I was about to approach Theodore to speak to him at once, but a woman who looked like a secretary stood in front of me, blocking my way.

'Excuse me, sir, can I help you?
Uh, my name is Luke from the White Wolf Store. I need to speak to Sir Theodore.
Mr. Theodore is very busy. You'll have to leave now.

　The woman tried to get rid of me without an island to haunt, but her master, Theodore himself, had the exact opposite reaction.

'Come on, Maria. I'll at least listen to what you have to say.
What do you mean?

　The woman called Maria turned and glared at Theodore.
　However, Theodore laughed without losing the slightest bit of his hawkishness.

'The mithril equipment I had him process is pretty good, and I should thank you for introducing me to a dungeon with so many dragons in it in the first place.
"...... is the right thing to do.

　Maria reluctantly pulled back and replaced it, and Theodore stepped forward.

'Well, if you had my contact information, then you were an adventurer who had a party somewhere?　It's a face and a name I don't remember, but the fact that you gave me a letter through the example route, well, I guess that's what it means.
...... Yes, three times in the past.

　This man, Theodore, has always been this kind of guy.

　He was so biased by his interest in hunting dragons that he rarely showed any interest in other adventurers and rarely even remembered their faces or names.

　He wasn't on friendly terms with some of the high-ranking adventurers he approached, but he was the only one who was doubtful that he could even remember their existence.

　The only exceptions were those who had the ability to contribute to his dragon hunting.

　Almost all adventurers are nothing more than a crowd that he doesn't even deserve to remember.

I'm very grateful to you for showing me this wonderful hunting ground so quickly. If there's any hope at all, just say the word.
'Mr. Theodore, you can't do anything. The rewards should be commensurate.
I'm not so sure.
'I am aware that before I joined Master Theodore's side, you bought and sold the entire stock of the public tavern under the guise of a treat. There is no dignity in the rash release of money!

　...... However, it's not surprising that Theodore is disliked by other adventurers.

　The main reason is that his money sense was out of the floating world, and he spent large sums of money sparingly on motives like having fun hunting or something to that extent.

　Most common-born adventurers don't care much if they are forgotten by the oddball nobles.

　It was a common pattern for them to usually treat him or her with the right amount of respect, and then gladly lift him or her up if he or she offered to give them free drinks.

　I thought I hadn't heard that kind of flamboyance lately, but it seems that I've been assigned a nagging chaperone.

''I'm not looking for a reward. I heard that you are actively recovering materials obtained from the dragons you have defeated, and I came to ask if you would be willing to distribute them to our store.
Oh, then: ......
That's my area, then, isn't it?

　Maria once again interrupts the space between me and Theodore very much.

''I am responsible for the demons that Master Theodore has killed, and I will handle them appropriately.
So there's that. She took care of all the cleanup work, the transport, everything.

　This doesn't mean that Maria is directly dismantling dragons or anything like that, but rather that she is taking care of all the paperwork, such as hiring personnel.

　I see, she seems to be someone who is responsible for the job of a butler or secretary, which is exactly what my first impression was.

Theodore-sama's prey is also the property of the Beaufort family. It's not a gift as a favor, but a business transaction, the recipient must have the right amount of "class".

　Maria observed my appearance closely and gave me another hard stare.

''But I still wouldn't wish for a family name or a title.
'Is it not enough that I am involved in building fortresses at the request of His Majesty the King and supplying arms to the Golden Fang Knights ......?
I guess it's just a push. We have to make sure they have the financial resources to do so.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of it.

It's fine if you just show me. It's a good idea to have 20 large gold coins ready to go on the same day.
You can do it.
If this level of difficulty is also difficult, as a trading partner of the Beaufort family ...... yes?
'As a precaution, I've split it up between the Guild House and the Knights, but I can go and pull it out now.

　Behind Maria's open-mouthed, stunned face, Theodore started laughing with hearty amusement.

'Hahaha!　The Knights are buying a lot of mithril equipment, of course they've accumulated a mountain of gold coins!　Maria, you're so out of it sometimes. That's what makes you so endearing, though.
Master Theodore!

　Blushing, Maria looks back to Theodore behind her.

　As for the economic situation of the White Wolf Store, Theodore is exactly right.

　Although the amount of mithril products sold is capped by government regulations, the amount of sales is still substantial.

　And in my case, unlike other licensed suppliers, I can purchase mithril at almost no cost, so my profit margins are unusually high.

　The reason why I decided to stock high performance weapons and dragon materials not only as custom-made items for Garnett, but also as products to be handled in the shop this time, was because I thought I should make the best use of the funds I had saved.

''And anyway!　I fully understand the prestige of your store!　Let's get right to the nitty-gritty requirements!

　Maria turns around quickly and takes out a bundle of papers, a pen and an ink bottle out of nowhere.

　The blush from earlier has completely disappeared somewhere, and she has a guarded, serious face and a wry smile on her mouth alone.

"No, um, I just wanted to talk to you for now: ......
"The sooner the better, the sooner the better!　If I may introduce you to a leatherworker with whom we are in close contact, is the order for armor?　A shield?　Or would you like me to work on your bones and fangs?

　Theodore's amused smile deepened as he saw me being pressured by Maria, who was fully excited.

'Maria is a hard man, but she also loves to make more gold. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do with your money, but you don't want to lose it because of that.
Could you please stop laughing ......!
I'm sorry, I just can't do it. I don't have any trust in money.

　You bastard!　I poisoned myself inwardly.

　In the end, I had to spend plenty of time and effort until I convinced him that I'd talk about the details later.

　It's a small price to pay for the necessary expense of having the dragon's materials supplied, but it may be the first time in a really long time that I've felt this much mental fatigue--