Ossan Saikyō Chapter 12 Part 18
We left the castle shortly after noon and decided to do some shopping in the shopping district of the Royal Capital in preparation for our journey to escort Shizuna.
That said, we already had everything necessary for camping during the journey, so what we mainly needed to buy was food.
As one would expect from the Royal Capital, the ingredients displayed in the shops were overwhelmingly superior in both quality and quantity.
Since Sphenia and Mariane were both quite skilled at cooking, we listened to their opinions and bought as many ingredients as we could.
The〈Saul's Guidance〉had been earning quite a lot of money lately, so the fact that we had plenty of assets also encouraged us to splurge.
Once we had finished our shopping, we headed to the Toronto Trading Company's commercial office as our final stop.
As it turned out, His Majesty the King had also asked us about the playing cards, so we had decided to commission the Toronto Trading Company to manufacture them and present them to the Royal Family.
“Oh, isn't that Soushi-dono? And the entire〈Saul's Guidance〉as well. Welcome.”
Fortunately, Mr. Toronto himself happened to be at the commercial office and greeted us. He led all of us to a reception room.
“So, are you looking for something today? Or perhaps you need some information again?”
“No, actually, I have a favor to ask.”
I took the handmade playing cards out of my【Item Box】, spread them out on the table, and placed them there. Mr. Toronto's eyes immediately sharpened when he saw them.
“These are... some sort of cards, I presume. The material is the《Giant Centipede Shell》... patterns have been burned onto the surface... Hmm, these are motifs I've never seen before. They certainly are interesting, but I assume these have something to do with the favor you mentioned, Soushi-dono?”
“That's right. I would like your trading company to manufacture cards identical to these and present them to the Royal Family. This is also a request from His Majesty the King.”
“That is quite a grand request... But since it is coming from you, Soushi-dono, the〘Twilight Slayer〙, I doubt this is a joke. Would you mind explaining what these are used for?”
“Of course.”
And so, with Mr. Toronto added to our party, we actually played several games using the cards.
Partway through, the color drained from Mr. Toronto's face, and he immediately called for his secretary, having him write down the rules of the games and copy the patterns on the cards.
Before long, he even called for his son and began giving him orders to buy up all the Giant Centipede shells he could find.
The speed with which he sprang into action certainly felt worthy of a highly capable merchant, but I couldn't help worrying whether it was really all right to move so quickly.
“Mr. Toronto, you don't have to rush quite so much...”
“Hohohoho, Lord Soushi, these will sell! My experience and instincts as a merchant are telling me so.”
“They don't seem to have anything like this in this country yet, so I do think they'll sell reasonably well, but is it really that big of a deal?”
“No, no. The important thing first of all is that these are a gift to the Royal Family. Once members of the Royal Family play with them, word will quickly spread among the nobility.
…
Nobles are frighteningly busy people, but precisely because of that, they are always looking for something that can provide them with a little entertainment. This product fits that demand perfectly. There is no doubt these cards will become popular among the nobility in no time.
…
And once that happens, the common people will be next. I suspect that within half a year, the royal capital will be flooded with people wanting these cards.”
“Even if that's the case, the unit price won't be all that high, so wouldn't the profit be rather limited?”
“We can deal with that by adding value. If other trading companies begin making similar products, we will certainly have no choice but to lower the unit price.
…
However, the fact that these were presented to the Royal Family will itself be a powerful added value.”
“Ah, I see. You mean you'll turn cards made by the Toronto Trading Company into a brand.”
“Branding, is it? I see, so that's what you call it. Soushi-dono, you really are very knowledgeable.”
“No, I just happened to have heard the term before... So, may I take it that you'll accept my request?”
“Of course! More than that, I absolutely intend to do it. Naturally, I shall make sure you are generously rewarded for this.”
“Then please do so once you've made a profit from them. We are setting out on a rather long journey tomorrow, so I don't know when we'll next meet, but we will definitely return to the Royal Capital, so we can discuss it then.”
“A journey? To where?”
“South. I would appreciate it if you could infer the rest.”
“South... I see, so that's what this is about. I suppose even the work entrusted to a highly devout adventurer is on an entirely different level.”
Mr. Toronto, who had probably figured out almost exactly what our circumstances were, gave an exaggerated nod as though deeply impressed.
At any rate, what appeared to be a business deal had been successfully concluded. Afterwards, at Mr. Toronto's request, we signed something resembling a contract and made the agreement official.
I had assumed that the idea for the cards would be bought outright, but instead, the contract stipulated that I would receive compensation periodically based on their sales.
For a merchant, that seemed surprisingly ungreedy... though perhaps Mr. Toronto also intended to maintain his relationship with the〈Saul's Guidance〉.
In any case, we had gained a rather unusual source of additional income for adventurers, and we left the trading company.
Come to think of it, I wonder how Mr. Toronto would react if I showed him the《Indomitable Bastion》. It might be amusing to show it off the next time we meet, just to give him something to talk about.
◇◆◇
The following morning, we headed to the Royal Castle at dawn to meet up with Shizuna.
Raylott guided us to the Waiting Room, where we waited until His Majesty the King, the Chancellor, Her Highness the Princess, and the two usual guards entered together with Shizuna.
Once everyone had gathered, His Majesty the King personally handed me a letter.
“I want you to give this to Her Eminence Miona, the High Priestess of Orz. It contains an account of what happened in this incident, but nothing beyond that. If Her Eminence Miona is reluctant to accept it, please tell her that.”
“Understood. I will make sure it reaches her.”
“I believe you understand this already, but there is a high possibility that another country is involved in Lady Shizuna's situation.
…
Ordinarily, we should send an official envoy to escort Lady Shizuna, but due to the political circumstances, that would be extremely difficult. At Lady Shizuna's request, we have decided to entrust this to you. Please be extremely careful.”
“Yes. We will proceed on the assumption that some form of interference may occur.”
“Indeed. Even taking such a situation into consideration, we have judged that entrusting this matter to you is the most appropriate course of action. I am counting on you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Judging from His Majesty's words, the three countries of Vermilion, Orz, and Mekalinan, which was meddling in the matter, really did seem to exist in a delicate balance of power.
Using adventurers to send Shizuna back to Orz must have been an extremely difficult decision under those circumstances.
In the end, it seemed that through our interactions over the past several days,〈Saul's Guidance〉had been judged to be an adventurer party worthy of being entrusted with the task.
His Majesty nodded at me before turning toward Lady Shizuna.
“Lady Shizuna, I apologize for having kept you here for so long. You will now be returning to your homeland, but I would be pleased if you would visit our country again as an adventurer.”
“I too bear some responsibility for what happened this time. From the beginning, I have felt that His Majesty the King and everyone in this country have treated me well, so I am the one who should be offering my thanks.”
“Please take the utmost care on your journey. I pray that you will return safely to your homeland.”
After saying that, His Majesty glanced toward the Princess.
The Princess went over to Lady Shizuna and, in a tearful voice, said, “Please be safe. I will never forget the conversations I shared with you, Lady Shizuna. Please come visit us again”.
It seemed they had grown quite close in such a short time. Perhaps Shizuna was simply very good at communicating with people.
Once all the necessary greetings and arrangements had been completed, the Chancellor handed me a pass that would allow us to cross the border.
That should have been everything we needed.
“Then, Soushi-dono, I expect you to successfully complete this mission.”
“Yes, sir. I shall carry it out without fail.”
After answering His Majesty, we were prompted by Raylott to leave the room.
As we walked toward the exit, gradually released from the tension, I saw a man in clerical robes approaching from ahead. I recognized his somewhat stout figure and the loach-like moustache hanging around his mouth.
He was that Cardinal of the Aashram Church whom I had caught a glimpse of the other day.
Moreover, the same four members of the〈Supreme Radiance〉were walking behind him.
The boy Garsonia at the front made an intensely displeased expression for an instant when he saw me, but he simply passed by without saying anything.
Only the woman dressed like a warrior gave me a slight bow. She still looked as exhausted as ever, so it seemed she was having a hard time.
They had probably come to propose some new deal to His Majesty regarding the《Elixir》.
They had practically tried to hold the Queen's life hostage, so I wondered how they would react when they learned that the Queen had recovered.
Still, they were people I wanted nothing to do with, so I had no particular desire to find out how they would react.
More importantly, our task now was to escort Lady Shizuna to Orz. Although it was technically a mission, exploring an unknown country meant that, for〈Saul's Guidance〉, it would inevitably feel rather like a sightseeing trip.
Personally, I was looking forward to visiting Orz, a country with something of a Japanese atmosphere to it.
Even if another troublesome event was waiting for us there.
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E/N:
I want to see this Cardinal a-hole panicking like a cockroach 😂 Also, Supreme Radiance is so ass!
Stay tuned!
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