I would prefer to go to the salt making guild by the end of the day, if possible, as a bottom prep for harassing the king. The sun is going to set on a relaxing walk, so I think I'll hurry a little.
"Okay, let's run"
Speaking to everyone, Simon turns his sorry eyes to this one.
"Wait. I had a leg injury a few years ago, and the doctor told me not to run again."
"... what?
There was an unexpected barbaric voice. Simon can walk about as fast as I can with all my strength, but you can't be bad with your legs. Whoever made that diagnosis is a fucking doctor.
"I'm walking away, don't worry about it. Go ahead."
"No... well, yeah. Right."
I didn't mean to tell Simon to run in the first place. Rather just enough to walk. Because if they do all they can, they probably won't keep up.
About five minutes on a full walk from Simon's workplace. Instead of before the sun set, we were able to reach the salt making guild at considerable leisure. We got there quickly, but I think the distance was a few kilometers. Simon is too fast...
Take a breather's eye out for the look of the salt guild. Making inorganic like a fort. It's considerably bigger than the Adventurer Guild in this city, but probably the majority of the buildings are warehouses. Looks like a pretty old building with a little collapsed exterior walls.
"The salt made by artisans can be collected in this guild once! And you're going to be bought by merchants and officials!
Explain as Simon smiles nicely. Legally, it's not a problem for artisans to sell directly to merchants, but given the hassle of managing taxes and sales, they'd better go through the guild.
"Thanks for the commentary. Shall we just go inside?"
Simon's commentary was not going to stop, so he opened the Alliance door to force him to cut the story off.
Inside the guild there was an anger flying around, a fuss up and down. This mess must be because of that letter. The letter from the royal castle was delivered safely to this guild, apparently.
He did not hesitate to step into the guild and caught a young male employee who was nearby.
"You got a minute?
"What is it? As you can see, I'm busy today, so please try again."
I guess...... I know what you're thinking, but our requirements are related to it, so we can't back off.
"Busy is about the letter from the royal castle, isn't it? I have a suggestion about that. Can't we talk?
"Huh? How could you..."
"That's good. Just a little. Let me talk to you."
The official gave a bitter worm-bitten look and nodded small.
"... ok. Please, come here."
He walks into a room like a conference room, guided by officials, a room with only eight tables in about eight tatami, a murderous room with nothing else. We sit in order from the back.
When they all got to their seats, the officials opened their mouths.
"Uh... are you friends of Mr. Simon's?
Officials turn their frigid eyes to me.
"Yes! Yes!
Before I answered, Simon answered. When did Simon and I become friends... It's a little strange, but it seems more credible to say it's a friend. I guess I don't have to bother denying it.
"I haven't known him for a while, but he's a friend"
"I see...... I'm afraid, how far do you know..."
Officials have visited in horror. Well, did I tell you one thing or the other...... Now that the possibility has surfaced that Simon is being tricked by the salt making guild, you can't reveal everything in your hand, can you?
"All we know is the fact that the budget will be reduced. Depending on the Alliance situation, we might be able to help. Tell me what to do with the craftsmen."
I'll smash the information out and shake it up.
"Help?"
"It means we can buy out the salt. Depending on the circumstances."
"... a face I don't really see, were you a merchant"
The artisans seem to have conveniently interpreted us. Until the Salt Guild is denied the possibility that it is cheating on Simon, let's keep getting it wrong.
"Well, that's the place"
When I answered that, I was surprised Simon leaked his voice, "Huh!?" Open your eyes, you're obviously behaving suspiciously. Don't. You're gonna get suspicious.
"Excuse me, can I see your ID?
Look, I would have been suspicious.
I don't want to show it yet. You'll instantly find out that you're not a merchant when you give out your adventurer's ID, and a knight-equivalent ID isn't just a sign of negotiation.
Oh my god... how do we get through this...
"I haven't gotten my Merchant Alliance ID yet. I don't have enough track record."
I'm not lying. To get a Merchant Alliance ID, you have to earn a steady monthly income. An adventurer like me who does nothing but impersonate a merchant can't sign up for a merchant guild.
Simon nodded and convinced, "Heh..." too. He didn't feel uncomfortable because many adventurers move to merchants after retiring.
"I see... you want to make a deal to get a track record"
All right, the officials convinced me on their own. Nevertheless, I don't think I got the credit. On the contrary, I also feel like I just made you distrust me. Well, I was avoided presenting my ID, so let's be good.
"It depends on the amount of money you can trade. How much do you need?
The cut budget is 10,000 gold coins, and the ceiling I can give is 10,000 gold coins. Negotiations have to be cautious. I'll pretend I don't know now because if I give you the numbers first, the negotiations are going to be disadvantageous.
The official replied slowly after a short time.
"… Calculated from current production, we are likely to need at least 3000 gold coins"
What? That's crazy...... too cheap. How come the difference is 7,000 pieces of gold?
"Is that amount true?
"Hey do it! Sorry, I can't give up this amount because the guild can't operate without profit either"
I thought I was too cheap, but this official is mistaken in the opposite direction.
"I was prepared for at least 5,000 gold coins. That's not what a reduced budget looks like, is it?
"Huh? I didn't see the writ..."
The official's expression is full of confusion and doesn't look like he's lying. But you can't pepper it. I have a very bad feeling about it. I guess we're not just negotiating.
"Who manages this budget?
"I'm the guild manager and the general manager of the accounting department..."
"Can you call those two for a second?"
"I can't. We're both being chased by the response now, and we're out there"
Is that true? There's no way the person in charge is relaxing in the office at such an important time. If so......
"Bring me the books and a letter from the royal castle. It's in this building, isn't it?
"No, you can't show it to outsiders..."
Sure, you're beyond what a merchant can do. But I can't say that. It's time to identify ourselves. You're not an adventurer, you're a knight's equivalent.
This identity has its own investigative powers, so we can enforce the presentation of materials. Until now, I've been too powerful to use it, but now I wonder if it's too much to use.
I took my luxurious ID out of my magic bag and stuck it out in front of the official.
"I'm late to say it, but I have these identities too"
The official who saw my ID took a seat with his face bright blue, taking two steps back and kneeling. Move straight to the groundhog style. Hiding in the shadow of the table, I lost sight of the official.
"I beg your indulgence..."
I hear trembling voices from under the table. I knew this power was too strong. It's a hard ID to use.
He said, "I don't care about that. Bring the materials."
"But... the important documents were in the vault of the office..."
Officials have returned badly toothed answers while remaining earthbound style. I can't talk like this. Let's move to the office first.
"In the meantime, get up and show me around."
"Ha! I understand!
Officials stand up vigorously and stretch their spines. Which is overreacting and pretty depressing. I knew I didn't want to use this ID. That's another seal for a while.
Follow behind the staff leaving the room. The hall with the counter is as noisy as ever. We don't seem to have eyes on outsiders.
Officials stop in front of a grisly door.
"This way."
So I knocked on the door with 'Tong Tong'. There shouldn't be anyone in there. It would be useless to just knock.
"The guild leader is on the go, isn't he? You're on your own."
That's what I said. I put my hand on the door handle. but it doesn't open.... That's a heavy door. Badly built?
"Ah... keys...!
The official said something, but I pulled the handle hard before the voice arrived. The sound of 'beckoning' sounds, and only the handle comes off the door.
"Was it locked..."
I did something wrong...... while I was at it, I made a noise and the door opened.
"Hey, you think you should fix that shit that forces you to open a door that won't open?
Claire shrugs in disdain. Sure, I've done this a few times before, but it's nothing cruel. I really just thought it was heavy. I'm not bad.
"I can't help what's broken. I opened it, so let's go inside."
Throw down the gripping handle and get inside the office.
Then there was a line of luxurious condiments inside. A desk with fine sculptures in front of it, big bore fur when you look at the floor... all like nothing fits the look of this guild.
"That's a lot of luxury room..."
"Huh? Oh, yes. This is the only place that's always clean to keep important customers from being rude."
The official answered without incident. For a reason like that, I remember hearing that only the president's office is unusually luxurious, which is a bad company trait... It's none of my business, so I won't point it out.
"So, where's the safe?
"Yes, this way"
The official said, turning his hand to the small door behind the office. Officials put their hands on the door and slowly pull back. Behind the door, then, was a vault of iron that looked heavy.
It's about 120 cm tall and about the size of a little refrigerator. It has a kannon opening and a dial-like thing with a number on the front and a small keyhole.
"It's a combination of magic and physical keys..."
Luna shrugged when she saw the safe. The dial part is a demon prop and says the keyhole is a normal key. Just like Earth's vault, it won't open unless the numbers and keys match.
"What about the keys?
"I can't open it. The guild manager has the keys, and he only knows the number."
Wouldn't it open if the two of us didn't align... That's a pain in the ass. It would be easy if I could destroy it, but Claire just noticed me.
You wanna wait for the two of us to come home like this?
That's what I was thinking, arrowhead, I just raised my hand that Simon was waiting for me.
"Leave it to me! I'm good at opening safes!
If you're a top adventurer, everyone has a specialty. Even Simon is an experienced adventurer. Apparently 'unlocking' was my specialty.
"Oh, that helps. Please."
"Ha!!"
Simon answered well, holding the safe in his hands. And I'm going to crush it with both hands as it is...... not the way I thought I would open it!
"Mekyo mekyo mekyo..."
The vault, which was shaped like a refrigerator, turned into a large hippocampus. The hinge part is broken and the door looks like it could be removed.
"It's open!
"... you're open"
"This didn't open, it broke..."
Claire shrugged in disgust.
If that's how you open it, I can do it! I think you can open it smarter. This safe looks pretty expensive... I wonder if they'll say "pay it off" or something later.
Simon gladly snapped out of the vault door with our frightened eyes.
"Let's just look inside!
"... oh yeah. Now the paperwork comes first."
I can't help what's broken. When it comes to what I can do, it would be enough to turn the safe into just a chunk of iron to hide the evidence. "There was no safe or anything like that from the beginning," he insists.
Well, I guess I'll check the contents of the safe more than that.