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Chapter 4 – A Place to Store Important Items
After meeting with Sobue, Wataru recognized the potential of the potion.
One of Japan’s wealthiest individuals was genuinely excited by the effects of the chronic treatment potion.
The potion was effective enough to attract investment and be put to practical use.
Wataru had to store the precious potion securely in the café’s storage area.
The more people who knew of its value, the more vigilant he had to be against theft.
This was the café’s staff room.
It contained simple lockers, chairs, tables for breaks, and a large shelf in the back.
During the shop’s renovation, Wataru reduced the number of customer seats and expanded the staff room.
“Aire and Cloche, sorry to ask, but could you handle this?”
“Hmph, got it!”
“Yes! Yes!”
The two, possessing strength beyond that of ordinary humans, strained mightily to lift and move the shelf.
Their full breasts pressed against the shelf, deforming it.
Though it had handles for easier carrying, the incredibly heavy shelf was a struggle even for the two of them.
Behind the moved shelf was a hidden space.
There was no intricate lock or anything like that.
The barrier was simply the otherworldly shelf itself—solid and excessively heavy. It hid the precious potion bottles.
The space was reinforced on all four sides with the same super-hard material as the shelf.
“We put fake bottles in the visible safe, so yeah, anyone would be fooled by that.”
“Master, your thinking is rather devious, isn’t it?”
“It absolutely couldn’t be discovered, so I thought desperately about this. Does that cheeky mouth need punishment?”
When Wataru stared at Cloche, she stiffened, straightened her back, and looked up at him with moist, almost pleading eyes.
Her eyes seemed both frightened and hopeful.
“Ugh, getting scolded again.”
“No, that was probably her trying to seduce you. Look at that tail. It’s wagging vigorously from side to side like she’s trying to charm you.”
“Disgusting.”
“H-hey, I can hear you! N-no, that’s not it at all! I don’t want any punishment!”
“Is that so? My mistake, then. Guess there’s no punishment.”
“Huh…?” What—? N-nothing at all!”
This inability to be straightforward was a flawed aspect of Cloche’s character. Yet, it was also the very trait that made her endearing.
Cloche gritted her teeth in frustration.
〇〇〇
After storing the precious chronic treatment potion, Wataru and the others stayed at the coffee shop.
Wataru sorted and roasted the coffee beans himself.
To ensure uniform roasting, the beans must be a consistent size.
Although the producer sorts the beans to some extent, many unusable beans are often mixed in.
Wataru’s swift, deft movements with the tweezers were full of life.
These coffee beans would be packaged and sold in the other world.
If demand increased in the future, he planned to sell his specially selected premium beans at a special price.
He was also considering selling them in different forms: ground, pre-roasted, and raw.
The closer the beans are to being raw, the longer they keep, which makes them easier for the Welcome Trading Company to transport to foreign lands.
He hadn’t given up on his plan to cultivate coffee beans in Mariel’s territory.
The real challenge would come after he met her parents and was dispatched to Southern Ship Town.
While sorting large quantities of raw beans with tweezers, Wataru said,
“We should’ve consulted about the acute potion, too, while we were at it.”
“Come on, it doesn’t matter either way if the medicinal herbs don’t grow properly. We can do that later.”
“Well, I suppose you’re right.”
Compared to chronic treatment potions, acute potions seem to require less magical power from the herbs and magicians alike, making mass production possible.
Acute potions are widely available at the Pharmacists’ Guild and most town pharmacies.
For minor injuries, less refined, lower-grade versions suffice.
High-purity versions are used for major injuries, primarily by adventurers.
“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on whether the storing grass is growing properly and securing alchemists now?”
“And finding land rich in magic power!”
The presence or absence of magic power is significant.
The downside is that future mass production will have inherent limits.
Furthermore, even if an industrial spy were to take the herbs and attempt mass production, they likely couldn’t produce the same thing.
Industrial spies likely don’t grasp magic power itself and therefore couldn’t produce the same thing.
Counterfeits flood the modern world, so this holds great significance.
There’s little Wataru and the others can do immediately, whether cultivating medicinal herbs or coffee.
At that moment, a summons arrived from Maso, the slave trader.
Chapter 5 – Conditions for an Alchemist’s Slave
When they visited Maso’s slave trading shop, the guard relaxed his vigilance after a quick glance at their faces.
They wondered if they had somehow become VIP customers when they saw him swiftly open the door and guide them in.
Being treated so courteously didn’t feel bad at all.
Entering the shop revealed a large hall, and they were always impressed by its splendor.
The interior design emphasized visual impact, impressing them every time.
A man stood at the front counter. Upon learning of Wataru’s and the others’ arrival, he immediately went to call Maso.
After a short wait, Maso came swiftly from the back of the second floor.
As usual, she was a beautifully muscular woman who looked like a bodybuilder before a contest, but her voice was gentle.
“Long time no see! I missed you. You never come by anymore; I was lonely.”
“Haha, I just can’t seem to manage buying too many slaves.”
“In your case, Wataru-sama, it might be fine to buy one for warehouse guard duty or for handling transactions with the Welcome Trading Company. I’m sure it would make things much easier for you.”
It was said casually, but he found himself nodding in agreement.
He didn’t need them constantly by his side like Mariel and the others did.
If he had slaves earning money solely in the other world, his profits would likely increase. William wouldn’t constantly be disrupted by Wataru’s actions either, which would allow for more stable goods procurement.
Currently, they are taking advantage of the contract terms. The Welcome Trading Company visited Wataru’s warehouse, recorded the goods in the ledger, and settled the accounts later.
However, Wataru and the others were only replenishing the warehouse’s shortages, so they felt it was unfair.
“Oh my, Wataru-sama, have you grown a bit more robust?”
“You can tell?”
“That’s a good thing! You were a bit lanky before, you know.”
Wataru continued his training to build stamina.
Since he was doing intense exercise nearly every night, he needed to strengthen his body to maintain his endurance.
Maso stroked Wataru’s upper arm with a soft rub.
“So, what is it you need? You said you wanted to discuss something.”
“Right. This isn’t the place for it. Shall we move somewhere else?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Wataru let out a wry smile as Maso winked at him so strongly that it seemed it might make a loud smacking sound. Then she followed him.
Mariel and the others followed silently behind them.
The slaves in each room were dressed in simple clothing and taught proper speech, reading, and writing.
This education wasn’t just to increase their value as merchandise and boost profits; it was also to protect them from harsh treatment by their new masters.
It’s a great shop, but it’s hard to recommend to others.
〇〇〇
Before getting down to business, Wataru decided to give Maso a small gift.
“Here, please have some of this if you like,” he said.
“Mmmph!? “This is coffee, isn’t it? What a relief. William only sells it to me, his regular customer, at full price. He says it’s to prevent price collapse.”
“That’s a bit surprising.”
Honestly, he’s raking it in and is still being so sneaky.
The coffee beans were freshly roasted and ground.
The coffee beans supplied to the Welcome Trading Company were gaining popularity, even among the nobility.
Maso, who constantly negotiated with a wide range of clients, would likely find them useful.
Wataru hasn’t been able to repay Maso’s generosity enough, considering she provided excellent products like Mariel and Aire.
In this world, coffee beans are a luxury item, but to Wataru, they’re just a bit pricey.
Now that he’s opened a coffee shop and secured a wholesale supplier, however, they’ve become quite affordable.
A small gift is inexpensive.
“These are the brewing tools, right?”
“I’m sorry for all the trouble.”
Maso was in a very good mood.
She’d seemed cheerful from the start, and Wataru suspected she had good news.
Drinks were placed before Wataru and the others, and then Maso got to the point.
“Remember when you were hoping for an alchemist girl the other day?”
“Eh, I didn’t really care if it was a girl or not.”
“Oh, really!? I just assumed you’d only want another skilled beauty. Sorry for jumping to conclusions!”
“Ah, no… I’m familiar with that reputation, so I can’t really say anything. If having a man would have been acceptable, would you have found someone who matched the criteria sooner?”
“Unfortunately, no. As I said before, alchemists are usually very stable earners. Unless they’re exceptionally bad at business or hit by some unavoidable misfortune, they rarely become slaves, and buyers are usually found quickly.”
Those who become slaves generally fall into two categories.
They’re either desperate for money or they’ve committed a crime.
However, considering Wataru’s character and business practices, he made it clear that he would refuse anyone with a criminal record, regardless of their skill.
Furthermore, civilian alchemists who weren’t slaves posed a problem.
They needed to be brought to Japan to verify that they could manufacture locally and keep secrets, so they absolutely had to be slaves who could be compelled.
If word got out after the contract was signed, it could easily cause a huge scandal.
“Even if I went to the slave market, I’d have to pay an exorbitant price for one. That would cut into my profits, making it a bad deal for everyone. What a predicament.”
“With such strict conditions, how do you source them?”
“That’s where my usual connections come in handy. I buy unwanted slaves from places I’ve sold to before or get referrals from places I’ve done business with that ask me to buy them.”
“That’s some serious sales effort.”
“If I spot a business that seems to be struggling, I might approach them, too. Slaves are labor, but they’re also assets. So, if a merchant house or shop is doing well, I’ll go there to sell. If they’re on the brink of collapse, I’ll go there to buy.”
“That’s why, during booms, the demand for slaves can outstrip the supply, and during recessions, you get situations like a slave surplus,” Maso explained.
She added that the country was currently stable and experiencing a mild economic upswing.
“So, I went around asking if it would be acceptable to sell alchemists. Then, one of them agreed it would be fine.”
“I must have caused you a lot of trouble. Thank you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll make sure the effort is reflected in the price. The quality of the product is guaranteed. She is a first-rate alchemist. She’s not only beautiful, but she’s also an elf, which is quite rare!”
“An elf?”
“Master’s drooling. Disgusting.”
“You were excited just now. I’d appreciate it if you could show us a little more consideration.”
“It’s filthy… Perhaps you really shouldn’t pour your affection into this one, Onee-sama?”
“H-hold on a second. It’s not like that!”
Elves are, well, let’s just say they’re a given.
If you’re familiar with games, manga, light novels, etc., you can’t help but react.
When Wataru first arrived in this fantasy world, he wondered if elves might exist here.
From the conversations he’s had so far and the glimpses he’s had around town, he knows the elves of this world aren’t vastly different from what he imagined.
They have long ears and very refined features. They are also closely connected to the forest.
They’re also renowned as master archers and are deeply knowledgeable about magic.
He never imagined they’d be well-versed in alchemy, too.
Maso spoke soothingly to Wataru, who had leaned forward involuntarily.
“But you see, there is a problem…”
“What is it?”
“That person is a noble—apparently a fellow collector of Lord Moye’s. He’s incredibly competitive and will do anything to get rare items. If he gets that, he’ll let it go.”
“I see. So that’s why you came to me.”
Is he one of the court alchemists?
The conditions aren’t bad.
What kind of collectible would satisfy him?
First, he had to find out what the nobleman liked.
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There are already two kaleidoscopes in this country, a third would just tank their value, so what else can he give?
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