HBWnovel Chapter 432
Chapter 432
Day 100 – Morning, the Town of Omui, StreetsDay by day, the commercial district of the city grows more colorful, more vibrant. A bustling scene of diverse goods, cheerful shouting from shopkeepers, and smiling faces of passersby fills the streets. People who had once been focused solely on survival had begun to truly live, and with life shifting from survival to actual living, money started to go from weapons and food, to daily necessities and home comfort. A touch of wealth appeared to day to day life, with pretty clothing, delicious food, and lively households.It finally feels like this place has truly become a city.
Dodging a meteor shower of orphans while scattering cookie chaff I stride through the commercial district. Pretty busy, huh?
Once an economy starts moving, it would keep circulating, generating distribution and consumption. It has become a real city that can keep developing naturally on its own now. Yeah, so how about taking off some of my workload?
The lively string of shops comes to an end, and ahead lies the front line of the city and the keystone of its defenses, Lord’s Mansion, the lord’s residence which is in fact a fortress. As if trying to stare down the Evil Forest, it was positioned at the most dangerous point of the Frontier, intending to serve as a shield for the town and the territory, in a way, its most crucial defense point. Yet I pass through with no one stopping me, not a single guard. Just walking right in.
As always, there’s absolutely no sense of caution or security here. Whether it’s the gatekeepers at the city gates or the one at Lord’s Mansion, they just all let everyone in. Even Dungeon Emperor-sans are walking through every day like it’s nothing. No one ever gets stopped. What would it take to actually be denied entry here? The gatekeepers’ criteria remain an eternal mystery, but yeah, I passed through again today? Dungeon Emperor-san gives a bouncy greeting from atop my head.
A thick,respectable carpet spreads out underfoot, and the walls are lined with gorgeous furnishings, but despite its splendour, the mansion shows no signs of actual use or life… They’re still all living in that tiny room off to the side as a family, huh.
「Ah, Haruka-kun. Sorry to call you in like this~. But, you see, for a major continental trading company to be looking to open a shop here, it’s kind of a big deal for a Frontier town like ours? As the local lord, that’s… well, something, isn’t it? Until now, we’ve relied entirely on the general store for all imports and exports… I’ve done what I could to invite various trading companies, but to no avail. But now, now! One of the most prominent companies on the continent, Deiribauru Trading Company, has offered to set up shop here. It’s something beyond even the wildest dreams of my predecessors, I’m truly grateful, but at the same time, I can’t help but worry that we’re just putting yet another burden on your shoulders, Haruka-kun? I’d really like to hear your honest opinion. From the Frontier’s perspective, it’s a dream come true, but if you’re against it, then that’s that, everyone’s agreed to accept your decision. So don’t hold back, well.. It’s not like you usually do? Just give me your thoughts straight?」
Meripapa-san is going on and on about something, but it seems it’s nothing serious. But there is a grave issue of immense gravity, because Meripapa-san called in the Delivery Health Lady! Let’s better report this to Murimuri-san. I got chewed out for that, after all, so Meripapa-san should totally get scolded and pummeled for this too.
「We at the Deiribauru Trading Company have received countless invitations from you over the years, yet were never able to give you a proper response. We deeply regret that. We’ve long felt conflicted over the state of the Frontier, and while we did our best to accommodate the procurement and sales facilitated through Zakarliya Trading… We simply couldn’t bypass the customs of the Theocracy and the Confederation. Meanwhile, the forest territory of the Beastmen Country had fallen into lawlessness, and we could not in good conscience send our own people in… And so, within the Frontier, we’ve always operated strictly as a subcontractor under Zakarliya Trading. That’s a line we cannot cross, out of respect for the one person who’s sustained all Frontier logistics singlehandedly for so many years. This is a point on which we cannot yield for the sake of our dignity as Merchants. Procurement in the Frontier will continue to be handled through Zakarliya Trading, and our sales will prioritize goods not already offered by them. This is the one condition we must insist upon, a line we cannot cross as merchants, and as a company. Still, if you find this acceptable, we humbly request permission to establish a shop here, even if it means swallowing our pride to make this proposal at the current stage.」