Chapter 122 The Man Who Continues His Trade
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after spending a passionate night with Cleonora, we were meeting with Lambdaine-san inside a warehouse provided by the town.
The members present were the same as yesterday: Ami-chan, Eme-chan, and Vectra-san, who had just finished helping me release some tension this morning.
Inside the warehouse were several wooden crates, each containing various fruits and vegetables. As the grower, I was introducing these agricultural products.
”…And well, I suppose it’s something like that,” I said.
”Hoh… I see, I see…” Lambdaine-san replied.
Lambdaine-san took each item directly into his hands, looking at them with an interested expression. By the way, since this was strictly a demonstration, I hadn’t brought in a very large quantity.
As for the prices, Liliarette had decided them yesterday. The one with the highest price was, as expected, the melon.
Regarding the vegetables, there were apparently many similar varieties in this world as well. However, corn, tomatoes, and zucchini did not exist here, so I was able to set a reasonably high price for them.
”So… you’re saying you can fill this entire warehouse with these?” Lambdaine asked.
”The timing of the delivery depends on our circumstances, but in a single delivery, we can fill the warehouse with whatever you desire,” I replied.
”Hmph… fine. Let’s start deciding on the fine details,” Lambdaine said.
We moved to the reception room, and the business negotiations proceeded once more. That said, Eme-chan did most of the talking from there, and she summarized the points without any issues.
”Then, make sure that the people of the Kelnamerchant guild¹ are thoroughly informed that Shoichi is an honored guest. Once the delivery to the warehouse is finished, we will notify the merchant guild members, so please pay the specified amount after verification. Is that about right?” Eme-chan asked.
”Yeah, that works. It’s not like I’m always in this town myself. I’ll make sure to tell them all about the King of the Magic Labyrinth²,” Lambdaine replied.
For the time being, it was agreed that the first delivery would take place as soon as tomorrow.
”I’m sure new points for discussion will come up as we trade. When that happens, we won’t negotiate with anyone other than Lambdaine-san,” Eme-chan added.
”I’d feel more secure that way too. The fruits provided by the King of the Magic Labyrinth seem like they could be used for many things… I’m looking forward to our future dealings,” Lambdaine said.
I’m sure Lambdaine-san’s mind was busy calculating profits. He mentioned that besides juice, they would also process them into alcohol.
And then there were the vegetables. It seemed they would immediately incorporate them into existing meals.
I heard that Lambdaine-san also manages restaurants. He plans to develop a trial menu using both the vegetables and fruits there.
With this, it feels safe to say that the money problems in this world have been completely resolved. At least, I don’t think we’ll have to struggle with Resource Points³ or cash anymore.
Additionally, Lambdaine-san holds considerable power within the Republic. Since I’m inevitably ignorant of the situation in this other world, building a relationship where I can hear various stories from him feels like a significant gain.
”Ah… that’s right. There’s something I wanted to ask Lambdaine-san…” I said.
”Oh? What is it?” Lambdaine asked.
Thinking about it, I could probably confirm the state of the Kingdom from Lambdaine-san as well. With that thought, I asked him straight out.
”The news that Princess Liliarette was kidnapped in the Emmeld Kingdom⁴ is known even in the Republic, right? Do you have any information on how the Kingdom is moving regarding that…?” I asked.
Even Iris and the others knew Liliarette’s story. If it’s Lambdaine-san, he might know more details about the Kingdom’s current movements.
”Hoh… in other words, what. As the one sheltering Her Highness Princess Liliarette, you want to keep track of the Kingdom’s movements. Is that it?” Lambdaine asked.
Since I had the letter of introduction, he probably already guessed that I had Liliarette by my side. I wonder if he was just confirming it again.
”Some information has been coming in. Apparently, a flying sorcerer kidnapped the princess. It happened before she was to be married to a Republic councilor, so it caused quite a stir over here too,” Lambdaine said.
Lambdaine-san then told me what kind of movements occurred between the two countries at that time. He said the one who suffered the most was Princess Viorga.
”Is that so…?” I asked.
”Yeah. The Emmeld Kingdom doesn’t have the wealth or national power it once did. Despite that, they’re in the middle of a war with the Empire, so everything costs money. A few months ago, some ‘Hero’ appeared, and it seems they gained quite a high-tier fighting force… but they’re still broke,” Lambdaine explained.
A Hero… so they’ve become known even in other countries… By the way, it was a fairly magnificent castle, but they didn’t have any money.
”The reason one of the councilors brought the proposal to Princess Viorga to give him Princess Liliarette was because he understood the other party’s financial situation well. Princess Viorga was expecting to gain a considerable amount of Republic Balz⁵ currency from that,” Lambdaine said.
However, because Liliarette was kidnapped, naturally that money wasn’t paid… or so it goes.
”Princess Viorga lost the most… but the next one to lose was that councilor. After all, he had already paid half the amount as a deposit,” Lambdaine said.
”Eh… Ah, but. If the princess herself is gone, wouldn’t the deposit be returned…?” I asked.
”Nah. That money is, well. It’s the fee for the labor of crushing Princess Liliarette’s legs. If he demanded the money back, there’s a risk that Princess Viorga would leak information about that area,” Lambdaine replied.
I see…? The councilor is also associated with the merchant guild. He probably doesn’t want rumors spreading that he made a princess disabled.
In reality, it was Princess Viorga who used the miasma. But she seems like the type who could leak fabricated information to her own advantage.
”So, that brings us back to Princess Viorga, who lost the most… That councilor pressed the princess, suspecting she had hidden Princess Liliarette for the sake of deposit fraud,” Lambdaine said.
Ah… that seems likely. From the perspective of the councilor who paid the money, there’s nothing but loss. They would definitely be suspicious…
”Naturally, Princess Viorga said that wasn’t the case. So they ended up agreeing that he would help search for Princess Liliarette. That councilor sent several of his private soldiers into the Kingdom,” Lambdaine said.
”Eh…” I muttered.
”What did you say…!?” Eme-chan exclaimed.
In other words, they invited a foreign military force into their own country. That’s incredible…
Well, it’s a councilor’s private army, so strictly speaking, it’s probably not the Republic’s official military force.
But councilors have great authority in the Republic. If it’s the private army of such a person, it feels like in a broad sense, it wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s a Republic force.
Eme-chan is probably worried about that too. She has a very surprised expression on her face.
”Even Princess Viorga couldn’t refuse, right? She’s already received the money and can’t return it. Because of that, I think the Kingdom is still desperate in its search for Princess Liliarette. Aren’t the councilor’s private soldiers working together with them too?” Lambdaine said.
For the councilor, this allows him to gain information on the Kingdom’s geography, town locations, population scale, and so on.
The Kingdom isn’t at war with the Republic, but it’s probably not information they’d want to hand over actively.
I see… the one who lost the most was Princess Viorga, huh. From the councilors’ perspective, the Emmeld Kingdom isn’t highly evaluated.
The private soldiers who were sent in are probably acting very arrogantly within the Kingdom.
”Well, the Kingdom’s domestic situation hasn’t settled down yet either. Besides the princess kidnapping, there are stories about some nobles gathering weapons and medicines. There might even be a possibility of internal strife,” Lambdaine said.
”Internal strife… while at war with the Empire?” I asked.
”Yeah. Right now, they’re in a stalemate with the Empire. I heard that even the high-tier Hero group is on standby in the Royal Capital instead of the front lines,” Lambdaine replied.
”………”
As expected of Lambdaine-san. Despite being in the Republic, he possesses quite detailed information.
But concrete details about the internal strife probably won’t be known without actually going there… At any rate, I’ve got a good story to bring back to Liliarette.
”Next, I want you to tell me something. Straight up, why did the King of the Magic Labyrinth kidnap the princess? If Princess Viorga finds out about the King of the Magic Labyrinth… she might send a military force against you, no matter what the cost,” Lambdaine asked.
Yeah, well… if she finds out Liliarette is in the Dominion⁶, she’d likely be very angry…
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Summary:
Shoichi and his group finalize a lucrative trade deal with the merchant mogul Lambdaine to supply high-quality produce. After concluding the business, Shoichi inquires about the political state of the Emmeld Kingdom. Lambdaine reveals that the Kingdom is financially destitute and that Princess Viorga is under pressure from a Republic councilor due to Liliarette’s disappearance. Furthermore, foreign private soldiers are now operating within the Kingdom under the guise of searching for the princess, while rumors of potential internal rebellion loom.
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Character Insight:
Shoichi is beginning to realize that his ‘kidnapping’ of Liliarette has triggered a geopolitical domino effect. He is shifting from a simple dungeon master to an international player who needs to manage both his economic wealth and the political risks associated with his companions. Lambdaine’s respect for Shoichi is clearly growing, but it’s tempered by a merchant’s pragmatism—he sees the danger Viorga poses and is warning Shoichi accordingly.
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Behind the Scene:
This chapter establishes the ‘Republic of Balz’ as a mercantile power that uses financial leverage to infringe on the sovereignty of the weakened ‘Emmeld Kingdom.’ It also provides a rare glimpse into the ‘Hero’ mechanics of this world, suggesting they are a strategic resource used for national defense rather than just roaming adventurers.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Lambdaine – A powerful Councilor of the Shital Republic and a successful merchant who built his fortune from nothing. He is the grandfather of Iris and Aris.
• Cleonora – The second princess. Have a yellow blonde hair. Usually styled as hairbun. D-cup.
• Vectra – A Unique Individual maid with white skin and white hair. Height 170cm, Bust Size D. Class: Duelist. Attribute: Darkness. Weapon: Star-Strike Battle Axe Volkein
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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