Interspecies Trader

“Yes. To be exact, it’s not a matter of whether this is possible or not, but of when it’s going to happen.”

“And when is that going to be?”

I shrugged.

“Even I can’t know this. I don’t believe it’s going to take that long, though.”

I gave this information because I didn’t have much to say, but also because it was beneficial to me. In a way, I was advertising selnic products. Since I was the sole possessor of the technology, I was advertising myself.

The merchants in the rooms weren’t oblivious to what I was doing, and some scowled a little. They couldn’t rebuke me, though, since if what I was saying was true, the information had tremendous value indeed. One of them was a bit annoyed by my antics and pressed me harder.

“This is very vague. I heard you have a connection with the city hall and the Vejas. Don’t you have anything important to share about that side?”

“Hmm. I haven’t talked with them about our specific topic yet. If I had to guess, the law project is spearheaded by Crali and the heads of the different departments. I don’t think the Lady would have much interest in it.”

My way of talking startled them. Another merchant couldn’t help remarking.

“…Judging by how you call the miss, you must be close or have a special relationship?”

“Not really. I just like to make fun of her from time to time. Oh, speaking of which, I do have something that could interest you. If you want to become closer to the Lady, the best way is to help her tease Crali, or even tease her daughter directly. This is from my personal experience.”

They now looked at me like I was insane. I was getting used to receiving these sorts of looks now, so they felt pretty good. Laine was one of the most shocked ones.

“You must be fearless to talk about her like so.”

I gave her a wide smile.

“Not at all. Crali tries to look tough, but she’s all fluff on the inside. She’s just a spoiled girl with slight anger management issues.”

“Oh my sel! Aren’t you afraid we could repeat those words to her?”

That was precisely what I wanted.

“By all means, please do so. And when you tell her, be sure to monitor her expression. You have to let me know how funny she looked next time we meet.”

At this moment, it was their faces that were hilarious. They started to whisper among themselves while glancing at me, some loud enough for me to hear.

“That’s a bit…”

“Fuvawi invited a complete madman this time.”

“Isn’t he what we need to fight the three great merchant companies?”

And so on. After a few moments, Fuvawi cleared his throat loudly, stopping the discussions.

“Unfortunately, we’re not that close to the Vejas family ourselves, so your suggestion is a bit beyond our means. The miss might not be much for you, considering how close you seem to be, but she’s still someone who could hurt our businesses if she felt like it.”

I nodded sagely.

“I understand. If I may ask, we’ve been exchanging a lot of information so far. What about concrete actions to fight back against the three great merchant companies?”

“Yes, it’s time we move on to this topic. That’s the main reason we assembled tonight. I personally recommend two things: alliances and price cutting.”

I successfully redirected the subject. The merchants voluntarily gave more ideas as if trying to forget my previous words.

“We need to increase our market share by any means. Even smearing their names is fair play at this point.”

“We could attack their products too. Initiating rumors saying they’re harmful or made of cheap materials.”

“What about cutting ties with merchants and suppliers who also work with them?”

“Isn’t that one too risky? We’re not in a position of strength.”

The debate went on, the ideas slowly becoming dirtier by the minute. The exchange of ideas was halted just when the heat was going up, with some starting to suggest straight criminal acts like attacking their caravans or employees. Not everyone agreed with these sorts of methods, and the meeting was adjourned at that point.

When the main talk ended, a few groups continued to chat on their own, maybe forming alliances as they said. As for me, no one seemed to want to talk, so I decided to leave after greeting them all and thanking Fuvawi for inviting me.

My situation was slightly different from theirs from the beginning. They were the ones in a weak position, with less market share, and trying to fight the giants. I, on the other hand, was in a position of strength. To be precise, I was, or would become, a monopoly myself. As such, I would probably be the one getting attacked and not the other way around.

Still, I learned a lot during this get-together. Hopefully, they will invite me again.

And speaking of getting “attacked”, the first wave came right on the next day. The man who wanted to meet me introduced himself as a manager of Miwai.

“Tila Urtek. We want to invite you to become part of Miwai. I strongly recommend you accept this offer.”

He went straight to the point after a short greeting. I innocently responded.

“Becoming part of Miwai? Why would I? I’m doing fine on my own.”

“Joining us will allow you to reach heights impossible on your own. We have branches all around the continent, and we’re aiming for the whole world. With us, you’ll be able to sell your products to many more and scale your business like never before.”

He sure was the one selling his point right now. I wanted to laugh at his face, but there was a much better way to handle this.

“That’s very interesting. Can you tell me more?”

My answer surprised him. Yet, he nodded and gave me more concrete advantages. I listened to him attentively and smiled when he was done.

“This is incredible. The offer is a bit sudden, though. Could you give me a bit of time to think about it?”

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