Chapter 113

「………What are you talking about?　 There is no way we would trade with the Grond Trading Association anymore. Or rather did you actually think that you still can do business in this town?」

I heard the voice but could not make any sense of the words that it was saying.

What? What does that mean?

「In this town there is no company or a merchant that would sell goods to you. There is no way you don’t understand that? Not a single piece of evidence came up, but there are just that much circumstances pointing at your company. Even an idiot would avoid doing business with you.」

「Wha, What does that mean?!　 What are you talking about!!」

「Do you even have to ask? It is about the incidents with the disappearance of money. Not even mentioning us or the companies affiliated with those two, you even went for the companies with some degree of influence without any care. What is the point of playing dumb after going that far?」

The presidents of Ochalea Trading Association and Fugine Trading Association nod to the words of the president of Munaito trading association.

With a screech as if something got stuck between the gears, my mind comes to a halt.

I know that I have to do something, but I have no idea what.

「To be honest, I did not even imagine when a day would come when mister Grond will retire from commerce…」

「That’s okay, I cannot believe it myself as well, but considering that he came without making any preparations, the result is obvious. Probably after selling off all of his inventory he plans to receive peerage, lands and a name at the Empire and spend peaceful retirement days there.」

The president of Ochalea Trading Association gives me a look from which I can not distinguish if it is filled with contempt or disgust.

We had many conversations, therefore I can painfully feel the disappointment for my abandonment of the trade well in that look.

「Wa, It, Please wait, what? What is the meaning of all this?」

It’s not right, not right, not right, there is no way those three firms didn’t take hold of information on the list of the companies that became victims.

The list of the victims that I have obtained contained nothing but names of small to medium-sized companies that did not even come close to big trade associations.

Including us, none of the trading companies with a lot of power, like those three, should have suffered any damage.

「It is annoying but we cannot allow ourselves to take any more losses out of pride or reputation as well. That is why we came here to throw a white flag. To return the money we received in the deals with the Grond Trading Association.」

「Wha, what is that supposed to mean, didn’t you bastards come here to bend the knee, so you can get leftovers from the money recasting that our company wil…」

「Huh?　Money recasting?　 What is that about?」

To my thoughtless reply, I only received puzzled words with a dubious look in return .

We just not on the same page. The information does not match up.

(Any, Anyway I have to somehow get a deal for the stock replenishment or it will be a problem!)

Though there is no legal power to a verbal agreement, but with a company as big as ours, it will not be easy to prepare the necessary amount of goods for its operations right away.

So unless you talk it out to some degree before signing the contract, you will not be able to prepare if a situation was to change somehow.

I already made agreements with trading associations in other towns to unload goods to them.

If I were unable to procure required goods then it will result in penalties for the breach of the contract which means a huge loss.

「Ple, Please wait a moment. It seems that there is a serious disparity in our perception of the situation.」

「Disparity in our perception you say?」

「「…?」」

The president of Fugine trading association makes a doubtful face, while the other two glance at each other.

Apparently, they saw from my behavior that something is strange.

「Eeh, First, let us calm down and talk it out…」

At that moment.

Knocking comes from the door, and the subordinate enters the room.

「What! I am in the middle of important negotiations!!!」

「Its… Well… There are people from those three companies over here that would like to urgently report something to their respective presidents.」

Hesitantly announces the subordinate.

「Hmm, our subordinates should be understanding that we are in the midst of negotiations as well. Since they came despite that, it should be something of great importance. I would like to receive permission to let them into the room.」

I should not allow that.

My intuition as a merchant whispers that to me, but I have no means to prevent it.

「Well, yeah, I do not mind.」

I had no other choice but to say so.

Each of them asks pardon for the intrusion and for a second looks at me with the eyes that have a hint of steel in them as the enter.

Which exasperated my uneasiness even more, and the fact that I do not have even a single way to respond to this situation made it even worse.

Going to a president of their companies, each of them passes message in a whisper.

At that moment, the eyes of every president open wide.

Not even a sliver of the previous 「Well, let’s talk it out」 atmosphere can be seen in their gazes that all turned to me.

「…Ah, I see, so all of it was just acting.」

「He, he was just buying time. And that is so it would all be revealed precisely with this timing!!!」

「No matter how you look at it, this is just bad taste!!　 I did not expect that I will be made into this much of an idiot!!!」

All three of them were expressing a feeling of anger with their whole bodies without even trying to hide it.

They rise up as if saying that there is nothing to talk about anymore and head to the exit.

「Wa, Please wait, just what exactly has happened?!」

「So shameless. We just received a message that money had disappeared from our vaults. And it is exactly the same amount as we received in our dealings with you.」

「WHA?!」

「Aah, good grief, it is our complete defeat this time. I will order an investigation, but surely we won’t find any evidence anyway. And we will have to fulfill the contract that we just signed after losing money from your company.」

「Aaah, damn!　As if it is not enough that with the influence of the latest magic storm we sold goods to the guild at the dirt cheap price. Saying that we are in the deficit is a huge understatement.」

「Just how long will it take to recover from this.」

「This… Please wait! Please listen to me…!!!」

「You are being persistent!!　 I do not want to even see you anymore. This is likely the last time we meet face to face!」

Shouting those words at me, the president of the Fugine Trading Association who was leaving the room last, loudly slammed the door.

「…」

All I could do was just stand there like I was completely frozen.

「Pre, President…」

「…Get out.」

「…Ha?」

「I said get out, you cretin!!!」

As I raised my voice almost in a scream, the emotions rising up overtook me.

「Hiii, I, I am sorry!!!」

Even the figure of the subordinate that was leaving the room in panic was stirring annoyance within me.

「GRAAAAAAAAARAAAAAAAAAAAARAAAAAA!!!」

Simply to quell my anger, I grabbed the piece of furnishing from nearby and threw it into the wall.

A porcelain figurine that probably cost several gold coins shattered to pieces with a loud crash.

「Haa, Haa.」

I felt like I heard a rat squeaking.

I spot a rat that wandered in here from somewhere rush away from my sight.

「Fucking shit, Haa, haaa~…」

I sat on a sofa, linked my hands together and made a deep breath.

(Don’t overcomplicate things. Anyway, I have to make the next move.)

「Master, there is something that I would like to discuss as soon as possible.」

「Ooh, Fegner. I also have something I want to confirm with…」

「…No, it looks like I was one step behind. 　Please, check this.」

「…?　Is this the list of victims?」

I am surprised that Fegner brought me information that I wanted to confirm even before I ordered for it.

「Yes, the first sheet is the one that our company has and the second sheet is the one I got via my personal routes.」

「?!　Wha, What is this? Their contents are almost completely different!!!」

I quickly pass an eye over the list.

「Early Trading Association, Bead Trading Association… Including three companies from before there is nothing but companies that had deals with us!!!」

「And there are other bad news.」

「There is still more?」

I let out those words like a groan.

「It seems that money had disappeared from those three companies as well.」

「I know that. Just a moment ago our negotiations were ruined because of that information…」

「No, news only start from there. In response to that, the government decided to take action. They will most likely come for an inspection in a few days.」

「What?!　 When time is so precious…!!!」

During an official inspection, not only will it be harder to perform dubious activities but the legally performed deals will also be suspended.

In this situation, it will be like having weights on all four limbs.

「Aaah, Shit, why did it become like this!」

「…One of the people in charge of the department responsible for processing contracts seemed to be acting strange and after an investigation, it was revealed that he was under influence of some kind of magical substance. The person in question seems to have no recollections about what was done to him but surely that is the source of the leak. It is possible that this is the work of the group from before that set its target on the Grond Trading Association.」

「FU, KIN, ROA, CHEES!!!」

Out of anger, I squash the paper.

「What about Nonorik? Was he able to find them?」

「…No, the thing is, we can not find him since the other day…」

「What?　 Damn him, what is he doing at such a crucial time!!!」

I hit the table with a fist out of irritation.

「Forget about him, Fegner, find them!　 And throw them beneath my feet!!!」

「Master, please calm down. This is not what we should be doing at the moment, right?」

However, Fegner did not obey my order and even tried to remonstrate me.

「Please do what you have to do, you are the president of the Grond Trading Association. Please consider what a man in your position should be doing.」

「That is… Kuh, FUCK!」

As much as I am enraged by him talking back to me, with a reason that I understand that his words are correct.

Swallowing my anger, I exhale a breath.

「…Fegner, first, stop any payouts for inventory. Then I want you to deal with folks from the town hall. I will try to collect goods from the bunch in this town on which I made arrangements for unloading in advance.」

「Certainly. Can I have the permission to use a small amount of funds to preserve inventory?　 Only the money that was used in business transactions is disappearing. Whispering that while placing coins directly into their hands is bound to make some sway with greed.」

「Ah, please do. If this situation won’t improve and we won’t be able to receive goods specified by contracts, we are finished.」

After silently making a bow, Fegner promptly leaves.

There is no room for delay.

A breach of a contract usually leads to a monetary penalty. But that is not the original procedure for it.

A merchant that unreasonably breaks the terms of the agreement would be deemed unqualified to do business and will have his license revoked by the local merchants guild and will be unable to trade in that town anymore.

Therefore a person normally hands over a sum and talks it out to prevent that.

But right now, money paid by our company suddenly disappear for some reason

There won’t be anyone who would accept penalty payment from us in such situation.

In other words, a breach of a contract will make me unable to trade in this town anymore.

Of course, it is another story if there are some kind of circumstances that could not be avoided, but the magic storm that could be considered as such has almost dispersed and monsters blocking the highway are almost completely eliminated due to the guild’s military operation.

I was planning on making payments for goods after obtaining privilege for money recasting so it is yet to be resolved.

Like this, there is no way that such an explanation as this is all a chain of events caused by the magic storm, would pass.

As a consequence, a rate for monster encounters went up a bit, but this much would not be acknowledged as an irresistible force.

「I don’t know who you are, but this debt will cost you dearly, worms…!」

I swallowed my humiliation and passed my arms through the sleeves of my outside clothes.

☆

「Eeh, As I said, I don’t mind if the price will be the double of the usual one, for an additional contract we…」

「Haa, mister Grond. Just how much do you have to mock me before you are satisfied? It does not matter for how much I sell it if money is going to disappear anyway! Please leave!」

「I, I will repeat, it is just a rumor without any basis…」

「As if I need any more basis!!　 We already took damage from that!　 Now, please leave, when we are done with the delivery of the remaining goods per current contract, it will become our last deal with your company.」

I was urged to leave the place, from the middle of it forcibly, and was driven out.

「Shit!!!」

It was the fifth case of negotiations being refused

I was going around visiting various trading companies in order to cover up the deficit of goods for the delivery that appeared as a result of supplies from those three companies being cut.

But negotiations did not go well, and even worse, some places even wanted to stop supplying right away, saying that they would even pay the penalty.

There were even few that used the irrefutable 「Road was blocked by monsters due to the influence of the last magic storm」, so the situation was turning worse and worse.

(Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!　 Even though I am saying that I will pay double, why would no one sell anything to me!!!)

Bad, bad, bad!!!

At this rate, I really will be unable to continue business in this town!!

A feeling of rising impatience was fueling my irritation and anxiety up bit by bit.

But in negotiations and business, losing your cool and showing your emotions is not a way to improve a situation.

That is why anger that cannot be dispersed by letting it out accumulates and piles up inside.

「Tch, it is awfully hot today.」

I wipe the sweat made by a scorching sun.

By the way, I did not eat anything since this morning.

To somewhat sate my hunger, I entered a suitable store close-by.

From the appearance of its facade, I grasped that it is not an establishment of the level that I usually would go to, but at the moment, time was far too precious to waste it by traveling far away in order to satisfy my tastes.

And it is a common occurrence for delicious food to require a lot of time.

(….?　 What?)

As soon as I entered the store, I felt a rather odd gaze upon me.

Could it be there is something strange about my appearance, though I had looked myself over but found nothing unusual.

(…Am I worrying too much? Tch, quite possible that I am tired.)

I guess I became too nervous after all those events.

However, I can not afford a long rest. After quickly finishing a meal, I have to head on negotiation with another trading association.

「Hey, my order…」

「Get outta here!」

「Wha?!」

Suddenly, I was splashed with water.

「Thanks to you, my favored supplier took a huge loss! And I also already heard!　 All the money received from you gets stolen by your people!　Customers that pay no money are no customers!　 Get outta now!」

「…..」

I surely had a fairly stupid face at that moment.

「Don’t screw with me! 　 Who do you think I…」

「The head for the company of the thieving traders? 　 Come on, stop dirtying my shop!!」

「Guh」

And then, I was thrown out of the store.

「You bastard! Such a store can easily be crushed by my trading association!!　　Putting pressure on your shop with money is…」

「Huh, what are you even saying, your money ain’t worth anything in this town anymore!」

Being shouted that, I was left alone in front of the store.

「Your money ain’t worth anything!」

The words echoed in my ears.

Worthless?　Money?　 My money is worth nothing?

Indeed, I can not buy food, cannot buy drinks, cannot procure any supplies, cannot even put any pressure…

「Ah, it is impossible!!」

I spat those words out while trying to get rid of the thoughts that reaffirmed that statement before I could even try to deny it.

Money losing their worth? 　 Such a thing is not possible!!!

Money! Money! It is money!　 The world itself rests upon money!

At the moment, there are some difficulties, but it is not like money lost their power!!!

「Yes, yes that is right. Money, I do have money on my hands, there is no problem as long as I have them…」

While still hearing that grinding noise, I once again started to walk.

And then, there was a trio in the strange attires from before.

The trio had their heads completely covered by hoods even in this intense heat.

Because it is a busy time with a lot of people going on their business, no one seems to care, but for some reason, they caught my attention.

However, it is not like there was anything to them in particular.

Right at that moment, when we were about to pass each other.

「Not yet, it is far from being over.」

「…Wha?!」

When I turned around, they already were nowhere to be seen.

I had absolutely no recollection of that voice.

But what is this bad promotion that extraordinary voice gives me?

Not being able to come up with an answer, I was standing still on that spot.

And three days later.

Fegner disappeared along with the money from the safe that he was entrusted with.

My ears were plagued with an audible hallucination of the piled up tower of gold crumbling apart.