Chapter 44

Today, as usual, only a few customers visited the shop during the day. Since the shop is open to welcome clients and guild associates, providing lunch and such is more of a service to the local residents rather than for profit, so it’s not a problem.

I went out during my lunch break and visited the grocery store that has been taking care of me. I have been to all the wholesale and retail grocery stores in the capital and have a good grasp of the products they handle.

There’s a small store on the 10th Street of the capital called "Kardira Grocery Store." The owner stocks and sells niche food items that don’t usually make it to the market. She often leaves the store to procure goods, so it’s a good week if it’s open one day, but every time I visit, there are new items she has sourced from the countryside, which always piques my interest.

"Are you interested in the 'Blue Fox Clan' of the Water Bearer?"

"Yeah. If there’s any food related to the Blue Fox Clan, I’d like to stock it."

The owner, Kardira, is a woman in her late twenties, though her age is hard to guess. She runs the store with her husband, but he travels more frequently than she does, and I’ve never seen him.

She is from a country in the southern desert region, and her skin is tanned a wheat color. In the store, she dresses rather revealingly. She wears a lot of jewelry around her neck and arms, which, as someone who dabbles in fortune-telling, she claims helps improve her accuracy. Whether it actually works or not, I don’t know, but it’s clear that they’re not just for show.

She calls me "Water Bearer" as part of her policy to refer to people by their shop names rather than their personal names, which is how she addresses others as well.

"That 'Konobi Fruit' is found near the Blue Fox Clan’s habitat. However, I found the fruit but didn’t encounter the Blue Fox Clan themselves. I was caught in a blizzard in the mountains."

"Hmm... It’s an unusual shape."

A blue fruit divided into nine clusters, slightly curved. Even from a distance, you can tell it emits a sweet fragrance.

"This one seems to have a high sugar content. Did the Blue Fox Clan breed it?"

"Maybe. They peel the skin and dry the white flesh inside for storage, or they mash it fresh and mix it with livestock milk to drink. It’s a complete nutritional food to help them survive harsh winters."

"I see. Can I have one?"

"Ten silver coins for one cluster. If you buy five clusters, I’ll give you a two-coin discount, making it forty coins in total."

"Considering the effort to procure it, it’s more than fair to pay the original price."

I counted out fifty silver coins and put them in a small hemp bag to hand over. Kardira smiled and returned five coins to me.

"I picked these fruits for free since they grow wild. Even at five silver coins each, I’d still break even."

"No, I think this is quite valuable. They’re fresh, too."

"They’ve been picked for three days. This fruit is slow to rot and can last up to ten days at room temperature. It’s said to get sweeter each day and is best eaten just before it spoils."

"I see... So, it’s best to eat it when it’s fully ripe."

Fruits have a mechanism to ripen themselves, which makes them sweeter and is used in making fruit wine. In the capital, grape wine is the main type of fruit wine, but other fruits can also be used to make alcohol if they have a high sugar content. I thought this 'Konobi Fruit' could be used to make wine, and I’ve been considering implementing a plan I’ve had for a while.

I want to find a brewery to partner with the 'Silver Water Bearer Inn' or hire a winemaker to build a new brewery. If I can do that, I can create our own unique wine and offer it as a highlight of the inn.

However, if I provide a delicious wine that can only be enjoyed at the Silver Water Bearer Inn, it might be difficult for the inn to continue as a hidden gem. I could release it in a way that only a select few know about, but would that be enough to sustain the brewery? If I run it as a hobby, it might be fine, but running the guild and the inn is not a hobby, and I have a lot to think about.

"It seems you’re thinking a lot, but when you’re young, you should try everything."

"Yeah, you’re right... Thanks, I really appreciate it. Can I come back soon?"

"I’ll be leaving on a trip in three days, so come before then. I have a few more things I want to show you."

I threw the Konobi Fruit into the bag I brought and left the store.

The Blue Fox Clan, who can transform into Ice Foxes, will soon be brought back by Aileen and the others.

I need to entertain this Ice Fox at our inn. Given what the Garamdoor Trading Company has done, they might be distrustful of humans. We are not like Garamdoor, and we don’t want to worsen our relationship with the beastfolk—frankly, we want to build a friendly relationship.

I don’t know if it will work out, but I can’t know everything about them in advance. Even if I don’t know if it will succeed, I need to do my best. That’s my job, waiting at the inn while Aileen and the others handle everything.

◆◇◆

About an hour before opening in the evening, Aileen and the others returned with the Ice Fox—Sect Crucifer was with them too.

"Brother, we’re back! Aileen did a great job!"

"We’re back, Dick. We managed to bring her back. The collar is already off."

"Yeah, you did well... Is this the Ice Fox...?"

Sect was carrying a girl with aqua hair, fox ears, and a tail. She was wrapped in what seemed to be Sect’s coat and was still asleep, though her long lashes were fluttering, indicating she was regaining consciousness.

Sect, who had only met me once when I was drunk, widened his eyes slightly when he realized I was the guild master, but quickly returned to his usual expressionless face.

"You’re the guild master... I thought you were just a regular customer. I guess my judgment was off."

"Yeah, sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

"No, I’m the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have threatened you. Without the power of this guild, I would have done something irreparable. I fully apologize for my rudeness that day."

Sect bowed deeply while still holding the fox-eared girl. His actions clearly showed the close relationship between him and the girl.

"Don’t worry about it. Sect, thanks to you, we learned about what the Garamdoor Trading Company is doing. We don’t intend to let them get away with it."

"...They capture beastfolk, transform them into animals, and use them for business. Have you gathered evidence of this?"

Vellene answered Sect’s question in my place. She was wearing a maid’s uniform and glasses today—she must have been interested in them after hearing that Miralca and Manarina wear them while studying.

"Based on our guild’s investigation, the rare animals traded by the Garamdoor Trading Company are actually beastfolk. If we report this to the authorities, an inspection of the Garamdoor Trading Company will be conducted immediately."

"I see. So, the Garamdoor people weren’t just unknowingly treating transformed individuals as animals; they were capturing beastfolk on purpose... I didn’t want to suspect my guild, but with the evidence, I can’t deny it."

"What does that mean? What’s the relationship between Sect’s guild and the Garamdoor Trading Company?"

Sect looked down, thinking. I understood that revealing information about his guild was difficult, but this was too important to ignore.

—Just as I thought the silence would continue, a clear voice broke the heavy silence.

"...Brother, we can’t keep hiding things. We owe our lives to these people."

The girl’s way of speaking was characteristic, perhaps unique to the Blue Fox Clan. She got down from Sect’s arms, still wearing the coat.

The girl, who was only as tall as I could look down at, was barefoot, but she didn’t seem to mind. She looked up at me with her big, round eyes. When she took off the hood, two fox ears appeared.

"Brother... Sect looks human, but he’s your brother...?"

"I’m pleased to meet you. My name is Mizuha. Sect is my half-brother from a different mother."

She bowed politely, not just to me but to everyone else as well. Sect remained expressionless—no, he was watching his sister bow as a brother would. Still, the fact that they are siblings was surprising, and they don’t look that similar.

"...My father is a Blue Fox, and my mother is human. So, I could be born as a human, a beastfolk, or a mix. I’m the former, but I inherited my father’s hair color."

"I thought your hair was a bluish black, but that’s what it means..."

Indeed, his blue-black hair is distinctive, but it’s not a feature that alone indicates he has beastfolk blood. Vellene didn’t notice it either, so it’s safe to assume that it’s impossible to tell just by looking at Sect.

"However, you, Mizuha, seem to have very different physical characteristics from Sect."

"Both my parents are Blue Fox. Sometimes, a Blue Fox can revert to their ancestral form... I have the ability to transform into a beast. Aileen, I caused you a lot of trouble."

"Don’t worry, I’m fine. I just got excited about fighting a strong opponent. Are you hurt, Mizuha? I held back even when you were in beast form, and I felt it."

"When you cut the collar, I felt a sense of relief and returned to my original self. Before you came, I thought I’d never be able to return and just gave up, losing control of my body..."

Mizuha’s eyes were moist, clearly having been through a terrifying experience. Aileen knelt down and hugged her, stroking her head and back to comfort her.

"Our village is deep in the mountains, covered in snow. My sister was not allowed to leave the village for a long time because of her appearance and abilities. However, the clan leader finally agreed to her wish to go outside, but it should have been done more gradually. Living in a smaller, less populated town would have been better..."

"No, Sect, neither you nor your sister did anything wrong. I don’t want you to regret coming to the capital. Can you wait a little while we decide what to do next?"

It would be a difficult decision to stay in the capital after what they’ve been through. But for Mizuha, who wanted to see the outside world, it would be too disappointing to return to the village in disappointment.

"Brother probably doesn’t want to say anything bad about the 'Blue Archer Inn,' where he received hospitality. But we can’t ignore it... They tried to capture me and hand me over to the Garamdoor Trading Company..."

"...So, you’ve been seen in your transformed state by someone from the Blue Archer Inn?"

"Yes... During a full moon, I sometimes transform into a beast involuntarily..."

Hearing Mizuha’s words, Sect closed his eyes. He didn’t know—because he trusted the Blue Archer Inn, he stayed there. That’s why, upon hearing his sister’s story, he learned of his guild’s betrayal and, for the first time, felt a surge of anger.

"It seems we need to settle this once and for all. We might lose a rival guild."

"...I don’t want to trouble this guild any further. I will confront the guild master of the Blue Archer Inn and get the truth."

"Are you going to take responsibility? I suggest you let them face public judgment."

"Are you going to stop me?"

"No. Whatever happens before their crimes are exposed, I can’t interfere with other guilds’ affairs."

Guild conflicts are not unheard of. Sometimes personal disputes can escalate into guild wars.

If it becomes known that my guild and the Blue Archer Inn are in conflict, both guilds will face restrictions. Guild wars are seen as a disruption to the capital’s order.

—However, that doesn’t mean I’ll do nothing.

"But, now that I know the situation, I want you and your sister to be safe. Since you came to our shop, I want to return the favor."

"...Favor? I’ve only been rude to you. I can apologize and make amends, but there’s no favor I can repay to this guild..."

"At first, we didn’t know about the Garamdoor Trading Company’s plans and tried to capture the Ice Fox as a regular request. Now that the request has been effectively abandoned, we, who brought the Ice Fox here, should take responsibility for her future. That’s our guild’s duty and the guild master’s principle."

Sect looked at Vellene in disbelief. I’m aware that I’m being overly kind.

"To be honest, I’m looking for someone like you. I also want to create an environment where beastfolk are not discriminated against. I believe this can be achieved without exercising overt power. The capital can be a place where Mizuha can make good memories. Can I help you with that?"

"...Brother, you... You’re thinking so big..."

"I thought you were just a drunk... You’re planning something so big..."

"Indeed, a person relied upon by Lady Timis... I am deeply impressed, though it may be presumptuous of me."

I wanted to tell Rigel and the others not to flatter me too much, but I couldn’t dismiss it as a joke.

I extended my right hand to Sect. Sect was silent for a while, but Mizuha pulled his hand and made him shake mine.

"My name is Mizuha Crucifer. If you allow us, I and my brother would like to stay here."

"...Mizuha, that’s too much. Considering what this guild has done for us, we shouldn’t..."

"If you can, can you work at the 'Silver Water Bearer Inn' while you’re in the capital? I promise better treatment than your current guild. I’ll also provide a room where you and your sister can live comfortably. This isn’t charity, so don’t hesitate."

Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting to see if the negotiation would succeed.

Sect didn’t take long to decide and shook my hand. His battle-hardened hand, wearing a well-used gauntlet, spoke of his extensive combat experience.

"I’ll work for this guild when things settle down. Thank you, guild master."

Sect doesn’t smile, but his words are straightforward. Mizuha looked up at her brother and smiled happily.

If things had gone wrong, Sect might have hurt his sister without knowing how to save her. Those who created such a situation must be dealt with appropriately.

The Blue Archer Inn and the Garamdoor Trading Company. The unexpected conflict with these two organizations was about to reach its final stage.