Obayashi, 16 years old.
I'm a swindler.
A filthy man who cheats others to line his own pockets. That's who I am.

It's got to be me. ......

No, no, no!
What are you getting so weak about?
I'm the one who caused the historic incident that stunned the whole country!
I'll ...... trick you. Watch me, you sycophants of the forty-two wards. ............

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

The one who appeared in front of me, puffing on a cigarette and showing off his raging cleavage, was Norma, the fox-man from the mold shop.
Today is the day when the thing I ordered from him arrives.

'I've brought you what you asked for, but what are you going to do with such a large amount?You're not going to use it all, are you?'
'Of course not. I'm selling it.

A huge package was placed in front of me with a very heavy ...... sound.
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. ...... He was holding this heavy package with his left hand, wasn't he?I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm not sure what to make of that.I'm not sure what to do.

I'm sure Norma, who belongs to the hardware guild, doesn't like the idea of me getting into the hardware business without permission.
But...

'Don't worry. It's just a one-time event, and I've already gotten permission from the lord and the hardware guild.
'Is that so?I hope so.

Norma let out a sigh of relief and looked at me with a soft expression.
I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.I'm sure you'll be able to tell me what it is.
'Well, why don't you come and take a look?I'll show you how to use it on the main street.'
'On the main street?Not here?
'It doesn't make sense unless it's on the boulevard.

What I'm going to attempt is 'That's Not All Technique'.
I'm going to try the 'That's Not All Technique', or in layman's terms, the 'Value-Added Sales Technique'.
In order to do this, you need people who can sympathize with how great the value-added is. And the more of them, the better.

That's why I'm going to hold a demonstration sale on the main street!

'Wow, you think of interesting things. Well then, I'd like to observe again.
'Oh, I'd like to see it right in front of you, if possible. But they're expensive, aren't they? But it's expensive, isn't it?' It would be great if you could say something like that.
'Hmm?I don't understand. ...... What's that?

Well, I suppose you're right.
If you asked him to be a cherry, he wouldn't have a clue. Anyway, just one spectator will do the trick.
I took Norma and headed for the main road.
Thankfully, Norma was able to carry the heavy load.

I set up a platform on the main street, and put a cutting board on top of it, and a big, fat cucumber on top of it.

'Come on, come on, customers on the right and left!If you have time or leisure, please stop by and have a look!

He raises his voice and attracts the attention of the crowd.
After a good crowd has gathered, I take out the wonderful product I'm going to introduce to you.

'Look at this knife!

It's a cast knife that Norma mass-produced for me. It's cheap. To be frank, it's of such poor quality that if you can cut it properly the first few times, it's good enough.
Compared to the excellent forged kitchen knives in this town, it's like a toy.
However, this knife had one major feature.

On the blade of this knife, there are seven round holes about one centimeter in diameter in a row.
This was the famous "Cucumber knife with holes! It's a knife with holes!

Have you ever had a problem with cut cucumbers sticking to your knife?But with this knife, you can use ............. Come on, stand up!You can see for yourself what will happen!

I laid the cucumber down on the cutting board and sliced it into slices with a 'stototototot! I cut the cucumber into slices. The slices of cucumber were so thin that they didn't stick to the knife.
'Ooooh! the audience shouted.
This is it!I've been waiting for something like this!

'How about it?Have you ever seen a knife like this?

He stopped his hand and looked forward, and the audience applauded loudly.
Wow, that's a good feeling.

'Now, how about one for the family?
'But they're expensive, aren't they?

At the right moment, Norma says something wonderful.
This is a capable woman!I knew she was something else from the first moment I saw her!


Norma knows how low the cost of this knife is. In other words, the statement was made to encourage me.

So the statement was made to encourage me. Mmmmmmmmmm.
This knife is from ......

'500Rb each!

The buzz ...... and the groans ......
The crowd's faces instantly clouded over.

Expensive!I guess they think so.
Yes!It's expensive!It's so expensive it's ridiculous!
But that's okay!
The more I show my reluctance, the greater the sense of accomplishment I'll feel when it's overturned. Because catharsis is something you feel after oppression.

500Rb is expensive. But if the knife is that sharp, it can't be helped. ...... But it's expensive,...... and that's the level of price setting.
The audience's mind is wandering.
So I pull out my secret weapon!

''If you purchase now, you will get this mini food sample (grilled salmon strap) presented by YODAMARI-TEI!
''Ooooh!

It's value added.
Since the festival, the food samples of YODAMARI-TEI have become a hot topic.
There are even people who come just to see the food samples.
I've been diligently making miniature versions of these food samples!
I've attached a little string to it, so that it can be hung from your bag.
The strap is made of a slice of salmon from the grilled salmon set meal, the signature dish of the restaurant. You can get one of these with the purchase of a knife!

I could feel the audience's heart shaking with excitement .......
The cost of this knife and the grilled salmon strap is not much. If they were sold for 500Rb, they would be worth a fortune. They are not that expensive or of good quality.
Nevertheless, the audience is inclined to buy it.
The reason for this is the "free" grilled salmon strap.
It's not that I want it desperately. But if I can get it, I want to have it. That's the psychology at work.

Now, with one more push, all of them will buy this cheap, poor-quality knife, which makes cucumbers stick to it, at the high price of 500Rb!
Scammer now!
I'm still a con man at heart!

Come on, you guys!Come on, you guys, get suckered by me!

--And just when my voltage was about to reach its maximum, ...... they showed up.

'No, wait!Mr. Yashiro, please wait a moment!
'Mr. Yashiro!Why didn't you ask for help?
'Hero-sama!We've come to help you, though in a small way!

We've got Becco the waxworker, the Yaplocks the corn farmers, Theron the bricklayer, and Wendy the flower researcher.
...... They all have one thing in common: ............

''''The Yashiro Paramilitary!Here they come! ''''

All of them are my ............ 'followers'.

'I can't let Mr. Yashiro be the only one who spends his money, that I can't!
'Yes, of course!Yashiro-sama is as good as a god to us,......, and if we don't stand up here, what the hell were we born for?
'In order to spread the word about Hero-sama's wonderful inventions, we'll do our part!Hey, Wendy!
'Of course!I will give you this 'Light Reflecting Powder' which is an improved version of glowing powder!This is a revolutionary item that can dramatically improve a woman's beauty just by mixing it with her makeup tools!

That's what Wendy said as she piled up a large number of vials of powder with a pearlescent eyeshadow-like glow.
The women scream in delight.

'Then I'll make a silvery waxwork. It is a wax lantern with a candle wick inside, surrounded by decorative waxwork. When lit, they cast beautiful shadows on the wall. ...... Drinking sake while looking at them is very special, that it is.

A reluctant 'hmm......' leaked out from the males.

We have brought with us the sweets made from cornstarch that Yashiro-sama taught us!It's called 'ramune candy,' and it's from Yashiro-sama's hometown.

The children were drooling in unison.

'Finally, a vase made of bricks from the brick workshop.
'What!That's going to be your main product, isn't it?

The brick vase invented by Theron, along with the glowing bricks, has attracted tremendous attention and will be one of the main products in the future. ...... Are you going to put that on as a bonus?I'm not sure what to make of it.


I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.
''Compared to the favor I received from Hero-sama--''
'''' This is nothing, that it is nothing, that it is nothing.



...... There are a lot of a**h*les. There are a lot of a**h*les.

'Sell me that knife!
'Sell me one!
Me, too!
'Me too!

Naturally, the knives sold like hotcakes. For the bonus.
Or rather, the kitchen knives were the freebies.

After all, the price of the knife was supposed to be 500Rb, but the bonus alone was worth more than 500Rb. That's a good deal.
The kitchen knives, ...... or rather, the set of works (with kitchen knives) by the Yashiro devotees, sold out in no time at all, the children rejoicing over the rum, the women swooning over the pearl make-up on their eyelids, and the old men grinning with decorative wax lanterns in their hands, looking forward to tonight's drink. The men are grinning with decorative wax lanterns in their hands, looking forward to tonight's drink.

...... No.
This is not what I was looking for at all. ......

I'm not sure what you're talking about.
'I want to eat it every day!
'I want to buy a subscription to this makeup kit.
'Let's hear the details.
'These wax lanterns smell so good, don't they ......?
'You're really good.
'I've never seen such a nice vase before: ...... nice......'
'And that handsome guy is also ...... nice......'

Somehow, their skills are getting high praise.
Oh, they're doing some kind of contract over there. They've got a new customer here.

'Mmmm ......, I was going to help Mr. Yashiro, but ......'
'Somehow, our reputation has risen. ......'
'We always have good luck when we're with our heroes, don't we?
'Ah. Hero-sama is a truly wonderful person!
'Mr. Yashiro!
''Mr. Yashiro!
''Hero-sama!
'''''' Banzai!''Banzai!'' ''''
'Yamen ka, group of idiots!


The knives were sold out, but ...... in the end, again, I didn't do anything. ......
I'm afraid that the number of ...... Yashiro believers is increasing slightly even though I'm not doing anything.


I've just realized that ...... knives in this world are not widely used by the general public, as Jeannette said ......


It seems that I have already stumbled upon ...... from the very beginning: ............