Knights, Let’s Smash Them

16 – Why are you here (1)

Harkin Pixis, the captain of the ‘Blue Dragon Transcontinental Convoy’, one of the upper ranks that signed an exclusive contract with the Imperial Black Lion Knights, was crying all the time.

“Damn it.”

“Now what? If we go back like this, the damage will be enormous.”

“What can I do? I’ll have to try another city. They’re all the same merchants, so if I beg for something while holding on to the hem of my trousers, wouldn’t they somehow listen?”

“Are you appealing to compassion after all… ….”

As a merchant, it was close to the worst option, but it is definitely a better option than bankruptcy.

It looks like I’m going to sink into a pile of debt right now, but I can’t help but take care of it.

Recently, the Imperial Black Lion Knights entered a dark age.

According to rumors, Lubern Aylroy, the administrative officer who made a great contribution to the victory of the grand expedition, threw out his resignation because he could not stand the tyranny.

With just one person leaving, the knights were completely destroyed.

The knights, who had been making a fuss over the grand expedition, suddenly canceled all schedules and started working on stabilizing the administration.

That doesn’t mean they were just making fun of all the guilds associated with the Knights.

In particular, Knight Commander Levia’s special mission fell to the blue dragon convoy.

It was an order to supply iron ore in large quantities.

Since the leader of the knights has not yet given up on the grand expedition, he must be planning to leave as soon as the administration stabilizes.

And of course, resources such as iron are needed for expeditions.

It goes without saying that an enormous amount of iron ore is required to dispose of dull weapons and replace them with newly crafted ones.

Thanks to that, the blue dragon convoy was able to receive an order for purchasing iron ore at a price 20% higher than the market price.

As a sudden mining accident occurred in Jarhead, which was the main source of iron ore supply, iron ore trading itself became impossible.

If you couldn’t keep the order period like this, you would have to pay a much larger penalty than the amount you ate.

Convoy leader Harkin felt his throat go dry every minute and every second.

“Let’s move to the next city.”

“Okay.”

However, there were not as many places to get iron ore in Rupel Manor than I thought.

Even when I went to other mining towns, the quantity of iron ore that had already been traded or was high enough to be delivered to the knights was insufficient.

It’s not another place, it’s the ‘Imperial’ Black Lion Knights.

Although the leader of the knights is a little lax, it is definitely one of the best knights that have been approved by the imperial family.

Isn’t it impossible to talk nonsensically against them or hit them in the head?

Harkin still had a lot of things he wanted to do.

It was an absolute no-brainer to hang a sign hanging around my neck in the capital’s plaza that read, “I am a bad merchant who lies to the Emperor’s knights.”

That’s how each day goes by.

The amount of loss was even greater, and now it was to the point where it was impossible to move the upper ranks hastily.

In the first place, the upper class is a huge group.

It is normal for a farmer to spend a year’s labor costs just by moving villages and villages once.

Labor costs for the guild staff and mercenaries hired as convoys.

The cost of food needed to feed the horses and cows pulling the wagon.

And other expenses.

Now, it has reached the point where even if the purchase price is included, it is barely worth the loss.

“Even if you take more damage, you have to move to another area. The penalty will be much higher.”

“Hey, if this continues, the cost of each move will be as much as the transaction cost!”

Moving from one territory to another was a real gamble.

Even though they gave it the grandiose name of a transcontinental convoy, in the end, the merchants only continued to trade through trade routes that had been pierced in advance.

Even if you risk losing money, you have a higher chance of being rejected.

“I wish I could at least find the money… ….”

Harkin’s dream of making it big this time has become more and more modest, and now it has fallen to the point of losing a little more than the breakeven point.

At the time I was really thinking about running away at night after liquidating the guild.

One of his subordinates, who was looking for a business partner, ran in in a hurry.

“Captain! It is said that a huge amount of iron ore has been released in Petalonto, the capital of the Rupel domain!!”

“What!?”

“I heard that one of the caravans headed for Petaronto just a few hours ago?”

“Damn it, why are you talking about that now!!”

“I-Didn’t I hear it just now!?”

“Go to Petalonto right now!!”

It was the moment when a ray of hope poured into his life, which had only a disastrous future in sight.

***

Petaronto is the capital of the Rupel Territory, but the atmosphere is completely different from the capital of the general territory.

Originally, the capital city was often a city where a manor resided, so it was often central to all kinds of administration, commerce, and military.

Of course, unlike other cities, the population was much higher.

But not Petalonto.

Rather, the place where commercial and industrial development was greatly developed was Jarhed, a mining town in the north.

That doesn’t mean that the infrastructure to sell or buy things around is not good.

It’s just an ‘administrative central city’ where the count family exists and the Knights Headquarters are attached.

Thus, for the merchants, Petalonto only had value as a stopover for a short while to and from Jarhead.

So what I am focusing on is the restoration of the authority of this capital.

Jahed can’t help it. It is a city that has prospered with the mining industry, and it is impossible to create a mine in Petalonto that does not exist in the first place.

Because I’m not some kind of gold dragon, and I don’t possess the power to turn mountains into veins with one breath.

But.

Even if you lack innate resources, it doesn’t mean you can’t summon merchants.

If that’s the case, Korea should have collapsed a long time ago.

First of all, the first method for him was to use Petalonto as a kind of resource storage.

“I will accept only 15% of the market price per ton of iron ore. 1 Ton or less is 20% of the cigar value~~!!”

The amount of iron ore that Carlos Merchant Merchants bought from Triton and Nordic Mine was close to 20 tons.

It is natural.

There are more than tens of merchants a day who go in and out of Jarhead to buy iron ore.

In Jarhead, which boasts that kind of traffic, the two largest mines have been closed for three days.

As a result, the surplus amount left behind was considerable. Even the figure of 20 tons was actually brought because of restrictions on the maximum weight that the top can accommodate.

In fact, the amount of iron ore left in stock was twice as much as what we had bought.

20 Tons was actually less than one-fifth of the total iron ore produced in Jarhead per day.

Anyway, we started a ‘rescue’ business targeting the merchants who couldn’t get iron ore from Jarhead.

At this time, all of the remaining 27 tons were sold except for the remaining 3 tons for domestic demand.

1 Ton was sold for about 100 gold coins on the market, so I added 20% here and sold it, and it became a total of 120 gold coins.

From the point of view of the upper management companies, who suffered serious losses right away, they hurriedly signed contracts, as if there was no need to worry about only 20%.

Of course, it wasn’t that there was no backlash at all.

“No, isn’t 20% too much?”

“Why do you think so?”

“Aren’t Triton and Nova mines open anyway? If I go now, I’ll be able to get iron ore at the original price, right?”

“Oh is that so? Then go there and get it. Don’t put kusari in the middle of business.”

“Hey!!! If you’re not going to buy it, get out! Right now, we’re in a hurry, every second!”

However, the top tier, which had wasted too much time until today, was frantic to fill the stock even with an additional 18% or 20%.

“Oh, okay! I got it! Just give me 3 tons!”

“Three tons of iron ore. 20% Of the market value is 360 gold coins, hog…… No, customer~!”

No matter how short the distance from Jarhead to Petalonto is, it only takes two days round trip based on the corps.

As a matter of fact, the upper part of the amount that can be received in just two days has changed for the ‘Time Attack’ merchants who have to deliver goods within a set period of time.

I didn’t even have time to say sorry.

That’s how the Carlos Merchant and I bought the iron ore from Jarhead at 30% cheaper than the market price, and sold it at 20% more than the market price.

Simply calculated, it was a gain of more than 50%.

Khehehehe!

This is the right business, I mean!

I smiled contentedly as I lifted up the heavy pockets of gold coins left behind.

The youngest knight, Barbara, seemed to have never seen so many gold coins, and said with yellow eyes like gold coins.

“This…… It’s all ours?!”

“No, not that…” ….”

“Only 10% is ours.”

That’s exactly what I agreed to with Carlos.

20 Gold coins were added to the market price of 100 gold coins, so the Carlos Merchant Merchant sold for a total of 120 gold coins per ton.

10% Of that means 12 gold coins.

Since the iron ore sold was 27 tons, it made a profit of more than 300 gold coins.

And that in just one day.

In addition, 3 tons of iron ore used as a decoration material was brought in at 30% of the original price.

In fact, it could be seen as a huge benefit to the Knights’ finances, which were mere pennies.

A total of 324 gold screens, at least for a few months right now, it can be said that we have secured the necessary funds to operate the Knights of the Snow Leopard.

“It doesn’t matter if you take a little more than 10%…… I don’t know how to repay you for such convenience.”

Carlus, the owner of the upper house, said in a voice that seemed to be about to fly to the pockets of gold coins that still had a few left even after one of the gold coin transport wagons was almost full.

“To the extent that I wonder if he should have been a merchant rather than an administrator.”

“hahahaha, at least I’m wearing the guise of being an administrator, so that’s about it. If I had been a simple merchant, I might have been sold as a slave because I couldn’t pay my debts long ago.”

“It’s not nice to see you being too humble, hahahahaha!!”

Your mouth will be torn, it will be torn.

“Then, if you see me in the future, please stop by our Petalonto often.”

“Of course. If you have any products you need, please feel free to tell us on this side of the guild.”

Carlos took out a piece of paper from his bosom and handed it to him. The text written on the pattern of the ferocious eagle spreading its wings was ‘Hispanian Merchant Guild’.

“Are you from Hispania?”

“Yes.”

It was an unexpected giant.

If it’s Hispenia, isn’t it the merchant guild that most of the trading guilds from the southwestern part of the empire to the Minerva Sorcery Kingdom that borders the empire belonged to?

“If there are any special products produced in the south or items imported from the Dark Kingdom, I will definitely bring them.”

“If you would, it would be perfect.”

I took Carlos’ hand and shook it.

“But are you planning to leave already?”

“Yes. It’s because we’re wasting too much time. I think we should go back before the ice caps brought from the northernmost Hebron melt.”

They were also merchants.

I don’t think I came here to tour the Rupel estate.

“Sorry. We look forward to seeing you again next time.”

“Since such an excellent administrator has been appointed to Rupel Manor, I am really looking forward to how the city will develop as a merchant.”

“Is that so?”

“At that time, I hope there are many items that can be purchased even at high prices.”

Nothing.

Of course, we have to make specialties unique to Rupel Manor.

If it’s a corps that moves on a continental basis like Carlos usually does, I’d probably stop by the same city once every six months.

Perhaps it would be possible to see him again after quite a while.

“Then, let’s go back to our knights.”

“It was a very valuable meeting.”

Your business is over.

The long day was almost over, so it was time to go get some rest.

That moment when Carlos and I were about to say goodbye.

From far away.

There was a group of caravans running towards the city gates.

A fluttering blue dragon pattern.

I was taken aback by the flag that I was familiar with if I was familiar with it.

‘Blue Dragon Transcontinental Convoy?’

Why are you guys here?????