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Winter Business
「Kureto! Let’s go to the secret base!」
After I finish my breakfast and get ready, Nina comes over.
She looks very cheerful, which makes it clear she wants to see Yukishiro and Yukinko immediately.
「Sorry, Nina. I have to go to work today」
「Ehー!」
I also want to play with Yukishiro and Yukinko, but unfortunately, my work is calling.
I can’t decline it since I just took it yesterday.
「Emilio again?」
「Un, Emilio」
Nina has an annoyed look on her face.
Nina basically uses the honorific ‘-san’ when addressing someone older she’s not close with, but it looks like it’s different with Emilio.
Probably because he’s the reason I leave the village and also the reason we can’t go to play together.
「When will Kureto’s work be finished?」
「I don’t know the details. It might take one day, or it might also take a week like last time」
Nina’s face clouds over at my vague answer.
This depends entirely on Emilio. Depends on how much work he assigns to me.
「I also feel the same way about wanting to see Yukishiro and Yukinko. I’ll come back as soon as possible, please wait for me until then」
「……un」
When I crouch down to meet her gaze and speak to her, Nina nods, although she looks a little disappointed.
Wild boars have often appeared in that area previously, it’s dangerous.
Especially at this time of the year, there are animals and monsters moving around searching for prey, making their movements even harder to predict.
You can’t go there unless you’re a strong adult like Andre or can teleport like me.
Nina’s parents must also explain that to her clearly.
She probably will not go into the forest alone if she’s a reasonable girl.
「Well then, I’m going」
「Take care! Come back soon, alright!」
Nina smiles brightly when I finish my preparation and say that.
Relieved she’s pulled herself together, I teleport away.
My field of vision warps and bends, and the scene shifts from my living room to Emilio’s office.
「Hey there, Kureto. I’ve been waiting for you」
Emilio stands up from his chair and immediately approaches.
「……hm? Somehow, I feel like you’re pretty disappointed right after we met, huh? Did I do something?」
「Cause I was being seen off by the cute Nina while the one waiting for me is a man smiling suspiciously, right」
There’s too much difference in the smile between the person seeing me off and the person greeting me.
That smile is way too scheming.
「Oh? Being sent off in the morning by that ojousan, does it mean you’re both living under the same roof?」
「There’s no way. She just came to visit and play in the morning. Though I had to decline her due to work.....」
I shrug off Emilio’s unjustly suspicious question.
The distance between the residences of those living in the royal capital and the countryside is different.
Visiting each other’s houses is common.
Emilio knows I’m living in the Howling Village so he should not misunderstand. He’s obviously making fun of me.
「That was a terrible thing to do to that ojousan. Looks like I’m going to get scolded again because of taking Kureto away」
The two of them are having such a quarrel when they met during the Harvest Festival, after all. Personally, I’d like both of them to get along.
「So what kind of work do you want me to do?」
「I want you to transport some goods using magic just like you did during the Harvest Festival」
「In this season?」
「It’s because the snowfall has made the distribution of goods stop this season! It’s inevitable that all places should have insufficient supplies! So our Emilio Company must hasten and sell supplies to the troubled villagers. That’s a really good thing to do, right?」
「But, the price will probably be higher than usual, right?」
「That’s because the transportation involves pushing on during snowfall. The road is severely rugged, and it will also put a burden on the employees. It’s unavoidable that the cost will be higher than usual」
It’s probably because we keep my magic a secret that my body became like this.
He has an extremely regretful expression on his face, but if you look closely, there’s a slight smile on his lips.
You can say there’s no transportation cost thanks to Teleport. Even though it won’t take considerable effort, it allows a merchant to raise the price of goods, which is something very appealing.
On top of that, by going out of our way to come and sell supplies during such a harsh environment can make people feel indebted to us, so it’s like killing two birds with one stone.
「What an evil businessman」
「Use what we have in excess where it is lacking. I’m just faithfully following the fundamentals of business」
That manner of doing things is unscrupulous.
Although it’s impressive, he can think of such a method to bring a large profit as if they are the obvious thing to do.
「Will you do it?」
There’s no reason to refuse a business I know will bring in a large profit.
He went to the trouble of coming to the Howling Village during Harvest Festival to enliven it.
「I’ll do it. You already prepared everything, right?」
「Of course」
Looking behind in the direction Emilio pointed to, there’s already a wagon parked there, and the executives who had come to Howling Village previously are gathered there. He’s moving as quickly as always.
「All that’s left is for Kureto to store the supplies and go around various places to sell them with us. This is the list I want you to visit」
I look at the list Emilio gave me, and there are a lot of towns, villages, and settlements written on it.
Thinking that we will actually do business in all those places, it’s probably something we can’t finish in one or two days.
Looks like it’s going to take more time than expected.
I’ll do my best so I can return as quickly as possible for Nina’s sake.
●
I arrive near Donkel Village after using teleportation on the entire wagon using Space Magic.
The wagon gets buried in snow as soon as it arrives.
The surroundings are also a snowy landscape, just like the royal capital and Howling Village.
「……we can’t move forward because of the snow」
The coachman - Rodney - mutters, his expression the same as usual.
In large cities like the royal capital, there are magicians removing the snow so vehicles like carriages can pass but it is not so in the countryside, like here. There are a few people coming from outside after all.
「Let’s melt the snow using a magic tool」
Emilio slips on a ring with a red magic stone and steps forward.
It’s probably a magic item loaded with Fire Magic.
「No need, I’ll move them away with my magic quick」
「Kureto’s magic? Okay then. Please do」
Emilio seems to hesitate at what I say but he decides to leave it to me and steps back.
「Subspace Storage」
I cast Space Magic and make the subspace appear.
The snow is then sucked into the subspace.
In the blink of an eye, the snow around the wagon quickly disappears, and the wheels can move without a problem.
Voices of surprise ripple through the employees, led by Emilio and Rodney.
「I see! You removed the snow by recognizing the snow as item to be stored! Keep going like this, I’m counting on you!」
「Okay」
I continue storing the snow in the direction of travel, at Emilio’s request.
Continuing like that with the wagon, we arrive at the entrance of Donkel village.
This is the first village Emilio and I came to when working together.
It’s a village that formed a connection with us during our early days, maintaining a close relationship with Emilio Company.
「Emilio-san! What could be the reason for you to come here in such weather?」
The village head of Donkel Village approaches us, I suppose he saw us coming from a distance.
It’s probably proof that no one deliberately comes to such a remote countryside in the middle of such snowy weather.
「I thought everyone in Donkel Village would be troubled by such a harsh season and so I came here all the way here to do business」
「Such a thing.....to think you would go out of the way to come here for us……!」
「What are you saying now? Aren’t my Company and Donkel Village on good terms?」
Emilio gently places his hand on the village chief’s shoulder, who looks deeply moved.
「Such kindness. I sincerely thank you!」
To the village chief, he would seem like a saint who especially takes the trouble to come to the village during such harsh weather.
「However, I would like to apologize first, since the price of our goods will be more than the usual due to the particularly difficult journey」
「It is understandable since you’re transporting such valuable goods in this harsh, cold. This year’s autumn harvest was delayed, so our winter reserves are insufficient. We will buy it even if it’s slightly expensive」
「I am glad you understand」
I can say that we came here using teleport so we didn’t experience any difficulties, but I can only watch this farce. I feel a little complicated feeling inside.
That said, it is just how business works.
From the perspective of Donkel Village - with their shortage of supplies - it is the truth that having someone to do business with them now is helpful.
I try not to think too deeply about it and focus on our business. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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