Chapter 47

(A rather long text!)

On the way to the usual lighthouse, we stopped at a high bluff to have breakfast with Yararai. Now, it's coffee time after breakfast.

The remaining funds have decreased due to the cost of last night's dinner.

Remaining funds: 912,876 yen.

“I’d like to try making different dishes if we have the means.”

For dinner, Hagg only eats tonkatsu, so I end up eating the same thing. Unlike in Japan, the calorie consumption is higher here, so a bit of fat doesn’t seem to be a problem, but I do get tired of it every night. On the other hand, it’s a hassle to prepare a different menu just for that.

By the way, we talked about fish before, and Hagg seemed quite interested. Maybe I should think of some fish dishes. Since we’re here, I’d like to try cooking the fish of this world. Fortunately, I’m good at preparing fish thanks to my frequent fishing trips with my boss.

Moreover, I was often made to help another boss who loved cooking, so I can do basic cooking. Of course, living alone also helped a lot.

Since my salary didn’t increase, I had to cook to save money.

The only concern is that there are no refrigerators or freezers in this world, so I can’t use the technique of making and freezing in bulk, which is a good way to save money.

“Good morning, Akira-sama.”

As I was thinking about fish dishes, the red-haired woman came as usual.

With her red hair that doesn’t lose to the strong sunlight, her red eyes that pierce through others with a strong will, and her red leather armor dyed red to emphasize her chest, which is developed beyond her age, and her red boots that reach her knees, she is none other than Chelina Veriello, the daughter and one of the responsible persons of the great merchant house.

“... Good morning, Yararai-sama.”

Although not as much as yesterday, Chelina still shows her displeasure when she sees Yararai. Does she really dislike elves that much?

“Ah.”

Yararai’s response is also somewhat indifferent.

“Would you like some coffee, Chelina?”

“Yes... I’ll have some.”

I shook the cup I was using a few times to empty it, then brewed two to three sticks of sugar worth of coffee for her.

The way she sipped the coffee with both hands on the cup was the complete opposite of her usual firm attitude as the head of the merchant house, showing her youthful side. Well, I don’t know her exact age... probably around high school graduation age?

After Chelina finished drinking, I cleaned up and headed to the merchant house.

The tasks for the morning didn’t change much today.

Mainly paperwork and its checks, and some small negotiations. Even for these negotiations, most of the work is already done by the merchant house executives, so it’s just a matter of final confirmation, a kind of assembly line process.

I wonder how the merchants on the other side see the scene of the unknown foreigner and the overly muscular native elf standing behind the beautiful Chelina.

For me, this is the morning work, but apparently Chelina starts working before sunrise. Since it’s mainly paperwork, she didn’t instruct me to come early.

The people of the Veriello merchant house naturally start working earlier than Chelina, so a man who does nothing but stand next to the young lady is envied. I can’t seem to escape the position of attracting hate from others, whether in the previous world or this one.

I finish the morning work while appropriately deflecting the resentful gazes of the employees. As usual, I just stand there.

At lunchtime, Yararai moves to a nearby cafeteria, leaving me and Chelina alone.

“Looks delicious.”

Today, there was a rare meat dish. It was red meat but softer than it looked. It had a bit of a wild flavor but was good overall. The cooking method was simple, just grilled with oil and sprinkled with salt, but it was simple and delicious.

“This is the buffalo meat that Yararai-sama hunted the other day. I managed to get some of it.”

“Ah, I was wondering about that. Buffalo is huge, right? How did Yararai bring it to the city?”

Even if Yararai is muscular, it’s impossible for one person to carry something as big as a cow. ... If it were Hagg, he might carry it while whistling, which is scary.

“That was, of course, done by the people of the Commercial Guild. Yararai-sama provided a part of the body as proof of the hunt and told the location of the buffalo to the merchant house. The guild people then confirmed the location and paid Yararai-sama the commission. The guild people then gathered the necessary number of people, processed the buffalo on-site, and transported it to the city.”

She explained everything I wanted to know, not just the method of transportation. She’s indeed a smart woman.

“What kind of system is the Commercial Guild?”

“Basically, it’s a guild of merchant houses and merchants. In this country, the guild is a licensed organization, so it has certain powers. Many merchant houses have disappeared in the past few years...”

No matter how I steer the conversation, it always ends up talking about the decline of this country.

“What kind of powers?”

“Well, there are some tax reductions, and while the scope is smaller than that of the nobles, there are certain exclusive rights. In this country, there is no hunting guild, and the management of hunting rights is handled by the Commercial Guild. The hunting rights for buffalo are one of those. For small-scale hunting, they lend the hunting rights to mercenaries and wandering warriors.”

She gave an example using Yararai’s case to make it easier to understand.

“I see. So the guild is entrusted with part of the country’s authority to manage it?”

“Yes. Therefore, merchant houses that are not part of the guild have their activities restricted.”

“Maybe it’s a well-established system, but... I don’t really like it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, business should be equal, right? If it’s banned, it should be banned for everyone, and if it’s allowed, it should be allowed for everyone.”

“That’s...”

“Ultimately, only the old merchant houses remain, and new merchants can’t grow. As a result, only a few guilds get fat, and the rest are excluded... It kind of looks like the country itself, doesn’t it?”

“...”

“Well, it might be the best system since it has worked so far. But it’s just a thought.”

I don’t really intend to seriously discuss politics. I just said what came to mind, as I’m not smart enough to have a proper discussion.

“If...”

Chelina mused.

“If the country only regulated necessary things and left all other rights to the merchants, what would happen?”

She seems interested.

“Well, first, anyone can freely do business, so people can start a business with a bit of determination. They can sell anything that doesn’t require special permission. People would likely split into two main patterns.”

“How so?”

“One is a business that is generally popular. For example, a cafeteria. Is there a guild for that?”

“Of course, you can’t open a cafeteria without buying a share from the guild.”

“Without that restriction, it’s possible to gather funds and open a cafeteria.”

“But without being part of the guild, it’s unknown what kind of food will be served, and there’s a possibility of toxic dishes...”

“That’s where licenses come in. A cooking license, for example. Without it, you can’t open a cafeteria in the country.”

“But isn’t the guild system good then?”

“The guild ultimately doesn’t allow free business. If a new person just brings money and buys a share, will they be favored?”

“... No.”

“With a permit system, everything depends on your own judgment. Whether you succeed or fail is up to you. Let’s say you start a popular business like a cafeteria.”

“Yes.”

“But it’s a popular business, so there will naturally be many rivals.”

“Of course.”

“Then, how do you increase sales?”

“... Well... Improve the taste, increase the quantity...”

“Right. You can also lower the price, improve the service, or make it a high-end place for the rich.”

“I see. That’s very educational.”

“I’m not that smart to teach you, but that’s how you improve. You also consider the location of the store.”

“Right.”

“In other words, there’s a chance to make a profit if you work hard. That’s important.”

“Of course, it’s not guaranteed to succeed.”

“Of course. If it fails, it’s unfortunate, but the business will go bankrupt.”

“If the guild manages it, only the necessary number of cafeterias will be made, so the risk of bankruptcy is reduced.”

“But in exchange, customers can’t choose their stores.”

“True, but...”

“Isn’t a guild-protected store just a lord’s business? ‘There’s no other store around here,’ and ‘What happens if you make the guild your enemy?’”

“...”

She might have some experience with this.

“Isn’t that the same as the current state of this country?”

“?!!”

“If you defy me, you won’t have any freedom.”

“... That...”

Just a casual chat, let’s keep going.

“Continuing, what would the rival stores do?”

“Huh? Ah, yes... If a new store improves its sales, the rivals would have to improve their taste or lower their prices, right?”

“Of course. It would be best if they could come up with a menu that the rivals can’t copy.”

“True. If the same menu leads to a price war, it could spiral out of control. The guild exists to prevent that...”

“That’s the seller’s theory. The buyer would naturally prefer a cheaper price for the same product.”

“That’s true, but...”

Chelina has a point, but let’s move on.

“By competing with each other, new prices, better quality, new menus, and new stores will emerge. If the prices are reasonable, citizens will use them more. Chelina, isn’t the important thing to attract many customers?”

“That... I think so.”

“Right, it’s one aspect. Now, I mentioned two patterns at the beginning. Let’s talk about the second one.”

“Yes.”

“The first was a generally popular business, so the second would naturally be an unpopular one.”

“Like?”

“Hmm, a business that doesn’t exist around here... Ah, a public bath might be good.”

“A public bath?”

“Simply put, a bathhouse that you can pay to use. Whether it succeeds or not is another matter, but hear me out as an example.”

“Yes.”

I wonder why a public bath came to mind. Maybe I want to take a bath.

“Assuming no special permission is needed, let’s say you want to open such a store somewhere in the city.”

“Yes.”

“First, you need to secure the land, employees, water, and firewood.”

“It would require a lot of initial investment. Given the premise, it’s hard to imagine it succeeding...”

“Right. Most people would probably fail. But at least at the initial stage, money will definitely move. This benefits the country and provides jobs for the unemployed.”

“That’s true.”

“Now, if you tried to open a public bath in this country, what would happen?”

Chelina closed her eyes and thought for a moment.

“Well... First, I think the purchase of land would be denied, and the use of water would be prohibited for some reason.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think they would allow an unnecessary facility inside the city walls...”

“That’s probably the case. They don’t understand it, so they won’t accept it. But imagine if the public bath succeeded.”

“Hmm...”

She doesn’t seem to get it. Maybe the example was bad.

“A new business was born in this country. By refining the know-how, you could open new branches in other countries and make more profit. If it’s profitable, the country becomes richer, and the people who use the public bath become richer, right?”

“I can kind of understand, but I don’t think ordinary citizens have enough extra money to use a public bath.”

“As the number of stores increases and diversifies, there will inevitably be a shortage of labor. This will increase jobs and the income of citizens. They will then spend their increased income at stores. Remember the tax talk? Lowering taxes increases the number of people and goods, which in turn increases tax revenue.”

“Of course, I remember.”

“It’s not a tax cut, but if there are more opportunities and fewer regulations, people will definitely start challenging. Of course, many will fail... but that’s their own responsibility.”

“It seems risky.”

“... I don’t deny that.”

That’s what a free economy is. I’m not saying it’s right. It could lead to the proliferation of black companies.

“Well, just forget it as a fool’s talk.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Sorry. We can’t change the state of this country anyway. We just have to do our best within the current system.”

“...”

I tried to end it lightly, but Chelina is deep in thought. Maybe it wasn’t just a casual chat. Personally, I find such discussions interesting.

What’s interesting is that I can talk irresponsibly because I can’t change the country anyway. If I could do something about it, it would be tiring and not at all interesting.

“Hey, do you know any good fish shops?”

I changed the topic because I thought Chelina might get tired if we kept talking like this.

“Huh?”

She seems to have lost track of the conversation.

“I’m thinking of cooking some fish for dinner. I want to eat some good fish. Can you recommend a good shop?”

“That’s... But fish at night? I think it will go bad.”

There are no refrigerators or freezers.

“Right, so I can’t get good fish...”

“Fish is usually obtained in the morning and eaten by noon. Nobles use alchemists to maintain freshness.”

“Really? That’s convenient.”

“There’s an alchemy to freeze water. There are also air alchemy tools, but they are very expensive, and I’ve hardly ever sold them.”

“I want one.”

If I could make as much ice as I wanted, it would expand my cooking options.

“It’s not within the budget of an individual.”

“If I could make a lot of ice, it would make fish transportation easier.”

“Akira-sama, even with an air alchemy tool, you can