Chapter 317 A New Customer ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Master, my apologies for the interruption,” Lily said.
”Yo. You the owner of Harvest?” a woman asked.
I followed Sera-chan of Merchant Guild Twilight¹ into the shop floor, only to find my loyal slave Lily waiting there with… a complete stranger. Since it was our first time meeting, I figured I’d play up the “mysterious master” persona. I pulled a pipe from my breast pocket, took a long, slow draw, and exhaled a thick plume of smoke.
Her hair was a dark, bruised crimson – or maybe a reddish-black. A bandana was cinched around her brow, and her skin was a deep, sun-kissed bronze. She was dressed like a merchant, but honestly, she looked like she’d be more at home in a pareo on some southern beach.
”Yeah, I’m Kento,” I said. “And who might you be? You’ve got the look of someone from down South.”
”Oh? Didn’t this little kiddo or the girl from Merchant Guild Twilight over there give you the rundown?” the woman asked.
”Not a word,” I replied.
”That right? My bad, then. I’m Fati, a merchant out of Sylvaol². I represent Merchant Guild Uminari.”
Right, a Sylvaol native. I knew it. She had that southern salt-air vibe all over her. This was exactly what the Prince’s wife back in Coalmine meant when she said a merchant from Sylvaol would be coming for an inspection.
Currently, this shop was moving forward with trade with the southwestern maritime nation of Sylvaol. We’d already exported some trial stock through Merchant Guild Twilight and were gauging the reaction of the guilds over there. However, the whole “Stampede” disaster had put everything on ice.
Looks like things were finally thawing. Based on the timing, Fati must have hauled ass the second the chaos settled. She had the look of a woman who didn’t like wasting time.
”I see. Well, Fati-san, it’s a pleasure. I take it you’re here to talk about exporting our products?” I asked.
”Yeah, I definitely want in on your stock,” Fati said.
I’d been told to watch out for beautiful women who come knocking with a smile, but a business lead was a business lead. Still, the fact that Lily had stayed so pointedly silent bothered me. I shot her a questioning look.
”Master, please wait just a moment,” Lily said, her voice neutral. “It seems we have another guest.”
”Gah! Did that bastard sniff his way here already?” Fati muttered.
At Lily’s words, Fati’s face contorted like she’d just chewed on a bitter pill. So that was why Lily had stayed quiet. Before long, the bell above the door let out a sharp clink-clink, and a man stumbled into the shop.
He had thin, vermillion hair and southern features, but his skin was pale and his frame was lanky – almost skeletal – with a perpetually nervous expression. He looked terrified, his eyes darting restlessly between the magic circuits on display as he scurried toward the back.
”Um… excuse me… is this the magic circuit shop ‘Harvest’? Wait – Fati?! Don’t tell me you beat me here!?” the man cried.
”Tch. I was just about to, if you hadn’t just ruined the moment,” Fati snapped.
Acquaintances, clearly. Which meant he was likely from Sylvaol, too. I could already smell a headache brewing, but I took another puff of my pipe and waited. The man turned to me, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated nerves.
”I-It’s an honor to meet you! I’m… I mean, I am Rafuoro of Merchant Guild Yuunagi³,” the man said. “Tell me, by any chance, are you truly the great Master Kento⁴!?”
”Uh… yeah. I’m Kento Harvest. But what’s with the ‘Master’ bit?” I asked.
”I knew it! It really is you! I cannot tell you what an honor this is! I’ve been deeply moved by your products!” Rafuoro exclaimed.
Before I could react, Rafuoro grabbed my hand and started shaking it vigorously. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be fanboyed over by some lanky dude. Now, if Fati-san had done that, it might’ve been a different story.
For context, “Master” was a title reserved for legendary mages. It was the kind of thing you only saw in dusty history books; people didn’t really use it in modern conversation. Hearing it used for me made me feel like an idol being cornered by a hardcore otaku. I just prayed he didn’t start heavy-breathing at me.
”Rafuoro! You slippery snake, don’t you try to worm your way in!” Fati barked. “You should just stay flustered and confused, like your name suggests!”
”W-What?! You’re the one who shouldn’t be sticking your nose in when you don’t even appreciate the sublime artistry of Master Kento’s magic circuits!” Rafuoro yelled.
”Artistry?! They’re erotic magic circuits! There’s nothing ‘sublime’ about them!” Fati retorted. “Besides, a guy like you wouldn’t know the first thing about why the ‘Ddo-Buddy’⁵ is so great!”
”I-I’ll have you know I intend to try it as soon as I get a girlfriend! And if not… well, the Anal-type slimes⁶ are highly rated for – “
”Stop. Just… stop,” I said.
I felt a piece of my soul wither. The “Slime-kun” series – specifically the one meant for the “back door” – was a masterpiece, but hearing two merchants scream about its anal applications in the middle of my shop was more than I could take. I looked at Lily and Sera-chan.
”So, let me guess,” I said, rubbing my temples. “You’ve got two rival guilds fighting over my stock, and you figured it’d be easier if I just dealt with the fallout myself?”
”To be fair, Master, I wasn’t specifically asked to announce them,” Lily replied. “These two were arguing the same way back at Merchant Guild Twilight. They were impossible to talk to.”
”I’m so sorry, Kento-san,” Sera-chan added, looking thoroughly defeated. “We just couldn’t make a judgment call on this one…”
I clapped my hands once – pop-pop – to cut through the noise.
”Alright, that’s enough. Did you two come here for a lovers’ spat, or are we doing business? Which is it?” I asked.
”Ugh… my bad,” Fati muttered, her face turning flat. “But don’t call it a lovers’ spat. That’s actually nauseating.”
”Forgive me, Master Kento,” Rafuoro said, looking like the world was ending. “My daily frustrations simply boiled over…”
It didn’t look like a friendly rivalry. It looked like a blood feud. Clearly, the guild wars in Sylvaol were no joke.
”Fine. One at a time. Fati-san, you were here first. Let’s hear it,” I said.
”Right. Since I’ve already made a fool of myself, I’ll get straight to it,” Fati said. “We want a direct contract with Harvest. We’ll pay more than you’re getting through Merchant Guild Twilight. Much more. Just sell us as much as you can, as fast as you can.”
”Oh? That’s a hell of an offer,” I remarked.
”Our guild knows quality. We have the confidence to move your stock. Your goods will fly off the shelves in our country and across the ocean. They’re a guaranteed goldmine,” Fati said.
On the surface, it was a dream deal. Maybe even too good to be true. But I needed to hear the other side. I turned to Rafuoro, who was vibrating with the effort of staying silent.
”Alright, Rafuoro. What’s your pitch?” I asked.
”The content is largely the same. We want to deal directly with Harvest,” Rafuoro said. “As for the price… how about we top the offer from Merchant Guild Uminari by ten percent?”
”You piece of – ! That’s playing dirty!” Fati exploded. “Fine! We’ll go ten percent over the price from Merchant Guild Yuunagi!”
”You’re the one who rushed in without a plan, aren’t you?” Rafuoro said, his voice suddenly cold. “Lower your voice. I don’t intend to expose any more shameful behavior in front of Master Kento.”
”Why you…!”
The lanky guy was sharper than he looked. He was baiting her. Again, on paper, it was the kind of bidding war a shopkeeper dreams of. But my answer was already decided. I glanced at Sera-chan, who was watching me with a pained expression, and I opened my mouth.
”I’m turning you both down.”
—
Summary:
Kento is visited by two rival merchants from the southern nation of Sylvaol: Fati from the Uminari Guild and Rafuoro from the Yuunagi Guild. Both are desperate to secure exclusive direct trade rights for Kento’s adult magic circuits, leading to a heated bidding war in his shop. Despite the lucrative offers, Kento rejects both to protect his existing relationship with the Twilight Guild.
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Trivia:
- Sylvaol is a maritime nation to the southwest.
- Trade was previously halted due to a ‘Stampede’ event.
- Rafuoro uses the archaic and highly respectful title ‘Shi’ (Master) for Kento.
- Kento values his relationship with Sera-chan and the Twilight Guild over pure profit.
- The ‘Slime-kun’ series includes products specifically designed for anal use
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Character Insight:
Kento shows his loyalty and long-term business sense by refusing to drop his current partners for higher bidders. Fati and Rafuoro demonstrate a cutthroat rivalry typical of their home country’s merchant culture.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the names ‘Uminari’ (Sound of the Sea) and ‘Yuunagi’ (Evening Calm) to reflect the maritime theme of Sylvaol.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Sera – A young, earnest salesperson from the Tasogare Merchant Guild, Kento’s supplier. She is characterized by her braided brown hair, large round glasses, and freckles. She’s serious about her job and easily flustered, especially by Kento’s adult goods business. Looks like Onodera from certain series.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Fati – Woman Merchant from Sylvaol, member of Merchant Guild Uminari. Dark, bruised crimson hair, bandana, sun-kissed bronze skin.
• Rafuoro – Merchant from Sylvaol, member of Merchant Guild Yuunagi. Thin vermillion hair, pale skin, lanky/skeletal build.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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