Konbini Ossan Volume 5 Chapter 9 — Arisa’s Thoughts
Arisa didn’t hesitate to share her thoughts.
“First off, transportation costs. Since that smell attracts monsters, just moving the stuff has to be a nightmare, right?”
“Indeed. There’s the cost of packaging, too, and you’d need to hire extra guards just in case.”
“Exactly. So they’d post a request for adventurers. But unlike monster subjugation requests, escort jobs tend to pay less, don’t they?”
“You’re right. I remember escort requests for merchant convoys usually didn’t offer rewards worth the trouble.”
I nodded, recalling my days as an adventurer.
“In most monster subjugation requests, the client’s desperate. They really want the monsters gone, so rewards go up.
…
And the permanent subjugation jobs — the ones funded by the state — also pay well.”
One of an adventurer’s main duties was handling what we called permanent requests — monster extermination along public roads.
Those jobs kept the highways safe, making travel between cities possible.
Of course, there were exceptions, like the orc attack the other day, so self-defense was still essential.
“Also, when you go hunt monsters on your own terms, you can prepare properly. You know what kind of monsters, where, and how you’ll deal with them.
…
As long as nothing unexpected happens, it’s a straightforward job. Among monster-related requests, it’s one of the easier ones.”
“I see. That does make sense.”
Now that I thought about it, rookie adventurers tended to prefer dungeons like the multi-dungeon in the capital, where the types of monsters were predictable.
Just as Arisa said, it wasn’t only about monster strength — the difficulty depended on how much you could plan ahead.
“But with escort jobs, you never know when you’ll get attacked, or by what. It’s a pain, and from the merchant’s point of view, the adventurers are just sitting around most of the time.
…
So they don’t feel like paying more than a normal subjugation. Unless the merchant’s unusually considerate, escorts end up being lower-paying gigs once you calculate the daily rate.”
“True. Merchants chase profit — that’s how it goes.”
“So in the end, those thankless jobs end up attracting washed-up adventurers who can’t afford to be picky.
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Since they’re weak, the merchants feel justified in paying less, which just feeds the cycle of underpayment. A downward spiral.”
Arisa’s reasoning sounded spot-on.
Escort jobs were usually handled either by trusted adventurers with long-standing ties to a merchant group, or by bands of adventurers who couldn’t handle subjugation quests anymore.
What she described matched reality perfectly.
“So that’s why transport costs aren’t just about money — it’s the risk. Even if a bunch of veterans group up, if a really nasty monster shows up, they’re done for.
…
Risky cargo like tofu would need high-level adventurers to guard it. But that costs extra. And tossing a bit more gold around won’t be enough to attract competent ones.
…
The washed-ups will still swarm in, and that’s that. Basically, unless you’ve got connections with high-ranking adventurers, shipping tofu anywhere isn’t even feasible.
…
That’s reason number one why tofu can’t be sold outside this city.”
“I understand. And the second reason?”
When I prompted her to go on, Arisa nodded.
“Simple — profit. Look, tofu’s made from beans, right?”
“Yes.”
“So instead of turning them into tofu, you could just sell the beans as they are. No need to process them into some luxury snack.
…
Beans sell anywhere. Even if the ones used for tofu don’t fetch the best price, this region can grow plenty of other crops. So why bother making tofu in the first place?
…
It’s just a niche product for people who like it. Sure, they’ll make enough for local consumption, but no one’s gonna export it.”
When she put it like that, she was completely right. There were countless ways to make a profit without relying on tofu.
“I see. So your opinion comes down to two points — tofu itself is a weak product, and exporting it has major logistical risks. Is that correct?”
“Exactly. So, old man, got any clever ideas?”
“Well, I might have one or two.”
At that, Arisa smirked.
“Knew it. So, what’s the plan?”
“That’s a surprise for later. But first…”
I paused for a moment, sorting through my thoughts and priorities.
“Let’s start by researching the exact transportation costs between this city and the capital.”
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E/N:
Arisa-chan's character growth from a dumb teenage girl to a smart and intelligent woman… I'm not crying bruh, you are! 😭 Stay tuned!
Apologies for the delayed upload ORZ! I shall repent! (1/3 chapters)
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