Chapter 513 A Hundred Rivers Pay Homage to the Sea ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After finishing my talk with Fati from the Uminari Merchant Guild, I moved on to hearing from Rafuoro of the Yuunari Merchant Guild.
Since Fati had briefed me on domestic sales within Sylvaol, Rafuoro’s report focused on trade with the Southern Continent. I had heard rumors that ships carrying the ‘D**do-Buddy’ were finally starting to return…
”I’ll start with the conclusion. It seems your ‘Harvest’ products were completely sold out over there as well.”
”Ho, that is excellent news.”
Celebration! The ‘D**do-Buddy’ is a total sell-out! While they took other products too, a sell-out is a sell-out. Yet, despite the news, Rafuoro didn’t look happy. I had a pretty good idea why.
”…The price wasn’t great, was it?”
”To put it bluntly, yes… However, please don’t jump to conclusions. I only say that because the revenue figures leave me no choice.”
To understand this, I have to explain a bit about maritime trade. First, in this world, ‘fixed prices’ don’t exist like they did in my old world. Prices are settled through the tug-of-war between buyer and seller. Without a set price, buyers haggle and sellers gouge.
This is why Prince Roland ended up buying that suspicious ornament at a stall. It’s a common sight here.
The only exceptions are guild-affiliated shops. Not the Adventurer’s Guild, but craft unions like weavers or cobblers. These groups agree not to work below a certain price to prevent undercutting. If one person drops their price to steal customers, a race to the bottom begins where every craftsman loses. The system prevents that.
Because of this, prices are somewhat stable unless a major event like a ‘Stampede’ occurs. However, common sense doesn’t apply to the sea. Merchant ships are expensive. You have to cover the vessel, the cargo, months of food, and crew wages in a single trip.
You load the ship to the gills, sell the cargo at the destination, use that money to buy local goods for the return, and then sell those imports back home. That’s how you make a profit.
There’s one problem: if your initial cargo doesn’t sell, you can’t buy the return goods. It’s a matter of cash and physical space. Local merchants know this. They know you have to sell, so they’ll lowball² you. If they push too hard, it turns into a fight.
The ledgers for the Uminari and Yuunari guilds probably showed depressing numbers for goods hauled all the way from the Canaria Kingdom. But…
”Our guild, along with Uminari, has already organized and dispatched a fleet even larger than the last. We are already preparing the next one as well.”
He looked me straight in the eye. Despite his calm voice, I could see a predatory ambition in his gaze. Fati nodded beside him, her eyes reflecting the same fire.
I couldn’t stop my mind from imagining a fleet packed with ‘D**do-Buddies’ sailing the ocean, perhaps with majestic phallic figureheads on their prows… but this wasn’t the time for that.
”…That’s quite a gamble. May I ask what led you to that decision?”
”Of course. This is based on reports from the sailors who actually went to the Southern Continent—”
Rafuoro’s story matched my guesses. The sailors went to their regular contacts, sold their usual wares, and then showed off the new ‘Harvest’ items. But there was a catch: even on the Southern Continent, selling adult magic circuits is restricted. You need a government permit. Since their usual contact didn’t have one, they had to find a specialist dealer, which was a nightmare.
They found the dealers quickly, but couldn’t agree on a price. As I expected, they were taken advantage of. They had to sell at the absolute minimum price just to move the stock. It was a failure for a debut voyage.
I felt bad for the burly sailors running around an ivory land with ddos in hand, only to get lowballed and grumble in frustration. I almost burst out laughing. If I could, I’d love to travel the seven seas with nothing but a ‘D**do-Buddy’ as a weapon, but I’ll stick to imagining it.
”However, as we were finishing our return loading, the situation changed.”
”…Someone realized how good my products are?”
”…! Exactly.”
Rafuoro looked surprised, but I wasn’t. I have absolute confidence in my goods. They’ve always been supported by enthusiasts.
”A person claiming to be a ‘messenger for a certain individual’ approached our ship. They said they missed out on buying several items and demanded we bring them directly next time.”
It was great news. A heavyweight backer was interested, and more importantly, it proved the goods sell in the Southern Continent.
”Wait, is that okay? Uminari still doesn’t have a permit, right?”
”No, it is not okay. That country doesn’t give permits to foreign guilds.”
So we’d still have to use those lowballing merchants? I looked at Rafuoro, but he wasn’t done.
”We told her that. And she apparently replied quite casually: ‘Then I shall go buy them myself. If it is outside the borders, I have no need for tedious permits…’”
”Wait, does that mean…?”
”Yes. That individual has already traveled to Sylvaol. She launched her own ship just to buy Master Kento’s goods.”
—
Summary:
Kento receives a business report regarding the first trade voyage to the Southern Continent involving his adult magic circuits. Despite selling out, the profit margins were razor-thin due to local licensing restrictions and predatory merchants who took advantage of the sailors. However, the mission is revealed to be a long-term success when a high-profile, mysterious buyer decides to bypass international red tape by sailing to Sylvaol herself. This unexpected move confirms the high demand for ‘Harvest’ products and establishes a direct link with a powerful foreign backer.
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Trivia:
- The term ‘many rivers flow to the sea’ suggests that multiple interests (merchants, royalty, and foreign powers) are all converging on Kento’s shop.
- The ‘certain individual’ who is willing to cross the ocean for adult goods suggests a person of immense wealth and lack of inhibition, likely a major future character.
- The mention of the ‘Stampede’ grounds the economic discussion in the world’s recent history and potential future instability
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Character Insight:
The relationship between Kento and the Sylvaol merchants shifts from a simple supplier-buyer dynamic to a shared strategic partnership. Rafuoro and Fati show a ‘predatory ambition,’ indicating they see Kento’s products as a way to monopolize a lucrative new market, while Kento moves from skepticism to confidence in his brand’s international appeal.
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
Adult magic circuits are heavily regulated and require specific government permits for sale on the Southern Continent.
Economic guilds act as price-fixing cartels to prevent internal competition and market crashes.
Maritime trade logistics involve high risks where cargo space is as valuable as the currency itself.
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TL Notes:
The title ‘百川、海に朝す’ is a classical idiom. ‘朝す’ (chousu) specifically means to have an audience with a superior or for a vassal to pay tribute, implying that the ‘rivers’ (merchants/buyers) are acknowledging Kento or his products as the ‘sea’ (the ultimate destination/authority).
Notes:
• Rafuoro – A slender Sylvaol merchant of the Yuunari (Evening Calm) Guild, with thin vermillion hair, pale skin, and a lanky, skeletal frame, he exudes calm poise surpassing even Fati, meticulously securing trade advantages with the Southern Continent through shrewd, ambitious diplomacy.
• Fati – Dark, bruised‑crimson hair tied with a bandana crowns a sun‑kissed bronze‑skinned woman of Sylvaol. As Uminari (Sound of the Sea) guild merchant, she handles domestic sales, nods to Rafuoro’s plans, and dreams of leading an all‑female crew, speaking informally as “atai.”
• Harvest – Kento Harvest, a gaunt scholar in a tattered academic coat, wields low‑mana circuits and masters Academy systems. He runs an adult magic‑circuit shop, crafting rare components with cold calculation, valuing brand trust. He has multiple lovers/slaves and several children.
• Roland – Prince and younger brother of both Queen Cecile and the King of Ferguson, heir to the Canaria throne. He sports clean golden‑blonde hair matching the queen, an innocent, delicate face that could be mistaken for a girl, yet dresses in formal boy’s attire. Close to Unia.
• Kento – Lord Harvest, a dark-haired Japanese salaryman resembling Kazuma Satō, is the enigmatic owner of the Harvest magic shop, specializing in adult magic circuits and inventions like the Night-Glow Wand—products he designs using deep knowledge of his former world’s systems, including MSRP. A former adventurer and industrial magnate, he oversees a sprawling empire across kingdoms, maintains a harem, and holds a 7-for-7 impregnation record. He wears a left-ring finger band, resides in the Dildo-Buddy Mansion’s basement alongside Amelia, and secretly operates an underground adult-circuit network beneath his legitimate business. He’s tied to the Queen, recently secured a Great Dragon victory, and balances his roles as entrepreneur, strategist, and reluctant patriarch.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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