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Chapter 37.1. Business Deal
Once again, Sakimori found himself at the upscale restaurant in the outer town. Surprisingly, it was the next day.
Karin appeared and contacted me, her mouth twitching, saying Captain Anayama wanted to meet again. I’m not sure why her mouth was twitching.
Did the outcome differ from what they expected? If so, that’s too bad. I’ll respond.
In a clean and elegant private room, Anayama was sitting and waiting, not eating this time. It seemed he suddenly remembered proper etiquette.
After waiting for me to sit, Anayama opened his mouth slowly. I could sense a slight tension in his expression.
He wanted to hear about the battle result between Boss-kun and me. Karin works fast.
Anayama’s guards surrounding us also seemed tense. On the other hand, Ooki-kun and the others standing behind me were smirking, so I gave him a sharp look to deter them. You don’t need to provoke them unnecessarily.
[Am I supposed to have done something? Please go ahead and say it. Play the role of an invincible protagonist. Sir. Yes sir. Did I do something?]
[I remember what you did, so I won’t say it.]
Shizuku’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, showing a cute expression like a kitten’s. However, she pouted and became displeased at my words. Even though I know this, not saying it is the essence of being hard-boiled, Shizuku-san.
“Amano-kun, for now, you should order the food. They use high-quality ingredients here, just like in the inner town.”
Since I’m not acting today, I wear all black as usual and received the menu from the waiter. The menu had colorful photos of various dishes. It’s bringing back memories of my distant past. This kind of thing used to be normal back then.
“Then, let’s start with the chef’s recommended four kinds of appetizers. A set of various types of meat such as salami and roast beef. Ah, this one is for 15,000 yen. The large serving. And…”
I ordered the dishes without hesitation. I can’t miss out on the Ajillo. Of course, I also ordered bread. Now, what about the fish?
“Please also order for Captain Anayama. Today, it’s our way of expressing gratitude for your trouble.”
I indirectly let him know that I’m treating him. It goes without saying. But it’s a necessary expense.
[Please bring back eight pieces of dessert cakes. It’s an absolute request, Sakimori-san. If you don’t order them, I won’t take a bath with you anymore.]
Shizuku leans closer, her breath heavy, and makes her request.
[I won’t make any malicious comments I don’t want others to hear. I got it. I got it.]
Since we’re always together even in spirit form, we always bathe together. It can’t be helped. It’s been a while since I’ve had something sweet. It’s usually chocolate, after all. One piece is 5,000 yen. Let’s not worry about the price.
“Alright. Let’s resume the deal. I want 1,000 kilograms of genuine wheat flour for 3,000 yen per kilogram. Vegetables are 500 yen per kilogram. We need 500 kilograms of each, totaling 1 ton.”
While Anayama unabashedly orders expensive wine, he mentions his request. Let’s categorize it as entertainment expenses. I, Sakimori, the accounting department, and Sakimori, the auditor. Yeah, I think it can pass as entertainment expenses. It said 100,000 yen, right?
I was slightly surprised by the term “genuine product.” It’s much better than something where I don’t know what’s mixed in. The price is reasonable too…
“I want a guarantee for the genuine product. I won’t ask for a certificate of authenticity, but I want to check it together when receiving it.”
If they insist that it’s a genuine product and prepare a mixture. It will be troublesome. I can’t rule out the possibility of bribery and smuggling. It’s not unusual to do such things.
“Hmm, fine then.”
I narrow my eyes slightly at Anayama, who readily compromises. Heh, I see. In that case, let’s step into it once again.
It’s strange for an inner town bureaucrat to compromise so easily. It’s only natural that he would ask about what I did yesterday, but there must be something more to it.
“And the prices remain the same as yesterday. Genuine wheat flour, 1kg for 2,000 yen, and vegetables, 1kg for 200 yen.”
I cross my arms and observe the dishes being brought to the table. The plates are adorned with small portions of various dishes. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve eaten like this. It brings back memories.
Captain Anayama sniffs disapprovingly but picks up his fork and nods.
“…Fine then. Those prices it is. If you want a larger quantity, we’ll have to negotiate again. Remember that the larger the quantity, the higher the price.”
He looks at me with a somewhat intimidating gaze, but I return a calm smile.
“Captain Anayama, let’s celebrate this successful transaction.”
“Hmph. I’ll be watching to see what you’re capable of. Don’t make a big fuss and disappear.”
“I’ll keep your advice in mind.”
We exchanged laughter, and with the transaction with Anayama concluded, our conversation turned to small talk.
Now we’ve secured a regular supply. I should celebrate this in a hard-boiled manner.
Since I’m paying a hefty sum, I should enjoy the food.
After chatting for a while, I bid farewell and head home. I carry a box of cakes, while Ooki-kun and the others each have a set of hamburgers to take away. It’s their reward for escorting me.
“Aniki, you did it! It’s amazing! We have a large supply of wheat flour and vegetables, right?”
“Yeah, it was cool, boss.”
“It’s impressive that we, the residents of the ruins, can have equal trades like this.”
“Hehe. We can say goodbye to the days of being hungry.”
Ooki-kun expresses his joy, and my subordinates praise and commend me, but I wonder how things will turn out.
“Hmm? Well, yeah, kinda. Can’t trust it too much, though.”
“Huh? But we successfully made the transaction, didn’t we?”
“We’re outsiders in this country. Transactions can go any way. We didn’t even create a contract, right?”
Those without money don’t have a family register. Even if we break the deal with ghosts, it’s not a problem. Moreover, this is an illegal transaction involving smuggling. It wouldn’t be strange if we got cut off at any time. Captain Anayama is always in a safe position.