Chapter 371: The Empire is very strong 3
「…Eh? Yes, well, there’s no problem, but…」(Merchant)
During the meeting, Pauline issued a request, “Can we do business as well?”
The client was a little confused but still gave his approval.
He must have heard from the Guild Master who intervened that some escort hunters have storage.
So the girls must try to use it to piggyback on their business in order to earn a little extra money. The merchant thought so and he accepted without deep thought.
A little side job between young girls during escort duties.
It ’s not a big deal to overlook it.
In the first place, the main escort mission is on the move, and when they are doing business in the city, they don’t seem to be in danger of fighting for an instant.
When they get entangled in the surrounding area, even if the girls sell your goods right next to you, there should be enough time for the girls to help. There is no problem at all.
Besides, the purpose of this corps is to gather information, not to make a profit in the business. So, the price of their sale is quite low while the purchase price is quite high in order to collect as many customers as possible to get information.
When the merchants said so to the girls…
「Stop joking around」(Pauline)
「 Don’t make fun of peddling!!」(Rena)
Pauline and Rena shouted
「If you make an outlier with the quotes around you, you will disrupt the market and inconvenience other merchants!」(Pauline)
「What a spy! Doing such a standing-out act like this!
Are you an idiot (Baka Janaino)?!」(Rena)
「If you sell at an apparently unusual low price or buy at a high price, people will be suspicious of you right away!
And are there ordinary people who talk to such suspicious merchants?!」(Pauline)
It was just like they were hit by the octopus (Tako).
After all, Pauline is a daughter of a merchant, and Rena who was peddling with her father on a single carriage, they couldn’t forgive it…
「Which one is the real merchant here?
…HEY (~Tte) That’s right, the client isn’t a real merchant …」(Mile)
That’s exactly what Mile says.
Even though she was young at the time, Rena has helped her father and imitated a seller, she had enough experience to be a merchant. Similarly, Pauline helped with the store a lot…
「… and everyone looks somewhat poor.
Put your stomach under your clothes or roll up your underwear,
Please make you look more plump」(Pauline)
As Pauline says, the three “merchants” all seemed lean and poor.
It’s unavoidable because they’re office workers or people in the research field,
If they are really a merchant group with more than a horse-drawn carriage, they at least won’t be hungry to look like that.
And Being plump means that they have money, not a disguise of the poor or bandits.
And to check the taste of the ingredients they buy, their tongue must be fertile,
It was common knowledge in this world that the merchants were fat.
Fat equals rich, a proof of success, popular with women.
Therefore, at least, no one pays attention to the diet.
「After this, we will give you a little guidance.
By the time we depart, you must have the merchant-like character!」(Pauline)
Somehow, Pauline and Rena were scary.
Even Mile thought they were someone else…
「Mile-chan, you will go shopping with me afterward!」(Pauline)
Apparently, someone seemed motivated.
Perhaps she is going to have a revenge match with Mile’s personal sale in a dwarven village.
The client believed that the storage capacity of Red Oath members would not be a big deal, so they didn’t seem to care much.
Perhaps, as the general public knows, if it is small, it is a few kilograms to several dozens of kilograms, and at most 200 to 300 kilograms.
Then, after the meeting, Pauline and Rena’s “Merchant’s Knowledge” guidance began …
＊ ＊ ＊
「Departure is the day after tomorrow, so today and tomorrow we will go shopping for products!」(Pauline)
After a meeting with the clients (plus Pauline and Rena’s “Merchant’s Knowledge Special Training”), Mile was pulled out to the wholesale district by Pauline and Rena.
…It’s not a shopping district where general retail stores are lined up, but rather a wholesale district where large wholesalers are lined up.
Pauline aside, Rena is also oddly motivated.
Perhaps she recalls her childhood when she was peddling with her father.
And, of course, she doesn’t want to be left alone, so Maevis follows after the three.
「Does Mile-chan know about the empire?」(Pauline)
「Ah, yes, I had a tutor until the age of eight, and even though I dropped out, I was top of the class at the royal school.
I know about neighboring countries…」(Mile)
Mile responded to Pauline’s question with *ahem*.
Mile…no, Adele didn’t hide her academic skills… she also loves reading so it’s not strange.
「So you know why the empire is called a “big nation”, right?」(Pauline)
「…… The empire is “big” in three things.
Land, military power, and the burden on the people」(Mile)
「Yes, you understood it well. (Yoku Dekimashita)」(Pauline)
Pauline pats Mile’s head.
Mile laughs, *e~hehe*
… Yes, the Alban Empire has a large land area, but it was never a rich country.
Most of the country is wastelands and steep mountainous areas, and there are few large rivers flowing in the country and many rivers with little water that dry up quickly.
In short, food shortages and chronic financial difficulties.
Forest resources and mineral resources are sufficient, but the same goes for most of the surrounding countries.
There was no industrial revolution, and not so much iron and copper were needed.
In most countries, their own production was sufficient.
In addition, there is no way to bring heavy lumber or iron from a distance on steep, high-altitude roads.
Every country has enough forests and mines in their country.
In addition, there are thieves and monsters who aim for wagons on the way back, loaded with the sale price and purchased food, regardless of their destination.
…They can’t trade well with other countries.
There is no farmland, no food, no gold, and there is plenty of iron ore for making weapons and wood for iron making.
…There was only one way to follow.
Militarism, straight ball.
As they focus on armaments, food and financial difficulties become even tighter.
There is no longer a way to recover the money invested.
War, looting, new territory, fertile land.
The labor force that can be used as slaves, and occupied territories.
Thus, the future of the Alban Empire was determined.
Merging neighboring countries, will they become “Great” again?
Or will they be dragged out by neighboring nations and on their way to ruin?
Of course, the people of the empire won’t stay put and die of starving…
「Yes, there!
For the wholesale over there, we will buy a lot of cheap wheat!
For the people of the empire, they want something cheap and affordable, not luxury.
If it’s a normal merchant, he won’t make much profit unless he makes it expensive due to the loading capacity of wagons.
But here we go, we have Mile-chan after all…」(Pauline)
「Indeed, we have Mile-chan after all…」(Rena)
「Since we have Mile, ha ha……」(Maevis)
「Ahaha……」(Mile)
Mile wry laughs after the three.
(It’s helping people!
Empire’s ordinary people will be pleased, and ……) (Mile)
「Kufu. Kufufufufufufu …」(Pauline)
(Pauline will be pleased …) (Mile)
Then Pauline seems to be planning a lot of business. Today and the next day, she drags Mile around the city with Rena …