really like a flute, but a drum would be okay too.”
“Oh, I usually bring them out before the summer festival. Most of the time they’re in storage. Not sure if I’ve got any flutes, but let me check!”
Wait—there might be a flute?!
My heart does a little flip. The girl from my past life used to play instruments with keys and blow into flutes. She also practiced something like a lute. But I don’t think I ever played drums...
“Huh… The pots are more expensive here than in Lang Village.” Maggie’s already checking prices like the good shop apprentice she is.
“Really? Don’t they stock up from Carlton?”
If you buy them here to sell elsewhere, they’d be more expensive, right?
“The old blacksmith makes them for us at home. Unlike Carlton, we don’t sell swords or spears. At most, we sell hoes and sickles. And horseshoes too.”
I mean, it’s nice and peaceful. But if I wanna be an adventurer one day, that’s kind of... eh.
“Thanks for waiting!”
The shopkeeper comes back and plops a bunch of stuff onto the counter: a small drum, a tambourine, a ring with bells, a flat bell...
“Whoa, there’s a bunch!” Maggie sounds surprised.
I ask, “Didn’t the men play these while dancing at Lang Village’s summer festival?”
“They did, but… I had no idea there were so many different types. Last year, I saw this one.”
She points to a small drum that hangs from a shoulder strap.
The shopkeeper chips in with a little laugh. “There are trends, you know. Last year, this small drum sold really well.”
Hmm... dancing with a little drum sounds fun and all, but I think I’d rather have something that can go with singing.
“May I try playing it?”
The shopkeeper says “Go ahead!” so I put the strap over my shoulder and give it a try.
Thump, tha-tha-thump, thump, tha-tha-thump!
It sounds pretty good, and it’s fun! But... a little heavy. Maybe a grown man could dance while drumming, but I’m only seven, after all.
“This one’s lighter,” the shopkeeper points out. “Tambourines and bells are more popular with girls. I hear they were all the rage at Heinz’s harvest festival. They might start selling well here in Carlton too.”
Hmm, tambourine could be a good choice.
“Um, can I try singing with it? I’d like to test it out.”
I use the tambourine to keep rhythm and start singing the song Maggie taught me. Partway through, not just Maggie, but even the shopkeeper joined in!
“You’ve got a lovely voice!”
Hehe. I got a compliment!
“This one seems perfect, don’t you think?”
“Maybe... but I just can’t give up on the flute.”
“The flute, huh... I did have one. Don’t remember selling it, so it’s probably still around somewhere. Give me a sec!”
The shopkeeper disappears back into storage.
“Zoe, you can’t sing if you’re playing a flute, can you? You’re such a good singer. Maybe a flute isn’t right for you?”
Oh! That actually makes a lot of sense...
“Well, yeah... but I like singing and I like playing music.”
While I’m mulling it over, there’s a crash-clatter-bang from the storage room.
“Are you all right?” Maggie looks worried. She often helps sort stock back at the general store, so maybe she’s imagining a shelf collapsing.
Me, I live in Selina’s mess of a cottage, so falling stuff doesn’t faze me.
“Oh, I’m fine! I just tried to reach something up high and knocked a pile over,” the shopkeeper calls back.
She comes out, brushing dust off her clothes—and holding a flute!
It looks old. Very old. And covered in dust.
“Eww, Zoe, the tambourine’s better! That flute might not even make a sound.”
Maggie glares at the dust-covered flute. But for some reason, I can’t take my eyes off it.