Buying and Selling is a Merchant's Job

The dryness in the air woke me. My throat stung a little.

Azu was clinging to my waist in her sleep, so I carefully extracted myself without waking her.

Alexia seemed to be outside.

Well, I couldn't blame her for not being able to sleep.

Not after seeing something like that.

I scooped water from the jug into a cup and drank slowly.

I didn't gulp it down because my throat was raw.

If I was already in this state after only just arriving, the people of that city must be suffering terribly.

I wanted to help, but this was a bit beyond what I could handle.

I couldn't exactly wash my face with the water jug's supply, so I went outside to find Alexia.

She was right nearby, stroking the horse's mane.

She noticed me too.

Alexia came over to me first.

I was about to speak when I noticed her expression had clouded over, like she was trying to say something.

It was unusual for her to hesitate.

Whether it was her personality or her former status as a noblewoman, Alexia never held back around me.

She said what she wanted to say, and while she treated me as her master in form, she had no qualms voicing complaints.

I'd always tolerated it, since having her bottle things up would be a bit scary.

And yet here was Alexia, choosing her words carefully.

I had a rough idea of what it was about.

"Morning."

"Good morning."

"Water, please."

Alexia nodded and produced a ball of water from her fingertips.

About fist-sized.

I caught it in both hands and washed my face, then wiped away the moisture with a towel.

That felt much better.

"So, what's eating you? It's not like you to be indecisive."

"… Was it that obvious?"

Alexia touched her cheek and ran her fingers along it.

"I'll hear you out, at least. But we're a merchant and adventurers. There's only so much we can do."

"I'm well aware. And I've already pieced together a general idea of what happened to that city."

"Let's hear it."

"… Remember when we brought back elemental crystals from the Wind Labyrinth?"

"Hm? Oh, right. Those sold well."

Demand had settled since then and the value had dropped somewhat, but back then they'd been worth more than gold.

Unlike this trip, where I got haggled down to the point of questioning why we even came, that journey had been worth the effort.

The trade goods sold well, too, and while limited in quantity, the gemstones I'd bought also turned a profit.

Splendid.

"Those came from monsters. Crystals of condensed wind-attribute energy. Water-attribute versions exist too, but you can get even finer ones from elementals."

"Oh?"

Well, that made sense.

From what Alexia had told me, elementals were the embodiment of their attribute itself.

They weren't monsters, and nobody touched them precisely because they couldn't be defeated.

If someone were to do something to a Water Elemental, then… ah, I see.

"A Water Elemental Stone. A material obtained in exchange for a Water Elemental. Though in return, it wouldn't be strange for all the water in this entire region to dry up."

Alexia looked away, her gaze dropping to the ground.

I followed suit.

The cracked earth made it easy to imagine what water depletion looked like.

The soil was either sand-dry and loose, or hardened like metal.

It looked like the aftermath of a terrible drought.

"And you're saying this is the result?"

"Yes. A small Water Elemental gestured toward Baron Aarg's manor for me. They're probably evaporating the elemental using burning stone."

"That's actually possible…?"

"The mages weren't distributing any water to speak of despite being on hand, right? They're probably using them to restrain the elemental."

"I see."

"Though restraining it must be the limit, which is why they need the burning stone."

If they were going to that extent, the cost of assembling the mages alone would be enough to bankrupt someone.

Remembering how they'd haggled me made my blood boil all over again.

"So now that you've figured this out, what do you want to do? You're the one who told me not to pick a fight with a noble head-on, Alexia."

"Indeed. I have no intention of sending you charging at Baron Aarg, either. But you're a merchant, aren't you? Surely you can't just go home empty-handed?"

"True, but still. I'll file a complaint with the Adventurer's Guild, but what can we actually do here…"

"There is something. We sell. Right here, right now, and in large quantities."

With that, Alexia conjured another ball of water from her fingertips.

No way…

"Hey, I thought of that too, but my conscience stopped me."

"… How much were you going to charge? It's all in how you price it and how you sell it. Besides, we don't have time to waste. Dealing with Baron Aarg comes later."

Alexia told me her price.

At that rate, we'd turn a modest profit without causing any problems.

Hm. No upfront cost, either.

There shouldn't be anything wrong with selling water at a low price in a place that desperately needs it.

If anything, the city's residents would become our allies.

"Still, won't the Water Elemental be in danger if we take too long? If what you're saying is true, they're boiling it with burning stone as we speak."

"I mentioned that my family was on friendly terms with a Water Elemental, didn't I? I understand its power well. Unless a renowned high-level mage is dedicated to the task, burning stone alone won't generate nearly enough heat. It'll still take time. Baron Aarg seemed quite pressed for time, wouldn't you say?"

"True enough. He didn't even bother to introduce himself before scurrying off. But Baron Aarg was entrusted with this city, wasn't he? If something's wrong here, the Empire should be the one with a problem."

Even in the Kingdom, a knight came flying in the moment taxes fell behind.

"That's the crucial point. Unlike the Kingdom, the Empire was built from formerly independent city-states, so it's riddled with factions. There must be a faction that wants the Water Elemental Stone badly enough to sacrifice this city. And for rival factions, that kind of information makes for perfect ammunition. Information that can be sold."

"Ah, I see. A noble's enemy is another noble."

Alexia herself had been set up and ruined, and if you traced it back far enough, the ones responsible were fellow Imperial nobles rather than the Kingdom.

This could serve as a fitting bit of payback.