NOVEL WEB Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Discussion at the Market Stall
Chapter 106: Discussion at the Market Stall
I tell Laura and Menas about yesterday’s events.
They listen quietly without interrupting until I finish speaking.
It’s not that they aren’t interested; rather, they are carefully considering the political ramifications of our handling of Vaintz Village, which involves neighboring countries.
They’re probably evaluating whether my decisions could lead to future problems.
Laura’s restless eyes suggest she’s thinking this through.
Naturally, this situation impacts not only Laura but Menas as well.
There’s a strong possibility we’ll be working alongside the Vaintz Mercenary Corps.
Menas’ current trade routes significantly overlap with theirs, which has both positive and negative implications for them.
“Bonus, you’ve managed this quite well.”
“It was my responsibility originally, but I don’t think I could have handled it as smoothly. Thank you, Bonus.”
“I acted independently in many ways, but I’m glad there don’t seem to be any major issues. Anyway—oh, perfect timing. Hey, Sarah!”
“Oh! Bonus, hello!”
Sarah, wandering around Misharl’s market, spots us and heads our way after I call out to her.
“I’ve just registered the Vaintz Mercenary Corps at the agency! I wanted to report back and thank you again for yesterday. Thank you so much!”
“Well, work hard and earn well. And since the timing is right, let me introduce these two.”
“Sure?”
“This is Laura, the acting lord, and Menas of the Menas Trading Company. They’re potential future clients, so make sure to greet them properly.”
“Oh, wow, um, I’m Sarah, leader of the Vaintz Mercenary Corps! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
“I’m Laura, acting lord. Bonus has told me about you. Nice to meet you.”
“Sarah, I’m Menas from the Menas Trading Company. We might work together in the future, so let’s get along.”
“Y-Yes!”
Though both Laura and Menas greet her with friendly smiles, Sarah seems extremely nervous.
Laura and Menas are among the most dignified people in Savoia, and even if they don’t intend to, their presence can be overwhelming to those not used to it.
It’s understandable that Sarah is feeling pressured.
However, as she showed yesterday, Sarah has the guts to handle unfamiliar situations, even while feeling dizzy.
Watching her quietly repeat their names and titles to herself, it’s clear she’s trying hard to remember.
Perhaps Mil was right in recommending her; she might be more competent than she appears.
“Sarah, if you don’t mind, would you like to start working from this expedition?”
“Yes! Absolutely!”
Laura, noticing Sarah’s resolve, seems to have decided to assign her work right away.
It’s beneficial for Sarah to start earning as soon as possible and to maintain some attachment to the village.
While there’s a risk of her becoming homesick, that’s acceptable.
I don’t mind if she repays the loan through labor in the village, and I have various experiments I’d like to try in Vaintz Village.
“Well then, I’m counting on you!”
“Yes! Thank you!”
It seems Laura and Sarah have already settled things.
Now, Menas is talking to Sarah, asking about the village’s geography and crops.
Sarah is also asking Menas for advice on organization management.
It looks like she’ll manage well without much input from me.
“Laura, I have a little something to discuss. Could you make this? I think it’ll be useful for the upcoming expedition. Gisella, come over here!”
“Yes?”
“This is—”
With Gisella’s assistance, I propose about shovels. As soon as we finish talking, the proposal is accepted, and it’s decided to proceed with making it. Laura decides too easily, making me slightly uneasy.
“Don’t worry, Bonus. I’ve calculated everything carefully, so there’s no need for that worried expression.”
“Oh, really… Was I making that face?”
“You looked just like my mother~”
Laura says with a laugh. Not a father figure, huh… According to her, even if we gather materials for every villager, it won’t be that costly. Moreover, Laura seems to prefer picking up proposals from nearby sources on-site, as long as they aren’t too risky. It might be good to hear more opinions from the villagers.
“Hey, Bonus. Should we make it at our place?”
“Huh? Wasn’t your place a blacksmith’s?”
“Well, not exactly a blacksmith, but we do handle agricultural tools as products. We have a reasonably large workshop and can manage it. Since time seems short… Shall I arrange it for you?”
“Well! That would be helpful!”
“Oh, um, well, it’s not something to be thanked to Laura-sama… I’ll consider it a loan to Bonus, so don’t worry about it, Laura-sama.”
“You’re too casual with me… Well, it’s helpful though.”
Over my shoulder, the regular old man speaks up. It seems he overheard and is willing to lend a hand. While he responds to Laura’s gratitude with a composed face, it’s evident he’s pleased inside. Despite being an acting lord and a noble, Laura maintains a certain distance from regulars. However, she’s surprisingly popular among them, just after Kuro and Menas. Though her face may be plain, her smooth ivory skin is captivating in this region. Despite her age, she exudes a charm unique to her age. While she’s quick-witted, her slightly unreliable way of speaking and the imbalance between her ladylike appearance and behavior create a strange allure. So, although the regulars maintain a respectful distance mixed with fear and admiration for the nobility, they secretly enjoy observing her.
Well, arranging shovels in this short period is quite tricky. I’m genuinely grateful for the offer.
“As for the handles of the shovels… The boss is—”
“Yo! Here!”
“Gyah! Guh-ah!”
Oscar responds, somehow brewing his own coffee. Without caring about the steam hitting his face, he earnestly pours hot water into the filter while peering into it. His demeanor is more artisan-like than when he’s doing woodworking. Beside him, Kuro stands with a serious expression, occasionally giving unclear instructions. In response, Oscar nods as if he’s realized something very important, then turns to Kuro and nods again. From their overly serious expressions, it’s apparent that their exchange is mostly meaningless.
“What are they doing…?”
“The regulars are practicing making their own coffee as much as possible. Kuro is guiding them… I think. Bonus and the others are going on an expedition soon, right?”
“I see… But Oscar should be going too…”
“Oscar is just tagging along. He just wanted to try it out.”
Melanie informs from the side. It may not seem entirely appropriate for a shop, but as long as the customers are enjoying themselves, it’s fine.
“Hey, Bonus, what’s up?! Oh, not bad! This tastes better than what you usually make, doesn’t it!?”
“I couldn’t care less about your taste. Anyway, this is a blueprint for something called a shovel—”
I hand the blueprint to Oscar, who happily sips his own brewed coffee. I thought about explaining, but by the time he slowly takes a sip of coffee, he seems to have understood the gist of it.
“A tool for digging the ground! It could also serve as a makeshift weapon or shield… I see. Bonus, I’ve always thought you were good at drawing!”
“Well, yeah. And since time is short, I’m not sure how many we can prepare… We’ll need handles that can be attached on-site.”
“Hmm, yeah… We need strength, too… Anyway, it’ll be difficult to arrange without knowing the required quantity.”
“If it’s construction materials, I think it’s okay to order a bit more. Is there anything we can repurpose?”
“Well… It might be expensive, but if we improve the quality of the timber, we can let the villagers cut and use it. If I shave only the joints with metal parts, we can maintain the strength without much effort. It might be a bit more expensive, but there won’t be much waste of materials.”
“I see. If we use knot-free wood, we can ensure a decent level of strength.”
“Yeah. It might be expensive, but there won’t be much waste of materials.”
“Alright, let’s go with that.”
“We should hurry with the arrangements. Construction materials are scarce right now.”
“Understood. Should I contact Piri…?”
“—I’ll contact Piri if necessary.”
“Wow, Azir. It’s been a while… You smell like booze…”
While discussing with Oscar, Azir suddenly appears with a strong smell of alcohol. He’s frowning deeply, but he doesn’t seem particularly unhappy.
“Are you hungover?”
“Yeah… Give me some coffee.”
Azir speaks briefly while trying to suppress nausea. Let’s keep some distance.
“How much did you drink…? Weren’t you quite strong with alcohol?”
“I’ve been drinking something since we last met, whenever I was awake.”
“It’s good to see you’re still like a mercenary… But you’ll die young at this rate.”
“If you’re doing this kind of job, you won’t live long anyway.”
Azir answers dismissively while squatting. Is it okay to trust him with the message…? I’m worried.
“Here’s your coffee. Please pass on a message to Piri.”
“I know. You’re talking about timber, right? You want to use it for something else, so you’d like to have plenty of high-quality timber without knots… right? I’ll relay it to him today. It might be better to also give an estimate of the quantity.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s right—”
With that, Azir slurps the coffee with gusto while still squatting. Surprisingly, he seems to remember quite well… Even though he’s got a lot of flaws, he always manages to complete the task perfectly in the end. He’s quite a mysterious guy.
“Hey, Bonus, why don’t we consult Oscar about a wheelbarrow while we’re at it?”
“Oh, Gisella. Well, it might not be useful for this expedition, but… Did I draw it next to the shovel?”
“What’s this? It’s a peculiar cart, isn’t it?”
After leaving Azir, who continues to squat and sip his coffee, for a while, we discuss the feasibility of the wheelbarrow among the three of us. I knew Oscar was sharp, but he’s quite perceptive. He quickly identifies the design challenges and offers concrete proposals. Gisella also keeps contributing ideas about the wheel axle and joining hardware. The responsive reactions of the two craftsmen are refreshing. I just absentmindedly nod and add details to the blueprint, and the conversation progresses smoothly.
“Alright, let’s start making it now!”
“Yeah, I think we can make the metal parts quickly. But the timber parts will be quite challenging, won’t they?”
“Ah, well, it should be doable.”
“This seems interesting. You can push it alone… and it’s maneuverable. It might not be suitable for mass transport, but it could significantly improve efficiency on-site!”
“Whoa! That’s surprising!”
Suddenly, Laura joins in, looking at the rough sketch I casually drew, and her thoughts quickly extend to specific ways of using it. As always, her mind works unusually fast.
“I’ll allocate the budget, so feel free to experiment!”
“Oh, nice! It feels unreal to make something fun without worrying about money!”
“Hahaha. Then I’ll give it a try too.”
“I’ll join later.”
“Got it!”
With that, Oscar and Gisella quickly leave with the blueprint in hand. At times like this, I envy those who have acquired skills, as they can easily try out their own ideas.
“Lord Bonus… Somehow, whenever I come to this shop, I feel like I get more work done than at the manor…”
After watching the two of them with a hint of envy, Laura murmurs while looking around the stall again.
“Well, I think today’s timing was just right…”
“Well, yes… Maybe I just ended up making excuses to come to the shop… Anyway, I should take my leave soon.”
“Oh, come back anytime for a change of pace.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
With that, Laura affectionately strokes Kohaku that is being held by Shiro, exchanges nods with everyone, and leaves. Somehow, I feel like the preparations are progressing smoothly, little by little. But not knowing the actual situation on-site still worries me. Tomorrow, since the stall is closed, maybe we should go on an inspection trip to the village with everyone from the Bonus Company…