Chapter 61

Medes had just finished guiding Roland and was taking a breather.

(Phew. What a relief. I’m exhausted. Really, giving tours of the workshop is such a hassle. This is why outsiders are so troublesome. After all, we’re the only ones on this island who can handle large orders from major guilds. Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. External jobs are lucrative, so I can’t just turn them down.)

Medes sank into his chair, lit his pipe, and took a puff.

(Still, Roland seemed satisfied after seeing the workshop. This deal is as good as signed...)

“Guild Master.”

A knock on the door, and an office worker entered.

“What is it? At this hour?”

Medes said with a sigh.

“There’s a special envoy from the guild ‘Sword of the White Night’ here to see you.”

“Really? From ‘Sword of the White Night’?”

‘Sword of the White Night’ was a renowned major guild, famous across the northern continent and beyond the sea. This was the first time they had come to the ‘Island of the Fire Dragon.’

“They want to do a large-scale transaction with us and would like to meet the Guild Master.”

“What!? Bring them in immediately.”

(If it’s a job from a major guild like ‘Sword of the White Night,’ the reward must be astronomical. This could be a huge opportunity.)

A middle-aged man with a ruddy face, a beard, and a muscular build entered. He looked like a warrior.

“I apologize for the sudden visit. We’re not used to working on this island, so please forgive any rudeness.”

“No, no, that’s fine. So, what job do you have for us?”

“This one.”

He took out a document.

(Mm, this!?)

The document promised a reward twice as much as Roland’s, despite the workload being only half.

“What do you think? I know it’s a generous reward, but...”

“Not at all. We’d be honored to take on such a job.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. It’s urgent, and we’ve been having trouble finding a guild to take the job.”

“That’s unfortunate. Finding our guild was your lucky break. We’ll deliver high-quality work within the deadline.”

“Oh, that’s a great help.”

The conversation between the Guild Master and the bearded warrior was amicable, and the envoy from ‘Sword of the White Night’ left in high spirits.

(To get such a lucrative job at this time of year. This is a stroke of luck. I need to prioritize this over Roland’s request.)

As Medes was thinking this, there was another knock on the door.

“Guild Master, may I come in?”

“What now? I’m tired. I don’t want to work any more today.”

“Another client wants to place a large order. This time, it’s from the major guild ‘Hunters of the Glacier’ in the northern continent.”

“What!? Really? Bring them in immediately.”

A young man with glasses and a nervous demeanor appeared. He seemed to be an appraiser.

“I apologize for the sudden visit. We’ve been looking for an alchemy guild that can handle this much work.”

“Mm, this!?”

The document he presented promised a reward three times as much as Roland’s, despite the workload being only half.

“The deadline is a bit tight, but what do you think?”

“We’d be honored to take it on.”

“Great. I was worried we wouldn’t find anyone. Suddenly, there’s a surge in demand for equipment made from ‘Ice-Resistant Ore’ in the northern continent.”

“Don’t worry. Our workshop is more experienced in processing rare metals than anywhere else in the world. We’ll complete the job perfectly and on time.”

The envoy from ‘Hunters of the Glacier’ left in high spirits.

(Who would have thought such lucrative jobs would come in one after another. I need to prioritize this over the jobs from ‘Sword of the White Night’ and ‘Golden Eagle’.)

As Medes was thinking this, there was another knock on the door.

“Guild Master, may I come in?”

“Really, what now? I’m tired. I don’t want to work any more today.”

“A representative from the major guild ‘Knights of the Hail’ in the northern continent wants to place a large order.”

“What!? Bring them in immediately.”

A young man with an axe and a carefree smile appeared.

“I’m sorry for the sudden visit. We’ve been swamped with work recently.”

“No, no, it’s fine. So, what job do you have for us?”

“It’s this.”

“Mm!? This!?”

The document he presented promised a reward four times as much as Roland’s, despite the workload being only half.

“The deadline is a bit tight, but...”

“No, no, that’s fine. We’d be honored to take it on.”

Medes practically bowed to accept the job.

“Really? That’s a relief. We’ve been struggling with a shortage of ‘Ice-Resistant Ore’ equipment.”

Medes remembered the previous client who had also mentioned a shortage of ‘Ice-Resistant Ore.’

The shortage in the northern continent might be the reason for these unusual requests.

Medes and the axe-wielding man had a pleasant conversation, and the envoy left in high spirits.

Medes felt elated for a while.

With such a reward, he could buy new clothes, pay off his carriage loan, and even purchase a fancy villa, with money to spare.

(I need to secure this job at all costs. I’ll prioritize it over the jobs from ‘Hunters of the Glacier,’ ‘Sword of the White Night,’ and ‘Golden Eagle’.)

As Medes was thinking this, he realized he wouldn’t have enough time to complete all the jobs.

To take on the job from ‘Knights of the Hail,’ he would have to give up one of the other requests.

The next day, Roland and Dylas visited ‘Blazing Dragon’ again to finalize the contract.

(Here we go. From yesterday’s impression, it should be smooth sailing, but you never know in negotiations. I need to stay focused.)

Roland announced their arrival at the reception of ‘Blazing Dragon.’

“Oh, it’s you.”

Medes said as soon as he saw Roland.

Roland had a bad feeling.

(Is it just my imagination? Medes seems more casual today compared to yesterday...)

“Medes, about the contract...”

“Ah, yes, that.”

Medes scratched his head, looking annoyed, as he searched for the documents.

“Um, oh, darn.”

Medes suddenly frowned, in a rather theatrical manner.

“Roland, I’m sorry, but can we extend the deadline for this contract?”

“Huh? Extend... the deadline?”

“Yes. I forgot that several of our staff are sick. We can’t meet the deadline you proposed.”

“I see...”

“So, can we extend the deadline?”

“...I understand. I’ll check with the guild.”

“Medes, if you’re extending the deadline, we expect a discount.”

Dylas said, and Medes frowned in displeasure.

“Does Medes seem different from yesterday?”

On the way back in the carriage, Roland shared his concerns with Dylas.

“Roland, you feel the same? I was also suspicious. Why the sudden request to extend the deadline? He seemed eager to sign the contract yesterday.”

“It felt like he was treating us rudely...”

“Don’t be too paranoid. It’s not like he’s treating us like unimportant business partners...”

“Do you think this deal might fall through?”

“No way. ‘Blazing Dragon’ is usually idle this time of year. I’ve thoroughly investigated it.”

“I see. If you say so...”

“Don’t worry too much. Medes has his off days too. It’s better to stay positive.”

“Right.”

Back at the inn, Roland started writing a report.

He mentioned the extended deadline, the longer stay, and the need for approval from the guild.

He sent the letter to ‘Golden Eagle’ and spent the waiting time investigating the local dungeon and monsters, which increased their expenses.

A week later, Roland, with the guild’s approval, returned to Medes.

However, Medes’ response was dismissive.

“You want a price increase?”

“No, I’m sorry. The price of the ore has suddenly gone up. The budget you proposed isn’t enough. So, I’m afraid we need to increase the price.”

“By how much?”

“Roughly four times the original amount.”

“Four times!?”

Roland exclaimed in shock.

“Medes, that’s unreasonable.”

Dylas said.

“We agreed to extend the deadline. You should give us a discount, not a price increase. What’s your intention?”

Dylas’ words made Medes frown in displeasure.

“Well, if you’re not satisfied with our price, you can always go to another alchemy guild. We don’t need to do business with you. We’re not a charity.”

Roland and Dylas looked at each other.

Jamil and Rodo from the thief guild ‘White Wolf’ were also at ‘Blazing Dragon.’

“Hey, Raul.”

“Hey, Jamil.”

“I got scratched up in the dungeon. Can you fix it?”

Jamil showed his damaged equipment.

“Sure. Hey, you, take this equipment to my workshop.”

Raul instructed a junior staff member.

Then, a voice came from the hallway.

“Wait a minute. Medes, why are you suddenly raising the price four times? Explain yourself.”

“Like I said, if you’re not satisfied with our price, you don’t have to do business with us. Goodbye.”

“Wait...”

Jamil saw Roland and Dylas chasing after Medes.

Jamil noticed Roland’s ‘Golden Eagle’ emblem.

(That’s... the one I saw in the tavern...)

“Hey, Raul, are you guys going to do business with him?”

“Yeah, he’s a special envoy from ‘Golden Eagle,’ a guild that’s been thriving in ‘Adventurer’s Town’ recently.”

“‘Golden Eagle’...”

“I don’t like it. They’re adventurers, but they don’t even wear proper equipment. How much do they know about alchemy?”

“He’s a weakling.”

“What?”

“I appraised his stats. He’s probably C or D class.”

“Hmm?”

“‘Golden Eagle’ envoy or not, is he really a big shot from a major guild? Maybe you guys are being fooled?”

“No way...”

(But, now that you mention it, it does seem odd. He’s too humble for a major guild executive, and his status is only claimed by the intermediary. If our Guild Master didn’t thoroughly investigate before proceeding... No, that can’t be.)

Roland and Dylas chased after Medes, but he got into a carriage and left.

Roland and Dylas were left behind.

“Damn, what’s going on? Suddenly raising the price four times. What do we do, Roland?”

“It seems Medes isn’t interested in doing business with ‘Golden Eagle.’ Maybe he found other clients?”

“No way...”

“We need to apply for a budget increase from the guild. I’ll try to secure four times the funds.”

“Got it. I’ll make sure Medes doesn’t change the terms again.”

“Thanks.”

“That old man is underestimating us. After all this, he won’t get away with not signing the contract.”