Read Novel Full Vol 24 Chapter 17
Vol 24 Chapter 17
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Chapter 17 – Toyoumi Trading Company’s Southern Continent Branch Begins Full Operations
Was Mear-san’s power leveling successful? That’s questionable, but it’s finished. I feel a bit guilty about creating a beautiful woman who now whips around the Southern Continent with a maniacal laugh. Ah, well, surely there are men who find that appealing, so let’s just call it okay. For the record, I’m not that type of person. Pain scares me…
“Do we really need this much land?”
One week after finishing Mear-san’s power leveling. I’m currently in Gothenburg inspecting the land we acquired.
The plan was to inspect the outskirts first, then the prime locations. However, doubts arose immediately at the first outskirts plot. It’s just too damn big!
In Japan, you’d probably express this size by saying it’s “how many times the size of that famous dome in Tokyo.”
Such vast land is now being leveled by a massive workforce. They started less than ten days ago, so the ground isn’t quite perfect yet, but it’s leveling up nicely.
I had the same thought when I inspected the Beastmen town, but the power of numbers is truly incredible. Of course, it costs a lot of money.
“Yes, it’s necessary. Most warehouses were looted during the recent war, leaving only a handful that are usable. Inventory management is essential for business, and its importance increases in port towns. So, we’re prioritizing warehouse construction on this large plot.”
Unless they’re resorting to extreme measures, such as using ship repatriation, as I did, storage space for goods is essential.
“Does that mean that the first task for the Southern Continent branch of Toyoumi Trading Company will be warehouse operations?”
This question came up during the site inspection.
I should have understood that beforehand, but I was busy with transport work and had left everything to them, so I hadn’t grasped it.
“Yes, while cargo for the warehouse won’t accumulate immediately, building the warehouse itself is work. We’re also considering using some warehouses as temporary shelters for those who lost their homes. Having a roof makes a huge difference.”
Ah, right. I heard something about helping those who lost their homes. So, will these warehouses serve as temporary shelters?
They’ll live here and work on this construction site. It’ll be tough physical labor with little private time, but they can manage. If they save money, they should be able to become independent.
I asked Donatella-san and Mear-san to prioritize reconstruction over profits, and they seem to be genuinely considering my request.
“That’s good to hear. Are there any problems?”
“I wouldn’t call it a problem, but we lack work for the elderly, women, and children. We pay them for helping out, but the wages are inevitably low, and it seems to be causing hardship.”
Ah, that’s a difficult issue. Paying those doing heavy physical labor the same as those doing light work would definitely cause complications. On the other hand, lavishing high wages on physical laborers doesn’t feel right, either.
After all, we didn’t come here to hand out charity.
I feel like we could at least help children unconditionally. However, I’m unsure if I should get involved to that extent.
In the Beastmen town, the elderly and women cooked communal meals, and children worked as messengers.
A cafeteria at the construction site… No, Gothenburg’s economy runs on workers spending their wages at restaurants.
Profiting from the sector that contributes the most to economic activity now feels like monopolizing it or creating demand just to profit from it. Not that I’m doing anything wrong, mind you.
Perhaps we should consider alternative employment opportunities.
“Once the warehouse is finished, could we turn it into an orphanage and hire elderly people and women as caregivers?”
It might seem insignificant, but it should contribute to economic activity. It would also help me use up my charity budget. I hesitated to go that far, but rescuing children is worth it, even if it means hardship.
I’ll definitely check with the God of Commerce-sama later to see if it counts as a charitable expense. Normally, it would definitely be considered charity, but I’m currently working on a request from the God of Commerce-sama. How this rescue effort will be judged within that context is a tricky matter.
I’d like to confirm it immediately, but the Creator God-sama seems busy. Since the God of Light-sama is adjusting their work for my reward, I don’t want to cause any problems for the God of Commerce-sama.
“It’s possible, but it’s all out-of-pocket expenses and won’t lead to any profit, you know?”
Mear-san tilts her head. Since I requested that they ensure at least a minimal profit as a business, she’s probably sensing something is off.
“Well, since we’re making a profit, I thought we could give back a little. Additionally, if any of the caretakers are qualified to teach, please have them teach the children in reading, writing, and basic arithmetic. Of course, we’ll pay them a teacher’s wage. Then, they might work for Toyoumi Trading Company in the future. Even if they don’t, at least they’ll have goodwill towards us.”
“If that happens, the Southern Continent Branch of Toyoumi Trading Company will be rock-solid.”
I question whether it really needs to be that solid, but if it were to collapse, it would cause trouble for many people. So yes, it would be reassuring if it were.
Once Mear-san was satisfied, we continued the inspection.
However, it was still just the land preparation stage, so there wasn’t much to see. We headed to our next destination, the prime land we had secured.
We arrived at the prime location. It’s prime land that’s been ravaged by war, so it’s uncertain whether this spot will regain its prime status. However, since location is a key factor for prime land, this land will likely become desirable.
It’s small… No, wait, is it really that small?
It felt small because I had seen the vast outskirts beforehand. But since this is a land where a major trading company has a store, it should be spacious enough.
It looks like we could barely fit a gymnasium here, but it’s definitely spacious.
Many workers are sweating buckets as they level the land here, too.
Will Toyoumi Trading Company’s Southern Continent Branch store be built here?
The wide street has the feel of a street lined with high-end shops, with various guilds nearby. Even if it is in ruins.
“Huh? They’ve already started building?”
In one corner of the construction site, a group of people who looked like carpenters were gathered, working on the foundation. Are they setting up a mess hall for the workers?
“Yes, they’re building the temporary store for the Toyoumi Trading Company’s Southern Continental Branch over there. We plan to sell the supplies that Wataru brought us in that store.”
Ah, a temporary store.
That means they can start doing business sooner. Donatella-san is excellent, and she recognizes Mear-san as capable, so they’ll move quickly.
Come to think of it, we also transported materials while transporting the monsters. They’ll be used here.
“I see. This will allow us to start operations sooner than the warehouse work, won’t it?”
“Yes, since it’s a temporary storage facility, it won’t take long to complete. It should be just as Wataru-sama said.”
“Do you expect customers?”
“Yes, we’ve already given the merchants the list of items we plan to sell. They’re eagerly awaiting the opening of the temporary store.”
Oh, right! Since our priority was transporting monsters, we haven’t really gotten into the proper business yet.
However, if we stopped transporting monsters, people would starve, so it couldn’t be helped. Now that there is some surplus food, would it be okay to start selling other items as well?
Expensive items may not sell initially, so we’ll likely focus on selling daily necessities to help people get by.
If merchants buy those items and sell them elsewhere, then Toyoumi Trading would be the wholesaler, and the merchants would be the retailers and traveling salesmen?
Once the Southern Continent branch of Toyoumi Trading sells the goods I brought, will that mean we’ve somewhat fulfilled the God of Commerce-sama’s request?
“So, Wataru-sama, I have something I’d like to discuss. Is now a good time?”
Mear-san approached me, looking slightly apologetic. Was it a troublesome request?
“Of course. What is it?”
I don’t like being bothered, but I want to help Mear-san as much as possible, since she has been so kind to me.
“Thank you. Actually, it’s about the land next door. I’ve been approached about buying it.”
Purchasing the dilapidated building next door? Is the owner trying to raise funds to restart their business?
“Buying it is possible, but there are a few issues. First, there’s resentment about buying up prime real estate. Second, there’s the question of how to utilize the purchased land.”
People might welcome it now, but I suspect resentment could build later if we end up securing too much prime land.
The neighboring plot is quite large itself. While the land we bought is larger, it’s still only about half the size of the neighboring plot.
I doubt Toyoumi Trading Company could utilize the combined area of these two plots fully.
“Rather than expanding massively, I believe it’s feasible to build two separate stores and pursue a high-end strategy utilizing the sea monster materials that Wataru-sama possesses.”
Split the stores? The store originally planned for this location was supposed to focus on daily necessities, so a high-end strategy would target a different customer base. If the customer bases differ, splitting the stores would likely reduce confusion. However, …
“Can a luxury business model even work in the current situation? Plus, we can only occasionally stay on the Southern Continent. What will you do when the supply of luxury materials dries up?”
The owner of this land was once wealthy but is now in dire financial straits and has decided to sell it.
“Gothenburg belonged to the losing side, but where there are losers, there must also be winners. The victors might not have much leeway either, but they should still be interested in rare sea monster materials. Regarding material supply, the materials gathered during the leveling session I accompanied you on this time should sustain business for decades.”
Ah, so even the victorious nation seems strapped for cash. But, since they’re the winners, many people must still hold considerable wealth.
The plan is to attract those people’s assets with rare sea materials.
Regarding material supply… I see. High-rank sea monsters tend to be enormous.
Take an A-rank sea serpent, for example. It’s enormous, yet they appear so frequently in the open sea that they’re practically a nuisance.
If we process these high-grade materials to make them last longer and sell them gradually, thereby preventing price drops, wouldn’t that also prevent shortages?
If we can utilize them effectively, boost the economy, and clear out my inventory, it’s a win-win all around.
The only downside is the risk of arousing jealousy in others by acquiring too much land. However, if we split it into two separate shops, maybe people will see it as a necessity rather than greed-driven hoarding.
Well, jealousy is inevitable when you’re making money, so this time, I’ll accept the purchase request.
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