Chapter 76 The Man Who Started Business in the Republic
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Thanks to Eme-chan’s prior research¹, we were quickly able to reach a town in the Republic.
This was, in fact, the first town in this world that I had visited, excluding the place where I was first summoned.
Upon arrival, I immediately had Ami-chan place the Wedge².
This act made it possible to travel between this spot and the Dominion³ at any time, so long as it was within the Wedge’s area of effect.
”When we come to this town, it would be best to teleport in an alleyway or a place where there aren’t too many people.”
”It’s true that people would be surprised if someone suddenly appeared.”
At that, I returned to the Dominion for a moment. I then took a cart laden with goods that the maids had prepared, and once more teleported to the town.
Since travel between Japan and the other world is separate from teleportation, clothing and items can be brought along to a certain extent. Eme-chan also came along.
The plan was to have her assist in the unlikely event that something went wrong.
”Well then, let’s start walking the streets at once!” Ami-chan exclaimed.
”Yeah. I feel nervous…”
”There’s nothing to do but forge ahead now that we’ve come this far! Come on, come on!”
I pulled the cart out onto the street. The town of the other world, seen for the first time, was more prosperous than expected.
The roads were paved, and there were many people. It was simply a place full of vitality. Moreover, there was no uniform appearance to the people’s skin colours or facial features. This meant that I’s face would probably not stand out too much here.
The cart was flying a small banner on which writing had been inscribed. I could not read it, but Liliarette, who had written it, said it meant, “Delicious Fruit Available.”
”Would anyone care for some incredibly delicious and juicy fruit?” Ami-chan called out, quite enthusiastically.
There seemed to be fairies similar to Ami-chan in this world, too. However, they were apparently quite rare, as many people were staring intently at I and companions.
”I don’t recognise your face!”
”It’s unusual to see someone with a fairy in tow.”
”Is that your merchandise? I haven’t seen any of that before…”
Most of the people who gathered were likely there less because they were interested in the fruit and more because they wanted a closer look at the novelty of Ami-chan.
Anticipating such a situation, Eme-chan began to handle the customers with a calm demeanour.
”They are all proud, top-quality items! Feel free to try a sample!”
”Oh, it’s free!”
”If it’s free, I suppose I’ll take one.”
”Are you sure? It’s fruit I’ve never seen before.”
”That’s exactly why I’m curious!”
It seemed there were many people who felt a sense of advantage from something being free, as well as those who were highly curious. Perhaps this was characteristic of the nation.
Eme-chan cut an apple with a knife and arranged the pieces on a plate. Meanwhile, I peeled an orange and also arranged the segments on a plate.
”Let’s see…”
”Oh…! This is…!”
”What is this, it tastes incredibly good!”
”The sweetness and sourness are wonderfully balanced! I bet it would be delicious if you squeezed it for a drink!”
As the first few people started making a commotion, even more people gathered. It felt like this was much more successful than I had imagined!
”Little lady, give me a piece too!”
”Ah, me too!”
”If I let everyone sample everything, there won’t be anything left to sell. There is only one sample piece remaining; after that, please pay money to buy one!” Eme-chan said.
The samples vanished in an instant. But the taste must have been genuinely good, because several people bought fruit right then and there.
”Can’t we sample the other fruit?”
”That would be the grapes, the peaches, and the melon. Those are quite difficult to cultivate. We don’t have samples for them, and the price is set high, but… the taste is guaranteed.”
”Hmph…”
”If you purchase the apples and oranges here, I can reduce the price of the grapes and peaches slightly. But the melon’s price cannot be lowered.”
”How much is it?” asked the old man.
”Twenty thousand Balz⁴,” Eme-chan stated.
”Eh!?”
I did not know how much 20,000 Balz was, but judging by the reaction, it must be quite expensive.
”That’s a bit… well…”
”It’s not as if we absolutely must sell it. We only have three. If they don’t sell, we’ll just take them home and eat them ourselves,” Eme-chan said, demonstrating a bold attitude.
Well, the presence or lack of money was not a particularly relevant issue for I’s livelihood, so that must be the reason for her stance.
”Hey, you! Why don’t you tell the little lady to lower the price for us?” the old man urged me.
”Unfortunately, he is the one who cultivated these fruits,” Eme-chan replied. “I only managed to get permission from him to sell three of them.”
”In that case, perhaps a further reduction in price…”
”He told me that if they were left over, he would give them to me. So, as far as I’m concerned, I’d almost prefer if they didn’t sell.”
That was clever! If someone says they are intentionally setting the price high so they can eat the leftovers themselves, it becomes difficult to counter. This is because the argument is based on emotion, not logic.
The buyer would also understand that 20,000 Balz was the price at which Eme-chan would forgo eating the melon. I wondered if Liliarette had planned this line of reasoning, too.
”Blast it…! Hey, everyone! How about we pool our money and buy one together!?” the old man cried out.
”I’m in!”
”We can eat it right here, can’t we!?”
Was this strong preference for novelty a trait of a country where commerce was thriving?
In any case, five people, both men and women, who had gathered there jointly purchased one melon.
”Hmph… I suppose it can’t be helped,” Eme-chan said. “You’ll be eating it here, won’t you? Shall I cut it up?”
”Please do!” the old man requested.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Eme-chan sliced the melon. She then handed the five-equal-parts to the purchasers.
They immediately sank their teeth into the melon.
”Wha-“
”What in the world is this!?”
”What incredible juiciness!”
”It’s… sweet!”
”This truly is a flavour commensurate with the price!”
Hearing the reactions of the five people, the surroundings grew even more excited. In the meantime, the fruit other than the melon sold out one after another.
”Hey, you! Give me that last one!” a man shouted.
”Here you go,” Eme-chan said.
Finally, the grapes were also sold out. Other people had jointly purchased another melon, leaving only one melon remaining.
”Say, you. Where was this fruit cultivated?” the old man who had eaten the melon asked. “All sorts of things gather in this town, but I’ve never seen or heard of this before.”
”Ah… well. That is… in the Demon Forest⁵…”
”Huh!?”
”The Demon Forest, you say!?”
This was the first time I had conversed with an unspecified number of people in this way. Even in a different world, I felt tense. I was simply not accustomed to it.
Eme-chan, sensing the need for assistance, cut in to help I.
”We live in the Demon Forest,” she stated.
”Eh!?”
”No way…!?”
”We usually cultivate these kinds of fruits there. Today, we came to sell a small surplus. If we have a surplus again, we’ll come back and sell it, just the same as today.”
She was telling them, be sure to come next time, wasn’t she?
A decent quantity was sold, and I could grasp that this area had a nature that made people jump at anything novel. It was likely that word would spread quickly.
”What’s all the commotion about?”
A slightly young girl’s voice was heard. Turning to look, I saw two extremely cute girls standing there.
Accompanying them from behind was an elderly man dressed in what appeared to be butler’s attire.
”Lady Aristina and Lady Iristina…!” one of the onlookers whispered.
The girls had identical appearances: large, shining golden eyes, well-formed noses, and small lips.
However, their hair colours were different. One had pale pink hair, and the other had silver hair.
The pink-haired girl had her hair tied high in pigtails (twintails), and the silver-haired girl had hers gathered in a two-side-up style.
Both wore very expensive-looking clothing and had pretty ribbons in their hair.
(T-Twins!)
Upon closer inspection, the pink-haired girl’s eyes were slightly slanted, while the silver-haired girl’s eyes had a sort of jito-me or droopy look. The two girls approached the area where I and companions were.
”Actually, these men are selling fruits that no one has ever seen before…” the old man who had purchased the melon explained.
”Hmph? Are you referring to that?” Aristina asked.
”Yes. They had various others, but only that melon, which is the most expensive, remains after everything else was sold out,” the old man said.
Because the twin girls were so charming, I offered them a smile.
”That’s right. I’ll bring lots of fruit next time,” I said.
”Just a moment. Iristina, that human-shaped demon monster just spoke words,” Aristina said to her twin.
”I heard you, Aristina. Its beastly breath got on my hair and clothes. I liked this outfit, but I’ll have to throw it away now.” Iristina replied.
”………”
Eh…? W-Was I just subjected to some incredible verbal abuse?
”Look closely, it’s a demon monster, yet it’s wearing clothes. How ridiculous (kokkei),” Aristina observed.
”It must believe itself to be human. How ignorant (gumai),” Iristina commented.
Yes… there was no mistake, I was definitely being insulted. Yet, because the two were so cute, I strangely felt no unpleasantness.
”You, there. How much is this?” Aristina asked Eme-chan.
”Eh…? Ah, it’s 20,000 Balz…” Eme-chan replied.
”………I see. Luizef,” Aristina commanded.
”Yes, my lady,” the old butler standing behind the two stepped forward.
He took out a purse and paid the money.
”Ah… thank you for your purchase…” Eme-chan said, handing the melon to the butler.
As the butler stepped back, the two girls examined the melon up close.
”Hmph… so this is the 20,000 Balz fruit, is it…?” Aristina mused.
”You made us pay money. If we judge it to be without value…” Iristina began.
”…you won’t be able to do business in this town. You were prepared for that much, weren’t you?” Aristina finished.
Saying this, they turned their backs as if to leave. The old man who had eaten the melon called out to them.
”Heh heh… ladies. I highly recommend chilling it before eating, you know?” he suggested.
Responding to the old man’s voice, the two girls looked back.
”I ate mine as it was just now… but I thought it would be even more delicious if it were chilled,” the old man said.
”……Is that so?” Aristina replied.
”We will take your advice into account,” Iristina said.
Saying that, they finally departed.
In any case, this marked a complete sell-out. Eme-chan looked up at the old man and opened her mouth.
”Um… who were those people…?” she asked.
”Don’t you know? Ah, I suppose you were introduced as people who live in the Demon Forest,” the old man said.
Ah, this… they clearly didn’t believe the story, did they?
”Those were the young ladies of the town’s foremost merchant guild⁶, the Kelna Merchant Guild,” the old man explained.
The town’s foremost…? Could it be… the merchant guild that had produced a Councillor!?
”They were interested in the fruit they’d never seen, but they were surely greatly annoyed that strangers didn’t immediately offer to present it to them as a gift,” the old man speculated.
”Eh!?” Eme-chan gasped.
What was that!? Did they expect us to offer it to them!?
Perhaps… asking for the price was a way to make us say, “No, no! Don’t be ridiculous! Please take it!”
”And the price was 20,000 Balz on top of that. That was a threat, a way of saying, ‘You made us pay this much money, so it had better taste incredibly good!’”
”Feh!?”
”They probably plan to spread all sorts of rumours to ensure you can never do business here again, but… well, don’t worry. They will absolutely find 20,000 Balz worth of value in that.”
The old man nodded, his eyes filled with conviction. Why did he seem so cool?
”The Kelna Merchant Guild is the real deal; if they were to value that at less than 20,000, it would be their judgment that would be called into question. Besides, it’s too late now to spread a rumour that your fruit isn’t worth the price. Too many people have already bought it, you see.”
I see… well, Liliarette was the one who came up with the price setting, after all. It seemed her financial sense was sound.
—
Summary:
The protagonist and Eme-chan enter a Republic town to sell their high-quality, rare fruits. They use teleportation and the ‘Wedge’ for instant travel back to their Dominion. Ami-chan draws a crowd due to her nature as a rare fairy. The fruit, priced high by Liliarette, quickly sells out after initial samples impress the crowd. They are confronted by the twin daughters of the powerful Kelna Merchant Guild, Aristina and Iristina, who buy the last melon at full price while insulting the protagonist as a ‘demon monster.’ The old man who ate the first sample reassures the protagonist that the high price was an effective strategy against the merchant guild, ensuring their future business success.
—
Character Insight:
Liliarette’s cold, calculating approach to finance is demonstrated as effective against the Republic’s elite. Her strategy of setting an impossibly high price and feigning indifference (“I’d rather eat it myself”) worked to leverage the merchant guild’s pride and curiosity against them, proving her value as the Chief Maid and financial advisor.
—
Behind the Scene:
The confrontation with Aristina and Iristina introduces a powerful, antagonistic force tied to the town’s commerce, setting up future conflicts. The town’s nature—curious, commerce-driven, and quick to spread news—establishes it as a viable market but one where reputation and power dynamics are critical.
—
T/L:
¹ Prior research > Eme-chan often uses her Golem abilities and network to gather comprehensive information on regions and potential threats. ↩
² Wedge > A teleportation marker set by Ami-chan that allows for instant travel between the marked location and the Dominion. ↩
³ Dominion > The name given to the protagonist’s personal territory, which he can access instantly. ↩
⁴ Balz > The unit of currency used in the Republic. ↩
⁵ Demon Forest > A dangerous, monster-inhabited area where the protagonist lives and cultivates his crops. ↩
⁶ merchant guild > A powerful organization of merchants that controls trade and commerce, often wielding political influence. ↩
Notes:
• 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.
• Aristina – A young, very cute girl, twin to Iristina. She has pale pink hair tied in high pigtails (twintails) and slightly slanted eyes. She is dressed in expensive clothing with a pretty ribbon on her head.
• Iristina – A young, very cute girl, twin to Aristina. She has silver hair styled in a two-side-up fashion and has somewhat drooping, jito-me-like eyes. She is dressed in expensive clothing with a pretty ribbon on her head.
• Gin – A friend of Kiraurumi who craves excitement and is secretly a ‘lolita enthusiast’ complexed about her own tall stature. She sees the world-saving mission as a ‘plane ride over a river’ of boredom.
• Luizef – An elderly gentleman accompanying Aristina and Iristina, dressed in attire suggesting a butler or senior attendant.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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