Read Novel Full Vol 24 Chapter 18
Vol 24 Chapter 18
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Chapter 18 – Bonus Stage & Heroine Slot
Now that Mear-san’s power leveling is complete, the Southern Continent branch of Toyoumi Trading has finally begun full-scale operations. Although still in the preparatory phase, we are building a warehouse district on vast suburban land, establishing temporary wholesale operations in prime locations, and acquiring additional adjacent plots. Progress toward recovery is accelerating, but the pressure is intense as responsibilities grow.
“Yes, a bundle of used clothing. Next is a full set of low-grade potions. Ah, customer, please wait a moment. My apologies. Yes, please present the contract…”
“I’m sorry, but this item—”
“Don’t you have any medicine? Not potions, but something affordable for the poor?”
“Eh? No, we’ve had to impose purchase limits to ensure that everyone gets some—”
“The contract is—”
Three days after deciding to purchase the prime land next door, chaos erupted.
A structure barely deserving the name “temporary shop” was completed in just three days, and the Southern Continent Branch of Toyoumi Trading Company opened its doors.
The moment it opened—no, even before opening—a flood of merchants swarmed the site, throwing everything into utter disarray.
Utilizing the temporary help (pre-hired) that Mear-san gathered through her connections wasn’t enough. Currently, everyone except the hospital group, Felicia, Carla-san, and I has been drafted to help in the shop.
I wanted to help, too, but having the protection target wander around would just get in the way. So, I ended up sipping tea in a corner of the temporary shop.
Honestly, it’s a little lonely.
Still, it’s incredibly busy.
The best-sellers are mainly used goods and inexpensive medicines. Some pricier potions are selling, too, but right now, the cheaper items are flying off the shelves first.
When Camille-san and the others brought in the items that are now selling like hotcakes, I wondered if they would actually sell.
Of course, I understand that it’s post-war and that we should stock items that match local demand. I also thought that cheaper goods would be more popular than expensive ones.
However, the items that Camille-san and the others prepared, especially the clothes, were massive quantities of garments that seemed to have been traded around five times—not just used firsthand, but also used secondhand and beyond.
“That far?” I thought. Yet, just as Camille-san and the others predicted, those items started selling like hotcakes.
We also stocked decent-quality secondhand items, the kind I had in mind, but they didn’t sell very well.
They explained that decent-quality used goods only hit the market once the bare minimum is out there and things have settled down. Apparently, when those start selling, it’s a sign that things have stabilized to a reasonable degree.
I consider myself a merchant, too, but seeing this kind of foresight makes me realize that I could never manage it. I guess I really am just a wannabe merchant.
Also, that term “contract” that keeps coming up in conversations? It’s proof that we’ve secured a contract with the God of Commerce-sama, promising not to exploit the goods sourced from the Southern Continent Branch of the Toyoumi Trading Company for excessive profit.
There’s no point in starting rebuilding efforts only to have someone siphon off the profits and exploit the people who are supposed to receive aid.
Normally, such rules would be seen as troublesome by business partners and met with disapproval. However, given our overwhelmingly advantageous position as sellers, we’re pushing it through without issue.
…I’m bored.
Since I’m bored, maybe I’ll think about future plans.
The hospital still has a steady influx of sick and injured people, so they can’t free up any hands.
This makes it difficult for us to make significant moves, such as taking long trips.
Even if the hospital freed us up, we’d still have to transport monsters and goods, so major movements are impossible right now.
We could handle monster capture and cargo hauling, then relax on the Stronghold or a luxury liner. However, seeing the current devastation up close makes relaxing on a ship feel unsettling.
I’m now overcome by this strange, urgent need to be useful.
Should I throw a banquet to honor everyone in Gothenburg for their hard work?
That might work for relatives, but not for refugees. It’s the sort of thing a larger-than-life, charismatic figure would do, but it doesn’t fit my character. Forcing myself into a different role would lead to embarrassing moments, so I should avoid it.
So, what should I do? Basically, all I can offer is what I’ve acquired through Ship Summoning.
Running a food stall sounds fun, but it would take income away from folks who are already selling monster meat. I can’t think of anything else.
Should I just bring some booze to smooth things over? Booze to smooth things over? Pff, I might actually have talent.
…This is bad. I’m so bored that my brain feels dead. Alcohol can provide energy, but it can also spark complaints.
Given the current chaos, it’d likely only fuel the fire. Rejected.
Ideally, I would host an event that’s fun and gives people hope for the future, but I’m struggling to think of something like that.
Considering my abilities, aiming for better instead of the best might be optimal. Setting hope aside for now, could I manage an event that everyone could enjoy?
“Wataru-san, it’s an emergency!”
While I was deep in thought, Simon-san, a staff member from the Commerce Guild, rushed in.
An emergency? Simon-san must be especially busy right now.
After Mear-san returned, I learned that Simon-san had a crush on her.
When he found out that we had an excellent priest among our members, he let his guard down and showed his hyper-excited true self. Well, it can’t be helped. At the time, Mear-san’s life was hanging by a thread. If I had hope in that situation, I’d be jumping for joy too.
Mear-san was ultimately saved, but she ended up awakening to something religious.
Simon-san’s heartache must be immeasurable.
This is what they call BSS: “But I liked her first!” If that were the case, it would mean that Mear-san had feelings for me, which would be nice. But her feelings go beyond affection. They’re more like devotion. No one benefits from this situation, and it’s truly unfortunate.
Simon rushed in frantically, and my members gathered around, asking what was going on.
“Actually, word of Gothenburg’s revival has spread. A large band of bandits is gathering and heading this way. Their target is Wataru-san’s ship and supplies. We’ll take countermeasures, but with the outer walls already in tatters, I don’t know if we can hold them off. Gilmas’s message is for Wataru-dono to temporarily evacuate with the ship.”
Ugh, another disaster. And a PvP battle, too? That’s the absolute worst. Why does trouble always pop up when things are going well?
It is the post-war period, after all, and the economy is in shambles. So, it’s probably inevitable that bandits and thieves are running rampant. But I wish they’d leave us alone.
What should we do? Barricading ourselves on the ship means we won’t need to evacuate, but Gothenburg could suffer major damage.
Just as we were starting to recover, we could stumble now. Should I evacuate the people of Gothenburg onto my ship?
The Stronghold alone won’t be enough, but if we cram everyone onto the Fortress and the Chateau, we might make it. It’ll mean showing our hand, but necessity knows no law.
“This is… useful.”
Huh? Why does Donatella-san seem pleased?
“Donatella-san, what do you mean?”
“Thanks to you, Wataru-san, Gothenburg is progressing toward recovery right now. But you’re the one supplying all the materials. It’s fine for now, but eventually, they will run out.”
Well, that’s true. If I keep casually sending supplies from my Ship Summoning, things might be different, but that would cause major problems, so I’d rather avoid it.
“That’s why I wanted to at least ensure that Gothenburg can cover its own needs for things like wood, stone, medicinal herbs, and meat. But the danger outside has skyrocketed.”
I hear that many people have died, which makes hunting difficult. The number of monsters has increased significantly, and the size of groups of people forced to live in such dangerous areas has grown.
The bandits heading for Gothenburg this time are probably a massive group formed by several smaller groups merging. That’s why the guild master and the others are panicking.
“If we wipe them out here, the danger outside will decrease. If we punish the captured personnel by sending them out to operate, we can regularly obtain a significant amount of supplies.”
Even so, it’s meaningless if we can’t capture them; the guild master said that, even with full force, it’s highly likely we’ll have casualties.
Simon-san is right. It’s pointless if Gothenburg is damaged.
“Gilmas and Simon-san might think that, but do you feel the same, Wataru-san?”
“Huh? Yes, it’s dangerous, right?”
Donatella-san let out a deep sigh. Did I say something wrong?
“Wataru-san, even I could easily take down twenty or thirty of those common bandits. Alessia and her party could capture an incomparably larger number single-handedly. If you stay behind and our entire side deploys, thousands wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Huh?”
“Well, capturing them all is impossible given their numbers, but if they’re just average bandits, I could handle a thousand-strong force alone.”
I looked at Alessia-san in shock. She nodded as if it were obvious. Huh? I knew she was strong, but that strong? That’s the kind of unstoppable power you see in video games!
“Regarding the capture, we can just bring in personnel from Gothenburg. Wataru-san, remember those sea monsters that Alessia and the others made look easy to defeat? If a monster of the same rank appeared on land, it would be a military-level threat.”
Come to think of it, this is a world where a single high-level individual could destroy an entire civilization.
Well, destroying a civilization might require cheat-level skills, but being high-level means you can handle a thousand people.
This is the world the Creator God-sama made, where you can go on a real rampage. Thinking about the Creator God-sama, it makes perfect sense somehow.
“But the enemy might have high-level people, too.”
“If there’s even one person of Alessia’s caliber, they wouldn’t resort to banditry unless something extraordinary happened. Well, it is the post-war period, so extraordinary things are likely to happen. But we have eight Alessia-class individuals. With that kind of firepower, we could hold our own against a nation if it came down to a fight.”
So, that story about me getting depressed over a troublesome event? It turns out to be a bonus stage for securing manpower.
I do like bonus stages, but between the magistrate thing and this event, my protagonist flags are in shambles.
In a story, it’d be the anguish of interpersonal conflict or worry for Alessia heading into battle. Huh? But that’s the heroine’s role. Oh, I see. So I was the heroine.
That makes a bit more sense somehow.
Ignoring gender and appearance, I’m being pampered like the club’s princess. [T/N: It’s like being a female member of a school or university club full of men.]
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