Chapter 413 Use The Power Of Money To Dominate
"Miss Sara, wouldn't it be easier to explain if we called a fairy?"
Golem Grazioso suggested to Sara while looking at Musashi, who tilted his head in confusion.
"Yeah, we should start from there."
"A fairy?"
At Musashi's word, Sara raised her gaze slightly and called the fairies.
"Everyone, can you come out? You're nearby, right?"
"I'm here."
Mike popped his arm out from the air and waved.
"You're making a pretty modest entrance even though you didn't do anything wrong."
"I'm keeping my distance from that weird one (Musashi). I can tell Sara is pouring her magic into him, but he has a murky color. It's unpleasant."
Then Pochi peeked out a little, clearly on guard.
"That one smells bad. Like stagnant, rotten water."
"Oh my. Musashi, you're not liked at all."
"Why am I being disliked so much when it's our first meeting? What does it mean that a stuffed animal smells bad?"
"Maybe your past life's sins are too deep, and your soul is tainted. You probably didn't do anything good as a king here either. I don't see any reason for the fairies to like you."
"I don't get why Sara is fine but I'm not."
"That's really rude, you know."
Thinking that maybe she could purify him, Sara poured a lot of light healing magic into Musashi.
"Whoa! Ouch! What are you doing all of a sudden? It's super hot! Don't burn me just because I said something a little rude!"
Looking closely, smoke was rising from Musashi's stomach, and a burnt smell was wafting through the air.
"Oh my, using light attribute healing magic makes it burn. That's strange. Gaia was supposed to make a vessel for your soul from light and water attribute magic stones."
"Sara, it looks like the dirty mist around the bear's soul burned away."
"Yeah, yeah. The smell is a bit better now."
Sara lifted Musashi and examined him closely, but the stuffed animal itself didn't seem to be burning or getting charred.
"It looks like the body isn't burning, so maybe it only burned the mist precisely."
"But it's still there, Sara. The mist seems to be seeping out from the inside. Maybe it can't be contained in the vessel."
"Since it's a vessel made by Gaia, maybe she intentionally left some gaps. It might be necessary to purify this mist while pouring in magic?"
When Sara waved her hand, Musashi started to squirm and escaped from her.
"Stop it! It's super hot!"
"But if we leave it, your soul might get too dirty and disappear!"
"At least control the amount!"
"Don't say annoying things..."
With no other choice, Sara decided to mix light attribute healing magic with water attribute cooling magic and slowly poured it into Musashi.She thought that by reducing the amount of magic and mixing in water attribute, she could lessen the heat.
"Oh, oh, this feels nice. It's like soaking in a hot spring."
"Comfort level just shot up!"
"Hey, Sara! The mist is floating away from it and into the air. It smells really bad!!"
Pochi protested fiercely, and Mike lowered his ears and bristled his fur. Following their gaze, Sara saw a mass in the air that looked like a cloud of stagnant air.
"Does it separate if we take my time? I can't see it clearly, but I kind of know where it is."
Sara imagined burning the ominous thing that was clouding the air with her fire magic to purify it, then packed the leftover ash-like substance into a small silver box made with earth magic and tossed it into spatial storage.
"I feel like I just sealed away used nuclear fuel."
"What do you think I am?!"
"A scammer and a criminal... I guess in this world, that makes you a bad spirit. Thinking about it, Musashi, you're really a terrible existence. If I hadn't been asked by Gaia, I would have just exorcised you and been done with it. By the way, Pochi, how's the smell?"
Pochi, still showing open hostility towards Musashi, answered Sara's question.
"For now, the strong smell is gone, but I still feel something unpleasant from it."
"What was that just now?"
"I don't know. But it was really uncomfortable. Please don't take it out."
"That sounds like a good idea."
Golem Grazioso stared intently at the fairies, who were still in alert mode, and placed a small cup in front of them.
"What is this?"
"It's a herbal tea made by Lady Amelia. It uses herbs collected from the Secret Garden, so I thought the fairies would enjoy it too. It's said to have a relaxing effect."
"Thank you for that."
Mike and Pochi transformed into human forms and took a sip of the prepared herbal tea.
"W-What? Are fairies really this beautiful and cute?!"
"Hehe. You're a weird one, but I guess I can admit you have good taste."
As Mike replied sulkily, Pochi cutely wrinkled their nose at Musashi's words.
"Things have gotten a bit better, but it still stinks. Well, if Sara keeps it around, I guess there's no helping it."
"I'm sorry! I was asked by a god from my past life to take care of Musashi's soul. If Mike and Pochi don't like it, you don't have to force yourselves to get along."
"--Come on, why not, Sara? If they're this cute, you should introduce them! Hey, you guys should get along with me too!"
Musashi seems to really like the fairies in human form, acting like a flashy college student trying to recruit new members for the circle.
"Even though you're so disliked, you don't give up. Should I learn from that kind of mental strength?"
"Sara, don't learn from someone like that."
"Yeah, it's kind of gross, Sara."
"Don't worry. I'm just a harmless bear."
"That's the typical line of someone I definitely shouldn't trust, Musashi."
Suddenly, Sara realizes that Sedrick isn't here.
"Speaking of which, where's Sedrick? He usually shows up first."
"He's here. He's peeking at us from a rift in space. But Sedrick is also on guard against Magi, so he won't show himself."
"I see. That's a wise decision."
"I (golem) really want to have a good talk with Sedrick, who controls information. Please convince him to talk to us."
"Ah, um... let me think about that. In my mind, mixing Sedrick and Magi feels dangerous."
"Magi won't be hostile to Miss Sara, you know?"
"I think I understand that, but I feel like Magi does things on their own that I don't know about."
"I won't deny that."
"I knew it."
Sara let out a deep sigh as she adjusted Musashi on her lap. She thought about sitting him next to her, but she was worried that the playboy Musashi would rush over to the fairies.
"Anyway, dor now, I want to talk about the wheat supply, so Pochi, could you turn that flower into wheat?"
"Got it!"
Pochi transformed a single winter rose that was in a vase on the table into golden wheat right in front of Musashi.
"Whoa!?"
Musashi gasped and leaned back slightly on Sara's lap.
"That's surprising, right? Pochi is a fairy that controls plants. They have the power to change one plant into another."
"Wow... Now I understand why royalty seeks out fairies. The first Roisen often said he didn't need this power."
Musashi leaned forward, staring at the wheat ears in the vase. Pochi seemed a bit pleased by the compliment.
"Not all fairies have the same power as me."
"So, Pochi is a special fairy then!"
"Y-Yeah, maybe?"
'Hmm. Pochi is a bit easy to please.'
Sara felt a little worried about Pochi, but since it seemed like they would be spending a lot of time with Musashi and the fairies, she decided it was best to let them get along and said nothing.
"Anyway, you know my magic power is quite high, right, Musashi?"
"Yeah."
"Well, there was a time when I thought too much and ended up collapsing."
"Was it a fever from thinking too hard?"
"Something like that. But it seems my body sensed danger and tried to store up magic power really quickly."
"--Sara was about to have a magic power overload."
When Pochi answered, Mike nodded along beside her.
"Hey, won't Sara's magic going out of control destroy the country?"
"If we had left her alone, maybe it would have. That's why we drained the magic and used it for various things."
"So you fairies made wheat, huh?"
"Well, I think it's more accurate to say we 'changed' it rather than 'made' it. I flew to the frontier and turned a lot of the forest into wheat. Even then, we couldn't keep up, and by the end, we ended up creating a huge Elma field."
"I see. So, um, it's a bit scary to ask, but how much wheat does Sara have...?"
Sara smiled sweetly and whispered softly.
"Musashi, I have enough that even if there's a bad harvest for the next few years, the people of Avalon won't go hungry."
"I wish I hadn't asked."
While listening to Sara and Pochi's explanation, Musashi began to think, not in his head... but in the vessel of his soul. After all, Musashi's head was just stuffed with sawdust and had no brain.
"Anyway, since we're brainstorming, I'll share my thoughts and predictions. The old men of the Commerce Guild are probably waiting for the Sophia Merchant Guild to run out of money."
"But the Sophia Merchant Guild sells luxury goods to nobles at high prices, so they know it won't run out of funds easily, Musashi."
"That's true, but as I said earlier, even though they can stock up, wheat is still a crop. It can't be stored long-term like in that other world."
"True, it can't be stored as long as in our past life. But Grandchester is cold, and they have storage facilities using winter snow, so it should be fine for a few years. Though, mice might get in."
Sophia and Musashi's conversation is joined by Grazioso.
"I'm really interested in how you two talk about storing wheat from your past lives. In the Grandchester region's storage, wheat also gets worse little by little. After a few years, it can still be eaten, but the taste clearly declines. For us golems, taste isn't important, but for humans, it is, right? You could say the product's value goes down."
"Well, it's bad if the taste gets worse. If there's a famine, you can't be picky, though."
"I think the Commerce Guild people probably know about the Grandchester region's storage. If that's the case, Magi predicts they likely know the storage capacity as well."
Grazioso's calm words struck Sara's thoughts.
"What Magi is saying is that 'not all the wheat harvested in the Grandchester region this year can fit in the storage,' right?"
"That's right. Naturally, there will be a need to store it in other regions, but in areas outside Grandchester, it's not uncommon for it to be discarded due to mold and pests."
"I see. Logically, that makes sense. I can feel the founder's brilliance in things like this too."
Mike and Pochi, who have taken human forms, exchanged smiles with each other.
"Surpassing Kazuya's brilliance is Sara's unreasonableness, though!"
"Who would even imagine storing it in a space where time has stopped?"
The two happily high-fived and playfully teased each other. They often play around in the forms of dogs and cats, but when they take human forms, it can look a bit twisted.
"Both of you, stop playing around in human form. It's inappropriate."
"No, no, Sara, this is quite a treat for the eyes."
"This bear is the worst."
"Gross."
Since they finished their herbal tea, Mike and Pochi turned back into a cat and a dog.
"So, is it true that the wheat Sara has is stored in a place where it won't spoil?"
"Ahaha. It's kept in a space that stops time by her."
"Those old men probably have no idea about that. They must be thinking, 'Let's watch the girl who whimsically grabbed the wheat struggle with her stock'."
"Just like Pochi and Mike said. That's just too bad for them. They started the fight with me."
"Well, from their perspective, it probably looks like the Sophia Merchant Guild suddenly picked a fight. They think a girl just hit them with a bag of wheat out of nowhere."
"Eh, I barely thought about doing something so barbaric, Musashi."
"You did think about it a little. It's really unfortunate for such a beautiful girl. But if this keeps up, you will win the chicken race all by yourself. The market chaos is unavoidable, and many people will starve without wheat, even though it's a good harvest year."
"I didn't mean for that to happen..."
"But if you keep holding onto it and doesn't release it, that's what will happen, Sara. And those old men will say, 'The greedy Sophia Merchant Guild hoarded all the wheat and raised the prices!' They can't deny that."
"I'm not trying to hold back on selling. I said I would sell if it makes sense, and it's not me who isn't coming to buy."
"Still, the fact that the Sophia Merchant Guild is causing the disruption in wheat distribution is undeniable. You should know that. If you don't act soon, there could be riots in the near future."
"Musashi, you sound like a ruler."
"After being with the king of this country for 9 years, it's only natural. People might think the king changed because of me, but I've been influenced by his way of thinking too."
"A bear-like usurper, huh?"
"That's rude, you disappointing little lady."
Sara chuckled softly, and Musashi burst out laughing.
"As for me, I wanted to get the wheat back into proper distribution. The Coastal Union merchants will probably rush to buy it. When prices go up, I planned to flood the market with more wheat to make prices crash. By the time they realize they paid too much, it should be too late."
"Are you planning to hurt the Coastal Union guys who bought the wheat?"
"That's a bit extreme. They might go bankrupt, but they won't die."
"No, if you do it that way, people will really die. In a big market like wheat, only a few can invest with their own money. Most gather investors. If they only lose a little, they can cover it, but if there's a huge crash, many will be in big trouble with their investors. Even if they escape, their families won't be safe."
"Is it going to be that bad?"
"Come on, Sara. It could even lead to war."
"Musashi, you really don't get it. We're already in a state of war. Those guys are behind the embezzlement in Grandchester, and all the bureaucrats involved have been killed. Plus, they started a riot and tried to burn the wheat in Grandchester. If they had succeeded, the people would have starved. They knew there were no wheat reserves in Grandchester."
"That's true."
"If they don't care if others die for money, they should know they might end up the same way. They can just worship their beloved money."
"That makes sense, Sara, but I don't think you need to get your hands dirty. It's unfortunate, but you're still a kid. ...No, that's not right. Even as an adult, you should avoid methods like this. Sara, don't end up like the me from my past life. It's too late once your soul is tainted."
"Musashi..."
"If you have that kind of special ability, you should do business honestly. Don't try to manipulate the market. If old ways of doing business try to hold you back, just throw a bag full of money in the opposite direction. Those old men will chase after it like dogs."
"--That's a bit rude!"
Pochi argues against Musashi's statement.
"Well, miss, you're a fairy, not a dog, right?"
"Dogs are smart, so they wouldn't chase after a bag of money!"
"That's rude. I'm just saying those old men, who are even worse than dogs, will be lured by the smell of money."
"--Musashi, you have a bad personality and a bad mouth."
"Ms. Mike... that's harsh."
"But I honestly appreciate that you're trying to protect Sara's soul. I hope your soul gets purified quickly."
"Yeah, thanks."
Musashi seems to have become "a little" friendly with the fairies.
"That said, we can't talk about anything until we secure the wheat supply route."
"It's faster to just rely on the royal family, Sara."
"What do you mean?"
"You should suggest that the country controls the price of wheat for a while. Then, the royal family can buy all the wheat they need this year. If you use promissory notes and set a long time for cashing them, the royal family won't refuse. But don't expect much profit for the Sophia Merchant Guild."
"I never planned to make a fortune from wheat anyway."
"The old men don't have the humility to bow to Sophia, but they will bow to the king. They will probably buy at any price."
"I see."
"If you lower the price a bit on the condition that you export wheat to Roisen at a fair price, the royal family will gladly take it. They don't need to force a political marriage; if both countries benefit, they can establish a trade agreement. Can't you use the resources in Roisen for business, Sara?"
"...I haven't looked into it properly yet, but I think I can."
"Sara, 'Winning a hundred battles is not the best. The best is to win without fighting'."
"I understand Sun Tzu's Art of War, but they've already made the first move..."
"Exactly. Instead of fighting head-on, boldly pile up mountains of gold where they can see. Before the battle, they will lose their will to fight and come to you wagging their tails."
"They might come to take all the gold instead, you know?"
"If they are that foolish, then so be it. But even then, there's no need to force it. Just do honest business, and you can dominate with the power of money."
"Hmm."
"Change your way of thinking. You just said it. The person you want to crush might be your customer or partner later. You're a merchant, right? Be more cunning. It's okay to shake hands with one hand while hitting the other person with a bag of money in the other. I don't know which hand Sara uses, though."
Musashi tiredly leaned against Sara's stomach.
"Even though you can think like that, why were you a con artist in your past life?"
"For me, the 9 years with the king weren't a short time."
"I see. So indirectly, the Sophia Merchant Guild has been helped by His Majesty. Should we treat His Majesty's baldness here?"
"He'd be happy, but... I don't think the old men around him would stay quiet. Plus, the Crown Prince is starting to get in trouble too."
"Hahaha! That sounds serious!"
Nishizaki: Will there really be a day when we can dominate with the power of money without being a title scam!
Mike: If it's Sara, she'll breathe fire!
Pochi: A storm is raging!
Sedrick: A beautiful girl walking through a scorched wasteland...
Sara: You guuuuys!
Musashi: I... thought I said something good...
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)