You've got a country, and you don't even say hello.

''Aisha-san, the 'Union of Southwest Tribes' is more like an alliance and solidarity than a country. Besides, it's more expedient for the Kingdom of Baat to know about it as late as possible.

But you're on your way to trade.

It's a test of Mr. Tallow's 'base movement'.



　As our levels increased, we were able to magically fly to places we'd been before.
　So, we decided to go on a short trip to do that experiment as well.
　Our destination was Shipland.
　Since it had been a few months since we defeated the void, we decided to go peddling to see how much the pressure in the Bart Kingdom had increased.
　The reason why the items for sale are white sugar and honey purchased through 'online shopping' is because this is the most money we can make.
　It was known that the nobles and royalty who owned the royal capital of the Baat Kingdom and the surrounding oases would pay a lot of money for these goods, which were luxury items.

'Though the profits from the sales would be converted into Eidolk, which again would be white sugar and honey.

　This world is extremely unreliable, though not without local coins.
　The credibility of the divine coins that can be obtained by defeating sand beasts is too overwhelming.
　The fact that you can always get them by defeating any number of sand beasts in the desert is also significant.
　It's the most trusted currency in the world.
　The only problem is that not many people are able to defeat it.
　And we are pushing forward with a deflationary policy of converting such a divine coin into electronic money that can never be turned back into the original divine coin again.
　Furthermore, when you buy goods through 'online shopping', even the electronic money will disappear into the void. It's a special ability that seems to be the real reason why the king wants to kill me.
　However, the supply of divine coins is always supplied by the hunters defeating the sand beasts.
　And yet, the reason why there is no hyperinflation in this world may be because there is still not enough money, or it may be because the banking churches, large merchant associations, nobles, and royalty are hoarding it.

'Let's go then,'

Yeah.

'It's been a while since I've been to Shipland. I'm looking forward to it.

It's my first time.

Me too. I used to go to Old Town a lot.

　We all had a magic box full of white sugar and honey, and I flew to Shipland in my 'base move'.
　I was a bit worried because it was my first time there, but I was glad that we made it to the desert a bit outside of Shipland safely.

''Well, he said to send the ship out.''

　He took out a small sand drift ship from the "Interdimensional Warehouse" and entered the harbor in Shipland as if he was on a trading trip, and from there he showed up at the Garcia Trading Company.

''It's been a long time since we've seen you.''

　When it was known that we had come, the head of the family, Mr. Tarrant, appeared at once and showed us to the house.

'You're selling white sugar again? 'Thank you, sir.'

By the way, Mister Tarrant. Where is my brother?

'Unfortunately, it seems that they're slowly moving to seize this Shipland. Liquor and salt taxes have gone up again. Tariffs have gone up as well.

　After all, there seems to be a plan to attack Shipland after the re-summoning of the 'transformer', which is scheduled to take place in five years...another four and a half years....
　The march through the desert will require an uncommon amount of water and supplies.
　In addition, they would have to defeat the defensive forces there, which was the reason why there was almost no war in this Great Desert.
　There would be no such irony that there would be no war because they were likely to die of thirst before they could attack their targets.

'But it's odd. There's no guarantee that the next 'change agent' will necessarily be useful to my brother's hegemony...

You can't summon them in the first place, can you?

　Since I'm alive, the summoning will certainly fail.
　

''He's raising taxes to get his army and supplies in order. He's also increasing the number of ships. I hear they're buying all kinds of magic boxes.

　Common sense dictates that this is the only way to do it?
　But magic boxes are hard to make and the merchants are buying up the majority of them.
　

''His Majesty may have some other measures in mind. So you're reinforcing your previous moves to deceive Shipland's eyes?

''Mew may be right, but that king seems to be quite cautious...''

　So you're doing the Garcia Chamber of Commerce and some of the information you can't fully explore.

'We're also developing the Oasis of Trest as an evacuation site and working with Old Town. We're working closely with Old Town to develop the Trest Oasis as an evacuation site and also to coordinate with Old Town, since that's the next target after us. But...

Sir?

The desert elves haven't been trading lately. It seems that all the tribesmen have gone to the extreme south on some sort of gathering.

....

　Of course I know the reason for this, but can I talk to Tarrant about it?
　I'm torn.
　Right now we're not ready, and we can't afford to have our information leaked to that king via Shipland.
　We'll have to keep our mouths shut.

"Aren't you going to interfere with that king's war preparations?

You asked me to send out my men first?

No, that would be the opposite of a bush snake. We're going to cut back on the collection of supplies and water needed for the war.

You want us to attack the ship?

'And that's not good either, if they know it's Shipland. We'll have to be more efficient. It's not a quick fix, though.

Is there a way to do that?

　A way to sabotage the preparations for the invasion of Shipland by the Baat Kingdom.
　There was a method that a merchant could do without using troops.
　I propose that method to Mr. Tarrant.

"White sugar and honey at half price?

'Alcohol would be nice. Other expensive delicacies would be nice too.

　The strategy is very simple: just say that Shipland will release these items at a discount.
　This would loosen the wallets of the nobles.
　A lot of money would be sold, and the Kingdom of Bart and the nobles' monetary holdings would decrease.
　On the other hand, Shipland's holdings of money will go up.
　With less money, the Baat Kingdom's preparations for war should also be delayed.
　Will it be at least a harassment?

But the aristocrats who get the sugar cheaply will make a fortune if they sell it for the original price.

'I don't think they'll make that much money. Because the Taranto Trading Company can just resell it to other countries first. Even if it's half the price, it's a high quality product, so there will be a limit to how much they can sell.

　The original was too expensive, so they shouldn't be able to sell it in such large quantities.
　Even if it wasn't, the common people of the Bart Kingdom don't have any money due to heavy taxes.
　And if the Tarrant Chamber of Commerce moves the ships first and resells them to other countries.......

''Whether we sell to other nobles or export to other countries, the tariffs are the same everywhere.

　They make money by selling cheap white sugar to other countries.
　It seems like a good idea, but other countries have high tariffs as well.
　It would take a long time to transport it by sand drift ships, and if the Taranto Trading Company had resold it in bulk first and cheaply, then the sugar brought in by the aristocrats would have lost its price.
　Not only would they not make much money for the effort, but if the trading ships were wrecked, they would be in the red.
　If you consign it to a merchant to sell it, they will also charge you a commission, so I'm not saying that the nobles can't make money from reselling half-priced white sugar, but I'm sure they won't make much money.

''Hohoho. So you're going to supply it in large quantities to slow down the demand.''

Both sugar and honey can be stored well, and I think we'll just give up and use them ourselves, waiting for the price to go up.

　We can reduce the amount of funding for a while.
　We can have the same result as we spent a lot of money on it, for our own enjoyment as a result.
　And white sugar and honey are too expensive to feed the troops.
　The nobles would accumulate them in their warehouses instead of divine coins.

''It might not be very effective, but it should be a subtle harassment.

So does that mean you have a large supply?

Yeah.

　I'm sure Tarrant will think I'm suspicious, but for now, we have to deal with Burt's Kingdom first.
　I'm not going to say anything.

''With less money, the noblemen who have the oasis might be reluctant to offer their troops.

Don't local nobles in the Baat Kingdom have rules about military service?

''There aren't any. As far as the distant oasis, the Bart Kingdom doesn't know as much about the inner workings of it as the distant oasis, so they don't say how many people they can send out specifically. No, they can't say....... The noble side also doesn't want to tell the Baat Kingdom about the population and productive capacity, and many of them don't have experience, let alone malleability, in sending out troops themselves. The Lords' army might not expect that dreamy Majesty to be able to do so either. Even so, if they can cut down on their assets, it's a good thing. There's no guarantee that there won't be nobles who will stick it out for the prize.

　The Burt Kingdom doesn't know the situation of the local nobles in a township?
　Then there's no way they can decide on the number of troops to be sent out in the event of an emergency.

In that case, the main force will be the Royal Army?

''Even a vestments nobleman will send out some troops. Even an earl would have twenty men or something like that.

　The vestments nobles have a pension and position allowance that comes out of the Bart Kingdom, and some people do business or have some kind of interest, but those people are probably few.
　And then there are the bribes....
　It's not expected to be much of an army to begin with, but if we cut down our assets with sugar and honey, we can reduce the number of troops even more.

''Are the kingdom's troops our worst enemy?''

''However, the Baat Kingdom Army should have very little experience with foreign expeditions.......at most, they can only send out soldiers to the oasis near the King's Capital to threaten it, and the rest of their work is mainly hunting sand beasts. However, I've heard that there are many officers from the nobility who are foolish enough to let their soldiers hunt sand beasts and pocket the results.

　Major Sander, too, has given up and quit as quickly as he could.
　Is he doing well as a hunter?

''But we can't be too careful. That His Majesty is currently strengthening the kingdom's army even by imposing heavy taxes. If we are not careful, Shipland might be occupied. Cheap white sugar and other recreational products sold at a discount. Let's try.

　Mr. Tarrant accepted my proposal.

'Then we'll give you half the wholesale price here too.

Are you sure?

I got it on the cheap with a little bit of luck.

　Sugar and honey are horribly cheap if you buy them through 'online shopping'.
　Even if you sell them for half the price, it's still a huge profit.
　And, the Garcia Chamber of Commerce and the Viscount Shipland family are two sides of the same coin.
　With that surplus, I want them to be ready to defend themselves.
　As long as Shipland's independence is maintained, we will be safe.
　It's a small price to pay if they're willing to work with this kind of profit.