Chapter 13: Advertising with Electricity
Re-written date: 5 / 15 / 2025
. . . . . . . . . . .
From across the room, the beastkin girl looked toward them with a flustered expression, her eyes darting to Edward nervously.
For his part, it was the first time in either of his lives he'd seen an actual beastkin in person—and his surprise slipped out before he could stop himself.
"Uh... is this girl for sale too?"
The shopkeeper's smile twitched, though he quickly regained composure. "Haha, please don't joke about things like that, sir..."
Although briefly startled, the man could tell Edward hadn't meant any harm. He sighed with a slightly exasperated smile and explained, "Beastkin aren't monsters—they're people. In the southern territory, they're nearly nonexistent, so I understand if you didn't know. But no, you can't buy or sell them."
"Beastkin..." Edward murmured, eyes still fixed on the girl with genuine curiosity.
He'd heard of them before—both in this world and in his past life filled with beast-girl anime—but seeing one in the flesh was entirely different.
Winry and the others were also curious, though they didn't show it quite as blatantly as Edward.
Seeing their interest, the shopkeeper chuckled.
"You lot probably haven't traveled west yet. Beyond the Empire's western territory lies the Beastkin Kingdom, home to many tribes of beastkin. There are even rumors of half-elves and other elven subspecies living there. But in recent years, relations between the Empire and the Beastkin Kingdom have grown tense due to exploitative trade deals and the more aggressive factions within the Empire pushing for colonial expansion. So, it's becoming rare to see beastkin in imperial lands."
"As for her," the shopkeeper added, gesturing to the girl, "I found her in a beastkin village during one of my expeditions to the west. She was abandoned by her parents for reasons I still don't know. I happened to be there looking for rare magical creatures, and—well, one thing led to another and I brought her back. She doesn't seem to miss her old life."
He looked at the girl with eyes full of quiet affection. Despite her appearing to be around fifteen or sixteen, to him she was still a child in need of care.
"I see..." Edward nodded, eyeing the beastkin girl again.
He couldn't help but think of a dozen anime scenes. Given the direction his film project might take in the future, it wouldn't hurt to learn more.
"Can I ask your name?" he said gently, directing the question to the girl.
She didn't answer. Her large, watery eyes just blinked at him, slightly trembling.
"She doesn't have a name," the shopkeeper explained quickly. "I've asked many times, but she won't tell me what she was called before. I think she doesn't want to remember that part of her life. And I didn't feel it was right to just assign her a name without her consent."
"I understand. Then, may I ask your name?" Edward asked the man.
"Of course, Mr. Durin. My name is Lawrence. I'm the owner of this monster shop."
"Nice to meet you, Lawrence," Edward said with a nod, finally steering the conversation toward his true objective. "Now, let's get to the main reason I'm here. I'm searching for a creature called a giant slime. I heard that you've traveled far and wide—do you happen to know anything about them?"
"Giant... slime?" Lawrence echoed, surprised.
He paused, thinking, then finally replied, "They do exist. But they're a bit of a problem. Unlike regular slimes, the giant ones are corrosive—dangerous, even. You can't keep them as pets. The only reason I ever captured one was because I thought it'd be a shame not to collect such a bizarre creature. But yeah... once I realized no one wanted it, I regretted it."
"You have one?" Edward's eyes lit up. "Perfect. I'll take all the giant slimes you have. Don't worry about the cost."
To think the problem would be resolved so easily—Edward couldn't help but smile. Meanwhile, Lawrence gave a small nod, murmuring under his breath.
"Alright. Though, to be honest, people willing to spend money on magical creatures these days are getting rarer and rarer. There was a noble who came to my shop to purchase a Silver Moon Wolf pup, but... due to an unfortunate accident, his young son ended up getting bitten. Ever since that rumor started spreading, even fewer people dare to come here. If this keeps up for a few more months, I'm already preparing to leave this town with the girl and try my luck somewhere else."
"I see..." Edward responded quietly.
Following Lawrence deeper into the shop, they stepped into what could only be called the true monster room. And the sight that greeted Edward left him stunned.
The number and variety of magical beasts here far exceeded his expectations.
From adorable slimes to silver-gray wolves, from intimidating goblins to enormous spiders—every type of magical creature imaginable was gathered under one roof.
Noticing the awe on Edward's face, Lawrence gave a wry smile.
"Surprised by how many monsters are here? Well, I used to travel a lot in the past. I'd capture rare creatures during my journeys—out of curiosity, mostly. Taking care of them is troublesome, sure, but I've never found it burdensome. That said, if this shop goes under... I'll have no choice but to say goodbye to all of them. The financial upkeep alone is no small thing..."
Hearing this, Edward's eyes practically lit up like light bulbs. He turned sharply to Lawrence, excitement bubbling in his voice.
"That's amazing! With this many extras, Lawrence-san, I actually have a proposal for you. Would you be interested in hearing it?"
"...A proposal?"
Seeing the puzzled look on Lawrence's face, Edward grinned.
"Yup! Or maybe call it... a deal. A deal that could very well save this monster shop. To put it simply—advertising. You know, making money with electricity!"
"...You mean... like those paper ads people stick on walls?"
It seemed this world already had rudimentary flyers, thanks to the development of printing and papermaking. But what Edward had in mind went far beyond that.
Realizing Lawrence was growing more confused, Edward stopped teasing and organized his thoughts before launching into an explanation.
He detailed the concept of video advertisements, how he planned to feature Lawrence's monsters in his films—not in the main story, but in intermission segments or at the end of episodes as fun little commercial snippets.
Not only would this help promote magical beasts and generate public interest, but it could also pull Lawrence's store back from the brink.
And on Edward's end, he'd have an endless supply of monster-themed extras for his films. It was a win-win on all fronts.
Even though Lawrence didn't fully understand terms like "film" or "commercial," he could clearly sense the passion and drive behind Edward's words. Smiling in return, he gave his answer without hesitation.
"If it's just renting them out, then of course. I mean, if business doesn't improve soon, this place won't survive anyway. I don't really get everything you're saying, Mr. Durin—but if there's even a chance this could save the shop, then I'm in."
"Haha! That's the spirit! Just be prepared, Lawrence—once this thing goes public, don't be surprised if people start flooding through your door. And hey, if things get overwhelming, just call us—we'll lend a hand!"
"...Let's hope it comes to that."
Though Lawrence didn't say it outright, it was clear he wasn't entirely convinced.
Could a single advertisement really bring swarms of customers to buy magical creatures? That just sounded too good to be true.
Still... maybe, just maybe, this strange man might really pull it off.