Chapter 103

The seated chair makes a light creaking sound as if the body was slightly resigned onto it.

「Tsk, those fools, getting ahead of themselves」

Until a while ago, It was a representative of a small merchant association in a considerably deep relation with Grond merchant association was who he was having a meeting with in the reception office.

The meeting, which usually ends with a light greeting after the deal is concluded, however, for some reason was different from the usual aspect this time.

The reason is clear. The money and the goods that I paid for in the transaction seem to have disappeared suddenly.

The merchant association which bears the responsibility of the theft has no clue as to the cause, and for the time being, are demanding the involved personnel from within the merchant association take responsibility.

「Split the loss, my ass. Even if it was just right after the deal, the management should have fallen under their jurisdiction」

The reason why I am lashing out complaints after the fact, is because I accepted the request of the other party and paid compensation for their loss.What I actually paid was about 20% of the losses, but it’s an extra expense that wasn’t planned for and didn’t come out easily.

If it were any of those ordinary merchants, I could have easily turned it down. Setting aside the fact that it happened right after the dealing, since the management right had already been passed onto the other party, there should be no reason for me to be legally held responsible.

Nevertheless, the reason I accepted their demands is because, the merchant association in question wasn’t just any ordinary one but are ones with which I conduct shady dealings with.

From Illegal slaves trade, forbidden drugs, to stuffs like overhunting of raw materials of monsters that is strictly prohibited and magical tools of unknown origin, they are the ones that undertake those several dealings that cannot be carried out in the open.They are not one that can compare with our merchant association in terms of scale, but even so, they are a troublesome opponent that cannot be made light of.

In any case, I will completely absorb them under my control rather than trading partners, but now is not the time yet.

「……Fu, anyway, it is money that will eventually return back to me. Besides, I cannot have them go out of business now」

That merchant association’s underground connection is quite wide. ————-Also for the sake of when I cut-off Nonorik, I am going to have those merchant associations keep up their momentum.

Nonorik is certainly useful, but I didn’t intend to keep him forever.It does not matter much that it costs money.

He is a mad dog, a mad dog who plays with the chains of reason that willfully binds himself.

A hopeless bloodthirsty beast, running around a chaotic fountain that is mixed with the taste of iron rust.

Both the slaves I present to him, and the underground jobs, nothing could really satisfy him in the truest sense.His luxurious manner which he conducts himself in my presence, only appears to me like someone who is desperately gasping for breath so as not to drown in a sea of boredom.

Being as he is, there’s no telling when he will bare his fangs at me, he is competent, but the risk is too big.It is also a condition of the contract that the contract can be rescinded at any time by both parties. If I were to just terminate the contract normally, he will likely disappear somewhere just like a child that has lost interest in a toy.

However, simply cutting him loose will affect my influence underground, and will hinder future dealings.The timing needs to be timed properly. At the very least, I cannot possibly make a move to cut Nonorik loose until we’ve completely gotten our hands on their trickery and connections entirely.

「My judgement is not wrong. This is a necessary investment」

I muttered as if persuading myself, the matter regarding the money paid will be settled.Merchants are ones who earn money by spreading money. The money spent looking ahead is not wasted.

(Those guys are not stupid either, they will find the cause even if they have to scrape grass roots in order to save face. Because money can’t just naturally disappear, so that someone will pay dearly for this)

The sound of knocking on the door echoes in the room.

「Enter」

「Excuse me, Master-sama」

It was Fegner who stepped into the room after turning the doorknob.

「Master, while it’s still uncertain, there’s something you might want to keep at the back of your mind」

「What is it?」

「Though the information is still uncertain 、…… Apparently, the recasting of money is going to be carried out」

「Say what?」

I reflexively stood up after hearing those words.If this information is true, it is a matter of great importance.

In other words, the recasting of money is to cast and crush gold coins and silver coins to change the purity of the metal.

For example, even with the same gold coins, the amount of gold contained in the Empire gold coins and the Kingdom gold coins are different. That’s why the value of a piece of gold is different in the Kingdom and Empire.

In other words, lowering the purity of the metal means that even if you have the same number of gold coins at face value, there is a possibility that substantial assets will be reduced.

「Is that story true? Where is the source of information!!」

「Actually, my distant relative works for the Treasury department in the royal capital. There apparently seems to be such movements, though the letter arrived just before the highway was blocked by the monsters due to the Magical storm. Because it is an information in a sentence written with rare ink, including a predecided code that was arranged in case something happened, I think that credibility is fairly high in my opinion」

「I see……」

I was caught in surprise for only a moment, and then dive into deep thought again. If the story just now is indeed true, then we have to make a move promptly.

The recasting of money is the method used when the kingdom fell into financial difficulties in the past, and the portion of the existing currencies of gold and silver lowered is circulated back into the budget.

(…… Surely, it is not surprising if the decision to recast money is made in the current situation, huh……)

I do not know for what reason, but the kingdom recently spent money lavishly.There’s also that matter where nearly 200 beast-kin slaves were ordered from our merchant association, and ceaselessly emptied stores and bought fairly expensive and high grade magic items while they let gold do the talking.

I do not mind anything if it comes to money, but even a country will be running short on money if that much gold is used.

「Damn, there are a awful lot of trouble lately」

I scratched my head, and drink tea that had turned lukewarm to calm my mind.The tea leaves are not familiar in the kingdom, but I like the unique flavor and astringency of the green liquid.Above all, drinking this makes me feel calm.

「Now then……」

After a short rest and having calmed down a bit, I dive into deep thoughts again.

Of course, speaking mindfully, I’m in fervent rejection to consider the idea of money recasting, but should recasting be done, all the previous currencies will become unusable. If it’s concealed and past the expiration date for exchange, it would be requisitioned by the country at the time of finding, in other words, it becomes a currency that can not be used openly.

Because the value of the metal itself does not diminish, there is also the option of saving it in a place where it cannot be found by anyone if the purpose is to retain it as gold or silver if it were just a noble, but the disadvantages is too great for a merchant who uses money to generate money.

Even if the assets are to be somewhat weakened, it will be more profitable later.

「Well, it depends on what kind of privilege you get, whether it’s positive or negative……, but it is necessary to change goods to money anyway」

In order to appease the nobility and merchants who were reluctant to reduce their assets, it’s not like the country did not think of anything.

One of the measures is to increase the amount on face value when exchanging. Usually for one old currency, it is calculated to receive a lot of money. In a word, regardless of the facts, the amount on the face value will increase somewhat.

And, the other is that, privileges are granted when responding to the exchange of large amounts of money more than a certain amount.

It was around 40 years ago that currency recasting occurred before.At that time, the number of merchants who exchanged the most gold coins in each town was to be exempted from tax for the next ten years.

It would have been possible to recover many of the assets that would have diminished if they were exempt from such taxes, and could make a large loan to the country.

This profit will be extremely large.

Of course, although it is necessary to consider the underlying side of an information, no matter which angle I think about it, it is better to accumulate money.

「………… Tsk, if only the magical storm would cease, it is something I can confirm right away」

I have had several dealings with the princess in a friendly manner from before. I have been made to undertake various dirty jobs, but in return, she is very useful as a source of information at such times.

But it is not possible to use the magic tools of communication due to the influence of the Magical storm, in the first place, one cannot even connect at all.The Magic tool of the long-distance communication is not the size that it is easy to carry, and because the structure is related to the earth veins, it cannot be easily moved.In addition, although there is an earth vein that could be used outside of town, if the magic tool of long-distance communication were to be moved, it will stands out.It is the merchant association with the keen eyes. I would rather avoid doing anything so conspicuous.

「…… Oh, well. Fegner, for the time being, distribute the stock once around other merchant associations, sell out the items other than the goods whose delivery destination has been determined, and scrape up the money together. Even if you have to be a little aggressive. The reason is, let’s see, you can just say that you’re collecting money to open a new branch in the Empire」

「Yes, understood, Master」

One of the subordinates who thanked him exits the room.

As I take out a piece of paper from the desk, to contact the princess and write a letter to confirm the fact concerning the money recasting, it’s closed with a wax affixed with the Grond association’s association crest of a horse and a hammer.

「Hey there, is anyone there!!」

「Yes, you called」

「Send this letter to the neighboring town’s branch using the teleportation crystal. It’s urgent」

Normally, It would unlikely to use an expensive teleportation crystal for one contact, but this time, because of the situation being what it is.The teleportation crystal can deliver the letter without being affected by the location of the transfer origin, and if it’s just letters, the lowest-grade teleportation crystal alone would suffice.It would be great if the reply could be sent through a teleportation crystal, but that would be impossible as long as the magic storm is still covering town.

「Certainly」

When the letter is handed to the subordinate who came into the room and the instruction given, the subordinate exits the room after the bow.

「Now then, the quickest time it’ll take to get a reply would be seven days correct」

「Yes, I believe that would the limit」

Fegner makes an agreeable response after predicting a cursory estimate.

I was impatient when I heard it, but after thinking about it carefully, this just might be an auspicious event.I may not possess gold that can be readily available enough to gain the privileges, but that may not necessarily be the case if one were to obtain information and make a move beforehand.Other merchant associations should also have lots of information networks, but it will be difficult to procure information physically and through communication with the magic tools due to the influence of this magical storm.

「Is there anyone else likely to know about this information? 」

「No, that is unlikely because, I don’t think there was any other letter when I received the letter」

All right, in other words, the privileges for this town will be almost surely obtained by our merchant association if it goes as it is.It is unclear what privileges will be granted, but it will not be so bad.

「The earnings from that “Ramune” is now stable, with this, the merchant association will grow larger again, and eventually the day when everything in this town is monopolized by my merchant association will soon arrive. If so, both the president bunch of large merchant associations, and those shitty old men of commerce guild apart from us whose face we can only stare at, nobody will be able to interfere with me. Towards me, even more money will……, Ahahahahaha!!」

I involuntarily raised my voice in laughter to the sensation as if the gold coins is springing forth from the surrounding in succession.

………… Without realizing that a single rat was watching that spectacle.

☆

「Yeah yeah, you’re smoothly moving exactly the way I wanted」

I severed the sense sharing from rat number one, and I muttered in the room of the inn which had been reduced to just one person.

The plan was in a well-digested condition.Scum will dance towards the path of destruction aptly.

I hid one side of my face lying face down to an extent with my right hand, in order to constrain my overflowing emotions.

「Yes, that’s fine. Just keep displaying your greed……, Kukukuku」

Grow fatter, and fatter, and fatter.

Devour the given bait greedily, and inflate your desire like a balloon.

Then with the bloated desire.Thinly, thinly, we will frailly scrape it off like peeling pieces of human skin.And finally, I’m going to rip him apart just like tearing off a serrated toe nail.

So…

「Now, keep chasing that dirty little golden dream. Like a degenerate child, I’ll make you seek so much enough to lose everything. Kukuku, Hahahahaha!!」

Without being able to endure it, I threw myself on the bed I was sitting, and raised a joyous loud laughter.