A Certain Merchant's Life-or-Death Gamble (2)

The merchant had been running around like mad lately.

It was all paperwork related to that plot of land. Frankly, since it was out in the boonies, he wanted to just say "do whatever you want with it," but that's not how things work when the country, taxes, and red tape are involved.

"Phew… Well, the land paperwork is all set now. I managed to arrange the building materials for the stables and the like, but… I still haven't secured a carpenter. I need to find one soon…"

He'd also commissioned a blacksmith to develop a pickaxe using some ore that had been deemed useless for being pointlessly hard. Turns out it might be more useful than expected? This could open up a new market for that ore and earn him a tidy profit, but that was beside the point.

And then. The moment of judgment arrived.

"Hellooo! One ranch, pleaaase!!"

Yes, that one had come.

… Stay calm. Don't panic. Right, he'd prepared thoroughly for this, hadn't he? This was just a business negotiation. He'd even swapped out the vases for cheap ones so it'd be fine if they got broken… he told himself.

"Well, well, welcome to my esta… blishment."

Please, someone, praise me for not screaming.

Six. There were six of them. Their numbers had grown. What was this? Was a war about to break out?

The final war?

"Hmmm, I don't think I can make this one a little sister. Can I eat it?"

"No snacking, okay? We'll have Penpen make you a steak when we get back."

"So this is what a shop looks like? It's my first time in one."

"This place is more for business meetings. Shopping would be somewhere else."

If you understand this is for business meetings, you could at least make an appointment… he thought, as the main negotiator, attended by a beastkin maid, took a seat.

"Here you go, the promised five gold coins!"

"… Confirmed. Here is the deed. Ah, could you please sign your name here?"

"Sure thing! scratch scratch … There, does this look good?"

"Confirmed."

That failed property had just become five gold coins. Looking at it that way alone, it sounded like a great deal. But yes. There was nothing on that land. Absolutely nothing.

That's right, it wasn't actually worth five gold coins at all.

"… It's in the outskirts, so please watch out for monster attacks."

"Well, we can handle that much no problem."

"Yeah. There'll probably be defense events too, y'know."

"Food for Miitei-chan."

"Can't I make them little sisters?"

"I don't think you can make monsters into little sisters, though…"

His stomach ached as though he were swindling the very disasters sitting before him.

Pangs of conscience? No, nothing like that. It was stress from facing mortal peril. When he thought about the retaliation once they realized there was nothing on that land… it was going to mean many sleepless nights.

"Just to be clear, that land is… strictly for ranching purposes. You can build a ranch, but there might not be anything else there, so, um…"

Please don't kill me, he almost begged. But he felt that the moment those words left his mouth, he'd be deemed "no longer useful" and killed on the spot. So he held his tongue.

"O-on the flip side, even if something does turn up, there won't be any additional fees, so… rest assured."

The merchant somehow maintained his composure and got the words out.

"Okie dokie! Oh, but if something does turn up, we can obviously ask you for stuff, right?"

If something turns up, ask for stuff… what!? Ask for what!? The merchant broke into a cold sweat.

"Ha, hahaha. Yes, of course. Ah, but since this came up so suddenly, I haven't been able to arrange a carpenter yet. I did manage to prepare the building materials, though."

"I see, so that's how it is."

What!? What do you mean "I see"!? That's not a "your incompetence means death" kind of "I see", right!? Right!?

"So it's a separate fee then!?"

"Eh? Ah, er, um. Yes…"

Well, that was obviously the case, but… was it?

"Hm? What do you mean, Penpen?"

Thank you for asking! The merchant silently sent his gratitude to the girl holding back the cat beastkin.

What exactly did she mean?

"Basically, this means we can create a ranch customized to our preferences, buildings and all!"

"Eh, you can even build houses, Penpen?"

"Dunno, but probably? Never done carpentry though."

You can't just build a house on a "probably"! If it collapses, I'll be held responsible! They'll come kill me claiming the building collapse was my fault, won't they!? The merchant panicked internally.

"… I-if you'd like, shall I introduce you to a carpenter? You can negotiate with them directly…"

At this point, his only option was to spread the risk.

He'd drag those stubborn carpenters down with him. When something went wrong with the building, let them handle it.

"Hmm. Which is it gonna be, I wonder?"

Which!? Which what!? Death or life!?

"Penpen, which what?"

Thank you for asking! The merchant sent silent gratitude to the black-haired twintailed girl.

By the way, was it okay to just leave that pink-haired girl poking at the vases?

"Well, it's either the pattern where we apprentice under someone to gain the carpentry skill, or the scenario where we team up with a dropout carpenter to build the ultimate stable!"

"Ah, I see. That's a common trope."

Why a dropout? A common trope? Couldn't they just throw money at the problem and hire a first-rate carpenter as foreman? The merchant tilted his head in confusion.

But if that was the case, either option shouldn't involve him.

"Ah, well, please look into that on your end. Um, here on the map. This is the house of a guy who's a carpentry foreman… If you mention I referred you, he should at least hear you out."

"Got it! Thanks!"

"Ah, here's the land survey… There aren't any fences yet, so feel free to build them wherever you'd like within the surveyed area."

"… By the way! Where would be the best place to dig!?"

D-dig? Dig… r-right. They were trying to dig something up, and that's why he'd had the pickaxe developed…

… He had no idea. He knew nothing. It had all just been a bluff.

"U-umm. I can't really say."

"Hmm. It might be hard to build the ranch until we figure that out."

N-no way!

I-if it's come to this, anywhere will do! The edge… h-here!!

"Oh, there!?"

"Y-yes, well, it's arbitrary, really… I just thought digging a hole in the center of the land would be inconvenient."

"True! Alright, let's try digging there!"

"… Shovels and pickaxes and the like are sold at the shop next door, if you're interested."

"Roger! Let's go, everyone!"

With that, she stood up and led the other five out.

… …

The storm had passed.

I survived another day. Thinking that, he slumped deep into his chair.

"Oh. Merchant-saaaan."

"Eek!? Wh-what is it!?"

She came back!? What is it now!?

"This is getting ahead of things, but about expanding the land… how would that work!?"

"E-expanding… the land…?"

"You know, adding the neighboring lots when it gets too cramped."

"… I'll look into it."

"Thanks a bunch!"

With that, the storm finally departed for real.

So she wanted him to acquire the adjacent land and have it ready for easy transfer. Was that what this was about?

"Honestly, out in the boonies it's practically worthless, but… First I need to find out who owns the neighboring land… sigh."

Well, no one would want Spirit-Possessed neighbors, so negotiations should be easy enough.

And so the merchant found himself once again running all over the place for land arrangements, but it was a small price to pay for his life.