Read Novel Full Vol 21 Chapter 20
Vol 21 Chapter 20
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Chapter 20 – Stamp
We arrived at the port under construction in the Aquamarine Kingdom and inspected the site with Camille-san. The construction was progressing more smoothly than expected, and the bodies of the beastmen working there had grown even more than expected, becoming more muscular and bulky than I had imagined. I wondered if they even needed protection…
Phew. The tremors that had subsided in my body suddenly returned.
It’s okay; there’s nothing to be afraid of. I have Camille-san with me. I calm my heart by squeezing Rimu with both hands and feeling the presence of Pent around my neck.
After briefly listening to the surveyor’s story at the relay point, we hurried to the Beastmen Village, as it was still in the planning stages.
Camille-san, whom I had been worried about, was fine, but the closer I got to the Beastmen Village, the heavier my legs felt and the more my body began to shake.
Even though it was only a minor trauma, when you see the site of the trauma, you can’t help but feel fear, and the shaking of my body didn’t seem to stop.
That’s it, it’s not logical.
My heart, or rather my soul, is afraid of this place and the paperwork.
“It’s okay, Master.”
“That’s right, Master, you don’t have to be afraid of the paperwork anymore.”
Ines and Felicia, noticing my trembling, held my hands and spoke to me gently. Maybe it was the kindness that healed me, but my trembling subsided a little.
That’s right, I can’t afford to be afraid here. I’ll develop a smooth system for organizing documents, relying on Camille-san, and I’ll gain true freedom. And then I’ll have a wonderful life on the ship…
When I muster the courage, or rather the desire, in my heart, the trembling of my body naturally subsides. It’s a bit pathetic, even for me, but it seems that my mental structure is more dominated by desire than by trauma.
But, well, it’s better to be happy than to be in pain, so it’s not a problem.
“Thank you, I feel better now.
I thanked Ines and Felicia and then bowed to Marina and Camille-san, who had been watching over me with concern and stepped into the Beastman Village. Well, it’s more of a town than a village.
The atmosphere inside the village hasn’t changed much from last time.
The buildings are crowded together, and the Beastmen’s wives are chatting in the corridors while the children are running around.
The standard of living here can’t be called rich, but the village seems to be filled with happiness and vitality.
This cheerfulness is based on hope for the future, and I feel a little proud to think that I was able to create this cheerfulness, even if it was just by spending the money on charity work.
Unfortunately, I’m not the kind of person who can turn that pride into enthusiasm, but I’ll do what I can.
I walk through the street and out into the square, standing in front of the traumatized guild. I want to go home.
I stop because I don’t want to go in, and the door opens, and William-san appears. God is dead. Oh, he’s just living a normal life. I’ve actually met him before.
“I heard about Yule and have been waiting for you. Please come quickly.
So Yule-san contacted William-san… From Yule-san’s point of view, it might be natural, but from my point of view, I can’t help but think it’s unnecessary. I’m sure that everything is already prepared.
As I stood there, my legs trembling like a fawn born to the world, something blocked William-san’s view of me.
“You must be William-sama. I am Camille, Wataru-sama’s representative. I’m sure you have something to say as well, but first, please arrange a meeting with Miranda-sama from the Merchant’s Guild. It will make things go more smoothly.”
It was Camille-san who protected me. To be honest, I want to marry her. Also, I get nervous when Camille-san calls me ‘sama’.
And it’s kind of funny to see William-san being pushed around by Camille-san’s authority. Well, I’m the one pushing William-san to do his job.
“I see. Miranda-san knows that Wataru-san is coming to visit, so she’s staying here. I’ll arrange for you to meet her right away.”
Huh? Miranda-san is here? Oh, thanks to Yule-san. This should make things go more smoothly. Sorry, I thought it was unnecessary.
Still, Miranda-san moves very fast. Well, if you’re not sensitive to such information, you can’t be the guildmaster of the Merchant’s Guild.
“Thank you.”
With Camille-san’s reply, things went smoothly.
When it was my turn, I was forced to go to the document room, but it was different when there was someone who could speak properly.
We were quickly led to a meeting room, and after a brief round of introductions, the meeting began.
“First of all, we will raise the annual fee that Wataru-sama pays to the Merchant Guild to Class A. At the same time, we will set up a trading company for Wataru-sama. Of course, Wataru-sama will be the head of the company, and I, Camille, will be his representative. Ines and Felicia, who are still slaves, will also be registered as members of the company. In addition, we plan to register the castle staff at a later date.”
Camille-san broke the ice.
That was the perfectly reasonable solution Camille-san came up with for my problem: If it’s not possible as an individual, why not form a trading company and share the work?
Since it was a private company, I had to sign, but if I formed a trading company, I could delegate authority.
The only thing that’s too bad for me is that the gap between being an F-rank merchant and being really great will disappear.
I haven’t used that gap much so far, so it won’t be much of a burden.
“Well, then, would you say that the plan to open a regular shipping route around Wataru-sama’s trading company will go ahead?”
Miranda-san asks, looking happy. I wonder if she’s happy about the profits or the cosmetics?
Well, of course, it’s both.
But still, the smile of a merchant is amazing. They just seem happy and in a good mood, and I can’t see any other emotions at all.
And yet, the atmosphere is tense, and it feels like a battlefield. I can’t see it, but I think Camille-san, who is sitting next to me, is probably smiling the same way.
“We are not at the stage where we can make any promises about that. It all depends on negotiations with the country and the guilds after we hire local staff.”
That’s right, hiring local staff.
Even though Camille-san and the others will share the work, they don’t want to become signature machines, so they plan to hire an employee with authority.
They plan to give that employee authority and let him do the work. That’s why, even though there is a contract with the God of Commerce-sama, Camille-san is looking for an employee she can trust as much as possible.
“I see; then the Merchant’s Guild can introduce you to some people.”
“No, since this is about Beastmen, I’d like to leave the responsibility to a Beastman. Both Mage-sama and Wataru-sama think the same.”
I think the temperature in this room has dropped. Could it be that the clash of wills between Miranda-san, who wanted to send someone, and Camille-san, who refused, created the cold air?
It’s really scary.
The exchange between Camille-san and Miranda-san doesn’t seem to end.
Miranda-san explains that the responsibility of running a trading company is too much for the Beastmen. They must have had a lot of bad experiences, and I agree in my heart that it would be hard to suddenly be in charge of a company.
They’re all muscle. I know there are intellectual muscles, but it seems to me that they’re all simple-minded. Especially if they haven’t had an education.
In response to that, the essence of this project is to help the Beastmen, and if we’re thinking about the future of the Beastmen, we should use Beastmen as managers.
Also, Camille-san tells us that while Beastmen men tend to be strong, women are fully capable of fulfilling the role of managers.
Come to think of it, the Beastmen around me are quite intelligent. Especially Ilma-san and Camille-san. I see, so the strengths of the male and female Beastmen are different?
That might be a bit extreme, but if you think of it as a division of labor, it doesn’t sound so bad.
And from that point on, I couldn’t follow the conversation. I could understand the surface of it, but I really struggled with the kind of backroom dealings that the merchants obviously engaged in.
“Very well then.”
“Yes, we will make arrangements to meet your expectations.”
Camille-san and Miranda-san nodded and shook hands with refreshing smiles.
So far, it was like, what? Are their parents enemies? But now they’re acting like rivals who had a great match, and I really don’t get it. Merchants are scary.
“Wataru-sama, the main points have been agreed upon. The establishment of the trading company will be completed within a few days, so the next step is to secure employees. We will start interviewing tomorrow, so please be ready.”
“Eh? Ah… yes…”
I couldn’t help but answer, but which is easier, the interviews or the paperwork?
As I pondered this question without an answer, I made my way to the room the guild had prepared for us. It seemed that they knew we were coming and had prepared it for us.
Hmm? The room we were led to was the same as before.
The room next to it… Feeling a bad vibe from the previous workroom, I look in, trembling.
A huge pile of documents, though not as much as last time. I feel like I’m going to throw up.
“Fufu, if you have to deal with this many documents, it’s no wonder Wataru-san doesn’t want to do it.”
No, there were more than that last time. And they kept bringing more…
“But don’t worry. This time, we’re going to do it as a company, so you won’t have to overwork yourself. Besides, once the company registration is completed, you’ll be able to register the company stamp. This will save you the trouble of signing.”
Thank God, this suffering… A stamp? Isn’t that like a seal?
Wait, what?
“Excuse me, Camille-san, but could you use a stamp instead of a signature?”
If that’s the case, I’m going to go crazy, aren’t I? I’ve already prepared myself for tendonitis from signing so much!
“Are you talking about signing with a personal stamp? That’s difficult. You can’t register a stamp with the guild unless you’re at least rank B, so it can’t play any official role.”
I was relieved to hear this, and aside from lamenting the fact that I would have already raised my rank and registered my stamp if I’d known this, I was also relieved to know that all my previous efforts had not been in vain.
Whether you agree with that or not is another matter.
“I see. Thank you for your help today, Camille-san. I’m tired, so I think I’ll go to bed now.”
I bowed and entered the room I was shown to. I really want to drink some alcohol…
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