Episode 14
"Uuuugh…"
Was something not going her way? The woman, who had been scratching her head furiously, tore up a piece of paper and shot up from her seat with a scream that was almost a shriek.
"Uh… Master…?"
"What is it?"
The woman, her nerves clearly frayed, glared at Rueli before slowly shifting her gaze to me.
"What? Who's that behind you?"
"Well… the other day, you told me to find the person delivering shampoo in Jelnota…"
"Ah, right. I did. So, who is that?"
"This is Lord Yuji Sakamoto, the one who delivers the shampoo…"
Hearing Rueli's trembling, frightened voice, the woman's eyes widened in shock.
"What did you say? You brought the shampoo supplier here?"
"Y-Yes…!"
The woman slapped her forehead, sighed deeply, and scratched her head again.
"When did I ever tell you to *bring* him? I just said to *find* him!"
"B-But, you definitely said to find him…"
"Ah, whatever… You're right, my wording was bad. My fault. Good work. Now leave him here and get out."
"Yes, ma'am…"
Rueli, who had probably expected praise, walked out with tears welling in her eyes. Now, it was just me and the woman.
"Um…"
"Just go sit over there for now."
She was quite a fiery woman. The complete opposite of any merchant I'd met so far. For now, I did as she said and sat on the sofa she pointed to.
"Tea? Or green tea?"
"Green tea, please."
"Oh? You're a strange one."
She put some dried leaves into a teapot, poured in cold water, and then walked over to the sofa and poured the green tea into a teacup.
*'This is just water…'*
It couldn't have been more than ten seconds. Pouring it right after adding cold water meant it only had a faint aroma. It tasted like plain water.
"First, introductions. I am Luana Beryl, Master of the Tuscard Merchant's Guild."
"I'm Yuji Sakamoto."
"That's not a name you hear around here. I've never heard a name like that even in the East. Are you from some minority tribe?"
"My parents just named me that. Don't worry about it."
This woman had no manners. How did someone like her become a Master? I even questioned her qualifications.
"Right. Well, now that introductions are over, let's get down to business."
Luana downed the water in her teacup in one gulp and looked at me with a serious expression.
"I want you to supply your goods to us."
The sudden shift in atmosphere made me swallow hard.
"The goods I have?"
"Yes. I don't know if you're aware, but it's actually dangerous for an individual to be selling a product like your shampoo."
"Dangerous?"
"Think about it. A merchant appears out of nowhere and starts selling an unverified product. Normally, you would have been investigated long ago."
"But there was no investigation…"
"No, there wouldn't have been. You only delivered it; Megan was the one who actually sold it. It was fine because of the trust Megan has built up over the years. If someone without that trust had been selling it, there would have been a wanted poster for you all over Jelnota."
An unverified product. It was true. Shampoo was a product only I knew about, unknown to anyone in this world. It was literally an unverified item. Selling unverified products is a crime in Japan, and it seemed to be the same here.
"Megan is a veteran merchant, so she probably took some measures regarding the shampoo. But if *you* had been the one selling it, would you have been able to do that?"
I had also developed the ability to see through my bosses' vague talk and get to the core of the matter during my time as a salaryman in Japan. The meaning of her words was clear.
"So, you're saying I should supply my products to you on the cheap?"
"The core of my proposal isn't to sell it cheap, but to entrust your products to us. If you supply them to us, we will run various tests, get them certified, and then sell them."
Luana continued, leaning back on the sofa.
"That way, you get to sell your products without any hassle, which is a gain for you. And we get to sell your products, which is a gain for us. It's a win-win situation, don't you think? So, what do you say?"
"The price?"
"You propose a price first, and we'll counter with a fair one. We'll meet in the middle."
If what Luana said was true, her proposal wasn't bad. This guild would sell products for me that would be criminal for me to sell on my own. But that was only if it was true. If Luana's words had a hint of a lie, she was just making an excuse to buy my products cheap. A pretext to trap a sucker.
"You're aware that I have a contract with Megan, right?"
I didn't actually have a contract with Megan, but pretending I did to gain an advantage was a skill in itself.
"I know. That's why you're selling shampoo at her shop. I feel bad for Megan, but we're merchants too, you know? We can't just let a profitable person go."
I crossed my arms and thought for a moment, then stood up.
"Let me think about it."
"Think about it? What is there to think about? It's obvious this is a good deal for you. You'd have to be a fool not to see it. Right?"
Her pushy tone was starting to get on my nerves. Did she think I was a pushover?
"I'm not foolish enough to sign a contract without reading it thoroughly."
"That's not what I meant…"
"Well then, I'll come back when I've made my decision."
"Do you have a place to stay? If you'd like, I could…"
"No, I'll find a place myself. Don't worry about me, Luana. Please, continue with your work."
"Huh? O-Oh, okay. If you need anything, let me know. I can help with most things in this village."
"Understood."
I opened the door and stepped out to find Rueli staring at me in surprise.
"Ah, Lord Yuji! I-I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear…"
"It's fine. I'm going to go look for an inn. Let's meet up later if we have time."
"Huh? But… I invited you, so I should at least pay for your lodgings…!"
"It's okay. I'm not so heartless as to make a kid pay for my room."
"I would never think that!"
"I'm just kidding. It's really fine, so let's part ways here."
"Okay…"
Rueli answered quietly. I went down the stairs and out of the guild.
"A contract, huh…"
I didn't like the Guild Master, but as Luana said, it was a very good deal for me. They would pay me a reasonable price and sell the products for me.
"Still, I need to think about it first. There might be a loophole somewhere."
Luana might act that way, but she was a veteran merchant skilled enough to be a Guild Master. A person like that wouldn't just offer me a good deal out of the blue. I needed to think it over and come prepared with questions next time.
"Let's go, Haru."
*Woof!*
Haru panted as he led the way, and I followed behind him.
***
"This area should be fine…"
I was now in the forest outside the village, looking for a place. A place for what? A place where I could eat and sleep for a while.
The village had inns and restaurants, but I didn't like either of them. First, the beds had no mattresses, just a cloth on a wooden board. They were hard and smelled strange. And when I tried to sleep, bugs from the straw crawled all over me, making me too itchy to sleep. The restaurants were the same. The food wasn't bad, but they used too much seasoning. It was salty, sweet, and spicy all at once. It was fine for a first meal, but having three meals like that a day would not only get old, but it would also be bad for my heart.
I wanted to enjoy this happy slow life and live a long time. I didn't want to ruin my health and die early because of the food.
"Alright then…"
I opened my map and looked around as I walked. I was only going to be here for a few days. I didn't need a cabin. I planned to just set down a container, put a bed inside, and stay there while I explored the village.
"This looks good."
In a spot in the forest not too far from Murubas, a place big enough for a container. I decided on this spot and bought a container house from Conve∞.
*THUD!*
A rectangular container box appeared before me.
"This one came fully assembled, too?"
As expected of a container. It was the perfect space to use as a vacation home.
"But the inside is empty…"
It was a shame it was empty, but that also meant I could decorate the inside to my liking.
"Now, how should I decorate it…?"
Haru went inside, curled up, and looked at me.
"Oh right, I need to make a bed for Haru, too."
He had gotten quite big, but I couldn't just let him sleep outside. This space was big enough for him to sleep inside without any problems.
"Here's a treat for you."
I bought a large dog cushion, just the right size for Haru to sit and sleep on, and placed it on the container floor. Haru, knowing it was for him, walked over and sat on it.
"Comfy, right?"
*Woof!*
Haru rubbed his head against my hand. He might have gotten bigger, but he was still cute.
"Alright, now to decorate my own sleeping space…"
If I designed it like this and carried it around in my inventory, couldn't it become a mobile inn? It might be worth a try when I go back home. If it worked, I wouldn't have to spend money on inns when I travel.
***
The savory smell of bread wafted through Murubas.
"Whoa…"
I remembered once, after an all-nighter, I was walking back to my apartment early in the morning. I passed by a bakery, and the smell of bread was just incredible. Despite being exhausted, I went in as if possessed, bought a few loaves of bread, and ate them at home. I wondered if ambrosia, the food of the gods, tasted like this. That's how indescribably delicious the bread I ate that day was.
*Jingle, jingle.*
"Welcome~"
A woman's voice rang out. A plump woman with a kind face, wearing a kerchief on her head and a dress with an apron, was carrying bread.
"Hello."
"I haven't seen you around before. Is this your first time here?"
"Yes."
"Welcome. Murubas isn't a big village, but the people are kind and the inns are cheap, so you'll have a comfortable stay."
"It seems so."
"Right?"
The woman placed the bread from her tray onto the display stand one by one. The bakery was filled with all sorts of bread, from baguettes and loaves to round donuts and cookies. But I didn't see any of the sausage or cream-filled breads you'd find in a Japanese bakery.
*Sniff, sniff.*
Haru's nose twitched as he looked around.
"That smell is…"
The smell of warm, freshly baked bread.
"What are you baking right now?"
"Baguettes."
The woman took a loaf of bread from the oven and handed it to me.
"Want to try a piece?"
"Well then…"
I took the small piece of bread she tore off for me and took a bite.
"Haaaah…"
I never thought I'd taste it again. That warm, savory flavor of freshly baked bread.
"This is delicious."
"Thank you. It's a small shop, but I'm confident in my baking."
"Can I have three baguettes?"
"Oh, thank you!"
The woman put three baguettes in a bag and handed it to me. Haru jumped up on me, sniffing at the bread.
"Haru, you can't have flour."
*Whine…*
"No matter how pitiful you sound, you can't have what you can't have."
Dogs can't digest flour, so they shouldn't eat it.
"Thank you~ Come again~"
I left the shop, tearing off pieces of the baguette to eat as I walked down the street with Haru. I had been debating whether to have ramen this morning, but I was glad I came to the village instead.