14-014
The next day, after four days of preparation, the operation was put into action.
The schedule, lukewarm to the word "tight", was dizzyingly hectic and proceeded at a pace that would have seemed impossible for anyone to follow, yet miraculously everything was completed on time.
The three parties involved in setting the schedule were each blaming the credit and responsibility for the murderous schedule on each other.
Marielle, the guild leader of the Crescent Moon Alliance and a caring sister with a Kansai accent who is well-liked by everyone, says, "Our accountant is very good at his job, you know. You can't leave the numbers to them and not make a single mistake. If Henrietta were to make a mistake with the account book, I would apologize to her, whether she was an angel in a trumpet or a demon in hell, I would sit down and piss my pants.
Its treasurer, Henrietta, who has a taste for girls and whose rich honey-colored wavy hair twitches, said, "There's no telling how much I can manage. It's the viciousness of Shiroe's unrelenting and remorseless planning that is outrageous. The idea of Shiroe is a joke. You should have just called yourself Chloe, that's all black. If it weren't for Akatsuki, I'd be coming to you for a hug," he said, not sure whether he was being complimentary or condescending.
It's a good thing that you are aware of my blackness," he said, correcting his glasses that were slipping off, "or you'd be fooling yourself. It's no match for Mari's naturalness. Even the exhausted members of the team would work harder if they were encouraged by a smile like that. If I wanted to earn Miss Mari's praise, I think even a zombie would come back to life and serve her," she said with a straight face. They were quite serious about it.
Anyway, because of the schedule the three of them had set up, Akatsuki, Naotsugu, Nyanta and all of the members of the Crescent Moon Alliance, not to mention Akatsuki, Naotsugu and Nyanta, had to work until they were exhausted. For the less-experienced members of the alliance's guild, it was a "dead line" at this point. The participants of the plan, revived like zombies by each of them, finished their preparations and greeted the morning of the start of the plan.
That morning.
At the beginning of summer, the sun rises earlier and the temperature rises, and in three locations in Akiba, flashy but somewhat cheap-looking temporary shops appear in the city.
These were posts made of randomly cut bamboo that were connected to wood. Large tents made of shade canvas, with brightly colored ornaments swaying in the air as if they were for an event or a bazaar. There is a central platform that looks like a converted two-horse carriage, and this is the only one with a magnificent wooden counter.
It differs slightly depending on the location, but each banner fluttering in the breeze is clearly marked with the words, "Light meal sales, Crescent Moon.
In today's Akiba, it is rare to find a business as lonely as a snack or restaurant.
After all, all the food tastes the same.
In keeping with the setting of the Elder Tail games, there are bars and taverns run by non-player characters. There are also many places that serve food in inns.
However, the food in these places all tastes the same. Whether it's cheap bean porridge or the finest roast chicken, it's all just tasteless "wet crackers". The taste is not greasy, and in spite of being damp, it is strangely difficult to swallow, and the more you keep eating it, the more depressing it becomes.
The same goes for beverages. No matter what you order, it varies in color, but it smells and tastes just like well water itself. The only difference is the alcoholic beverages, which also taste exactly the same. There is no sensation of burning in the throat that is characteristic of alcohol, only intoxication.
No one would go to a bar or restaurant under such circumstances.
Of course, there are a few people who go to such places to find a resting place or a place to sit down, for example. It is possible that they would rather have a place with chairs in the shade than a place to stand and talk in the square. But even they don't come there for the food.
They order the cheapest meal they can find, and the implication is that it's the price of a seat.
In today's Akiba, many players get their food items from non-player characters or the market.
Once it was discovered that all food items tasted the same and apparently could be nourished, the only criteria for that choice was price.
High-level food has a temporary status boosting effect, and people in combat-oriented guilds may demand such food items, but in the grand scheme of things, the demand for such food items is very small, perhaps not even 1%.
For the overwhelming majority of players, food items are "food that can no longer be expected," and if they don't eat them, they eat them because their hunger is unbearable. If that's the case, it's only natural to buy cheaper food.
The result was a fierce price war.
The production of food items in this world is extremely fast. No matter how high-grade the food item is, all you have to do is select it from the create menu and it will be created in 10 seconds. It only takes 10 seconds to create.
As long as you have enough ingredients, you can make 300 meals per hour. Since the disaster, the number of chefs has increased, and this has led to an explosion of cheap food items on the market.
The people who buy these items have no other criteria to judge them other than price, so naturally, even the producers have no need to go to the trouble of making high-level food items that are difficult to obtain materials for. Naturally, there is no need for producers to go to the trouble of making high-level food items that are difficult to obtain, so they can meet the demand for low-level food items by supplying them at a low price.
The market's logic led to lower prices, and despite the fact that "food" is an act that every human being needs, and is related to one of our three major needs, the trade in food items was cold.
In such a cold environment, why did they start a snack stand? That must have been the impression of the residents of Akiba when they saw the banner.
Nowadays, the mainstream method of selling items to the market, even for chefs, is to sell the items they create. It may be said to be less cumbersome, but selling by hand is stressful and unbearable.
That's just as well. People who buy the food items they produce think of them as "food" only. No craftsman would be happy to sell his own food to a customer. The people who make the food want the customers to be happy with their food, but they can't see the smiles on their faces.
Nowadays, there are no cooks among the street vendors, either.
But when the sun was at a good angle and it was almost noon in an hour, the surprise began to spread.
Perhaps the creation was made in the Guild Hall or some other kitchen. As the large number of packages were delivered to each of the temporary stores, an indescribably good smell began to waft through the air.
It was the smell of burning oil. A seductive scent of spices mingled in the air.
At the same time, a tall, slender woman stepped forward, her green hair twitching as she shouted out, "Please have a seat.
'Opening today, please have one! Crescent Moon and the snack bar. Good news for those of you who are tired of the tastelessness of your daily diet! Now is the time to get your real food back! It's good, it's good! My cheeks will fall off~!
Marielle is half-voiced and half-voiced.
The guild's seamstresses had arranged for her to wear a pure white blouse, a pink pinstripe tight skirt, a large bright salmon-pink ribbon and a frilly apron - in her former world, she would have looked like a family restaurant or a fast food vendor.
Serara, who was waiting next to her, desperately screamed out in a thin voice, not wanting to be defeated.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your purchase!
He was so nervous that he said "thank you" a lot and handed out leaflets before he had even sold a single one.
--Crescent Burger, 15 gold coins. Super Crescent Burger, 30 gold coins. Crispy chicken, (one) 18 gold coins, (three) 50 gold coins. Fish and Chips, (small) 10 gold coins, (large) 20 gold coins. Black Rose Tea, (cup) 5 gold coins, (water bottle) 15 gold coins.
The leaflet has the opening headline and the menu.
It was a poor menu compared to the burger shops that existed on Earth, but it was still enough to cause nostalgia for the players in Akiba's city.
A few customers bought them from the savory smell and onlookers' guts.
The prices are not flattering. In fact, it's expensive.
In the city of Akiba, the cheapest room in an inn for one night costs about 10 gold coins at the lowest rate. Food items can be obtained with as little as 5 gold coins for one meal. If you think about it that way, the price per meal is three to six times as much. This is not a small expense.
But at the same time, it's not an amount of money that we can't afford.
The amount of money you need to survive in this different world is small. If you have a place to sleep, or at worst a sleeping bag, you don't even need to get a place to stay.
There are plenty of ruins. If you just want to get out of the night dew, you won't have any trouble. The market is full of inexpensive food, and clothes and equipment are not something that needs to be replaced that often.
Of course, there may be no end to what we can do with our money if we look up, but if we cut back, we can live on as little as 15 gold coins every day. In fact, the less money you have to spend, the less you have to spend.
But if you have more than a dozen gold coins, you can spend it like pocket money.
With this in mind, onlookers purchase several products.
Marielle and Serara smile and wave their good wishes to the customers who bought them. The young male member who was carrying the cooked packages in the guild hall also smiles and says, "Thank you! The voice chanted.
The onlookers, half expectant and half ticklish, took a bite out of the bite and that alone was enough to give them a jolt.
"Nah! Nah! What's this?
It tasted good. That's all it takes to put it into words, but for those of us who experienced it, the sensation was enough to turn the world upside down.
The meat has the taste of meat.
The lettuce is crisp and crunchy with vegetables.
The tomatoes were juicy with just the right amount of acidity.
The lightly baked bread was sweet, the smoothness of the butter and the spiciness of the spicy chili peppers that were applied.
Every flavor was fresh and impressive.
It was far from perfect in terms of perfection. In the original world, it would have been more of a home-cooked meal than a restaurant, and not good enough to make the front page of a gourmet magazine. But in this world, it was undoubtedly the best.
He ate the food, even though his vision was blurred with tears.
It was definitely the best food he had ever eaten in his life. There was no more hamburger in front of him before he had time to think about it.
He even gobbled up the gravy that dripped onto the wrapper.
He wasn't embarrassed.
He stopped the tears that were pouring from both eyes if he was so ashamed.
The same shock he had felt ran through the streets of Akiba in less than an hour.
It was a major revolutionary event, in the same sense that people who had only had monochrome vision were suddenly given all-natural, full-color vision.
The people of Akiba seem to have suddenly remembered how depleted they had become. The importance of good food had been completely forgotten and resigned to.
The snack shop, Crescent Moon, was the latest myth in Akiba's history.
Crescent Moon is the latest myth in Akiba's history.
Marielle's office also looked like a battlefield.
A chunky but humble conference desk was set up in front of Marielle's ornate office desk, which had been placed there from the beginning, and the pretty sofa had been retreated to a corner of the room.
On the conference table are piles of documents and papers.
Henrietta, who is in charge of accounting, and Shiroe, who is in charge of operations, have written down a pile of detailed numbers on them.
It must have been around ten o'clock in the evening when the guild members of the Crescent Moon Alliance returned to the Guild Hall after the astonishing first day of the opening. Many of the members were sinking here and there, exhausted from hunting all day long against formidable monsters.
It seems that physical strength in this world is related to one's status - in other words, one's level. If it was the
However, with the sales team that had fallen down like that, Shiroe and Henrietta continued to struggle against the documents at a speed that would make even the demons of hell flee.
The corner of the room is filled with paper and ink jars that Shiroe has created with his "Scrivener" skills. I'm sure you'll be able to find a few dozen blank sheets of paper, and without a word, Henrietta writes the latest numbers on them and looks up with one big breath.
'The tally for today has been settled.
Good night.
Shiroe also raises her gaze at the words and stops her hand.
'If you want to consolation, please give me Akatsuki-chan.
I won't give it to you, but you can fluff it for an hour.
Well!
While averting her gaze from Henrietta, whose eyes sparkled and twisted with joy, Shiroe took out a piece of paper with numbers written on it from her hand.
''The disposal rate is lower than I expected.
I think it's safe to say that the line was uninterrupted. --I think it's safe to say that we're completely off the schedule.
So it's still a stockpile of materials...
You will.
The numbers at hand for the two of them are within the predicted range. Rather, they've been conveying quite a good feeling, but that doesn't mean that it's still without problems. Although the Crescent Moon Alliance's all-out sales operation is a big sales operation, as long as it's cooking, it will always consume ingredients.
In the preparation period, we stock up on monsters and animals that drop materials, and even today, the first day of the opening, we have organized a party that includes Naotsugu and Xiaolong to collect the materials, but at this rate, it would only be four days to keep this pace of material consumption.
''........after all, there's nothing we can do about the materials.
Shall we begin the purchase?
We'll have to wait for Miss Mari's response.
Shiroe and Henrietta try to run simulations of different patterns by manipulating some more numbers. For example, reduce or increase the menu. Raise or lower prices.
No matter what the combination, the stockpile of ingredients will not last for five days. It seemed that this line was the limit of the small guild's warehouse and mobilization power, the Crescent Moon Alliance.
I'm going to visit you. Hey, that's our room!
When the review is finished and they reach for their tea, the door opens wide and Marielle walks into the office; she may not have been summoned to their conversation, but an elated Marielle shows no signs of fatigue as she approaches with her usual bright smile and giggles and pats Shiroe on the head.
'Good night, Shiroe, good night. And then there's Henrietta, too.
Henrietta, who is hugged by his large chest, greets him with the usual familiar expression on her face, "Welcome home, Marie.
Instead of heading to the office desk, Marielle occupies one of the chairs at the conference desk and pours a bottle of black leaf tea that she has been skimming from the kitchen into the glasses of the three of them, including herself. When he sells it in the store, he changes its name to Black Rose Tea, but it has nothing to do with roses. The name was a complete hobby of Henrietta's.
'What's wrong? Sales!
Marielle asks with a twinkle in her eye.
(I guess I'm an Osaka person in this way........ Well, it's cute, so it's not a problem)
While Shiroe secretly sighs, Henrietta begins a numerical status report.
''Sales are 43,776 gold coins. The number of visitors is 1152 and the cost per customer is roughly 38 gold coins. The Crescent and Super Crescent burgers we prepared are sold out. All other items are sold out, with the exception of the Black Rose Tea.
That's great! It's a big deal! If we're talking about 40,000 gold coins, that's, uh, our guild's monthly budget...
40 times.
Yes, 40 times! That's a lot of money. If you keep this up, you'll reach 5 million gold coins in no time!
Marielle dances cheerfully at the conference desk. Shiroe stealthily removes her gaze from her swaying breasts and stops her, "You're not going to make it at all, Miss Mari, at all.
Really?
Because that would take, quite simply, 120 days and three months.
No, because I'm sorry for all those people. There are still people who want to sell it if you want to. So stock up on more.
Siloe interrupted Marielle's words with one hand raised, and Siloe countered.
''The number of potential customers probably exceeds tens of thousands. There are more than 15,000 players in this Akiba city. But the problem isn't that, it's the number of stores and the amount of merchandise we can prepare, based on the number of members of the Crescent Moon Alliance.
Really?
The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on a new pair of shoes.
''Yes, that's right. If it takes one seller five minutes to hand over the goods to a customer face-to-face and pay for them, the number of people that can be dealt with in an hour is 12. With ten vendors, that's 960 people. Even if we had all the members of the Crescent Moon Alliance as vendors, we would still only be able to serve 3,000 customers a day.
And that number is the same as if we threw out all the purchasing, preparation, cooking, and paperwork and specialized only in selling at the store. These figures are very unsustainable.... In that sense, I think our plan has the best balance between the number of people we allocate to sellers, the kitchen, miscellaneous work, and purchasing. And the result of doing business with that balance.
Henrietta pointed to the documents with a teacher-like gesture.
''The number of visitors today is roughly equal to the number of visitors, a little over 1,000, that is. ........In other words, with the scale of the Crescent Moon Alliance, we can only handle a thousand people a day, no matter how many items the users want.
'I don't know.... Ummm.... It's a great time to be making money.
Marielle frowned with a regretful expression at that point, but quickly regained her composure and cut back.
It's a good idea to have more people. I think we can get our guild members together now. After all, it's the headquarters of the miracle snack Crescent Moon Burger, the fastest-growing company in Akiba's town. Right?
No, you can't.
This time Shiroe is the one who makes the mistake.
'It's not too good to be suspicious, but I think if you put out a call for members this time of year, the only people who will come in will be spies. The only advantage we have now is the secret of our cooking methods. We can't risk that.
I agree.
Marielle sighs, "I see," she says.
''Miss Mari, in the first place, the purpose of this operation isn't money.
Yeah...... Yeah! I was blinded by the money in front of me, my home. But you can't afford not to have money, can you? They said it will take three months to complete the project if it goes on like this, right? If that's not enough time... so you're going to use another trick? Will it succeed?
Henrietta smiles at Marielle's weak question.
''It's fine. I'm not going to say no to a decent merchant. You can be sure of that because I say so. It's a good thing that you're not the only one with a weak mind.
Shiroe chuckles at Henrietta's smile.
It's true that it's Henrietta that I've spurred on, and the plan is almost along the same lines as what Shiroe had in mind. But I still don't know how far Henrietta will "do" it.
Shiroe confirms the plan in his brain. The next few days will unfold, and all three of them will have to successfully negotiate with each other.
''Well then, Henrietta-san, please negotiate that one. I'll leave the details up to you.''
Of course. I'm on it.
Henrietta tilted her head and smiled like a young lady.
Miss Mari has a lot of merchandising to do.
I get it. Well, we're not very good with numbers, but...
As soon as you finalize the general agreement, I will accompany you to explain the terms and conditions. .........or rather, I'll conduct my negotiations and the negotiations for the products together. It will save us a lot of trouble.
Siloe is relieved to see Henrietta encouraging Marielle.
Henrietta was much more capable than Shiroe had thought. He had the impression that she could cut it from their previous association and her every word, but he hadn't expected her to be able to go this far.
Marielle, who had great skill but was somewhat out of the loop, would surely need a companion like Henrietta and Little Dragon.
It reminded me of Akatsuki, who is still on a special mission to cover the darkness of the city, Naotsugu, who was probably tired from the daytime hunt but had bought out warehouse clearance, and Nyanta, who was still prepping the crescent burger to be sold tomorrow.
(They've gone above and beyond in their duties, as I had hoped. If I lose unceremoniously in this, I can only say that the blame for that is all on me...)
What's up? White Boy.
It's nothing.
Am I a worthy companion for them? Such a thought crosses my mind.
But it's only for a moment. For the sake of the friends who have been waiting for me, in order not to make them liars, I have a responsibility to "become worthy" of them.
Just like I promised Akatsuki that day, and swore in front of Naotsugu, Nyanta and Marielle.
No, to be worthy or not to be worthy. Such a question itself is arrogant and pointless. Right now, it's about succeeding in the mission at hand. In that repetition, there is barely a way to fulfill your responsibility as the instigator of a plan with the help of everyone else.
I'm going to lay the groundwork for the meeting. "I'm laying the groundwork for the meeting. Let's prepare for the festival without giving away our cards.
You're not going to be able to do that.
Marielle fidgeted and kneaded her fingertips together and sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time. She smiles confidently in front of everyone, but she's not as confident as she should be in acting in a genre she has no experience in.
I can see why Shiroe nominated him.
Indeed, if it was a small or medium-sized guild in the city of Akiba, he knew a lot of people in a good way. The person you're about to meet is one of Marielle's acquaintances, and in that sense, it can be said that she's an easy person to talk to.
He pulls on clothing all over the place.
I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get away with it. That's just as well. I've never had a "business meeting" in a game, and I don't think many of us have had that experience.
When it comes to exploring and hunting, there is no other choice but to focus on profit. Unless you are a very special case, the basic design line is a medieval European-style fantasy costume. In other words, the vanguard warriors will wear metal armor. The mid-guard attackers wear chainmail and leather armor.
The restorative role varies, but a "healing priest" (cleric) like Marielle can be relatively heavily armed, so light chest armor, leather armor, tunic and cape would be appropriate. The guild's emblem can be emblazoned or dyed to some extent, but the appearance of the equipment you choose for performance reasons can't be altered so easily.
However, there is a lot of freedom in spending time in the city.
Elder Tail is certainly a medieval fantasy style RPG, but it's not a classic, either, with modern artwork that is very much in keeping with the modern era.
Based on medieval European style fashions, the game has a rather pompous clothing culture, with Japanese costumes, ethnic style clothing, and even otaku-like clothing such as uniforms and maids' uniforms.
The model data and item data were developed by subcontractors and server operators in each region, so it's not surprising that this is the case.
Unlike the original world, Japan's climate is not as hot and humid as it was in the original world. In this time of summer, the fashion options are wide - although Marielle has too many options - casual fashion, such as half-pants and cotton tunic shirts. From players wearing fantasy-style robes, ancient Greek-style togas, or if you think so, kimono, from armored warriors to haute couture suits, the fashions that people wear really vary.
Today Marielle was dressed in a white silk blouse and a long skirt with a mermaid line. There's no jacket, but a cape draped loosely over her shoulders. The guild's "seamstress" had given a V-sign, but I'm not sure if this was a good idea.
'You mustn't dawdle,'
Henrietta, next to me, calls out to me while facing the front.
That one has her usual loose wavy honey-colored hair and a black ribbon. She's probably wearing a monotone dress with girlish taste.
It's a good thing that you have your own style, Marielle thinks of that figure as being strong.
''Is it okay?''
'You must not be anxious. Negotiations must be approached with strength. In the first place, this is the easiest needle in the haystack that has to be passed, don't you think? If it fails, it's a position where cover can be put in. It's not a negotiation with no follow-up.
Marielle nodded at Henrietta's voice.
The first negotiation that must be done today is the "procurement of materials". It's a good thing that we're not going to be able to successfully replenish the material items that have already run out, or else tomorrow's business will be hampered from the day after tomorrow.
On the other hand, if we can successfully negotiate for materials here, the Crescent Moon Alliance will be able to focus on cooking and store sales.
And after that--
(You'll think about what happens afterwards.) Henrietta and Shirobo are both there. If you hold your ground, I'm sure Shiroko will take care of it. I'm going to give my all to this negotiation.
That said... If today's negotiations were a great success, it will make my next mission a little easier. If you don't let up and hit it.
Wow. Don't put too much pressure on me.
Marielle, who is on the verge of recovering her composure, is immediately vulnerable to Henrietta's cool argument. After all, people are not suited for each other. I'm not going to be able to learn the poker face no matter what I do, and I'm going to have to reevaluate myself.
''Ya! Here you go.
The one who appeared was a player with sharp looking eyes. He is a human male with hazel-colored hair and eyes, and his name is Karashin. He is the guild master of the Eighth Shopping District, the third largest production guild in Akiba's city.
When Karashin closes the door, he greets you in a friendly manner and takes a seat.
This is a tavern near the central square of Akiba, one of its private rooms. It's rented for about two hours for a few gold coins, and it's suitable for secret talks.
From Marielle's point of view, Karasin is a familiar face.
There was a time when they used to hunt together when they were still fledgling.
It's a good idea to have a good time with them.
In particular, if the guilds of Karashin's guild, the Eighth Shopping Street, and the Crescent Moon Alliance have different territorial domains, it is more convenient to cooperate with each other and pass on information. That's why Karashin and Marielle are still in touch with each other.
''Ugh, Marier-san, you look pretty scary. What do you want today?
It was because of this relationship that Karashin casually approached me.
I'm sure it's a familiar one, but the size of Karashin's guild, the Eighth Shopping Street, and Marielle's Crescent Moon Alliance are different.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I'm sure it is. It is a guild of mid-sized adventurers, where they study their own path and go on adventures with their friends.
The Karashin's guild, the Eighth Shopping Street, is a so-called artisan guild that specializes entirely in production. It does not support combat or exploration. The guild's activities focus on the accommodation of materials among its members, the wholesale exchange of finished items, and trade. The group is the third largest in Akiba, after the Oceanic Organization and Roderick's Trading Company, and has a huge membership of approximately 700 people.
Since the Great Disaster, the battle has changed dramatically.
Experienced players such as Shiroe and Naotsugu will be able to look at various aspects of combat, including the performance of each skill and the ecology of enemy monsters, but for the vast majority of players, the difficulty will come down to the fear of having to fight in the flesh.
Even monsters that can be easily won in a fight are terrifying to fight in the flesh. Swords, axes, fangs, claws, claws, flames and curses. Even if you know in your head that if your level is high enough, you can deal with them, the smell of blood and the fear of battle is not a small number of players.
If you're trapped in this other world, that's what you have to do. But I don't want to be trapped in this other world, if at all possible. There are more players who think like that than you can imagine.
I don't know the exact number, but in Marielle's opinion, nearly half of all players after the Catastrophe will be classified as "players who want to avoid fighting".
The production guilds have grown in strength as a result of this current trend.
The most powerful production guild in Akihabara, the Ocean Organization, currently has 2,500 members. The second largest guild, the Roderick Trading Company, has 1,800 members.
If you add in the 700 members of the Eighth Shopping Street, led by Karashin, the total number of members is 5,000. There are probably many other smaller production guilds as well. Before the Catastrophe, there weren't many guilds that specialized in production. This was another change caused by the Catastrophe.
Today, I have a request for the Eighth Shopping Arcade.
Marielle cuts in.
'What is it?'
Karasin replies briskly to Marielle, who looks more serious than usual. Even Karasin must be thinking about the meaning of Marielle's call at this time of year.
Marielle has succeeded in selling refreshments Crescent Moon.
From the point of view of the production guild, she is in a position where she can put her hand on all the food in this world. Just as a person once accustomed to full color cannot go back to monochrome, a player who has eaten richly flavored food will no longer be able to go back to the original tasteless food items.
In fact, over the past few days, Karasin has received reports that sales of food items on the market have slowed dramatically.
The Elder Tale is no longer a game.
This alternate world is a second reality, as it may or may not have a way to return to the original world, but it hasn't been found. Even if you can escape death there, no one can escape life.
The approximately 30,000 players in the Japanese Server Administration Area cannot escape the curse of living there.
To put it bluntly, the Crescent Alliance and Marielle hold the initiative for food supply, at least in this Far East region. At least, that's what Karashin must have seen it as.
(Wow, you look like a businessman, Karashin.
I guess you can't do things by halves when you're in charge of a large family.
This is what Marielle thinks of Karasin, who is very tense, but still shows a lot of spirit. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect when you have the initiative to negotiate," he said.
We're going to ask you to stock up on materials used in our guild. Our guild is consuming a lot of material items, so we're going to ask someone else to stock up on them.
Meat, lettuce and tomatoes. "Flour and potatoes. "Haruharu fish. And thunderbird meat. We'll have to consult with you about the quantities and prices, but don't worry if you think we'll need a lot of them.
Stocking stuffers?
Karasin's reply did not stagger.
He probably expected it. That's also natural to some extent.
The Crescent Moon Alliance is small. Anyone could have foreseen that if we continue to do business on a large scale, our stockpile would quickly run out. If that happened, the supply of goods would have to be stopped.
The number of members, the number of materials we can hunt and stockpile, and the stockpile of warehouses.
In response to Karasin's question, Marielle takes out her notes and answers a few numbers.
''I see...''
Karashin breathes slowly and looks like he's thinking about something. Perhaps he's not sure whether to accept the request or not.
Normally speaking, this was not a bad deal. A major production guild of the size of the Eighth Shopping District would have a large warehouse stockpiled with a large number of material items. These days, they are caught in a price war, and releasing material items that are only worth two or three cents even if they are cooked and sold at a reasonable price should be a welcome way to clear out their inventory.
If necessary, monitor the market and buy the ingredients that were just given to you at a discount. There is also the strategy of reselling them to the Crescent Moon Alliance.
From a commercial point of view, there is no reason to refuse.
That was the conclusion that Marielle and Henrietta reached.
However, that did not mean that they would easily accept the offer. ''We're the center of attention now, you know. Even the other party can't just say yes to a tasty stocking story with two replies. Of course they will try to get in on it more. Marielle recalls Henrietta's words.
After a few moments of silence, Karasin smiled socially.
Are those the same ingredients you use for the snack bar, Crescent Moon? He asked. 'Yes,' replied Marielle, smiling, 'I hear the Crescent Moon is doing very well.
I hear that the snack shop, Crescent Moon, is doing very well.
Thanks to you, everyone is happy, and our chef is smiling.
...still that's a new recipe?
The chef is a master at his trade.
Marielle responds to Karasin's probing conversation with a smile.
From the edge, smiling and smiling like a sunflower from the start, Marielle might seem to know everything and be poised wide, but as for Marielle herself, she's doing her best at this point.
He's experiencing a cold sweat, as if he's going to rag on Karasin's questions as well, and he can't stop sweating.
However, he said, "No matter what happens, Miss Mari, please keep smiling and laughing. That's the most important thing. Anyway, just keep smiling and other people will be able to help you with the rest," Shiroe told me.
Feeling a little desperate, Marielle kept smiling. It was a great bargain for a smile. Her slightly slouched blue eyes loosened and a melting smile appeared. Marielle herself is unaware of the fact that her large breasts and maternal atmosphere combine to develop a natural barrier that cannot be pursued any further.
''I'll fully consider the stocking matter, but I'm not sure at this point. In order to expand the number of stores selling the product at once, with the Eighth Shopping Street and the Crescent Moon Alliance.......
Excuse me. Mr. Karasin, it's time to go.
Henrietta called out in a clear voice, interrupting Karasin's words.
'Time?'
Yes, I'm moving on.
Marielle put her hands together with an embarrassed look on her face at the sound of Henrietta's voice as she paid attention to her composure.
'I'm sorry, Karasin. We're old friends, so I let you slide in ahead of me for a bit, but Henrietta says that we really need to be equal.
Well, what do you mean? Ms. Marie.
Uh-oh.
Marielle asks Henrietta with a sideways glance. This area is not an act, but a plain one. It's not an act, it's just the way it is.
I also have a business meeting with the Oceanic Organization and Roderick Trading Company. It's another matter, but...
Another case?
Hey. Let's see. It's more like a capital investment, or rather, the sale of the Crescent Moon.
Huh!
Karashin's complexion changes.
The Eighth Shopping Street is indeed the third largest guild in Akiba, but the Maritime Organization and Roderick's Trading Company are even bigger. Even the Organization of Oceanography is a huge organization with three times as many members as the Eighth Shopping Street. If such a large organization were to participate in business negotiations, Karashin's team, the Eighth Shopping District, would have no chance.
We want to get along with each other," said Karashin, "but we don't want to get along with each other. The Eighth Shopping District has been good to us, hasn't it? We're old friends, right? That's why I'd really like you to be in attendance at the Eighth Shopping Center. But we've got to work out that purchase order, you know. That's what Henrietta said.
'It's more like a solution. If we don't have a good purchasing environment for the time being, we won't be able to take the next step, right? Marie
At Marielle's words, Henrietta raised her eyebrows and spoke to Marielle as if she were admonishing a young child.
'Wait. Marier. And then, Henrietta.
What does the Crescent Moon Alliance have in mind?
What do you mean by "investment"?
Marielle's mouth opens in response to Karasin's question. Henrietta touched her lips with a slender fingertip and turned to Karasin.
How much would the Eighth Shopping District charge for this information?
Karashin was shot through by Henrietta's enigmatic gaze. In any case, the matter of purchasing is probably not something that would be a loss for the <8th Shopping District>. He narrowed his eyes slightly and declared with determination.
'The Eighth Shopping District will take responsibility for the request you just made.
"For young deer meat, lettuce, tomatoes, and flour. "Potatoes. "Haruharu fish and thunderbird meat. We'll deliver 3,200 of each. The first one will be delivered in the early morning after tomorrow. ...for 50,000 gold pieces.
40,000.
Okay. Karasin of the Eighth Shopping District has the contract.
That's good. You're good to go, right? Nah! Why don't you come to our next business meeting and listen to what we have to say?
Yes, of course.
At the same time as Henrietta nodded, she heard the sound of a bell in Marielle's ear. It was a signal to announce the arrival of the next visitor.