219 So, let's do business.

Trinh, the northernmost large country on this continent. Unlike Japan, however, the temperature does not drop as you move north, and in fact it is quite hot as the warm weather flows in frequently. It is also one of the largest countries facing the sea, and its fishing industry is very active. However, one more distinctive feature is the large percentage of sub-humans in the population, which is a big difference from other countries.

On the human side of the territory, the appearance of the so-called subhumans varies, but can be roughly divided into two categories. There are two main types: ungulates and beasts.

The non-beastly types include the elves and dwarves who are regulars in fantasy. They are almost all concentrated in Serendipity.

Beasts have ears and eyes similar to those of some beasts. In the past, they were grouped together in communities of the same race, but with the passage of time, they have been intermarrying with different races. However, with the passage of time, people began to interbreed with other races. As a result, it became difficult to judge them by their appearance, so sub-human beasts began to stop calling themselves a race. However, it is said that there are people who value their blood like the nobility.

Now, there's a reason why I've summarized the general information about Torin so far. In order to prevent the Lahite faction from escaping, we have decided to attack the side of Trinh that is not the main city. There are some normal people, but most of them are merchants and adventurers who came from other countries to earn money. What I'm trying to say is that the reaction is the same as when you see a foreigner in the countryside in Japan. They stand out just because they are human.

So, as a countermeasure, I decided to use the magic Nora developed to grow ears and a tail and pose as a subhuman. ......

I'm not sure what to make of this. The main reason for this is that I've been taken to such stores, but I don't want to explain that to these guys.

They are very easy to recognize because of the mix, leopard ears and tail. Lakra looks like a Persian cat, Exdoik is a Labrador retriever, Harkdock is a Pomeranian, and Keil is a Chihuahua. Nora says that the personality of the person is expressed, but isn't there a high percentage of dogs?

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea. In other words, only the ears and tail of the horse are visible.

It looks good on you, doesn't it? Your friend.

"Well, thank you. But you're going to stand out.

And for some reason, I have the ears and tail of a black wolf, a race of Wolfe. The color of my ears and tail is based on my original hair color, so the black color has to stand out in the end.

I asked Nora if I could use some kind of magic to change the color of her hair, but she said that this magic is very delicate and difficult to use. In fact, it's such an amazing spell that unless you use Harkdok-level detection spells, people won't even notice the mutation caused by the spell. In addition, it can't be detected by smell.

Well, I think your friend should stay out or put something on his head.

"What about the tail?

The tail can be moved freely to some extent, but the length of this black tail is quite long. The tail can be moved to a certain extent, but the length of this black tail is quite long. If you dress to cover it, it will stand out, and more importantly, it is hot. It's also a great way to get the most out of your time and money.

I'm not sure what to do.

I don't want to cut off any nerve endings. I'll do my best to work at night.

In addition, this magic is maintained with the help of Kuto, so it can be removed by letting go of Kuto. However, in order to activate the spell again, Nora must remain in Tarz, so I can't let go of her at all times. When she goes to bed, baths, or uses the bathroom, she ties the tentacles from Kuto to parts of her body. I wanted to bring Nora with me, but I guess I had no choice if she needed the purple.

As I was touching my own tail, Exequip and Ao, who were inspecting the house for any flaws, came out to see me.

"The house has been inspected, compatriot. Now that you're with Trinh, what do you plan to do?

First, we will discuss our future plans with Odysse, the man who provided us with this house.

In order to operate in Trinh, it is essential to cooperate with local people. So I contacted General Odysse, whom I trusted relatively. I told him about my situation, and he graciously offered me this vacant house. He doesn't like the idea of having such a dangerous person like Raheit in his country, and he has been very supportive.

"Brother Ekduik, can you lower the temperature with magic?

Okay, okay.

Do it yourself, Lakra. ......

It's too hot for me. ......

It's bad enough that I'm wearing my usual priestly uniform in this hot area. In addition, thanks to the addition of the tail, it must be even more stuffy inside. In fact, Eckdœk's mental state is abnormal, because he is wearing chains all over his body and not getting hot.

As Ecdysium lowered the temperature of the room with his magic, Lakra's expression became healthier. She's still sluggish, though.

"Whee, thank you...

The temperature in Mejis is low, probably due to the deep erosion of the magical world. This heat in Trinh will be hard to bear for those from Medis.

You're from Mejis, too, and you're related to a guy who lives there.

I've turned down the temperature on my chain and wrapped it around my body. No problem.

So that's why you thought it was cooler near the exhuast. ......

So you've been taking precautions. Smart. I'd like to say that Lakra should learn from you, but she's not very good at using multiple spells at once. If she tried to keep the room at a comfortable temperature, she'd lose control of everything else.

Are you sure your people are all right?

I've experienced this kind of heat in my hometown. But that doesn't mean we can afford to do any physical work outside.

It's better than the middle of summer, but it's impossible to run around in this temperature. By the way, Exoik has been very active since he came to Trinh. Her concern for others is quite noticeable. This is probably due to her.

"Hey, bro, I went to the store!

Hey, Hark-dog, don't stop at the door.

Oh, look who's back.

The shopping party is coming back. They are Harkdock, Cale, and two new members of the Mejis, Masetta and Marya.

Masetta is a priest like Lakra, and is also a well known adventurer in Morgana. He is also a well-respected cleric of the Yggra religion, and was chosen for his work with Harkdock in hunting down Ceraes.

Marya is a newcomer to the Order of the Holy Knight. Although she is in the same position as Cael, she was chosen by the Holy Knight Commander Yox for her lack of prejudice against our cooperation with the Demon Lord. However, the fact that an acquaintance of Ecdysius was chosen makes me think that the world is a small place. I'm grateful for that, though, because it makes things easier for me. Incidentally, Masetta is a cat-like Maine Coon, and Marya is a dog-like Chow Chow. There are so many canine types, aren't there? All of them are wearing casual clothes common in this country. Trinh's clothes have less cloth than the rest of the country. It's a healthy range, so there's no need to be embarrassed.

Mr. Ekdukku, could you please check the items you purchased?

Oh, it's not too hot out there, is it?

I'm fine, I usually wear armor, so it's not too different. Oh, and some water for you too, compadre.

Thank you.

......

I get the impression that Marya is quite fond of Ecdysium. She also seems to be very gentle with Marya. I'm glad to see that they have a good relationship with each other, even though it seems that a lot happened while someone was away. I'm a little worried about the way Harkdock is looking at the two of us, hiding to avoid fainting, but I'll deal with that later.

"Oh, sir. This is what you asked for: ......

"Thank you, Keir. Just leave it there.

Cale calls me "sir". I was wondering how to call him that since he can't say his name, but Sir Léanor, the leader of the Knights of Caire, told me to learn many things from him, so I did. He is very serious at heart, so you have to be careful not to let him absorb your bad points. By the way, what do you call Mr. Masetta?

"Yes, Mr. Representative. I've prepared a rough list of stores in Kuama as you asked. Go ahead.

Sort of. The representative of the Third Force, no doubt, but for now, the face of the Third Force is Jestaff. But it's my fault for not being able to tell you his name in the first place, so let's not worry too much about that.

But apparently Mr. Masetta can't hide his nervousness towards us. I think she is more afraid of me than scared of me. I'd like to tell him to be easy on us, but he seems to be on equal footing with Pope Eupharo, and that would be a difficult request for the sensible Mr. Masetta.

Hmmm ...... Trinh has a bit of the same family of stores. Should we assume that there is a lot more competition between individuals compared to Taze?

Unlike Taize, Trinh has many medium-sized settlements, so many merchants from other cities show up.

It's the same with Quama, or maybe it's just that Taze and Ghane are more rare.

In Taiz, the lords and nobles who manage the provinces live concentrated in the royal capital of Taiz. That's why it's difficult to create medium-sized settlements. This is why it is difficult to create medium-sized settlements. This is even more pronounced in Ghane. It's as if even settlements are being gathered.

There are a lot of ambitious people, and it's easy to prosper, but it's not very safe.

"Normally, it is more natural to be like this. Otherwise, the country wouldn't prosper. The reason why Tarz and Ghane haven't declined is because of the skill of their kings.

The more competitors there are, the more stores will strive to be unique in order to survive. As far as price cutting is concerned, the larger the shop, the more importance is placed on quality, handling of rare items, and service.

If there are so many stores, we won't stand out even if we are active.

Yeah, I guess so. There's someone at the door. I'll go check it out.

Harkdock left the room and came right back. Odysseus is next to him in his civilian clothes.

"Hello, welcome to Torin.

General Odysse, thanks for your help this time.

"Don't worry about it. And I'm supposed to be off duty right now. Odysse is fine. So let's get down to business, shall we?

Because of the risk of being intercepted by letters and communication crystals, I had only sent a simple message to Trinh, saying that I had received information about a new hideout and that I would like his cooperation in investigating it.

I told him roughly what had happened so far, and explained to Trinh that we were going to attack the stronghold of the Lahite faction.

Hmm ......, you mean that hideout is the trading post of the Horstal Trading Company?

I'm sure you'll want to get started right away, but you'll have to be patient. You'll want to set it up right away, but you'll have to be patient, because getting away halfway will increase the difficulty of capturing Serende. The first thing we need to do is find out who's in there and investigate the bastard.

The Horsteal Chamber of Commerce is run by Randosle Horsteal, one of the most prominent merchants in Torin. I'd like to say that it's quite impressive that he's a consultant for the adventurer's guild in Quama and the head of the merchant association here.

"Hmm. I'm well aware of that. His Majesty has also told me that the investigation will be left to me. You may choose your own specific course of action.

King Trinh is very forgiving.

Not really. But you're a hero for overthrowing the Scarlet Witch King. King Trinh thinks very highly of you.

It's not nice to be called a hero.

Don't be modest. And thanks to you, we weren't blamed by other countries for our failure to join the war. If anything, that's more important.

It is logical that a country that refuses to cooperate should be dealt with accordingly, but Trinh's army, which is full of subhumans, would have been considerably adversely affected by the power of the Scarlet Witch King's "struggle". Marito, Pope Eupalo, and King Zenotta were aware of this fact, and they kept their attitudes toward Torin and Selende intact.

It's just that the representatives of each country were very understanding.

"Still, talking to you was a catalyst, no doubt. I'd like to thank you for believing in an unreliable story.

I see. Well, I'll take that as a thank you.

From Odysse's point of view, he was standing there as a representative of Thorin. From Odysse's point of view, he was standing there as a representative of Trinh, and it was inevitable that his position of refusing to cooperate in a situation where the nations were working hand in hand would make him look bad in the eyes of other nations.

So, what exactly are you planning to do?

"We'll start with a small business. After that, I'm going to get into the Horstal Chamber of Commerce and start gathering information from there.

No, that's a very roundabout way of doing things. ....... I thought you were going to have people like the dark side look into it. ......

"There's a chance that they know you've got this information. I'm sure they're very cautious right now, and we don't want to make any inadvertent contact until we find out what kind of bastard we have.

A bastard who understands his own talents will display them to the fullest. I'd like to avoid going toe-to-toe with legendary heroes in the field of their talents.

But that's going to take a long time. ....... I'm sure you're not the only one who can't find a way to get in touch with the Horstal Chamber of Commerce. How many of you have any experience in business?

"There's me. Is there anyone else?

No one answers. Adventurers, clerics, knights... a nice mix.

Are you all right?

We'll be fine. I want Odysse to gather enough information to make people feel comfortable. Basically, I'll try to keep it within the scope of the General's work.

That's fine, but ......

I'll have Odysse examine the map of this country, the level of industry in each territory, and so on. All of these things are within the range of what an outsider can find out if they take a certain amount of time, but Trinh's general should be able to gather them relatively quickly. Information is a weapon in commerce, and this is true no matter where you are.

After Odysse left, we looked at the list that Masetta had gathered for us and considered what kind of business we should conduct.

"How about a restaurant that makes good use of salt, like Taze?

"We don't have enough people who can cook. We don't have enough people who can cook. A retail business that can handle some new products would be good.

Processed foods made with salt are not bad, but Trinh is facing the sea. Just remind people of the value of salt, and you'll soon find others who will copy you. A little buzz is needed to get the attention of the Horstal Trading Company.

How about dealing in specialties like turise, garnets, and medis? A merchant with his own distribution channels would want to keep them in check.

"If you ask Marito and his team, you can get them at a relatively low price. But if such a lineup is heard by Littoral, it could be associated with them.

You can't do this just from a business perspective. ......

If it's a trade association, they will at least check the distribution channels of the other party. It is better to avoid too unnatural a flow. If that's the case, ...... well, that's a reasonable place to start.

You seem to have thought of something.

"Oh, fortunately, we have just the right people. I'll make good use of them.

Explain the plan you've come up with and make a plan of action. All of them agreed that it was a good idea, so it must have been worthwhile.

"How can you come up with so many ideas, Mr. Shosho?

"I've been thinking about how to manage my finances for a long time. Even in the original world, money was valuable, so I'm used to doing a certain amount of business. Especially when I need clean money.

Just the word "clean money" gives us a glimpse of a disturbing daily life. I wonder what kind of person Master Shosho was in the past.

Not much different from today. Oh, but there was a time when things were rough.

One ...... period ......?

Stop looking at me like I'm not having a rough time. There are plenty of bad times in human life.

Ecdysium and Harkdock are nodding their heads in agreement. I'm not sure I've had as bad a life as you guys. It's not that I was a bad boy or anything like that. It's just that I was often betrayed, so I used to enjoy it rather than be worn down by it.

There are times when you don't want to talk too much about it. By the way, my friend, how long ago was that?

"You're not talking backwards and forwards. ...... Well, it was about five years before I came into this world. Youthful indiscretions, that kind of thing.

Youthful indiscretions. ...... How old is the representative?

"How old is the representative of ?" "When I tell them my real age, the people who didn't know open their mouths. Ao, you're much older than that.

I was only a teenager when I became the Demon Lord! I was only a teenager when I became the Demon Lord!

Are you trying to tell me that you're still a teenager at heart?

That's right! I'm at least in my twenties!

It's true that I haven't had a normal life since Ao became the Demon Lord. I'm not sure I'm old enough for that either. ......

In a way, we're perfect for each other.

That's right. We are both inexperienced, so we should be able to support each other.

How can you say that with a straight face? ......

"Mmm. ......

This time, Marya looks unamused. I feel like there's going to be a lot of turmoil over here, but I hope it doesn't come to me. In the meantime, I'll try to bring Masetta back to her senses, as she's frozen by the knowledge of my real age.