Chapter 347 That’s Just Who You Are
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after my diplomatic summit with the Kingdom of Ferguson began with a quiet exit. I couldn’t exactly lounge around in Her Majesty’s royal bedchamber until noon, so I’d made a discreet departure sometime during the night.
The real awkwardness, however, came at the banquet. Being summoned back to face King William again was one thing, but watching Prince Roland? He was absolutely smitten with Unia Greter.
It was a heartwarming sight – two young royals flirting over hors d’oeuvres – but I couldn’t help but notice that the Prince was the one doing all the heavy lifting with those puppy-dog eyes. Still, neither the formidable Duke Badcage nor the Queen’s personal retinue seemed to mind. In fact, Her Majesty didn’t say a word. I suspect letting the two of them grow close might be part of a larger play.
Their social standing is a match, so as long as Unia – or the adults pulling her strings – doesn’t cause a scandal, things should be fine. That’s something I’ll have to keep an eye on.
As her educator, I really ought to offer some guidance… but I had more pressing business to attend to first. I had a promise to keep regarding the revival of the East-West trade route I’d wrung out of Ferguson.
”Hello? Harvest Magic Circuits¹ here. Are Sera-chan² and Manager Badatt in?” I asked, stepping into the foyer.
The office of the Merchant Guild Tasogare³ was a hive of activity, even more frantic than usual. Just as Sera-chan had warned, everyone was scrambling to keep the ship from sinking.
A burly warehouseman led me through the chaos to a familiar reception room. I hadn’t expected the management to drop everything for me, but it wasn’t long before the door swung open.
”Ah, Mr. Kento! Apologies for the wait,” Badatt greeted me.
”Not at all. I should be the one apologizing for dropping in unannounced,” I replied.
Good god, had he lost weight? It was more than that. Badatt’s usual shady businessman look had evolved into a full-blown villainous mask. His eyes were sunken, framed by deep, dark circles, and his cheeks were gaunt. He’d tried to mask it with some heavy-handed grooming, but it only made him look more like a desperate underworld boss. Even knowing the guy, he looked genuinely terrifying. No wonder Sera-chan was worried.
Speaking of Sera, the moment she saw me, her face lit up like a signal flare. This was only our second time meeting since her entrance exam. She’d turned into a total beet-red mess when she came by to unload cargo the other day, so I was relieved to see she was at least holding it together today. Mostly.
”So… I assume you’re here about the trade with Sylvaol?” Badatt asked as he took his seat, his expression darkening with grim resolve.
With that look on his face, he’d gone from a chuckling nouveau riche type to a cackling serial killer. I’m glad I came when I did.
”That’s part of it, but not the whole story. I’m here to talk about the East-West trade,” I said.
”The East-West trade…?” Badatt asked, leaning forward.
He tilted his head, confused. When Sera does that, it’s adorable. When Badatt does it, he looks like a predator sizing up a meal. My heart goes out to the guy, really.
”Sera-chan told me everything. It sounds like you’ve been through the wringer,” I noted quietly.
”Sera! You told him?!” Badatt barked, glancing at her.
”Don’t go blaming her,” I cut in. “I’ve already had Sylvaol merchants knocking on my door. Expecting her to keep quiet about a crisis like this was an unfair burden.”
”I… I see. I’m embarrassed you had to hear of our struggles. But it’s true. This guild is standing at a precipice,” Badatt admitted.
Trade with the Willowp Empire to the east had dried up, and the route to Ferguson in the west was a ghost road. The Merchant Guild Tasogare was losing its very foundation. Despite his terrifying final-boss face, it was a dire situation. I leaned back, letting a confident, slightly predatory smirk play on my lips.
”Actually… I’d call it a springboard for a massive leap forward,” I said.
”What do you mean by that?” he asked.
”Exactly what I said. From this day forward, the Merchant Guild Tasogare begins its journey toward becoming the greatest trade power on the continent, commanding the routes to the north, south, east, and west,” I declared.
”Mr. Kento, you…” Badatt whispered, breathless.
God, I love negotiating with this guy. I leaned into my shady magic shop owner persona. I laid it all out: Ferguson’s desperate need to restore the trade routes, my shop’s role in the reconstruction, and the massive influx of commerce that would follow.
In this world of loose regulations, leaking the details of a royal summit this early was a shade of gray so dark it was practically charcoal. But hey, I’d gotten the Queen’s permission while I was thoroughly enjoying her company yesterday. Besides, Her Majesty knows she can’t afford to let this guild fail.
They’ve already been instrumental in the Coalmine trade to the north, and I need them sharp for the Sylvaol expansion to the southwest. They’re my most important partners. A little abuse of my royal connections was a small price to pay.
”And you want… our guild to handle the logistics?” Badatt asked.
”Exactly. I already have the Queen’s blessing. The West is about to get very busy. The lords are moving their armies, and the adventurers are following the coin. My shop will be sending out teams too – we’ll need you to transport gear, weapons, and my personal inventory on the way out. On the way back? You’ll be hauling monster parts and raw materials. All of which my shop intends to buy in bulk,” I explained.
”But the overhead… the risk…”
”Don’t sweat the small stuff. My shop and the Crown are putting up the capital, and I’m making Ferguson foot their share of the bill. The Merchant Guild Tasogare just happens to be the one picking up the windfall. That’s all,” I said.
I gave him my best wicked merchant grin – a look that would’ve made a robber baron proud. Badatt didn’t even blink; his mind was already spinning. He was likely calculating carriages, personnel, and inventory in real-time. He knew he could do it; he just had to rebuild what was lost before the Stampede.
”It’s an incredible offer,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “But if we commit everything to the West…”
”We’ll balance the North and South. Winter’s ending, so the demand for Hot-Shot⁴ heaters will dip anyway. As for the South, I have a simple plan. For example…”
We spent the next hour trading devious grins and hammering out the details. For now, the crisis was averted. Whether they’d actually become the center of the world’s trade was up to them, but the path was open.
I decided to save the talk about Sera-chan for another day. I don’t think Badatt’s heart could take any more shocks today. And I definitely wasn’t intimidated by his scary face. Definitely.
As I left the office, Sera-chan came out to see me off. She looked at me with a complicated, searching expression.
”Did you… have this all planned out? Even before I came to the shop for my interview?” she asked.
”Of course. You didn’t think I’d actually let your guild go under, did you? More importantly, I’m not about to let you cry, Sera,” I said.
”……”
”Sera-chan?” I asked, tilting my head.
She looked down, her voice a tiny, muffled whisper. “That’s just who you are…”
She glanced around nervously, and after confirming the hallway was empty, she stood up on her tiptoes.
”I’m coming over tonight,” she whispered into my ear.
She’d clearly been aiming for a cool and seductive delivery, but she was a little too short to pull it off perfectly. I didn’t mind. I took a moment to enjoy how incredibly red her face had turned before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
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Summary:
Kento leaves the Queen’s chambers and heads to the Merchant Guild Tasogare. He finds Manager Badatt physically drained by the guild’s impending financial collapse. Kento secures a massive trade deal between Ferguson and Canaria, positioning the guild as the primary logistics hub and saving it from ruin.
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Trivia:
- Kento was technically in the Queen’s bedroom right before this.
- Prince Roland is head-over-heels for Unia Greter.
- Badatt’s appearance has drastically changed due to stress, looking like a serial killer.
- The ‘Stampede’ is a past event that disrupted the trade routes.
- Kento is Unia’s educator.
- Sera had a ‘job interview’ with Kento previously
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Character Insight:
Kento demonstrates his loyalty to those he works with, leveraging his new political clout with the Queen to save Badatt and Sera’s livelihood. Sera’s bold move at the end shows her growing comfort with Kento despite her extreme shyness.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘shady merchant’ persona Kento adopts is a callback to classic Japanese period dramas (Jidaigeki) where corrupt merchants plot with officials.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Roland – he younger brother of Queen Cecile and the heir apparent to the Canaria throne. Clean, golden-blonde hair, same color as the Queen, innocent, beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl but dressed in a boy’s formal wear.
• Unia – The third daughter of the house of Duke Greiter. Has blonde hair tied in an intricate style, dol-like beauty, and expressionless face.
• 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.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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