Chapter 305
(Kyle Calendar Year 514: Age 21)
Secret Plan for the Merchants
Translator : PolterGlast
I had to laugh because the attitude of the merchants
regarding procurement within Empire territory
was so blatantly transparent that it was actually refreshing.
They had clearly formed a cartel, looking down on our
position with the intention of unfairly hiking up procurement prices. But did
they really think we hadn't prepared countermeasures for that level of obvious
manipulation?
Considering the future, I decided it was time to drop the
act. At this point, I shifted my tone and expression instantly.
"Listen well. I'll ask one more time. No matter how
much the volume of transactions increases, no one will respond at this price—is
that what your words mean?"
"That's what we've been saying over and over, isn't it?"
"Hmph. No matter how much you try to intimidate us,
we're merchants. Even when the First Prince's officials threatened us, every
single person here stood firm and refused to budge. We won't yield a single
thing unless it's a fair trade."
"Hey, isn't there someone else we can talk to? Please,
bring out someone higher up who actually understands things, not this bratty,
big-headed errand boy."
Saying that, they began to pointedly ignore me, addressing Bart and the other civil officials
instead.
"We aren't exactly free,
you know. If this isn't going to turn into a real business talk, we'll be
heading home. Right, everyone?"
With that, some of them made a show of standing up from
their seats.
So, they’re working together to this extent... This is a
threat, in a way. I can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for whoever was in
charge of procurement for the First Prince.
Fine then. I’ll play along with your logic. Of course, in
the opposite direction.
"I see. If you want to go, don't just stand there
flapping your gums—feel free to leave. We won't do a single thing to stop you.
Since we're at it, let me be clear! First: We are
currently judging you. Second: We have
no need to flatter you. Third:
Understand that the power of choice lies with us."
They were uniformly shocked, their eyes glaring back at me
with the silent scream of『You impudent brat!』I
let out a defiant smirk and continued.
"Even at prices below this, we can easily procure
supplies. Not from the Empire side, but from the Kyle Kingdom and our own
Westlights territory. Despite the ravages of war, the agricultural lands of the
Teigoon area remain untouched, and the granaries of the former Demon
Territory Count's domain are still overflowing with grain. As 'proper
merchants', surely couldn't be unaware of that, right?"
"But weren't the harvests in the western and northern
parts of the Kingdom seized by the invading armies? Do you think we don't know
that grain in the Kingdom is quite tight after such a massive
mobilization?"
"That's right! And no matter how much surplus Teigoon
has, goods only matter once they're moved. Unless you can pass through the Demon
Territory, if you transport them the long way around, do you have any idea
how much the shipping costs would be? This is why amateurs are..."
Indeed. We've anticipated that as well. And as expected,
they're only cherry-picking the information that suits them.
"Yes, yes. I see you have the bare minimum of knowledge
and information. But... you're shallow. The Eastern Front was completely
unaffected by the war, and the Istoria Imperial Kingdom, desperate from
reparations, is happily selling grain. The Fearalt Principality had a
rebellion, but the battlefield was limited, so the impact was minimal.
Furthermore, most of the great nobles who would have received the harvest have
disappeared. The Principality is happy to sell cheaply, and even
now, massive amounts of grain are crossing the western border."
"Then just procure it from there! Go ahead and ship it
from a distant place. It has nothing to do with us, but who's going to handle
such long-distance transport? In the end, you're the ones who will be in
trouble."
"I understand your true feelings perfectly now. In that
case, I will never trade with you again. That’s fine with you, right? In
accordance with the agreement with the Empire, I made every effort to enrich
the Empire's side as much as possible. With this, my just cause is established.
Well, the result was exactly as I negatively predicted, though."
"Do you think you can just decide that on your own? If
you get too carried away, your head might just fly off!"
Yes, yes. Thank you for your concern. Now then, shall we?
"It'll be fine. It’s my territory; of course I have the
right to decide. What are you talking about? Who exactly is going to
make my head fly off—the head of a Archduke? Tell me. King Kyle, who hears your
complaints? The Emperor? In my opening greeting, I clearly said『the territory we newly
obtained within the Empire』,
didn't I?"
"Huh?"
"No... I didn't hear..."
"Wait... Archduke...?"
Everyone who had been bristling with hostility suddenly had
the wind taken out of their sails, looking completely dazed. But the real
pressure starts now.
"I think I understand your circumstances to some
extent. Whether it was pressure from someone... or business obligations. There
must be unavoidable reasons. But none of that matters to me. All I’m interested
in is dealing with 'proper merchants' where we can both
profit."
Realizing the weight of my words, they all looked down at
once.
"I believe the estimated price I presented earlier leaves plenty of room for
business profit... What do you think? If you want, I can list every detail: the
estimated price, distribution prices within the Empire, surplus numbers, cost
prices researched in the market, and transportation expenses."
Saying this, I glared at one of the merchants who had been
making the most noise.
"Yes... I believe... it is exactly as you say."
"As I said before, we can source from the Kingdom side
at prices below this. That is a fact. Even including the cost of transport to
the new Empire territory. Why did I choose not to do that? It's simple. I
wanted to show loyalty to the merchants on this side and build a good
relationship for the future. That’s all. Do you understand?"
"Thank you... very much."
"By the way, did you think we haven't taken any action
in the months since the war ended? We have already secured a trade route that
cuts through the Demon Territory from Teigoon directly to Empire
territory. This construction was a classified matter, handled by mobilizing all
our Mages, so it's natural you wouldn't know. Though, I have no
intention of opening this trade road to merchants like you for the time
being."
"No way..."
I don't know which meaning their 'No way...' held. Surprise
at the existence of an unexpected trade route, or sadness that it wouldn't be
open to them.
However, the items discussed at the beginning of the year
had priority matters other than the post-war reconstruction of Ishtar
and the construction of prisoner camps and temporary housing.
There were four priority points we addressed:
- One:
Re-organization and strengthening of the defense network on the Demon
Territory side.
- Two:
Massive construction project to establish a long barrier gate at the
border.
- Three:
Constructing an 'Elevated Road' through the Demon Territory
starting from that gate.
- Four:
Issuing a request to the Old Raccoon to summon Mages, primarily Earth
Mages, from across the Kingdom.
First, immediately after the battle
ended last year, we began work on extending the Aegis wall to link
directly to the barrier gate where Viscount
Gorman had been stationed, and worked on the mountain pass through which
the detached force had slipped toward Ishtar. Fortunately, we saw a
clear path for this early in the new year. As a result, Aegis and Ishtar
can now be traveled between via the Demon Territory side safely and via
the shortest distance.
With the completion of that work, we began the new
construction led by Elan: the construction of the border barrier gate that
served as today's venue. In both the Kingdom and the Empire, this project drew
many eyes and served as a perfect diversion for the next one.
The main event was the construction of the elevated road
through the Demon Territory. By using this, it became possible to pass
through the Demon Territory safely and in a straight line all the way to
the Southern Gate Plain. However, it’s not a defensive wall; it's
strictly an elevated road. Short sections of wall (earthen) are connected by
over a hundred bridges, allowing passage underneath, and in the event of an
invasion, these bridges can be dropped so the enemy cannot use them.
With this, soldiers deployed in Teigoon, Aegis,
and Ishtar can move safely to the border via the shortest distance, day
or night. The purpose is troop deployment and our own supply transport; I'm not
currently considering opening it for general commerce.
It was enough if we could keep this project hidden until the
day of the signing, and since it was being carried out in tandem with the
border works, I figured we could keep it quiet for that long.
Under this premise, we utilized the labor of the prisoners
before their return and advanced the construction all at once with the
mobilized Mages. After all, there are easily over 10,000 prisoners in
the Demon Territory Count's domain alone...
Since the First Prince had graciously cut open a massive
road through the Demon Territory during his invasion, I decided to make
use of it. On that road, I pushed forward the construction of an elevated road
about 15 m high, designed so that anyone (including monsters) can pass
relatively freely underneath, ensuring minimal impact on the ecosystem.
This work began right at the start of the new year, and with
a massive infusion of Earth, Water, and Time-Space Mages,
combined with the human-wave tactics of 15,000 prisoners (including former Imperial
Kingdom soldiers), we managed to see the light at the end of the tunnel by
today.
"Now, I ask you one more time. I'll forget everything
that happened just now, but anyone who has a problem with trading with me is
free to leave this place immediately. Well?"
Not a single person stood up. In fact, everyone was
uniformly looking at the floor.
Is the time for the whip over? Time for the carrot? Here, I
switched my internal gears once again.
"In doing business with us, there is absolutely no need
to worry about your previous clients or the Empire's mood. We will not
discriminate based on past records, backgrounds, or the size of your trading
company. I simply want you to consider us as one of the partners you trade with
as merchants."
Saying this, some of the merchants began to look up,
expressions of relief appearing.
"My transactions with you regarding development
projects will be held through bidding every three months. The method is simple.
From the procurement list, each of you will specify the items and quantities
you can deliver, along with your final price and any proposals. Based on that,
we will select the supplier and the volume for each round."
This is similar to the public bidding process used in modern
Japan. Back when I was Nishida, I went to government offices countless times to
pick up specification sheets to participate in bids.
However, I won't use a simple lowest-price winning system. I
know the disadvantages of bidding all too well. It’s pointless if those factors
aren't eliminated.
"Just keep this in mind. Low price isn't our only
selection criteria. If there’s a valid reason or a convincing proposal, we’ll
adopt it even if it exceeds the estimated price. Conversely, 'cheap and nasty'
is the worst move you can make. If we feel that from you, assume there won't be
a next time. And every three months, we will commend the three companies that
gave us the best proposals and wholesale this to them."
As I said that, Raphael
removed the cloth that was covering the side table.
"Ohh!"
"As you've guessed, this is honey produced in Teigoon.
Until now, we haven't wholesaled this to merchants at all; it's only been
available through direct sales. Right now, we only have about 10 kilos here,
but we will wholesale 10 kilos to each of the three companies. At 60% of the
retail price in Teigoon, if they wish. Anyone who understands the value
of this, please lend us your strength."
"Wh-What!"
They stared, eyes wide in shock. If it’s only 10 kilos, it’s
not much compared to the total value of their transactions in terms of retail
price.
However, the value of a product changes depending on how
it's used. Just having a reasonable amount of honey as a trade item gives them
an advantage in negotiations with other clients. Instead of just selling it,
they could use it as a gift to catch the interest of someone with
decision-making authority.
Now, for the finishing blow.
"Is there anyone among you who knows what this is?"
I pulled out a palm-sized object that glowed faintly in
rainbow colors. Everyone looked puzzled. Well, it couldn't be helped.
"At the signing ceremony earlier, Her Highness Clarice
presented armor made from this to His Highness Grat. His
Highness Grat was extremely pleased
and said he would prepare a return gift and send a messenger to Kylar."
"No way... is that... um..."
I see, those with sharp intuition seem to get it now.
Something high-end enough for royalty to give to imperial royalty, used in
armor—some people can take a hint.
"That's right. These are scales from a Klimt. An
item you can't easily get even if you want it, and these are of the highest
quality. For the next several years, at the beginning of each year, I intend to
give five of these non-sale items for free to the merchant who I feel
contributed the most to the development of the new territory during that year."
At this point, the expressions of the merchants changed
completely, their eyes starting to gleam in a good way. Five scales every
year—if that continues for several years, a decent number will circulate among
them.
Something said to be nearly impossible to obtain even with
mountains of gold.
"Listen, contribution and proposals aren't just about
products and deliveries. They include useful information for governance,
information on talented people in the field, and speculative information
anticipating market trends. The size of the company or the volume of delivery
doesn't matter. Show us your skill and eye as merchants."
"""YES!"""
Everyone gathered answered in a loud voice.
"Then, this round of bidding will be held tomorrow
morning at this location. The results will be announced at the same place in
the evening of that day. If you cannot be present, please specify your contact
information when bidding. By the way, I'll be taking my leave now, but if you have
any questions, feel free to ask those staying behind. I look forward to
building a better relationship with all of you and enjoying mutual profits from
here on."
Conveying that last bit, I quickly left the venue, leaving Bart, Raphael, and several civil officials behind to handle the
questions.
Of course, they were immediately surrounded by the merchants
and were showered with questions until the merchants were satisfied...
Among them, one person slipped away unnoticed and went to
report to the master waiting in a separate room. He told the master everything,
from the progress to the result of the business negotiations.
"Hahaha, it's my complete defeat this time. He tore
right through my trap in a way that went beyond my imagination. He really is
interesting. He's completely different from that army of fools."
Sieghart admitted
his defeat honestly, not showing even a hint of frustration. In fact, he looked
like he was cheering for it, and the reporter couldn't help but be confused.
"But is this okay? The merchants will..."
"They might look like it, but they're battle-hardened.
They'll perform the tightrope walk between him and me with ease. And they won't
give away crucial information to either of us easily. They'll just sell
information to whoever pays the highest and benefits them the most. So, after
the explanation, did you confirm we can participate too?"
"Yes, I confirmed that not only merchants but also Empire noble houses can participate in the trade through the
bidding."
"Good work. That's enough. There's no rule saying only
he and the merchants get to monopolize the profits. We can just proceed with a 'three-way win' for the Demon Territory Dukedom, the
merchants, and the Empire noble (Kampfer)
family."
With that, Sieghart smiled broadly.
"Fufufu, this is fun. I heard they were doing
large-scale construction, but to think they used that as a cover to build a
road through the Demon Territory so quickly, enabling them to deploy
troops to this side at a moment's notice... I’ve been outplayed on that one.
But our expectations don't end here. What kind of strange strategy will the Archduke
show next? I can't wait."
Before anyone realized, Sieghart's face had turned
into a cold, emotionless smile. Originally, he had no malicious intent to drag Takuhir down.
He was only interested in the methods of a rival he
recognized—how he would show his value and what kind of odd maneuvers he would
use to overcome a crisis. He just wanted to see his skill.
In that sense, it remained a somewhat—no, quite—troublesome
story for Takuhir and the others,
but...
These two moved their pieces from the board of bloody war to the battle of domestic affairs, entering a conflict where they would exhaust every ounce of their resourcefulness. As a result, both territories would develop even further, but for now, Takuhir's path was still fraught with difficulties.
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