NOVEL ONLINE FREE Volume 1 Chapter 104
“What on earth is going on!?”
“I apologize. We are trying our best to mend relations here, so please wait a little longer.”
“While you’re at it, America has overtaken us! Enough! I will go myself!”
Don’t be ridiculous… Really, please stop.
“Please wait. There was the incident with Professor Shindo the other day. If the professor goes now, it might just aggravate the situation. Please leave it to me.”
“Then hurry up!”
As I was told this, a loud click sounded near my ear.
“Haah… everyone’s the same.”
I sighed and put down the receiver. Then, there was a knock on the door.
“Head of the Headquarters, Mitsu Eda. May I come in now?”
Yoshino, huh…
“Yes, come in.”
When I allowed entry, Yoshino bowed her head once and came in.
“You seem busy.”
“Well, yes. Every day, I get calls from everywhere. What’s happening, hurry up… especially today.”
Really, it’s exhausting. Honestly, I can’t even do my own work.
“It’s about Clare’s announcement, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It seems she has settled a contract with the witch. She has announced the sale of Level 2 Recovery Potions and the auction of Translation Potions.”
The announcement was just a while ago, but it spread around the world in no time. Consequently, the phone has been ringing non-stop.
“Clare claims they dropped from slimes.”
“I don’t like American jokes.”
No one believes it. Everyone knows Clare has been in contact with the witch, and it’s obviously something she bought from the witch.
“It’s within our expectations.”
“Of course. I’ve explained it to the council members. But they still call. Do they have too much free time?”
“Perhaps the professors have their reasons.”
“I guess so… So, how’s our contract going?”
I had left the contact with the witch to Yoshino. She must have come to report on it.
“As for that, I have managed to make contact with the witch.”
“Is that so? That’s good. Did you find out anything?”
“I couldn’t delve too deep, so I don’t have solid evidence, but it seems unlikely that she is a Frontier person.”
Not a Frontier person… So, a Japanese?
“On what basis?”
“She knows too much about Japan, and her way of thinking and knowledge seem Japanese. She’s probably Japanese.”
I see… But then, why use a pseudonym? Why is there no information about her past? She’s even been on TV…
“I see… What about closing the Gate?”
“She evaded the question. It’s probably a lie, but I can’t say for sure.”
Well, she would evade it. To protect herself.
“No matter. We’re not planning to do anything about that. More importantly, the contract for the Recovery Potions.”
Let’s put the witch’s identity aside for now.
“Yes. About that, it seems there was a clause in Clare’s contract not to sell to others.”
That’s bad. We want to avoid a monopoly.
“Can’t we do something about it?”
“We did. It seems Clare doesn’t intend to monopolize either. She said that just to prevent a flood in the market and a crash in prices. So, it won’t affect our contract.”
Phew… As expected, Clare avoided conflict with other organizations.
“That’s good. Let’s start preparing the contract then.”
“About that, I’ve already made a provisional contract.”
Quick work. As expected of Yoshino. Especially quick when it involves money.
“What’s the contract like?”
“About 100 pieces at 3.7 million yen each.”
100 pieces… The number’s still strange. Including Clare’s share, that’s 200 pieces.
“3.7 million, huh… Can’t we make it 3.5 million?”
“It started at 4 million. She sold to Clare at 4 million too. We negotiated it down to 3.7 million.”
It’s cheaper, but still… Really 3.7 million?
“No matter. I approve. Proceed with the formal contract. The higher-ups are being noisy.”
“Understood. Considering interference, we plan to do the transaction in Frontier.”
In Frontier? So, Yoshino will handle the delivery.
“Can’t we do it here?”
“There’s the case of Professor Shindo…”
I see. This guy’s trying to embezzle. Typical money-grubbing Yoshino.
“Well, fine. Proceed with that. Quickly.”
“Yes.”
Now’s not the time to expose his embezzlement. I’ll overlook it.
“And what about the rumor that the witch has an apprentice?”
I decided to check the rumors circulating on the internet recently.
“Ah, that. I asked her, and it seems to be Nanaka Yokogawa, a member of the same guild.”
“Yokogawa? Don’t know her.”
Not high-ranking
, then.
“They belong to the same guild and act together during the daytime. Just a college student.”
“Did you check?”
“Yes. She lives alone in Tokyo, attending a university, from a single-parent family, her mother still alive. Her grades are excellent, and there’s nothing suspicious.”
“A student… How old?”
“19.”
A minor…
“Can’t do anything rash…”
“It’s better not to. Yokogawa’s mother works in the media, and digging deeper would be bad.”
Of all things, the media… The last thing the big shots want.
“Stop investigating Yokogawa immediately. Media is bad.”
“Understood.”
She might be a Unique Skill holder, but she could be a bigger minefield than the witch.
“What about the witch’s purpose?”
“Making money. It’s clear.”
Yoshino nods in agreement. Well, his aim is money too.
“Just that?”
“Most likely. Too conspicuous for an agent, and she’s good at selling things.”
First, she sold Level 1 Recovery Potions, then the item bags, and now Level 2 Recovery Potions. She’s gradually selling more valuable things.
“Doesn’t seem to be ending soon…”
“Definitely. She mentioned holding another auction.”
Again…
“What this time?”
“Level 3 Recovery Potions.”
“Damn… Level 3 following Level 2…”
The Level 3 Potions will fetch high prices overseas.
“So, she’ll decide the price?”
“It seems so. Apparently, she also has several Level 3 Potions. Probably ‘dropped from slimes’ again.”
Boring. Such a boring joke.
“Yoshino, how do you think the witch gets her items?”
“Definitely a Unique Skill. The net speculates she makes them herself, smuggles them from Frontier, or can manipulate drop items.”
One of those three, probably.
“Which is most likely?”
“Manipulating drop items. Smuggling is undesirable, and if she made them herself, there’d be no need to go to Frontier. She goes there to acquire items.”
Hmm…
“Meaning of going to Frontier…”
“No use thinking about it. We won’t find out. The Golden Witch is a goose that lays golden eggs. No point in wondering how the goose lays eggs.”
So, just eat the eggs.
“Got it… One more thing, did you add a new party member?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Saw it on the net. A man, right? A boyfriend?”
Yoshino is popular, so such information spreads quickly.
“No, not like that. He started adventuring at Ikebukuro Guild around the same time as Elenoa, so I thought he might know something and made contact.”
“Find anything?”
“No, nothing special. But he’s skilled with a sword, and his character isn’t bad, so I invited him.”
Skilled with a sword… Right, Elenoa, despite being a witch, uses a sword.
“Really no relation to Elenoa? Why Ikebukuro of all places?”
Ikebukuro isn’t popular. Normally, they’d go to Shibuya.
“He seems to be the boyfriend of the receptionist at Ikebukuro Guild. They’re university seniors and juniors, living together.”
“The receptionist?”
“Asa Kura Kaede. I know her. She used to be a party member of the branch chief at Ikebukuro.”
Ah, that appraiser. I don’t remember all staff, but I remember valuable appraisers.
“I see. So you invited him because of that connection…”
“Yes. I’ve known Asa Kura Kaede for a while, and since Okita-kun is the same age as me and Shimizu, I invited him. Though he’s not an official member, so I won’t entrust him with this job.”
Any suspicious points…
“Hmm… So he’s 26… Quite late.”
Normally, adventurers start in their late teens or early 20s.
“He was fired from his company.”
“Ah, that’s tough…”
Maybe he was considering marriage with Asa Kura. Turning to adventuring as a last resort… Risky, but might be good if he’s skilled. All I can say is good luck.
“Got it. If he’s in the same guild as the witch, he might get some info. Keep an eye out.”
“Understood. I’ve made contact with the witch, so I’ll continue investigating.”
“Thanks. Tell Okita-kun to do his best… Also, there’s movement in the Shibuya branch. Be careful in Frontier.”
“Kiriu Akira?”
Kiriu Akira, an A-rank adventurer at Shibuya Guild.
“Yes. I know it’s annoying, but be careful.”
“…Understood.”
Yoshino made a very displeased face. Kiriu Akira is known as a playboy, and Yoshino dislikes his persistent approaches.