The Genius Blacksmith's Game
Junk items. (3)
“Your Majesty, the financial situation of our Black Wagon Merchant Guild is also dire. If we are unable to collect the overdue payment today, our Black Wagon will be severely shaken. Please understand with a broad mind that I had no choice but to make this decision, despite having maintained business relations with Lord Alex for such a long time.”
A scenario in which Wang Hyun-soo intervenes.
There was no way Luo hadn't woven it.
He is, by name, the king of a country and the one celebrating a tremendous victory in the war against the Pharion Empire.
There was no benefit in needlessly upsetting him.
However, what I cannot understand is that no matter how much I think about it, Hyun's country has no money.
Before coming to the country of Hyun.
Using all available information, I verified the financial resources remaining in Hyun's country.
Money has completely dried up.
But the King is saying he will give money?
I'll give it to you right away.
Right away?
Yeah, I'll sell my junk items.
“???”
“????”
“……?????”
They were silent in that spot for a moment.
Is he crazy?
Luo couldn't believe his ears.
Meaning of junk items.
It is an unnecessary or useless item.
In fact, outsiders like Hyun-su would periodically sell these 'junk items' to merchants.
At most, it amounted to a few gold, barely enough to cover the cost of potions.
But you're saying you'll pay with those junk items?
“Your Majesty, 52 million gold is a considerable sum, enough to purchase a decent territory, but.
I know?
“…….”
Silence followed again.
Even Alex wore a look that said he could not understand why His Highness was acting this way.
What on earth are you thinking…?
In particular, the merchants of the black carriage caravan who had come with Luo clicked their tongues inwardly.
What a total rookie…
One should not make promises that cannot be kept.
Pay it back by selling junk? You're crazy. You only know how to fight; you know nothing.
It is crystal clear how much the Prime Minister must be suffering. So obvious.
If it weren't for Alex, this country might have gone to ruin long ago.
Hyunsu's words seemed that unreliable to that extent.
“I heard that the Black Wagon is the third largest merchant caravan on the continent. How about buying my junk items? If you buy them, I’ll give you a discount.”
“A discount… that’s quite tempting. Could you tell me how much of a discount you’re offering?”
About 0.3%?
“……?”
No matter how I looked at it, this king seemed to be out of his mind.
Ahem…….
Luo hurriedly composed his expression.
“Can you tell me how much there is?”
“I don’t know either.”
"hmm……."
Luo stroked his chin.
It is certainly a good thing that they can set their own prices and buy at a lower price.
Although it was only 0.3%.
However, the funny thing was that the King did not know the amount of junk he possessed.
However.
Luo wanted to maintain a good relationship with Hyunsu.
“……I will do so.”
“Then, may I go with the merchants? They need to assess the value of the junk items, you know.”
“……Very well. I will be waiting with Lord Alex.”
After lowering his head, Luo moved his feet.
Here, let's go.
Hyun-su also walked along with the black carriage merchants.
Your Highness… what on earth are you thinking?
Alex looked at Hyunsu's retreating figure with a worried expression.
***
The members of the Black Merchant Guild who followed Hyun-su had a terrible time.
It’s not like I can call him an idiot just because he’s a king.
Good heavens…
I wonder how we ended up becoming people who just count junk items…
There were different levels of merchants as well.
It is generally the owners of general stores in the village who buy junk items.
I can't remember the last time I bought junk items…
Buying up junk was just the kind of thing done in a neighborhood market to that extent.
The place Hyunsu led them to was a warehouse.
Hyun-su, who had guided them to the empty warehouse, wore a puzzled expression.
“Eight people? Hmm…….”
“Haha… I did come quite a bit.”
“Since it was Prince Hyunsu’s summons, it is only natural that all of us merchants of the Black Carriage had no choice but to come. Haha, there are indeed too many junk items to buy, aren't there?”
“No, it’s the opposite.”
"yes?"
You guys are going to have quite a hard time.
What do you mean by hardship?
For mere junk items?
Then, Hyunsu started pouring out the junk items he had accumulated in his inventory.
He had already distinguished between the things he needed to use and the things he didn't.
Rumble rumble
Oh? About this much?
Is this all? With eight people, it would be quick.
however…….
Thump thump thump-
Huh? That's a bit much.
Why won't the junk items end?
They could see the warehouse filling up with junk items.
Pffft, pffft-!
Something feels off?
Rather than saying junk items were pouring out, the expression that junk items were rushing in like a tidal wave seemed more fitting.
Junk items, like a surging tidal wave, continue to fill the warehouse as if water were rising in a narrow space.
'Huh? Why is it piled up as high as my height?'
"What, something's off?"
Before they knew it, the junk items had piled up as high as their height, to the point where they couldn't see an inch ahead.
Then, a merchant was surprised as he looked at the items inside the junk.
“Ash Wolf’s Tooth…? Isn’t an Ash Wolf’s Tooth used as an ingredient to make top-tier potions?”
“Gasp… that’s not all. Take a look at this.”
A merchant picked up something that looked like a beak bent in a curve.
“It’s the claws of the Archdemon Halphas.”
“……Cow, fingernails?”
There are feathers here, too.
“……!”
They wore surprised expressions.
“Your Majesty, is this really a junk item? No, isn't it too precious to be called junk?”
"It's just junk to me…"
A merchant looked as if he had been beaten with something blunt.
That is correct.
Something that is attractive enough to want to own to one person can become an unnecessary 'junk item' to another.
In reality, Halphas's fingernails are high-quality material for alchemists, but not at all for Hyunsu.
The reason they can recognize it is that the merchants present here, by name, have excellent discernment.
also.
They were well-versed in various fields.
“The Eye of the Giant King, known to drop items that heal any wound or disease… Since it is a rare material, it holds considerable value.”
“What about this Baron Andar’s bone? Necromancers want bone armor with excellent defensive capabilities. If crafted well, it can multiply its value several times over.”
Ss
Hyunsu put back the bone that the merchant had just mentioned.
I'll just use this.
And it seemed like they wanted me to keep explaining.
Swoosh-
He took back everything he could make.
'You damned king!'
I wanted to shout, but I couldn't.
This is because Hyun-su is taking exactly what he needs, wearing that bone from before on his shoulder and giving a look that says "explain quickly."
However, even excluding that, it was truly amazing.
The merchant took a step back, looked at the items piled up to his head, and thought that it would easily amount to several million gold.
“Work hard on the appraisals, everyone. We have to finish everything by the end of today.”
“Haha, you are very worried. I can appraise everything in an hour.”
“I have the eye of a merchant who can immediately see through these miscellaneous forces. This is no big deal.”
“I, too, possess the power of a merchant’s hand. Just by placing something against it, I know where to use it. This is a bit tough, but it is manageable.”
“That’s not the sound…….”
“This is about 5% of what was in my inventory. If I want to finish this today, won't I have to be diligent?”
Did they hear wrong?
5%?
The merchants' hands began to get busy.
Ultimately, the value of emotions is assigned.
And I barely manage to finish it.
then……
Shh
Junk items poured out in front of them again.
“The, the merchant’s lying down…….”
“The merchant’s voice…….”
“Merchant’s information…….”
They are high-ranking merchants. Therefore, they can exert such power infinitely, but it was not easy.
Pfft-
The man with the eyes of a merchant, who had gazed for a long time, finally collapsed.
"no!!"
Hyun-su shook him urgently. Is Hyun-su tormented by guilt for making him do high-intensity labor?
'Ugh… at least he's a king with a conscience…'
“Get up…… You have to evaluate.”
Bullshit, Hyunsu had no conscience whatsoever.
Pong-
Hyunsu hurriedly opened the lowest-grade potion and poured it into the fallen man's mouth.
“……Get up, hurry up and examine it.”
The merchant, having barely regained his strength, stood up, and Hyunsu offered the junk items again.
and.
Thud thud thud thud-!
He poured it out again, and this time the one with the merchant's hand collapsed.
"automatic."
King Hyun-su said just one thing.
He paused while pouring the lowest-grade potion into the mouth of the merchant who had the eyes of a merchant and the hands of a merchant.
“……But why is it the lowest grade potion?”
It's a waste of money.
The one with the merchant's hand woke up.
A merchant with the eyes of a merchant spoke with a sad expression.
“……Hurry up and assess.”
“Uh-huh…….”
Pong, pong, pong-!
Thud thud thud-!
Hug! Hug!
Just then, a blacksmith who stopped by the warehouse for a moment was astonished.
“Your Highness… giving them potions? Does this mean you are treating them that well simply because they are merchants from another region? That is truly astonishing.”
“When we collapsed after forging for five days, He would wake us up by giving us only water and say, ‘Get up… you must forge…’”
Upon hearing those words, the merchants realized.
You thought this was your way of treating guests?
No, that’s exactly why Hyun’s country succeeds!
The merchants clearly understood the background of the county's country's success.
Of course, it is a fact I didn't really want to know.
“I think I will need about one more day. How about giving me one more day?”
This is an urgent report from the black carriage merchant.
'… … So you’re asking around to raise money for the day!'
Luo realized Hyunsu's scheme. However, since it would be convenient to have a debt to the King, he decided to give him an extra day.
Will the King really be able to borrow money?
Luo came to Alex's audience chamber.
Alex realized that Luo had been looking for this situation.
Luo and Alex always adjusted each other's payment schedules appropriately depending on the situation.
But to suddenly demand it in the middle of a war?
“At the very least, I thought we were friends… but this is exactly when you were waiting.”
Luo smiled wryly.
“I’ve always envied you, you who have seized the title of a great merchant with the backing of the Parion Empire. However, if you fail to pay this debt, rumors will spread rapidly and you will fall from grace.”
Trembling
Alex trembled.
"Furthermore, wasn't your merchant guild significantly weakened by relocating to the County? Ah… if you fail to pay this amount, I might even consider buying your guild! Though I will cut you off, haha!"
Alex wore a bitter expression.
He lost the war of money.
It is a natural fact that losers disappear.
Your Majesty, I am sorry… … .
He also thought that Hyun-su was running around right now to get money.
Then the merchants came in.
Hungry
'hmm?'
Their condition was strange.
Dark circles ran long under my eyes, and my whole body was trembling.
Why are they acting like that?
Soon, a merchant said.
The value of all junk items has been added up.
“Right, how much is it? Is it around 5 million gold?”
5 million gold is a high price. However, even if you pay that amount, there is still a 5 million gold shortfall.
The merchant said.
It is 76 million gold.
Luo's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
