Merchant

Honestly, my luck was rotten. Of all days, why did the bandits have to strike today?

Alan Muller, a merchant by trade, bit his lip until he tasted blood. He was traveling a route he used frequently for procurement, and as a rule, he never skimped on hiring capable guards. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't have been any trouble. But today was different. This was the return journey from a rare family trip to the Royal Capital, and fate had decided to take a turn for the worse.

The attack had likely been orchestrated by the local lord. I’d heard rumors that his hands were stained black with corruption. He had demanded bribes from the Muller Company in the past, but I had refused him. Displeased by my defiance, he must have decided to erase me along with my entire family.

I had hired a team of veterans, anticipating that this day might eventually come, but they had turned pale the moment they saw the scale of the opposition. Some fled immediately, leaving my family defenseless. A few remained, fighting to the death to protect us. Looking at their fallen forms, I knew I could never thank them enough for their sacrifice.

Is this the end? Is this my fate? I wondered. If I can just buy a few moments as a sacrifice, perhaps my wife and daughter can still escape…

Just as despair began to take hold, I spotted a carriage approaching in the distance. It was a strange vehicle; every so often, something small was launched from its windows. The moment I saw it, I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Y-you there! Please! Help us!"

In response, a small figure leaped from the moving carriage. It was a young boy.

I expected him to hit the ground, but he didn't. Instead, he took to the sky, flying through the air with ease. From a height where the bandits’ blades couldn't possibly reach, he rained down a barrage of rocks, knocking the attackers unconscious with surgical precision.

"W-what are you?! Stay back, or the merchant dies!"

Panicked, one of the remaining bandits pressed a Dagger against my throat.

That’s a mistake, I thought, watching with a strange, detached calm.

The boy appeared to have intervened to save us, but as I looked into his eyes, I realized the truth. He wasn't looking at us at all. From the very beginning, his only focus had been the total annihilation of the bandits. To him, the presence of a hostage was an irrelevant variable. Even with a blade at my neck, his magic didn't falter; if anything, it grew more violent.

"I-I’m serious! I’ll kill him!" the bandit shrieked.

He was so busy staring at the sky in terror that he never noticed the small shadow darting across the grass. He only realized his error when he felt cold steel against his own jugular.

"Is it okay if Fee’s Dagger stabs you first?" a girl’s voice whispered.

"Wha—?!"

It was already over. The bandit dropped his weapon and was swiftly restrained.

"Fee, how’s it looking over there?" the boy called out, waving from the air.

"It's fine," she replied simply.

The surrounding bandits had been neutralized. I stood there, shivering, unable to comprehend what I had just witnessed. All I knew was that a boy possessing power far beyond the limits of a normal human had saved our lives.

Could he be some renowned mage, a saint filled with benevolence?

The boy’s expression suggested he was thinking about something else entirely, but seeing the result, I could only weep with gratitude.

◇　◆　◇

My level is still far too low, I thought, staring at my palm and biting my lip in frustration. I can’t even one-shot a common bandit?

The spell I’d just used had been flashy—it looked like a miniature meteor shower—but in reality, it was just a application of Beginner Magic used to drop rocks from the sky. I’d added some Fire Magic for visual flair, but the flames didn't actually have any lethal power. I’d managed to capture the lot of them because I’d buffed Fee with Reinforcement Magic and we’d caught them by surprise, but I didn't want to make a habit of this. If we had run into a group of high-level mercenaries, I wouldn't have stood a chance.

In truth, my Magic Power was already at 25—higher than a veteran mercenary and on par with a professional combat mage. The bandits were actually lucky to be alive after taking direct hits from that kind of force, but I was too preoccupied with my own perceived weakness to notice.

As I touched down on the grass, Fee ran over to me. "I captured them all."

"Yeah. Good work." I patted her head, and she narrowed her eyes with a look of pure contentment.

In the distance, I saw the merchant sobbing as he embraced his family. Well, that took care of that. Now, let’s get back on the road to the territory—

"Thank you so much for saving us," the merchant said, intercepting me as I headed back to the carriage.

"I just happened to be passing by," I replied, my voice pragmatic. "I didn't do it specifically to save you."

"Even so, we owe you our lives. Truly, thank you."

He bowed so deeply that I started to feel a bit awkward about my own reluctance.

"Don't worry about it. We’ll be going now—"

"I know this is incredibly forward of me, but our guards were all killed in the fighting..."

"I see. Good luck with that."

I knew exactly where this was going. If I kept taking detours, I’d never reach the frontier.

"P-please, wait! I want to reward you properly for your help. Unfortunately, I don't have much coin on me, but if we can reach my company’s branch in the next town, I can pay you a handsome sum."

A company, huh?

The Merchant Guild that oversaw these companies usually had deep, dark connections. In the Royal Capital, almost every major shop was under the thumb of the Lousouth family. My father only had to whisper a desire, and they would compete to bury him in "gifts" just to stay in the guild’s good graces.

However, that influence was strongest in the capital. I doubted their reach extended this far into the provinces. Out here, regional guilds were more beholden to local ties than to a Duke miles away. Furthermore, if this merchant had been about to die, it meant he likely had no strong ties to the original game's plot or the hidden masterminds. He was a "clean" variable.

This might actually be a perfect opportunity, I realized.

I gave a reluctant nod. "Fine. I’ll escort you to the town. There are a few things I wanted to ask a merchant anyway."

"Thank you! Having someone as powerful as you as a guard is incredibly reassuring."

"Even if that guard is just a child?" I asked.

"Age and strength are two different matters. Besides, you seem far more enlightened than your years would suggest."

As I thought, he’s a calculator, I noted.

"About the transport..." I looked at their carriage. It was flipped on its side, and the horses had bolted long ago. "Can't be helped. You can ride in mine. It's a bit cramped because of my supplies, though."

"We would be honored just for the seat."

"Right. Let's get moving." I shook his hand.

"I am Alan Muller, president of the Muller Company. It’s a small operation, so I still handle most of the procurement personally. These are my wife, Elie, and my daughter, Asha."

The two women bowed politely.

"I’m Yuri. Yuri Lousouth."

The moment the name left my lips, Alan froze. His face went ashen. "L-Lousouth? As in... Duke Lousouth?"

"I’m the third son. But I’ve cut ties with the family. I was granted my own territory, so I'm heading there now to take up my post."

"A-and you're a lord?! Forgive me! Please, forgive my repeated insolence!" Alan dropped to the ground, pressing his forehead into the dirt.

This is exactly why I hate using that name.

"I already told you, I don't care. Just don't forget about that reward, okay?"

"Hieee..." Alan squeaked, looking like he’d just signed a contract with a demon.

Still, his reaction told me everything I needed to know. He was terrified of my father, which meant he wasn't one of his cronies. He was "white." If I could convince him to trade in my remote territory, I could establish a reliable logistics chain. It was a dangerous area, so he might refuse, but it was worth a shot.

◇　◇　◇

The Muller family huddled in the carriage, trembling with a mix of fear and awe. Behind us, the bandits were tied in a line, forced to walk. Our pace was agonizingly slow, but I’d just have to endure it until the town. I didn't bother setting a watch; I kept Presence Detection active to monitor the prisoners, and Fee occasionally checked on them while practicing her dagger-throwing.

Once he was inside the carriage, Alan’s terror was quickly replaced by professional curiosity. His eyes locked onto my pseudo-refrigerator.

"Lord Yuri, what is this device? Is it some secret Magic Tool of the Duke’s house?"

"No. It has nothing to do with them. I built it myself, though it's still a prototype."

"A prototype?! But the craftsmanship is incredible!"

"Listen, Alan. You keep trying to link me to my father, but the truth is I'm basically being exiled. Why else would I be sent to a hellish frontier?"

In reality, I had begged for the position to escape the game’s "destruction" route, but there was no reason to tell a stranger that.

"I see... In that case, you'll be needing a great deal of capital, won't you?" Alan’s eyes gleamed. He smelled a business opportunity. I decided to use this to test his reliability.

"I don't need anything immediately, but yes, expenses will pile up."

"Then you should consider mass-producing these refrigerators! It would generate a massive fortune."

"It's not that simple. It’s incomplete because it requires a constant drain on my Magic Power to function."

"I see... it needs a constant source. Could you not use Magic Stones as a bypass?"

" Magic Stones ?"

"Yes. Most modern Magic Tools use stones imbued with power as a battery. If you can adapt the design—"

"That's it!" I shouted, hitting my palm with my fist. How did I miss something so basic?

I remembered reading about Magic Stones being used for tools in the original game's lore, but since they were mostly just items you sold for gold in the menus, I had completely overlooked their practical application. If I could use stones as a power source, I could build almost anything.

I’ll need a way to harvest them regularly. I should check the monster density around the territory once we arrive.

"That was a great catch, Alan. Thanks."

I immediately tuned everything else out and began sketching a new schematic for a stone-powered cooling unit.

"I-it is my honor to be of service," Alan stammered, sensing my shift in focus. "On that note, if you would consider making the Muller Company your exclusive distributor..."

He kept talking, trying to curry favor, but his words didn't register. I was already lost in my own world.

Seeing Alan’s plight, Fee reached over and patted his shoulder. "Give up," she said. "Once he gets like this, he can't hear anything."

Alan’s shoulders slumped in visible defeat.