Shop 59

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Chapter 59. The Small-time Merchant And The Crimson Merchant In The Wilderness 

"Well, Cherina, I want to make something for my hobby."

As usual, after finishing our meal at our usual spot overlooking the harbor and taking a break, Cherina wore her crimson outfit and approached me, so I skipped the greetings and made my announcement.

By the way, my funds fluctuate depending on meals and such.

Remaining balance: ¥9,904,520.

"W-what is it?"

Cherina took a half-step back, overwhelmed by my enthusiasm.

"A bath."

"…Huh?"

"I want to take a bath!"

"A bath...?"

"Ah! I can't stand it anymore! Can I make one somewhere in your experimental grounds?!"

I can't stand using just cleaning utensils anymore!

"Uh, um, that's fine, but why a bath?"

"Because I want to. In other words, it's just my selfishness."

"..."

"Decision made."

"Sigh..."

Does Cherina have no interest in baths?

Maybe she doesn't feel the need because there are cleaning utensils available. But I need it.

Since I got permission from Cherina, I headed happily to the guild. Oh, and of course, Hagg and Yaralai are coming along too.

"Today, we're making a stone oven, right?"

"We'll make that too. If we don't make something delicious, Hagg will kill us!"

"Hahaha! You understand well!"

I got patted on the back repeatedly. I didn't want to understand too much.

"First, we need to deal with the compost trade, okay? Do you understand?"

Cherina repeatedly checks in with me and Hagg, concerned about our high spirits.

Upon arriving at the guild, we immediately go through the documents. Meanwhile, Hagg and Yaralai were having tea in the guest room.

Yaralai got asked to leave the room because it was a place where voices could be heard loudly. This was Cherina's request.

As we proceed with the paperwork, we're informed that a guest has arrived, so we move to another room.

The ones heading to the room are me, Cherina, and our close aide Melvin.

When we arrived at the usual negotiation room, an unfamiliar middle-aged man was sitting there. He was Paul Molmore, the president of Molmore Trading Company. No, he wasn't someone who needed such grand introductions.

According to information Cherina had asked about beforehand, the Molmore Trading Company has been a long-standing company in this country since its founding. But it seems to be on the verge of downsizing, with about 30 employees and only 6 carriages.

Compared to the Valiero Trading Company, it's modest in scale, but with 30 employees, I think they're doing quite well based on my sense of things.

President Molmore wipes his forehead repeatedly with a handkerchief, sweating profusely.

"Oh, I canceled all my plans to come here due to a sudden summons from Miss Valiero, but what urgent matter could this be? Could it be a problem with the wood bark processing we handle for you? No, no, we are very careful with the products we deliver to the Valiero Trading Company..."

When Cherina sat before President Molmore, she started speaking like a torrent. This is small talk. It's beneath a merchant. I see, so Cherina is confident in negotiations.

"Well, there's no problem with that. I'm a little concerned about the delivery delays, but it's not yet time for me to intervene."

At this, President Molmore jumps about 2cm from his chair.

"No, it's just that... of course, we'll improve the delays within a few days..."

"It must be difficult to secure craftsmen these days."

"Hahaha... hahaha..."

I see. He's aware of his shortcomings. But the fact he brings up these topics on his own shows President Molmore's skill as a merchant.

"Since I've been listening to you, Molmore Trading Company seems to be handling waste disposal jobs for the kingdom, right?"

"Huh? Y-yes, we are handling that for them?"

"It's enviable to receive work from the kingdom."

Cherina nods gently.

"Haha... Miss Valiero is joking. This is a business that brings more losses than profits. In the past, we used to receive subsidies, so we made some minimal profits, but now, as you can imagine, the situation is different."

It's written all over his face that he can't see where the conversation is going. President Molmore is easy to read.

"What is the outline of the waste disposal work?"

"There's no secret about it, so I don't mind telling you... is this the main topic?"

He looks suspicious, furrowing his brow. Cherina urges him on with a smile.

"If that's the case..."

She clears her throat deliberately.

"Basically, there's one task of purifying waste in alleys with cleaning utensils, another of gathering horse dung and garbage from main streets, and a task of taking these wastes outside the city walls for disposal, along with digging and filling holes. But fundamentally, the first three are the ongoing waste management tasks."

"I see. How is the management of the waste disposal site?"

"In the past, it belonged to the kingdom, but a few years ago, we got forced to buy that area... well, we got it cheap as far as land goes, but who would pay to buy such dirty land..."

The last part sounded like a complaint.

Although President Molmore's heart is sinking, Cherina's thoughts must have been the opposite. She continues the conversation without revealing her thoughts.

"Listening to you, it seems Molmore Trading Company is dealing with somewhat overwhelming tasks, isn't it?"

"To be honest, it's a job we'd rather not have anything to do with."

"I see."

Cherina signals me and whispers in my ear, tickling me a bit.

"This situation is much easier than expected."

"Hey, this might not be the right time to ask, but what does purifying waste with cleaning utensils mean?"

"It refers to shared toilets used by households, about one toilet for every ten to twenty houses on average. Some individuals have their own if they can provide a space for the cleaning utensils."

"Ah, I see. So Molmore Trading Company is purifying the public toilets around here?"

"That's right. So leaving that job to Molmore Trading Company as it is would be best."

"Indeed, with that much work, they'll need expertise and manpower."

Cherina nods, smiling at President Molmore.

"We've heard Molmore Trading Company is currently short on funds and craftsmen."

"T-That's..."

President Molmore sweats profusely. I wonder when he got hold of such information.

"If this continues, won't it be difficult for your business to continue?"

President Molmore bows his head, wiping his sweat. It seems he can't find the words. What a mean thing to do.

"But we've had a good relationship as guilds for many years, and we hope to continue that with Molmore Trading Company."

"What do you mean by that?!"

He almost jumps from his seat this time.

"Well, it would be greatly appreciated if Valiero Trading Company could take over Molmore Trading Company's deficit division of waste management, wouldn't it?"

"Is that okay with you?"

President Molmore widens his eyes. He probably doesn't understand why they would take on a deficit division.

"We don't have the expertise for that, so we can simply hire the people you've been employing and adjust their salaries slightly higher."

"I see, so you'll take on the labor costs?"

"No, there are two more conditions."

"...What are they?"

President Molmore's expression turns wary.

Well, that's to be expected.

"One is that we can handle the processed waste freely, and the other is that Molmore Trading Company sells all the waste management land they own to us, with a 20% discount on the land price."

"What?!"

"Of course!"

He responds without any hesitation. What a mess of bad properties and projects.

"Let's start the transferring process of the kingdom's commission to us. Until the transfer is completed, you can continue to take the work, and our guild will work as a subcontractor."

"No problem!"

President Molmore bangs his head like he's at a heavy metal concert.

"Oh, and regarding the waste cleaning using the utensils, we'll leave that to Molmore Trading Company. Once the transfer of the commission is complete, we'll switch roles to subcontract from you."

"That's a huge relief! Oh! With this, the guild can fight for another 10 years! How can I thank Miss Valiero enough!"

He grabs Cherina's hand and shakes it repeatedly.

"In times of trouble, we help each other. This negotiation must remain confidential until the commission transfer is complete. Please continue your actions as usual. However, we'll complete the land transaction today. And by this afternoon, we'll complete the procedures to use the land."

"Understood! That means we won't have to let go of craftsmen due to lack of funds..."

While shedding tears, he tightly grips Cherina's hand. He must have been struggling with budget management, shedding tears profusely.

He bows repeatedly, showing his balding head, and leaves.

"You not only got the compost but the entire system."

"It's easier to keep it confidential this way."

"Didn't we say keeping secrets would be difficult?"

"It's impossible, but with this method, they won't know how everything is connected. People in this country won't even think that waste can be turned into fertilizer."

It seems they use it in the country where he comes from.

"But will the food grown with it sell?"

"I think it will be fine. Of course, we'll assess the quality first. People don't mind what they don't notice; that's how humans are."

"That's a painful truth."

I touch the cigarette tucked in my pocket.

"And as Akira-sama and Yaralai-sama said, if we increase greenery with compost, more people will follow suit, and there won't be anyone to deny it. That's why this project must not fail."

"In that sense, it's fortunate that Yaralai is knowledgeable about agriculture... I actually had another idea I was considering."

"What is it?"

You lean in, showing interest.

"It's similar to what we did with charcoal and paper. I thought about publishing a how-to book."

"That's a good idea."

"But that's a last resort. I can't quite put it into words, but I felt that the people of this world should solve their own problems, as I mentioned before. So I thought I might be meddling too much."

Cherina looked up at me silently.

"Seeds, once they take root, belong to this land, so maybe it's okay... it's contradictory, though."

Even I don't know what I'm doing exactly. I didn't want to see food shortages, and it was hard to completely ignore acquaintances.

But I also didn't want to change everything in this region with knowledge given by God. I thought about it because of the incidents with washi paper and charcoal, but it's too late for that now.

I acknowledged that I was contradicting myself.

Cherina quietly takes my hand.

"Akira-sama is kind. Amidst everyone only seeing themselves, you act for the sake of others."

"...I'm doing it for myself."

I'm aware that it's just self-satisfaction.

"Your 'for myself' seems to be based on the happiness of others."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes."

"I see..."

I don't really understand myself. I'm just a child acting on whims. So I decided to stop thinking too deeply about it. After all, it's just childish shallow thinking.

"Oh, uh, cough, cough!"

Melvin suddenly coughs loudly next to us. To outsiders, it might look like we were holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. Physically, that's what was happening.

Before I could release her hand, Cherina released it like she was throwing something away. Treating something so delicate like trash hurts.

"Well, it's a bit early, but shall we have lunch?"

Cherina rushes into the dining room without waiting for my answer.

Melvin, please don't glare at me. Please.