Chapter 320 The Man Known as Harvest Kento
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”He didn’t take the bait… did he?” Fati muttered.
”No, he certainly didn’t,” Rafuoro replied.
While Harvest Kento was hearing about the situation from Sera of Merchant Guild Tasogare, two merchants from the maritime nation of Sylvaol were walking through the back-alleys with their shoulders slumped. These were Fati of Merchant Guild Uminari¹ and Rafuoro of Merchant Guild Yuunari².
”He’s nothing like I imagined,” Fati said, her voice dripping with frustration. “Anyone who makes those kinds of products without a hint of shame… I thought he’d be a total money-grubber, or maybe just some lunatic who didn’t care about the world. But this?”
”Indeed,” Rafuoro noted. “If anything, he’s an old-school merchant who operates on duty and personal connections. Judging by the shop’s atmosphere, he’s also the artisan type with a serious obsession for his craft.”
”So he’s a hybrid of two different kinds of headaches?!” Fati snapped. “He’s supposed to be some unlicensed circuit-maker! How the hell did he turn those ridiculous products into a business this big? It shouldn’t be possible!”
Fati and Rafuoro were completely off-balance. In Sylvaol, they were top-tier traders who survived cutthroat markets every day. Their guilds were repositories of vast commercial knowledge, and they had mastered every trick in the book. Yet Kento-san was an anomaly. It wasn’t that men like him didn’t exist-every town had its stubborn local shopkeeper-but a man with that local mindset who could also influence international trade? That was rare.
”Perhaps,” Rafuoro mused, “your attitude touched a nerve with Master Kento. As a merchant, you should show respect to the producer.”
”I don’t need a lecture from you! I know that!” Fati barked. “The rule for dealing with obsessive types is to lead with the product. But usually, that goes both ways!”
Normally, those who were that obsessed with their work hated mass production or selling to faceless customers. They wanted to make every item by hand, judge the buyer with their own eyes, and maintain a one-on-one relationship. That was their creed. Conversely, those who grew their businesses to Kento-san’s scale were usually pragmatists-either money-obsessed sharks or eccentric geniuses who churned out innovations like a machine.
”Well,” Rafuoro conceded, “if he were the money-grubbing type, leading with the price would have been smoother. Roundabout talk just makes them suspicious. But even so, you were far too blunt.”
”Oh, shut up! If you hadn’t shown up, I wouldn’t have had to rush!” Fati’s face flushed. “I could have moved the conversation forward while watching the shopkeeper’s reaction! Now I don’t even know what I diligently tested the products for. Thanks to you, I didn’t even have time to give him my feedback!”
Despite their cynicism, both merchants still believed that quality sells. They had done their homework. If they had been able to convey genuine passion for his work, Harvest Kento likely would have softened. Especially in Fati’s case-Kento-san had a notorious weakness for seeing ‘tough’ women forced to acknowledge the efficacy of his more scandalous inventions.
”Wait, you actually tested them? You?!” Rafuoro asked, his eyes wide. “But you despise men! What was it like? Give me the details! Is Master Kento’s work really that revolutionary? The women in my guild are useless-they just turn bright red and scream at me to get the contract!”
”Shut it! I’m not telling you anything!” Fati snarled. “In case you forgot, we’re rivals!”
The first encounter was a disaster, but they weren’t about to quit. A merchant who gave up after one rejection wouldn’t last a week in Sylvaol.
”We need intel,” Rafuoro said, shifting gears. “He’s not just a hack; his technique has roots. We need to find his lineage. Should we start with the medicinal guilds or the alchemists?”
”Tch. Let’s start with the locals,” Fati countered. “If we move separately, we’ll just look suspicious. I hate to say it, but let’s team up for now.”
”Wait, don’t just walk off-!” Rafuoro called out, chasing after her.
They began their work. Information was the lifeblood of a merchant. But as they dug deeper into the life of Harvest Kento, they found themselves in a labyrinth of contradictions.
”Excuse me,” Fati said, putting on a polite face as she approached a group of housewives chatting by a well. “I was wondering if you could tell me about the magic circuit shop, ‘Harvest’?”
”Oh, hello dear,” one of the women chirped. “You from out of town? You’re quite the… enthusiast³ to come all this way, aren’t you?”
”W-well, yes, I suppose…” Fati stammered.
”It’s just down that path,” another woman offered with a wink. “But watch out-the owner is a total groper. Loves a bit of ‘s*xual harassment,’ that one.”
”He really needs to grow up,” another laughed. “What’s he going to do when Momo-chan gets older?”
”Momo-chan…?” Fati asked.
”Kento-san’s daughter. Sweetest little thing,” the woman replied.
”An absolute doll. She’s going to be a heartbreaker,” another added.
”Here’s a tip, sweetie: if he starts acting up, just ask him, ‘Can you really look your daughter in the eye after saying that?’ It works every time.”
”Hahaha! Oh, I need to ask Lily-chan how he reacted to that later!”
”Wait,” Fati interrupted. “The owner of Harvest… has a child?!”
”A child? Please,” a woman snorted. “I heard he’s got about four more on the way.”
”Q-quadruplets?!” Fati gasped.
”No, no, he’s just got a lot of wives,” the woman explained. “The man is a powerhouse provider⁴. I wish my husband had half his drive.”
”He’s a doting father and a devoted husband. And I heard he’s a noble now! If only he weren’t such a skirt-chaser, I’d be interested,” another joked.
”Then you’d both be completely different people!” the group roared with laughter.
Meanwhile, Rafuoro had ducked into a general store. He figured a man asking about an ‘adult’ shop on the street would look like a predator.
”Hello?” Rafuoro called out.
”Hmph. A stranger, eh?” an old man grunted. “Don’t touch the products!”
”Sorry. It’s just… these are incredible. A Holol-alloy⁵ blade? Just sitting here on a rack?!”
”Oh? So you’ve got an eye for quality. You a merchant?”
”Something like that. Is there a magic circuit shop nearby?”
”Hmm. There is, but it’s a shady shop for women, mostly,” the man said.
”Isn’t it dangerous? Usually, those are run by hacks,” Rafuoro noted.
”Nah, the kid isn’t bad. His master’s lineage is top-notch, so he can’t be a crook.”
”If he has a legitimate master, maybe I should check it out.”
”If that’s what you want, go to ‘Harvest.’ He makes some weird stuff besides the toys. His skill is decent enough, though he was a late bloomer,” the old man concluded.
By the time the two merchants reunited, their heads were spinning. They laid out their notes.
”He’s a doting father with a harem,” Fati whispered. “He’s a shameless flirt with a reputation for harassment, yet the locals love him. He’s a noble with connections to the Church and the Royal Palace…”
”And he’s not even a natural-born mage,” Rafuoro added. “He was an adventurer who apprenticed under a master pharmacist and a master alchemist. He sells healing potions and adult toys… but he might also be developing top-secret magical weaponry.”
””What the hell is this guy?!”” they shouted in unison.
They clutched their heads, completely defeated by the enigma of Harvest Kento.
—
Summary:
Fati and Rafuoro, merchants from Sylvaol, struggle to comprehend Harvest Kento after a failed negotiation. They conduct a local investigation in the back alleys of Ganmaref to uncover his background. The chapter concludes with them completely overwhelmed by the contradictory reports of his life as a noble, a family man, and a ‘shady’ artisan.
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Trivia:
- Fati personally tested Kento’s adult goods despite her disdain for men.
- Kento is now officially a noble with ties to the Royal Palace and the Church.
- Kento was a late-blooming magic user, not a natural-born mage.
- He has a daughter named Momo-chan and multiple wives.
- The general store owner in Ganmaref recognizes Kento’s high-level master’s lineage
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Character Insight:
Kento’s reputation is a wild mix of ‘neighborhood flirt’ and ‘legendary craftsman.’ Fati shows professional pride even when embarrassed, while Rafuoro displays a more calculating, observant merchant’s eye.
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Behind the Scenes:
The chapter highlights the ‘Information Gap’ trope where outsiders see the protagonist’s chaotic public image without understanding his unique Isekai-derived circumstances.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• Momo – The newborn daughter of Kento and Lily. She has pink hair and her father’s ear and eyebrow shapes.
• 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.
• Soi – An old professor from Ajire seminary, the first to raise a question. Looks like wizardly.
• Suu – Secretary for the Royal Capital Beast-person Mutual Aid Association and a cat beast-person. Sample No. 19 in Kento’s report. She steps up as the first witness for the defense.
• Ganmaref – A short, elderly man with a curved back. He has white hair and a beard that reaches nearly to the floor. He is a stubborn and sharp-tongued shopkeeper who serves as a coordinator for the back alley’s merchant association.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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