CHAPTER 254: DWARF VILLAGE 5

『…So, Mile-chan, how much of this will become our party budget?』(Pauline)

Pauline has a soft smiling face.

However…

『Eh?

This is what I purchased in my free time,

Selling at my free time,

It has nothing to do with the request ordered by everyone this time,

It’s a personal activity…Hie~!』(Mile)

Pauline has a soft smiling face.

But only a few seconds ago, her atmosphere was changing 180 degrees.

『…Hey, Mile-chan, how much of this will become our party budget?』(Pauline)

『Ah, awa, awawawa…』(Mile)

Mile becomes pale with the evil aura from Pauline’s body.

『…So you also have your share of trouble, young miss…』(Merchant)

The merchants looked at Mile with envy before also turned into a pitiful gaze.

『Pauline, that is kinda … ….』(Maevis)

『Last time, the merchant client asked Mile to store the luggage.

It was the request for safe-keeping from the merchants, so, you can still say that it was【part of the request] even Mile did it alone.

However, this time it’s different.

You know that, don’t you, Pauline? 』(Rena)

『Gununu…』(Pauline)

Being pestered by Maevis and Rena, Pauline had an upset face

Mile, unlike Pauline, doesn’t actually care about money. She does things for fun.

Even though Pauline is her friend… NO, rather because Pauline is her friend, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with money between them.

There are talks of friendship broken due to money from everywhere.

Don’t borrow money from anywhere other than banks.

And more importantly, money isn’t allowed to lend or deposit anywhere other than banks.

Even if I was threatened, I wouldn’t pay unclear money.

Paying once and it will continue forever.

That is what my father told me and my little sister many times in my previous life.

Even if I was born again, that teaching was something I intended to protect and follow.

Anyway Mile kept selling alcohol.

Dwarves noticed that stocks didn’t disappear after so many of wine has been sold.

At first, they only bought an average (moderate) amount in consideration for the others but not they began to purchase more and more.

The dwarves, who have run out of money, are running back to their homes and get more.

And…

『I’m sold~~!』(Mile)

Finally settling down, Mile was stretching a little.

Behind her, Pauline chewed on a handkerchief.

A huge amount of liquor was sold out rather fast.

After that, it seems that the merchants were also steadily selling the products.

Well, since they have come to this village many times, they have completely grasped how much they could sell here.

You can’t call yourself a merchant if you have a large number of unsold products from regular customers.

Although this village aims for self-sufficiency, there are still things they need to purchase from another place.

Yes, just like salt or medicine, etc.

The absolutely necessary items to live

Next is the high demand items like paper, soap, etc. can also sell well.

And luxury goods.

It is a so-called luxury item.

Seasoning and high-quality fabric etc.

Even there are also clothes and furs with poor quality made in villages.

There are still times women want to dress up with lovely clothes like festivals, wedding ceremonies, and other various events.

…And the so-called 【Battle clothes]

Since this is a mountain village, the road coming here is a climbing road.

It was a dangerous road that merchants might lose their luggage,

Rather than load a lot of things that are hardly profitable,

They prefer to make the carriage light, they give priority to speed and safety. Even if there is a demand from the village side.

Liquor is heavy, easy to break on bad roads. On top of that, it’s not a necessity item but the luxury goods.

It can be sold well but you won’t be able to sell too much with the high price (the true price, not dirt cheap like Mile)

But the dwarf will be pleased with it, even just a very small amount. That’s why the merchants only take along a small amount to set the 【Mood] with the village chief.

『Eh?

The trading-goods for this village were decided to be less risk and more essentials.

Because it’s business, we need to balance danger and effort properly.

You should sell it at a price that matches your expenses, isn’t it?

Why would we sell it at a price if it didn’t make any profit?

Even if the villagers really need it, will they buy at the price that they can’t afford?

And if they don’t buy it, that goods will become 【not really necessary so much]

There is no need to carry it and increasing the danger without any profit!』(Merchant)

Pauline was somewhat dissatisfied when she heard the merchants at the camp said so.

Even if it is about other people, if it is related to business, she won’t accept it.

Or rather Pauline unreasonably has a low boiling point for the business.

『There are various difficult things in business…』(Merchant)

The merchant said so and his eyes seemed a little unpleasant.

Not for Pauline, but for other things…

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When Mile sold out her alcohol and withdrawing her shop, the merchant’s leader who had gone to the village chief came back.

He left the sales to his co-workers and seemed to have been working around the adjustment in the meantime.

That’s also why the merchant leader brought employees.

However, the complexion of the merchant leader didn’t seem to be good.

『Let’s take a break and have meals a little earlier, everyone, please close the store at once!』(Merchant Leader)

Even if he told everyone to close the store, it was open air.

It only takes a few seconds to hangs on a 【resting] tag that they have prepared in advance.

The villagers also knew the merchants were often taking a meal break during the day, besides, they already got what they wanted.

Even if they wanted to buy more, they just needed to visit again after the merchants reopened it, there’s no need to hurry.

Everyone also went back to their respective houses.

There are many villages in the country having two meals a day, but those in this village seem to have three meals a day because there are many physical labors.

The merchants brought their meals and sat behind the horse-drawn carriage.

While staying in this village, the ingredients in Mile’s storage are forbidden. They used the ingredients to buy in the village to make dinner.

It’s easy to save time and money like that.

Besides, they need to make the village’s foodstuff shops and the likes not to complain.

Then in the middle of eating, one of the merchants asked in a low voice.

『…So, what’s the problem this time?』(Merchant)

The merchants, who have been friends with the merchant leader for a long time, seemed to have noticed that there was a problem occurred from the atmosphere of the leader when he returned.

Even though there was still a little time before lunch, they tried to gather everyone back soon.

It seems that everyone, who realized it, formed a circle behind the carriages to prevent other people from eavesdropping on their talk.

… Of course, by everyone, it means the merchants, 【Evil Spirit Utopia] and 【Flame’s Friendship]

Three hired workers, and four girls of 【Red Oath] were completely unaware of it.

And the merchant leader also answered in a low voice.

『They only sold half of the promised iron products with the total price to be the same as usual.』(Merchant Leader)

『『『What!』』』(Everyone)

The merchants, the hired workers including the party leaders were surprised and raised their voice.

It’s unreasonable.

That means that the price of the item they buy has doubled the price.

And since the number of goods is halved, in order to secure the same profit as before, the profit of the merchants must also be doubled.

In other words, it means that they have to double the selling price in town.

Otherwise, they can’t cover the necessary expenses.

…Such a thing isn’t allowed.

It’s not the fresh foods that are heavily influenced by the season and the weather. It’s the same item with the price is twice the last time.

No customer will buy such a thing.

As expected, there is no 【market price] with iron products.

Everyone will decide to buy another store’s goods purchased by another route or refrain from buying until the value returns.

『……are you serious…?』(Merchant?)

Yes, with such a price, only iron products will be in deficit.

And it’s also out of the question for the low-profit necessities goods they carried all the way here.

In other words, there will be no next time. This merchant group to this village will be the last this time.

And they would not purchase anything from the village this time. Without metal products to cover the expenses. A trade to a village with high-risk of bandits and monsters attacking on the route.

… It was the end.

『But, everyone in this village, who came here, didn’t have that kind of attitude at all?』(Mile)

『『『They have forgotten everything else with the delicious wine in front their eyes…』』』(Merchants)

Mile’s words were cut off by merchants.