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Merchant Spirit
TL Note:  Sorry for the long wait, I was a little busy with a lot of stuff, but I will now continue the releases every Wednesday starting today!!! That’s all!!! Enjoy!!!
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While Bell and Rango were starting a meeting about dragon and armored lizard materials, the other merchants, who have calmed down a bit, come over to us.
“No, I’ve heard about this, but I never thought there was such a village
! It’s a treasure trove indeed!”
“I was skeptical when I heard Rango’s report, but I was really surprised. No, I’m glad I came. By all means, all the materials are at Mary’s Trading Company.”
“It’s great material. This may be something that I will talk to the Chairman of the Board of Trade about, and we may even consider opening a full-fledged store in this village. The Mary Merchant Association is one of the largest in the kingdom, so it will certainly contribute to the development of this village.”
And the merchants, without so much as a greeting, wound up like machine guns.
I tilt my head to the side like an 8-year-old.
“But this is a remote area with few people, can you open a store here?”
I asked, and one of the merchants nodded repeatedly, his smile deepening.
“Merchants not only sell, but also buy. Besides, the Mary Merchant Association will definitely take back materials at the most expensive price.”
“Heh. So, how much do you think you can sell that dragon for?”
“Well, I’d say about 80 platinum coins.
The merchants answered my question. I crossed my arms and exhaled through my nose.
“How much could a dragon bought for 80 platinum coins sell for?”
“It will be at least a hundred. But there will be various costs deducted from this price. So, as for the armored lizard that Rango told me about, may I give you a slightly more modest price? Oh, and of course, since merchants will be coming and going regularly to this village in the future, I promise to give them more favorable treatment than in other villages and towns.”
In response to the in-depth question, the merchant spoke eloquently. The other merchants must have been in tune with the conversation, as they smiled and nodded.
This one was one of those.
Maybe they saw this battle result of defeating dragons as something special and didn’t think too much about their relationship afterwards.
If only they thought that they could continue to stock up on valuable magical beast materials in the future.
If they thought that the village might grow bigger in the future.
These merchants would have bought the materials for dragons and armored lizards at a higher price, even at the cost of reducing their own profits.
But perhaps the merchants have no interest in this remote village. They were probably only thinking about how much profit they could make from this transaction.
So I smiled and nodded.
“Thanks for the good conversation. I’ll think about it.”
With that, I wave one hand and head towards Bell and Rango.
“Oh, wait a minute
! Those two are still young merchants, and they are not capable of handling A-grade materials such as dragons. We can get them a proper
”
Leaving the panicked merchants alone, I spoke to Bell and Rango.
“I don’t think they can sell it for as much as you think, especially that dragon. Eighty platinum coins is a fair price.”
When he told him this, Bell raised his eyebrows, and Rango looked back at the dragon in panic.
“It’s material in tip-top condition, no matter how you look at it, right? And that’s 80 platinum coins? Isn’t that ninety to one hundred coins wrong?”
Rango looked back at the merchants behind me with a puzzled look on his face, and they turned bloodthirsty and rushed to their side.
“You fool! There is no way you can buy it for a hundred pieces!”
“What if we put them up for auction, and they turn out to be cheaper than expected!”
“”What if we put them up for auction, and they turn out to be cheaper than expected? What kind of merchant thinks only of the best outcome! Think about the worst-case scenario and decide!”
Rango, who was simultaneously cursed, shrank back from the pressure. But then Bell interjects.
“Wait a minute. As a merchant, you should make a fair assessment here. If it doesn’t work out, we can carry it over to the next auction. Besides, it is a merchant’s skill to examine the route and escort so as not to be attacked by bandits during transportation. It’s common sense.”
When Bell clearly told them this, the merchants looked at us for a moment and immediately grabbed Bell.
“Hey, hey, you idiots! What the hell are you people! Are you crazy!”
“
Merchants who come to this remote area to buy materials won’t be coming here for the next year. Even if we offer them 80 white gold coins, they will have no choice but to try and sell.”
” Listen, now will you shut up and listen to what we say. We will pay you a larger commission. If you close the deal for 80 platinum coins, each of you gets an extra platinum coin.”
I started sneaking around and talking to them, but they heard me to a certain extent. Well, if each platinum coin cost 100 million yen, I would still be shaken, wouldn’t I? After all, human beings are like that.
While I was thinking that, Rango’s brow wrinkled, and he looked at Bell. Nodding in response to his gaze, Bell tells the merchants in a loud voice.
“We, brothers, would never think of obtaining a single piece of white gold by such a cheap trick. A merchant is all about trust. We want to buy and sell with integrity, no matter where we are from or who we are talking to, or what kind of business deal we are having. This is what will bring the most profit in the future
”
Bell’s words were interrupted by one of the merchants slamming his bag on the ground.
“
If the chairman of the board of trade finds out about this, you can expect to be expelled from the Mary Chamber of Commerce.”
After muttering this in a low voice, the merchants all walked away together.
No, no, no, customers heard you. If someone like me overheard them, the image of the Mary Merchants’ Association would be terrible. I am, after all, the son of a marquis.
Well, if they think I’m just a kid from the middle of nowhere with no future, that’s not wrong, but since I might become a client, they should be nice to me.
With this thought vaguely in my mind, I went to Bell and Rango.
“Is that okay? You may have lost a fortune worth of platinum coins, right?”
I asked, and they both nodded with a snort.
“It’s fine. They were known faces, but I didn’t think they were that clueless. Even though being a patron is the essence of a merchant, it’s pointless pretending to be anything but gullible. I no longer have any regrets about belonging to the kingdom’s largest merchant association. I know it’s hard, but we will continue to be independent merchants from now on.”
” I will hire an escort and I will transport the dragon materials directly to the Royal Capital. But I have to register with the guild to sell them at the auction
”
Rango’s expression clouded.
Then they turned to look at us.
“There are three conditions to establish a Chamber of Commerce. A guild admission fee of one large gold coin. Ownership of an actual store. And the recommendation of a person with a title.”
Bell tells the story. Hmmm. Considering the profit, the first two items are no problem at all. But the last one, the recommendation of the person with the title, is a problem.
It was a rule unique to an aristocratic society. Nobles have the right to “grant rights”. In other words, those who have the financial power to establish a business association must pay a suitable gratuity to the nobility as a final payment. The nobles could make huge profits without doing anything.
“I see. Generally speaking, how much is the appropriate honorarium to pay to the nobles? Is it 10% of the profit each time, or something like that?”
When I ask this, they blink their eyes.
“Oh, you understand? After all, it is common knowledge for nobles, isn’t it? As you say, it depends on the amount, but key money is required. The amount of money is roughly the same for each rank.”
Bell interjected. Apparently, that key money is quite a hurdle.
“By the way, which noble family recommended the Mary Chamber of Commerce?”
Upon confirmation, their faces twitched a bit.
“
The Berlinate Royal Family.”
“That seems bad.”
When I answered immediately, they looked as if they were about to cry.