It's Not About Whether We Can Make It -- It's About Making It Happen

With everyone loaded onto the carriage, we departed the city of Ateil in a rush. It was a race against time.

Along with the tally stick, the nobleman from the ducal household had given me a sheet of paper.

Having this was part of why I'd trusted him as someone from the ducal house.

Still, moving forward on a verbal promise alone was frightening.

But I couldn't very well ask a noble if they were genuine.

There was consideration in that regard, it seemed.

This Duchess Lecreune appeared quite experienced in dealing with merchants.

The paper listed the goods and quantities to deliver, the price, and bore a signature along with a seal imprinted with the ducal house's crest.

Forging something like that would mean instant execution.

The innkeeper had also recognized the steward's face, so it should be fine.

We put the city walls behind us and urged the mule forward.

Alexia sighed as she hardened the ground ahead into a road wide enough for the mule and carriage to pass.

The mule understood the instructions precisely and pulled the carriage powerfully. Reliable creature.

The road we'd made on the way here had been used by other merchants, so this one might end up the same.

I wonder if road construction is a profitable business?

"We'll keep moving except for rest stops and sleeping at night. But if you start feeling sick, speak up."

"How much room do we have?"

"It's difficult. Thanks to Alexia and the mule, we have plenty of time for the journey there and back, but securing the goods is another matter. We'd talked about increasing production before coming here, but not nearly enough to handle these numbers…"

"Oh my. 'Can't deliver to a high noble' won't fly, you know."

"Yeah. Well, if they'd said a thousand or something, I'd have said it was impossible even at the cost of their displeasure. But this number is doable."

"That part's your job, Master, so put your back into it."

I nodded at Alexia's words.

Nobles were a tricky lot for merchants, but they could just as easily become top-tier clients.

When I'd done a large deal with a noble before, I'd been on edge the whole time, but it turned into a huge profit.

Though the deal with Baron Aarg in Aquarias had absolutely no merit to it.

We ignored monsters as much as possible and pushed forward.

The ones that insisted on chasing us got blasted away by Alexia's magic.

Right now, even stopping to collect materials was a luxury we couldn't afford.

Hurrying the whole way, we arrived at Kassad, the city where I was born and raised, in less than two days.

I'd made both the mule and Alexia push themselves hard. Alexia was lying face-down from exhaustion.

Kassad had regained a good deal of its former bustle.

Acting lord Jacob seemed to be doing a fine job, as always.

Maybe he'd just go ahead and become the real lord.

Even the normally tough Alexia was completely worn out, so I left her to Azu and Elza.

I hitched the mule and carriage behind the shop and had Orleans fetch water and fodder.

I'd already shown her where things were, so she'd manage.

Once Azu and the others finished up, they'd help out too, but right now I couldn't worry about that.

I peeked at the shop floor from the back entrance.

A customer, an adventurer buying preserved food, was visible.

Apparently that customer was the last one in the shop, as soon only the employees remained.

I called an employee over in a low voice.

"Boss, you're back. Was the peddling trip to the Empire enjoyable?"

"Well enough. I've got some stories to tell, but now's not the time. How many soaps and fragrances do we have right now?"

"Ah, well, about that…"

The employee averted his eyes with an awkward expression.

(What's this reaction about? Don't tell me he screwed something up.)

I'd been around him long enough to know that this habit showed up when he made a mistake.

"Spit it out. I don't have time."

"Uh, come this way."

I left the other employee, who was stocking the shelves, to mind the shop and headed to the storeroom with the first one.

When he unlocked the storeroom, inside was a mountain of soap.

"I placed the order while half-asleep by mistake. I'm sorry. Sales are good, so it'll definitely all sell eventually, even if it takes time. Please don't cut my pay or fire me."

"How many do we have?"

"Three hundred."

"And you paid how?"

"Cash upfront. Got a discount for it, though."

Normally this would be a mistake worthy of a serious scolding.

No matter how well something sold, ordering this much at once meant there'd be no funds left to put toward anything else.

"The soap is fine. I can see we have it. What about the fragrances?"

"Uh, right. The fragrances are over here."

There was a section with fragrance stock.

What I needed this time was the type called "fragrance."

Maybe twenty on hand.

"I'll let this one go. In return, wrap each bar of soap and get them ready for transport. Two hundred and ten total."

The order was for two hundred, but I'd include a few extras as backup.

If everything went smoothly, I could make them service items.

What mattered was delivering without fail.

"Huh… huh?! Two hundred and ten?!"

"That's right. Get moving."

"Fine, fine. But this means I'm off the hook for the ordering thing. You promised, okay? You promised."

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"Come to think of it, no."

As a result, the soap was no problem.

It seemed the varieties were nicely varied too.

The remaining problem was the fragrances.

"I'll leave the rest to you. I'm heading out."

"Roger that."

Hearing my employee's lackadaisical reply as I left the shop, I ran into Azu, who'd finished her errand.

"Alexia-san drank some water and is lying down. Are you going out?"

"Yeah. Perfect timing — come with me."

"Understood."

With minimal conversation, we set off together.

Not saying unnecessary things was one of Azu's good points.

I sourced fragrances from an apothecary that also practiced alchemy.

The shop's location was relatively close.

As always, it was a rundown-looking shop. When I opened the door, the shop owner looked this way with a bored expression.

"Yohane-kun, what's up?"

"Ramiza-san, long time no see."

Ramiza-san, the owner of this unprofitable apothecary and an alchemist by profession, lifted her head.

She'd probably been asleep just now.

She was skilled, but hated working to begin with.

She could make a living just from supplying potions and such to our shop and others, so it didn't matter if this shop didn't sell anything.

She only kept it running so people wouldn't think she wasn't working — those were her words.

But this time, I was going to make her work.

She was the only one who could make fragrances of that quality.

Sensing the scent of work, Ramiza made a face like "ugh."