章 17: Long-term Sugar Contract 2

Wataru considered taking advantage of the situation, where William couldn't immediately pay the full amount, to squeeze out as many extra copper coins as possible. However, he didn't want to be so greedy.

William had been very kind to him, especially when Wataru was clueless. He didn't want to repay that kindness with cruelty.

William likely couldn't spend all his funds on sugar alone. He had various deals, most of which catered to commoners rather than nobles. The amount of money he could use at once had to be limited.

For William, this must have been a rather undesirable request. Asking for the goods upfront without having the money to pay immediately—although it might be part of the customary practice between merchants—was still a blow to his pride. But faced with a major deal involving nobles, William chose practicality over pride. Wataru wanted to respect that attitude.

"I'm fine with the terms of the contract. You've been a great help to me, William."

"Thank you very much."

"If it's difficult to pay for 100 units all at once, how about 10 or 20 units at a time?"

"Then I'll take you up on your offer and start with 10 units. This amount should be manageable with the funds from the store and the money received from the magistrate. I'll use it all for the purchase."

He planned to invest the entire profit back into the purchase, which was a considerable commitment. While for Wataru, the sugar was a low-cost item, for William, it was a significant and risky investment. Sweat started to bead on William's face from the tension.

"Once we finalize the deal with the nobles, I'll ask them to pay at least half in advance. After that, I'll pay as much as possible in cash, and for anything beyond that, I'll defer the payment to the next round. Is that okay?"

"I have no problem with that."

"Let's prepare the contract with a notary immediately. This could turn into a massive business. If buyers emerge from the capital, across the country, and even from other nations, we could be looking at hundreds or thousands of transactions each month."

"Haha, I'm looking forward to it."

"Wataru-sama, I'm not joking or telling a tall tale."

"…Are you serious?"

"Sugar is a consumable, after all. It's not something you buy just once and are done with it. I believe this is a battle we can definitely win. If things go well, we could become incredibly wealthy."

"I'm looking forward to it."

There would likely be a lot of stress, but the dream was also big. As William spoke, not only tension but also excitement started to color his face, bringing a flush to his cheeks.

Wataru, on the other hand, wasn't as deeply moved. William, who had poured years of effort into expanding his store, likely felt a unique thrill and joy at the prospect of the business growing larger.

At this moment, the two slaves watching the negotiations underwent a significant change in their perception.

"Hey, Mariel, could it be that our master is actually pretty amazing?"

"Yes. You've seen how impressive the mansion is, haven't you? But it's not just that—he seems to be a very capable merchant as well. William-san owns a prominent store and is a skilled merchant. And yet, our master is negotiating with him on equal footing."

"Wow, he's kind, he's going to buy back our swords, and we ended up with a really good master, huh?"

"Indeed."

Behind them, Mariel and Ea, who had been silently observing the negotiations, exchanged a quiet conversation. Their voices were so soft that the negotiating pair couldn't hear what was being said. However, their gazes, now filled with respect, were fixed on Wataru.

As William had said, a notary was quickly called to certify the contract, and copies were handed to both Wataru and William. Wataru signed with his usual unreadable signature.

Usually, the buyer would be in a superior position, but because Wataru had brought in such an attractive product, William treated him with great respect. Wataru felt a sense of duty to return the favor. Even if this respect came from merchant calculation, it didn't leave a bad taste in his mouth.

Immediately, Wataru instructed Ea to take out the sugar bags from his bag and place them on the table. Although he knew it was a bit early since it was just the day before, he had brought a large amount just in case.

"Here is the payment for this purchase. Please accept it."

"Wow, this is pretty heavy, and it takes up quite a bit of space."

"This is the first time I've ever paid such a large amount to an individual."

The payment was 100 gold coins. In terms of weight, it was around three to four kilograms. Each coin was slightly larger than a 500-yen coin, and if not neatly arranged in a bag, they took up quite a bit of space. They were still dazzlingly bright, almost painful to look at.

"…So this is what a hundred million yen looks like…"

"Master, should I carry it?"

"Please do. But are you sure you can handle it?"

"No problem. This is light for me."

Wataru was surprised at the hefty weight that would make one's arms ache if held for a long time, but he was even more surprised when Ea effortlessly lifted it and placed it into the bag as if it were a feather. Wataru had assumed that Ea's strength as a warrior came from technique and reflexes, but it seemed her physical strength far surpassed his own. The physical capabilities of beastmen were not immediately apparent from their appearance but were enhanced structurally in their muscle fibers and ligaments.

"When would you like me to bring the next shipment?"

"It will be a while. If needed, I'll reach out to you, but…"

"Ah… I'll be busy buying back Ea's weapons for a while."

Wataru didn't have a regular place to stay here, so being searched for would be problematic. He had to be vague with his words.

"I'll drop by frequently."

"…Understood. We always welcome you at our company, so feel free to stop by anytime."

William seemed to sense something but didn't press further, which Wataru appreciated.

At this moment, with his wallet warm again, Wataru felt a surge of confidence. Even with just the ten gold coins from last time, he had splurged and bought two slaves at once. Now, he had ten times that amount. It was only natural that Wataru immediately started thinking about how to spend it.

"Since the issue arises from waiting for me to pay the Welcome Trading Company, how about offsetting it by purchasing what I want here?"

"That's an offer I can't refuse. Do you have anything in mind?"

"I was thinking of getting clothes and bags for Mariel and Ea, and I wanted some things for myself too."

"You recently bought slaves, didn't you? But even so, it looks like you'll need to buy quite a bit to offset the amount."

"I haven't seen the actual items, so I can't say for sure, but I'd like to take this opportunity to set up a solid foundation. So, I'm planning to splurge as much as possible."

"In that case, let me show you our finest products. Please follow me."

The sugar brought in nearly 100 million yen. With this deal, Wataru had secured 100 million yen, and there was a plan to continue earning large sums of money moving forward. He figured he might as well splurge and buy everything he needed. Even with the simple clothes they had been given at the slave merchant, Mariel and Ea's beauty stood out.

Even with no makeup or accessories, their inherent beauty was pleasing to the eye. By buying clothes, underwear, and other essentials to adorn Mariel and Ea, Wataru wondered just how much more stunning they would become.

He also planned to buy something nice for himself if anything caught his eye.

(And if there's something I can sell in Japan, I'd like to find it here too.)

Selling rare goods from this world in Japan would allow him to become rich there as well, enabling him to purchase various items to sell here again. Wataru couldn't wait to see the actual products.