Volume 9 Chapter 15 Clay's City Exploration
Clay decided to start by making small deals to gather information.
"Fortunately, I have some seed money. Now, let's think about how to move forward."
Under Alex's guidance, Clay had become quite skilled in investments and trade.
So, as soon as he entered the city, he knew that this region was a commercial district and had already identified potential hotspots.
"I see, so the security is different between the main street and the back alleys. That means the opportunities are in the back alleys, right?"
He had caught the attention of some suspicious characters, but Clay knew how to deal with them.
The key was to understand the power dynamics.
"Hey, that guy..." "Is he strong? Can he be useful...?"
For example, if he heard voices like that around him, Clay would immediately cut in.
"Hey, nice timing. I have a good deal for you guys."
"Huh? No, no, we're not interested."
Thieves would oppose him because they thought they could take advantage of him. So Clay would take the initiative and speak up. If he showed them that he was willing to take them on, they would back off without a fight.
As he walked around, Clay found what he was looking for.
"Old man, is this a flea market?"
"Huh? Ah, yeah, take a look around..."
The ground was covered with a tattered cloth, and various goods were scattered about, some of them stained with mud. A normal person wouldn't buy anything from this place.
But Clay's discerning eye had already decided what to buy.
"So, I'll take this, this, and this."
"Huh? Are you really going to buy those? Okay, okay, 2 copper coins..."
"Thank you, old man. Please enjoy a good meal with this."
Clay handed over the silver coins, adopting a generous attitude as he told the old man. The people around them whispered, "He's rich..." "That guy is reckless, talking to anyone he meets. What kind of job does he have?"
And everything went according to Clay's plan.
Clay took the goods back to his inn, washed and polished them carefully, and then headed to a large antique shop. He presented the goods and said, "I'd like to sell these."
The appraiser looked at Clay's feet, chuckling to himself.
"Hmm? Ah, this one. It's worth 2 bundles of 3 coppers, one copper coin."
"Huh? You can't even tell its value. Then let's go somewhere else."
As Clay was about to leave, the appraiser desperately tried to hold him back, his face pale.
"Wait, wait, young master. If you know the item's value, please tell me from the start, haha. I'll appraise it properly, so please, please."
"...Alright, I'll entrust it to you."
Clay handed over the item again. The appraiser thought for a bit, then said:
"...Five gold coins. I think it's a fair price, but what do you think?"
―――Clay smiled.
Everything was going according to Clay's plan. In a commercial district like this, such things happened. An item's value was always fluid, and if you didn't have a good eye, you'd fall to the ground.
That's what he was searching for. Buying it at a low price and selling it at a high price, without being suspected. If you were feared, you wouldn't be attacked.
Everything was going perfectly, right in the palm of Clay's hand.
So Clay said further:
"You're still underestimating it. This should be worth 2 big gold coins at the very least."
"That's, uh, the market price. We can't buy it at that price."
"Then, I see. I understand. Seven gold coins is a good price. You'll make a decent profit, won't you?"
"That's, uh, true... But what's your goal?"
Clay smiled faintly and said:
"There's no particular goal. I just want to join the Merchant Guild. I'm a newcomer, and I don't have any connections."
――――That was Clay's first day. Clay had obtained the status of a merchant in just one day.
For the next few days, Clay repeated similar actions, inflating his capital.
What he was doing was similar to being a "privileged merchant," targeting nobles and wealthy Demons who had gold, flattering them, and selling at extremely high prices.
Clay's performance skyrocketed over the next few days. As he worked, he thought to himself that the poor security indeed led to more opportunities.
In a beautiful city like this, you can't make a killing like this. Buying something with silver coins and selling it for gold coins is impossible in Karditsa.
However, his main goal is still gathering information. Since demons also seem to be keeping an eye on Clay, he visited the Merchant Guild.
"Hello, are you doing business?"
"Slowly but surely. Clay-san seems to be doing quite well, doesn't he?"
"Hahaha, I'm just lucky, that's all."
Clay went to the Merchant Guild, pretending to be a merchant, and chatted with the demon merchants while observing the surroundings.
He already had a good grasp of the city's common knowledge. So from now on, he wanted to learn more about this commercial district――the Bazaar――than anyone else.
As he chatted with the demon merchants over drinks, he noticed some flashy people walking by.
The woman leading the group was reminiscent of a snake.
Her sharp, piercing eyes, her tongue occasionally slipping out between her lips, and her extravagant clothes. The scales on the back of her hand. When she walked, everyone made way for her.
"By the way... who is that?"
Clay asked in a low voice, and the demon merchant replied in a low voice, "Ah, you mean her?"
"She's the head of this Merchant Guild, known as 'Empress' Yor. She's the queen of our merchants, earning the most in this guild."
"Wow... that's impressive."
Clay said with a hint of sarcasm. He sensed a hint of jealousy in the demon merchant's words.
The demon merchant took the bait, just as Clay had expected.
"That's right. She's really... stubborn and strong-willed. Many people have given up on business because of her strictness."
"That's true, but business is all about connections, isn't it? Doing something like that won't work out, will it?"
"That's because she has the Demon King's army backing her up. You can't just take her on easily."
So, it seemed that there was a past incident where an attack was planned, but it ended up being a counterattack.
She also had ties with the Demon King's army. She was indeed the Empress.
"And, she has another shield, too,."
Right after the demon merchant said it, a gigantic beastman demon appeared at the Merchant Guild.
It was a deer beastman. Rune letters were engraved all over its horns. Even with its clothes on, its muscular body was still visible.
As soon as the beastman demon was spotted, Empress Yor rushed over and started chatting with him in a friendly manner. The demon merchant said, "That's him."
"Great Deer Eik. He used to be the right-hand man of Don Fen in the slum's 'Ede Wolf,' and there are rumors that he's incredibly strong."
"Ede Wolf..."
He has heard of it. It's the most famous and largest clan in the slum's assassination guild. There are even rumors that its leader's power is on par with the gods.
"So, is he really that strong?"
"Yes, I've heard he's extremely powerful. Apparently, if you get caught in his Domain Control, there's no escape, no matter who you are."
Domain Control, Clay thought. He remembered seeing it before, and it was an overwhelming power against humans.
As a demon, even if you're killed once, you can revive. But against humans, it's hopeless. You'll almost certainly be killed, and you won't even be able to gather any information.
However, this was the demon's nest, the Demon King's city. Clay handed over a big silver coin and asked in a low voice.
"Do you have any information about his Domain Control?"
"...I've heard that a demon who was swallowed by him and revived right after said this."
The demon merchant received the big silver coin and said,
"There's an ancient dragon hidden in Great Deer Eik's Domain Control."
After listening to Clay's story, I said,
"U've always thought this, but Clay's business skills are amazing, aren't they?"
"It's because I learned from Alex-san's business style. This is nothing compared to that."
Clay smiled, looking proud. As a former royalty with business talent, and with a mentor who was the emperor of a neighboring country...he's like the main character or something.
"Besides, the business I did with the Merchant Guild is going well too. I've got a good grip on it, and I'm planning to buy out the whole store that's supposed to be dismantled today."
Dismantled today?
"...Could it be, the one on Main Street?"
"Yeah. You know it well. Were you and Wade-kun active in the Bazaar too?"
"Yeah, Ice and I were working in the Bazaar, but... I think we might've been the ones who took down that store too."
"...It's a small world, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is."
We share a wry smile. Clay continues.
"As planned, I'll make the next business venture a success too, and aim to become the head of the Merchant Guild. That way, I'll be able to move more pieces around."
"That sounds interesting. How do you plan to do it?"
"Well, first I'll expand the store, and then I'll cleverly trap the current Guild leader and make them step down. And during that process, the ones who'll stand in our way are..."
"The big shot, Eik... I mean, the Domain Control user, right? And there's the rumor about the ancient dragon... it's a thrilling story, isn't it?"
"Hahaha, that's so like you, Wade-kun."
Clay teases me, and I chuckle, shaking my shoulders.
It seems like Clay, Ice, and I were active in the Bazaar, and Clay was trying to create a lively atmosphere in the city with us.
But that makes me wonder about one person.
"What was Toxy doing, and where?"
"Me? I-I was, uh..."
Toxy stammers, looking like she has got something stuck in her teeth.
Philia cuts in, saying:
"Toxy-chan, Sur-chan, and I were playing doctor in the Demon King's army!"
"The Demon King's army!? You managed to infiltrate it! That's amazing!"
It's the enemy's headquarters! Whoa!
"Ahahah... Well, it's just how things turned out."
Toxy starts talking like that.
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