On The 10th Year, The Transferee Who Gave Up Returning Finally Becomes The Protagonist - Chapter 26

Part 2 – Chapter 8: The Dragon Rises

“…The deal is off? Wh-what do you mean?”

Mailey answered with confusion to the owner of the winery, who had suddenly visited their inn.

The owner turned away with a bitter expression.

“It seems like you haven’t heard then. It is something that vexes us greatly as well, but we’ve been outmaneuvered. The others will be here soon…”

“Excuse me. I’m from the Alchemists Guild…”

As if to interrupt the owner’s words, there was a knock on the door, and a voice could be heard coming from the other side.

The owner looked and nodded silently. It probably meant that it was fine to let the person in.

“The door is unlocked. Please come in.”

“Excuse me. …Today, I’ve come to say that the deal is… Ah, I suppose you already know then?”

The representative of the Alchemists Guild saw the owner and seemed to understand what was happening.

But Mailey shook her head and said that she did not understand. At the same time there were footsteps in the hallway that stopped right in front of the room.

As the door had been left open, the leader at the glass workshop peered through hesitantly.

“Ah! I see everyone is here already.”

Said the glass workshop leader as he entered the room.

Euphie and Mailey looked anxious as they turned back to look at Tor. Then they faced the three visitors.

“The deal is off? What do you mean?”

Asked Mailey in a quiet voice after regaining some of her calm. The three looked at each other as if to encourage the other to speak.

Finally, the representative from the Alchemists Guild, who had the highest position, was pushed forward.

“The Merchant Guild in Flaretalia beat us. To be precise, they announced that they will cease all trade with any who produce or sell carbonated potions. And after placing the profits of carbonated potions on the scale, I had no choice but to stop this transaction…”

“…But can such tyranny be allowed?”

Mailey narrowed her eyebrows at what she felt was a ridiculous announcement from the merchant guild.

The leader of the glass workshop opened his mouth.

“I understand how you feel. It is tyranny, just as you say. However, they are desperate too. And it’s not the sales of carbonated potions that they are afraid of. It’s the accelerated speed that people are going through the dungeon.”

For nearly fifty years since the dungeon was made in Flaretalia, local merchants had come to rely on materials and goods that came from it.

And so if the dungeon was sealed, then they would not be able to live.

This sudden acceleration due to the carbonated potions had been a shock to the merchant guild, and they were not prepared for it.

“I also know that you have been trying to avoid this situation by negotiating with the Flaretalia council behind the scenes through the Adventurers and Alchemists guilds. But the Merchants Guild knew this as well, and so they resorted to such a drastic measure.”

The twins sighed in unison at the words of the glass workshop leader.

As long as Tor was near the twins, it would be difficult to control them through force. However, even if using threats to force those around them to cease doing business with the twins was ethically questionable, it was all part of the game. And no outsider would intervene.

“But surely it will mean the loss of trust in the Merchants Guild.”

“They are just buying time. I doubt this was an easy decision for them as well.”

As he was also a resident of Flaretalia, the leader of the glass workshop was quite sympathetic towards them.

Then the owner of the winery stood up, and the others did the same.

“I don’t mind if you hate us for this. But the deal is off. As for the stock we currently have, we will dispose of it ourselves.”

It was already decided then. And so the three left the room.

When the door closed, Euphie and Mailey let out a sigh.

“We lost.”

“While it is difficult to admit, it does not change the fact.”

“…So you two are fine with that?”

Said Tor in a calm voice. He had not spoken a word earlier.

“I cannot be satisfied with it. However, there is nothing that we can do. We are talking about all the merchants in Flaretalia.”

“And there is nothing to be done in terms of the law. We are utterly defeated. It makes me sad, since you believed in us, Mr. Tor, but it is over.”

The twins sighed again.

While the development of the carbonated potions had gone smoothly, the selling, distribution and expansion had been something that the twins worked on with all of their power.

And now it was for nothing. It was no wonder they were disappointed.

Suddenly, they seemed very tired, and they didn’t even have the strength to put away the books on the desk.

Tor folded his arms.

“I won’t let it end like this.”

“Mr. Tor?”

“I’ve seen first hand how much you two put into this. And I cannot stand to see it end in such a way. But it’s not only that. Regardless of the guild’s reason…they are going to allow Adventurers to die for their own profit.”

Indeed, the Merchants Guild would be desperate, as their livelihood was on the line. However, dungeons were meant to be sealed. And to get in the way of that was to purposely allow civilization to be threatened by monsters.

For Adventurers who risk their lives in battle, this position of the Merchants Guild would be unforgivable.

Euphie looked troubled at this.

“You are right to be angry, Mr. Tor. But there is nothing to be done.”

This was a surprising answer. Euphie and Mailey looked at Tor with expectation.

Tor laughed confidently.

“If they are going to use such methods, then we just have to employ our own power as well, full on.”

“But you cannot use violence!”

“Of course not. I don’t intend to use violence against the Merchants Guild. I am an Adventurer, after all.”

Tor said with a chuckle and then continued.

“We use the carbonated potions and seal the dungeon. Once the dungeon itself is gone, the merchants will not be able to say anything. You two will become famous as the people who contributed the most to this feat, and will be able to sell the carbonated potions. There are other markets, after all.”

Indeed, completing the dungeon was a solution that involved using all of your power.

Euphie and Mailey hadn’t even considered this possibility, and they were impressed. But at the same time, they hesitated.

“…This is a problem that we brought on ourselves. Is it right for us to rely on you?”

“Of course. We are friends, after all.”

Tor said without hesitation, and the two laughed happily.

“Thank you, Mr. Tor.”