Chapter 230: Renewal (1/2)

Chapter 230: Renewal

TLN: There was an error last chapter. It wasn’t half a month before the revolution starts -It was half a YEAR. I knew something was strange with those numbers, so I double checked. Fixed already.

Apologies for the error >////<!

A noisy and packed busy time.

When one moves, the time really does go fast.

Of course in Tsige it is like this, but in Asora and also in the store in Rotsgard that are not directly related, are also moving busily.

Counting the movement of personnel, these two months have been a time of great reformation for Kuzunoha company.

“Waka, please show up at noon in the Tsige store. I will also be going around the expanded areas of Tsige, but when I finish, I will be heading there.” (Tomoe)

“Understood. Mio and Shiki are okay, right?” (Makoto)

“Of course. Mio has already done the preparations, and Shiki seems to have a meeting with Morris, but he said he will be done by morning. However, Waka, it seems like these days have become more busy than the time when you were going around the various countries.” (Tomoe)

Tomoe made an ill-natured smile.

I actually thought that things would calm down after finishing the visits, but it seems I was completely wrong.

She is probably poking at that.

“I won’t say it was perfect, but I was somehow able to overcome it, so please don’t bully me too much. I have been practically stuck with Rembrandt-san everyday with almost perfect attendance in the meetings for the preparation of the revolution. I have also worked as a teacher in Rotsgard without rest.” (Makoto)

I received the lessons of Rembrandt-san regarding merchants and the actual state of the commerce, and also taught classes in Rotsgard with Jin and the others as well as the new juniors that were admitted in the class. I also heard the opinions of the people in Asora as I adjust the stance of Kuzunoha company regarding the Aion revolution and the independence of Tsige.

Ah…just remembering it makes me wanna puke.

My determination of two months ago about doing all the things that I have decided to do, has all come onto me like a mountain.

The first month was the hardest, and when I was alone in my room, there were times when I laughed without any reason.

I had practically no time to sleep after all.

When I was unable to take it anymore and collapsed, one of my followers would find me and reactivate me.

…I will be…sleeping as much as I can tomorrow.

No matter what anyone tells me, I will sleep a good 3 hours!

“…I admire that you have decided not to run when you have decided on doing something, but for us who are watching this, it has also become worrying. Anyways, I had no intentions of bullying you at all. I really meant to be proud when I said: ‘as expected of our master’.” (Tomoe)

“…Thanks.” (Makoto)

“Ah, right. In the afternoon greeting round, Shiki and I will be accompanying you as well. There have been a number of people who have been noisy, saying that we should go greet as well you see.” (Tomoe)

“I know. I will be counting on you guys.” (Makoto)

“Who knows. Seeing Waka lately, I don’t think there’s much need for us though. Well then, see you later.” (Tomoe)

“Yeah. Give my regards to the representative of Eleor company.” (Makoto)

With summer coming closer, Tsige had changed the location of their outer wall that hadn’t been changed for a long time, and it has been rebuilt.

Slightly into the side of the wasteland, and more into the side of Aion.

Thanks to that, new land has become available in the town and the price of the land has decreased slightly as a whole.

‘The price will soon increase again, so the decrease in price is only temporary’, is what the Eleor representative said as he spend freely in the lands with a smile in his face.

With the plans of constructions and the actual execution, the money is moving at a terrifying speed. Of course, he is shouldering quite the burden in the expenses, and yet, he had a truly good smile.

In other words, he knows that he will be profiting more.

How fearsome is the real estate industry.

Regarding the land that the Eleor company asked if I would be buying, we had a business discussion again accompanied by Tomoe, and in the end, we bought it.

With that price, ‘they are not even doing a trade’. But it doesn’t match the ratio of the money that’s moving in a daily basis.

Even if the materials that the adventurers obtain from the wasteland have a ridiculous price as well, they are literally risking their life to obtain them.

Thinking in that way, I do feel like it is slightly unreasonable.

After buying the land and ending the business discussion, Tomoe was occasionally involved with the Eleor company.

As I see her off, I thought of this.

“Well, even if I think it is unreasonable…I have already bought the land from him, and we are normally pretty friendly with each other. The land that’s inside the outer walls is on high demand and there’s also the price for security counted in it, and in the first place, there are a lot of people who would wish to buy the land in Tsige. Just because there’s big transactions done inside the town doesn’t mean that your life will always be safe and stable inside it after all.” (Makoto)

Since Eleor company has achieved safety and stability, there must be something that’s balancing it.

How far they can go depends on the sense of the merchant himself. For me, the representative of Eleor company looks like he is in a dangerous position where he would fall at any moment.

I obviously don’t possess such sharp senses like him.

As I received the teachings of Rembrandt-san, I was able to clearly tell this.

That’s why I have been able to continue business while maintaining a safe line.

And I have now build a store in the land I had previously bought. I finally got the resolve to make my own store in Tsige.

After hearing the requests for an increase in inventory and personnel, I decided to take this chance to implement it, and in the end, the store we built turned out pretty big.

And so, today is the opening day of the store.

Since the morning -no, since the previous night, the employees have been moving busily.

There’s visible fatigue as expected, but seeing that their faces were mostly cheerful was a saving for me.

Tomoe, Mio, and Shiki have been working in Tsige the whole day.

Akua and Eris were brought from Rotsgard as temporary helpers, and Lime has also been brought here, so it is truly an event where the Kuzunoha company has gathered.

However…

“In this time when Aion might make a move, Kuzunoha company will be opening a big store in Tsige, huh.” (Makoto)

There’s not really any hidden meaning behind the opening and date of it.

There’s none, but it is a timing that can be taken as some sort of declaration.

I don’t have any intentions of changing what I will be doing, so worrying about it is pointless. Be that as it may, I understand that this is bad timing.

In reality, this opening day might have been controlled by Rembrandt-san and the others, but if I begin thinking about that, there would be no end.

*knock* *knock*

Hm?

“Come in.” (Makoto)

I respond to the knock.

“Waka.”

“Eris huh. What’s wrong?” (Makoto)

“To celebrate our opening, merchants and adventurers are popping all over.” (Eris)

“…I see.” (Makoto)

Now that I think about it, I heard from Rembrandt-san that before the opening begins, there will be a celebration where a small amount of people will come for greetings.

The people that want to have a relationship of big trades would normally come after the opening for their greetings, and there will be times when they would inquire for it, but it seems like it is a tradition to have adventurers and acquainted merchants visit you before the store opens.

The adventurers mostly wait for when the opening ends to enter as customers, so the merchants are normally the ones who would come for the greetings.

Even so, they are arriving this fast?

There’s still quite a lot of time before the opening.

“Understood. I will be going soon. Are there a lot of merchants as expected?” (Makoto)

“For now, there’s more adventurers. They probably intend to line up for the store opening after they are done with their congratulations.” (Eris)

“Ah, I see.” (Makoto)

“The majority are thinking about introducing themselves to the tops of Kuzunoha company who are unreachable in normal circumstances. By the way, there’s an incredible line waiting for the opening, and we have been rearranging it many times. The street on the front is already incredibly filled. This is something that we wouldn’t be able to see in Rotsgard…… And I don’t want to see it there anyways.” (Eris)

“So the line is growing well. Understood. Please tell the people who are organizing the line to not cause any trouble for others. I have already notified the town about it so it should be fine, but the lined up customers would probably get impatient and things can happen.” (Makoto)

“Don’t worry.” (Eris)

With her eyes glittering for a moment, Eris shows me a thumps up.

…When she is not together with Akua, I feel like her malice is way too strong, but even if Eris is like this, she is a girl that has been managing well with the customers.

Her sales are pretty high too.

I leave the office at the fourth floor together with Eris and head to the first floor.

The new Kuzunoha company has an extravagant structure of one basement and four floors.

Tsige has begun having buildings here and there with three floors, but four floors is pretty rare.

Thanks to that, the building alone stands out, which is a thankful extra.

Now then, about the people that have come to celebrate the opening…

Wow.

“Oi oi, Eris. Isn’t this an incredible number?” (Makoto)

“Since you said: ‘Oi’ twice, it must be important.” (Eris)

“…There’s even people that seem to have business cards.” (Makoto)

“Uwaa~. You ignored me. I am against killing jokes.” (Eris)

For now, I ignore Eris and once again look at the people that are gathered at the main entrance.

‘Popping out’ really does describe this.

Some of them even have business cards which I once used for fun with Rembrandt-san and had now propagated.

What the people are holding in their hands is probably presents for the celebration, but I have to question their bragging.

It seems like business cards have become established enough that even adventurers carry them.

This is really a scene that can’t be seen at Rotsgard. It feels fresh.

I was thinking about surprising the merchants by giving them business cards, but it probably won’t be much of a surprise now.

The amount of influence Rembrandt-san has is amazing.

“Well, I gotta go. They went through the trouble of coming here after all.” (Makoto)

“Waka is the only one here, so I think it will become something dreadful, you know. What should we do? Should we place a 10 second rule or something?” (Eris)

“What’s that? Are you talking about placing a limit of 10 seconds per person?” (Makoto)

“That’s right. Leaving aside the amount of seconds, I will come in at a random moment and say: ‘Thank you very much~~!’ and push their back so the next one can go.” (Eris)

“…Is this some sort of handshake event? But well, I am counting on you. Can you bring two or three more in order to cope with it?” (Makoto)

“Leave it to me~. I will properly gather up things like business cards and presents to make them identifiable, so I am counting on you to confirm them later. Now then…” (Eris)

With a mysterious salutation, Eris trotted inside the store and left my sight.

Leaving aside her speech and conduct, it is true that she is an useful and dependable girl.

Lately, I have been thinking that way more frequently.

Now then, let’s begin working as the representative of Kuzunoha company!

Opening the main entrance, my long day had begun.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

-Basement.

Articles managed: mainly equipment.

Sale of equipment tailored to the requester, equipment for normal customers, repairs, and a counter for advice.

Crowded.

-First floor.

Articles managed: Mainly food, as well as food and drinks supervised by Mio.

Crowded.

-Second floor.

Articles managed: Mainly medicine. There’s also consultations for compounding.

Crowded.

-Third floor.

Articles managed: Daily necessities, as well as miscellaneous goods. Ceramics made in Asora; industrial arts quality.

Crowded.

Well, it is the opening day, so it is within expectations.

It also means this is the best situation estimated.

But…

-Fourth floor.

Office.

Crowded.

What is going on?!

We safely did the opening, and customers flowed into the store, and after a bit of time, I confirmed that nothing happened and the business was operating without any problems, so together with Tomoe and Shiki, I went around greeting a part of the frequent customers.

That’s what I planned on doing.

I had notified the related people beforehand that I would be greeting them, and opened the store in the meantime.

Even so, after finishing the greetings slightly hurried, I returned to the store and it was like this.

The office at the fourth floor was also filled with people.

Regarding the people that had come to celebrate in advance, I had already met with all of them before the opening day, and they said that they wouldn’t be able to come in the appointed day, so they left their presents and I properly handled it, and yet!

“Ah!”

With one shout made from someone, the gazes concentrated in me.

It was an action that made me understand without doubt that these people had gathered with me as their objective.

“Most of them are probably people that felt danger from the prosperity of our store. Their decision of acting immediately can be considered good, but their insight for evaluating us lowly can’t be praised. Now then…” (Tomoe)

Tomoe muttered in a low voice.