第１４７１堀：売り手と買い手の視点 (Part1)
Chapter 1471: The Perspectives of Seller and Buyer
Side: Nina
The long meeting has finally concluded, and now we are all at the supermarket, shopping for dinner.
Honestly, even I find myself wanting to interject—why are the Queen, her consort, and the high-ranking officials out here doing this? But that is simply the Weed way.
"Oh my. Your Majesty, Lady Eris, Lady Ratz, are you finished for the day?"
Just like that, a stout, middle-aged woman strikes up a conversation.
She holds a shopping basket in one hand, and a little girl trails slightly behind her.
She must have come shopping with her mother.
Normally, it would be unthinkable for a commoner—let alone someone speaking to the Queen, the pinnacle of Weed—to approach them so casually, but...
"Yes, we’re finished. Are you out doing your grocery shopping, Hanaa-san?"
"Yes. It’s almost time for dinner, after all. Did Your Majesty come to pick up some drinks?"
"No, you see, it was decided that my husband and I would cook dinner tonight."
"Oh, Yuki-san is quite skilled in the kitchen, isn't he?"
"We were all in meetings today, so we decided to cook together~"
"My, I’m envious. I wish my husband would take a page out of his book. He just eats and doesn't even help with the cleanup."
"Men are generally like that, aren't they? But my husband actually enjoys it. You know how it is when you hear stories about husbands who are chefs, right?"
"That’s true. I hear that’s common for husbands working at the restaurants in the commercial district~"
"I hear stories about women being left to handle all the housework, even though many of us women work just as hard."
"That’s so true~. Raising children isn't easy, either~"
"Exactly, it’s so difficult~"
They’ve started chatting away as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
*Sigh.* Maybe I’ll go check out the snack aisle.
The snack stockpile for Kishua and the others was running low, anyway.
I distance myself from the ladies, who seem settled into a long conversation, and slip away.
With Seraria, Eris, and Ratz all together, I judge that their security is well in hand.
More importantly, I’m not exactly here as a bodyguard. I’m here to assist Yuki.
Besides, I’m off the clock, so there’s no issue with me wandering off.
With that, I head toward the snack aisle.
"...Still, the matter of the Dark Guild. It’s more troublesome than I anticipated."
I felt that way all over again during the meeting.
Well, when we Holy Sword wielders were trying to crush them on the If Continent, we were operating in the shadows ourselves, so I suppose it’s only natural...
The best way to corner that sort of scum is to infiltrate them, but unlike us, we have no idea who their leader is.
They don't wield Holy Swords like we do, either.
No, usually, having such conspicuous power is a liability anyway.
I feel a bit dejected, realizing once again how porous our own organization was back then.
Even if the Holy Swords had some form of thought control, it’s just too tragic.
Lost in thought, I arrive at the snack aisle.
"The variety is as vast as ever."
This Super Ratz is a direct-managed store of Weed, under the administration of the commercial district led by Ratz.
There are already eight branches within Weed, and it’s open not only to the residents like those I saw earlier but also to tourists from outside.
Ah, didn't they also open a store tailored to the people from the International Exchange School?
Well, getting involved too deeply seems like a recipe for trouble, and I suppose they want to help them get accustomed to things. They seem to have chosen staff who are aware of the school's presence and are capable of handling such customers.
It’s truly meticulous. Just like the product displays in front of me.
The staff seem to be constantly patrolling, restocking, and pulling items to the front; there isn't a single shelf that looks unkempt.
Thinking about this, I reach for the potato chips I often eat.
*Crinkle...*
The bag makes that distinct sound as I grab it.
This packaging is special; it might be common on Earth, but here, it can only be found at this Super Ratz in Weed.
Its airtight seal is exceptional. Thanks to this, the flavor remains unchanged for a month if left unopened, and even if you don't mind a slight change in taste, it can last for over half a year.
It’s an incredible piece of technology.
"Salt is a staple, but let's see... seaweed salt, consommé... curry? I'll give that a try."
Since there are flavors I haven't tried, I grab a basket and start loading them in.
Still, it’s a blessing to be able to buy things without a second thought.
When I was in hiding, I refrained from buying things openly.
Well, I did buy things as a mercenary, but I could never buy in bulk.
Doing so could have easily revealed where I was hiding.
"Supply... replenishment, huh?"
Having lost their headquarters, the Dark Guild must be struggling not only with funding but also with the replenishment of goods.
They wouldn't use a supply method that leaves a trail, so they must be forced to buy things in small, slightly inflated quantities using associates or adventurers.
Well, they might have connections through their branches, but now that the headquarters' network is gone, they must be struggling to keep supplied.
That said, there are likely countless branches, and if they are further dispersed, does that mean they become impossible to track...?
Something nags at me.
Certainly, the Dark Guild wouldn't want to leave a trail, but with the headquarters and its associated network destroyed, those kinds of shady organizations have been wiped out across the board.
In other words, to get supplies, they have to cultivate new supply routes.
"...Of course, they wouldn't do it blatantly. It’s only natural they’d disguise their purchases."
It’s natural that they’d struggle, but that’s from the Dark Guild’s perspective.
For the sellers, however, it’s different.
If a merchant starts taking on orders that were previously handled by the headquarters, their demand increases. And because they have the leverage of potentially reporting the guild if they don't pay, the guild can't exactly refuse to pay—doing so would only jeopardize their future supplies.
In other words, for a merchant, it doesn't really matter if the client is the Dark Guild. They are essentially taking over a route that was previously monopolized by someone else, and they gain a client who is guaranteed to pay.
That said, if they mess up, they risk not just their business but their entire life, but a merchant can simply play the "I know nothing" card.
The Dark Guild isn't going to walk around announcing, "We are the Dark Guild!" while buying supplies, so the authorities can't be unreasonable either.
By the way, as for the merchant guilds that were connected to the headquarters, the reason the Dark Guild used them was, of course, to hide information, but also because there was the benefit of getting goods at a slightly lower cost.
Without that, there would be no benefit to using a dedicated supplier, and they wouldn't be able to utilize them.