Prayer Ring
Satou here. I once included a ring that grants wishes in a long TRPG campaign. The story was that it would backfire if you wished for something too grand. I remember the players having a harder time deciding what to use it for than they did acquiring it.
“…This concludes the progress report.”
Once Hikaru and my companions went to bed, I went to the Echigoya Company disguised as Kuro.
After a report from Tifaleeza, the silver-haired managing secretary, the blond-haired manager, Eluterina, presented a few proposals.
“Advisor Arisa provided plans for a new paid-leave system and limitations on consecutive workdays.”
“Approved,” I said shortly when I heard the details.
In essence, Arisa had written up documents on how to reform the brutal labor conditions in the Shiga Kingdom. Wages were generally low in the Shiga Kingdom and based mostly on commission, which led to many employees refusing to take days off unless their employer made vacation days mandatory.
“Lord Kuro, we’ve received a request for assistance in the restoration of the royal capital from His Excellency the prime minister.”
“A request?”
“Yes, essentially an order for materials to be used for the restoration.”
Tifaleeza popped up behind Eluterina and handed me the documents.
The rate was solid, with a 50 percent increase over current market prices, but the turnaround time was fairly short.
“Very well. Tell them we’ll accept.”
“Lord Kuro, I have a concern, if I may…”
Miss Manager cautioned me that because building materials were currently being bought up en masse in the royal capital and its surrounding areas, it would be difficult to procure the requested amounts even with the 50 percent increase.
“Not a problem. I can order the materials from the Ougoch Duchy, Muno County, Kuhanou County, and so on.”
“But the delivery fees…”
“Manager, have you forgotten about my teleportation?”
The delivery would be easy if I did it myself.
Besides, if I purchased the supplies on-site, I could probably get them for around 30 percent of the going rate in the capital.
All I had to do was position merchants in those areas to secure building materials for me.
Once I finished these discussions, it was time to proceed with the main order of business for the day.
I explained that I wanted to cultivate and develop new farmlands and mines to help provide the poor with better jobs and wages, and I asked for their opinions.
“Since the royal capital and its sister city in Kelton have been struggling to provide for refugees from Lessau County, I imagine it’ll be possible to get permission for development and cultivation. However, it will eventually cost a great deal of money, and I worry that it would take many years to collect the funds needed to begin the project.”
“Profit is not a concern.”
Besides, I could do both with my magic at virtually no cost.
Though I supposed the mines would need drainage equipment, elevators, and so on.
“I’m looking at this area and this mountain as potential development sites. Please calculate the number of villages and scale we would need based on the population of poor people and refugees.”
“Very well. Will three days be all right?”
You can do that in three days? I nodded at the reliable Tifaleeza.
“Come to think of it, you said you were collecting ideas from the townsfolk a while back, right? Did you get anything useful?”
The Echigoya Company had opened up a suggestion box for convenient items and product ideas at Arisa’s suggestion.
“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can immediately develop into a product at the moment.”
“Right, I guess it’s important to gather lots of ideas first. Keep at it.”
“Understood. Although…”
They showed me a few items that weren’t quite right for mass-produced sale but still rather interesting.
“Is this…a kindling tool?”
Though it was around the size of a bento box, it was unmistakably a lighter.
“I’m told it uses flint instead of a magic tool.”
“Why was this rejected as a product?”
“Each one would cost about one silver coin to produce. Since the royal capital is so close to Labyrinth City, basic fire-starting magic tools are widely available for one large copper coin. We’d never be able to sell such an expensive alternative.”
Ah, so it was a matter of production cost.
Fire-starting magic tools were easy to make cheaply, at least if you were not concerned about safety or convenience.
“Still, it’s a solid idea.”
“I agree. This is the inventor’s information.”
There was a familiar-looking name on the document: Aoi, the boy who was summoned in Lumork Kingdom.
Since he was from an alternate Japan known as the Great Island Empire Japan, it made sense that he would have an idea of how lighters were made.
“I know he’s rather young, but could we perhaps invite him into the Echigoya Company’s research division?”
“Fine by me. I’m a little curious myself. I’d like to meet this Aoi fellow once we’ve hired him.”
I fiddled with the lighter and nodded at Eluterina.
If the young reincarnation wanted to make something, I’d be more than happy to help. Not to mention, if he wanted to develop something taboo like electricity or trains, I had to give him a warning.
“There’s something I’d like to tell you about the auction, Lord Kuro…”
Miss Manager approached me after the meeting.
Since the floormaster spoils would be sold at the auction, I was planning to participate as Satou.
“Now, this is unofficial information that I heard at the commerce guild on New Year’s Day…” Eluterina lowered her voice and continued. “But word is that there will be a Prayer Ring at the auction.”
“A Prayer Ring? I’m guessing that’s a ring imbued with the Holy Magic spell Prayer?”
“I don’t know the details, but I’m told it’s a treasured object of Parion Temple.”
Parion Temple…
The image of Cardinal Hozzunas from Parion Temple, the one who had summoned the Evil God’s Spawn, flashed across my mind.
“Did they mention why it’s being sold?”
“I was informed that the temple wishes to donate all the proceeds toward the restoration of the royal capital.”
Maybe this was some kind of deal between the kingdom and the temple because of the situation with the cardinal.
No, I guess if that was the case, they’d offer the Prayer Ring directly instead of the proceeds…
“Can anyone use this ring?”
If possible, I was hoping to win the bid and use it to free Arisa and Lulu from their Geist.
“Anyone who has been baptized at Parion Temple, since it is a Sacred Treasure of theirs.”
Shoot, that won’t work… Wait, since Hikaru was the Hero of Parion, surely she’d been baptized.
Even if not, I was pretty sure one of the Echigoya Company staff had been baptized at Parion Temple. I could just ask them to do it.
All right, then…
“We’re going to win that auction.”
For the sake of Arisa and Lulu.
I’d get that ring even if I had to drain my ridiculously excessive savings.
“Understood.”
Miss Manager nodded without hesitation.
“I imagine many others will be bidding as well, including Duke Vistall, Duke Ougoch, and other well-off nobles. The wealthiest mercantile in the royal capital, the Ghookuts Company, is bound to bid on it, too. I would like to use a few products preferentially to keep those competitors in check, if possible. Would that be all right?”
“Sure. Will that help?”
“Before participating in the auction, one must submit an application with one’s current available funds. So we can limit certain sales to cash only, with no credit option, and drain some of the nobles’ and merchants’ funds before the auction.”
Ahhh, so we’re trying to whittle away the enemy’s strength before battle.
“If we’re going to do this, let’s do it thoroughly…”
I proposed a strategy of selling expensive items to anyone the wealthy nobles might borrow money from, too.
“Excellent. Could you, by any chance, supply us with more rune light gems and magic shield bracelets? It would be ideal if we could manufacture more magic potions, too…”
“Leave the restocks to me. Just give me a list of what kind of potions we need and how many.”
“Manager, merchants aside, will the wealthiest nobles really spend that much of their fortune on ready-made products alone?”
Eluterina’s brow furrowed as she contemplated Tifaleeza’s question.
“Let’s prepare some specially made Magic Swords and tools for the nobles, then.”
“Are you quite sure?”
“Of course. Use them however you think is best, Manager. I can’t provide airships or skypower engines due to a contract with the kingdom, though—sorry.”
I could at least provide a few of the wooden Pegasi and Flying Shoes that I’d salvaged on the sugar route or found in the core room of the great desert.
“Lord Kuro, do you have a sample of these specially made Magic Swords? Or is it like a Champion’s Sword with special abilities?”
The Champion’s Sword was a kind of mithril-plated mass-produced Magic Sword that I sold wholesale to the kingdom through the Echigoya Company in order to improve defenses against monsters.
“No, it’s different from those. I’ll give you a few samples.”
In the process of making Magic Swords and Holy Swords for the likes of Tama and Pochi, I’d made a few prototype swords with magical metal to test out the casting machines; I handed over those prototypes now. They were a far cry from the secret weapons I made for my girls, but they were certainly far more powerful than the mass-produced Magic Swords. That should certainly work as bait.
“Lord Kuro, there are some wealthy families in which the missus holds the purse strings. Perhaps it would be best to offer some items those women might like, too, such as Heaven’s Teardrops and large pearls.”
“Good point. I’ll get some of the highest-quality Heaven’s Teardrops in Ishrallie. Would gems like this be useful, too?”
I showed them some gemstones I’d made with the Earth Magic spell Stone Object.
“I-is this the work of Master Gemma?”
“You mean the Jewel Magic user?”
Miss Manager was close to the mark: I’d seen Master Gemma’s work in a museum and experimented to see if I could make something similar.
“But it certainly is amazing. As if the sun were sealed away in a precious stone…”
It was exactly like that, since I’d put a light stone inside a diamond.
I’d tried to model it after a brilliant cut, but since I didn’t have much knowledge about that sort of thing, Arisa and I put our heads together and came up with this after a lot of trial and error. According to her, this was an example of a method called the “round brilliant cut.”
Oh, right…
“Once we get permission to develop the mines and farms, let’s put out a call for investors.”
“Ah, so we make the deadline right before the auction begins and require cash investments only?”
Eluterina grinned as she correctly predicted my plan.
“Exactly. Let’s sap them dry as best we can. Except…”
“Require payment in gold coins only, so it won’t cause problems for the livelihoods of the common people?”
This time, it was Tifaleeza who guessed what I was thinking. I nodded.
Leaving the rest in the pair’s capable hands, I returned to the royal capital mansion.
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