Chapter 495: Soleil Edition of the Contract
“Wait, is this person injured?”
“Yeah, he got into a scuffle with a Demon Beast in the strait.”
A cat nimbly jumps onto what looks like a drawer beside the bed.
Does scurvy make you bleed easily? Is the fainting due to anemia, perhaps? Maybe he lost a lot of blood from injuries and scurvy. It doesn’t seem like a terrifying state where blood is gushing from the gums or oozing from the pores, though.
“I asked a Spirit for healing earlier, so his injuries should be a bit better… But are the injuries serious enough to be on a ship?”
Can I lift the blanket?
“Normally, yes. But even without a Magic Stone, there’s no guarantee we won’t be attacked by a Demon Beast again. Even without a Magic Stone, we can still be ambushed, and we might run into a ship on its way here.”
Ah, so a ship carrying Magic Stones coming this way could get caught up in an attack. If the impact is strong enough to wreck the ship, then nothing on board would come out unscathed.
“What about your ship?”
“I’m taking overland routes.”
“Overland routes?”
His voice sounds puzzled.
“My master ordered me to train. I just happened to acquire some Mail Wheat, but there’s been a poor harvest for the past few years, right? Now that I have it, I want to deliver it to a merchant I know.”
The training part is a lie, but the rest is true.
“Demon Beasts in the wasteland? That’s quite the Spartan training.”
“Maybe I can manage it alone?”
Yes, yes, ask about my master’s name, please.
“What’s your master’s name—no, never mind. You listened to our request without asking anything, so it’s only fair we do the same.”
Wait! You’re not going to ask that much?! If I wander around the Land of Mail alone, it’ll look suspicious, so I was told to mention the Great Sage’s name!!!
“Should I prepare the contract?”
“No, I have one.”
I’m the one carrying the most restrictive and highest-tier contract.
Since Kanum and Soleil insisted I carry it, I actually have about five on me. Moreover, the one regarding me already has clauses about confidentiality written in.
No, don’t move the conversation along? Please ask about my master’s name. But it can’t be helped; once we sign the contract, it’ll be in my favor.
Ah!
As I reached into my coat pocket, I remembered. I almost forgot to give a sneak peek of the Magic Circle I had prepared.
No, it’s fine. I’ll pull out a blank contract from my inner pocket and show a glimpse of the Magic Circle when I do!
Is it called hinting? This is all so complicated.
“Is this contract okay?”
The cat quickly scans the contract I spread out.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I don’t plan on blabbing about you, and while we’ll discuss the conditions shortly, I have no intention of breaking what I’ve already agreed to. By the way, regarding the items transported by ship, whether they’re people or goods, all crew members have sworn an oath of confidentiality, so you can rest easy.”
The cat swishes its tail a bit proudly.
So, the captain is proud of his crew. The Spirit that loves brown is nodding, so it must be true.
“Then, I’ll need you to deliver it to Naruadeid. And is one-eighth acceptable?”
“That would be ideal, but Mail Wheat is more expensive than regular cargo, right? You shouldn’t have to bear the risk of the journey.”
I’ve roughly checked the market rates, and the shipping cost from Naruadeid to the Land of Mail ranges from one-fourth to one-eighth of the cargo value. It usually refers to the sales or the items themselves. Most of the time, they sell in bulk at the same place and distribute the profits, but there are cases where obligations require selling to a specific buyer.
The wide range in shipping costs is due to the size of the Magic Stones affecting the likelihood of being attacked by Demon Beasts. The size of the Magic Stones also relates to the amount of Mail Wheat, so larger ships automatically incur higher fees.
The cat’s ship is large, but since it’s only for the return trip, I quoted a lower price, but it seems it was still high?
“I’d like to do business again if possible.”
Because it’s a cat.
“And there’s a condition: I want you to sell your share to the Trading Company I specify.”
Technically, I’m the one buying it.
“Got it. I have debts for the Magic Stones, so this is a real help.”
We roughly finalize the details.
The parts that can’t be vague are already filled in by the Butler or Soleil, so this time I used the Soleil Edition since it’s a business deal.
“By the way, how do we sign?”
With paw prints?
I write my name and present the contract to the cat.
“With blood.”
The cat extends its front paw, and a silent man beside it skillfully cuts the paw pad with a knife.
It was a paw pad, but it was different from what I imagined!!!
And then a Spirit appears.
Wait? Who are you?
“Seikai…!?”
“What…?”
The cat’s eyes widen dramatically, and its tail fluffs up. The large man even bows his head to the ground.
Correct, yes, I thought so. Isn’t this a deity worshipped in Naruadeid?! Wait a minute, are unknown deities going to show up too? Is this Soleil’s fault?