Read Novel Full Vol 20 Chapter 4
Vol 20 Chapter 4
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Chapter 4 – Original Use
I arrived at the beastmen’s village, but as I expected, I was buried under a mountain of paperwork. What I didn’t expect was that the mountain of paperwork was even bigger than I had imagined. I was heartbroken when I went to inspect the site and found that the construction was going on at a rate that was no laughing matter and that most of the workers were refugees. The future of the village was in my hands. This wasn’t the time to complain about a sore hand from signing too many documents.
I signed in silence.
I just kept signing.
I sacrificed sleep and food to sign.
I signed so much that I hated my own name.
I signed so much that I cried when they brought me more documents to sign.
I signed so much that I lost sight of why I was signing.
After living like that for a while, I realized one thing.
Ballpoint pens are great.
I use a slightly expensive pen that I chose for its smooth writing and comfortable size.
I liked it so much that I kept a few extra pens, but after signing documents every day, I quickly ran out of ink, including the extra pens.
From there, it was hell. Well, it was hell before that, so I guess I should describe it as an upgrade to a higher level of hell.
Still, I couldn’t give up. The lives of the beastmen who had gathered and depended on me for every signature were at stake.
I was supported by the noble intention to finish the signing as soon as possible and allow these people to live as citizens instead of refugees… but in the end, I ended up crying to William-san.
Because it’s impossible. The efficiency is completely different.
What was left in the rubber boat was a transparent, thin, cheap ballpoint pen like the ones you find in city halls.
This one is not bad, either. It’s excellent value for money and feels good to write with. I’ve never had a complaint about this pen.
However, when you have to write until you go crazy, the strain on your hands is completely different.
And if I lose the ballpoint pen, I will end up using a quill pen.
If that happened, I would go beyond tendonitis, and my wrists would tear off.
So I cried to William-san.
I will not run away; I will never run away if he lets me go back to get a pen to write the papers. If he wants, we can make a contract with the God of Commerce-sama that I won’t run away.
I don’t know if my desperate plea was heard, but I was able to gain one day of freedom.
I really had to sign a contract with the God of Commerce-sama, and in return, I had to provide pens for William-san, his subordinates, and the people who did the paperwork…
Still, the luxury liner I returned to was truly a paradise.
It was paradise just because I wasn’t surrounded by paperwork, but the high-quality furniture, the big bath, and the massages and beauty treatments to soothe my body were the best.
When I returned to the luxury liner, I was said to be in such a bad condition that Princess Annemarie, Lea-san, and Pent were worried about me, but I think it was good that I was able to recover to some extent thanks to the combination of my high level of physical strength and resilience and the elegant life on the luxury liner.
Looking back now, I think if it wasn’t for that one day, I might not have been able to make it through that paperwork hell.
I was able to refresh myself to the extent that I felt that way.
I didn’t want to go back to the beastmen’s village, but I had no choice. At the time, I thought, “Did he really want me to sign a contract with the God of Commerce-sama?” But I guess William-san’s judgment was correct.
If I hadn’t signed the contract, I think I would have just run away to the Dark Elf Island.
“Wataru-san, what’s with your distant look?”
“Huh? Who is it? Oh, the Guildmaster of the Merchant’s Guild… when did you get here?”
I jumped when I was suddenly addressed.
I thought she was a beautiful witch, but does she also have the ability to make herself invisible?
“I knocked. It seems your mind was somewhere far away, but what’s wrong?”
It seems I was just distracted.
“Haha, sorry. I was lost in thought because I think the paperwork is finally almost done.”
Yes, I’m almost there. I just need a few more signatures, and the paperwork will disappear.
I should have finished everything first and then lost myself in my thoughts, but I was so happy that it was almost over that I went to a faraway world.
This time, it really is the end. In the past, I thought it was almost over, but then more documents would be brought in, and I’d fall into despair. This time, it really is the end.
I had been checking so persistently that William was starting to get annoyed, and we made a contract with the God of Commerce-sama that they wouldn’t add any more documents unless it was something really important.
In other words, I’m going to be free soon. It’s such good news that I could go crazy dancing the Lambada. I don’t know what the Lambada is, though…
“Fufu, it sounds like you had a hard time.”
“Yes, it was so hard I can’t even put it into words.”
I never thought I’d end up fearing for my mental health just for writing my own name.
“So what happened all of a sudden?”
I heard that the Merchant’s Guild is very busy with the construction work that has been funded with a huge budget and that the guildmaster is also very busy.
Well, with new opportunities for profit piling up in front of them, it would be unworthy of a merchant not to take advantage of them.
“I want to talk to you about something. Can I talk to you when you’re done with these documents?”
When the documents are finished… you say?
No way, I’ve already decided that when the documents are finished, I’m going to let out a loud, strange cry of joy, and then I’m going to punish Ines and go on a meaningless spree. I don’t want to hear anything difficult.
In that case… I’ll have to listen to what she has to say before the documents are finished. It’s a small difference, but it’s important to me right now.
“No, I can’t keep the guildmaster of the Merchant’s Guild waiting. Please sit down. Somebody please get the guildmaster some tea.”
I asked William-san’s subordinate, who is my assistant and also in charge of monitoring me in this room, to sit on the sofa facing each other.
Fufu, this room has become much bigger now that the documents have disappeared.
“Really? I’m sorry. Oh, and when the tea is brought, could you please send these people away?
Is this something that needs to be done privately? I thought it had to do with beauty products, so I gave the guild master priority, but maybe that was a mistake. Was pretending to be sick the right thing to do?
“So, Guild Master, what did you want to talk about?”
After the others have left, we continue our conversation. But I don’t want to hear it.
“Fufu, there are a lot of guild masters around you, Wataru-san. You can just call me by my name.”
There are indeed a lot of them. Since the profits are so large, the guilds that bite into them are also large, and I’ve ended up greeting a lot of guild masters.
“…But I don’t know your name?”
When we met, it was usually at meetings or when I was robbed of beauty products, so I think the time to introduce ourselves usually passed.
“Was that so? Well, maybe you’re right. When Wataru-san was involved, it wasn’t just a matter of greeting. My name is Miranda, nice to meet you.”
“Yes, Miranda-san, nice to meet you. So, what can I do for you?”
“Ara, you’re in a hurry.”
Hmm? Oh, maybe I was too impatient to get right to the point. But I want to make the documents disappear as quickly as possible and dance the Lambada while going crazy. But I don’t know what the Lambada is.
“I’m sorry, I was impatient.”
“No, I know you’re busy, it’s okay. I really wanted to take my time, but William told me you were nearing your limit, so I had to rush over.”
I’ve been over my limit for a long time, you know? It’s confirmed that William-san’s eyes are blind.
“So, to get to the point, I want you to establish a regular shipping route using the giant magic ship docked in the Kingdom of Brescia to connect with the Kingdom of Aquamarine.”
So that’s it. In a way, that’s the original use of a luxury liner.
The Castle has become a mere ornament on the sea for now, but the reason it’s still making money is because the facilities and products on board are superior to the rest.
Miranda-san’s idea is not wrong. If it can be realized, it will have a positive impact on both the Aquamarine Kingdom and the Brescia Kingdom.
I believe that safe distribution in this world will bring immeasurable benefits.
“That ship belongs to Mage-sama, and I have no right to judge it.”
It may have a positive effect, but it’s none of my business, and I’m not in the right frame of mind to get involved in troublesome matters.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid it’s not meant to be this time.
“That’s the way it is, I guess. Well, I don’t intend to pursue that part of it, but I want you to think about it carefully for the sake of the city you’re building now.”
Miranda-san’s eyes are frightening. Since the incident with the beauty products, she seems to have gathered a lot of information about me, so she might have guessed the identity of the mage to some extent. Well, I won’t admit it.
“What about the good of the city? If the port we’re building now is connected to the Kingdom of Brescia, it might bring economic prosperity, but since this is a city where beastmen gather, I think the disadvantages of attracting unnecessary attention are greater.”
“Even without a shipping route, it will attract attention.”
“Well, I can’t deny that.”
To be honest, it’s already attracting attention because it’s become quite a rumor.
“That’s exactly why. The more the value of this city increases, the more the country will get serious about protecting it. To be honest, it’s weak in this area as it is now.”
“Weak? I’m planning to strengthen the defenses, you know?”
We’re going to build a magnificent city wall by throwing money around like crazy. We’ll also prepare a big pond/moat.
“Direct defenses alone are not enough. That is important, but if we leave things as they are, it will just be a city where beastmen congregate, a city that has been forcibly shaped from a poor piece of land with a huge budget.”
That is exactly right, and that is what we are trying to create. It may take a little more effort than other things, but it is a city where beastmen can live in peace. That is the concept.
It’s sad, but there’s nothing good that comes from highlighting the weak beastmen. The Aquamarine Kingdom has little discrimination, but if outsiders are given preferential treatment, there’s no doubt that friction will arise.
“I heard about your plan, Wataru-san, but that plan has already failed.”
“Huh?”
I’m working hard to prevent it from failing, though.
“Maybe your head is not working properly because of all the paperwork, but most of that paperwork is for refugee applications, right? We’re already close to bursting at the seams, and there will be more people in the future. There’s not an infinite amount of work, and in this poor land, if you don’t have any strength, you’ll just sink. Bring in a lot of beastmen.”
Wow, maybe my head really wasn’t working right.
I don’t know how much longer we can develop, but there will be a limit. Since this is a charitable project, I’ll probably get in trouble with the God of Commerce-sama if I forcefully develop the area.
Huh? Do I have to create some kind of work or open a regular shipping route? I feel like I’ve gotten into too much trouble, and I don’t know how to fix it.
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