Kamisama Shop de Cheat no Kaori

Chapter 157. The Bumpy Family And The Adele Company

“This quality is excellent, and since this is our first transaction, I’ll offer you a generous price—4,800 yen per kilogram.”

The one clicking his abacus (or something similar) with a smile was a slender man wearing a monocle.

At the moment, I was visiting a certain trading company, thanks to information from a former merchant living in the slums.

Though I had no letter of introduction or reference, I decided to try my luck with a cold call.

The former merchant had recommended a relatively honest company that wouldn’t easily scam walk-ins.

After waking up, I did a light workout, which strangely attracted a crowd from the slums.

Perhaps they don’t have much entertainment.

For breakfast, I provided various ingredients—mostly potatoes—and had Lalaila cook up a soup. I hadn’t planned on doing this, but it ended up being distributed to everyone who had gathered.

I also gave Giro and Klari some bread on the side, which made them cry with joy.

When I asked if they hadn’t eaten bread just a few days ago, they said they’d never had anything so delicious. Come to think of it, both Lalaila and Eutis had said something similar before.

On top of gas and breakfast, I went ahead and bought a dress shirt today.

I’m really starting to miss my combat gear. I could wear Cherina’s gift, but I’d prefer to keep that unused if possible.

If I had more money, I’d even consider buying a mass-produced version.

Altogether, I spent 9,051 yen.

Remaining balance: 431,490 yen.

Since the soup was made mainly from cassava and potatoes, I prepared a large amount. However, word spread quickly, and more and more people kept showing up, which became quite a hassle.

I eventually grabbed Depas, one of the local figures, and put him in charge of the situation.

At first, he complained, but when I offered him a bag of bread, he happily took over. He might have a knack for managing crowds.

Even after all that, the crowd didn’t thin out easily, so I left the situation to Yaralai and his daughter, while I headed to the trading company alone.

Finally, the hags stopped complaining about me traveling alone.

For the first time in a while, I wore something close to combat gear—though it wasn’t official military attire.

I opted for slacks and a dress shirt, leaving my suit jacket behind.

I detached the cargo trailer from the camper and pulled it along by hand.

By now, I’ve gotten used to lightly imbuing myself with energy, so towing the trailer was easy with its wheels.

The trading company I was told about was a four-story building made of red brick.

It was a relatively small company situated along one of the main roads.

There were larger companies with big carriage spaces nearby, but the one I was heading for gave off a calm, reliable impression.

At the cart drop-off, I saw a man—not a boy—giving instructions at the entrance.

He wore a monocle, which suggested he worked for the company.

“That load goes into this wagon. Be careful not to mix things up. Yes, that’s correct.

Any other questions? No? Then I’ll head back into the store—”

At that moment, the man with the monocle noticed me.

I gave a polite nod with a business-like smile.

“Well now, you must be a first-time visitor. What can we do for you today?”

“Yes, this might seem abrupt, but I have something I’d like your company to take a look at.”

“Oh? Are you referring to that gleaming white cart you’re pulling?”

The man looked at the cargo trailer with great interest.

It was natural for him to assume I was selling it.

“No, it’s the contents inside. May I show you?”

“I just happen to be free now. Come on in. You! Bring the cart inside and handle it with care!”

“Yes, sir!”

One of the younger workers dashed over and pulled the trailer under the roof.

Though it was heavy, the wheels made it manageable.

I tried to tip him, but he bowed quickly and slipped away before I could.

He simply returned to his original task.

“Your thoughtfulness is enough; no need for a tip.”

“Are you sure? Isn’t it a matter of livelihood for them?”

“We pay them fairly. But if you’re concerned, feel free to speak with them before you leave.”

“Understood.”

“So, what is the product you wanted to show us?”

“Ah, this.”

I unlocked the cargo and opened the lid.

Like the gatekeeper earlier, the man seemed surprised by the mechanism, though he said nothing and waited patiently.

It seemed I had indeed come to the right place.

As a sample, I took out a 1-kilogram package of buffalo jerky.

Each package weighed 1 kilogram, and though I had originally brought 500 units, the customs fees had reduced it to 400.

“Oh, buffalo jerky! That’s rare for this season. Let’s move inside, shall we?”

“Thank you.”

It seemed they were willing to listen.

The interior of the trading company was simple, with no unnecessary decorations.

The meeting room I was led to had proper ventilation, and a surprisingly cool breeze flowed through it.

“When you dig into the ground here, you quickly hit a water source.

We channel the outside air through that water before it enters the building, creating a cool, moist breeze.”

“That’s impressive.”

“It’s a local tradition. A trading company’s reputation depends on whether it has this system, so we made sure to install it.”

That was a lie.

This company must be doing well to afford such a setup without issue.

“It’s a luxury a traveling merchant like me can only dream of.”

“Our little system is our pride… Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Rotten Magua of the Adele Company.”

“I’m Akira. Nice to meet you.”

We exchanged handshakes, and Rotten immediately began inspecting the product.

“Oh, the stamp of the Veliero Company! Their goods are always excellent.”

“Yes, I happened to establish a good relationship with them.”

“That’s fortunate. You should nurture that connection.”

“Of course.”

For a moment, I imagined a flicker of red hair in my mind.

Rotten carefully opened the package with a knife at his waist and took out the jerky.

He shaved off a corner, sniffed it, held it up to the light, and finally took a bite.

“…Excellent. It’s rare to find jerky this fresh—even in the right season.”

“Are you sure you should be praising it so much? I might start expecting a lot.”

“Haha, I see your point. But as someone bearing the Adele name, I can’t undervalue quality goods.”

“You take great pride in your work.”

“Indeed. Now, let’s talk business—”

And so, the conversation returned to where it started.

“4,800 yen per kilogram?”

“Yes. How does that sound? We can pay in cash on the spot.”

“By the way, I noticed something while walking through the town…”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“This country seems quite lively—there are many people, merchants, and beastfolk.”

“Yes, the population is growing rapidly.”

“So, food prices must be rising by the day, correct?”

Rotten’s eyes widened momentarily before he grinned, making his monocle gleam.