Volume 27 - Interlude 2 - Double Jack
Basically, the King of Vernia is not busy.
「Noooo, I'm dying of too much free time. Okay, let's go to the city today.」
「Yes, I'll accompany you, Master!」
After rattling my neck and cracking my shoulders, I accompanied Meena to the city.
「Oh, it's the king.」
「It's true.」
「It's a rare occurrence.」
The people of the city looked at me curiously as I walked through the alleys. It seems that with the current king has finally made them understood that it's safe to walk around, and the people in the city are less likely to run away, so it's easier for me to walk around.
「As expected of the master. The people of the city are paying attention to you!」
「No, Meena, that's just the kind of attention anyone would get if they saw a tsuchinoko.」
「Huh, I guess if there's a monster in town, we have to pay attention to it.」
I guess that was a bad analogy. There are tsuchinoko monsters in this world, so the meaning of curiosity was not conveyed to her well.
「Well, I guess I'll just have to be a more grateful king.」
「Ah, ......, as expected!」
Meena looks deeply moved, but she was the one who was moved. I guess that's good.
「Hmm? What's that stall?」
I found a strange stall and paid attention to it. A normal stall would be selling food, but this one had a lot of swords and shields, making it look like a weapon shop.
「Ah, it's Jack's store, isn't it? They sell everything from food to weapons, so they're pretty popular.」
「Hee」
A shop that sells everything. It seems that the merchants of this world have a lot of ideas. However, if they sold food in the weapon shop, would I want to buy and eat it there?
I'm not sure.
On the other hand, even if they were selling weapons at a stall, I wouldn't think of buying them there because I feel safer at a specialty store.
「Ouhh, it's the king. What do you think of this sword? Isn't it cool? It's a bit of a work of art.」
The shopkeeper proudly shows me his longsword, but the sword I have is better.
「No, I don't need it.」
「I see. How about this dried squid then?」
It looks delicious.
「I'll take two.」
「Thanks!」
The shopkeeper dexterously roasted the dried, crispy slices with the fire magic, and the fragrant smell wafted around.
「Here you go, thank for waiting!」
It's hard, but the more I bite into it, the more the flavor comes out, and it tastes good.
「Yep, it's delicious.」
「I agree.」
As we were both eating with satisfaction, the owner suddenly shouted at another customer.
「Hey, you guys, what are you doing here!」
「Hmph, this has nothing to do with you, Ors.」
We've just come to start a new stall here. This is the Royal Road of Heaven, you can open your stall freely on this street, isn't that right, King?」
「Hmm? Well..........if that's what the law says, then it should be fine.」
I don't know the detailed laws either, so I can't say for sure.
「No problem.」
Meena seemed to know.
「Kukkuk, that's how it is.」
「That's too bad, Ors.」
The two men pulling the cart laughed wickedly.
「Tsk, fuck!」
The owner of the store grumbled, but ...... this is Jack's store, right? Or is this Ors store?.
As the king, I decided to intervene when the situation arose, so I chewed on some rice and watched what the two men were doing.
The two men unloaded boards and posts from the cart and started pounding nails into the ground.
「Oh, you're building a store, aren't you?」
Meena said, it looks like they are building a new stall next to Ors.
That's good, but this street is wide. They don't need to build it next to Ors.
「Hey, you guys, why are you building next to me? Why don't you do more business over there?」
The store owner seemed to be bothered by this and complained.
「Hmph. I don't care where you build your store, Ors. You're going to regret disobeying Jack-san. Kukuku.」
「Damn it, Jack you bastard. You gonna sell the same goods next to me? That's too much!」
I finally understood when the owner, Ors, said that this stall was apparently a chain store started by a merchant named Jack. But if it was a chain, then if they were placed next to each other, their sales would cancel each other out and they wouldn't make as much money. It became more and more confused.
「Poor Ors. That's the end of his business.」
「But then again, Ors is also a bit of a foul-mouthed and a bit of a jerk. I'd rather go to another store.」
I could hear the onlookers around me talking about it. They seemed to know something about the situation, so I decided to ask them.
「It's the same chain. Why are they fighting?」
「Right, Jack, the merchant who started a shop, and the owner of this store are fighting over business methods.」
「I see. So they're harassing each other.」
Jack, the merchant, is a bit immature, but I guess the shopkeeper, Ors, didn't do things Jack's way.
「All right, then, Ors, you stop using Jack's name and put up a sign in Ors' store. Oh, and set up store on a different street over there.」
「「No way」」
「Ahem, it's a royal order from the King of Vernia. If you disobey, you'll all go to jail!」
「No, Meena, I'm not felon, so I'm not going to throw them in jail.」
「Huh, I understand. Then how about a fine, master?」
「I guess so.」
「A fine? ...... It can't be helped. I'll go talk it over with Jack-san.」
One of the people who was building the stall said.
「Ooh, do that, do that.」
Jack is also a good merchant, so he won't ignore the king's order.
「King, while you're at it, tell them to bring the right goods to stock.」
Ors said.
「Hmmm, if it's no longer Jack's style, then I'd say it's unreasonable to stock that chain.」
It's a rather complicated case. It's not going to be a case of "split bamboo".
But I've got a good idea.
「I'll leave the rest to Serina. I'm sure she'll take care of everything in a way that both sides will be perfectly satisfied.」
「Ohhh!」
「Indeed. I'm sure Serina-san will be able to mediate well.」
Meena also smiled.
「Okay, shopkeeper, I'll take those skewered dumplings too. For both of us.」
「Thank you!」
The kingdom of Vernia seems to be at peace today.
The next day, the vindictive wailing of a certain female heroine would echo throughout the city, but the city was still peaceful. Maybe.
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