Chapter 492 The Sun Rises Again ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The “Tremble-D**do-Buddy”¹ and our “Hot-Shot-kun”² heating circuit were the shop’s undisputed bread and butter. However, we’d hit a major snag: the “vibration mechanism” powering them was failing long before its supposed expiration date. I’d already tapped Satsuki the Love-Mage to handle the technical side of the crisis, so it was time for me to get moving on the commercial fix.
When it comes to solving these kinds of headaches, my go-to partner is the Twilight Merchant Guild³. We’ve been tight since back when this place was just a fledgling magic circuit shop. They’re the ones who handle our sales on consignment, supply the raw materials to our factory in Duke Badcage’s lands, and manage all our domestic shipping. No matter how we played this – whether we did a full product exchange or ramped up production to cover the duds – I couldn’t make a move without them. I’d eventually have to loop in the other guilds and the Church, but this was the only place to start.
I made my way to the Twilight Guild’s headquarters on the main drag. I’d been stopping by pretty often lately for various reasons, so the place felt like a second home.
”Hello!” I called out.
”Ah, Harvest-san!” a man replied. “Sorry, things are a bit chaotic right now… You’re here for Sera, right?”
”Yeah. Sorry to drop in unannounced. I don’t mind waiting until you’ve got a breather,” I replied.
”Nonsense! I’ll send a runner. Hang on a sec! Hey, kid! Get moving and find Sera-chan!”
”On it!!!” the boy shouted.
I wandered back toward the warehouse, where the foreman spotted me and moved to help before I could even open my mouth. I felt a little bad for the apprentice boy I’d sent sprinting, so I pulled my pipe from my pocket and took a long drag. While I waited for Sera-chan to show up, I decided to take in the view.
The warehouse was more packed than I’d ever seen it. The heavy wooden shutters had been tossed aside, and the street was lined with carriages. A small army of brawny men was unloading cargo in a rhythmic flow that looked like a high-speed bucket brigade. The line stretched deep into the warehouse, where they were stacking goods onto the high shelves using a “Man Relay”⁴ – a three-tier human ladder. One man would stand on the shoulders of the guy below him, with a third man perched on top of that. They passed crates up the chain with terrifying precision.
(Looks like a deathtrap to me, but I guess it gets the job done.)
The men didn’t seem to care; they moved with a practiced ease that was honestly impressive. It was blue-collar artistry at its finest – the kind of thing people would probably pay to watch. Two or three of these human chains were working at once. As soon as a carriage was empty, they slapped fresh crates onto it, and it rattled off to make room for the next one.
”Kento-san, sorry to keep you waiting!”
”Ah, Sera-chan. Sorry for the surprise visit. Don’t worry, I just got here.”
Sera-chan came running toward me, her braids bouncing. It looked like the apprentice boy had really put the fear of god into her. I patted the boy’s buzzed, prickly head and slid a few coins into his hand as a tip. His eyes sparkled as he thanked me and scrambled back to the bookkeeper by the relay line. (Keep at it, kid. Learning the books is your ticket out of the heavy lifting.)
”Everyone looks slammed,” I remarked.
”Yes, thanks to the boom… Or rather, it’s really all thanks to you, Kento-san,” Sera said.
”Nah, I didn’t do much. The Twilight Guild was just ready when the opportunity knocked,” I replied.
Sera-chan gave me a knowing, slightly awkward look. I guess she knew better than to say, (Right, you just ‘liberated’ a high-profile Elf and restarted international trade,) while we were standing in the middle of a crowded warehouse.
That was the real story: the Twilight Guild was swamped because trade with the Wielope Empire to the east had officially reopened for the first time in decades. Ever since the visit from “Mother” Carley, the Ancient Elf of the Empire, our country had been scrambling to restore commercial ties. The Twilight Guild was leading the charge, and they were currently riding the peak of the trade fever.
They were a powerhouse built on this specific route, serving as the bridge between the Empire and the Kingdom of Ferguson to the west. This headquarters in the capital, Canarias, was the literal heart of that bridge. When Wielope locked down and started calling itself an “Empire,” the guild had essentially been clipped. Now, they were finally flying again. Rebuilding after several decades was a nightmare, though. They had to hunt down retirees who remembered the old routes and customs just to reconstruct the network. I’d helped out a bit, meeting old men who had been apprentices during the last boom; they’d recount stories with their wrinkled faces lit up by massive grins.
They remembered the monster-infested passes, the secret shortcuts, and the old partners with staggering clarity. They had mnemonic songs to count the sequence of towns and used their fingers to track specific goods for each location. It turns out the guild’s tradition of drilling apprentices into the ground went back generations. One of the things they’d bragged about was the “Man Relay” I was watching now. Back in the day, they’d have a dozen lines running at once, and the apprentices would practice the stacking moves in their sleep. Trade had died before that generation could show off, but they were clearly thrilled to be teaching the new blood how it was done.
I tucked my pipe away, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia for a past I hadn’t even lived through. Sera-chan, who had been watching the men with that same sentimental look in her eyes, finally turned to me.
”So, what can I do for you?” Sera asked.
”Well, it’s not really a conversation for the warehouse floor. Can we go somewhere private?”
”Of course. Would you like to see the Manager as well?”
”Yeah. That’d be best,” I said.
”Understood. Right this way.”
We left the chaos of the relay lines behind and headed into the main building. Manager Badatt had always looked like a classic villain – the kind of greasy, nouveau riche merchant you’d see in a bad play. But beneath the gaudy exterior, he was a sharp, kind-hearted pro who lived for the guild. He’d been too busy to see me lately, but it looked like he was in today. He was one of the heirs who had been raised on those old stories of the golden age. Now that those memories were becoming a reality, he was supposedly working himself to the bone, churning out business plans like a man possessed. He was a model merchant in every way… except for that face. Though personally, I thought the “shady dealer” look gave him character.
”Manager, it’s Sera. Mr. Harvest is here to see you,” Sera announced, knocking on the door.
”Oh! Send him in!” a voice called.
We stepped into the office, but the greeting died in my throat. I couldn’t help it; the words just popped out.
”…Did you, uh, deflate?”
”Hahaha! My apologies. I know I must look quite unsightly. Please, don’t mind me,” Badatt replied.
There stood Badatt – or what was left of him. He’d “deflated” so much from overwork that he’d transformed into a lean, sophisticated silver fox. I stared at him, my brain stalling. (Wait, is this even the same guy? Talk about a total makeover!)
—
Summary:
Kento visits the Twilight Merchant Guild to address a durability flaw in his top-selling adult goods. He observes the guild’s massive expansion due to the reopening of trade with the Wielope Empire. Upon meeting Manager Badatt, Kento is shocked to find that the once-portly merchant has physically transformed into a slim, handsome man due to the stress of success.
—
Trivia:
- The ‘vibration mechanism’ is the core component causing the product failures.
- The guild uses ‘mnemonic songs’ to pass down secret trade route information to apprentices.
- The ‘Man Relay’ (human ladder) is a revived traditional labor technique that was nearly lost when trade stopped.
- The reopening of trade was triggered by Kento’s interaction with the Ancient Elf, Carley
—
Character Insight:
Kento continues to act as a catalyst for major economic shifts while downplaying his role. Manager Badatt demonstrates extreme dedication to his craft, literally working himself thin.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the ‘Ikeoji’ (handsome older man) trope as a comedic payoff for Badatt’s extreme work ethic.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Satsuki – Miranda’s granddaughter, a court mage with long black hair in staff‑and‑robes, is a prickly tsundere companion of Kento, humbled yet fulfilled as Harvest’s new worker; her research flourishes under his guidance while she whispers romantic tips to Amelia. Former top Academy student, she lives alone and role‑plays a ‘Professor‑Student’ dynamic with the protagonist.
• Harvest – The protagonist, acting in the role of an ‘Evil Professor’ named Professor Harvest. He possesses low Mana Circuits but is knowledgeable about Academy systems.
• 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 – Lord Harvest—the unassuming owner of the Harvest magic tool shop (with a discreet adult goods side). An isekai’d Japanese salaryman resembling Kazuma Satou, with dark hair and basic magic for crafting. Recently triumphed over a Great Dragon; now juggles his harem, tinkering, and ties to Amelia and the Queen at Ddo-Buddy Manor.
• Carley – Ancient Elf ‘Mother’ (Haha-sama) of Wielope Empire—young beautiful elven looks w/ ancient aura, long autumn-leaf green hair, flat-chested soft body, carefree villain matriarch to assassins/royalty like Emperor ‘Dee-bou’ & Gustav. Forest Blessing granter, founder/supporter, blunt/pragmatic, Kento progeny-obsessed, chill under magic/tentacle restraints.
• 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.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply