Chapter 31

Predator Merchant Company (1)

Everything about the trading company was amateurish, starting with its choice of location.

"Who on earth runs that outfit?"

People naturally turned their eyes toward the crest emblazoned on the wagons: a large, sleek white wolf. Poised to spring, the wolf roared straight ahead, projecting an image of power and majesty.

"Isn't that House Whitewolf's crest?"

"Oh, you're right! House Whitewolf's white wolf crest!"

House Whitewolf, a noble house of the Kingdom of Battenberg situated at the continent's northernmost edge, was fairly well known even here in the free city of Frecce.

"Are they here to sell monster parts again?"

After all, the parts harvested from the snowy mountains' monsters were of exceptionally high quality.

"But..."

"Did House Whitewolf have a trading company?"

Until now, only a few traveling merchants had occasionally come. Never once had they arrived as an organized trading company.

While the onlookers puzzled over this, a man emerged from a wagon. With his refined features and spotless skin, he was unmistakably a young nobleman.

They had never seen his face before. But merchants, ever alert to information, were not ignorant of his identity. For one thing, black hair was uncommon on the continent. And a black-haired young master of House Whitewolf could only mean one person.

"The count's wastrel son?"

Adrian Whitewolf. House Whitewolf's eldest legitimate son, notorious for being a wastrel.

"What's the count's wastrel doing here?"

"I heard his younger sister took everything in the family from him..."

"Is he trying to scrape out a living running a trading company?"

Everyone sneered. Running a trading company was no easy undertaking. Even seasoned merchants who had spent decades roughing it in the markets could end up penniless doing it. What could a wastrel who had spent his life immersed in gambling and pleasure possibly achieve?

Even if Adrian possessed an exceptional talent for business, it would make no difference.

"What could Whitewolf county possibly have to sell?"

You needed goods before you could even think about selling them.

No matter how skilled the cook, rotten ingredients produced rotten food. Likewise, no matter how talented the merchant, selling rubbish made yours nothing more than a rubbish trading company.

"I've seen enough."

"Tsk, tsk. He'll go broke. You can count on it."

Everyone clicked their tongues and jeered.

Adrian, however, paid no attention to their stares or whispers. While his staff set up the stall, he began taking out and arranging various cooking utensils.

"What on earth is he planning to..."

"Huh? Is that...?"

"Meat?"

And very appetizing meat at that. Soon, Adrian lit a fire and began cooking it.

SIZZLE!

The gentle sizzle of cooking meat filled the air, and its savory aroma spread throughout the square. Predator Merchant Company had set up in a deeply secluded, out-of-the-way corner.

"Hmm? What's that smell?"

"It smells amazing!"

Yet the spreading aroma drew everyone's attention in an instant. Eventually, a few people followed their noses all the way to Predator Merchant Company's stall.

"Welcome!"

Another member of the company, rather than Adrian, handled the customers. The outfit barely resembled a trading company, so whether its people even deserved to be called company staff was debatable, but there it was.

"Was there always a food stall tucked away here...?"

"We've just arrived."

"Really? Hmm... Shall I try something, then? What's good here?"

"We take pride in every dish, but I personally recommend the Alacron belly steak and the Dermexus hind leg."

At that, the customers tilted their heads.

"Alacron belly steak...?"

"Dermexus hind leg...?"

"Aren't those monsters?"

"They are."

An uproar erupted.

"A-are you insane?!"

"Selling monster meat!"

"Are you people out of your minds?!"

"There's no need to worry."

"What do you mean, no need to—Aaaah!"

The customers jumped in horror at the sight before them. Chewing heartily and swallowing, Predator Merchant Company's staff were eating monster meat for all to see.

"As you can see, we at Predator Merchant Company remove all the Madness contained in monster meat and sell only safe products."

The staff member's explanation left everyone dumbfounded.

"Huh...?"

"You've removed the Madness...?"

"That's right."

Despite that firm assurance, the customers could scarcely believe it. After all, no one in the continent's history had ever accomplished such a feat. Ever since monsters had first been classified as a category of living things, countless scholars and mages had tried to remove the Madness factor within their bodies. Not one had succeeded.

Archmages whose names filled the continent's history books. Magical scholars who had advanced its civilization by several stages. People for whom even the word "genius" was inadequate had tried, only to shake their heads in defeat.

A factor imprinted at the cellular level could not be removed. It had been declared impossible, a feat that lay quite literally in the realm of impossibility.

"Lord Adrian personally researched the process."

And now they were saying Adrian had done it. None other than the count's wastrel son. That pale young master nonchalantly grilling meat over there!

"W-what...?"

"What are you saying...?"

It was utterly unbelievable, yet they could not simply dismiss it. Hadn't they seen it with their own eyes? No, weren't they seeing it right now? The staff were heartily chewing monster meat. They hadn't gone mad at all. They hadn't succumbed to Madness.

"I-is it really true...?"

"They actually removed the Madness?"

Even so, most people hesitated to order. But wherever you went, there were always those who couldn't resist their curiosity.

"I'll give it a try."

One man boldly stepped forward and ordered some monster meat.

"That... Alacron belly steak, was it? I'll have one."

"Coming right up!"

The staff member quickly brought over a belly steak. His gaze wavering with apprehension, the man gingerly cut into it. With everyone's eyes fixed on him...

"Holy shit!!!"

His eyes flew wide open, and he didn't say another word. He just kept chewing, devouring it like some beggar bastard who hadn't eaten for days. Who knew where he'd ditched his fork and knife? He had his face practically buried in the plate.

"H-hey, are you all ri—"

He kept chomping away, emptying his plate in moments.

"Another! No, two more! No, just give me everything!!"

Apparently still unsatisfied, he began ordering more. There was no sign of Madness in his behavior. Unless you counted the madness of gluttony.

With perfect proof right before their eyes, everyone involuntarily swallowed. The words "monster meat" had made them hesitate, but that gorgeous marbling looked so appetizing it was enough to drive them mad.

"I'll have one too!"

"Me too! Me too!"

In a way, the ensuing flood of orders was only to be expected.

* * *

A day had passed since Predator Merchant Company began doing business in Frecce.

"Have you tried that meat place in the central square?"

Word of Predator Merchant Company was already spreading through the city.

"Hmm? Was there a meat place in the central square?"

"Predator Merchant Company just opened it."

"Predator Merchant Company?"

"Apparently House Whitewolf runs it."

"Oh, that county up at the northernmost edge?"

"That's the one."

For now, though, it was only word of mouth. Many people had yet to even hear of the company. But that, too, was only a matter of time.

"I hear the meat they sell is absolutely incredible!"

"It's still just meat. How incredible could it possib—"

"You have no idea!!"

"Good grief, you startled me! Have you been eating boiled ogre lungs? Why are you so loud?"

"Because you really don't know what you're talking about!"

"Is it that good?"

"You don't know the half of it! I'm not joking. It's so good, your dining companion could drop dead and you wouldn't even notice!"

"That good?"

"Has everyone you've ever met lied to you? That's it! Come along! I'll show you heaven!"

"Hey, hold on, man!"

And so word of the monster meat spread throughout Frecce like a contagious outbreak of madness.

* * *

It was already our second day of business in Frecce. The stall had gone beyond bustling; there wasn't even room to stand.

I rapidly flipped meat with one hand while working a pan with the other. Along with butchery, I knew a fair bit about cooking. In truth, it was harder to find something I hadn't learned during my time in the special task force.

WHOOOSH!

"Wow!"

"Look at those skills!"

People gathered to watch the flashy, circus-like fire show. Even those who weren't ordering often stopped to watch for a moment.

'My higher Agility has definitely made me better with my hands.'

Agility didn't simply mean moving fast. It governed the brain's ability to transmit commands through the nervous system. In short, anything done through the nervous system was related to Agility.

That included manual dexterity, and my current Agility stat was 25. My neural signaling ability and dexterity were equivalent to those of twenty-five adult men combined.

As a result, the meat tasted vastly better. These monsters had evolved thick layers of fat to withstand the cold. Their meat already had a flavor unmatched by any other meat on the continent. With my Agility added to the mix, I could produce a truly exquisite taste.

The result?

"Over here! Two more servings of Dermexus hind leg!"

"Five Alacron belly steaks!"

We had become the most popular trading company and restaurant in the free city of Frecce.

Money was piling up at an incredible rate. And that wasn't all. By hunting three more Rexes this time, I'd also managed to strengthen an ability.

◆Promote Metabolism[D]

: When this skill is activated, the player's endocrine system is stimulated, greatly increasing metabolism. The player's Strength decreases by [-15%], while the player's Agility and Stamina increase by [+20%].

<This skill can be toggled [On/Off].>

<Absorbing additional genetic material will strengthen this ability.>

I'd managed to improve Promote Metabolism, which had remained at [E+], by a full two grades to [D]. Its Strength penalty had dropped sharply, while its Agility and Stamina bonuses had increased significantly. Now the increases outweighed the decrease.

I'd also hunted eight more Alacrons and three more Dermexuses. That had raised Toughened Skin[D] to Toughened Skin[D+] and Nutrient Synthesis[C+] to Nutrient Synthesis[B-], improving each by one grade.

Unfortunately, I hadn't gained a level.

'The experience requirements just keep getting higher.'

Hunting monsters alone wasn't enough to keep up. Judging by my previous experience, quest experience was the most efficient way to level up. And the quest I could complete right now was the Territory Quest I'd received earlier.

==[Though Your Beginnings Are Humble, Your Future Shall Be Great!] ==

[Objective] - Establish a trading company and safely complete your first trading expedition.

[Reward] - Unlock 「Management Mode」.

[On Failure] - Exile from the county.

I didn't know what the promised reward, 「Management Mode」, actually was. I had a rough idea, but even setting that aside, the completion experience would be substantial. Of course, there was the condition that I complete the expedition "safely," but...

'At this rate, we'll sell out in no time.'

This was more than just smooth sailing. It was no exaggeration to call it a runaway success. I had little reason to worry about completing the quest.

Rather than focusing on the Territory Quest, I needed to remind myself of my original objective.

'Ian wasn't in Frecce.'

Ian wasn't here. I'd investigated the city during breaks from work, but there wasn't even a trace of him having passed through.

As I'd expected, Ian was wandering the continent in search of me. But I didn't know where he was looking...

'I need to get the company's name out there.'

That was why I'd named it Predator Merchant Company. Predator had been my code name in the allied army, given to me by none other than Ian.

It wasn't a word that went entirely unused on the continent, but it was rarely heard. "Predator Merchant Company" was an even more unusual combination.

All I needed was for word of Predator Merchant Company to reach Ian's ears. He only had to learn that it operated out of Whitewolf county.

'Then he'll realize it right away.'

Ian would know both that I was currently in Whitewolf county and that I, too, had returned to the past. Then he would come straight to the county to find me.

For that to happen, I needed to spread Predator Merchant Company's name far and wide. That was why I'd come to the free city of Frecce.

'Making a name for ourselves within the kingdom won't be enough.'

House Whitewolf belonged to the Kingdom of Battenberg. I could easily obtain news from within Battenberg, but information and news from other kingdoms were somewhat harder to come by.

A free city, however, was just that: free, belonging to no nation. It was a hub for goods produced in countless kingdoms across the continent, and a gathering place for information from those other kingdoms as well.

This wasn't just about finding Ian, either. Imperial trading companies also visited free cities. Through a trading company, I could gain access not only to imperial territory but even to the imperial palace itself. That would let me monitor the Emperor and the empire. I could also raise the funds needed to form the allied army.

To that end, I planned to make Predator Merchant Company the greatest trading company on the continent. And the first step was right here in Frecce.

'It's about time I got a bite...'

Just then, I heard it.

"Ahem! Ahem!"

The sound of the person I'd been waiting for finally taking the bait.