When I woke up the next morning, the ingredients I had brought yesterday had already been shipped to various parts of the country.
According to what I was told over breakfast, the employees had been in high spirits, working with the energy of a festival until they transferred the goods to the Dragoon Guild first thing in the morning. It was heartening to hear that everyone was satisfied with a job well done; as the one who provided the goods, I was glad the effort was appreciated.
Breakfast today was a Japanese-style menu. They apparently remembered how much I had enjoyed the food from the Dragonewt Village when I first visited, and they had gone out of their way to prepare this as a gesture of hospitality.
After gratefully enjoying their kindness, we sat down to discuss the matters we couldn't address the day before.
"First, let’s wrap up the business side of things. For a down payment, how does this look to you?"
I looked at the breakdown on the documents Pioro handed me. A series of incredibly high figures were lined up next to the items. The total came to 500 Large Gold Coins. Since a single Large Gold Coin is worth 100,000 Suut, the total was a staggering 50 million.
For context, there is a higher denomination of currency in this country called the Platinum Coin. A Small Platinum Coin is worth 1 million, a Medium is 10 million, and a Large is 100 million. That meant 50 million Suut was equivalent to 50 Small Platinum Coins or 5 Medium Platinum Coins.
When I first started out, the highest amount I could fathom was the Small Gold Coins from bandit bounties. It was a deeply moving thought, but I couldn't help but wonder if my income was inflating a bit too quickly.
"I mentioned this yesterday, but ingredients from the deep Sea of Trees aren't exactly everyday commodities. Even if you dig through historical records, there’s nothing from recent years. Honestly, there isn’t even a proper market price for this stuff.
"These 500 Large Gold Coins are what we’ve judged to be a safe deposit—an amount we can pay out and still turn a profit when we sell. We’re going to dangle these rare delicacies in front of the nobility and see how much we can extract. Even a conservative estimate puts the value at at least this much.
"The final payment will depend on how high the bidding goes, but I’d say you can have high expectations. Demand for Sea of Trees Ingredients has been skyrocketing in the Royal Capital lately."
That was strange. I could understand if supply was low, but how could demand be high if there was no existing circulation? When I asked, a familiar name came up.
"You’ve met the S-Rank Adventurer Glen, right? Apparently, he brought some Immortal Snake Meat into a high-end restaurant in the Royal Capital.
"The chef couldn't exactly refuse a request from an S-Rank, so he took the meat. But since he’d never handled it before, he tried a small scrap first to test the flavor. Once he realized how incredible it was, he actually tried to negotiate with Glen on the spot to get his hands on more.
"In the end, they agreed that the chef could have whatever Glen didn't eat. The chef served the leftovers to a noble who was a famous gourmet, and from there, the rumors just spread like wildfire."
The explanation made perfect sense.
I had split the meat from my last hunt with Glen, but I couldn't imagine him actually cooking. At most, he’d probably just sear it over a campfire. If he was in the city and wanted a decent meal, it was only natural for him to entrust the meat to a professional.
And as for sharing the meat, the man was flamboyant enough to toss a whole Immortal Snake on a table to pay for a tavern’s worth of drinks. As long as he had his fill, he wouldn't care about the rest.
So, demand was rising despite a total lack of supply. I wondered how the nobles and other merchants intended to get their hands on it.
"Usually, they’d put out a request for adventurers to fetch it. Especially since Glen proved the ingredients actually exist, those requests are popular. If I hadn't heard your stories from the last trip, Ryoma, I might have tried my luck asking him myself... but it’s impossible for him, isn't it?"
"It is. His strength is extraordinary, and his intuition is unnervingly sharp, so he could probably find the ingredients. But as he says himself, anything other than subjugation is outside his expertise. Carefully harvesting, preserving, and transporting fruits or spices simply doesn't suit his personality.
"His fighting style relies on brute force, so the meat would likely be badly damaged too. Even if he accepted the job, the quality wouldn't be anything to write home about. Especially with the Immortal Snake; the flavor drops if the meat is unnecessary bruised or scarred."
It might be possible if he took a team of harvesters with him, but Glen wasn't the type to work with others.
"If that’s the case, you’re currently the only one with a route to procure these goods at this quality. To ensure we keep this partnership going, your cut of the final sale will be forty percent. How does that sound?"
"I understand. I know you wouldn't try to cheat me and risk losing my trust, Pioro-san. I’ll accept those terms."
I signed the documents he provided.
"Then it’s a deal. I’ve tried to offer the best conditions I can from the start. I’d love to go fifty-fifty, but there are transport costs, labor, auction fees, and all the miscellaneous expenses involved in selling luxury goods."
"I don't want you to overextend and hurt your business, so a moderate rate is fine. If you need more, I can always go back and get it."
I had been able to harvest fruit from the same spot as last time, and the Immortal Snakes seemed to be in their breeding season again, as the young snakes were moving through the forest like a river. They had been scattered by Raptors later, but their reproductive cycle seemed fast enough to keep up with the brutal competition for survival.
As long as it was just me harvesting, I didn't think I had to worry about depleting the forest's resources.
"The way you can say that so casually is truly reassuring. Is the secret to that freshness 'that' thing? The monster I saw a glimpse of outside yesterday."
"Yes, Space Magic and that monster... it’s actually a Slime called a Mimic Slime. It used its Mimicry to transform into a Take Ostrich. I haven't measured it exactly, but I think it can reach speeds about five times that of a normal horse."
"A Take Ostrich... that was the nasty beast you mentioned in your stories. So that was it... but five times? That’s incredibly fast."
"I'm still not used to riding it yet; it should be able to go a bit faster once I am. Even this time, I arrived much earlier than I expected while I was just practicing."
"As a merchant, that definitely piques my interest, but I expect it’s out of my reach."
"I’ll be traveling to the Sea of Trees often from now on, so if I’m lucky, I’ll catch one for you."
"Don't do anything reckless. Just value your life and make sure you come back safe."
"Of course."
He seemed worried, but I had no intention of pushing my luck. Thinking of Kormi—oh, right.
"Actually, Pioro-san, there was one other thing I wanted to consult you about. Do you have a moment?"
"We’ve settled the trade talk, so I’ve got time. Do you have another profitable venture for me?"
"Unfortunately, it’s not really a profitable one. In fact, it might even be a financial loss."
The consultation was about Kormi. He had mentioned wanting to become a hospital, library, or school. After we had discussed it further during my stay in the Sea of Trees, a new candidate had emerged: a Dagashi Shop.
"A shop that sells candy cheap enough for kids to buy with their pocket change, huh... You’re right, it doesn't sound like much of a moneymaker. But for you, Ryoma, a small loss is nothing, and I can see why you’d want to do it for a fairy like Kormi. You want to use the cheap sweets to draw the children in."
"Exactly. And I wanted to talk to you about the sweets for that shop. We made some prototypes while we were talking, so I was wondering if you’d be willing to taste them and give me your opinion."
"What? You’ve already got prototypes? What on earth were you doing in the Sea of Trees?! You’ve got more spare time than I thought..."
Ignoring Pioro-san’s exasperated expression, I lined up bags filled with prototypes on the desk.
I had prepared Puffed Grain made from barley, Starch Syrup, Fugashi in both starch syrup and cheese flavors, Soft Candy made by mixing Kinako into rods, something resembling fried fish, and a snack like a famous Asakusa specialty made by binding puffed grain with starch syrup.
The two of us had dug through our memories and made whatever seemed possible to reproduce, resulting in quite the spread. As the prototypes were laid out, the look in Pioro-san’s eyes turned serious.
"Is there a specific order I should eat these in?"
"Let's start with this."
The first thing I handed him was simple Puffed Grain. It was made by heating grain under pressure and then releasing it suddenly to make the grains expand. I had used barley for this batch.
"Hmm... it’s barley, but it’s like the popcorn you see at festivals."
"Exactly. Popcorn requires a specific variety of corn with a hard hull, but you can think of this as reproducing that effect with special tools."
"The aroma and crunch are excellent. Is this block over here just the same grain bound together?"
"Yes, please try it."
Pioro-san popped a piece of the Asakusa-style snack into his mouth, and his eyes widened.
"It’s delicious, but isn't this using too much sugar?"
"I made the Starch Syrup myself from scratch, so the cost wasn't that high."
"You did what?"
"This is the Starch Syrup."
His gaze sharpened as I held out the container. He was clearly intrigued, so I used the chopsticks I’d prepared to coil some of the syrup, kneaded it until it turned whitish, and handed it to him.
"The consistency is close to molasses or honey, but the flavor is different. This subtle taste... surely it isn't the liquid from the middle of a brew? No, it’s too pure, and the sweetness is much stronger..."
It seemed that while Maltose Liquid existed in this country, it was primarily used for brewing alcohol. A standalone product called "Starch Syrup" used as a sweetener didn't seem to exist yet—or at least, it was uncommon enough to stump an expert like Pioro-san.
"It’s likely close to what you’re imagining. The process is a bit different, but it does use barley as an ingredient. You could probably use it for brewing if you wanted to."
"If you focus on extracting sweetness instead of making alcohol, this is the result...?"
"Sweet things are precious, so I don't plan on selling the Starch Syrup itself, but I thought I could use it as an ingredient."
"That’s a smart move. Rights concerning sugar are incredibly complex. If an ordinary shop tries to get involved, they’ll be crushed. Selling products that use sugar rather than the sugar itself is a common loophole, and I can't blame anyone for making a bit of coin that way... but even so..."
"Is it still risky? Please, give me your honest opinion."
When I pressed him, Pioro-san thought for a long moment.
"Ryoma, would you let the Saionji Company handle the manufacture and sale of that Starch Syrup? If you do, we can deal with the rights and the bureaucracy. Since the headache is big, the profit will be too. For us, this would be a business opportunity on the same level as the Sea of Trees Ingredients.
"You don't need to give me an answer right now. If we’re going to do this, we’ll need to prepare carefully. Consult with the Ducal House first, then give me your thoughts."
"I understand. I’ll likely be in touch with them soon, so I’ll ask them then."
Pioro-san didn't push for a contract immediately and left the matter there.
"Now, let's try the next one... Oh! This has a wonderful, light crunch!"
"That’s Fugashi. That one is flavored with starch syrup, but we can change the flavor depending on the coating. Try this cheese-flavored one too."
"This is good too. I can see us making all sorts of varieties with this. And what’s this? It’s buried in soybean powder."
"That’s Starch Syrup mixed with Kinako to make it easier to handle and add some depth to the sweetness. It’s a different experience from the plain syrup."
"...You’re right. The syrup has a sharp sweetness, but this is much gentler."
We continued the tasting, moving through the Dagashi one by one until we reached the final item. I wondered what he’d think of this one.
"It looks like something fried, but there’s no oil on it."
"I was worried about the oil oxidizing and changing the flavor over time, so I used magic to circulate hot air and dehydrate the surface. The texture is similar, but the taste is definitely its own thing.
"The inside is minced river fish from the Sea of Trees spread thin and dusted with flour. Then I applied a concentrated umami sauce extracted from Shell Slime fluids. It’s edible, but it has a bit of a peculiar kick to it."
"...Ah, I see. You used a strong flavor to mask that quirk. This isn't for kids, but I bet it’d be a hit as a snack to go with sake. It’d pair perfectly with something dry."
I see... This one took more effort to make, so I’d keep it under consideration.
"I'm thinking of a price point between one and three Small Copper Coins. What do you think?"
"The flavor is more than enough for a sweet. Since you’re puffing the grain, the cost per piece is tiny, and if you mass-produce them, the price will drop even further. Profit aside, I think they’ll be popular. We get plenty of customers with children, so if you really open this shop, I’d love to carry these products myself."
"I'm glad to hear it. Kormi will be thrilled."
Seeing Pioro-san give them such high marks was a huge relief. However...
"One thing, though. These sweets are vulnerable to humidity, aren't they? Even with Space Magic, if they were made days ago in the Sea of Trees, they shouldn't be this crispy. You’ve got a secret for your storage, don't you?"
"Oh, you caught that? I’m actually using some wisdom from the Sea of Trees. The secret is this small cloth bag inside the pouch."
Inside the small bag were Moisture Absorption Pills I had found in my grandmother’s research notes. They were originally meant for dehumidifying rooms, but since they weren't toxic, I had placed them in small bags to act as a desiccant, making sure they didn't touch the food directly.
"There’s a medicine that can do that?"
"Actually, there are others—"
The conversation flowed from trade to tasting, then to medicines that could be used for food preservation. We were so engrossed in our talk that we didn't realize how much time had passed until an employee came in to ask about lunch.