Chapter 95

I heard about the Adventurer's Guild from Marie. She seems to be in a hurry, but she doesn't seem to have noticed me yet. Next, we need to talk about money.

"The cost of the materials is a total of 1,856,200,000 Elt. The breakdown is as follows: Fire Dragon, 1,400,000,000 Elt. Assault Dragon, 40,000,000 Elt. Wyvern, 30,000,000 Elt. Firebird, a total of 160,000,000 Elt. Three types of herbs, a total of 220,000,000 Elt. Magma Fish, 2,200,000 Elt. Pepper, 4,000,000 Elt. We can deposit the money into your Guild Card, but since you requested discretion, I have also prepared cash. How would you like to proceed?"

... Hearing it again, it's a huge amount of money. I'm starting to think the Adventurer's Guild is not that important. Buying everything from necessities to luxuries, developing the Land of Death, and occasionally visiting the city for some fun. Wouldn't that be a good life?

But is 1.4 billion Elt for a Fire Dragon expensive? It doesn't seem out of place for such a huge amount... But 220 million Elt for herbs is also a lot, and I don't really understand the market. Well, Marie wouldn't give me an obviously overpriced amount.

It's a huge amount for me, but as a one-shot fortune for an adventurer, it still seems a bit lacking. I need to think carefully about what I want to do in the future. ... I want to indulge, but I know now isn't the time.

"Cash, please."

If I withdraw money from the Adventurer's Guild, it will be noticed immediately, and I just found out that you can deposit money into a Guild Card. I told Eltina I mostly understood, but there's still a lot I don't know.

Maybe it would be good to have a proper talk in another city. Being a Spirit Mage might cause more trouble, though.

"Understood. Please wait a moment. Sonia."

When Marie called out, Sonia bowed and left the room. She must have gone to get the money. I don't really understand the relationship between Marie and Sonia.

"Hehe. Yuta-san, I am very grateful for the valuable materials you have provided. Strong people are so attractive."

No way. This is not right. Crossing her legs and putting her index finger to her lips, is this the standard seduction technique in this world? I hope it's just Marie's unique method. If this is the case, a Marie who is openly lustful would be ten times more appealing.

"Ah, thank you."

No good. I couldn't help but respond flatly.

"Um, Yuta-san. Regarding the seasonings you told me about last time, we have created several good blends by mixing the powders. However, they lack a decisive factor, and even within the research team, opinions are divided. Could you please check them?"

Did she notice my disappointment and quickly change the subject?

"Ah, I came from far away, so if I set the standard, it might not align with everyone's preferences. The best way would be to hold a tasting event and gather opinions from many people. It would also be good for promotion. You could also ask a food stall to use a few varieties and sell the best-selling ones."

Of course, you must have already consulted professional chefs, and if my half-baked advice leads to poor sales, I would feel bad.

"I see, a tasting event and food stalls. Direct feedback from customers might be a good idea. However, in that case, it might be better to refine the research a bit more."

Marie put her hand to her chin and thought seriously. To maintain an advantage, it's better to keep things that can be easily imitated. However, Marie is so composed and beautiful when talking business. If I stay like this, I might be easily swayed.

"Have you tried them, Marie? What did you think?"

"Me? I prefer the ones with plenty of herbs. I was surprised at how delicious they were just by sprinkling and roasting. By the way, the garlic powder was clearly divided into those who liked it and those who didn't. I'm not a fan, but some employees really love it, which is difficult."

Indeed, garlic powder can be very divisive. I love it so much that I often use too much and feel anxious when going to work. When making instant noodles, I tend to add more than necessary. I get anxious if I run out of garlic powder and spicy pepper.

"Each person has their own preference, so it's okay to cut out the ones that don't sell. As long as you don't release a really bad product, I think you can sell a certain amount. It makes cooking easier, after all."

I'm sorry for giving such a vague answer after receiving 500,000 Elt. But if it's quick and reasonably tasty, it should sell well, right?

"Yes, I feel confident. When the products are ready, I'll test them at a food stall run by an acquaintance."

Ahaha, I didn't help at all. If I had bought some Cre〇zy Salt, I could have shown her a sample, which is very disappointing.

When she realized I wasn't reliable, the product consultation ended, and we chatted lightly until Sonia returned.

... What? Other staff members also entered with large wooden boxes.

"These are the platinum coins and Fire Dragon materials. Please check them."

After the staff left, two leather bags were placed in front of me with a heavy thud. Over 1,800 platinum coins... I can't really grasp it, but I've become a billionaire.

I had completely forgotten about the other dragon materials besides the meat... I need to take them home even though I can't display them now. Oh, and there was mithril too. I can unload the herbs next time.

Over 1.8 billion Elt and dragon materials... When I was in Japan, I had plenty of things I wanted to buy, but in this world, it's hard to imagine. Should I buy a house in the Labyrinth City? ... It's not a comfortable city, so I don't need a house.

I need to think of a fun way to spend the money. If possible, I want to use it to make the Land of Death more comfortable.

"Indeed. Then I'll take my leave."

I stored all the money and materials in my magic bag, ignored Marie's intense gaze, and left the store. Is it okay for Marie to show so much desire and still be a successful merchant?

***

"Sonia, what's going on? Yuta-san looked at me with such a cold stare. And what's this about me inviting him to dinner? You said Yuta-san was smitten with my charm, right?"

"That's strange. I thought he came here to show off his skills by unloading the Labyrinth materials at our store... What kind of impression did you give him?"

"What do you mean, like this?"

"...... Hmm, maybe it's a bit too obvious? Yuta-san might not like overt advances. But don't give up. You saw the Fire Dragon, right? He beheaded it in one strike. Absolutely don't let him get away!"

"I know, but didn't Yuta-san seem to be wary of us?"

"Not wary, but he sometimes looked at Marie with a disappointed expression. I wonder what's wrong? From my perspective, Marie is beautiful... Could it be that he prefers men? Or maybe it's because he had a child disciple in the slums..."

"Men, children... Come to think of it, he didn't react to my special customer service. But if that's the case, I can't do anything. Should we have a handsome staff member or a muscular one serve him? And children are out of the question."

"Hmm. Maybe we should try it. How about having a handsome and a muscular staff member guide him and observe his reaction? We can narrow down his preferences."

"True. But they must be loyal to the Porlius Trading Company. If Yuta-san likes them and they start their own business, it would be disastrous. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"... Eric?"

"Sonia, I can't sacrifice my brother. He's the heir to the Porlius Trading Company."

"But if we can seduce Yuta, we can secure a stable supply of Labyrinth materials that no one else can get. If things stay as they are, Yuta might stop coming to our store. We need to come up with a plan."

"... Should we make my brother cry? No, it's dangerous to jump to conclusions about his preferences. We need to subtly find out. Sonia, approach him without making him feel uncomfortable."

"Hmm. I don't think I can do it. I somehow felt more wary of Marie than you."

"Really? Did you do something?"

"I don't think so, but I feel something is off. It's dangerous to rush, so let's start by carefully finding out his preferences."

***

"R-Right. Is Yuta into men and young boys?"

My stomach hurts. It really hurts. Why does it become about being into men and young boys just because I looked at Marie with a disappointed expression? Isn't this overconfidence? And Marie and Sonia are really close.

(Sylph, I like adult women.)

"Don't say it with a face like you're about to vomit. I know, it's a joke. I know you were happy when Dine hugged you, so I'm not misunderstanding."

... Am I being saved by Dine? That would make my stomach hurt even more, so I'll stop thinking about it.

(If you understand, that's good.)

However, gathering information is important, but eavesdropping on people's conversations is not a good idea. You end up learning things you don't need to know.

From now on, I'll only ask Sylph to eavesdrop on important conversations. Otherwise, I might become distrustful of people.

I've added some new information about the guild master in the activity report. I appreciate you reading it.