Shop 12.2

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Chapter 12.2. Naked M-shaped Spread In The Wilderness

Once, I couldn't stomach the sea squirt forced upon me at a rundown tavern, but that was about it. 

Since joining the company, I've occasionally indulged in upscale cuisine during business entertainment. 

Of course, I haven't spent a dime. 

Even if asked to pay, it's not the kind of place where I can afford it. 

No fool pulls out cash for the bill, and the cards the establishment accepts are the type of credit cards that ordinary folks rarely lay eyes on—gold and black.

So, I've experienced both high and low-end food. 

After savoring something ridiculously delicious, home-cooked meals become a bit sad for a while.

But I quickly got used to it again. 

It's just a matter of being accustomed to poverty.

...Anyway, that's what I wanted to say about my resilience to simple meals. 

So, even this tough, or hard-to-chew bread, and the soup with no trace of flavor other than salt, were somehow edible. 

The bread, maybe. 

But with a bit of effort, I could significantly improve the soup.

While struggling with this indigestible bread, another customer walked in. A young couple, perhaps on a morning tryst?

The man had a slender, sharp gaze, and though tall, he had a lean build. He wore a hemp short-sleeved shirt and long pants, all dark and seemingly stained. 

His hands, in particular, looked dyed in black.

The woman, on the other hand, was quite flashy. 

Not in terms of heavy makeup or avant-garde hairstyles, but her hair was a bright red, making her stand out. 

The most noticeable thing, however, was the thin red chain wrapped around her body. 

The chain crossed in front of her chest, accentuating her sizable...

Well, let's just say she had ample bosom. 

She wore a short red skirt over black tights and red leather knee-high boots. 

There was no denying that she was attention-grabbing. 

The four of us in the shop, including myself, were collectively taken aback when they entered.

Nevertheless, ignoring the curious stares, the two sat at a table, and the proprietor approached them looking uninterested.

"...What'll it be?"

It seemed that his attitude was default.

"Nothing too heavy, but something filling other than porridge. Decent bread and two glasses of grape wine properly diluted with water, please."

The red-haired woman rolled a silver coin, and the proprietor, without a word, grabbed it and disappeared into the kitchen.

In this world, it seems there is no menu item priced at 0 gold smiles.

"...I heard rumors that taxes are going up again. At this rate, our guild might not survive. If there's a more respectable harbor facility than this one, I'd move our base there right away."

"We're making quite a profit, aren't we? It's unavoidable for taxes to go up."

"Unacceptable. From commodity taxes to port usage fees, income tax, property tax, and asset calculation keeps increasing day by day. Most of the hard-earned profit is flying away."

"Is it really that bad?"

"It's beyond words. Please take a little interest in managing the guild, big brother."

The woman sighed and elegantly brushed her hair up with a comb. Quite sexy.

"As for me, as long as I can get on a ship, I'm satisfied."

"That's why we're being underestimated by other guilds."

"It doesn't bother me if I'm underestimated. The guild belongs to Dad and Cherina."

"As the eldest son of the foremost maritime guild in the Western Sea, big brother, you should be more aware of your responsibilities."

"Ah, can't I just freely roam the unfamiliar seas?"

The man theatrically raised his arms towards the sky.

"Venturing into the rough waters of the Western Sea is just a suicidal act. How many years do you think it took to explore relatively safe routes along the coast?"

"Dad's got it easy, being a man of the sea all his life."

"But in return, Dad doesn't slack off in running the guild."

"Ugh, true that."

It seemed like a heartwarming scene between siblings, or so it should have been, but it turned out to be a harsh reality.

"In the first place, the consecutive tax increases over the past few years are clearly targeting our guild. How many competitors do you think have disappeared in the last year alone?"

"Do you think they're trying to crush us?"

"Maybe they don't think we'll go under... maybe there's just nothing else to take from us."

"The harbor feels lonely too. My best friend Bolvono tried to make a comeback, exploring the southern route, but that's the last I heard. Once you leave Liberi Bay, the ocean currents go haywire..."

The big brother shook his head.

"Yes, that's how it is. Rivals and even friends are disappearing like teeth from a comb. And in return, they impose more taxes on us. This country might be on its last legs."

"Cherina."

"I slipped up, didn't I?"

The woman called Cherina glanced at the customers in the store, including me, and signaled with an attitude that she wasn't talking to anyone. 

Sorry for the trouble.

"..."

The proprietor brought the food. 

Two pieces of bread and soup looked the same.

But it seems the bread was slightly better, and the soup had some ingredients. Probably potatoes. 

He also brought ceramic bottles and cups, likely the diluted grape wine they ordered.

Does diluting grape wine make it taste good?

The two, in stark contrast to earlier, silently continued their meal.

"...It's not worth the trouble I went through to bring it. The only thing circulating in the city is bad potatoes."

"I'm the one who brought it. Bargaining it down to make it accessible to citizens."

Both of them let out deep sighs.

I was planning to look for a guild today, but I've gathered valuable information. 

These siblings' guild holds significant power in this town... no, in this country. 

In that case, bringing up the PET bottle is a one-choice affair for their guild.

Of course, I won't approach them directly in this setting. 

Picture this: when you're having a meal with colleagues at a random restaurant, and another customer approaches you for business negotiations. 

It couldn't be more suspicious.

So, I caught the proprietor, handed him a few copper coins, and asked, with a smile on my face,

"Where is their guild located?"