14: The Traveling Merchant Matthew / The Straw Hat of Wheat Straw Braided Cords / Iced Tea of Nostalgic Days 3

Before he realized it, Matthew was deep in conversation with a wizard at the café.

During the conversation, Matthew learned that the wizard had just moved from the royal capital. However, sensing that there might be a delicate reason for the move, Matthew refrained from probing further.

Instead, Matthew talked about himself. He spoke about his business in the clothing trade and the various places he traveled, sharing just enough to keep the conversation light.

“…So I intended to return to this town around last autumn, but the snow fell much earlier than expected. I begged a friend in the royal capital to let me stay with him. My friend, also a bachelor, and I led a rather rough life.”

“That must have been difficult.”

“When two men live together, eating out becomes more frequent. Even when my friend tried to cook, his enthusiasm often led to disaster. Starting to prepare lunch only to finish by midnight… it happened often enough to laugh about. As for me, I could only cook camp meals.”

“But it’s impressive that you tried to cook for yourselves.”

The wizard chuckled softly.

Perhaps he was starved for conversation.

Sensing this, Matthew continued talking.

“After all that trouble, when I finally returned home, my regular customers turned me away. I had brought back hats that were in fashion in the royal capital, but they weren’t well received.”

“Hats in fashion?”

“Ah, this one.”

Matthew said, pulling a hat from his large shoulder bag.

It was a black woolen hat.

The crown formed a perfect circle, and the brim wasn’t very wide.

What stood out was the pure white decorative ribbon above the brim.

This whiteness gave a light impression to the otherwise all-black hat.

“Please, take a look.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The wizard examined the hat’s shape, checked the feather’s material, and scrutinized the weave. He wasn’t just looking at it as a fashionable item but with the eyes of a craftsman.

“This is… a wonderful hat.”

“It was hard to procure. The craftsman was stubborn. He said, ‘I won’t sell it to anyone who doesn’t understand its value. If you promise to spread its worth, I’ll sell it to you.'”

“But I’m sure many would want it.”

“I hoped so.”

“Oh, it didn’t sell? Even though it’s such a good hat.”

Matthew responded to the wizard’s innocent question with a wry smile.

“Well, that’s how business goes sometimes.”

“Isn’t it troublesome if it doesn’t sell…”

“No, that’s fine. I can always try harder in business.”

“Oh?”

“I was just frustrated with my own foolishness. I tried to sell without understanding my customers’ needs.”

Mrs. Emily had been pregnant.

The problem wasn’t that he didn’t know in advance. If he had been more attentive, he might have noticed the changes and not assumed she would definitely buy. Matthew blamed himself for this.

“Fashion isn’t essential for living. It’s natural for it to be lower in priority in daily life.”

“…So, why do you trade in clothes and accessories?”

The wizard asked casually.

Matthew had heard this question from many people.

He always answered without hesitation.

“It’s not essential for living, but it’s nice to have, isn’t it? You can’t stake your life on it, but you can stake your life on it.”

Understanding was rarely obtained.

But this was Matthew’s true feeling.

“What made you decide to stake your life on it?”

The wizard asked, full of curiosity.

“Well… it’s a story from my childhood. My sister was frail and, despite not being able to go outside, she somehow wanted hats and clothes. I always wondered why she wanted to show off to no one. It was a big mystery.”

“Indeed, it’s something you might not understand unless you’re in that position. Did you ever solve that mystery?”

The wizard chuckled, and Matthew shrugged, admitting defeat.

“No, I never really understood. But I wanted to grant your sister’s wishes. So, I begged to be included in a caravan, and before I knew it, here I am.”

“You decided your job based on that alone?”

“It was more of a series of events.”

However, Matthew had become more particular about clothes and accessories than his sister. When he gave her presents as an adult, she would scold him, saying, “Don’t give such things to a married woman. They’re too extravagant for children.” She would also tell him, “Hurry up and settle down.”

Despite a touch of loneliness, visiting his sister, who had recovered and become healthy, was one of Matthew’s joys.

“By the way… Mr. Merchant. This is a change of topic, but I have a small consultation.”

At the timid request, Matthew nodded amicably.

“As long as it’s something I can help with. I’m a merchant, after all.”

“I’m thinking of opening a general store.”

“Oh, that sounds interesting! General stores can carry a variety of things. What do you plan to stock?”

“Clothes and accessories… hats, for example.”

“So it’s more like a tailor shop or a boutique than a general store?”

“Yes. But eventually, I’d like to include other items like accessories and tableware, things I make myself. Focusing solely on clothes would mean I couldn’t keep up with only my creations.”

This seemed challenging, Matthew thought.

He had seen such stores in the royal capital, but they were often owned by some notable figure. Customers visited not for “the items sold there” but “the person present there.”

If someone wanted to sell their handmade items without such fame, the items’ value would be scrutinized. They would be evaluated alongside those made by specialized craftsmen and would have to stand out.

“If you don’t mind, could you show me some of the items you plan to stock?”

He should point out the flaws in the plan.

But if he was too blunt, the wizard might become stubborn.

Matthew decided to guide the conversation so that the wizard could realize the issues themselves.

However, Matthew’s plan would soon be overturned.

“Well, it’s embarrassing to show this after seeing such a wonderful hat…”

The wizard took out a hat from her own bag.

It was a straw hat.

“What…!”

Matthew wondered if such an elegant straw hat could exist.

Straw hats had long been beloved by rural people. In rural areas, straw was practically free. They made them in the winter and wore them in the summer, shielding themselves from the sun while working in the fields. Craftsmen never made them; they were common daily necessities.

However, the hat the wizard pulled out lacked any roughness.

“The color and texture are certainly straw. But this… the weave is so intricate. It’s completely different from an ordinary straw hat.”

What is straw, after all?

It’s the stalk left after harvesting wheat. In English, it’s called “straw,” the same material used in modern drinking straws. If one were to describe the characteristics of straw in a rigid manner, it would be “a hollow, rigid plant fiber.”

Hats woven from these flattened fibers have long existed in the kingdom of Dailan. However, due to the width of the straw, the weave tends to be coarse, with noticeable gaps. Also, the rigidity of the fibers makes it inflexible and difficult to maintain over time.

But the straw hat the wizard took out had fibers that were incredibly supple. This allowed the crown to form a beautiful spherical shape. The lengths were uniform, creating a refined texture.

“What about this artificial flower?”

“Oh, I sewed together scraps leftover from dyeing fabric.”

It wasn’t just the material that was refined. A black decorative ribbon was wrapped around the brim, with an artificial flower attached. The petals, with their gradient from white to pink, gave a fresh impression, skillfully evoking a sense of spring.

“Excellent. Wonderful. Please try it on.”

“Huh?”

“Could you stand by that pillar?”

“Uh, okay…”

Matthew, unaware of his own excitement, began giving instructions.

The wizard, seemingly easy-going, complied without complaint.

“Here?”

“Yes, stand there.”

Matthew positioned the wizard by a pillar in the café and took a few steps back.

Then he moved around to observe from various angles.

“Hey, hey, Matthew, what are you doing?!”

A waitress noticed Matthew’s peculiar behavior and tried to caution him, but Matthew motioned for her to look at the wizard.

“Look. The combination of a straw hat and a crimson robe. From a distance, it’s an ordinary silhouette, nothing special. But up close, there’s an indescribable elegance. The refinement of each item conveys a certain grace to the viewer.”

“Oh, you’re right… Wow, it’s actually really beautiful, isn’t it?”

The waitress, caught up in Matthew’s enthusiasm and eloquence, also stared at the wizard’s appearance, nodding in agreement.

“Well, it’s a bit embarrassing…”

The wizard looked embarrassed, but the waitress was captivated by the clothes and hat, not listening to a word.

“Did you buy this, Matthew? Amazing, people familiar with the capital really do have great taste.”

“No, she made this hat herself. It’s not from the capital.”

“Wow! That’s impressive!”

The waitress, genuinely impressed, looked at the wizard with shining eyes alongside Matthew.

The wizard, increasingly embarrassed, lowered her head.

“Um, can I go back to my seat now?”

“Oh, sorry. By the way, do you have anything else?”

“Anything else?”

“Show me your products. As many as you have! Please!”