The story of the black silk female knight

However, in most cases, the trading of these valuable collectibles does not involve gold coins; instead, it involves bartering with equally rare and valuable items that are also difficult to find.

Finding out the other party's preferences and preparing in advance is crucial for completing this kind of transaction.

Visiting the collector in person would be Valensa's first priority upon arriving in America.

This is also one of the main reasons why Valencia chose to participate in dueling competitions as a cover.

It's not impossible for someone like Tia to infiltrate Elsers's delegation to America, but the delegation would definitely be closely watched from all sides, making it very inconvenient to do anything underhanded or to leave the group privately to go somewhere else.

However, this problem doesn't exist when participating in duels.

The Duel Arena is a large-scale event that lasts for six months, with matches every day, and the venues are located in various towns throughout America.

It's perfectly normal for a dueling contestant to appear anywhere in America; it could all be considered preparation for the competition.

This is what Valensa values ​​most about qualifying for the dueling competition... Given her status in Fran and the Church of the Sun, without the excuse of participating as a cover, running around in America would easily attract attention.

Valensa's goal in going to America meant that she wouldn't stay in a small circle.

. . . . .

Princess Elsers's mission to America had a significant impact, even prompting Yashiro, the young lady of the Nora Merchant Guild, to change her plans.

Yashiro's original plan was to treat taking people to America to participate in the competition as pure entertainment, only taking his confidants and those involved in the competition, and using a remote teleportation array to go there. He could leave two days before the official start of the qualifiers.

However, when Elsers goes on a mission to America, in order to show goodwill by participating in the hunt for the Netherworld Clan, she will also bring half of the Fran navy fleet and travel by sea along the western coastline of the Frenoia continent.

This has caught the eye of many chambers of commerce, who are planning to jump on the bandwagon.

Because long-distance teleportation arrays make it difficult to transport large quantities of goods, trade between Fran and America has always been conducted by sea.

But sea routes are far more dangerous than land routes... Sea monsters that are more powerful than land monsters, strange and dangerous fog demons, and even wild beast pirates active in the coastal areas of the Desolate Ridge Lands are all risks that merchants need to bear when transporting goods by sea.

Although the French navy protects merchant ships during routine patrols, it is rare for nearly half of the fleet to operate collectively, making this an excellent opportunity.

Merchant guilds that trade with America by sea all planned to take advantage of Elser's mission to sell more goods to America, and Nora's Merchant Guild was no exception.

So the original plan to set off in the second half of the new year was brought forward by nearly 10 days, and Valensa had to do a big shopping trip with Tia for America.

The first thing the two women bought was a large amount of food, especially various vegetables, fruits, and monster meat.

Valensa even spent a lot of her food points to redeem some rare ingredients with exceptionally good flavors from the Food Association.

This isn't because the two of them are overly food-loving; rather, in America, these ingredients are a more valuable form of hard currency than gold.

These ingredients can be helpful if you want to expand your social network there, or even build a friendly relationship with that collector.

Although America was also protected by the sun goddess, its food resources were far worse than those of Fran, and its food self-sufficiency rate was less than 70%.

Before the establishment of maritime trade with Fran, if the Church of the Sun had not been providing food to the common people of America free of charge, America would likely have seen many poor people die of hunger every year, just like wild beasts.

There are two main reasons for America's low grain production.

Firstly, America is located right next to the polar ice caps, which is too far north. Many towns experience snow all year round, and even in the warmest part of the year, the temperature is only about the same as in the coldest part of winter in the capital of France.

Secondly, America's terrain is a major factor. Plains are scarce, and most of the land is rugged mountains, making it difficult to develop agriculture or animal husbandry. Even with the blessing of the goddess and the help of magic, the food production is not enough to satisfy the people.

Of course, as a land blessed and protected by the goddess, America may have low food production, but its mineral resources are ridiculously abundant.

In America, all kinds of metals are as cheap as stones, and magic crystals are nothing more than glass beads. Some inferior magic crystals are even piled up on both sides of the street, and no one will take them.

This is also why the Sage Council chooses America for its main external activities. America has an inexhaustible supply of mineral magical materials, making it a favorite among researchers.

America had more minerals than it could use, and Fran had more food than it could eat; the main trade between the two countries was obvious.

Almost every French Chamber of Commerce with maritime business would carry several ships full of ingredients northward along the western coastline of the continent, and then return from America with various metal minerals and magic crystals.

This type of maritime trade can be said to be extremely profitable, with ideal returns exceeding 3000% of the costs.

However, the risks are also extremely high... because both the various delicious ingredients of Fran and the rare minerals and high-quality magic crystals of America are very tempting to the monsters in the sea, and it is impossible for every sea voyage to be free from attacks.

Therefore, the risk of monster attacks must also be taken into account, and the actual sea freight revenue is often less than one-tenth of the ideal revenue, but it is still tempting enough.

Many people wanted to make a fortune during Elsers's mission, resulting in the entire food market in the capital of Fran being swept away. Some ingredients that were particularly popular in America saw their prices increase several times overnight and were still in short supply.

If Valencia didn't have some connections in the food association, she might not have been able to buy many of the ingredients she wanted.

Chapter 19 America is a pervert

After purchasing enough ingredients, Valensa and Tia rushed to the second shopping point.

In the shopping mall of the Nora Chamber of Commerce, there is a small shop run by Ms. Dana.

Since Ms. Dana opened her shop here, many wealthy young ladies in the capital of France have bought their underwear and stockings here.

Ms. Dana's craftsmanship is excellent, and her inspiration is boundless.

The lingerie and stockings she wove by hand with magic were superior to other products in terms of style, quality, and comfort. Even the works of some established masters in the capital were not as good as hers, let alone the mass-produced goods in the workshop.

Aside from the slightly high price, it's fair to say that Ms. Diana's stockings and lingerie are all excellent. And for the ladies of noble families and wealthy merchants, the high price is the least of their flaws.

Valensa was captivated by Ms. Dana's exquisite craftsmanship after wearing them, and now all her stockings and underwear are bought from Ms. Dana's shop. She has disposed of most of the stockings and underwear she wore in Sergintown.

Female knights... those who know, know. It's a profession that takes a lot of toll on stockings and underwear.

Now we're heading to America, and as essential consumables for high-intensity combat, we also need to replenish the stockings and underwear made by Ms. Dana.

Valensa bought almost all the black stockings in Ms. Dana's shop, and Tia also put most of the white over-the-knee stockings and white pantyhose into her spatial storage bag.

"Are you... planning a long trip?"

Ms. Diana asked a question with great curiosity about Valensa and Tia's massive shopping spree, which resembled that of hamsters preparing for winter.

The news of Elsers's mission to America was only announced last night, and so far, only nobles and large merchant guilds know about it. Small shop owners like Ms. Dana, even with many noble ladies and young misses among her customers, wouldn't have heard the news so quickly.

But they would find out sooner or later, and since the king had already officially announced it, there was no need to hide it.

“Yes, Tia and I are going to America. We might not be back for several months or even half a year, so we need to prepare plenty of spare clothes.”

Valensa praised Ms. Dina's cooking skills while briefly explaining that she and Tia were going to America, and then asked curiously:

"By the way... speaking of which, Ms. Dana, you're from America, right? Do you have any suggestions for our trip to your hometown?"

Valensa's original intention was simply to ask Ms. Dana, a local from America, for recommendations on good food and fun activities.

Unexpectedly, Ms. Diana's expression immediately turned very unpleasant, even serious.

This highly skilled, languidly stylish fashion designer and tailor, after some hesitation, actually took out all the gold coins Valensa had just given her and extended her hand to Valensa:

"Give me back...those stockings, I'm not selling them anymore!"

"Hey?"

Valensa and Tia were both surprised. They had known Ms. Dina for quite some time, but this was the first time they had seen her like this.

"What do you mean, 'hey'? Can't you understand Common Tongue? I'll return the gold coins to you, but you better give me back all those stockings right now, I'm not selling them anymore!"

Ms. Diana seemed to have made up her mind, and her tone suddenly became firm:

"Not only will you not sell my stockings, but you are also not allowed to buy any other stockings... During your time in America, you will have to wear long skirts and trousers every day, preferably loose enough to completely cover up your leg lines!"

"……Why?"

Valensa and Tia were even more curious.

Tia is a bit better; she doesn't have any particular fondness for stockings. The fact that she wears white stockings every day is something Valensa taught her from a young age, and also to satisfy Valensa's hobbies.

Valensa is different. In her mind, being able to wear stockings to her heart's content can be considered one of the best perks of a reincarnated beautiful girl. She wears stockings on most of the time, and even wants to wear pantyhose while taking a shower.

Now Ms. Dana is actually suggesting that she go to America and wear long skirts and trousers every day, the kind that completely cover her legs... How can that be allowed?

Valensa immediately rejected Ms. Dina's proposal and jokingly asked Ms. Dina if she was trying to take advantage of the situation to raise prices.

However, there was no hint of a joke on Ms. Diana's face:

"I'm not kidding! Give me back all the stockings you just bought... The underwear is fine, but short skirts and stockings are absolutely not allowed! Especially not in the towns east of America!"

"..."

Seeing Ms. Diana's seriousness and determination, Valensa also stopped smiling, and after thinking about it carefully, still expressed her confusion:

"Is there a problem with wearing short skirts and stockings in the eastern towns of America? Although America is located in the cold northern part of the continent, that doesn't stop girls from pursuing beauty."

Short skirts are undoubtedly one of the best garments to showcase a woman's charm, while stockings are the best clothing to protect a girl's legs in cold weather!

Rather, it's precisely because of America that short skirts and stockings are more fashionable... On the contrary, here in France, quite a few girls wear only short skirts and go bare-legged because it's too hot.

"...No, this has nothing to do with the climate."

Ms. Diana took a deep breath and slowly exhaled:

"As you said, the combination of short skirts and stockings is indeed the mainstream style there... I honed my stocking knitting skills in that environment."

It is precisely because girls wearing short skirts and stockings are so alluring that the desires of a very small number of people are distorted, turning them into a very terrifying phenomenon.

I suggest you wear long pants and skirts when you go to America, not because I'm worried your legs will get cold, but because I'm worried about your safety!

"...Safety of life?"

Valensa's brows furrowed immediately.

Having memories of her past life, she understood the meaning behind Ms. Diana's words even faster than Tia.

"You mean... there's a psychopathic killer in America who specifically targets pretty girls wearing short skirts and stockings?"

Seeing Ms. Diana nod with a heavy expression, Valensa frowned even more deeply:

"What about America's security forces and paladins? Shouldn't they have a responsibility and obligation to protect the safety of the people from these perverts?"

"Definitely."

Ms. Diana sighed:

"In fact, most psychopathic killers are caught after committing only one crime, and the paladins and guards there are quite responsible."

But this only applies to ordinary psychopathic killers… For a legendary psychopathic killer who has committed nearly a hundred crimes yet remains at large, the protection provided by the paladins and the security forces is still insufficient. Girls who are easy targets also need to protect themselves… for example, by abandoning short skirts and stockings and wearing more long skirts and trousers.”

Chapter 20 The Legendary Serial Killer

"The legendary psychopathic killer..."

"Committing hundreds of crimes yet still at large..."

These two sentences made Valensa's expression turn serious.

As far as I can remember, there is only one type of criminal with this ability on the continent of Frenoia.

"Is he one of the revelers?"

"……do not know."

Faced with Valensa's question, Ms. Dana gave a helpless, wry smile:

"Although many people think so, no one has ever seen the bastard's true face. Unlike other revelers, he didn't like to leave his mark after committing the crime, and no other revelers have made any statement about him... So whether he is a reveler or not, nobody knows."

"But Ms. Dana, you seem to know him very well? Or rather, you seem to care about him a lot?"

Valensa thought for a moment and then said:

"If this legendary psychopath you're talking about is really that terrifying, he should be quite famous by now... at least he shouldn't have had no effect on America."

In fact, we had already decided to go to America a long time ago, and we had been following all kinds of news from America, but we had never heard of such a thing before.

And Ms. Dana, you've probably heard about the dueling competitions that have become popular in America over the past three years, haven't you? Most of the participants in these commercial entertainment performances are beautiful young women, and they even wear short skirts and stockings during the matches.”

"Yes, you guessed right... In the minds of most people in America, that guy's existence is almost a legend, and many people don't even believe that he really exists."

Ms. Diana's smile became even more bitter, and her eyes even reddened:

“But I’m different… Although I’ve never met him in person, he has influenced me almost constantly… because, because!”

Ms. Diana took another deep breath, pulled out a silk handkerchief, wiped away the tears she finally couldn't hold back, and said somewhat hysterically:

"Because the victims targeted by that bastard are almost all my high-value clients! Otherwise, why would I travel all the way to Fran when I was living a good life in America? It's to escape that damned bastard!"

When I was in America, although I couldn't compare to those established fashion designers, I was still considered a genius designer in the field of women's stockings and lingerie... even the most genius stocking knitter of our time.

My shop in America is also small, but business is booming... Orders for stockings and lingerie are often booked up for two months in advance, even though I only accept two-month orders.

But that bastard's appearance ruined everything for me... I never want to see those girls who happily come to me to buy stockings and lingerie disappear into thin air, only to be found with two rotting legs left! Waaah..."

When she got to the heartbreaking part, Ms. Diana, who is 30 years old this year, burst into tears like a little girl who is not even 13 years old. She changed several silk scarves to wipe her tears but still couldn't stop them.

Valensa and Tia exchanged a serious glance, but did not rush.