NOVEL NEXT Episode 18: The Merchant’s Suffering
Thanks to the presence of a regular named Mystia, the transaction went smoothly.
Vegetable seeds, iron cooking utensils, and metal ingots that can be used for crafting. Also paints that can be used for woodworking, such as varnish oil. Also, some wheat. And the most popular seasoning.
Use whatever you can find, such as chili peppers, garlic, sugar, saffron, and vinegar.
It looks like I’ll have to carry quite a lot of luggage on my way home.
“It’s funny how all the seasonings were almost treated as ‘medicine’…”
Mystia also rented a room at the firm and washed her feet and face. After taking a breather, I plan to return to the forest later today. Musubi is also waiting.
I could have rested with Mystia, but I’m also taking a tour of the warehouse of the company.
“Hello, brother. Have you finished shopping?”
“Ah, the painter from earlier. Hi, I’m Sojiro.”
“Oh, my name is Sedeku. How was the deal?”
“Thanks to you, I’m Tsutsunetane”
“Hahaha, that’s great!”
I meet the big man from earlier in the warehouse.
I was almost overwhelmed by his loud voice and body, but after talking to him for a while, I was surprised to find that he was arrogant and friendly.
“Does that mean your brother lives in the forest with Elf-dono?”
“Yeah, well. Is there a problem? I’m ignorant and don’t know if it’s okay to do what I want.”
However, I realize that I still have some of the habits from my previous life when I end up answering with sales words.
“No, I don’t think so. No one could touch that forest. You can’t claim sovereignty in a place where you don’t have the power to do it.”
“I see, it’s a learning experience.”
“I mean, how do you live? Even when you can cut down a small tree, you have to swing an ax for hours. And on top of that, you get attacked by monsters.”
“No, I can cut trees normally. That’s what I do.”
In fact, it cuts down more than normal.
“Ahaha! Ordinary? That’s great! The trees of the Divine Tree Forest are above the first grade wood. You can also use it as fuel. If you turn it into charcoal and use a magic furnace, it will burn hot and long. It can even melt iron!”
“That’s great”
I thought that even if I burned it, it wouldn’t burn out easily.
“So, did you come to sell charcoal today?”
“No, it’s the materials for magic stones and magic beasts. As expected, I can’t transport lumber.”
“Oh, I see! A warrior – no, an adventurer! In that case, be careful. In fact, the most dangerous wizard adventurer in this country recently came here. There was an uproar in the guild. Divine Tree There are people who come here just for the forest, but this was my first time seeing something that big!”
“That’s great”
“If you think there’s going to be a problem, you should go to the guild. It’s near here.”
It takes care of everything.
It seems like this person named Sedeku is a caring type.
“Sojiro, where are you?”
said Mystia’s voice from somewhere.
“Oops, your companion has arrived. I’m going to leave. Oh, tell me one last thing. What do you want to do in the forest, brother?”
“It’s not a big deal. Just make and eat delicious recipes.”
“Really”
It may be too early to say, but Sedeku quickly left with an agility that belied his large size.
I didn’t even have time to say hello.
“Ah, there I was. Did something happen?”
“No, nothing in particular. It’s just that some people were kind to me.”
Mystia joined us and we headed back to our base.
▼
Draro, a merchant, wanted to hold his head.
However, with the pride I had honed over the years, I managed to endure it by just folding my arms.
“That elf…isn’t she leaving the world at an even faster pace? –I can’t believe she’s bringing such a man here.”
What was placed in front of me was what Soujiro had come to sell.
Six magic stones and snake’s gall.
“Hey, what’s wrong? I suddenly have a consultation.”
Draro turned his attention to the large man who sauntered in without knocking.
“Sedeku, you said you were going from here. You’re not going to get any indication.”
Sighing, she complained to the man she had known for many years.
“Why don’t you dignify yourself as a lord? Viscount Sedec Braunwalth.”
“Hahaha! The poor viscount prefers action rather than dignity!”
The man’s eyes wandered towards the trade item that Doralo had spread out, smiling heartily as he walked.
“But it would have been better if you came right away! Isn’t that what a consultation is all about?”
“That’s right. Something like this won’t sell that well.”
“What about this huge, high-quality magic stone that is rarely seen?”
“It’s the gall of the forest serpent, and according to an elf, it can be used as a cure for all sorts of poisons.”
If it’s an elf’s word, there’s no doubt about it. Even an experienced merchant cannot fathom the size of a poisonous snake that had been hunted down, even though it had been dried and was as large as the lid of a wine barrel.
That’s why I asked about it when I bought it. And that demonic beast is probably worthy of a major subjugation operation that should be fought by mobilizing soldiers and trapping it.
In that case, assuming you did that, it wouldn’t be worth it unless you charged a price that would be enough to harvest it in a big operation that would require dozens of soldiers.
Even if it’s just a part of it, the magic stone and the material.
“Neither of them would be buyers unless they were nobles! That’s the number! Hahaha, is it enough to sell off the entire warehouse, Doraro?”
“It’s no laughing matter! No matter how much sugar, saffron, and other luxury goods I paid, the amount still wasn’t worth it, but I was told, `Then, from now on, you’ll be indebted to this town, so please keep the difference.’ Here I am! At my age, I never thought I would be sent a rescue ship for my first guest!”
“Well, Soujirou-dono has some business knowledge… So, you didn’t have any cash with you?”
“They told me to leave everything behind as it would be my luggage. … They told me to leave it behind. I gave it to them as a document.”
I couldn’t help but cover the corners of my eyes as I explained the explanation. My temples are hot from the blood that has rushed to my head.
“So you forced me into debt, Doraro!”
Sedeku hits his knee and looks happy. Doralo retorted, angry at his old friend’s attitude.
“That’s right! By all means, we will be companions of the elf tribe, and we will never change or forget the agreement we made for a hundred years! Even though I am an old man who will soon die anyway! The big job of selling such things and the debt of a large amount of money… , I can’t send it to my son after I die!”
“I have no choice but to rely on you while I’m still alive.”
“No way! Then I won’t be able to show my son anything!”
“You should rely on me more. Learn from me.”
“You’re just going to force your son to do the work and make some crappy pictures!”
“It’s not a bad idea! My son always tells me that it has good taste!”
“How can you get so proud of that reaction, you idiot! Why don’t you just listen to the nagging that followed, ‘Please do your job’!”
After shouting at each other for a while, they both looked at each other, breathing heavily on each other’s shoulders.
“…However, that Soujirou-dono is able to build an equal relationship with that elf. What’s more, he can even get Doraro to borrow money from him at first sight. It looks like that elf will change a bit from now on.”
“The elves, which can only be seen once every year or two, have suddenly appeared. Also, the number of things to sell and buy has increased. … Do you really think we can open up the forest?”
“I don’t know. However, the fact that you can bring this many magic stones means that you are much stronger than me – no, if you don’t do it right, you can even command an army.”
I sat down in my chair and reached a common opinion.
That person is not the friendly young man he seems.
“…He said he could cut down trees in the Divine Tree Forest. Every day. Normally. I overheard him, but this doesn’t seem to be a joke.”
“Is that really human…?”
A person named Soujiro appeared.
That is an important issue that I, as the lord of this town and the chairman of the town’s council, should share.
After looking at each other for a while, I looked down at the items for sale on the table.
“For now, please use Sedec’s trick to find a customer who wants the snake’s gall.”
It doesn’t have as many buyers as magic stones. However, it can be sold for a considerable price to those who understand its value. It’s that kind of item.
Sedeku, a lord of a remote area, would be approached by such a move.
“Hahaha, I’ll accept it. However, you should really send a letter to your son about the magic stone.”
“…I know. If this many magic stones were exchanged between just my acquaintances, strange rumors would spread.”
Rather than learning the work of only this company in a remote area, I sent my son away to find a more reliable and prosperous town to become a merchant.
I never thought that because he worked so far away, he would end up having to help out.
“Oh my gosh,” Doraro let out a sigh.
“However, there were only a few of them, and they still survived. It was rumored that the magician had the power to swallow more than the weight of a ship’s cargo, but he didn’t do anything in this town and went straight to the forest. I never thought that I would get chills twice in such a short space of time.”
“Hmm… A wizard suddenly appeared in the royal capital. Iono of the Black Sea, huh? As a lord, I wonder what the dark wizard is planning to do deep in the forest… He’s so quiet that I can’t get him to talk to me. It’s still like a small bone stuck in my throat.”
“I’m not going to die quietly for a while.”
“Then even if I become an immortal undead, I won’t subjugate you, I’ll let you do my job! Wahaha!”
“Don’t you respect the elderly, you stupid painter?”
The lord and the merchant chairman glared at each other and tried to raise their spirits even if it was by force.