Chapter 8 - A Man Who Knows the Difference
When I got to Hans' workshop, Ione came running up to me with a relieved look on her face.
「Alec-san, I was just about to contact you.」
「Hmm? Is there something wrong, Ione?」
「Yes. Hans-san said he won't make any more bottles. ......」
「Sigh. I'll do the talking. Hey, Hans!」
When I entered the workshop, Hans was lazily lying on the floor, but when he saw me, he jumped up.
「Oh, Alec-san, thank God. Listen, there's a big job coming in!」
「What? What do you mean?」
「A man named Janatha-san just came in and said he'd double the price of the potion bottles!」
Janatha is another name I don't like. I remembered the shaved head and the black armor of the brazen merchant. How did the owner of Dreuro get wind of this place? And he even seems to know that I'm producing potions.
「That's why I don't have to produce any more for you, right, Alec-san? It's more expensive over there.」
Hans says to me with a smiling, buoyant face. I'm getting a headache.
「You know, Hans, I'm even paying for the materials to help you out. The least you could do would be to make and send me at least the first hundred you planned.」
I am not familiar with the laws of this country, but I believe that a contract can be formed even if it is an oral promise.
「Yes, of course, I will accept Alec's order. It's just that I can make more money if I deliver the goods to Janatha-san first. Can you wait a little while?」
「No, you can't. Speed is important now. Anyone who can't meet deadlines is a third-rate craftsman.」
「Ugh. I understand. ...... But you'll still make money.」
「Hans, you seem to have misunderstood something, so I'll tell you, I don't make potions for profit.」
「What? So you're a volunteer?」
「That's not it either. I do take money. It's to let everyone know that we're a clan that does normal business, not hypocritical or vicious. That there are decent people here.」
When I explained it to him, Hans blinked his eyes and seemed to understand the policy.
「I see. ...... A normal business. ......」
It makes sense now that we are in a state of emergency. When everyone is greedy and losing their cool, "Normal" shines at its best.
「Sorry! I was mistaken about you, Alec-san. I thought it was all about making money. But there's something nice about normal business. I used to think that normal was something that ordinary people with no talent would do, but now I feel something ...... that makes me smile!」
This is something new for Hans, who is a genius who seeks artistry in potion bottles, and something he has never done before.
When he first started his training under some master, he must have tried to make ordinary products as he was taught.
However, at some point, he began to seek his own ingenuity and novelty, forgot his original intentions, and competed to show off his own skills and artistic sense rather than the needs of his customers.
That's why Hans' workshop became unsustainable, and his customers stopped coming.
「Now, will you make me a bottle? Hans」
「Of course I will! Please let me do it!」
Ione and the men of the clan, who had been watching what was going on, smiled when they saw the agreement.
「So now it's all about numbers and speed. I don't care about appearance or quality, just make it fast!」
「No, Alec-san, I can't compromise on quality. You can't use a bottle with a hole in it, and if it's too big or too small, it will be difficult to use. Since it's a medicine bottle, it shouldn't contain any foreign substances. Potions are for people to drink.」
「All right, all right. Please make sure the quality is normal.」
「Of course!」
I received the fifty empty bottles that Hans and the others had already finished making, but now that Janatha, a skilled merchant, has made his move, I need more. I'm sure Janatha will copy me and start having his craftsmen and slaves make them from empty bottles as well. It's more profitable that way.
But I can't leave it to Janatha. He's going to sell it to them at the maximum legal price. He's only interested in making money, so he'll be reluctant to sell, and if he's not careful, he might even put it up for auction.
If that's the case, we'll need more cards in our hand.
「Meena, we're going to negotiate. The Merchant's Guild is next.」
「Yes, Master. I'll accompany you.」
The building of the Merchant's Guild on the main street was lined with soldiers, on high alert.
As Meena and I approached, slowly raising our hands in greeting, the soldiers became nervous and began to tense up.
「We're just here to discuss business. We're not going to do anything crazy.」
「Stop right there and show me your adventurer card! All right, slow down!」
They're scared.
「Is this what you want?」
I'll show you my adventurer's card as instructed.
「B rank, huh? That's fine. No problem.」
The soldiers looked relieved for a change and cleared the way for me.
As Ralph had said when we had recruited the porters for the log cabin, adventurer rank seemed to indicate trust. There must be a percentage of quests completed, and well, if you're doing something crazy, they won't let you renew your card at the adventurer's guild. I'm a high rank, I have money, and I'm visiting for the right reasons. There's no way they're going to attack me and ask me to give them potions.
「Welcome, Alec-sama!」
When I walked in, a male staff member greeted me with a smile. I don't think I've ever seen this guy before, but he's very good at remembering my name.
「Alec-sama, what can I do for you today?」
My personal merchant, Yumi, a beautiful little red-haired girl of slight build, arrived in a short time.
「I'd like to discuss business. Also, do many of the staff here have 【Appraisal】?」
I try to use 【Appraisal】 on the staff around me, but it seems like no one is that high level.
「No, 【Appraisal】 is a rare skill, so it's not easy to find here either. The reason he knows your name is because I taught your name to him.」
「Hou. By the way, ......, hey, what have you heard about me?」
I'll ask the male staff member from earlier.
「Sure, he's a middle-aged male adventurer with black eyes and black hair, he has good equipment for his level, has a little bad eyesight and posture, and a kind of lewd for his dull face――」
「Ahem! I thought our guest had a dandy vibe.」
Yumi cleared her throat and said that.
「I-Indeed, the customer has a dandy vibe.」
Hmph, did you just trying to call me a pervert old man? Good grief.
「My apologies, he's still in training.」
「You'd better be careful. It's okay to answer questions honestly, but it's not okay to blurt things out without thinking.」
「Very well, I'll report it to my boss later and give him a good talking-to.」
「Umu.」
I was taken to a private room, and I got down to business.
「I'm sure Saki had requested this, but I need a lot of empty potion bottles.」
「Hmm, potion materials, huh ......」
Yumi wrinkled her brow, apparently the situation has turned difficult.
「Is there a hoarding going on there too?」
「No, it's only the finished potions that are being hoarded, and not many merchants are paying attention to the ingredients. Merchants are more concerned with speed. Even if you produce them now, it's a waste of time to enter the market if the price has fallen by the time they are finished.」
「Then ......」
「This is private information, so please don't tell anyone, but actually, His Majesty the King has issued an order to begin emergency production of potions.」
「Oh, the King.」
If the king was so quick on his feet, it wouldn't be surprising if he started production quickly.
「So the artisans have a certain number of deliveries to make, or rather, they have to make them before the common adventurers do.」
「I understand. It would be unreasonable to expect the king to send them to us first.」
「Yes, I'm glad you understand.」
「Do you have a better idea, Yumi?」
「Yes. His Majesty the King has issued an order to increase production, but I know this has nothing to do with collecting empty bottles. Therefore, I would like to offer Alec-sama some of the empty bottles that the Merchant's Guild is currently collecting.」
「That's a good idea. Then, please take care of it.」
「Sure, I've accepted. Oh, the price is one gold per empty bottle, is that okay?」
「Sure, no problem. As soon as you've gathered them, please deliver them to the Dragon's Dwelling Tree Residence.」
「I understand.」
The empty bottles from Hans' workshop would have to be delivered to the king, and the number of bottles would be too small. Yumi didn't say how many, but I guess they are still in the process of collecting them and haven't finalized the number yet.
「Master......」
Meena showed a worried expression.
「It's okay, Meena. If one strategy doesn't work, we'll have to come up with another.」
「Okay!」
In a situation like this, it's better to come up with ideas in a group rather than just the two of us. It's like they say, when three people come together, they have a plan. I decided to return to the inn, hoping for the wisdom of my companions.
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