The new village chief Yamada, Monica, and Felix left the room, and after a while, Felix returned. “How did the trade go?” “It's finished. I definitely received 99 apples.” “I see...” So he really had 100 apples... “It's amazing that he can fit 100 apples into a spatial magic storage.” Felix seemed to agree. “It's true what they say. A grandson of a great sorcerer must be a great sorcerer himself.” I put another slice of apple in my mouth. “How are the apples?” “Try them for yourself.” At my suggestion, Felix took a slice of apple and began to eat it. “These are...” “Aren't they amazing? I’ve never had such a sweet, delicious fruit even at the best restaurants in the capital.” “Indeed... So they can provide 100 of these a month?” “That’s the minimum. I’m sure they’ll be able to produce even more. That sly vixen…” Although she looked like someone that would only be good to please men, her true nature was that of a calculating politician and merchant. “How much do you think they’ll be able to supply?” “At the very least, twice as much... No, probably more.” “Are there really that many trees bearing such fruit in that forest?” “Of course not. That magician named Yamada prepared them.” My family has been ruling these lands for many years. If there were trees bearing such fruit, we would have discovered them long ago. “So that’s how it is… I’ve never seen anything like Yamada-dono’s clothes before, so he must be from a different country.” “That’s right.” Yamada Tatsuya... His first name was Tatsuya, and his family name was Yamada. In this country, the first name came first. In other words, Yamada was a person from a different cultural sphere. “Is it really okay for someone from a different country to become village chief? And don’t you think he’s planning to become a territorial noble in the future?” That’s the most likely outcome if he can make enough money off these apples. “Of course that will be a problem.” “Have you reported this to the capital?” “Obviously not. Anyone who reacts like that is unfit to be a noble.” Where would you find a fool who would give up such profits that are right below his nose?

“Are you going to let him get away with it?” “They’re the ones trying to be friendly with us. For now it can't hurt to nurture that relationship.” They came to me to sell these apples. If they really have a long shelf life, they could have sold them directly to the capital, so the fact that they brought them to me personally meant something. “You don’t want to get into a fight with them, do you?” “If we did, we wouldn't be able to win. They're smart.” I had to give them credit for not trying to monopolize the profits. “One silver coin each? It seems too cheap to me... Considering the rarity of these apples, even one gold coin each would be too low.” “Monica said 'If you don’t know what a product is, you can’t do anything with it', right? She's basically telling me to sell these 99 apples cheaply in the capital. Next time, they’re going to jack up the price.” “What a nasty woman...” That’s exactly what she is. There’s nothing cuter than a calculating woman. “Do you want me to put pressure on them?” “No, it’s better to think about long-term profits rather than short-term gains. For now we’ll make a profit just by selling what we bought. There’s no need to be greedy.” It would be foolish to lose everything by pushing too hard. “I understand. The problem is the Merchant’s Guild. What should we do? It would be best if we dealt directly with the merchants in the capital, but...” “Do you think the Merchant’s Guild will just sit back and let us do that?” “I don’t think so. They’ll protest fiercely, and then they’ll probably go to the southern village themselves.” Exactly. However, with such a valuable product, I’m sure there will be a lot of infighting within the Merchant’s Guild... "Haa... What a hassle. Felix, go call the guild leader of the Merchant Guild.” “Yes, sir.” After Felix left the room, I put another slice of apple in my mouth. “So good...” Well, it should be fine to ask them for some personal gifts aswell. ◆◇◆ We finished the transaction, left the mansion, and walked down the main street to leave town. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” “Yes. It’s perfect.” Really? “Is one silver coin per apple okay?” “This is our first trade. First, we’ll let them know how good the apples are and have them spread the word. This is just the start of our business.” I see. “So we will deal with the head tax next time, right?” I only had 10 gold coins right now. I couldn’t afford to pay the full 30 coin sum.

“That’s right. Let’s pay for the head tax, magic tools, and the carriage with our next deal. I’ll take care of the rest.” “I’ll leave it to you.” She was a very reliable girl. “Also, I’m sorry, but would it be okay if I studied a little more about the other world?” Monica asked apologetically. “Sure. You can come whenever you want.” “Won’t I be bothering you?” “Not at all. It’s for the sake of the village, and having you around makes my room more lively.” “...Thank you very much.” Monica stopped walking and thanked me. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing... Let’s walk to the fork in the road and then return by teleportation.” “Okay.” We left town and returned to the fork in the road, and then teleported back to the front of the research lab. “It’s really convenient to be able to go home right away.” “You’re right. Tatsuya-sama, I’m going to update Daryl-san about our conversation with Claude-sama... Ah, um, is it okay if I visit you in the evening? I want to study more with this so called Internet.” “Sure. Do you want to eat dinner, too?” “Is that okay?” I didn’t mind at all… “Would you prefer bread?” “Ah, no. Just make it like you always do. I want to know what kind of cuisine you have.” I see. “Okay, I’ll ask Ruri.” “Thank you...” Monica bowed deeply, then raised her head and stared at me. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing... I will definitely be of service to you, Tatsuya-sama.” But you’ve already been more than helpful to me... “Really? I look forward to working with you. Let’s do our best together.” “Yes. Well then, please excuse me.” With that beeing said, Monica began walking toward the village. “She’s such a proper girl...” “You think so, meow?” Miriam asked from her spot on my shoulder. “She clearly is, isn't she?” “I see, I see... Let's leave it at that for now.” Eh...? This cat sure knows how to make a cliffhanger...