Hey, Deanna. You look familiar.

'Oh, you're an odd one, Master. I've seen that purple hair before, too.

Now that I'm looking at it, it's still pretty fancy.

Your hair?

''No, armor ....... In a peaceful town like Elishe, I guess it wasn't the right equipment for a peaceful town like Elishe, after all.　Personally, I think it's super cool, but when it's done like that on its own, it doesn't look like some kind of punishment.

'Really?　I don't feel any different there, but ......

That's how it works. In my world. But...

　In front of the stall in question, Marina was in some kind of dispute with the owner.
　I thought she was planning to buy a birthday present for Orica, but I wonder if she was planning to buy something related to the elven village.

''--It seems like you're in some kind of dispute?

You're right. Do you want me to talk to him?

...... No, let's just wait and see. I'm curious to see what Marina will do.

'That's really odd, Master. I was just thinking that would be a good idea too.

You make it sound like a normal, mean thing to say.

'It's an accusation, master. This is the state of mind of a sister watching over her stupid sister.

It's not an accusation, it's a clear indication that you're an idiot!

　When Marina comes to town, she's basically fully equipped with her knight's armor and carries her halberd with her. When Deanna and I are together, she's what she is, so she doesn't seem too uncomfortable, but when she's on her own, she's quite notorious. But when we're on our own, we're still the Turks. I've rarely seen other Turks in town, and they may not be the most common race in this area.
　And when it's a struggle in front of a market stall, they stand out like a sore thumb.

　Me and Deanna decided to watch with half interest. And if it looked like it was bad, we could just mediate.


Why is that, sir?　Why won't you sell it to me, sir?

　Apparently, they can't sell me the goods.

'Don't be a disciplinarian, you too. You can't sell what you can't sell. f*ck.

　A stubborn and dull owner.

...... I've got the money.

It's not about the money. I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about the products from the village of the elves, and selling them to fake elves is a badge of honor for the store. I'm not a Turk, but I'm a well-dressed Turk: ......

　Hmmm ....... Is this the reality of the discrimination of the Turks? It's certainly not so much that they are persecuted ......, but it's an unmistakable manifestation of a sense of discrimination .......

　In fact, I never encountered this kind of discrimination when me and Deanna were with them (aside from the chubby ones). It's probably because of the existence of such - so to speak - manners, such as not going out of your way to be rude to a slave when your master is around.
　Even when I bought knight armor at the armor shop, the owner was nicoyaka all the way through, but in his heart he may have been thinking like the owner of that stall, "It's a habit of the Turk tribe ......".
　I wonder if Marina's strange desire to act with me was also to avoid this. I didn't feel like I had a plan to do that, but you never know what people's deepest thoughts are.

"Deanna, do you see what they're selling in the stalls?　I'm told it's a specialty of the elven village?

　Master High Elf's vision is as good as Khoisanman's. It's 50 meters away from the stall, but there's plenty of room.

'What ...... and ......, is that ...... race?　You seem to be selling lace.

Lace, like that white cord weaving lace?

'Yes. It's like a decorative lace shop.

　Lace shop, that's unusual.
　Come to think of it, I've dealt with cloth too, but I didn't dabble in lace.

Is lace making popular in the elven village?

'No, ......, at least as far as I know, no one was supposed to be lace-knitting .......

　If so, is it still a trick?　
The "we're from the fire department" thing?　It's a true "I'm from the elven home". It's another old-fashioned way of saying deceitful business.

　Marina was turned away by the shopkeeper and reluctantly withdrew. Unable to give up, she bit her lower lip and stared at the stall for a while in the distance.

　Now, let's take out the half-assed cheaters.

　It would be easy to chastise the stall owner right there and point out that they're fakes, or for me to buy the lace instead of Marina.
　But I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. I'm not trying to be righteous, but there are no extenuating circumstances if you're a racist on top of being a business hack.

"Deanna, we're going to punish that stall, so just wait here for me. I'll get you to help us out, if that's what it takes. I'll explain it to you then.

"?　I understand.

　I head to the phony stall by myself.
　The items for sale certainly look like a store of decorative lace. Strips of lace with flower and grass patterns, squares of decorative lace with geometric patterns, neat lace handkerchiefs.
　The lace we are most familiar with is the lace curtain. But these are not industrial goods, they are naturally handmade. They don't look well made, nor do they have a detailed design.
　The sign says something broadly, but unfortunately I still can't read this one. It's probably advertised as 'Lace Shop Direct from Elf's Home'.
　I spoke to him.

I'm not sure if this is the right store to carry the goods from the village of the elves.

Oh, yeah. You wanna buy one of those, brother?　It's a special item from the elven village, though, so it can't be cheap .......

　Apparently, you don't know me.
　It means that you know Deanna and I and not ...... who came up with this business.
　That makes it easier to do.

'...... Heh. This race is the elf's ....... It looks a bit like a normal race, but I'm sure it's a great blessing.

''Hehe, it's handmade by the elves, so it's not special looking, but your brother is right, the spirit blessing is perfect.

　I see. So far, so expected. A product of little value is sold at a high price by hoisting an unlikely granting effect ....... It's a hybrid of a deception business and an inspirational business. Well, since this is a world where items with spirit blessings actually exist, the psychic business may be a bit different.
　In case you're wondering, I tried to secretly appraise the product with the Mirror of Truth as well, but it's still just an ordinary race. Blessings of the Spirit (laughs)

It's wonderful. So what's your price ......?

'It costs a leg fare to get to Elishe, and the cheapest handkerchief here is a silver coin. The elven village is far from here, in the forest at the foot of the 'mountain'. I'm still learning quite a bit about this, you know?

'I see. No wonder you're looking for a piece of silver then.

　That's a subtle way of bouncing. Well, I knew it would be about as much as Marina was going to buy it: .......
　The handkerchiefs are 1 to 2 silver coins. The decorative lace in the form of a band is four pieces from two silver coins. Lace to decorate the edges of a square of cloth is five silver coins. I don't know what the market price of lace is in this world, but it is equivalent to 15,000 yen per handkerchief, which is not so often in Japan, or even Hermes can buy it if it is not good.
　Even if lace is an expensive luxury item (in this world, luxury items are basically expensive), expensive is still expensive.

So what do you do?　Buy it, brother.

"Yes, it's a very nice item and I'd love to have it ...... or, um, ...... you're peddling to Elishe, aren't you?

'Oh, yes. It's only been about ten days, but it's a nice city.

Yeah, it's a really nice city.

　That's why we have to get rid of these racketeers.

As a matter of fact, I have a small business in this town, and I heard a rumor that I'm here today. I heard a rumor that you sell goods from the village of the elves, just like me: ......

Oh ...... Oh, you're in the same business. You're in the same business.

　A subtly kooky bogus contractor. A competitor, but not in the same business. A little bit of a cheater in the same business.

We don't make lace in the village I buy from, so what we sell is something else entirely. However, since we also put up the 'Village of Elves' sign in Eliche, we want to handle as much of the elves' products as possible in our own place.

So you're here to scout the grounds?

But since we are here, I thought it would be a good time to exchange information. I heard that the Elf Forest they have a contract with is located at the foot of the Mountain, but I'm dealing with a forest area further north of the Helipa Lake, and although it's not far from here, the village doesn't have many specialties. Then a merchant came to me with the intention of selling goods from another elven village. Then I thought that I could negotiate with him and ask him to give me some of his products.

Hmm?　Are you going to buy all this?

'Yes. I'd like to say ......, but I don't think I'd be able to sell it all to myself. Above all, I don't have all that much to offer.

'No, you can buy it all for me if you want. I'll just stock up again.

'Oh!　What an open-minded person ....... But as I said earlier, I don't have enough on hand to buy all the items there: ......

What do we do now?

　A bogus contractor who comes on board with a goofball.
　They give the OK at the beginning, and then set conditions later on. It's called "some kind of technique", isn't it, this kind of psychological technique.
　Well, it's not something that can be described in a single word, since most of the fraudulent business negotiations are carried out by using a combination of such techniques.

It's a good thing that I have an exclusive merchant contract with the elven village north of Helipa Lake, and I have yet to distribute my village's goods to any other city. ...... I'm just a fledgling with a small store in the market here.

How did that get you a job as an exclusive?

''Well, I'm embarrassed to say this, but it's just a coincidence. The elf you rescued in the forest is the daughter of the head of the village, and that's how ...... came to be. Until then, the village lived a life that had little to do with humans, and I was fortunate enough to be its exclusive representative - although on a small scale - to handle the goods.

Oh, wow.

'So, ......, if you'd like that one, but it's an item that sells for the same price, and they're both items from the elven village. ......, exchange ...... Isn't that the case?

Exchange?

Yes. In fact, today is just the day to receive the goods from the village, and I spent most of my gold in exchange for the goods. So even though I have a lot of goods, I only have a few silver coins ....... Oh, there should be an elf-sama who is still nearby who can bring you the goods, shall I bring him to you? It would be unreliable to simply say the goods are from the elven village and ......

'Exchange ...... exchange or ....... So what kind of stuff do you carry over there?

Salt.

What?　Salt?

Yes. If you go further north, there is a mountain called 'Himalayan Mountain', their sacred place, and the precious rock salt from there contains rich spirit power, and it is wonderful that you can get the power of the spirits by eating it on a daily basis. The elves in the village have used their spirit magic to give you health prayers, good health, money, fortune, business prosperity, success in life, promotion, love fulfilment, matchmaking, safe births, childbirth, success in school, safety in the home, safe travels, warding off bad luck, and good luck, as well as blessings for good luck and good luck. It is one of the dishes.

　Wow!　The lies just keep coming out!　I can't even think straight.　I'm afraid of a crook's vocation!

'What do you think?　No, I don't think the salt I sell doesn't hang with the lace, but it's an item from the same elven village--

...... All right, I get it. I'd be happy to trade you, for the pleasure of my colleagues.

　I got one!
　The cheaters seem unable to contain their laughter. Already a winner?　You're sure of that.
　Well, from his point of view, that's what it's like to catch a tie with a shrimp.

'Oh!　Well, thank you!　Now I'll bring you the goods, please wait a moment!

　I bowed condescendingly and turned on my heel.