Chapter 41

I have successfully obtained the qualification, but the original purpose of coming here was not to get the qualification.

The goal is to take on requests.

Thanks to the magic and spells, I managed to save some time, but the capacity of the item box has somewhat reduced that time. It's still around midday.

It would be best if I could go to Desibatoru today and sleep there.

"Is there a bodyguard request today?"

"There's a request board over there, but in Kaede's case, because of the capacity, the guild is planning to form a Kaede protection party with fast and strong people. What do you think about that?"

"Huh, protect me?"

When I looked in the direction I was pointed to, there was indeed a request board, but it seemed like it wouldn't be relevant to me anymore.

"Huh... Well... It's not a problem, but will this count as completing a bodyguard request?"

"We're not guarding the cargo... but putting it in the item box is, in a sense, the ultimate protection, so I think it will count."

"I see, when will we depart, and how long will it take? What about the reward?"

"We need to gather the members, so I can't say exactly, but most likely, we'll have about five B-rank adventurers for 15 hours or so, either tomorrow or the day after. They won't carry any cargo and will focus solely on protection, so it should be faster."

"Is it profitable to have five B-rank adventurers...?"

The cost of protection alone would be terrifying.

"Kaede, do you know how much dried meat that costs 300 tel per kilo here would cost in Desibatoru?"

"About 500 tel?"

If I transport 1 kilo, I get 200 tel, and if I transport 20 kilos, I get 4000 tel, which is about 40,000 yen. That seems reasonable for a day's pay for a decent adventurer.

"Wrong, it's about 2300 tel."

I don't quite understand what you're saying.

If I transport 10 kilos, I get 20,000 tel, which is enough to live modestly in a normal town for a month.

Is food unavailable there?

"Um, aren't you fighting monsters in Desibatoru? Can't you just eat them?"

If there's no dried meat, you can just eat grilled meat.

"It's not that simple. Eating meat from monsters that have left their territory can cause health issues, and eating too much can lead to an excess of magic power and even death. Dried meat is safe, but in Desibatoru, it's better to transport it than to dry it."

What kind of hellhole is this where you can't even dry meat?

"But, is it okay to transport a thousand kilos with my item box? Won't it mess up the economy?"

"It's fine. Originally, transportation requests from Desibatoru adventurers aren't that profitable. In fact, to prevent food shortages, they regularly come here to transport food, which is an unwritten rule. Of course, this reduces their combat power, and it's not ideal. They do have some food reserves, but releasing them means forcibly returning weaker adventurers to Fotoren, which is a last resort."

So, are you telling me to actively disrupt the supply chain?

I might be able to make a fortune. Maybe I should start the Maple Group. Become the president of a huge group and conquer the world through economic means!

...But probably not.

"By the way, out of the 2000 tel difference, how much will be my share?"

"From the total, 200,000 tel per adventurer, totaling 1,000,000 tel, will be deducted for Kaede and the other adventurers. The guild will take 10% as a commission, but in return, the guild will handle all the procurement. Is that okay?"

So, 500 kilos will be for protection, and the rest will be my share.

"Will I only be transporting dried meat?"

"No, dried meat is just an example and won't be more than a tenth. The main items will be buckwheat flour and wheat flour. Don't worry; the price will be about 2000 tel per kilo higher."

Buckwheat flour...

I remember eating something like soba during the journey. It wasn't noodles, and I didn't see any soy sauce.

I won't get my hopes up.

...But I can just eat crabs and tuna. If the symptoms are due to excess magic power, eating Desibatoru meat might increase my MP, like in the coal mine.

"Understood. How much will I be transporting?"

"We plan to transport as much as we can prepare, at least 10 tons."

Hmm... At 2 million per ton, that's nearly 19 million. Even after the guild's cut, it's 17.1 million, enough to start a small company.

I already have a perfectly named magic item shop.

"Understood. By the way, do people usually transport and sell individually, not through the guild?"

"Yes, the guild doesn't intend to profit from Desibatoru transportation. It's best if Desibatoru is well-supplied."

Wow, the guild seems like a hero!

They don't seek profit and protect citizens from monsters!

"It's more profitable to increase the supply of magic stones. Each sale incurs a 10% tax, and 20% of that goes to the guild, making it a cash cow."

Wrong! They're just after money! They're completely driven by greed!

Even in Japan, where consumption tax is applied to regular food, they don't double-tax!

I didn't get angry. I didn't even think about eliminating the evil and tyrannical guild.

There's a profit to be made, I benefit, and the guild benefits. That's enough. The buyers will buy if they think the price is worth it.

If you can't afford magic stones, you can use Wisp Cores.

...Oops, I might get executed, so I'll stop there.

"Got it, I'll... No, I'll do my best to transport it!"

For me and the guild's profit!

"Thanks. If you bring back monster corpses on the way back, you might earn more. They often discard parts that can't be transported, except for the high-value ones."

Discarding them is outrageous!

Wasting resources is unacceptable! Think about the environment!

I have no choice but to transport everything.

...If I get them for free, it might cause problems, so I'll pay a little. That's a win-win.

It's easy to maximize short-term profits, but sustainable profits are better in the long run.

"I'll do that. I might consider starting a shop."

"Having that item box could be useful. So, is this agreement settled?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Great, how about the reward? In Desibatoru cards?"

"What are Desibatoru cards?"

"Bringing bulky and heavy coins to Desibatoru is inefficient, so we use cards that record the amount, like guild cards. You can withdraw cash or charge them at the guild. Because of this, cash is rarely used in Desibatoru, and if you do use it, the price will be inflated, so I recommend putting some money in."

"How much should I put in? And is there an issuance fee?"

"It's free if you have the transporter qualification. For the amount... consider the inflated prices with about 2000 tel per kilo added. A night's stay is about 10,000 tel. You can put in all your money, and it will be safe as long as the guild doesn't collapse."

Hmm, convenient. But the prices are ridiculously high. They might be ten times higher.

"Then, please give me the reward in Desibatoru cards."

That should be enough.

I can't imagine a scenario where I'll run out of money, and if I do, I can eat crabs. They're a luxury.

"Got it, you can receive the reward at the guild there."

"Understood."

Thus, a large-scale transportation plan involving six adventurers was finalized.

Thinking about it, flying alone over the sea might be faster, but I'll follow the guild's plan to avoid confusion.

--- Two days later, with over 11 tons of cargo in my item box, I gathered in a room at the guild with five other adventurers for introductions and strategy planning.

"Unon, as you can see, I'm a two-handed swordsman with B-rank destruction power. I'll be the front-line fighter. Nice to meet you."

He looks like a rough warrior with a large sword on his back.

"Dos, B-rank two-handed swordsman. I'll be on the right flank. Nice to meet you."

Another rough warrior with a large sword on his back.

"My name is Turesu, a B-rank two-handed swordsman. Nice to meet you."

...He's similar.

"Quaton, I'll be the front-line shield swordsman. My destruction power is C, but I'm good at suppression."

His weapon is a one-handed sword, but he's still rough.

"My name is Sink, a B-rank archer. Nice to meet you."

He's also a rough man. This is too much...

An archer is rare, but I wish it was an elf or something. A muscular archer is no one's gain.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kaede, a C-rank magic swordsman. I'll leave the strategy to you."

I greet them.

Unon responds.

"This time, everyone is fast and has sufficient destruction power. Unless we're bombed from the air, it shouldn't be a problem. We plan to break through in a group, running together. Is that okay?"

"Understood."

They seem competent, so I'll leave it to them.

It's a straightforward plan, but if the power is sufficient, a direct approach is often the best.