That Time a Shut-in for 300 Years Continued to Make Antiques , but All of It Turned out to Be Cheat-Level Magic Tools - Chapter 53

I headed to the Commerce Guild to discuss Furenzu’s branding, but although everything seemed in order on paper, I was informed of some changes to the system.

“What? Changes? I wasn’t notified of any changes when I submitted the documents earlier.”

“Yes, it was a sudden decision, and there hasn’t been a major announcement yet. However, we’ve been instructed by our superiors to proceed in this manner, so we ask for your understanding.”

“Hmm, and what exactly are these changes?”

“From now on, anyone applying for branding will need to deposit 5,000 gold coins as a security with the Commerce Guild.”

“What? That’s absurdly excessive, isn’t it?”

The situation was becoming increasingly troublesome. Furenzu protested, but the other party remained rigid.

“As I mentioned, this decision has been made.”

“That’s—”

“Were there really such significant changes, and yet no prior notification?”

“What?”

That’s when Mei intervened, and I joined in pressing the issue further.

“No, this isn’t right. We’ve never had to deposit a security before, especially not an amount as large as 5,000 gold coins. Surely, not just us, but nobody would accept such a change easily. Is the Commerce Guild really this reckless?”

“Uh, well…”

“I’ll take over.”

As Mei and I pressed on, the man stammered, but a staff member wearing glasses stepped in to replace him. This person must be a higher-up.

“I will continue from here. Regarding the notification, the reality is that there are very few companies applying for branding. Therefore, we judged that there was no need for a prior announcement. The last branding application was three years ago, and that company has since gone bankrupt.”

“No need for notification because there are no applications? That’s absurd. If there are hardly any applications, why is there a need to change the system?”

“It’s part of risk management. As you know, a certain incident almost drove the Magic Guild out of existence.”

“The Magic Guild is still around.”

It sounded almost as if the Magic Guild no longer existed, so I interjected to correct him.

“…My apologies. The Magic Guild was driven to near extinction, and considering that, we concluded that we must revise our system to avoid similar situations. Since magical items can be sold through adventurers’ guilds without oversight, it could potentially put us at risk.”

“But the whole point of branding is that the brand itself takes responsibility if anything happens. It shouldn’t directly affect the Commerce Guild.”

Furenzu countered, and I had heard the same.

“However, there’s no guarantee that a company won’t simply run away when faced with unmanageable debts. In such cases, the Commerce Guild typically has to handle the complaints. Therefore, to mitigate these risks, we now require a deposit of 5,000 gold coins.”

That sounds plausible, but still, 5,000 gold coins seem excessive.

“Will those 5,000 gold coins be returned?”

“That’s the plan.”

“The plan?”

“It’s not yet precisely decided.”

“You’re imposing this burden without a definite plan?”

“If you don’t like it, don’t apply for branding. Besides, if you’re dealing with magical items, why not sell through the Adventurers’ Guild?”

This statement… Are they in cahoots with the Adventurers’ Guild? No, even if they were, would the Commerce Guild simply comply with what the Adventurers’ Guild suggests?

Though the Commerce Guild and the Adventurers’ Guild have a symbiotic relationship, they also see each other as rivals.

So, it’s unlikely they’d take such action based solely on a proposal from the Adventurers’ Guild.

Moreover, there are likely other forces trying to hinder branding.

“Could it be that the Doyle Commerce Guild is involved in this?”

“I cannot answer such questions.”

My concealed lie detector didn’t react to his answer, but there was a noticeable pause before he responded. It’s almost certain that the Doyle Commerce Guild must be involved.

I knew that the Guard Commerce Guild and his wife were aware of the branding issue, but it seemed unlikely that the information leaked from them. I’ll verify it later, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the information was overheard somewhere, as it wasn’t exactly kept secret.

“I have one question regarding the Commerce Guild. If I decide to abandon the branding, will you still maintain the same stance, even if it means the Commerce Guild loses out on potential profits?”

“Ha, of course not. That won’t happen.”

“I’ve already supplied several magic bags to the Furenzu Commerce Guild. Right, Furenzu?”

The man with glasses twitched his eyebrows at this.

“Ah, yes. Thanks to that, we’ve made a considerable profit.”

“Furenzu-san, I heard that you started handling magic bags, but that child did?”

“Yes. Of course, those magic bags are already registered. And we’re currently ordering more.”

“I see. But even so, the change in the system has been decided. It can’t be undone just because of that…”

“It seems talking here won’t get us anywhere now. Let’s regroup and return.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

With that, we left the Commerce Guild for the time being.

“I’m terribly sorry, Edson-dono. I never expected it to come to this…”

“It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.”

“But this does set back the branding. It will affect the sale of magical items.”

“That’s alright. We might not be able to apply immediately, but we can gather more solid results and try again.”

“Huh? Results?”

“Yes. That man said he couldn’t make an exception just for the magic bags. That means we need to present something more substantial as a basis.”

“But, master, given their attitude, it’s safe to assume the Commerce Guild is connected with the Doyle Commerce Guild.”

“I think so too. They might also have ties with the Adventurers’ Guild.”

I understand why Mei and Furenzu are concerned, but from what I see, the essence of the Commerce Guild hasn’t changed, even now, including their evasive responses to my questions.

“Almost certainly, the Commerce Guild is connected with both Doyle and the Adventurers’ Guild. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are our enemies.”

“Not enemies, you say?”

“Yes. Their philosophy is simple: whether or not there is profit to be made. That’s the essence of the Commerce Guild. For now, the Doyle Commerce Guild is an ally they’d go to great lengths to please. As for the Adventurers’ Guild, they might be cooperating temporarily during this process.”

“Indeed, no matter their methods, the Doyle Commerce Guild has been generating significant profits for the Commerce Guild.”

Furenzu seemed convinced by my explanation.

“Yes, so my branding might have been hindered by something instigated by them. But ultimately, it’s just a matter of relationships. If they deem pushing the branding more profitable, they’ll quickly change their stance.”

“Is that so?”

Furenzu nodded, though such reversals are often as easy as flipping a hand back and forth, something we also need to use to our advantage.

“But, master, even if you call it ‘results,’ we can’t sell magical items without either branding or approval. If we sell without permission, we could be criminally charged.”

Furenzu looked worried, but of course, I had considered that.

“Of course, I’ve thought about that.”

“Master, you’re not considering black market trade, are you?”

“What! That would be bad! We definitely can’t involve ourselves in that…”

“Fool! I wouldn’t risk crossing such a dangerous bridge. I’m talking about doing things the proper way. So, it’s illegal to sell magical items without permission, but what if we distribute them as prototypes without charging money? That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Ah, that’s definitely fine. If that’s not allowed, we couldn’t test anything until it’s registered. We wouldn’t know about any malfunctions.”

That’s what I thought.

“Then, Furenzu, I have a request. If you know any customers or acquaintances who are facing inconveniences or are dissatisfied with the Adventurers’ Guild’s services, introduce them to me. I want you to spread the word that the Magic Guild can take on such requests at a low cost.”