Chapter 342: Troublesome Hoi Hoi 4
『Is another piece the same assessment?』(Pauline)
The merchant nods silently to Pauline’s question. Apparently, his limit of self-control was close.
『Shall we bring out another one?
Ah, we should have brought the other one by taking out our other luggage instead…』(Rena)
Rena talks to Mile but remembers their blunder.
『Well, we have free time, we should go back and bring the other one to sell at the same time』(Pauline)
According to Pauline’s words, Mile re-stores the scale on the table.
『Ah……』(Mercht)
The merchant wanted to stop Pauline and Mile to secure this one for the time being, but if he desperately said he will buy one to the girls who said they will return soon with another one, it would be overtly unnatural.
If the girls got suspected and visited other firms, it would be difficult. So his highest priority is to behave as naturally as possible and not be suspicious.
If the girls just go back and forth straight from here to the inn, the information may not leak to other shops or these little girls may get extra wisdom.
The merchant thought so and sent off the girls with a smile, suppressing his deviating heart.
* * *
『……it is perfect. Everyone, well done』(Pauline)
Pauline cheer for the other three.
『That firm is the main lender of the loan shark, so all we have to do is manipulate information. And don’t lie, don’t deceive others, just do a shameless deal…』(Pauline)
Lie… (T.N: I believe English speaker often use the word “BS” in this case, but it’s somewhat heavy)
No one could believe in those words with Pauline’s bad laughing face.
『Then, the rest is as scheduled…』(Pauline)
『Yes, it’s a neglected play!』(Rena? Mile?)
* * *
The next day, when “Red Oath” came checking at the Guild Branch and a man whose blood had rushed into his head yelled.
『Why didn’t you come?!』(Mercht)
Yes, the merchant of the loanshark firm.
It’s not a clerk or a security guard but the merchant himself,
Waiting for the hunters who may not come at all times like this,
Unless he is not too busy, it’s an act that normally he shouldn’t be doing.
『Another piece of scale… You should have returned soon for the sale! Why didn’t you come back?!』(Mercht)
The merchant swallowed the word “scale” in a hurry and changed it to “sale”.
It would be obvious. Speaking out loud in such a place, other people may come together and, if he does a bad job, the girls will know what it is and how valuable it is. He had to change places.
『Anyway, come to my store!』(Mercht)
The merchant grabs Mile’s arm, who is the youngest and seems to be the weakest and lightest and pulls her out of the guild. The idea is that if he pulls one, others will automatically follow him. And in fact, the remaining three shrugged their shoulders and followed.
Of course, if Mile doesn’t walk in the same direction, she wouldn’t be dragged so easily, no matter how light she was. It’s just an act of dragging.
『『『『『『Hey hey hey ……』』』』』(Other hunters)
Behind the scenes, some of the hunters and guild officials who have begun to understand Mile’s group power to some extent due to the copper slashing demonstration of Maevis, the defeat of the Soil Dragon, and the “Mithril’s Roar”. But the merchant didn’t realize what those voices meant.
* * *
『So why didn’t you come back soon after yesterday?!』(Mercht)
For the time being, he seems to be trying to use polite words to the customer, but rather than a smile like yesterday, a merchant had a rugged face and a tight tone. He seems quite anxious.
Well, it’s not surprising that he might not have been able to sleep all night last night.
This is a secluded room in his store. The merchant brought the “Red Oath” party into a special room designed to be soundproof, shouted without trying to suppress his voice.
… No, no one knows what it is for the customer, maybe it isn’t.
It would be a blunder for a sly aged merchant to behave like this, but these little girls have broken their promise, false report along with the anger over having to spend a sleepless night, it can’t be helped that he screams.
『No, in fact, we were going to return soon, but the mother and child we knew seemed to be in trouble because they couldn’t repay the debt, so we gave it to them…』(Pauline)
『What… What did you say?! 』(Mercht)
The merchant hears Pauline’s explanation and screams.
No matter how much soundproofing the room has, this scream will definitely sound throughout the store …
『Wha…wha…wha… why… why… why …why …』(Mercht)
(T.N: his word is only Na (Nani=what) and Do (Doshite=why))
The voice of the merchant was not decent.
After a while, words that finally made sense came out.
『Why, why…?』(Mercht)
And Pauline responds without delay.
『No, as I said. It was the people who took care of us. Even if we sold it, we would only get 14 small gold coins. So, we think we’d better give it to them…』(Pauline)
Upon hearing this, the merchant was jerking his mouth with a pale face, but not vocal.
『That’s why we didn’t come back to sell them.
We didn’t have a formal contract but just price-checking with you. And we didn’t say “sell” to you, so there’s no problem, right?』(Pauline)
There is a great problem.
However, it’s a “problem for the merchant owner” and it’s not a kind of complaint about not being able to buy them.
Somehow, he has to get that.
He thought so, the merchant’s head was running at maximum.
『Well, the person you gave it away …』(Mercht)
『Eh?
No, it doesn’t matter to you, right?
Hunters don’t talk to others about people’s personal information, you know.
And about that debt…
Now, we have no more products to sell, aren’t we?
Please excuse me… let’s go back, everyone!』(Pauline)
『『『Ha~i (Ye~s)!』』』(Mile’ Trio)
Mile’ Trio smile and reply.
And “ah, no, wait, please wait”, Red Oath ignored the merchant and returned.
* * *
『Find her! Look for a woman who has been given the scale of the Ancient Dragon!!
If she has a debt, you can get information by asking our finance department to look up.
Make sure you don’t leak the information to the other stores and find her out immediately, hurry!!』(Mercht)
Immediately after “Red Oath” left, the shout of the merchant echoed.
* * *
『The preparation is over. Now, we just need to watch the fool dance.』(Pauline)
Pauline was explaining to everyone while leaving the store and returning to the inn.
『Another actor’s performance has reached a satisfactory point as a result of practice. Let ’s expect a great performance』(Pauline)
Three people nodded in Pauline’s words.
* * *
And before noon the next day.
『What luck… I’m so lucky!
To think the person who got the scales was my money borrower in the financial sector…
And it seems that his wife is repaying the debt in the absence of the shopkeeper, she doesn’t know the value of those scales and saying that she wants to use those “Wyvern-Scale-like” as the repayments for the debt…
What luck!
I’m scared of being loved by the goddess of business!
Fu~ha.
Fu~hahahahaha!』(Mercht)
After hearing reports from his subordinates, the merchant could not stop laughing.
『Okay, after lunch, I will visit that merchant’s shop immediately!
Call in the finance department!
Inform the other party that I will visit in the afternoon.
Fu~ha.
Fu~hahaha ……』(Mercht)