Chapter 378: Journey of the Empire 2
「「「Eh…….」」」(Merchants)
Opening a store in a large city near the Imperial City.
As always, it is a street stall sale in the town square.
Merchants sell in wagon-like stalls, street vendor sale.
Red Oath sells open-air because they sell without stalls.
And the merchants were surprised because the sale of Red Oath was changing.
Until now, it was mainly “cheap degraded food items”, but this time it is a kind of luxury goods.
Recently, the girls have given some of the merchandise…
For a considerable extra price …
Items that seem to be quite expensive, different from those items.
Of course, not for aristocrats and rich people, but for ordinary people. Nonetheless, there were a lot of “luxury goods for ordinary people”.
「 Doesn’t normally the business change in what it sells or price changes depending on the location or the other party?
The business of residents in rural towns is different from the business of residents in large cities.
Isn’t that obvious?」(Pauline)
Rena nodded to Pauline.
As usual, Rena has been sneaky with Pauline recently.
… Perhaps he remembers the time she peddled with her father.
Good thing that it wasn’t a sad feeling but a fun memory.
Until now, it’s “a mysterious rumor flowing from a big city near the Imperial City”
And, “The feelings of the residents of a rural town who don’t know much about the center and politics”
Well, it was like a “questionnaire survey”.
However, in this city, one of the big cities near the Imperial capital, there are those who have been to the Imperial capital, those whose family, relatives, friends, etc. work in the Imperial capital, and those who have lived in the Imperial capital. The accuracy of the information is different.
In addition, there will be information about specific events, not ridiculous gossip.
Yes, this city is an important source of information before boarding the Imperial City to consider the direction of what information should be gathered in the Imperial City.
「Now, the “powerful (pawafuru)” battle starts!」(Pauline)
「How confident …」(Maevis)
Pauline is as always and Maevis has a bitter smile.
Seeing others used the “Promise line” quoted from “Nihon Fukashi Story”, Mile has a happy face.
(Yes Yes,
People started to get used to it…
In this condition, it will form the foundation to which reference/meme can spread!
All over the world!!) (Mile)
Mile’s ambitions are endless.
It will be a more difficult journey than conquering the world …
* * *
「Imperial City, I’m back!」(Mile)
「… but you come here for the first time …」(Rena)
Rena retorted to Mile.
As usual.
The party has been collecting information in the surrounding area, but it didn’t mean that it must be in the surrounding area and completely avoiding the Imperial City.
That’s just “on the way to the Imperial City”.
After all, this is the easiest place to gather information.
The quantity, the freshness, the accuracy, and cautions of people.
So, follow the primary route, everyone went straight to the Imperial City.
The countryside is fairly closed to other countries, people have a high level of caution against outsiders.
On the other hand, in a city, there is little interference with neighbors, and in terms of interaction, unless you cross the line, they will never be alarmed.
So, if you get along a little, they tend to be friendly.
In her previous, Misato was also advised to be cautioned against those who forced to join in the story they heard even though the said person doesn’t agree or talk to them.
Also in the countryside, “When you go out, remember to lock the entrance, Doing as if you don’t trust your neighbors!”』
But she couldn’t keep up.
(Because they do that, I have to be too vigilant about people from anywhere…) (Mile)
Mile thought so when she was Misato.
Mile never hated interacting with the rustic, rural people in this world.
However, if anything, urban human relationships seemed to be more suitable for Mile …
Anyway, it is a capital city.
“Imperial Capital” because it’s an empire.
There is no opera company and no squadron, it’s just “Imperial Capital”.
(T.N: Sakura war refer)
「Uhm, the Flower Squadron……」(Mile)
「「「…………」」」(Rena’s Trio)
「Even though I had prepared the material in “Fukashi Story” beforehand …」(Mile)
Rena’s group completely ignored Mile
Anyway, even if this is over, instead of going straight back, everyone is planning to go around and go back by another route,
This is undoubtedly the peak of this assignment.
Although it was a request received, for Red Oath members, considering that “Irregular Bandits at Amuros” and “Invasion Forces at Askham land”,
The empire is a partner that is likely to be involved again in the future and a partner with much trouble.
In addition, it is the empire that seems to be the mastermind behind the case “Rural Incitement Case” Mile solved after returning from the “Fairy Capture Operation”.
Anyway, first of all, the party tries to find the inn.
The merchants who travel to earn money can’t afford to stay in a very luxury inn.
Unless the merchants came to negotiate with the business partner, it’s another story. In that case, only the driver and escorts would stay in another cheap hotel.
However, for their real goal, the inn must have a good customer base,
An inn where guests are likely to talk freely.
…In that case, even though it was imperial, the target inns were limited to some extent.
「Kemomimi, Yaffu~!!」(Mile)
…Then, seeing the Kemonomimi loli receptionist, Mile can’t help but be surprised.
The other guests don’t seem to find it strange, they talk to the receptionist girl normally.
「The empire has less discrimination against beastkins than the Kingdom of Tyrus…」(Rena)
「Speaking of “empire”, it’s a classic bad country with human supremacy,
In the case of Mile-chan’s “Fukashi Story” …」(Pauline)
「He… hey, don’t say such thoughtless things.」(Maevis)
Maevis rushes to stop Pauline’s careless remarks.
But Pauline isn’t stupid.
After confirming that there were no people nearby, she spoke in a small voice, so there was no particular problem.
Then, as they took the room, one of the merchants went to the commercial guild to inform the opening of the store from tomorrow, and others had to rest in their rooms until dinner.
The Merchant, who went to inform, returns by dinner time.
「…Everyone, I have bad news for you」(Mile)
As soon as the girls entered their assigned room, Mile said that.
「「Eh?」」(Rena + Maevis)
Rena and Maevis are twisting their faces somehow,
Apparently, Pauline seems to know the contents of the “Unfortunate News” and has a sober face.
「… I thought I prepared enough, but the sale goods seem to run out」(Mile)
「Eh?」(Maevis)
「Even though we bought so much?」(Rena)
Rena and Maevis are surprised.
「The sales went better than we thought.
And we gave some to the merchants as well, so it decreased faster.
If the goods are exhausted on the way home, then we must switch to purchasing instead of selling, and the merchants can try to gather information by negotiating purchases.
We can only buy the special products of this country, but the Imperial City is a place that consumes a lot of goods, not a stocking place.
Well, arts and advanced industrial products are different, but this corp doesn’t handle such things.
Also, it’s obviously unnatural to buy something that is also made in their country at a price that is never cheap, transport it far away and bring it back…」(Mile)
「「「…………」」」(Rena’s Trio)
Rena’s group is silent.
「Then, what should we do…」(Maevis)
And Maevis begins to be panic.
However, Mile continued without worry…
「No, actually, we don’t have to do anything, you know?」(Mile)
「「Eh?」」(Rena + Maevis)
Again, Rena and Maevis look like they have a question mark on their heads.
「No, our job is to protect merchants, wagons, and goods, right?
Actually, we don’t have to do business …」(Mile)
「「Ah!!」」(Rena + Maevis)
Unexpectedly, Rena and Maevis seemed to have assumed that business was their main purpose.
The fall is terrible.
Indeed, Pauline seemed to have remembered her original duties, but the saddest of the four was Pauline, so her expression was dark.
「Estimation error.
Loss of sales opportunity, extreme remorse as a sales representative …」(Pauline)
「As I said, when did Red Oath become a trading company?!」(Rena? Mile?)
As expected, Pauline is no good.