I Have Tamed a Spider Monster - Chapter 97 (Patreon)

Sales of Various New Equipment
Two weeks have passed since I started handling Red Rank oriented armor in my shop.
To be frank, the sales were doing exceptionally well.
Or rather, are there really so many Red-rankers?

"Yeah, there are. Normally, they're just out of Vardmoi for escort requests and such. Many Red-rankers consider Vardmoi their hometown."

Melanie and I were casually having tea at my house, as our days off coincided.
When I asked Melanie about the situation of adventurers, she explained that the adventurer population in Vardmoi is quite thick.

"With Vardmoi being a commercial city, there's a lot of merchant traffic, plenty of escort requests to various places, and major stores have branches or headquarters here. Besides, the Vardmoi territory is stable, and there are dungeons and mines nearby, making it a favorable condition to establish a base."

"I see. By the way, Keuko, was the base of the Wildcat Claws also in Vardmoi?"

"No. We just happened to come to Vardmoi to look for equipment, and that's when we were scouted for this request. We didn't have a place we could call a base, and it was easier to check with the Trade Guild if there were no shady dealings involved.”

"Shady dealings?"

"Making sure there are no connections to nobles or other merchants."

I see.
Since they were escorting a novice merchant like me, it wouldn't be good if I were connected to shady nobles or other merchants.
They've thoroughly investigated that aspect as well.
I'll have to thank Alizée for that sometime.

"By the way, Lily, could you increase the quantity of White Rank armor that you supply to the Adventurers’ Guild? I'll issue a formal request later."

"White Rank armor? Are there really that many White-rankers at this time?"

"Well, there are. It's the season when children from farms, whose families had a poor harvest, come to the town to become adventurers. It's the second busiest season for an increase in adventurers."

Hmm, they are basically reducing the numbers of mouths to feed.
I have my own thoughts on this, but it's not a problem for me to intervene in.
It must be a tradition that has been rooted in the culture for a long time.

"So, many beginners with just enough traveling expenses, without weapons or armor, are increasing in numbers. Worst case, weapons can be borrowed from the Adventurers’ Guild, but we don't lend out armor. These kids originally became adventurers because they were struggling to eat, so if they get injured and can't move, they can't even afford to pay for accommodation and end up being kicked out. The Adventurers’ Guild is not a charity organization, so we can't lend money to White-rankers without any trustworthy reputation.”

It appears that quite the number of adventurers are in dire straits.
Moreover, these farmer adventurers, who are in such situations, have good physical strength and are simple-minded, so when they're kicked out of their accommodations, the underworld organizations try to lure them in.
It's a necessary measure to avoid increasing the number of people in the underworld.
If they use my armor, they can cover accommodation costs for about two days, and they can prepare for battle with some damage in mind, which would apparently increase their earnings.
New adventurers, upon hearing this, are apparently rushing to buy my armor like they're in a competition.
That's why there's an increase in the number of deliveries this time.

"I've applied for cooperation with other shops besides you, but... They say things like 'I won't sell my shop's products to White-rankers' or 'I don't want to do a business that doesn't make much profit,' so the number of cooperating shops doesn't increase."

"Even if it's not profitable now, it could be an investment for the future, right?"

"We've discussed that, but... no one has come forward to cooperate with us.”

I'm not really keen on taking over the whole pie, you know...
However, if there are no other shops selling, I guess I have no choice.
I would decline if I couldn't produce the quantity, but if I have the materials, mass production is a piece of cake.

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