Badlands Saga: Reincarnation in a Different World with Extreme Charisma

Chapter 28 Funky Dealer 2

Thanks to the continuous land-clearing efforts and the abundant use of soil improvers, the fields carved out from the wasteland were rapidly expanding.

The once cracked, dry earth had become moist, and even in the unplanted areas, eager weeds were beginning to sprout.

In these fields, where the people of Makiano and Folk worked side by side, planting was being carried out as soon as preparations were complete, and the vast number of workers moved back and forth to water the crops and remove weeds.

Naturally, as the number of people increased, so did the need for provisions to feed them all.

The recent meeting with the three merchants had been to secure the support necessary to feed those people for the time being…

“Lord Fusha… what exactly is all this…”

“Well, to be honest… I’m not really sure myself…”

Standing in front of a massive warehouse, the second-largest building in the wasteland after the Tanukan Castle, Medubal and I were at a loss for words.

The merchants had said they were delivering supplies to the warehouse. Under the guise of an ‘investment,’ we had come with Medubal, who had just returned to the wasteland, to prepare an inventory and at least estimate the value of the goods brought in.

“Didn’t you say you accepted the investment to deal with an urgent situation?”

“Yeah, yeah… but the merchants mentioned they could barely scrape together this much and were ashamed about it.”

However, when we opened the warehouse doors, what awaited us was an astonishing amount of goods of immense value.

Crates filled with wheat and root vegetables were stacked so high the ceiling was barely visible. Dried goods were hanging in abundance, and piles of alcohol and fabrics were scattered about.

I had no idea what they meant by ‘barely,’ but if this was indeed an ‘investment’ as they called it, it was overwhelmingly excessive in both quality and quantity.

“There’s enough wheat here to feed the entire region for five years…”

“Not just wheat—there’s potatoes, cloth, and alcohol too. Leaving all of this in a warehouse that anyone could walk into is asking for trouble.”

“Absolutely, and the warehouse guards weren’t many in number either… I wonder which merchant house is responsible for all this…”

Medubal muttered as he added items to the inventory on the parchment in his hand, moving further inside. Suddenly, he stopped in front of a particular crate.

He traced the branding on the crate with his hand, muttering to himself, “No way, it couldn’t be…” Then, with a strange expression, he turned to face me.

“Lord Fusha, which merchants provided these supplies… who were they again?”

“Oh, they were merchants from Makiano: Dalashi from Tsutomuporita, Aneka from Taichi, and Shiguro from Abi. They seem to be relatives of Harriett and Urok…”

Upon hearing this, Medubal placed a hand on his forehead and looked up to the sky.

…I wonder what’s wrong.

“…Those three are incredibly influential merchants on the Northern Sea Route. However, Makiano merchants are notoriously exclusive and inflexible. Given that we’ve received such an investment, we may face considerable conditions later on…”

“They did say we don’t need to repay them, though…”

“What?! Excuse me, but… are you sure you heard that correctly?”

It’s possible I misheard due to my imperfect understanding of Makiano language…

Well, I was planning to repay them from the start, which is why we’re making this inventory.

“However, if they bring this much, we might not be able to use it all before it spoils. Perhaps we should ask them to take back half of it.”

“Absolutely not! We can’t ask Makiano merchants to take back anything they’ve provided!”

Medubal seemed flustered, and I wondered what kind of image Makiano merchants had.

“Next time, you only need to tell them that you don’t need this amount. They value their reputation immensely, and you wouldn’t want to be careless with your words…”

They didn’t seem that difficult to deal with…

Perhaps it’s because of Harriett’s introduction?

“So, what should we do then? Taxes to Folk are in the autumn, so should we find somewhere to redirect the surplus?”

“In that case, it would be best to sell it to Folk and convert it into the necessary Folk coins for taxes.”

Indeed, that makes sense.

Nodding in agreement, Medubal raised a finger in front of his face and continued.

“However, since Folk is a country with a high grain production, there’s a risk that we might be pressured into selling at a low price. If we could turn it into alcohol, it would be more durable, but we don’t have the technology for brewing here…”

Well, there hasn’t been a surplus of food in this region before, so nobody has ever made alcohol.

Brewing requires specific knowledge and experience suited to the local land and water, and amateurs would likely fail.

…Though, I’d like to say that’s the case.

In this world, there are some incredible technologies that seem to completely disregard such diligent efforts.

“Can we dispose of it by making alcohol?”

“It depends on the quality, but there’s no land where alcohol doesn’t sell.”

“Then let’s make it.”

“How will we do that… Oh, alchemy!”

Yes, I have alchemy.

Compared to extracting individual components, brewing, with its fermentation and distillation, is relatively straightforward.

Magic and alchemy can seem like they bypass the process and just pull results out of nowhere… they are that convenient.

In other words, regardless of the location or the lack of skilled technicians, as long as we have the materials and the formula, we can make alcohol without any problem.

The real issue is the inability to fine-tune the flavor, but since it’s not for personal consumption and will be sold elsewhere, it shouldn’t be a major concern.

“If we can turn it into alcohol, the surplus food issues will be resolved.”

“Are there any other troublesome items? I think it would be fine to give the workers the alcohol…”

“Perhaps the cloths. They’re expensive to buy, but there are suitable customers for them…”

The gray cloths, rolled into cylindrical shapes on the shelves set up in the warehouse, felt thick and sturdy.

Come to think of it, the portable dwelling we stayed in on the plains was similar to this.

“There were people in the Mystic Army who were camping out because they lacked proper accommodation. How about using these cloths to make portable dwellings?”

“Canvas would be fine, but silk and wool might be a bit…”

“Is it a waste? Well, let’s ask Harriett if she wants them.”

“I think the fabric would be perfect for the Lady’s garments…”

Since the supplies here were likely sent for Harriett, Urok, and Logos, it would be best to consult them about the luxury items.

Once we decide how to use everything, we just need to check how much we have.

Medubal and I spent almost until nightfall creating an inventory of the large amount of supplies.

“Good fabric.”

As the dowry was being stored and rooms for the maid and a bath were being set up in Harriett’s quarters…

In the end, nearly the entire tower of the castle, which was supposed to be our private space, had become ours as a couple.

In my bedroom, after her bath, Harriett, with steam rising from her body, said this.

“Let’s make your clothes with this.”

“Huh? Me? You should make clothes for yourself instead.”

“My clothes are sent by relatives in Tsutomuporita. And honestly, your clothes are quite shabby.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Well, I hadn’t paid much attention to my clothes before.

Now that I think about it, they are hand-me-downs from my two older brothers, so the hems are frayed, and dust from the winds has faded their color to a light brown.

“A life without dressing up is boring. And so is a life where your husband doesn’t dress up.”

Her words carried a tone that left no room for argument; she was completely serious.

With such a firm stance, it was hard to say that my current clothes were still acceptable.

“Well then… I guess I’ll leave it to you.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll take your measurements tomorrow while it’s still light, and then I’ll get started on making them.”

She said this while looking slightly upward, tracing her jawline with her right index finger, as if it was the most natural thing.

“Huh? Harriett is making the clothes?”

“Of course. I don’t know how things are in the southern barbarian lands of Folk, but in Makiano, it’s the wife’s job to take care of her husband.”

As she had the maid from the plains brush her hair and polish her nails, she spoke with great pride.

So it’s not about taking care of oneself…

“Therefore, if a husband is dressed shabbily or has a gloomy face… that reflects on his wife’s responsibility.”

Her blue-green eyes held a self-assured glint, as if to say, “If you marry me, you can’t possibly end up unhappy.”