The Otherworld, Goddess, and Anchor 08

Business is not easy

Translated by: SummerPeanut

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A single girl, sitting in front of a desk inside her room, sighed deeply.

That sigh was deep, very deep---

And what was reflected in her eyes was various agonies of her struggle.

“...what might you be doing, Fiona-sama?”

The one holding the support-role, Navi, the subordinate of the girl’s mother called out to her.

“You came just at the right time. Can you look at this Suzuki Bili Tanaka-kun?”

“I haven’t heard that name since chapter 2. I’ll smack you, you know.

…you seem to be organizing books, what about it?”

“They are my precious books that I kept carefully but it seems that they were suddenly teleported to the table. Furthermore, they are all sorted by genre and author. I can’t help but have a bad feeling about this, do you know anything about this?”

“Your mother, Alfrieda-sama, cleaned the room”

“I knew it thank you very much for sorting it into 3 columns god damn it!! Why didn’t you stop her?!”

“I am your overseer. My master is Alfrieda-sama.

                            End of explanation

                                       Q. E. D

The main story will start now”

|■ Fraul Kingdom. In front of Granola’s mansion|

“---Well then, I’ll go reserve two wagons and have a number of the workers along with them. I’ll leave the final checking to you Alp”

“Yes! Thank you very much!”

“I and Bart will meet up with you later. Please wait at your orchard”

Both of them returned to the room after sending off Alp.

Firstly, they sent some people to maintain Alp’s orchard and on the next day, Margot and Bart gathered at the orchard before sending Alp first to Baxia’s representative place.

“---that’s quite unexpected. I assumed you would like to travel with Alp”

“If I could, I would...I have something I need to tell you”

“....?”

|■ Fraul Kingdom. Granola’s Mansion|

“[Outsiders], huh”

After passing one of the rooms, Bart narrowed his eyes as he listened.

“Although there’s no evidence, if it’s their workings, the inconsistencies would disappear. The poll tax and increased tax--- It’s not the worst possible options, but it’s still not a proper [money-making] plan”

“---Are you saying it’s not Baxia Kingdom’s intention?”

“If they just want to tie up the kingdom, they just need to interfere with the economy so that without Baxia the kingdom will not be able to stand by itself. However, currently, there is an outflow of the workers. So much that there are not enough workers to sustain the basic industry”

“Refugees are disappearing as well. If civil war occurs, controlling the kingdom will be the least of their problem after all. They are not looking at long-term at all---

So you mean to say that even if they are profiting now, only empty wilderness and mountains would be left to them later on”

“Only those [outsiders] would have this kind of thoughts to consider only the profits”

Hearing that, Bart tilted his head.

“Indeed...but he doesn’t seem to be related though...he was crying after all”

“Hey, is the representative a crybaby? Or perhaps he’s a strict person? No matter how many times I listen to your and Alp’s talks, I still can’t imagine how he’s like at all”

“Even if you say that, that’s all I could say”

“Hah...I see. I’ll find out myself after meeting him directly. ---Bart-san too, do cooperate with me, alright. Are you alright with the bodyguard role? I’ll make sure to properly compensate you as well. By the way, why were you against myself taking in Alp? Even though we are from the same territory. Am I so untrustworthy?”

“No, it’s…Margot, your eye at that time was like a carnivore beast eyeing its prey ”

“It’s that bad?!”

|■ Japan. Fiona’s room|

“---just now, somehow, I caught a mixed feeling of intimacy towards a comrade and also disgust towards to those similar to myself”

“Please stop. My hands are already full with you alone.

---Anyway, what are you doing now? What is that memo?”

“En, since I have a little spare time, I was thinking about the method to conquer them. So that I can properly respond if there is any event”

As he sighed, he urged the goddess to get a grasp of the current situation.

“I hope you know that reality is not a game. Even now, are you not taking too much of time trying to help a single apostle?”

“Fufufu...you don’t understand. I’m the type who leave the best part for the last”

“And you will say [I said that I eat you last. But it’s actually a lie]”

“Correct! (super smile)”

“(I don’t want this goddess already)”

---Two days later.

The two of them gathered at Alp’s orchard before riding the horse carriage to Valencia’s residence...

When they arrived there, both of them were confused while standing in front of the residence.

What was in front of their eyes is poorly made mansion.

It was at the level where there’s barely a difference compared to an ordinary citizen’s house.

The size, interior decoration, and overall were far inferior to Bart’s and Margot’s.

“A field hospital…?”

She subconsciously spoke her bare impression from her mouth.

“I believe it is rude to suddenly say that, Margot.

---However, is Baxia's representative really here?”

“I heard he’s a fallen noble but he’s still a marquis, right? No matter how poor he may be, this is...”

No matter how she looked around, she couldn’t find anything worthy of marquis’s position---

“Who is it? Hm? Ah, if I remember correctly...you are the one supposedly headed to home country for business negotiation---the one from Granola’s house. I have heard about the matter.”

As if to dispel their doubts, the person in question showed himself.

“Erm...is this really the representative’s place?”

Alp voice came from behind the two people.

“---You two are the ones from before. It might be some kind of fate, eh. How are you all related, I wonder? Either way, shall we enter first. After all, I do at least have the room to settle formalities and official talks”

“Mn?”

What entered Alp’s line of sight were some vegetables being left around.

“Aah, that’s---Every so often, there is someone who left those around. Sometimes vegetables, sometimes foods. They are probably gifts for the new ruler, I suppose? Good grief, being ordinary populace sure is pathetic. Just like this, they try to curry favor with bigwigs---”

“(Instead of currying favor...)”

“(Isn’t it more of the local populace being so appalled and sympathetic with your living condition that they left them for you...)”

(Aah, the oracle(line call) connected. Alp, can you hear me?)

“Ah, Fiona-sama---Currently we are at Valencia-sama’s mansion”

(Oh really? Then, I will remain quiet this time. After all, I’m not supposed to interfere agreement between humans)

“...yes, I understand”

And just like that, the three of them were prompted to enter the [field hospital].

|■Fraul Kingdom. Baxia’s representative house|

“I see, trading and exit permit for Granola house. With this, it’s done. You can take it with you now”

“Thank you very much. But...”

As Margot stared at the barren room, she forgot what she was about to say.

It was to the extent she felt sorry making him serve the tea and sweets incomparable to what she had back in her mansion.

“It’s alright, you see, as a kingdom’s representative. I did have thoughts of living luxuriously or staying in a splendid mansion but...I was told that the rental cost for that will not help lower expenditures. So just make-do with the cheapest place which is here.”

“I,I see...”

“I’m single anyway, all I have to do is to report back to my home country and manage any immigration. Incidentally, after I came here as the representative, the indentured workers going to Baxia should be settling down. Because I believe it’s alright to keep those numbers to the minimum.

By the way---going to my main point. If I recall correctly, you are Veur-kun and Alp-kun? I haven’t heard anything about you two leaving the kingdom though”

“I am going as her guard. Even with my position, I did polish my sword arm to a certain extent. For him...”

“Alp is a worker under my name, I would like you to give him permission to accompany me. The reason is to sell the fruits from his orchard. It’s just a side task on top of the business negotiation talks”

“Hmm...”

The marquis knocked the table with his fingers as he ponders. Perhaps due to the table’s age, it shook with creaking sound as he did so.

“Do you know that I, as the representative, have some authority over trading and the permits?

If you would like to go there to do business…obviously, I’m allowed to decide my amount of shares. Do you understand my point?”

“Please spare me from the preface talks. So---how much do you want?”

It would still be acceptable if it’s up to 40%---

If it went above that, I would need to negotiate….

She waited for Baxia’s representative to speak as she gulped nervously.

“---It’s 20%”

“Eh”

“Eh”

“Eh”

He continued to talk while the three people were still in shock.

“Hmph, I will not yield any more than this. Well, even I’m not that cruel. The profit when you return here after deducting tariffs and miscellaneous expenses---

How about 20% of that net profit?”

“B,but like that---”

“Seems like you are still not satisfied. However, I am also desperate to clear my debt. Unless I strike it rich, it’s starting to get dangerous for me as well.

Although I feel sorry for a child like him---

I am at the point where I would use everything as my stepping stone. Resent me if you must”

“A, erm, I---thought you would take half the money for sure”

Towards the surprised Alp’s words, Valencia spurted out the tea from his mouth.

“Haaaaaaaa?! HALF?! Boy, are you looking down at business?! If I take half of your profit, how are you supposed to live!! For the sake of clearing my debts, I also tried my hands on various things but...with that way of doing things, nothing will ever succeed, you know!”

“I-I’m sorry”

Due to how menacing he looked, Alp could only nod his head in agreement.

“Good grief...is it really a good idea to let him be a merchant. Not to mention there are also shipping cost, maintenance cost, and various other expenses… Just how did you come up with such a scary thought of taking half of one’s earning---

I believe that both of you should keep an eye on this boy. This is for the sake of my share of profit as well”

“Ah, yes, we will.”

After both of them received the additional permits, the three of them left the representative’s [field hospital]

|■ Inside the carriage owned by Granola’s House|

Afterwards, the three of them talked to the goddess inside the carriage that was heading towards Baxia Kingdom.

(---[outsiders]...?)

“It is probably a displeasing thing for Fiona-sama---But yes, there are such people present. I am also similarly a merchant...but as expected with the danger to my home country, I am moving without regard to profits. However, these [outsiders] will not hold such thoughts. As long as there’s profit to be made, they would gladly sell their country. They are such kind of people”

“erm, then what about Marquis Valencia?”

Margot sighed towards Alp’s question.

(Nope, he’s definitely not that kind)

“No matter how I see it, he doesn’t seem to be related---

No, in the worst case he might be made as the scapegoat”

“A throwaway pawn eh...When the need arises, just throw all the responsibilities to him and run away”

“That’s...just too cruel. If I leave one box of fruits (50 fruits) for him, he looks like he would feel touched and lower the tax to only 10%. Can’t we do something for him?”

“---In any case, let’s prioritize selling the products in Baxia Kingdom first. We’ll think about how to help him after we return ”

Click☆

-Goddess Fiona's believer count: 229-

-Number left until revocation: 29-

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