Chapter 319 North-South Trade Route ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”This involves our internal affairs, so it’s probably not something I should be bothering you with, Kento-san… but…” Sera said tentatively.
”Whoa, hold on. Is it really okay for you to tell me this?” I asked.
”The manager gave me his blessing, but to be honest, about half of this is my own call. So please… keep this between us,” Sera whispered.
Sera-chan, representing Merchant Guild Tasogare¹, began her story with that heavy disclaimer. Considering the personality of the manager, Badatt-shi, I figured this was the guild’s way of showing me some real sincerity. I listened closely, picking up on the weight behind her words.
”To be blunt, our guild can’t match the terms offered by those two guilds from Sylvaol. I need you to understand that right off the bat,” Sera said.
”Well, those guys were overdoing it anyway. Don’t worry, I wasn’t expecting anything that crazy,” I replied.
I tried to cheer her up, but Sera-chan’s expression remained clouded. She managed a weak “Thank you…” and seemed to be bracing herself.
”Let’s start with a bit of history. Kento-san, do you know how our guild actually began?” Sera asked.
”Eh? Oh, you mean the story about the founder you told me when I first visited? The one who named it ‘Tasogare’ because of the twilight?” I said.
”Yes. He was a traveling peddler back then. They say that while watching a sunset during his travels, he made a vow: ‘I will build a merchant guild that spans the world,’” Sera explained.
”Yeah, it was a great story, I remember. You told me the reason Merchant Guild Tasogare has such vast trade routes is to honor his legacy as a traveler,” I nodded.
”Exactly. The First Generation-sama left the headquarters to his son, but even on the day he died, he was out on a carriage heading toward some remote, impoverished village… But do you know what business actually gave him his big break?”
”Now that you mention it, I don’t. Did he find some legendary product or something?” I asked.
”It wasn’t a specific item. What he truly poured his soul into was pioneering the East-West Trade Route,” Sera said.
”Ah, I see…” I murmured.
The roundabout story was finally starting to click. Carving out trade routes wasn’t just business for them; it was the guild’s specialty – their very identity since the beginning.
”Iron beans and black-spotted deer pelts from Ferguson in the west. Rock salt and iron ore from Mt. Sozoro in the eastern reaches of Willope. He even gathered wheat and coarse wool from the Canaria Kingdom to link these nations together. We’ve pulled out of the food trade since then, but…”
This matched up perfectly with the stories I’d heard from Old Man Haruma at the palace a few days ago. It looked like the “First Generation-sama” was a real jack-of-all-trades.
Rather, if you’re pushing into new lands, you sell whatever sells just to keep the lights on. Eventually, you find the high-margin goods and build a system to move them at scale with your fellow peddlers. Listening to Sera-chan, I could see the blueprint of a merchant empire. Not that it sounded easy.
”That’s why, even now, the East-West route is the backbone of our guild. We’ve dropped old lines and started new ones, but that core never changes. Or… I thought it would never change,” Sera said, her voice trembling.
Her pain was infectious, and I felt a sympathetic ache in my own chest. Given the state of the Canaria Kingdom lately, things had to change. After all, Ferguson and Willope were…
”As you likely know, relations between our country and the Willope Empire to the east have been sour since the days of the late King and Queen. We kept things moving through old connections, but since Her Majesty’s coronation… well, with this much friction, trade has become nearly impossible,” Sera explained.
Merchant Guild Tasogare had essentially lost an arm. For them, this was a survival crisis. If I compared it to my shop, it would be like suddenly being unable to sell the cheap potions that every rookie adventurer relies on. Though, the scale here was on a whole different level.
”And then the ‘Stampede’² mess dealt the final blow, didn’t it?” I asked.
”You hit the nail on the head,” Sera replied. “First Willope in the east, and now trade with Ferguson in the west has stalled. Our East-West lifeline is suffering from a total systemic failure.”
”But surely Ferguson is scrambling to get trade moving again? Not to be cold, but wouldn’t there be a huge demand for reconstruction supplies?”
”There is. And our guild is currently sinking massive amounts of capital and manpower into that effort,” Sera said. “But it will be a long time before we see a return. The general goods and raw materials we handle are going to be bottom priority compared to food and medicine.”
”I get it. So, Merchant Guild Tasogare literally doesn’t have the bandwidth to handle my products… or the North-South route,” I sighed.
”It’s humiliating to admit, but yes. That is exactly the situation,” Sera whispered.
Sera-chan was being incredibly honest. Given our history, she could have easily kept quiet and just let the shipping delays pile up. If the guild told me, “Just bear with us for a bit,” I probably would have waited without a second thought.
But man, I didn’t realize the Stampede was still causing this much of a ripple effect. If even a giant like this is struggling, the other shops must be in real trouble. Weapon shops and the Adventurers’ Guild probably made a killing, but daily necessities? They’re likely rotting on the shelves.
If we hadn’t been selling the ‘Hot-Shot-kun’ heating circuits to Coalmine in the north, my shop would be right there in the gutter with them. I wonder if Her Majesty realizes this? Even if she does, fixing the economy is a tall order. And wait – is Aerith’s Merchant Guild Garou okay? They deal almost exclusively in luxury goods. I’ll have to check on them.
My mind raced as I processed everything. I couldn’t afford to be complacent. What was going to happen to the ‘Ddo-Buddy Economic Sphere’? And then there were those two merchants from Sylvaol…
”Hey, wait. Does this mean those two guys were being so aggressive because…?” I started.
”…They had likely done their homework on our current situation,” Sera nodded. “They knew that if they threw enough money at us right now, we’d have no choice but to cave.”
”And – just a hunch – were they playing me, too? They seemed shocked by my stuff, but maybe they figured I was just as desperate for cash as everyone else.”
”It’s very possible,” Sera said. “If they hadn’t realized we were already trading with Coalmine, ‘Harvest’ probably looked like a shop on the brink of bankruptcy.”
That was close! I knew there was something off about their attitude. If they have a guaranteed buyer for my goods that I don’t know about, it explains why they were trying to railroad the deal.
To them, the only competition was each other. Merchant Guild Uminari and Merchant Guild Yuunari were so busy trying to outfox one another that they didn’t even see us as players. They were just preying on what they thought was our weakness.
”I… I know it’s selfish of me to ask this now, but… please! Could you please keep working with us?! We can’t guarantee the kind of profits they can. We’re going to cause you trouble, and we’re going to fall short! But still…!” Sera cried out.
Sera-chan’s voice was desperate. I wondered how much courage it took for her to come here today. She’s had a rough time ever since she got stuck with my account.
”Relax, Sera-chan. How much do you think you and the guild have helped me since the day I opened? You guys were the ones who kept doing business with a suspicious magic circuit shop when nobody else would,” I said.
”Kento-san…”
”I don’t know if I can fix everything, but I’m not going to turn my back on you. I might not look it, but I’m a pretty loyal guy,” I said with a grin.
I gave her my best “cool guy” smile, even though I knew I was probably laying it on a bit thick.
—
Summary:
Sera reveals that Merchant Guild Tasogare is facing a massive financial crisis due to the collapse of the East-West trade route caused by international tension and the recent ‘Stampede’. Kento realizes that rival guilds were trying to exploit this weakness to take over his business. Despite the guild’s struggles, Kento chooses to remain loyal to Sera and the Twilight Guild.
—
Trivia:
- The ‘Tasogare’ name comes from the founder’s vow at sunset.
- Ferguson and Willope are the primary trade partners affected by the blockade.
- Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest’, was perceived as being on the verge of bankruptcy by outsiders.
- The ‘Hot-Shot-kun’ heater is the primary reason Kento’s shop is currently financially stable
—
Character Insight:
Sera shows extreme vulnerability and professional integrity by admitting her guild’s failure. Kento moves from a passive business partner to an active ally, prioritizing long-term gratitude and ‘Giri’ (loyalty) over immediate profit margins.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The economic ripple effects of a fantasy monster ‘Stampede’ are explored here, showing that the danger doesn’t end when the monsters are killed—it shifts to logistics and supply chains.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• Badatt – The 7th-generation manager of the long-running Tasogare Merchant Guild. Despite his fat, oily, ugly bastard, have multiple rings appearance, he is a competent and respected manager who listens to his employees. He is a man of ‘good sense’ but is overwhelmed by the explicit nature of Kento’s products and the ensuing chaos.
• Haruma – A kindly old man with a full beard and a bald head.
• 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.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply