230 - - 二百二十八話 相談

I came to Marie's general store to wholesale the adamantite I obtained in the labyrinth. When I told Marie about the adamantite, she gave me an unusual reaction. I guess it's because it's a metal that I predicted would be directly related to the war.

Well, from my point of view, I don't want spirits to be used for war, but I don't care how the materials I legally wholesale are used. If I had been more attached to this country, I would have wholesaled a lot of materials and stuff, wouldn't I?

"Well, you're free to do whatever you want with the adamantite, Marie. So, may I ask you a favor, Marie?"

"Consultation?　Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. By the way, I am single and a good cook. I'm a very devoted person, so you're getting a good deal.

......I was in a serious mood just now. I didn't ask him to introduce me to a woman, so why did he start talking like that?　And Sonia, don't give me that "well said" look behind your back.

"Actually, I want to get a magic wand with a light attribute. The list that Marie gave me only mentioned the royal family and the church, but is it possible to get it if I negotiate?"

At first, I decided to just listen to what she wanted to ask me, because I knew that if I followed her story, I would get into trouble. Marie-san's expression turned into a look of disappointment, and Sonia-san looked at me as if I was not in a good mood. It was unreasonable.

"...... church is difficult. The staff of light has a symbolic role and they will not give it up. The royal family is a possibility if we can negotiate with them. But it will be difficult with money. If there is something that makes them want to give up the staff of light, it might be possible.

If we can't get the church, can we get the royal family if we can negotiate with them? Negotiating with the royal family, I guess you can't just go to the castle and ask them to negotiate with you. Before that, I made a threat through Mr. Barotta, a spiritualist who belongs to the country.　I'm also afraid that they let the Marquis de Galli go unchecked.

...... but I feel like I'm doing a lot of good for this country. I wonder if I will be welcomed if I visit here on a whim.　...... There is a possibility that I will be welcomed, but I don't want to be made into a new hero or something, and I don't want to be used too much.

"Does Marie's store have any connections to the royal family?"

"Thanks to Mr. Yuta, the Polurius Chamber of Commerce has business dealings with the state. I can introduce you to the person in charge of finance, but it is difficult to do so directly with the royal family. If there is something that the royal family really wants to acquire, I am sure we can work something out through negotiation."

I had a feeling that we could negotiate for a large amount of adamantite, but I told Marie that I would sell it to her first. It would be no good to say that we will stop wholesaling now.

"Well, the only things I can think of so far are fruits of the spirit tree, magic tableware that detects poisons, fire dragons, and recovery rings, right?　Would these items be negotiable?"

I don't think the selection is bad. But I heard that the fruit of the spirit tree is a fruit and it rots. Dolly says that since the fruit is filled with the magical power of the genie tree, it can be eaten for a few years, but I wonder if that is too harsh considering that it is a vanishing object.

Aside from time-stopping, it is said that there is a magic bag that slows down the flow of time, and the royal family might have such a bag. If so, we may be able to negotiate with the fruit of the spirit tree.

"...... You have the fruit of the genie tree?"

Yes, I got it from a treasure chest in the labyrinth.

"Then we can negotiate!"

Bang!　Marie stands up with her hands on the table. I want you to calm down a little. Dolly said she could heal anything if she wasn't dead, and I knew it was valuable, but the reaction was much louder than I expected.

"I heard that the fruit of the spirit tree can cure diseases. Are there any sick people in the royal family?

"I don't know if there are any sick people in the royal family, but having the fruit of the tree of life is a big advantage for the country. As long as the king has the fruit, he will not die from illness.　Plus, it's a very good negotiating position with other countries!"

Marie speaks enthusiastically. But it's a good thing that the king doesn't die from illness, but it would be a disaster if he were a tyrant. Just when you think he's finally going to die, he gets better.

"I see. ...... Then I guess we can negotiate with a magic wand of light attribute."

No, sir!　It's not like that. There is a story that a long time ago, when a king of another country was seriously ill, he sent the fruit of a spirit tree to the king, and the border line was changed. The fruit of the tree of spirits cannot be balanced by a magic wand of the light attribute.

It sounds like an urban legend. But I wonder how they would react if I told them that the fruit of the tree of life is such a powerful item ...... that they have two of them. Before that, there's a big spirit tree growing in Fountain's house. ...... If the country finds out about it, we'll be seriously attacked from all over the continent.

"Well, let's see. Does that mean I should ask for something else?　I can't think of what I want, but what would be appropriate?　Should I hold off on the fruit of the Spirit Tree and negotiate for other items?"

"If it is the fruit of the tree of life, you can ask for a knighthood for the staff of the light attribute. With other items, fire dragons may not be able to get a foot in the door. The country has obtained a large amount of the materials that Yuta-san wholesaled before, and since Yuta-san knows that he can defeat them again, he may ask for another one."

I don't want a title, basically because it sounds like trouble, but I'd like to be called a baron or a viscount for a while. I think I would be a little bit nervous if someone offered to make me a count. A count is kind of cool, isn't it?

Fire dragons may be able to find their footing. I'm going to be pissed off if he asks me to get more, and I don't like the idea of him taking advantage of Sylphy by watching my step.

"So how about some poison-detecting dishes and a ring of recovery?"

"It's ......."

Marie's face fell as if she was having a hard time saying something. Did she do something wrong?

"What's wrong?"

"Well, those two items are indeed very valuable, but since Yuta-san is supplying us with the all-powerful grass and the divine power grass wholesale,...... the value of those two items has been reduced a little. Of course, the poison is more valuable because it is more certain to avoid it, but the ring of recovery has a recovery medicine that can recover up to the deficit. ......

...... top-of-the-line elixirs are fine for most poisons!　A ring of recovery?　Can that even cure a deficiency?　That's what I heard. I guess royal families can easily get any kind of medicines as long as they are available in certain quantities. The tableware that can avoid poison that causes instant death would be an advantage, but the royal family is likely to have a poison tester, and if the poison causes slow-onset symptoms, a panacea will be available in time.

How could I have possibly let all the herbs I've been selling wholesale undermine the value of my grimoire? I've been dragged down in a strange way.

"But even the finest elixirs can cure illnesses, right?　Won't the fruit of the spirit tree be worth less, too?"

"The best elixirs are effective against certain diseases, but they do not cure death, so they are not necessarily less valuable.

A panacea is not a cure-all. Still, how sick is a certain amount of disease?　Well, I've got Vita, so that's something in my case.

"Well, I'd like to get the wand as soon as possible, so I'd like to negotiate for the fruit of the spirit tree. If the fruit is worth that much, we can get to the negotiating table quickly by asking for it, can't we?　If it takes too long, tell them you're going to another country to negotiate, because they're going to be in a hurry and you can save time."

The pattern is that you make an appointment to meet someone important, but you have to wait for days. I don't care if I have to wait for months or not, but if I can save time with the fruit of the spirit tree, which I can get from Dolly, it's not so bad. If we can get a magic wand with light attribute, we can create a sanctuary in the land of the dead. Belle and Gina and the others will be very happy. I'll put up with the trouble of meeting a few important people.

But would you demand a title as well?

No, I don't want to be tied down to a country, so I only need a staff of light attribute. I don't want to complicate the negotiation by putting too many conditions on it, so I'd like to settle it with an immediate negotiation and an exchange of the fruit of the spirit tree and the staff of the light attribute.

It's going to be stressful to meet with the big boys over and over again. I can't think of anything else I want, so let's keep it simple. Hopefully we can get the cane before we leave. And the best part is that if we negotiate and get the wand, the greed sensor will not be a factor. You will get the cane without suffering from the shortage. It is a big advantage.

"It's a waste of time, but if that's what Yuta-san says, I shouldn't interfere. Shall I prepare a letter of introduction?"

Even as she says this, Marie's face looks a little chagrined. If I had the fruit of the tree, I would squeeze it to the limit.

I thought about asking Marie to negotiate and get me a staff with light attribute, but it would take time just to go back and forth between the royal capital and the labyrinth city. Besides, the royal family will be more likely to pressure me if I don't go myself.

"Yes, thank you very much for your cooperation. As I said before, I'm asking for an immediate negotiation and an exchange of the fruit of the spirit tree and the staff of the light attribute owned by the royal family. Oh, I'm asking for the best quality staff of the light attribute that the royal family owns.

Watch out, watch out. Even if it is a magic wand of light attribute, it is useless if it is of poor quality. I'll ask Nomos to accompany me when I exchange the wand.

I understand. I will have my father prepare it for you as soon as possible. I will send Sonia there now so that she can get the adamantite to you while you are getting it wholesale.

"Thank you."

Marie said, "You heard Sonia," and Sonia nodded and left the room. It was like we were in synch with each other.

"So ...... Yuta-san, do you have the fruit of the spirit tree now?"

Marie-san asks with a sense of trepidation. I guess she wants to see the fruit of the spirit tree.

"Yes, I have them. Would you like to see it?"

"By all means!"

Right. He takes out a thin, shiny muskmelon in front of Marie.

"This is the fruit of the spirit tree. The color and shape are just as I read in the book.

Perhaps hesitant to touch it directly with her hand, Marie-san leans forward to look at the fruit of the tree of the spirit and observes it carefully. I hear her sniffing and sniffing.

Ah, it smells so sweet. This is the scent of the fruit of the genie tree!　Thank you, Yuta-san."

Marie thanks him with an enraptured expression. I didn't know it smelled so good. I was in the ocean when I got it and I didn't care much about the smell. I take the fruit in my hand and smell it too. It smells really sweet, and it looks and smells like melon. I'm tempted to eat it, but Marie will scream if I eat it here.

"Oh, by the way, there's something I want you to see, isn't there?

After storing the fruit of the spirit tree, I ask Marie, who looks a little disappointed, the following question.

"What is it that you want me to see?　What is it?"

"This is it!"

With a thud, he pulls out a goblin adamantite golem from his magic bag, from which only the magic stone has been neatly extracted. The expression on his face as he slashes at us is powerful and wonderful. It took a lot of effort to break only the magic stone part of the golem with an artistic stance.

"Is this a ...... adamantite statue?　Why are they goblins?"

It's a goblin golem that appears after the 80th layer. I broke only the magic stone, so it was stuck in that state. Can't you sell it for more than just adamantite?

Marie observes the statue intently at my words.

"This amount of adamantite is worth a lot by itself. It is true that this goblin golem is elaborate, but you can make it if you want to, and I don't think you would buy it unless you are very fond of it. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who might want it, but I'll see if I can find one for you."

......Totally what Sylphy said, Marie told me as well. I glanced at Sylphy and saw her smug look on her face. I feel a little frustrated.

"No, if it's too much work, I'll just sell it as adamantite. Then let's move to the warehouse.

"Okay. I will take you there.

Marie leads the way to the carriage. All my efforts to get a satisfactory goblin statue have been completely in vain.