Chapter 321 Fati’s Dream
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Well now, we’ve certainly found ourselves in a bit of a predicament…” I muttered.
Those two merchants from Sylvaol¹ had finally been chased off. After seeing Sera-chan out, Lily—my ever-devoted slave—let out a soft, weary mumble as we stood there.
”You’re telling me. I’ve got to figure out a way to get Merchant Guild Tasogare² back on their feet,” I said.
”I wasn’t talking about that matter, Master,” Lily replied.
If not that, then what? As I tilted my head in confusion, she let out a sigh that practically screamed how hopeless I was. Nine times out of ten, this was about Sera-chan, but I had a feeling that asking for clarification would only result in a lecture.
”I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong, but… can I leave it in your hands?” I asked.
”Of course. This is my job, after all,” Lily said. She leaned in, a playful glint in her eyes. “However, I’m putting in a request for a reward-kiss. And as for Merchant Guild Tasogare? You acted like such a big shot in there, so you’d better solve it like one, okay?”
”Yes, ma’am…” I replied.
I pulled her close by the waist, showering her with the requested kisses while my mind shifted into high gear. Merchant Guild Tasogare was facing a total collapse because of the East-West trade blockade. I needed a fix. My primary rule was to keep blowing off Merchant Guild Uminari and Merchant Guild Yuunari, but beyond that, did I have any cards left to play?
The most obvious solution was reopening the trade route itself, but that was also the steepest mountain to climb. Re-establishing trade across three different nations? I didn’t even know where to start, let alone if it was actually possible.
Next up was fast-tracking the reconstruction of Ferguson to the west. King William was scheduled to visit this country soon. If I could come up with a clever angle, I’d run it by Her Majesty.
And then, well, there was the easiest, most straightforward play. To put it bluntly: making new allies. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea – it’s always hard to tell who’s going to stab you in the back – but it was an option.
I spent the next few days digging for intel. The verdict? The Canary Kingdom’s economy wasn’t in the gutter yet, but it wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows either.
My lovely wolf Aerith and her Merchant Guild Garou were staying afloat by bleeding the local adventurers dry. These guys were taking the easy coin they earned from escort jobs and dumping it straight back into luxury goods. On the flip side, that meant the other guilds – Tasogare included – were hemorrhaging money just to pay the Adventurers’ Guild for protection.
The smiths and armorers were raking it in, too. Again, it was just a cycle of merchant gold flowing into the guild’s pockets. Eventually, the money would circulate and things would normalize, but for Merchant Guild Tasogare – who had lost their primary trade niche – time was running out.
I let out a heavy, frustrated exhale.
”Something weighing on your mind?” a voice asked.
”I’m in the middle of a world-class headache,” I said. “It’s partly your fault… well, not your fault specifically, but your people are definitely involved.”
”Oh my, then I suppose I owe you an apology,” she replied.
”Can you drop the formal act? I liked you better when you were being blunt,” I said.
”Is that so? Fine then, I’ll play it your way,” Fati said.
The woman striking up the conversation was Fati, the representative from Merchant Guild Uminari. She and that guy Rafuoro from Merchant Guild Yuunari had been haunting my shop daily. They seemed to have an agreement to take turns, probably so they didn’t kill each other on my doorstep.
I’d expected the persistence, but her vibe was off. I get that she’d changed her tactics once she realized I wasn’t an easy mark, but she almost seemed… rattled.
”I’ve gotta say, Sylvaol must be flush with cash,” I remarked.
”Hm? What makes you say that? I mean, I’m proud of my country – it’s wealthy and vibrant – but why the sudden interest?” Fati asked.
”For a merchant like you to have the time to lounge around a back-alley magic circuit³ shop like this. Travel isn’t cheap. Your main office back home must be drowning in gold,” I said.
”Ah, I see… Well, from where I’m standing, Merchant Guild Tasogare is about the same size as ours. But in Sylvaol? Guilds of our scale are a dime a dozen,” Fati replied.
Merchant Guild Tasogare was one of the biggest players in the Canary Kingdom. To hear that they’d just be another face in the crowd in Sylvaol really drove home the economic gap. It was a damn good thing their eyes were mostly fixed on the sea.
”Because of that, the competition back home is cutthroat,” Fati continued. “This deal is a once-in-a-lifetime shot for my guild. Won’t you please just say yes?”
”I’ve told you a hundred times – no,” I said.
”Don’t be like that. It’s a win-win, right? We make money, you make money. Even Merchant Guild Tasogare gets the capital they need to survive. Everyone walks away happy,” Fati said.
”Assuming we don’t look at the long-term consequences,” I countered.
”Forget the long term! Deal with that when it happens!” Fati exclaimed.
Fati had stopped hiding her cards. She’d clearly decided that being honest with me was her only move. I preferred it this way; a hustler with a visible motive is a lot easier to handle than one with a hidden knife.
”Look, I don’t want to be stuck stalling on this negotiation forever either. The truth is… I just want to be back on a ship,” Fati said.
”Heh,” I muttered.
That actually caught me off guard. For the first time, it felt like I was seeing the real Fati. For a Sylvaol merchant, the real glory was in the salt air and high-seas trade. Being stuck inland, grinding through a tedious negotiation in the dirt, must have felt like a prison sentence to her.
”And not just as a deckhand. I’m going to be a Captain. But for that, I need serious capital. I want to rake in enough with Uminari to buy my own vessel. I’ll go independent, and then…” Fati trailed off.
”Let me guess. An all-female crew?” I asked.
”How did you know that?!” Fati gasped.
”Lucky guess…” I said.
This time, it was Fati’s turn to be stunned. Her eyes narrowed, flashing with a sudden, sharp vigilance. I’d let a bit of meta-knowledge from my old world slip out.
”Well, men and women cooped up in a tight hull for months? Sounds like a recipe for a headache,” I pivoted quickly. “Was I on the mark?”
”Yeah. They say it invites the sea’s wrath, or that the lady of the ship gets jealous… but at the end of the day, it’s exactly what you said. It’s just easier,” Fati said.
”So, a sisterhood of the sea, huh? Not a bad dream,” I said.
”Does that mean you’ll support me? Lately, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. If you’ve got the skills, people are starting to care less about what’s in your pants,” Fati said, her expression softening into a smirk.
I remembered hearing stories about all-female pirate crews back on Earth. Things were a bit different here, but I found myself actually wanting to root for her. I wasn’t going to screw over Tasogare for her, obviously, but a ship full of women…
”Wait… don’t tell me your target demographic for my products is…” I started.
”A good merchant doesn’t leak her trade secrets. Or so I’d like to say, but yeah – you nailed it. Those female sailors are exactly who we’re looking at. A long voyage is a lot more bearable with a little consolation on board. Whatever we don’t use, we sell across the ocean. It’s a perfect, waste-free business model, isn’t it?” Fati asked.
This was a new one. I hadn’t discussed this angle with the Crown Prince’s consort back in Coalmine. Maybe these female-led crews were a recent trend.
As a merchant, using your own stock is a bit of a faux pas, but I couldn’t deny the logic. And as a man? Well, the mental image was a bit too enticing to ignore.
A cramped cabin… a crew of frustrated women… and then, the arrival of our Double-Header Buddy⁴! Wait… should I develop a twin-headed version? Or a strap-on harness?
I felt a sudden surge of professional motivation, but I quickly shook it off. The cost of helping her was giving up control of the North-South trade routes. Besides, I was still curious about her other buyers…
”Just curious, who else are you selling to?” I asked.
”I told you – secrets. If you want the full tour, you’ll have to sign the contract first,” Fati said, giving me a sharp, confident grin.
She really was a formidable opponent.
—
Summary:
The protagonist navigates the aftermath of a merchant confrontation while balancing Lily’s emotional needs. He analyzes the current economic crisis caused by trade blockades and the struggling state of Merchant Guild Tasogare. Fati reveals her true ambition to captain an all-female ship, proposing a business deal involving the protagonist’s adult goods for sailors.
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Trivia:
- The East-West trade route involves three nations.
- Aerith (the wolf) actually runs a merchant guild called Garou.
- King William of Ferguson is planning a diplomatic visit.
- Merchant Guild Tasogare is losing money by paying for protection from the Adventurers’ Guild.
- The ‘Double-Header Buddy’ is the protagonist’s specific adult product line
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Character Insight:
The protagonist shows a blend of sociopathic business calculation and creative engineering drive. Fati is revealed as more than a corporate shark; she is a dreamer motivated by a specific vision of maritime independence.
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Behind the Scenes:
The concept of all-female crews in this world leverages existing maritime superstitions to create a new market niche for adult goods.
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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.
• Aerith – A wolf beast-person and Ouka’s daughter. She is intensely attracted to Kento’s creative genius and is not shy about showing her interest. Have gray fur hair and tail, wearing elegant dress.
• 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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