Year 1451, month 10, day 30

  It has been nearly three weeks since I shifted my primary focus toward the intricacies of large-scale trade. During this time, I have been in a state of constant motion, traveling between various cities within the Ottovard Empire, the Hazaroth Union, and even a few carefully selected settlements along the border of the Targonia Kingdom. I have bought and sold a staggering variety of goods, ranging from basic alchemical ingredients to high-end luxury items. My inventory has seen everything from exotic tropical fruits that would spoil in a standard caravan to intricate dresses crafted by the Empire’s most famous designer tailors.

  Thanks to the significant boost in my Charisma stat and the accumulation of my previous trading experiences, I managed to gain access to more numerous and difficult-to-reach goods that would be off-limits to a typical merchant. On the sales side of the business, my improved social standing allowed me to negotiate slightly higher prices for my stock. It was a successful cycle; I rarely found myself in a position where I had to sell goods at a loss just to clear space.

  I adhered to a strict strategy of reinvesting the money I earned back into the business. As a result, the piles of goods stored at my home continued to grow in height and value. At the same time, the daily sales volume increased naturally because the sheer variety of items I possessed attracted a wider range of buyers.

  However, I made sure not to buy blindly with my earned gold. I became more selective as my stock grew. If certain goods proved difficult to move, or if I already possessed a significant quantity of a specific item, I would refrain from purchasing similar products. My original intention was to maximize variation, and once I reached a certain threshold, it became harder to find new, unique items worth the investment. Because I was no longer spending every single coin on new inventory, the gold started to accumulate slowly in my private reserves.

  This shift also made my daily routine much easier. I no longer had to tire myself out by constantly searching for every possible scrap of profit. I still had the responsibility of selling the goods, but since Yargan served as my primary market hub, the process of unloading my inventory was relatively quick and efficient.

  As my spare time increased, I began to spend more hours at home with the girls. I noticed that the twins’ moods seemed to improve significantly; I assumed they simply enjoyed having me hang around the house more often. As for Nari, she proved to be an exceptionally slow learner. It took a remarkably long time for her to learn from even her simplest mistakes. Even when she did manage to correct one behavior, she would invariably start doing something else that would cause me irritation.

  If someone had asked me to choose between a cat and a dog in my previous life, I would have preferred the cat. I have always known that dogs are more loyal and useful as companions, but there was something about the free-spirited nature of cats that I found enjoyable. However, when those creatures become sentient and take on a nearly human form, that "free spirit" becomes a burden. In this world, having a subordinate who is "death loyal" like the twins is a far better thing than dealing with a dazed, unfocused catkin.

  I was already starting to feel the sting of regret regarding her purchase. Spending time with her wasn't getting any better, and her presence didn't seem to add any value to the household dynamic. The worst part was that even my final hope—that she would prove her worth during dungeon raids—ended in complete disappointment.

  She is undeniably good at fighting. In terms of raw combat power, she is even better than Wyn. When I leave her to rampage on her own, she is highly effective at tearing through monsters. But that is where her utility ends. While she has the potential to become even stronger, she absolutely sucks at teamwork.

  I have already confirmed that Wyn is quite capable of managing a group. During our recent outings, I left the three of them to handle encounters on their own to see how they would coordinate. Wyn did an admirable job; she tried to control the flow of battle, positioning Woya in optimal spots to maximize her defensive effectiveness and increase her overall contribution to the fight.

  But Nari was a different story entirely. At first, I tried to be patient, thinking that the lack of coordination was simply due to them being a new group. I waited and watched, hoping that as time passed, they would find a rhythm. But despite their dedicated training sessions every morning, they could not manage to function as a cohesive team.

  The reason for this failure was obvious: Nari simply refused to listen to Wyn’s commands. At best, she would pretend to listen and then do the opposite. At worst, she would ignore Wyn entirely, later claiming she had followed orders when it was a blatant lie.

  Every time the group struggled to defeat enemies because of Nari’s erratic behavior, Wyn would glance back at me with a nervous, anxious expression. She looked as if she were terrified that I would be dissatisfied with her leadership performance. In the end, I was the one who had entrusted her with the responsibility of managing the group, so I understood her pressure.

  I chose not to interfere directly. I wanted to use the situation as a test to analyze how Wyn would handle such a challenging subordinate, whether Woya would continue to obey Wyn’s orders without hesitation, and whether Nari would eventually show even a small amount of respect for Wyn's words.

  Unsurprisingly, nothing changed. Nari continued to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. It reminded me of what the auctioneer had mentioned: she had been hunting all by herself before being sold. While that sounded like a testament to her strength at first, I now realized that being part of a tribe but excluded from the hunting group meant she was an outcast. Whether it was because of her antisocial talent or her fundamental inability to work with others, she was a loner by nature.

  I brought them into the dungeon with me a few times to see if my presence would force an improvement, but it was futile. She did manage to defeat higher-level monsters on the floors ranging from eleven to fourteen, which was her best performance to date, but the lack of coordination made her a liability in a serious party.

  I started to contemplate what I should do with her. With my current party composition and business goals, she wasn't a good fit anywhere. I might have a role for someone with her specific set of "wild" skills in the future, but I can't afford to wait for an uncertain possibility. On top of her combat issues, she wasn't a good slave either; she simply didn't act like one.

  In the end, I decided to wait just a bit longer before making a final decision on her status. It had been approximately three weeks since I handed over the five platinum coins to Merkan in Baymur, and I thought it would be a good idea to visit him and check on our investment.

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  After finishing breakfast one morning, I prepared to leave the house. I had Wyn help me into my combat equipment, as I was heading out of the city gates. Even though I was primarily focused on big-scale business, I knew I had to remain vigilant and well-protected while traveling.

  I activated the Warp skill and teleported directly to the outskirts of Baymur. I walked into town and headed straight for Merkan’s shop. As I drew closer, I spotted Merkan standing out front, engaged in a serious conversation with a man wearing a grey smock. Given their intense expressions, it didn't look like a casual chat; they were clearly discussing business.

  When I got within range, Merkan noticed me. Since he was facing the direction I was approaching from, his eyes widened slightly in recognition. The man in the grey smock noticed Merkan’s shift in attention and turned around to look at me as well. He seemed a bit intimidated by my appearance, likely due to the gleaming armor I was wearing and the large sword strapped to my back.

  “... Hey, Merkan! Long time, no see,” I called out. Seeing the stranger’s nervousness, I waved to Merkan and offered a friendly greeting as I closed the distance.

  “Welcome back, Sir Han! I remember you mentioned you would be returning in a month,” Merkan said, his face breaking into a gentle smile.

  “Yes, you’re right. But business has been going exceptionally well lately, and I didn't want to lose the momentum,” I replied, returning the smile. “I thought it would be good to increase the variation of my stock. Did you manage to collect enough goods to make the trip worthwhile?”

  “Of course! Though I was starting to worry you might doubt whether I’d run away with your deposit or not. Hahaha!” He let out a laugh at his own irony. “I’ve actually spent most of the money you left with me. Would you like to see the haul?”

  “Sure thing, but…” I paused, looking at the man standing beside him. I didn't want to be rude by ignoring him entirely.

  “... Oh, right. Forgive me,” Merkan said. “Tamer, this is the man I told you about, Sir Han. He’s the one who commissioned the collection. And Han, this is Tamer, a local craftsman and a friend of mine since childhood. He specializes in creating jewelry from the materials we harvest from the sea. Several of the pieces I’ve acquired for you actually came from his workshop.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tamer,” I said, extending my hand. I offered him a polite smile to ease his tension.

  “Aye, the pleasure is mine, Sir,” Tamer said, taking my hand and shaking it firmly. His initial nervousness seemed to evaporate, replaced by a cheerful demeanor. “Merkan told me you’d given him a massive sum of gold. He’s been running all over town buying up everything in sight. We started to think he was planning on buying the whole town for you! Whohohoho!”

  We shared a brief laugh before entering the shop’s warehouse. Merkan led me through the crates and displays, showing me the inventory he had secured over the last three weeks.

  “These are all the goods I’ve purchased on your behalf, Sir Han. Additionally, there are three specific pieces of jewelry I’ve ordered from Tamer. We were actually discussing the final details of those when you arrived,” Merkan explained.

  “It will take me at most one more week to finish the settings,” Tamer added. “The primary materials are already refined and polished, so the final assembly will go faster than usual.”

  “Hmm… I’ll have to collect those on my next visit then,” I said, nodding. “For today, I’ll take everything you’ve already collected. How much of the deposit did you spend, and what is the total for your commission?”

  I figured since we were planning to work together for the long term, leaving a few items for later wasn't an issue.

  “I spent a total of 350 gold coins on this batch,” Merkan stated. He began to go through the items, giving me a detailed breakdown of the financial worth and the prices he paid for each category.

  I listened closely, mostly choosing not to object to his figures. I did notice that he had included some of his own shop’s products in the mix, but I didn't say a word about it; as far as I was concerned, it didn't matter who he bought them from as long as the quality was high and the price was fair.

  From time to time, Tamer would chime in with a comment about a specific pearl or shell, but for the most part, he just watched the negotiation. I did have to interfere a few times regarding the "original" market prices Merkan claimed. Because I had spent time searching the town and analyzing values during my last visit, I had a good grasp of the local market. When Merkan realized that I knew exactly what these goods were worth, he started to act more cautiously and stopped insisting on the inflated prices he’d initially suggested.

  Merkan claimed that while he spent 350 gold, the original market value of the goods was 430 gold. Under our agreement, he would be entitled to a commission of 56 gold coins (70% of the 80-gold discount). However, after we finished the appraisal together, we reached a consensus that the actual total value was 410 gold at best. Based on that adjusted figure, it was decided that his commission would be 40 gold coins.

  I reached into my inventory and pulled out three platinum coins. I told him to take his 40 gold commission from that amount and add the remaining 260 gold (2.6 platinum) to the previous balance.

  I gave him 3 platinum coins and asked him to take 40 gold coins from that and add the remaining 2.6 gold coins to the previous amount. Since he spent 350 gold coins, there should be 1.5 platinum coins remaining. So he will be left with 4.1 platinum coins.

  I informed him that I would return in another three weeks to ensure he could continue purchasing goods on my behalf.

  Looking over the crates I was about to load into my inventory, I felt satisfied. It was a very good purchase. Most of the items were unique and didn't overlap with what I already had stored at home. Best of all, Merkan had done all the heavy lifting of sourcing and negotiating while I was busy in the Empire.

  Even if I had spent the time myself to wander the town and persuade the local artisans to sell to me, I’m not certain I could have secured all of this for the 410-gold market price. By paying Merkan his 40-gold commission, my effective cost for the entire lot was 390 gold. I had profited in terms of the purchase price, and more importantly, I had saved a significant amount of time. It was a perfect transaction; Merkan had also made a clean 40-gold profit without assuming a single bit of risk.

  “That was quite a spectacle to watch…” Tamer said, chuckling as we finished the exchange of coins and goods.

  He looked at me with renewed curiosity. “You must be from a major merchant family, or perhaps even a noble? The ease with which you handled that much gold was amazing.”

  I am neither a noble nor a scion of a merchant house. I am simply a special being blessed with a system. Tamer clearly couldn't fathom the possibility that I was operating entirely alone without any backing. To him, it was impossible for a young man—especially one dressed like an adventurer, who is usually just muscle for hire—to move this much capital. I saw no reason to reveal the truth to him.

  “You can think of it as one of those,” I said, offering him a fake, polite smile.

  He seemed to take the hint and didn't press the matter further. Merkan, seeing that our primary business was concluded, asked if I had any other specific requests for his next round of buying. Even though our deal was extremely safe for him, finishing a successful transaction always builds confidence. He seemed genuinely eager to continue working with me now that he had earned 40 gold coins in commission, not even counting the profit from the items he sold me from his own stock.

  We chatted for a few more minutes about mundane topics, and then I took my leave. Since I had no other business in Baymur, I walked to the edge of town and used Warp to return to Yargan. I was eager to see exactly how much profit I could generate by unloading this new batch of coastal goods.

  [Edited]

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