SURPRISE! ITS 23 MINS EARLY~

Editors corner (cast: Yuuka, Smoggy and a certain Shrine Maiden)

Miko: Yuuka?! Whyre you here in the city?

Yuuka: Huh? Oh, its just you armpits. Cant you see Im performing in a circus?

Miko: Pffft. A circus?! A Youkai like you performing in a circus? BWAHAHAHAA~

Yuuka: *Veins appear on forehead*

Miko: You should go back and tend to your sunflower field instead~ Not like you can do anything else HOHOHO~

Yuuka: Leave me alone! Dont blame me if your donation box goes missing tonight!

Miko: Oh you wouldnt dare.

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*A certain bear picks up a newspaper while nibbling on a fish*

Smoggy: Hey Yuuka, It says here that the Hakurei Shrines donation box is missing Doesnt the new bathtub you bought here look awfully similar to the donation box?

Yuuka: No idea.

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Life in the Royal Capital

054. Business ~ The Start of a Trade

The meeting continued until late last night.

It cant be helped since I arrived late.

Well, we were suppose to meet today, but apparently the noble wanted to meet me no matter what.

We exchanged information briefly during yesterdays meeting.

Mainly, I heard about the towns and countries of humans.

I also learned about the Free Association, they even said they would introduce me to their leader Yuki Kagurazaka at their headquarters.

However, something felt amiss.

I heard the freedom associations headquarters is located in the royal capital, but therere a lot of royal capitals.

Theres the large neighboring Farmas Kingdom, and the terrifyingly strong neighboring kingdom of the Sorcery Dynasty of Sarion.

Even a small kingdom such as Brumund has a royal capital. In fact, were in it right now.

So in which country is the Freedom Association Headquarters located in?

The clusters of countries around the Great Jura forest joined together and formed the council.

Therefore, the gathering of councilors must be in an easily accessible location, and its headquarters is now set in the Ingracia Kingdom.

In terms of strength, the one boasting the strongest power amongst those that joined the council is the Farmas Kingdom. But due to the developed transportation system in the ingracia Kingdom, it became the heart of all the kingdoms instead.

Thats the most likely reason why the Farmas Kingdom and the Ingracia Kingdom are on bad terms.

However, theres also another reason why the Ingracia Kingdom was selected.

The Ingracia Kingdom is the only kingdom not directly next to the Great Jura forest. Therefore, its less susceptible to monster attacks, granting it the blessing of being safe.

The Freedom Associations headquarters will be located in the country which is blessed with safety and has advanced transportation networks.

That much is obvious.

That means, when they said the royal Capital they were referring to the royal Capital of the Ingracia Kingdom.

Another feature of the countries within the council is that fact theyre all countries that follow the Church.

In other words, the kingdoms surrounding the Great Jura Forest are within the Sphere of influence of the church.

Commerce and religion are the two main pillars that support the bonds between kingdoms.

Each country votes for a councilor, and all of the councilors embody equality due to their religion. I heard theres a system where important decisions are discussed and decided in the council.

Surprisingly, this system is quite similar to the United Nations from my previous life.

Councilor election methods differ from country to country, but the majority of the councilors elected are from the royal family.

By the way, the Sorcery Dynasty of Sarion doesnt have a national religion.

The king claims to be a descendant of god, and forbids all other religions. Thus, they were rejected from being a part of the council, making them a isolated superpower.

But I heard that they do have commercial relations with the other kingdom, most likely because it is a superpower.

Anyway.

I heard that the Freedom Associations headquarters is located in the center of the Ingracia Kingdom.

So if I want to meet Yuuki Kagurazaka Ill have to visit the Ingracia Kingdom.

Apparently, they were willing to write a letter, introducing me to him. But in exchange, I was told to meet Baron Beruyado, a noble of this nation.

Of course I agreed to the terms, and am currently riding towards my destination on a horse carriage with my current partner.

I parted with the three (idiots) last night.

Please, lets keep in touch!

As I thought, lets adventure together forever

It sure will get lonely without you. Lets play together again in Tempest!

Saying these words, they departed unwillingly.

But, thats their own problem.

I, for one, dont feel anything at the moment.

Strangely, I dont feel lonely at all.

While I was thinking of such things, the carriage came to a halt.

It appears we have arrived.

.

It is a district lined with beautiful structures.

Feeling composed, Fuse guided me towards a building, slightly smaller compared to the others.

By the way, is it fine that I dont know anything about the honorific etiquette and manners of nobility?

Hm? Ah. Thats right, thats going to be troublesome

Is everything going to be alright?

About Fuses old man, I heard hes going to be quite the handful.

Yesterday, Fuse asked about the current situation of the Great Jura Forest.

After that, he asked about Shizus and whether do I know about Veldora.

When it came to Veldora, I played the fool and feigned ignorance.

As for the situation in the Great Jura Forest, I said our town was doing well in its own way while being as vague as possible.

Naturally, I was asked to explain my subjugation of the local monsters, in detail.

I understood that even they wanted to know the reason as to why there was so little damage caused by the monsters.

As for Shizu Sans story, it was kind of hard to talk about it, much less explain it.

In the end, I stopped explaining when it reached a certain promise with Shizu san.

Fuze,

I see Im counting on you

After muttering that, nothing more was spoken.

Shizu San, renowned as the Explosive Monarch, seemed to have been an A rank adventure that belonged to the headquarters.

At the headquarters, she worked hard as an instructor, but she probably realized that her death drew near. Refusing to be confined in the headquarters, she suddenly disappeared.

And thats how the story goes, but, thanks to her, I was able to make many new friends.

I trusted Fuze and came all this way, but is it really alright?

With all these etiquette and formality, this is going to be one troublesome talk.

While worrying about such things, I then entered the building.

After entering the building, an old man who introduced himself as the butler guided us.

Anyway, there are also maids here, which is always nice.

I remember going to maid cafes in my previous life.

Just sitting down cost thousands of Yen, its a complete rip-off. This factor makes qualifying this as a good memory a problem.

However, this is a different world. A guy like me can see the difference in quality when compared to the genuine thing.

There are only fake old maids in real life!

Guided by the butler, we entered a room.

Therere even more doors in the room.

The Butler knocked on one of the doors.

There was a reply,

Enter!

Honestly, these kinds of exchanges are just annoying.

Going straight through a magic circle, the interior is completely different.

Once inside, a tall slim man who looked like he was very hardworking with a parsimonious beard and silted eyes, greeted me.

You have arrived. My name is Baron Beloard, I am one of Brumunds ministers, pleased to be your acquaintance.

The other party has greeted me before I managed to give my greetings.

Nice to meet you. My name is Rimuru Tempest.

I am a monster, but I wish to form amicable relations with humans.

I may be ignorant when it comes to manners and etiquette, but I hope you can overlook that.

I returned the greeting and shook hands with him.

This places practices are quite similar to my previous life.

Do be at ease. I am but a landless baron.

Its fine even without the formality.

Now then, the time we have isnt infinite. Lets talk briefly.

Ill get straight to the point. About your town, Tempest, I would like to form a cooperative relation with there.

We propose to cooperate to support adventurers on their adventure and assist them when theyre having problems facing powerful monsters.

I only ask these 2 points of you.

Well well.

To summarize what he said, since Brumund is a small country without much national power, their counter-measures against monsters are insufficient.

They somehow cooperated with the Freedom Association, but the freedom association cant be their only means of defense against monsters.

Fortunately, there arent any major damage caused by monsters to date, but in preparation for the future, they wished to form bilateral relations with Tempest.

Assistance for adventurers, thats a topic that Fuse touched upon yesterday.

Hes probably thinking that in order for the adventurers to succeed, and to reduce the threat the forest poses, Ill need to provide necessities such as beds and supplies for those working in the forest.

However, his partner is a country of monsters, I wonder why did he approach and trusted us so easily?

Thats something to worry about.

IndeedWhat benefits will I gain if I accept this? Rather than a collaborative relationship, dont you think this is only one-sided?

Of course, well also try to guarantee certain benefits to there. Well legitimize your identity as a nation.

In other words, you, and your country Tempest, we promise to recognize it as a legitimate nation of monsters.

We have even obtained permission from the King of Brumund.

If your side cooperates with us, well recognize you guys as a nation, and promise decent correspondence.

In other words, well mutually stay vigilant about monsters and help each other in times of emergencies.

Either way, were supposed to be on guard, but with this, we would not have to worry about Brumund.

We will notify and help each other when faced with assaults by powerful monsters.

I dont think therell any problems.

If we accept this offer, well be recognized as a legitimate country, this doesnt seem like a bad deal.

Well, Ill admit it though, the council that was previously mentioned may not necessarily acknowledge this, as Brumund is the only country in the council that does.

Still, getting the approval of two countries, after the Dwarven kingdom is a major achievement.

Very well, I will accept this offer.

After I said this, the atmosphere felt significantly less tense than before. I will probably have been cornered if it were to continue anyway.

I see, thats great. Now then, this is the certificate of approval from the king of Brumund.

And this is proof that it is a legitimate document.

While saying this, he took out a stamp from his pocket.

The stamp emitted light in response to the spirit pledge magic, this shows that it is indeed a legitimate document from the king.

My skill Analyze also show the same results.

Unexpectedly, contractual relationship frauds cant be performed in this world. Compared to my previous life, such procedures are much more simplified.

This really helped me since I dont have to take my time to meet the king directly.

Besides, they probably arent going to allow the king to meet a monster.

It also simplified the process in that aspect as well.

And with my signature on the treaty, the treaty between Brumund and Tempest has been established.

During this event, a third party bears witness that the transaction is carried out justly.

After that, we made a few arrangements, and conducted another meeting in going into details of the treaty.

And for the first time, I remembered about the flaws of the contracts in this world.

So, in the event where we have to move a force through the forest, well be counting on your cooperation.

Thats what he said.

A force. This isnt something related to monsters. Because we were to cooperate during emergencies, that also includes when the nation is being attacked.

For example, the eastern empire.

I were deceived! How dare you deceive me!

GUO!!! I wanted to faint in agony. Idiot Idiot Idiot Idiot Idiot. Stupid me!

I remembered that sweet talk.

If you think about it from Brumunds side, they now have a reason to get me to cooperate even without my consent.

Look at the trio (idiots), I cant even chase away adventurers.

If we were to get the countrys approval, theres no need for that.

But theres a reason he daringly says that.

Brumund was really afraid that the eastern empire will invade through the forest.

In preparation for when that happens, they probably wanted me to become the buffer state.

Certainly, he didnt lie. If were having problems, hell also come help. After all, its our turn next.

Even if the empire does ignore us, were going to have to send in reinforcements from Brumund.

Anyway, we have been successfully deceived.

You noticed? You are certainly quick. However, you have already signed the treaty, so when the time comes, were counting on you!

With a grin, I was laughed at with a beaming smile.

Baron Beloard.

A man who handles work very well.

That sly old dog of a noble, tricking people like me is probably like taking candy from a baby.

Tsk. It cant be helped, Ill let it slip for now

Strangely, I dont feel angry even after Ive been deceived.

Apart from the shallow feeling of regret, I feel like praising the adversary. Ah~ Ive been had! Kind of moment.

Well, this is also a form of experience. Ill think about it when the empire does move.

And again, you cant let your guard down around humans.

Monsters are unexpectedly straightforward.

I made a vow in my heart that from now own, when negotiating with humans, Ill have to think more deeply before making any decisions.

.

Its not fun to be deceived.

Even after all the trouble, I still benefited from the experience.

I took out a medium healing potion, and placed it on the table.

This is?

Baron Beloard questioned,

Its a recovery potion made in my town. I wanted to sell it in the local markets.

I answered.

Fuse and Beloard held the potion in their hand and examined at it.

Fuse can definitely perform analytical magic.

What is this! T-this isnt some cheap stuff sold in the town. Umu, this is a high class goods similar to those sold in the royal Capital. The Pharmas Kingdom taxes it when they distribute it, but it doesnt come into these markets just how many do you have?

I told them that I currently have 500.

If theyre willing to buy on a regular basis, I can probably supply them 2000~3000 monthly if I take it out of the storage.

In this country, adventures are at the front lines, and theres a demand for the potions.

Theres a branch of the Freedom Association at the Pharmas kingdom, but adventurers that affiliated with them are few.

There are several reasons, the biggest reason being that theres a trend of looking down upon adventurers.

However, its also a fact that adventurers tend to be generous with their money. And, they also help thin the number of demons.

Due to this reason, there have been recent desperate attempts of trying to attract adventurers, but there arent any results to show.

Thats why, goods like high quality recovery potions are vital, luring adventurers while imposing high taxes on dwarf-made weapons? Ive thought about it this much.

If its armor, a bit of adjustment is all it needs.

We might even be able to sell off the gear of monsters.

If thats the case, people will be eager to buy it.

At the very least, if I sell a product I will be able to attain some profit.

Hopefully, I will be able to make up for my previous blunder.

We were introduced to the merchant Garde-Myourmiles.

I left the office of Baron Beloard, and proceeded to visit the merchant Garde-Myourmiles.

At the corner of the shopping street, there was a large store called the Miles Firm.

The chairman of the shopping street seems to be the owner of the store.

He has joined the Freedom Association Merchant Guild, but is a formal Brumund merchant with the countrys permission.

Its quite rare for a person to have the license of both the country and the Freedom Association.

I was told that Garde-Myourmiles was one of the rare individuals.

Weeeeelco?! Ahem, Welcome, please come here Danna, what kind of order do you have today?

I came with Fuse today, and I replied with a humble bow.

When you think about it, this old man Fuse is also an authoritative figure in this kingdom.

Today I came to introduce this person. Show Respect! I must return since I still have some errands, please excuse my rudeness.

This person, what kind of person is it?

In short, a state guest. Im leaving it to you!

Saying these parting words, fuse left.

Ive been left behind after being referred to as a state guest. How should I act if I got lost?

Well, its fine I guess.

My name is Rimuru, please take care of me! I came to make a business transaction, and my product is this.

Thus we started negotiating.

As expected of the merchant Myourmiles. He quickly appraised the good to ascertain its value.

Negotiations began.

At the end, I decided to sell them here, it was decided that the price will be 22 sliver coins each.

And the retail price set here was 25 silver coins.

After telling him the location of our town, he plans to go stock up.

If Myourmiles is going to buy more, then the selling price at tempest is 20 silver coins.

In addition, due to the matter of assisting adventurers, it was decided that the selling price to adventurers at tempest will also be 22 silver coins.

In this fashion, we shook hands with each other, and signed the contract.

This time without any fine prints, we were able to form a satisfactory agreement with each other.

But Danna, I cant use a horse-drawn carriage to arrive at Dannas town. If its restocking on recovery potions, I can manage it somehow, but its going to be rather inconvenient

Of course thats something we must discuss.

It would have been nice if I established a highway.

I understand. Then Ill build a highway that connects Tempest to Burmund.

Eh? NANI?!

Youll be able to use a carriage if I made a road right?

I think itll take two months for a horse carriage to finish the journey. If we cut down some trees well be able to make a direct path.

Although, I think its going to take six months to finish. Is that fine?

Of course! I also want to see the 500 youre selling too!

Myourmiles answered while smiling Ear-to-ear whilst rubbing his hands together.

The highway towards the dwarf kingdom is complete. Now, well move on and establish a highway that connects towards Brumund.

This way, trade between Tempest and Brumund has supposedly started.

When the highway that connects Tempest and Brumund is competed, the merchants of Brumund will have no need to go through the Farmas Kingdom to reach the Dwarf Kingdom.

And thus, tempest is becoming the new center of trade routes.

EXTRA: A CERTAIN EDITORS LUCK

T_T page 44/46 and it crashes without me saving