Then we're at an impasse.
If you have a problem with the Neutscheland Company's prices,
then you can go elsewhere.
That so?
We're outta here, Elch.
H-Hey!
And where are we supposed to go?!
Elch.
If you happen to find another buyer in Dormundt, I hope you'll tell me.
We'd have to report anyone doing business here without one of these permits.
Hold on!
I told you, didn't I?
That's the only trading company in this town!
They're the only ones we can sell to!
No way.
I enjoy fleecing people,
but I hate it when they try to fleece me.
What are you saying? You're not making any sense!
Neither are you.
A deal is a means of achieving your objective.
Any deal that doesn't help you reach your goal is one that's not worth making.
Could you achieve your goals at the prices he was offering?
I mean, yeah...
At those prices, our village wouldn't make it through the winter.
Even I understand that.
But we can't do anything about it!
A life spent going along with the flow and letting yourself be used is worthless.
He was so condescending to you.
You can't take that lying down. It's not right.
Y-You're... angry on our behalf?
Of course I am.
We owe you all our lives.
Hey, Elch, let me take charge of this business trip.
If you do, I'll earn you a fortune and teach them a lesson.
And while I'm at it,
I'll also crush this shitty company in a week.
High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World!
Masato Is Serious About Making Money!
Come on, come all!
What I hold here before you is nothing more than an ordinary handkerchief,
a simple piece of cloth.
Yet this cloth is about to undergo a miraculous transformation,
so watch closely, everyone.
Here we go.
There!
Wow!
Incredible!
Go, girl!
You're amazing, Miss!
Huh?
Um, I'm a boy, you know.
Yeah, yeah.
You're funny.
You've all really been a huge help.
Everyone in the village is really happy to have you, too.
No, we're the ones who should be thanking you for all your help.
We're merely doing what little each of us can
to repay this village for the kindness it has shown us.
It's our general consensus that we'd like to be of use to you all.
So I'll work diligently to make more mayonnaise again today.
It's not just the mayonnaise.
You've taught us a lot of new recipes,
making it so much more fun to cook!
But that said...
We'll run out of salt and wheat flour soon.
You don't need to worry.
The Merchant and Shinobu went with Elch
when he headed into town to prepare for the winter.
I'm sure we'll receive the necessary goods soon.
I just hope Elch is getting along with those two.
We can't afford... to keep seven useless mouths fed!
If your wounds are healed, then get out of our village already!
He can be really stubborn. I wonder who he got it from.
Oh, Winona.
He acts that way toward all of you because of his position as our treasurer.
He's trying really hard to ensure that everyone in the village is well-fed,
but things aren't looking too good.
It's all due to that Jaccoi guy.
Jaccoi? Who is that?
He's the guy who's monopolized the right to trade in Dormundt.
He's an awful fellow taking advantage of our small businesses by paying peanuts.
I see.
Though, in that case,
everything will be perfectly okay if we just let the Merchant handle it.
That guy is like capitalism in human clothing,
so a situation like that is sure to stoke his fire.
By now, he's probably...
in the process of establishing his own Elm Trading Company or something like that.
Business Permit...
Elm Trading Company...
Mayor of Dormundt, Walter Von Haizerad...
Th-This...
i-isn't fake, is it?
I think it'd be more challenging to enter the mayor's home and leave with a fake.
How did you manage to...
Given my talent for gathering intel, it was more than easy enough.
Ah! You! When did you get here?!
Nin, nin!
Listen, Elch, give it some thought.
If Neutscheland is the only one handling all the trade in a town as big as Dormundt,
then there has to be something going on behind the scenes.
Huh? You mean...
The Mayor's secret account books
showed a vast sum of money coming from Neutscheland.
So when I questioned him about that a little,
I got one of these as my answer.
Seriously?
Now then...
I'll be taking my leave.
There's a lot more information I need to gather, after all.
Yeah. Thanks, Shinobu.
On that note...
Let's go stock up, Elch.
Huh? Stock up?
But we're here to sell these, right?
Why would we...?
Ow! What was that for?!
You asked a stupid question.
What do you think we got this permit for?
Listen, this is a good opportunity.
I do owe your village for saving us, after all.
Huh?
The President of the Sanada Group is gonna give you
a personal lecture on how to make money.
I'll let you feast your eyes on an armful of coins real soon.
Really?
An armful of coins?
I want that, too.
Me, too.
I want gold.
I want to make my own living.
I've had enough of living under other people.
So...
Please.
Please,
teach Roo how to make money, too!
Very well.
Starting now, you're one of us.
Hey, are you serious?!
You're letting some random kid join our group?!
Of course I'm serious.
There's greed in her eyes.
Adding people like her to your ranks can't hurt.
I'm Sanada Masato.
This is Elch.
And, young lady, your name is Roo?
Yeah, I'm Roo.
All right!
Okay, Rooko, I'll teach you how to make money as well!
Yeah! Thank you, Teacher!
Teacher?
Whatever.
Listen, we're now the Elm Trading Company.
So keep up with me!
It's time to have some fun making money!
Yeah!
Oh, but before that,
we'll need to get you looking the part.
Consignment sale?
What's that?
I've never heard of it.
Same, same.
Long story short,
the Elm Trading Company will be setting up shop in the central plaza tomorrow,
and we'll let Fitze Village sell your wares alongside ours.
Y-You can do that?!
But we don't have a permit.
Uh-huh.
We can.
It's not like it's prohibited.
Also, our Elm Trading Company has this permit.
However, it did cost us quite a bit to obtain this thing.
So we'd be taking 20 percent of your sales as a hosting fee.
Well...
We're all in the same boat of suffering under Neutscheland.
So if you're willing to help man the shop,
we don't mind making an exception and reducing the hosting fee to 10 percent.
How's that?
Hey, how much is 10 percent?
Hmm...
Hey, I don't know.
Listen, let's say you were selling carpets.
From what I could see in the market, the going rate on those was about 450 luc.
If you brought them to Neutscheland,
they'd buy them from you for 150 luc at best.
Now, let's say you sell them on consignment with our trading company.
We'd be selling them for a little less than market price, so about 400 luc.
Once they sold, we'd take 10 percent, or 40 luc, for ourselves.
Which means you would be taking home 360 luc.
We'd be earning that much?!
That's incredible!
Please let us in on this!
Hey, would it be okay if we mentioned this offer to other villages, too?
Yes!
We'd welcome it, brethren!
We'll be counting on you tomorrow, then.
Yeah, leave it to us!
Well, that's how you do it.
But is what you just proposed really going to work that well?
What? You're worried about it?
It seems way too convenient for us
to be able to stock up without paying a single luc.
Well, just wait and see.
Incredible!
Are you serious?
We really got stock without spending a single luc...
Listen up, you two.
When you're stocking up a business,
you'll naturally need money.
However, the one thing you need more than money
is trust.
Trust?
In business, trust breaks down to, "How much profit can they make me?"
In other words, nothing holds more trust in this town than a business permit.
Also, Elch, you've already figured it out, haven't you?
What makes this method especially nasty?
We're not spending any money,
so we can stock up all we want, and we won't lose anything if it doesn't sell.
We just keep generating profit at no risk.
Right?
Unfortunately, you only get a 50 for that.
Rooko,
do you remember what I said the condition would be
for reducing their hosting fee from 20 percent to 10?
Uh, uh...
You said they'd have to help man the shop!
Yes, that's the crucial part.
Doing that allows our small three-person trading company
to expand our shop as much as we need.
We could become even bigger than Neutscheland, in fact.
We aren't getting any customers. Is this really going to work?
Well, don't panic.
Oh, my. When did they build a market out here?
Oh? This is pretty cheap.
Welcome, welcome!
We're Elm Trading Company, the cheapest option here in Dormundt!
Our goods are less expensive, but the quality's just as good!
Have a look around!
Oh! They have a lot of stuff!
There's more than just Neutscheland, huh?
We're getting lots of customers.
Naturally.
I'll take these shoes.
Our shop is closer to their daily sphere and cheaper than their usual shops.
I'll take this cape.
Now, come on, you guys!
I'll take everything on this row.
Sell, sell, sell away!
M-Me too!
And that's what I've learned about Jaccoi.
Well, that's about what I anticipated.
Thanks, Shinobu.
You're welcome.
Oh, one more thing.
Hmm? What is it?
We earned a fair deal today,
so I'm going to acquire a cart full of supplies for the village.
Coins, coins...
We should probably fulfill Ringo-chan's request sooner than later.
Right.
Then give me a call once you've got everything ready.
I'll deliver it for you at express speed.
Nin, nin, nin!
Salt and pepper.
Oh, even sugar!
Honey Jam!
There's so much!
Look at this!
Wow, incredible!
There's even fruit!
I stopped by Ringo-chan's place already.
Good work.
Now we can stop worrying about the lab.
How's the Merchant doing?
Everything's going well.
He should be coming back in about three or four more days.
Oh?
He did say he would crush the Neutscheland Trading Company in a week.
I see.
If the Merchant made that proclamation, then it'll probably come true.
Elm Trading Company?!
I don't need you bringing me information about a tiny company like that.
Just let them do as they please!
P-Pardon me!
Good grief!
What is Count Haizerad even thinking?!
What does he think I'm paying him all that money for?!
Those stupid farmers will go bankrupt in no time, so I can leave them be.
Raising a fuss over every little thing is what small-timers do.
Those fools will be gone before you know it.
Give me that! Give me that!
Give me mayo!
Thank you, come again!
We finally get a break.
Don't slack off.
Good grief, the big part is yet to come.
Rooko, make sure you tidy up, okay?
Mayo, mayo, mayo.
Would you sell me a container of mayonnaise as well?
Nice to meet you.
I am the captain of the merchant fleet Sea Serpent.
My name is Klaus.
I've been waiting.
I'd love to have you try some of this for us.
Sea Serpent.
The grand merchant fleet handling maritime trade out of Eastern Freyjagard.
I've heard much about you.
What a coincidence.
I happened to hear of a new trading company
doing some interesting business here in Dormundt.
S-Sea Serpent switched sides?!
W-Well, fine.
Starting tomorrow, we'll open a market in the central plaza too.
This is war!
I'll make them regret making an enemy
out of the Neutscheland Trading Company!
Coins.
So...
m-many...
coins!
What's wrong, Elch?
Oh, nothing.
Worried about Neutscheland?
W-Well, yeah.
That's an incredible amount of coins!
Use the damn door.
Business is thriving, I see!
Hmm, so this girl is Roo-chan, huh?
Looks like she can't hear me.
I think she's even more fond of money than I am.
Wow, that suggests a promising future.
Since you're here, I'm guessing they're making their move?
Bingo!
They're planning to go to war, starting tomorrow.
W-War?!
They're going to start buying up goods
and selling them with no mind for profit on either end.
It's basically a free-for-all.
They must have confidence in going blow for blow.
It's certainly not a bad play, though.
No.
It's not a bad one.
But only if they had gone with it on our first day.
Wh-What?!
Who are they?!
The blades that will kill off Neutscheland for me.