A New Deal
Fire Artifacts?!
Dofnik shot to his feet so suddenly that his chair scraped loudly across the floor.
Fire Artifacts.
It was even more mind-bending than Ice Artifacts, if anything.
While Ice Artifacts improved the quality of life, Fire was the very foundation of human civilization.
It could provide warmth, cook food, give light in the dark, and offer heat in the cold.
Lighting a flame in an instant?
There was no way such a thing would lack marketability.
Anytime, anywhere.
Stably.
For any purpose.
Being able to create fire was a tremendous advantage.
In Dofnik’s mind, he was already imagining selling these artifacts in countless ways.
I didn’t expect him to be this surprised…
Joseph watched Dofnik stare at the hastily created Fire Artifact with a dazed expression and thought to himself.
Unlike Dofnik, Joseph wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about Fire Artifacts.
Of course, he wasn’t denying the value of fire.
But unlike Ice, creating Fire required several times more effort.
When he first attempted to infuse Fire, the key immediately triggered a small explosion.
Just like with the Ice Artifacts, he would have to face that small explosion dozens of times to find a proper medium.
It’s not like I have multiple lives.
That was why he had never considered trying Fire Artifacts until now.
But now that he had completed the Ice Artifacts and made some progress in the granting magic, he could now control lighting a flame as lightly as before.
So, if he found a proper medium, making Fire Artifacts wouldn’t be impossible.
Joseph studied Dofnik’s face for a moment, then spoke.
“This is a new Artifact I’ve been researching recently…”
The flow was exactly the same as when he had faced Braham earlier.
He didn’t know the right medium, so he was asking for help finding one.
“Actually, I don’t have a proper material yet…”
“I can prepare everything!”
“…”
Before Joseph’s words had even finished, Dofnik made his decision.
Braham had at least looked hesitant, but there was no such thing here.
His eyes were half-dyed with madness.
***
Joseph later decided to go to the guild himself and first sent Dofnik back.
He openly showed his regret, but he couldn’t write a contract here.
Even setting aside yesterday’s attack, Joseph hadn’t even had breakfast yet.
“Ah! S-sorry.”
Once he explained, Dofnik finally got in the carriage and left.
Surprisingly smooth.
Joseph clicked his tongue.
Honestly, Dofnik wasn’t to his liking.
After all, he had hired people to carry out the attack.
Even if it wasn’t directly targeting him, it was still related to him.
But what if I kill him?
Then another one appears? Do I have to kill again?
Then there won’t be any left in this city.
When Dofnik appeared in the morning, what would happen? But in the end, I gained something.
I’m a bit worried about the relationship between Dofnik and Braham, but honestly, that’s not my business.
Merchants’ relationships, they’ll handle it themselves.
As long as it doesn’t interfere with business, whatever.
Anyway, as long as ‘sustained profit’ is completed, that was enough for Joseph.
After Dofnik left, Joseph immediately called Gibra and Toban.
They listened to yesterday’s incident and their eyes widened.
“Attack? The Silver Ice Merchant Guild? But the guild master came earlier?”
Especially Gibra seemed quite shocked.
He was also wondering if he should have stopped Joseph from going out at night, but in the end it turned out well, so his face was ambiguous.
“…I understand the situation. Then, am I going back to the workshop?”
In contrast, Toban seemed quite calm.
Frankly, he didn’t care much whether it was Braham or Dofnik.
He was more concerned about his workshop moving than small things.
Was he sensitive to environmental changes?
After all, he had been immersed in Artifact production every day without holidays recently, so it was possible.
“The workshop will be moved here… but I want to give you something else besides that.”
“Other work? Are you talking about finding the medium for the Fire Artifacts I mentioned?”
“No, I’ll handle that myself. I want you to take charge of educating the artisans.”
At that, Toban’s eyes widened instantly.
“Eh? Educating the artisans?”
“Yeah. Right now, you’re making Artifacts, but you can’t keep doing that forever.”
Currently, Toban can make 3 or 4 Artifacts a day at most.
Even that is thanks to the Kerbe Guild supporting him by providing stones that can be carved into Artifacts (something shaped like a big sponge), otherwise it would be even less.
Joseph, who was thinking of producing more Artifacts in the future, would have limits with Toban alone.
So, hire new artisans.
But he couldn’t give them Zallier’s Grimoire like Toban.
So, he wanted to make it so that Toban manages them.
In other words, a factory manager.
Toban looked dazed after hearing Joseph’s words.
A factory manager for an Artifact production site? Me, who couldn’t even join the Artisan Guild?
“The artisans will be using the guild’s power… You and Gibra will decide who to pick.”
“Eh? Me too?”
Gibra was also startled by that.
He was just a errand boy hired by Joseph.
Joseph recognized his abilities, but it was only that he was good at handling miscellaneous tasks.
Gibra didn’t think he could pick out a proper person.
Again thinking timid thoughts…
But unlike Gibra’s thoughts, Joseph evaluated him quite highly.
His liver was small, but his eye for detail and judgment were great talents.
Joseph planned to find a new house outside the city once business stabilized.
To spend a leisurely and comfortable life there with the money earned.
For that, he needed someone to manage people in Caladon in his place.
Can’t put anyone there.
It would be better to put Gibra there and supplement his shortcomings.
“You should move your residence here.”
“…”
“…”
Once he said that, both seemed to understand Joseph’s intention and closed their mouths with subtle expressions.
Then Gibra started laughing awkwardly, and Toban seemed to be imagining something and stared blankly into space.
Joseph stared at them for a moment and asked.
“…Don’t you like it?”
“No!”
“Absolutely not!”
At that, the two snapped out of it and answered loudly.
Their expressions were quite funny, so Joseph burst into laughter.
They immediately left to pack.
Gibra was still living in the mercenaries’ quarters, and Toban, being a poor artisan, didn’t have much stuff.
“Master! Are you okay!”
Right after they left to pack, Braham barged in, leading a group of mercenaries, as if replacing them.
His face was full of surprise and bewilderment, and looking at the mercenaries’ armament, they seemed to have come intending to fight.
How did he know and came?
Braham was supposed to leave for Mt. Tetra after hiring personnel from the mercenary guild to guard Joseph’s house this morning.
But how did he know that Dofnik had come to Joseph’s house?
“If you’re surprised, I’m sorry. I was too startled…”
Joseph was surprised, so Auk cautiously said.
He had been the gatekeeper in the morning, and after seeing Dofnik, he immediately went to Kerbe Guild.
“Anyway, I’m glad you’re safe. I didn’t think you’d go straight to the mage after sending an attack at night…”
Braham said that, looking around.
The mercenaries looked ready to draw weapons at any moment, so Joseph stopped them.
“Dofnik has already left. You don’t have to be so cautious.”
“Ah, already left… Dofnik…?”
“Ah…”
He frowned at Joseph’s title.
Joseph, who hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet, clicked his tongue.
He probably needed to explain the situation to Braham as well.
***
“…”
Braham quietly sipped his tea after hearing Joseph’s story.
The situation was developing too quickly, so he needed time to process his thoughts.
Joseph quietly drank his tea and waited.
“So… you agreed to supply Fire Artifacts to the Silver Ice Merchant Guild?”
“Yes. Like Ice Artifacts, I need to find the right medium first.”
Braham nodded with a subtle expression.
Various thoughts were swirling in his mind.
After the Kerbe Guild started distributing Ice Artifacts, the Silver Ice Merchant Guild, which had been distributing ice, started handling Fire Artifacts too.
As a result, it didn’t turn into a clash between guilds… but it felt like it was forced.
No, it’s not just a feeling.
Braham subtly checked Joseph’s face.
It was hard to judge a mage’s appearance, but from the outside, he didn’t seem particularly young.
Yet he could do Ice Magic, Fire Magic, Artifact creation, and even combat.
Moreover.
Moreover, this problem with Silver Ice Merchant Guild.
It looked smooth on the surface, but looking at the result, the one who gained the most was this mage.
Kerbe Guild and Silver Ice Merchant Guild.
It meant that the two guilds had become controllable by Joseph.
If friction with Silver Ice Merchant Guild, he could expand the ice market quickly through Kerbe Guild.
If friction with Kerbe Guild, he could use the scale and power of Silver Ice Merchant Guild.
Did he calculate everything…?
It didn’t seem so, but…
He couldn’t help but have such thoughts.
Who on earth is this person…
He knew he had been active in Valois Territory, but at this point, the behind was more curious, and at the same time, he started to feel scared.
Then he shook his head.
There was a saying among merchants.
- Don’t miss the coin in front of you and chase the distant gold.
It meant that chasing things you can’t catch easily makes it easy to miss the gain in front of you.
It was better to think about business cleanly rather than having unnecessary curiosity and causing problems.
“I understand. I’m glad the situation has calmed down.”
“Yes. It’s not without a feeling of suddenness, but…”
Braham nodded once and replied.
“I’ll do my best to cooperate in finding the medium for the Fire Artifacts.”
“Eh? Really?”
“Yes. Thanks to the mage, I didn’t bump into Dofnik, so I have to return the favor in kind. I’ll organize good things by cooperating with Silver Ice Merchant Guild.”
At that, Joseph’s face brightened.
If Kerbe Guild, which has some knowledge about Artifacts, it would be a big help.
“Then, please take care.”
“Yes. Just leave it to me.”