Shop 45.2

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Chapter 45.2. Dinner Reservation In The Wilderness

"I see. So, there are some tax reductions and a certain degree of monopolistic privileges, although they're smaller in scope compared to those of the nobles. In this country, there's no hunting guild; the Commercial Guild manages hunting rights, including those for buffaloes. Apart from large-scale hunts, they contract out hunting rights to mercenaries or wandering warriors for requests."

She explained Yaralai's situation as an example, making it easier to understand.

"I see. So, the guild holds some of the authority managed by the state."

"Yes. Therefore, companies not affiliated with the guild have their activities restricted."

"I suppose it's a well-established system, but... I can't seem to like it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, business should be equal, shouldn't it? If you're going to prohibit something, you should prohibit everything, and if you're going to permit something, you should permit everything, right?"

"That's..."

"In the end, only the old-established guilds remain, and new merchants aren't nurtured. As a result, only a few guilds become prosperous, while others are marginalized. It somehow seems like the epitome of this country."

"..."

"Well, it's been working well so far, so maybe this is the best system after all."

"If all... rights were to get liberated, dangerous goods would also circulate."

That's when she talked about licensing.

"Yeah. It needs to be properly established by law, but you have to take an exam to prove your knowledge of the product. Depending on the case, you might need several years of practical experience. There are different ranks like Class 1 and Class 2, with Class 2 requiring several years of practical experience. It's about studying things like the amount you can handle in a day, methods of management, and the format of purchase documents. That kind of study. I think it's okay even if you have to study for dozens of hours in a lecture hall and then finally qualify for the exam."

"Would all of that be set by the government?"

She sounded incredulous.

"Of course. If the government doesn't do it, who will? That's the government's job, isn't it?"

If left to the private sector, both the market and morals would collapse.

"That's something the guild would decide, wouldn't it?"

"And then, when it becomes inconvenient, they keep changing the rules, right?"

"..."

She seemed to have something in mind, but she closed her mouth.

"If people with rights can decide on the rules, they'll just change them to suit their own interests at first. Humans aren't that strong."

"It's inevitable for a country without specialized knowledge to make such rules."

"So, you have to create specialized departments. For example, if it's about medicine, you should appoint someone with extensive knowledge of medicine as the minister."

"Can you guarantee that the minister would enact proper laws?"

"Can you guarantee that the guild won't abuse its rights?"

Cherina fell silent again.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to corner you or have a debate. I don't even know which side is right anyway. I just got interested because the guild came up. It's just casual conversation, so forget about it."

I didn't intend to talk about politics seriously. 

Besides, I'm not smart enough to discuss it seriously; I just said what I thought.

"If..."

Cherina murmured thoughtfully.