———————-

“Hahaha!　Is that so?”

　We met with the Earl, then we had dinner.

　I looked at the complexion of Earl Barel Lumberjack, who was sitting in front of me, nodding with a broad grin.

　A good-natured man in his mid-forties, with an athletic body that isn't too thin nor too fat, and his demeanor was of someone well versed in martial arts, without any opening. Yet, there was a bright intellectual flame burning in the back of his eyes. It was easy to see he was a man who had both brains and brawn.

　He was like a veteran warrior, or an old merchant; someone like me couldn't even reach the heels of such a splendid person.

　And this was a grand entertainment of guests.

　It even made me want to ask ‘Do you really want the Mithril Alloy this bad?'. Dinner was just this impressive.

“Was it to your liking?　That is a stew made with mushrooms gathered from Leñador, it's my children's favorite.”

　The Earl spoke without erasing the huge smile on his face. But I was starting to feel troubled about how to answer.

　I just answered with the appropriated faked smile. The Earl has been the only one doing the talking. Silvia and Yukari just said a couple words at the start and since then they haven't made any sound. Eko… Well, Eko has just been eating non-stop since the beginning.

“Are all of you in the ranked team Firstest in your teens? My daughter, Chérie is 16 years old. She's a bit of a stubborn tomboy, but I'd appreciate if you could get along with her at tomorrow's dinner party.”

　Dinner ended without any complication.

　After saying that, the Earl stood up from his seat and extended his hand for a handshake.

　And thus, he came to see us off, even though we will be meeting again tomorrow.

　Thinking about something that has been bugging me, I stopped my feet.

“Ohh, Second-dono. Is there something you need? “

　Noticing my actions, the Earl called out to me.

　Perfect. He is way above me, yet he lowers himself. He has social status, honor, ability, and also pride. But then, why go this far?　I just couldn't help but to wonder that.

“Lord Barel, why are you going this far for this deal? “

　The Earl kept his smiling face, but his eyes narrowed. I noticed Yukari, who was standing next to me, stiffening in response.

“……People getting wealthy, soldiers getting stronger; it's all for the country's sake. This is my belief.”

　Fumu. So, he's a ‘f.u.koku Kyouhei” type of guy. (TLN: Slogan of the Meiji era, basically a policy of increasing national prosperity and military power​)

“Solid, lightweight, long lasting. The armor and arms industry of Mithril Alloy is greatly linked to the strengthening of the nation's power. And that has to be done in the center of commerce of the Castall Kingdom, or in other words, in my city of Leñador.”

"So, this is all for the country's sake? “

“No. For the people, for the soldiers and for the country. My business must satisfy all three of them.”

　The Earl said not even one should be missing.

　……I admire his ‘determination'. Especially the point where he makes the distinction between people and soldiers. And the soldiers, in this case, might not be limited to soldiers under the kingdom, but also means “people able to fight” such as adventurers.

　People and soldiers――beginners and veterans, so to speak.

　Earl Barel Lumberjack, he has a good understanding of this world. That is, the difference between the weak and the strong.

　That being the case. I doubt he would try to double-cross a strong person such as myself.

　It seems good to bet on this deal.

“I see, I understand. I'll look forward to tomorrow's meeting.”

“Likewise!　Thank you very much for your valuable time today.”

　Along with a smile, my party left.

　Thus, the schedule of the first day ended.

—————————–

—————————-

　The next day.

　After spending all morning being swayed by a carriage, we moved towards the commercial city Leñador.

　It seems like it was hard to get up early for some of us, since Silvia and Eko were happily huddled together as they slept.

“Yukari, what are your plans for the deal? “

“I don't think that wholesaling continuously is what Master has envisioned. Therefore, I believe the wisest choice is to make short-term contracts, maybe worth a few billion CL of Mithril Alloy, and renew it every few months.”

“Is that so? By the way, how long would it take to earn 30 billion worth of Mithril Alloy? “

“Please wait a minute.”

　After receiving that question, Yukari started calculating while looking at the notes I gave her.

　That was, the amount of Mithril dropped by the Proline Dungeon's boss, the Mithril Golem, times the five clears a day, then divide its market price by 30 billion.

“Approximately 20 days…… Ehh.”

“Ehh.”

　Yukari was surprised by the answer at which she arrived. Obviously, I too was surprised.

　I mean, 30 billion CL in just three weeks. In other words, 10 billion CL a week, or about 1.4 billion CL per day.

　That is incredible. Is Mithril Alloy this valuable in this world when compared to Mobius?

　……No, if I think about it properly, this is just normal. The probability that Mithril is dropped from the normal golems in the Proline Dungeon is about 6.25%. And that drop is about 1/20 of the size when compared to the Mithril dropped by the Mithril Golem. And it's this rare because the dungeon hasn't been captured yet.

“Still, it's not normal.”

“……No, what's not normal is doing five clears a day.”

　How on earth did you come up with five clears being normal—- is what Yukari's cold eyes were screaming at me. I just answered her with an innocent smile. Seeing me, Yukari just sighed in response, and I must admit that her drooping ears were a little cute.

“That's right, I don't think that the price of Mithril Alloy will collapse.”

“Yeah. For a deal of 30 billion CL, I believe we can take two or three months to complete it.”

　Ahh, that's true. 30 billion in three weeks would be ‘five clears a day'. But it might be better to leave two days off each week, and sometimes stop at three clears and just relax in the afternoon.

“Understood. Then, at the meeting, move in that direction.”

“Yes. Please leave it to me.”

　I left the details of the meeting about the deal to Yukari's discretion. Because if it's me, then I would probably do it ‘thoughtlessly' and it would turn into something outrageous. Silvia also said “That way is better”, but that's something I don't want to be told by the likes of her.

——————

　……While having some random thoughts, I was dozing off in the boat.

“Master. I can see it.”

　Then, I was awakened by Yukari's voice.

　Looking outside using a small window, I could see the lively scenery of 『Leñador』, a large commercial city that flourished like the Kingdom's capital.

　The main street was filled with street stalls, and tides of people walked everywhere doing business amidst all the hustle and bustle.

　This city felt ‘real', unlike the time of Mobius―― a testament that the people living here were alive.

“I hope this goes well.”

　Said Yukari.

　I just nodded with a “Yeah” and moved my gaze towards the outside scenery.

　I felt like I was looking at a totally different world.

“?　……!　We there!? “

“Ughhu!? “

　After waking up, Eko excitedly jumped around as she saw the scene outside. Then, she landed on Silvia's stomach, giving her the worst wake up call.

　How peaceful. Truly peaceful.

　If possible, I'd wish for these peaceful days to continue for a long time. While having those thoughts, I was resting my cheek on my hand and watching the girls.

　However, such a wish was shattered in the evening.

Thank you for reading.

＜Status Details＞

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

Swordsmans.h.i.+p

s.h.i.+eldmans.h.i.+p

Archery

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.

From lower to higher, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade.