Volume 3 - CH 2

Chapter 2 – Southern Continent Merchant Guilds and First Template

At noon on the third day toward Gothenburg, which I had been told about in the first village, I saw a large port town in the distance. Is it okay to enter the port town like this?

“Ines, Felicia, I can see the town, but do you think it would be better to continue on into the port or walk into the town and gather information?”

“Well, this ship is very eye-catching, and I think it would be better to walk in and gather information. What do you think, Felicia?”

“I agree with you, I don’t think it would do any good to stand out, so I think we should keep as low a profile as possible.”

“All right, then let’s get off the ship around here and walk to town.”

“”Yes.””

We get off the ship and walk towards the town. If we can get into the town safely, we can go to the merchant guild immediately, right? I would like to gather information in the town first, but it is dangerous to walk around in a town where security is deteriorating, so let’s go to the merchant guild and listen to their stories.

After walking for a while while thinking, we found a line to enter the town, so we got in line at the back of the line. Finally, it was our turn.

“Do you have something to prove your identity?”

“Will this be okay?”

“Hmm? This is a guild card from the northern continent. It can be used as identification, but what happened to your ship?”

“Oh, that’s the thing. Before we came to this town, we stopped by a small village. We were told that there was a lot going on and that security had deteriorated, so we were concerned about the ship, and we went ahead and checked on the situation.”

“I see. It is true that some ruffians are coming in, but there is no fighting going on. You will be fine as long as you don’t go out at night or wander into the slums. And since this isn’t a guild card for this continent, there will be an entrance fee of 10 copper coins.”

Whoa, the security situation isn’t that bad, huh?

“Is that so? Thank you very much. The two people behind me are with me, so I’ll pay for them together. Is it okay with one silver coin?”

“The value is the same, but you’ll stand out from the crowd, so exchange your money as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

Whew, we got in safely. The merchant guild is over there. Once inside, I found that even on this continent, the guild’s Onee-sans are all beautiful women. It proves that men have a weakness for beautiful women on every continent.

“Excuse me; we are here to trade from the northern continent. Is it okay if we use this counter?”

“You are from the northern continent? …Yes, please follow me as I show you to another room.”

“Yes.”

This Onee-san is also a beautiful woman… I think her breasts are about C-cup. She is a human, brown-haired, and beautiful.

“Please wait here. I will prepare some tea.”

“Thank you.”

“Here is your tea. My name is Mear. Pleased to meet you.”

“Thank you very much. My name is Wataru, and behind me are my two guards, Ines and Felicia.”

“Yes, and by trade from the northern continent, do you mean the pepper trade?”

“Yes, I heard that spider silk is very popular here, so I’ve brought it with me.”

“Spider silk? Yes, of course, we can trade with you, but I think you can get a higher price if you bring it directly to the store.”

“Yes, I don’t know of any reputable stores, and I’ve heard some fishy rumors, so I’d like to close the deal as soon as possible. Can you give me some information about that?”

“Is that so? I think that would be the right decision. I can give you as much information as anyone in this country knows. Beyond that, I would have to ask you to become a member of the guild and buy the information.”

“For now, please give me the information you can.”

“I understand. About two months ago, the king of Catania died suddenly. The cause of death is currently unknown. The first and second princes are currently competing for the throne. Although the armed conflict has been avoided, both the first and second princes are gathering troops. In response, the nobles are also gathering troops, and mercenaries and other ruffians are gathering in this town as well. Is there anything else you wish to ask so far?”

“Why wasn’t the first prince elected king automatically? Which side does this town support? May I ask?”

“The first prince’s mother is a princess from another country. The second prince’s mother is a concubine and the daughter of the prime minister of this country. And the prime minister has declared that the first prince is not fit to be king and that the second prince should be king, and the lord of this town is pro-first prince, I suppose.”

“Wow, what can I say? It’s going to be a boggy development, just like in the story. Is it possible that there will be no armed conflict?”

“If nothing happens and the situation continues as it is now, I think an armed conflict will eventually occur.”

I don’t know what is really going on, but this sounds like a story about a prime minister trying to drag down the first prince in order to run the country the way he wants.

In a story, the first prince would be cornered, but he would overcome the ordeal and turn things around.

“Thank you very much. I’ll try to wrap up the deal as soon as I can. How much pepper can I buy?”

“If you can give me about five days, I can get you about ten platinum coins’ worth of pepper.”

“Let’s see, our budget is two platinum coins, and I plan to use all the money from the sale of the spider silk to buy pepper and return. Can I bring the spider silk tomorrow and ask you for it? Also, can you recommend a safe inn with delicious food?”

“Yes, the inn will be a bit pricey under the current circumstances. Is that all right?”

“Yes, I would not trade my safety for anything.”

“Then I would recommend the Pearl Pavilion, which is a little more expensive at two silver coins per person per night, but in terms of safety, there is no doubt about it.”

Two silver coins are 20,000 yen, right? I don’t care if it is in Japan; 20,000 per person in another world seems pretty expensive. Well, I guess it can’t be helped. If I stay in a bad place, I’m sure there will be problems.

“Thank you very much. What time will you be available tomorrow morning?”

“I’ll be at work from dawn tomorrow, so I should be fine anytime.”

“I see. Well, I look forward to working with you tomorrow.”

“I will be waiting for you.”

Is everything alright? At any rate, I headed to the Pearl Pavilion to complete the formalities before I got involved in anything else. The lodging fee was six silver coins a day, which was a bit heartbreaking for me, a petty citizen at heart, even though I was earning a lot of money.

And it’s sad that the Luto is much more comfortable than the Pearl Pavilion. Well, safety comes first, I guess.

“So, Master, how did the talks go?”

I explained to them what I had heard at the guild, and they both sighed.

“I wanted to do at least some sightseeing since we are in this situation, but it would be troublesome if we get involved in something, so let’s go back as soon as the deal is done this time, shall we?”

“Yes, I would have liked to do some sightseeing, but I don’t want to get caught up in a civil war. Let’s just get it over with and get out of here.”

“I agree, but what about food? We still have more than a month’s worth of food left, so should we not replenish it?”

“Oh, I’d love some food. I am also interested in the food on this continent. Hmm, let’s not act alone this time, and until we have a deal, let’s go shopping for food in this town.”

“”Yes.””

“But this room, it’s not bad, but the Luto is definitely better, and I can’t wait to get back.”

“But I’m looking forward to our meals, as I’m sure we’ll have dishes we haven’t had before.”

“Oh, yes, there’s a meal, and since we’re here, we’ll have to enjoy it.”

“It’s almost time for dinner; let’s go to the dining room. Today we’re going to be extravagant.”

“Ufufu, that sounds exciting.”

“I’m so happy, Master.”

“We’ve come to another continent. We must enjoy ourselves.”

In the dining room, we were given a menu. As this is a high-class restaurant, there are various dishes on the menu.

“As I mentioned earlier, we’re going for luxury today, so you can order whatever you like. For now, I’ll order the recommended dishes first and have them brought to us.”

“”Yes.””

As the area is known for its spices, the dishes that arrived at the table were rich in spices. Spare ribs with salt and pepper, garlic and herbs, and whole roasted chicken stuffed with herbs.

Seafood pasta with arrabbiata? Pasta with tomato sauce and very spicy pasta with too much garlic and hawk’s claw.

As a port town, seafood is abundant, and although there was no sashimi, I enjoyed steamed fish meuniere, a feast that I usually cannot eat as much as I would like.

“Rimu, is it good? Sorry, it’s in the bag. There’s plenty to go around, so eat a lot.”

“…Rimu, eat a lot… delicious…”

“Yes, it’s delicious, good for you.”

“Thanks for the treat. I can’t eat anymore. Master, it was very delicious, thank you.”

“I’m full too. Thank you, Master.”

“You’re welcome; I’m full too. I think it’s time for us to return to our rooms.”

After enjoying a hearty meal, I wipe myself off and go to sleep.

In the morning… Ines and Felicia give me a morning kiss, we flirt for a little while, and then we get ready and head to the dining room. Rimu wakes up as breakfast is brought in.

“Good morning Rimu. Breakfast is here.”

“…Good morning… Breakfast…”

After finishing breakfast, I return to my room and summon a ship to take out the spider silk.

“Now, let’s go to the merchant guild, shall we?”

“”Yes.””

Arriving at the guild, I call out to Mear-san.

“Good morning, Mear-san. I brought the spider silk.”

“Good morning, Wataru-san. Let me show you to the other room.”

“Thank you.”

“Here is your tea. Then I will check the spider silk.”

“Thank you very much.”

How much will the spider silk cost? I don’t think it will be cheap because it is recommended by the guild master of the merchant guild.

“I have checked, and the quality is good enough. The merchant guild will buy them all for five platinum coins. As I said last time, if you bring them directly to the store, the price could go up by more than one more platinum coin. Are you sure?”

Do you mean the price will go up by more than 100 million? What should I do? But I have no confidence in my business and don’t want to get caught up in a civil war, so let’s make this quick.

“Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Can you give me seven platinum coins worth of pepper combined with the two platinum coins I have on hand?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll need about five days to get the pepper.”

“I understand and thank you for your cooperation. Oh, and I’d like to take out the collected items little by little, so could you let me know when you have collected a certain amount?”

“Yes, sir. Is it all right if I notify the Pearl Pavilion?”

“Yes, at the Pearl Pavilion, please. Then, please excuse me.”

Okay, I guess we’re getting by now. Maybe I should negotiate for more price increases or lower pepper prices, but I can’t do that anymore; I’ll give up some losses if I can make a profit. I’m not cut out for business, either. What am I cut out for?

“Now that we’ve done with the merchant guild. The rest is shopping. Let’s buy food and other souvenirs for the people who helped us in the southern city. Ines and Felicia, let me know if there is anything you want.”

“”Yes.””

What should I buy for the women who took care of me in the southern city? As for the men, they will be satisfied with a rare drink; well, I guess I will look around and decide.

As expected, we were tangled up as we looked around the lively town peculiar to a port town.

“Hey, you pretty ladies, let’s have some fun with us instead of that dull guy.”

I think this is the first time I’ve encountered a template. Five rugged, bearded guys dressed as mercenaries, saying the same things as in the novels, but sadly they don’t have the power to beat up their opponents on their own like the main characters.

“Hey, are you listening to me? You leave these women here and get the hell out of here. Oh, and leave all your money, too.”

“I can’t just leave them here. They’re my bodyguards. I don’t think this is the right thing to do in the middle of the day on the main street.”

“What? Are we doing something wrong? The girls wanted to play with us, so we decided to play with them, you know? And since you’re paying for the trouble, there’s nothing wrong with that. So why don’t you just put your money down and get the hell out of here.”

Oh, it’s the Japanese theory, and now I’m on the scene. Can’t we just settle this peacefully? I look around, but they are so full of an aura of not wanting to get involved that they won’t even make eye contact with me. I wonder if someone could call the soldiers to come over here?

“Can’t you even understand what I’m saying to you? Get the hell out of here.”

They suddenly hit me, oh… Ines and Felicia beat up the guys in an instant… Is that okay?

Should we run away from this situation? Or should we catch these men? When I was wondering, the soldiers came running. I wished they had come a little faster.

“What are you doing?”

“Hah, I am a merchant, and these men came to me and told me to leave my money and my woman and disappear. They came at me and tried to beat me up, so I asked them to protect me.”

“Really?”

“Yes, there were many people around me who saw them, and I am sure they will testify.”

At my words, some of the soldiers started to ask questions. These mercenaries had been doing some bad things, not only involving me but also revealing their past misdeeds.

“It seems to be true. What do you want to do with them? If you want to reduce them to slaves, you will have to go through a procedure.”

What, they’re going to be reduced to slavery? Well, since they tried to rob me of my money and take the girl away, do they deserve to be reduced to slavery?

“Well, we don’t have much time, so please compensate the people who have been harmed because, from what I hear, they’ve been doing many bad things.”

“Okay.”

The people who had been listening to my words were complaining to the soldiers one after another about the damage they had suffered. Something is slightly unconvincing.

“Well, excuse me.”

We returned to the inn to take a rest.

“Ines, Felicia, thank you for protecting me.”

“Ufufu, I was bought to be your bodyguard, so it’s only natural.”

“Me too.”

“Hahaha, you’re right. But thank you. I don’t feel like going shopping today, so let’s just relax at the inn.”

“”Yes.””
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