The months passed quickly, half a year had passed since Tarto and I came to the city of Murteau.
　The port city of the Murteu territory had been under a different name until a few years ago, but the lord took a liking to it and changed the name to his own, making it Murteu.

I've spent my time as an Ilg of the Balor Trading Company, not a rogue of the Baron Touahade family.
　To prevent people from realizing that I'm a rogue, I've dyed my silver hair black and wear glasses.
　In addition, his clothing has also changed dramatically, changing his tone of voice, tone of voice, gestures, and even facial expressions, so that no one thinks that the Irg and the Rougu are the same person.

........There was a lot of confusion at first.
　At any rate, even though Touahade has prospered due to medical science, it's only the lord and his branch of the family, and the territory itself is rural, mainly agricultural.
　Everything here was too different in scale.
　Where things gathered, all kinds of human resources would gather.
　There are merchants, carpenters, alchemists, blacksmiths, and medicine men. When a wide variety of people gather together, a variety of things will naturally come into being, and the economy will improve at an accelerated rate. This would be a virtuous cycle that would attract even more people, and the city would continue to develop and expand.
　I spent nearly six months in the city and loved it.
　If I could, I would use this city as a rogue Touahade, too.
　He could enrich the Touahade territory even more by setting up a shop in this city and doing business with the world.
　In order to do that, I must produce Touahade's specialties, but after spending half a year in this city, I have a rough idea of what will be sold.

.........Although Touahade makes a living from the medical arts and assassination business, I think it's important to make other income as well.
　If you do an assassination business, you'll be cut off at some point. We will need to secure a new source of income for when that role is over.
　We have arrived at our destination. The office of the Chairman of the Board of Trade of the Valor Chamber of Commerce. Let's put our thoughts to rest.

Father, I'm sorry I'm late.
No, I'm sorry to call you out on such short notice.

He bows to the Lord of the Balor Chamber of Commerce, who has been his provisional father for six months now.
　I don't know where people's eyes are on me. So, as always, as father and son, we're in touch.

'What can I do for you today, sir?

As an Irg, I'm supposed to be a concubine's child, and I'm supposed to have been sent out to keep my main wife's moods in check.
　And since my main wife's child is ill, he is being hastily trained as a merchant as a backup in case something goes wrong.

Not to be ashamed of the setup, Balor thoroughly drilled me in the ropes of being a merchant.
　The first three months were spent working as a clerk at the busiest store in the Balor Trading Company, and I experienced the busyness of a battlefield.
　At first, he was yelled at repeatedly, but as he learned the job, used his knowledge of his previous life to improve and get the job done smoothly, he was recognized by others.
　And so, once he was able to do the job in the field, he moved to the headquarters.

The Balor Chamber of Commerce has several retail stores in Murteu. The products in those stores are almost identical.
　The headquarters forecasts the demand and decides what and how much to stock each store. This improves the sales of all the stores.

If anything, this is a better fit for the job of headquarters.
　Using a worldwide distribution and information network, gathering information in any way possible, analyzing it and predicting demand is extremely difficult but very enjoyable.
　It's exciting to find attractive new products that will grow in the future and negotiate with our suppliers.
　Because I love it, I've progressed quickly, and now I'm allowed to assist the general manager.
　This position is good. You can get all the information in the world without exaggeration. So much so that the information network of the Balor Chamber of Commerce was wide and deep.
　The flow of goods and people would make the world look good. And it would become even clearer if they negotiated with people all over the world.

'Irg-kun, you're really doing so well that I'd like to entrust the Balor Chamber of Commerce to you.
That's not possible. Master Beluid is on the mend. I doubt I'll ever get the chance to do it.
''That's also thanks to Ilg-kun. Raising you was to repay my debt to Kian, but........If Ilg-kun was so capable as a merchant and even cured my son of his incurable disease, I have rather benefited from it. On the contrary, I've increased my debt.

Since coming here, in addition to learning the trade, I've taken on another task.
　The treatment of Balor's son, Beluid. It was true that he was sick.

Upon examination, he was diagnosed with cancer. Due to the early stages of the disease, the cancer cells were removed and he is on the road to recovery.
　The standard of medical care in this world is low, with only Touahade performing surgery, and cancer is considered incurable.
　It is considered impossible to cut in order to heal.
　Surgery itself is condemned by the bishop of the country, which is why surgery is not common, and even the appendix is considered an incurable disease that can only be cured by Touahade.
　Regardless of the bishop's complaints, Touahade was barely allowed to do so due to his overwhelming track record, and he would perform surgery on anyone who was willing to undergo such treatment, even if it was against the bishop's wishes.

'Never mind, Father, I don't mind. What I have gained here is very great.

I've seen things that I would never have seen if I had spent my life as a rural aristocrat.
　........And I've been able to use that distribution network and information network to personally gather the information I need and stock up on things.
　With one of the largest port cities in the world and one of the leading trade associations, that distribution network allows me to get things that I thought were impossible until now.
　Eventually, I hope to be able to use it without having to be an assistant to the General Manager.

'Good, then. I'm a businessman. It would be a disgrace to have my son saved, to have him saved in my business, and to have nothing to pay back. I'll feel better if you're getting something out of it, Irg-kun. .........although I am prepared to pay back the increased debt in other ways. Well, it's been a long time coming. The reason I called you here today is to give you a new job. Over here.

With that, Balor hands me a map and a drawing of the building. It's located a short distance from the city's main road and is about the size of a large convenience store.
　If you wanted to get a store in Murteu in such a good condition, you would either have to pay enough rent to keep ten families alive a month, or pay that lifetime wage to buy it.

'It's a nice store. This location, this size. Looks like we could do anything.'
''Yes, actually, we've closed down the store that was there. In addition to the main store that Irg-kun was involved with that dealt mainly with household goods and food, the Balor Trading Company has a variety of other stores, including a restaurant, a store that deals in weapons and armor, a store that deals in medicine, and various other stores.

Balor is not a store, but a trade association.
　It possesses and operates various types of shops.

''Irg, the shop here used to specialize in liquor, but it didn't work out so well, so we were forced to close it down.

There is no such store in the Balor Chamber of Commerce. So that means.....

'I see, this store is a model case. Does that mean that this store is a model case, to try a different route than the existing stores?

In addition to increasing the number of existing stores, Balor Chamber of Commerce is also exploring new areas. This is probably part of that.
　If we only increase the number of existing stores, the demand will eventually become saturated.
　Therefore, it will venture into a completely different field and if it fails, it will pull out while the wounds are still fresh.
　If the company succeeds, it will use that as a model to increase the number of stores.
　This is the size of a business association. We don't make a fuss over the success or failure of a single store.

'Yes, we do. Stores that sell food and household goods are sluggish because of the competition, sales of weapons are low because there is no big war, and the same goes for medicines. .........Well, the appearance of demons has increased recently, and if the number of demons is increasing like this, then the demon race will be back soon. If that happens, the sales of weapons will increase at once, but we can't just do nothing in anticipation of that. We, the Valor Chamber of Commerce, need to expand into areas with high growth potential as soon as possible. And yet, we've lost three in a row. Well, it's a tough one.

Speaking of which, I heard that one of the executives had been moved to the left.
　Perhaps it was a result of the failure of the model case.

'Is it correct to assume that the fact that you've called me here means that you'll be entrusted with this store?
Yes, you can breathe a new wind into me. I have a feeling that you will.
I've only been here six months.
Normally, I wouldn't ask. But what you've been doing in the last six months is unusual. Let me tell you a good thing. For a merchant, the ability to read demand and market prices, the art of negotiation and customer service are important. ........but most of all, what we need is an eye for people. We are not gods, and there is no limit to what we can do. Even so, if you have one eye for people, you can do what you want to do. All you have to do is find someone who can do what you want to do and leave the job to them. That's what being a top-notch merchant is all about.

That's a heavy word.
　In fact, a man named Balor has done just that.
　If he had only cared about working with his own hands, he would have only made one store prosperous.
　But this man made a tremendous amount of money by delegating his stores to others, choosing people to manage more than one store, and managing dozens of stores in this way.
　The scale is too different.

'Father, I'm learning. How much time do you have to prepare, what is the budget, and what personnel can you use for it?''
'Yes. One month for planning, one month for renovation and two months for renovation. Budget all you want. We'll provide the manpower you need.

My heart leaps inexplicably.
　I came here to feed the assassination and to raise my status as a merchant to the name of Irg. ........If I succeed in this case, both of those things will come true.

If you're entrusted with one brand, you can use the information and distribution network even if you're no longer the general manager's secretary, and if you've successfully launched a new brand for the Balor Chamber of Commerce, there's no better foil than that.

'Let's do it and show them,'
Good luck. By the way, if you succeed in this project, we will increase the number of model stores. And you will always receive 5% of the top payment collected by headquarters from each store. This is not a special treatment. It's the Valor Chamber of Commerce's stance that those that open up new markets are rewarded accordingly.
I'm more and more motivated.

Money is not something you can't afford to have.
　It's needed to procure goods, gather information, and use people.
　When you hear 5% of the top payment, it doesn't sound like much, but it could be a chain and add dozens of stores.
　The 5% from all those top payments would be an amount of money that an individual would not be able to make in any way.

'Then I wish you success. My other son.
I'll do it. I'll make it happen.
Well, you already have an idea of what to do.
'Of course. There isn't a merchant in town for six months who hasn't thought about what kind of business he would do. We've been planning for a new store for a long time, and I would have submitted a plan even without this one.
''I'm really disappointed that I can't make Irg-kun my successor. He is, after all, a good merchant.

He did so, received the materials and a large amount of budget, and left the place.
　As for the budget, he asked me to request additional money if it wasn't enough.
　This new store, I will make it a success for sure.
　And I will get the prestige to be known as Irg Balor, not as Balor Trading Company, but as Irg Balor.