Chapter 263: It seems to be just as ugly as that messy story that although labeled『Shoujo』 had nothing adolescent about it at all.
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Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: “ryunakama” Proofreading: “Reader A? Kind of? Maybe?”
Day 64 – Nighttime, Souvenir Store, the Capital Outskirts Branch, Girls-Only Gathering
We made huge profits. 『I ❤ Frontier』 series sold out no matter how many more goods Haruka-kun would make. The Capital seems to ❤ Frontier? Head-over-heels for it? But feeling lonesome from this long-distance relationship it began an affair with the Merchants Confederation! On top of that, the Theocracy is also trying to get closer with the Frontier with a pushy approach! That’s just like one of those soap operas! It’s on the same level of messiness as that title that despite being labeled 『Shoujo』had nothing adolescent about it at all? I don’t want such shoujo! [1]
「Good job~, we made super big profits by super ripping them off, a great opening day? Kind of? The salary that you’ve been looking for is going to be paid in kind on a daily basis. Today, we have new bags of all kinds. Well, it’s actually Item Bags? So here comes three items per person first-come-first-served battle royale-like salary? If anyone wants to be paid in cash or manju do tell me~? FIGHT, START? Kind of?」
「「「「「「Kyaaaaaaaaaa!」」」」」」
A bustling and lively uproar. Completely exhausted after the crowded business hours, everyone entered the Maiden War, Battle of Payment in Kind!
「Backpack! I need the backpack! I’m of the backpack faction! That’s what I decided today!」
「Hey! Trade that with me! I want the yellow one, the yeeellow, it goes with the shoes.」
「Oh no, that’s mine? Fate brought us together, but we are being torn apart!」
It seems to be Multicolor, so you should be able to change the coloration? I want the yellow too! But the shape is important! After all, one can pick only three! Handbag, backpack, and shoulder bag. Since it’s just before the bath, no one is wearing their battle gear. Certainly, if everyone was armed it could’ve been too dangerous for a bargain war. Kuh, only a few backpacks left.
「Don’t pull it~, I got it, I took it first!」
「Where is the register? Where is Haruka-kun? Or rather, where is Haruka-kun (the register)!」
A storm-like battle has ended. Everyone is lying on the floor, holding bags in their hands.
Everyone is utterly exhausted, but has a blissful smile on their face, holding the spoils of war (bags) in their hands.
It seems Item Bags are incredibly difficult to produce, moreover, Item Bags made by Haruka-kun have incomparably larger『Storage』than normal, which gets bigger with every new edition that he releases, and they even come with various effects now. That’s why he can’t mass produce them. In other words, he was making new ones every day, stockpiling for the sake of this moment. That’s why everyone is so happy, that’s why it’s everyone’s treasure.
「Go into the bath first? I’ll prepare dinner in the meantime. Today is viking with omusoba, jumbo gyoza, rice balls, salad with fried stuff, and vegetable skewers~. Something to scramble for after the bath? Sort of?」[2] [3]
「「「「Viking! Is it a sea robbers anniversary day?」」」」
Oda-kun’s group seems to be currently doing some piracy at the moment? I wonder why the side that is supposed to be protecting, ends up engaging in piracy, burglary, and robbery? Hearing this out of context would totally make us look like the baddies.
Today was an exhausting, but very fulfilling day. Everyone is delighted, carrying the bags they got as their rewards. No one probably remembers about the war anymore. Everyone’s head is filled with Souvenir Store’s success story. Sales goals he said… There are even bonuses for that! There is no time for some silly wars anymore, we have to sell out and sell off!
Over there, the Princess, the Young Lady, and Maid-san are all smiling, gazing at the bags. Grinning even. After all, these are artifact-tier items that would never be available for purchase by the general public. A highest-quality equipment granted only to close allies. Their value easily exceeds that of the national-treasure-class items, but more importantly, they must be happy to have received such special equipment, restricted only to the friends like it’s a matter of course. All three of them are sitting with teary eyes. They probably didn’t notice, but their equipment is long since of the same level as highest quality items meant for the friends. They have already been considered as comrades for a long while? They were recognized a long, long time ago.
But the War of Maidens seems to be still too much for the people of this world. The Princess and others’ hair is disheveled while their clothes are undone, partially coming off. Alright, let’s bathe! The first experience must’ve been tough for them.
It’s bathing time. Scrambling for the bath everyone shines up their bodies and then jumps into the water. The Princess and company are also here, so let’s behave a bit… The Princess jumped in too?…
「It’s big, but it’s not that impressive compared to the White Weirdo or Murimuri Castle, right?」
「He seems to have no intentions to operate here for long? So he didn’t bother with it that much.」
「Ehm, I’m pretty sure this is the most splendid bath in the Capital? Even the one in the Royal Palace is smaller and more dull.」
「「「Oh no, our common sense has been corrupted!」」」
We shouldn’t consider the usual to be the ordinary. That act of Creation he calls a side job is terrific enough to destroy a civilization.
The Frontier has passed the middle-age period and began modernization. The eras are going too fast. Our surroundings are already in a magic version of industrial times, simply lacking in mechanization, or rather it might even be a modern era. In some areas things have in a way already surpassed our modern times. This place, this place alone is like another world. Only Haruka-kun’s surroundings are in some sort of a different civilization. He is trying to get back what everyone has lost, but he is mercilessly taking back a lot of extra stuff? None of us lived such an extravagant life there? We are just ordinary people, you know? This is already surpassing the royal lifestyle?
He also recovered in excess what was taken away from the Frontier. This time, he must’ve been planning to take back from the Merchants Confederation, making absurdly excessive profits along the way. A rip-off king hell bent on taking back everything. A murder attempt would leave the opponents massacred instead, stealing would lead to getting robbed, and evil deeds will result in a slew of all sorts of brutal and heinous acts enacted upon the evildoers. While he may be a tyrant ruling through fear, he is also a rip-off king who doesn’t know how to give up. He is probably the natural enemy of the Confederation, but if they oppose him they will get ripped off?
「I’d like to go out and start with the Viking, but the bath is nice too~.」
「「「Right~?」」」
Unless we leave the bath all together Viking War might break out, so the timing becomes important. The Princess and others still seem unable to keep up with Maiden Wars. Maiden Wars are too soon for this world, certainly, the influence is corrupting!
「I thought that he will either kill or kidnap the Second Prince, but he decided to fight a trade battle through the souvenir store?」
「His target is the Confederation backing the Second Prince, so he is setting up economic warfare against them. It’s a warning that screwing with the Kingdom will ruin them.」
Claiming that the Confederation, who supposedly specializes in the economic side of politics, warfare, and finance, has its weakness in commerce, he launched a pin-point attack. Because the Confederation is profiteering off politics and military affairs, their finances can’t cope with commerce. If money is taken from the country that makes money without selling actual goods, it will create a deficit, destroy the military, and crush their politics. They will lose to commerce.
According to Haruka-kun’s explanation『Monetary economy, or rather, credit economy is fragile and has its limitations. While it’s convenient, it comes with its own dangers in exchange. I mean, it’s merely a promise that one can buy stuff with the coins? If no one agrees to sell then it’s pointless. Military and politics become a guarantee for the credits, mixing all three gets you profits, but you can’t go back to the way things were before. The Merchants Confederation can’t fight through commerce anymore, you know? They are simply profiteering without manufacturing, transporting, or trading, so they don’t have crafters, transporters, or traders. So if they become unable to solve their problems by throwing money at them, they’ll have nothing left.』is supposedly how it is?
「Make them unable to guarantee the money ……huh. Does that mean the actual merchants will take back their country?」
「That is the Confederation’s own internal problems? But they will lose their real power. After all, it seems that even merchants have issues with the way the Confederation does business.」
It’s because they had such an easy time making money by putting pressure through politics and military threats that they lost the strength to properly do commerce, and thus are resented by the proper merchants. If they lost the only money they had in such a situation, even if they took only a slight loss, it would put cracks into their coalition. They are working together because it’s profitable, but what will happen if it leads to losing money? What if they are made to take losses? Losses piled upon losses to the point of collapse? After all, he is definitely going to press them that far. Trying to make money with the military and politics, only to have both crushed. Their finances can’t prevail over commerce, that’s why they were targeted there.
「President-sama, I’ll wash your back. You have such a beautiful clean skin, so smooth and lovely.」
「Hya. T-Thank you very much, Shari-sama, but it’s a bit ticklish, eh, no need to go there.」
After getting warmed up we shine up the skin once again. This bubbly soap is definitely addictive, a product highly endorsed by mushroom addicts. I feel like the more I use it, the prettier the skin gets!
The Princess seems to really like washing backs, so every time we get into the bath she gets very excited. She must’ve always been in the position of the one getting washed, and never could scrub others.
But… Somehow, the way she rubs is… Weird? Weirdly good? She is strangery skillful, but there is something off about it? Is it because she isn’t used to this yet? But why isn’t she using a body brush and is doing it with her bare hands instead?
「I wonder if Oda-kun and the others are okay. He mentioned that they are dealing with the actually dangerous stuff, so wouldn’t it be better to go there together?」
「But there aren’t enough people here as well~. With this uproar, I’m sure there will be a line outside by tomorrow morning?」
「「「Whooa, the business is booming.」」」
The Confederation’s aim is to take the Capital, restrain the Theocracy, take over the supply of magic stones, and make a deal with the Theocracy. The bargaining chips are magic stones and the Kingdom.
And while the Kingdom and the Theocracy are glaring at each other, they’d attack the country of beastmen. The Kingdom, that would’ve come to aid the beastmen, can’t act, and their business rival, the Church, is also too busy. This is the perfect opportunity for them.
If even one of those plans goes well, they will make more than enough profits, and if both do, they’ll hit a jackpot. This is a large profit on a national scale. Someone, somewhere, is going to have something taken away.
That’s why crushing both will lead to huge losses. They might be a merchant confederation, specializing in making money, but here we have the Great Demon King of Ripping Off? A regular great Demon King is bad enough, but this goes straight for the money? That’s scary, you know?
Looks like Haruka-kun wants to settle the fight in three days. Once it settled, the Confederation will either keep continuously bleeding money, or will have to run away with a heavy loss. Apparently bleeding them forever is more delicious, but it won’t continue for long. That’s why it’s a short-term souvenir store. And once the Confederation pulls back, the Capital will lose its supply and dry up. After that comes recapture of the Capital.
And Haruka-kun will return to the Frontier on his own.
For the next thing, that no one knows about yet.
Preparing to face the real opponents, still lurking in shadows.
All alone, Haruka-kun is going to defend the Frontier.
And we still haven’t decided whose bras are going to be made today.
All alone, he is going to work on making bras… Wait, that’s just how it usually goes?
[TL Notes:
[1] Shoujo (from Japanese 少女 – Girl) is a category of works targeted at a young female audience, typically characterized by a focus on personal and romantic relationships. Also, not 100% sure (only 98%) but that description sounds very much like NANA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_(manga)
It’s literally how the manga opens. And with all of that, it somehow was labeled “shoujo” despite being more “adult-oriented” in plot than many “josei” titles. It also fits year-wise with many other references, being early 2000s.
[2] Omusoba – yakisoba served with a thin omelet on top.
[3] Viking (バイキング) – is how they call all-you-can-eat buffet in Japan. Apparently, the idea traveled to Japan from Sweden after a certain hotel manager saw it there, but as one might expect “smörgåsbord” was “a bit much” so they went with an easier to pronounce “viking”, it’s not hard to make the connection between Sweden and vikings, so no need to explain how that idea came up.
]
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