Volume 9 Chapter 23 Merchant Guild
After the business deal was settled, Clay started to shut himself in the reception room a few days later.
The reason was simple. Demons who called themselves merchants started lining up one after another in front of Clay's place. Since Clay had to respond to all of them, he couldn't leave the reception room.
It went on for about 3 more days. When it finally ended, Clay said:
"I've taken over all the nearby shops. Everyone, you're welcome."
I also helped out, but I was amazed by Clay's incredible skills. What kind of terrifying merchant is this?
Apparently, we took over the shops by buying out the entire business, including the store owners, and had the merchants work as store managers from then on. It was like an M&A deal.
So, the nearby shops didn't go bankrupt, but instead became branch stores under Clay's management.
"I'll set the prices as I see fit. Is that okay?"
The moment he said that, Clay raised the prices drastically.
At first, customers stayed away, but eventually, they had to come back to Clay's store since they had to go far to find alternatives.
The 3 of us, including Ice and Rollo, were busy working under Clay, but we shared the overall sales profits.
About 2 weeks passed. After checking the accounts, I said.
"We've made an insane amount of money!"
"I've saved up a lot even on the surface, but... who would have thought we'd see the day when we could line up platinum coins?!"
"This is crazy! I've never seen anything like it! It's not silver, it's white! Wow!"
"Haha, grand-scale indeed. But it'll be gone soon enough."
We had earned 3 platinum coins. That was our profit for the past 2 weeks. Converted to Japanese yen... 9 billion? I really couldn't understand the meaning of it.
"The key factor was that we took over high-end shops. Jewelry, artifacts, and real estate were the top earners."
"Did the suppliers handle that kind of stuff too? Why didn't they sell it directly?"
"It was a store that only dealt with trustworthy merchants, so we could handle it. In reality, we were able to have a proper business discussion, which was quite unusual for demons."
"That's true. It was like talking to a human."
It's not like I'm being serious or anything, I thought, looking back. Even the old-timers might be faking it, you know? From a newbie's perspective, both old-timers and mid-rankers look the same.
That being said, Clay can do business without worrying about his opponents because Ice can deploy ice soldiers anywhere, anytime. Even if customers try to steal from him, he can kill them for sure.
"We have to report our sales to the Merchant Guild, so our ranking will definitely go up."
"Ranking?"
"Yeah, it's a thing. We pay guild fees based on our earnings, and the more we pay, the more influence we get in the Merchant Guild. That's how it is..."
Clay glanced at me, then looked away.
"Why don't we all go to the Merchant Guild and check it out? We might get a feel for the atmosphere, right?"
So, with Clay leading the way, the 4 of us--me, Ice, Rollo, and Clay--headed to the Merchant Guild.
We got off the horse-drawn carriage we had arranged and entered the guild. The interior was more like the Coin mansion I visited before, which had a bad reputation, rather than the Adventurer Guild.
But it was even more luxurious, like a noble's mansion combined with an Adventurer Guild, divided by 2. It was a really grand building.
"...Rich people's area..."
Rollo had a rare, gloomy expression.
"What's wrong, Rollo?"
"No, it's just... I once entered a place like this without knowing anything~, and it was a disaster..."
"A disaster? ...Ah, don't tell me. I'll definitely regret it if I hear it."
"Are you thinking I'm a pitiful guy, Master?"
"You're a strong-willed kid."
"Hehe~, that's a better evaluation than I thought!"
She really does have a strong heart. I wonder what kind of life she's lived to get this mentally tough.
"Excuse me. Please show me your membership card."
The one who stopped us while we were chatting was a polite demon. He was well-dressed, so he might be a servant here.
Clay took out something like a badge from his pocket.
"Here."
"I'll verify it. ...Verified. Clay-sama, and your companions, please enter."
We bowed our heads and entered. Inside, merchants were chatting loudly.
Everyone was dressed in luxurious clothes, talking about how well they did, saying things like "This time's profit is amazing" and "We did a great job, didn't we?" They were having a lively conversation.
Among them, there were those who were having a shady conversation, saying things like "Doing business with the Demon King's high-ranking officials is really profitable. We can make a profit and even get rid of those annoying people!"
No wonder they're the top organization in the Bazaar. With their connection to the Demon King's army, they're basically in control of the city's economy. Even without the Demon King's army, they can turn money into power.
"..."
I thought to myself.
The plan to rise to the top of the Merchant Guild, using it as a cover to take down the tower, was based on the strategy of making the Merchant Guild turn against the Demon King's army and then taking advantage of the opportunity to seize the tower.
We would use the demon sl*ves we brought and the demons we hired with gold to maintain control of the tower.
But as I looked deeper, I started to think that it might be a bit difficult to swallow everything whole.
The foundation was stronger than I thought. It felt like Clay had a solid base, just like how it didn't budge even when the small fry took a bite out of it. As evidence, Clay wasn't getting much attention.
But on the other hand, I wondered how far we needed to infiltrate the Merchant Guild.
What we wanted to do was to use the Merchant Guild as a cover to take down the tower.
In other words, we wanted the Demon King's army to think, "The tower fell! The Merchant Guild must be behind it!"
To do that, what we needed wasn't to rise to the top of the Merchant Guild itself, but to know its internal workings.
In other words, hadn't we already laid the groundwork to frame the Merchant Guild for our crime?
With the absorption of the small shop, Clay's guild ranking must have risen. We should be able to meet with influential merchants and have a chance to talk to them directly...
I was thinking about that when Ice suddenly grabbed my sleeve, saying "Ah, Wade-kun..."
"Hm? What's wrong?"
I looked in the direction Ice was pointing, and I saw a luxurious-looking woman walking with a group of merchants, chatting with them. "We've got a great deal!" she said.
"That's..."
"Wade-kun, one of the reasons I brought everyone, including you, is because of her."
Clay said with a sly smile, but his eyes remained sharp.
The woman had a snake-like appearance, just as I had heard.
Her sharp eyes seemed to pierce through me, and her forked tongue darted in and out of her mouth every time she spoke. Her hands, which were visible from her sleeves, had scales that reflected the light.
"She's the Guild Leader of the Merchants, Empress Yor. We need to take care of her before we reach our true goal."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Her merchant guild supplies the Demon King's army with weapons and food. Since they're directly protected by the Demon King's army, we can't touch them right now."
I nodded, looking at Yor.
"With this, we can offer many more tributes to the Demon King May the Demon King prosper! Hehehehe!"
Yor laughed, and the surrounding merchants followed her lead.
"Indeed, she's going to be a major obstacle."
I agreed with Clay's assessment. A powerful merchant who supports the Demon King's army--if we can use her effectively, the impact would be huge.
Just then, I noticed something.
"...?"
Yor, who we were just talking about, was staring at us. What's going on? I thought, and then Yor beckoned to us, saying.
"Come here, you."
Clay stepped forward, ignoring my stunned expression. Since Yor didn't refuse, it seemed like Clay was volunteering himself.
Clay and Yor faced each other. Clay bowed his head respectfully, but Yor looked down at him with a condescending expression, her chin raised high.
"You're that merchant Clay who recently joined the guild, right? They say you're buying out all the small shops in the area and dominating the region..."
Clay dodges Yor's sharp gaze with a gentle smile.
"What are you talking about? I'm just lending a helping hand to struggling merchants. That's all."
Black... It's hard to believe those words coming from someone who's monopolizing suppliers and buying out all the surrounding shops.
But I suppose that's just how humans think. From a demon merchant's perspective, it's not a big deal as long as no blood is shed.
That's exactly what Empress Yor does--she crushes competing shops without hesitation, bribing officials to lock up her opponents. And for demons, imprisonment is worse than death.
Thinking about that, Clay's response seems almost... pitiful.
Well. In response to Clay's response, Yor nods her head in agreement, "hmm, hmm..." and then smirks, saying...
"You're quite bold, aren't you?"
A powerful blow strikes Clay's head, making him stumble.
"Wh-what?!"
Clay falls to the ground, bleeding. He looks up at Yor's hand and sees a metal fan-like object.
An iron fan. A self-defense tool used in places where weapons are prohibited. In other words, a metal rod disguised as a fan, used to deliver a powerful blow.
We react quickly to the attack, but soon stop. Because we realize what Clay did.
Clay, like the other party members, has an automatic defense mechanism. Normally, he wouldn't even flinch from a blow like that.
But he deliberately disabled it and got hit. There's a clear intention behind it--to feign weakness and lure his opponent into a false sense of security.
"You newcomers and your fancy tricks... thinking you can get ahead easily with your talents? Arrogant, impudent, and so bold!"
Yor continues to strike Clay with the iron fan, again and again. Clay's mouth is cut, he spits out blood, and his brain spins as he falls to the ground.
"Clay! --What are you doing?!"
I shouted out the expected reaction as an accomplice. Then, Clay reached out his hand to stop us, saying "It's okay... it's okay."
"What the heck!? What do you mean it's okay?! This is... what's going on?!"
"Aww, what's wrong? You're trying to protect your friends? Hehehe, that's so cute. That hypocrisy! It makes me sick!"
Yor trampled Clay multiple times, and Clay just lay there, getting trampled.
Then, Yor looked at us with a condescending gaze and said.
"You guys don't know, but in this merchant guild, I'm the one who makes the rules. If you guys even touch me with a single finger... the Demon King's army won't stay silent."
Yor laughed, showing off her forked tongue. Yeah, she's definitely a sly snake woman. It's no wonder the branch manager dislikes her.
"Well, I've had my fun, so from now on, I'll just do small-time business in a corner. Shall we proceed to the next deal, everyone?"
Yor gave Clay one last kick before leaving with her entourage. We confirmed they were gone, then quickly rushed to help Clay up.
"Wade, you... do you understand what just happened...?"
"...Yeah, it's way over the top. Even if I knew you were okay, that still pisses me off."
"Haha, you're really concerned about your friends, aren't you...? Anyway, let's just drop it."
The dry earth floated up to cover Clay's face, which was injured. The earth quickly dried up and crumbled away, revealing no signs of injury left.
Clay borrowed my shoulder to hide his complete recovery from the surrounding people.
"That's Bazaar's Empress Yor. She's the kind of opponent we should be wary of... but even in hell, sl*ves can have their fun, as the saying goes."
Clay had a wicked grin on his face.
"This kind of humiliation is a first for me. I'm actually looking forward to getting back at her."
I stared at Clay with wide eyes, then nodded in agreement. While lending him my shoulder, I said as we headed towards the exit...
"Our next move will be a grand one. That snake woman will be so shocked, she'll drop her jaw, it'll be that flashy."
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