Shop 36.2

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Chapter 36.2. Handsome Man And Beauty In The Wilderness

Standing on a hill where the harbor, which has become my regular morning spot, is visible, the elf Yaralai is there, sending smoke up from a pipe.

"Oh, Yaralai, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Why are you here?

"What's up?"

"Breakfast. Please."

Oh, right. I hand a sandwich to the Yaralai, who, as usual, wears a Native American outfit and speaks very little. Now, should I go for a seaweed bento and tea?

My remaining balance is 930,893 yen.

It's hard to offer coffee when there are people around. I have to endure it because I want to keep my abilities hidden.

Yaralai and I finish our meals quickly, and he leaves without taking a break. 

The reason is probably Cherina, who seems to be coming towards us. 

Whether he's considerate not to disturb us or he simply dislikes Cherina, it's hard to tell.

"Good morning."

As always, Cherina, dressed in red with a chain dyed in the same color, wrapped around her body in a cross. What's that about?

"Oh. Hey, you know, I could go to the guild without you coming to pick me up."

I don't want to be disturbed during my morning smoke break.

"This is my morning walk route."

Oh, is that so? I didn't explain anything about this place. And yet we ended up meeting here.

"I see... Just wait a moment."

I light a cigarette and replenish nicotine in my lungs. Since I came here, I've reduced the number of cigarettes I smoke. 

I don't intend to quit or reduce smoking, but the timing is just not right.

"In this country, tobacco leaves are a luxury and very expensive."

"Huh, can't smoke in public much, huh?"

I sigh and blow out smoke, recalling the office districts in Japan where smoking areas decreased day by day.

"Baron Lettel is the one who allowed the import of tobacco."

"...Doesn't he have too many privileges?"

"The merchant he employed was exceptionally talented."

"I see. And why the past tense?"

"He was forcibly recruited when the current king ascended to the throne."

"That sounds unreasonable."

"Yes, but now it can be considered one of the king's most significant achievements through his policies."

Seem like he'll get hated for it.

"While having a merchant become one of the ministers received widespread criticism, he left behind achievements that reversed all of it."

"Huh, like what?"

"He successfully invited agricultural scholars to start food production, eased the entry of merchants to increase logistics, and increased tax revenue."

"What? Sounds like I've been saying similar things before."

I did talk about establishing a free-trade city.

"Your policies weren't as bold as Lord Akira's, but he began tackling the country's issues focusing on commerce."

"...Huh? That sounds quite different from what I heard before."

Cherina bites her lower lip.

"Yes, at the time, it was difficult for anyone to understand, including me."

She sits next to me.

A bit too close.

"Thanks to the tax reduction, we could import goods that were not profitable before, and the variety of goods in the city increased. Peddlers started coming for those goods, and only then did I understand the meaning of it. So, when Akira-sama mentioned the economic zone, even though you didn't know the circumstances, I felt like my head was going to split."

If Cherina can't understand it, there's no way Pig King can.

"But it's a bad move. If everything gets canceled just when things are getting exciting, motivation will drop. In the end, the economy will decline even more than before."

"...That is exactly what is happening now."

I see. The somewhat disjointed lack of vitality in this town must be because of that. 

Cherina's Veliero Trading Company seems to be maintaining its motivation well. Cherina's charisma, perhaps?

"The timing of the tax increase was indeed the worst. Many established trading companies, just when they ventured into new goods, found the taxes higher than before when they returned. Most of the shops either went out of business or fled."

"Why didn't Cherina's Veliero Trading Company escape?"

"There are several reasons, but the biggest one is that."

In the direction of her gaze was the enormous sailing ship.

"There are hardly any ports with facilities capable of operating that ship. Our company made a significant investment to prepare a repair dock. There are ports for anchoring and unloading, but there is no other port in the western Midar Sea where we can establish a base."

"Well, you can't escape from that."

"Yes. We have no choice but to live in this country."

"That's right."

Even in Japan with the developed transportation, many people have never left their hometown. 

While physical obstacles may be low, leaving one's hometown is often a high psychological hurdle. 

Of course, if there is no attachment or dislike for the hometown situation, it is not so difficult to leave. Whether one can live well after leaving is another matter.

"Well, let's do our best. Let's get to work."

I wave with a somewhat playful attitude.

"Yes, let's do our best today too."