Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, I do have a drivers license, but I haven’t actually driven for years. As a man living in a large city, I was already satisfied with public transport--although if I had my own car, it would be convenient for getting dates.”

Finishing at the Flea Market, the three of us headed over to the large square near the gate, to the stables and barns located there; to buy a horse and carriage.

“We only have horse-carriage cabs here, if you want a normal carriage for traveling distances with commodities or lot of people--you will need to order it from the Merchant Guild inside the Inner Wall.”

This was the response I got when I tried talking to the people who were busy in and around the stables--is this like what would happen if went to a taxi stand and tried to buy a taxi?

I feel a little embarrassed.

“The Merchant Guild should have some, if you’re fine with a used one. They were looking for buyers if I’m not mistaken.” A different coachman talks to me, leaning over from the driving bench of his carriage, “Feel free to come with me, I am on my way there. I will even give you a discount, it will cost four copper coins.”

Thanking him, I quickly fish out the coins and give them to him, before getting into his carriage--asking Arisa and Liza to carry the luggage back to the inn.

***

The coachman who taxied me to the Merchant Guild also kindly mediated with the Guild for me, even without asking for more money in return.

“We don’t usually sell to people outside of the Guild, meaning Members only, but since you’re introduced by Yosaga, we are willing to make an exception.”

Apparently, Yosaga is the coachman’s name--it doesn’t really matter, but the merchant talking to me now is Suni.

He shows me two different carriages--one of them is a covered wagon, the inside of which is around four meters wide, I think; the other is a box-shaped carriage, which is about two meters high, with a luggage space in the ceiling, the inside is around the same in width.

The covered wagon is ten gold coins, the box-shaped carriage is thirty.

The box-shaped carriage is more robust and safer, but will require between four and six horses to pull it. The covered wagon depends on its load, but if the contents are light, it requires only one or two horses.

At first, I wanted to go with the safer one, so I was going to buy the box-shaped carriage; but then I’m told that since its center of gravity is high, the operation of the carriage is difficult--so in the end, I decided against it.

I have a car license, but driving a carriage?

Since I have no experience, let’s proceed carefully.

“I’d like to buy this covered wagon, but could you also prepare the horses?”

“Right, we could prepare two horses from the Guild for you; we could provide four if you wanted donkeys, but depending on the load and destination, they may not be suitable.”

When I tell him that the destination is Labyrinth City and the load is six people and their necessities, he recommends the horses for the task; but if I were to carry heavy luggage, then even if its slower, he says that the donkeys are better.

If you want to go really fast, the Shuberien horses are the ones you want, but it seems that all of the available ones have already been bought by the government.

The original price for the two horses and the wagon is twenty gold coins, but I managed to successfully managed to get it down to eighteen.

Suni is surprised when he sees me paying the bill up front, and in cash.

Normally, people will get the bill first, and pay at a later date.

“I’m quite hasty--I used to get scolded by the people around my house because of it.” I use an excuse that sounds like what the son of a noble who is ignorant of the world would make.

“Tek, since you are taking six people to Labyrinth City, it would be wasteful for you to bring an otherwise empty wagon.

Is that so?

Well, certainly, around half the space would be usable--furthermore, Arisa and I also have a lot of storage space.

“Do you have any products to recommend?”

“Right then, I think that crossbows and bolts would be in high demand in Labyrinth City. Since the crossbows from Seryuu City are specifically designed to shoot down powerful targets, like Wyverns, they have higher specs than the ones produced elsewhere--so they would probably sell like hotcakes. Also, since it is currently cheap to buy goat leather and fur, due to the current season, I think you could earn a profit there as well.” Suni spoke slowly, considering the options, before pausing, “You do have a Commerce Permit right?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t--I lost it when my horse ran off and I lost my merchandise.”

So, a permit really is necessary?

“That’s unfortunate, it will cost you around ten gold coins for a reissue.”

“That’s quite expensive.”

“One doesn’t need a permit to trade small quantities inside the city, like running a stall, but if you enter the city without one--you won’t be exempt from the tariff, so the profit will be almost nil.”

I see, then I should put them inside the storage to dodge the tariff--

But with my funds, I have no reason to illegally earn money--unless you count how I originally got the money--it would be considered more than a little illegal--

“If you don’t go to any city other than Labyrinth City, there is an item that is exempt from tax there--but the tax on it in other cities is quite high--so it’s not exactly optimal for a beginner merchant to trade in,”

“What item is that?”

“Because there is no demand in this city, there isn’t really anyone selling it here, but it’s constantly in demand in Labyrinth City--it’s an Alchemy Material called White Dragon Stone.”

I think it shows on my face that I have heard that name before--when Suni asks where I did, I explain that I saw a stall selling it, but I didn’t stop in to buy any.

It seems that the Merchant Guild sells them at ten gold for one small barrel, which is market price--but they can be sold for up to around twenty gold coins per barrel in Labyrinth City.

If I could sell it for twice the price, then wouldn’t I net quite the profit?

So I thought, but he said that because of the tariffs for entering the cities along the way, and the transportation cost, the profit will end up being quite small.

“If the stones don’t sell, then you can bring it to the Merchant’s Guild, they will but it for the price that you buy it here. If you wish, we could write a letter of endorsement, to guarantee the quality.”

I was almost convinced to buy in large quantity, but I managed to decline them, using the excuse that there won’t be enough space for food and water if I bought too many--in the end, I bought six small barrels of White Dragon Stone, one hundred pieces of goat leather, one hundred bundles of wool, ten crossbows and one thousand bolts.

Because, all together, they’re seventy gold coins--I sign a temporary contract and will pay for it all tomorrow, receiving the goods at that time as well.

***

Right now, I’m riding the covered wagon outside Seryuu City.

That said, we haven’t departed yet.

After I had finished the business at the Guild, I asked Suni if he could introduce me to someone who could teach me how to operate the wagon; then, Yosaga, who was waiting for me to return said, “Then let this old man teach you,”

 

>>Skill: Marshaling Acquired.

 

I only allocate one skill point to it, just enough to activate it.

It’s still very awkward, but I can control the wagon now--during the practice, I raise the skill level by one more, setting it to two; it’s not as high as Yosaga, who’s skill level is three. But, because I could control the wagon well enough, I stop raising the level.

Doing it this way, I can avoid raising any suspicion--of course, I will raise it to ten when we leave the city properly.

“Young man, you definitely learn quickly,” Yosaga still looked surprised.

“It’s all thanks to your good teaching.”

Disregarding my cheat skills, Yosaga is very good at teaching--I only failed once while practicing what he told me. He might be suited to be a teacher.

Though I made him mad quite a few times, particularly when I would forget what I was driving, treating it like a car--forgetting that horses are intelligent creatures.

“You’re good enough like this.” He spoke with a grin.

“Thank you very much.”

“Next, I’ll teach you how to attach and release the yoke that connects the horse to the wagon. This is important, because if done incorrectly, the stress on the horse can be immense,” Yosaga looks even more serious than when he was teaching me to ride the wagon.

He probably likes the horses.

After about an hour of strict training, I finally got a passing mark from Yosaga.

I thought that I had taken a long time, but Yosaga said that normally, one would only manage to scratch the surface in half a day; he also said that he was impressed.

Yosaga tells me that he had worked as a coachman for a caravan before his current job as a cab coachman in Seryuu City. He teaches me some simple tricks, such as: crossbows and spears are good for defending wagons; that I should always refill all supplies of drinking water at cities, because it isn’t always available at the indicated spot on the map; or that when we take a break, I should not forget to give rock salt along with the water I give to the horse.

***

As we return to the Merchant Guild in the wagon, since Yosaga’s carriage was left at the Guild, and we were going to fetch it.

Along the way, Yosaga began to talk about the brothels in Seryuu City--and I learned that he is into larger breasts.

As thanks for teaching me various things, I decided to treat him to a shop that he recommends tomorrow evening. I don’t think I will engage in the services in the shop--because Arisa seems like she would be more than willing to do it for free.

***

Before returning to the Monzen inn with the covered wagon, I go to the tailor’s to receive what remains of the clothes I bought on the first day. I arrived at the same time as the delivery, so I’m able to meet the rumoured second tailor. I recognize her face, she’s the one who was staying at the inn--and bathing when I did, it’s quite embarrassing. Surprisingly, she also remembers me, meeting me with an amused grin--it doesn’t develop more than that, however, and I thank her for the high quality clothes.

***

After leaving the tailor, I ride the wagon into the courtyard of the Monzen Inn. Martha is currently doing something out here, and sees the wagon--since there is room in the stable, Martha says it’s fine to take it to the back. However, I have to pay a parking fee, since it’s a different charge from a normal inn room.

“Wilcome home?”

“Home!”

 

While I’m talking to Martha, Tama and Pochi run from the shade behind the courtyard.

Tama probably wanted to say ‘welcome’.

Two people also appear from the shade, Liza and Arisa, Yuni is together with them. I wonder why she doesn’t have a prejudice against Demi-Humans.

Arisa and the girls seems to have been playing in the shade of some of the plants in the garden of the courtyard--no, ‘playing’ isn’t the correct word; they’re trying to learn the letters using the cards.

It seems that Martha had been trying to teach them, but she had to be called away to do work in the inn. Arisa took over, and finding out that Tama and Pochi didn’t have much in the way of patience, she decided to change it into a game--“Let’s put the card face up, and read the letter; whoever can guess the content of the drawing, it’s yours to take.”

Since the girls didn’t get many chances to play games, because of being slaves, they quickly became quite addicted to it.

They had been playing for two hours by the time I arrived, the order of their scores were as follows: Arisa, followed closely by Pochi, then Lulu, Tama, and lastly Liza.

I leave the horses for everyone else to take care of and bring only Arisa into the room--Lulu’s expression seems strangely clouded. Hmm, maybe she wanted to watch again--I will clear it up later with her.