Meeting with Teysa and Hannon
After Rumaja and the others left my shop, it seems they indeed went to “The Glint of Molten Iron.”
It wasn’t a very busy time, so they could attend to them, but they commented that it would have been tough during peak hours.
This was said by Teysa and Hannon, who were right in front of me.
“Well, the Grand Master of the Adventurers’ Guild is quite action-oriented one.”
“She seems to be the type who takes a hands-on approach. They visited my shop too.”
“I heard that as well. They were praising you quite a lot, you know?”
“That’s much appreciated. How about your experience?”
“They appreciated us as well. They asked for slightly lower prices, but in Vardmoi, ores are expensive. I convinced them that we couldn’t lower it any further.”
“As for the bows and staves I’m responsible for, lowering the prices further wouldn’t cover the cost of materials, and it would create friction with other shops. Even though a recommendation by the Adventurers’ Guild will attract some envy…”
So, that was the case. I introduced their shops without thinking too much, but was it a mistake?
When I mentioned it, both of them denied it.
“Well, envy is something you’ll find everywhere. This time, it’s just because the Adventurers’ Guild will be sending a lot of customers our way, so it’s only natural.”
“Plus, since we’ve been able to expand our shop, we can now create equipment for the Red-ranked customers. It’s not all bad.”
That’s good to hear.
But still, envy… What could they be doing?
“Hm? Specifically, nothing has happened yet. We’ve just noticed some unfriendly glares.”
“At this stage, attempting anything would be reckless. Having the Adventurers’ Guild’s recommendation means that if anything happens, the Adventurers’ Guild itself may take action.”
“Well, it’s not amusing, but there’s nothing we can do about it at this point.”
Hmm, isn’t that quite a risky situation?
While thinking this, Keuko pointed out that I’m in a similar situation.
They are only being hindered by the Wildcat Claws party’s protection, and it wouldn’t be surprising if I’m already facing interference.
However, even if someone tries to buy up the goods before me, Alizée, who handles my orders exclusively, secures the items I need first, so that also doesn’t go well for them, and they are left frustrated.
Even if someone tries to substitute lower-quality fabric, Alizée checks it all before it reaches me, and all the fabric is handed over to me personally.
In other words, there’s no opportunity to make substitutions.
Yeah, my defense is perfect.
“By the way, have your Trade Guild rank increased?”
“I became a Blue Rank Merchant. Hannon’s is still stalled at the Blue Rank for now.”
“To become a Copper Rank Merchant, you need not only to pay a fee to the Trade Guild, but also to have a certain level of trust. We don’t have enough trust for that just yet.”
I see.
I became a Copper Merchant quickly, but could it be an exception?
Or did they anticipate that the products I make will continue to be produced as long as either I or Talat are alive, and the quality will be consistently maintained, making it a worthwhile investment for them?
Either way, I’m a Copper Rank Merchant, but it seems they both remain Blue Rank Merchants.
Even if they can eventually become Copper Rank Merchants by accumulating achievements, it might take several years.
Trust really does require a steady build-up.