One week later. Patrick and his party finally arrived at their destination. A city surrounded by a large outer wall, which took a week to reach by carriage from the Schneider Barony.
This was the Parmas County. It was a great noble family boasting the greatest power in this area, and a noble whose influence was large enough to be counted among the top three in the eastern part of the Atronia Kingdom. Naturally, their influence was vast and their fief was also well-developed.
The number of merchant groups residing within the inner castle alone exceeded several dozen. This was the place Patrick had come to in order to sell the byproducts of monsters. And upon arriving there, Patrick's party...
"Young master. We have arrived."
"Oh... have we? We arrived sooner than I thought."
"Yes. Well..."
"Tsk, the side income on the way here was pretty good, I was even thinking we should take a longer route."
At Patrick's words, Chandler's body trembled. 'He's a real monster.' He had heard the rumors, that Patrick was a genius of the sword, a vessel that appears once in a millennium.
But he had thought, as is often the case, that they were just exaggerated rumors filled with expectations for the young master. However, the past week was more than enough to change the perception of Chandler and the other workers. 'So a Troll is something you can beat to death with your bare fists?'
'If it's the young master, couldn't he really catch an Ogre?' They had been attacked by monsters three times during the past week. Starting with three Trolls, they were also attacked by a pack of several dozen wolves, and finally, a group of Goblins surrounded and ambushed the party.
Each time, Patrick displayed god-like martial prowess and cleanly swept away the monsters, but it was especially terrifying when he faced the Goblins at the end.
[How dare these worthless bastards!]
In Patrick's mind, for monsters that weren't worth any money, their very existence was a sin. He relentlessly swung his twin swords, chopping them into pieces, and Chandler and the workers who were watching realized for the first time in their lives that even Goblins could be pitied.
In any case, they had come to keenly understand Patrick's skills and personality. Now, among the party, there was no one who saw the young boy lying languidly on the baggage cart as just a ten-year-old child. 'Let's not get on his bad side.'
'If we go against him, we'll die.' 'We have to stay sharp.' The party members maintained the mindset of freshly disciplined new recruits as they moved forward.
"Halt! State your identity and purpose of visit!"
A soldier guarding the castle gate, armed in full armor and a halberd, greeted Patrick's party. Patrick glanced at the soldier from atop the baggage cart and thought.
'Kuh... As expected of a rich town, even the soldiers' equipment is different.
Look at how shiny their weapons are.' From the state of the soldiers' equipment, Patrick had already figured out that this town had a lot of money. And when the baggage cart stopped, one of the attendants stepped forward and spoke.
"I am Chandler, an apprentice butler from the Schneider Fief."
Chandler deliberately used the title of apprentice butler so as not to be looked down upon. He was making an appeal, 'There is a noble behind us,' to prevent the soldiers from carelessly hazing them.
"What is the purpose of your visit?"
But what could be done? To soldiers employed by a Count's house, an apprentice butler from a Baron's house carried no weight at all. To the soldier's business-like and stiff response, Chandler replied with a gentle smile.
"We have come to conduct business under the orders of my lord."
"Hmm, are you the one in charge of this procession?"
"That is not the case. Our young master has come with us."
However, if possible, please don't provoke him.
He bites.
Chandler couldn't bring himself to say those words. And it wasn't just Chandler; the entire group that came with him wore ominous expressions. They were people who had already keenly realized Patrick's temper.
There was no guarantee that an incident wouldn't occur if that nameless soldier tried to question and search Patrick with a strict and rigid attitude. 'Don't touch him, just let it pass.' 'Please, I'm saying this for your own good.'
But despite the party's desperate wishes, this soldier was unnecessarily diligent.
"In that case, I must first confirm the face of the person in charge. Would you please step forward for a moment?"
'Whyyyyy?'
'Just let it go.' 'That bastard, so unnecessarily faithful to the rules.' Now that soldier will strictly ask our purpose of visit and conduct a search, and Patrick, not liking it, will act defiantly, and if that happens...
"Ah... no." "W-wait a moment."
The moment the workers hurriedly tried to stop it somehow.
"Wow! Mister, your armor is so cool!"
A bright and innocent voice was heard from somewhere. The moment Chandler and the workers identified the source of that voice, their jaws dropped and their mouths hung wide open. What they saw was truly an unbelievable sight.
"Mister, are you a knight? Your armor is super cool."
"Ha... hahaha. I am not. I am just a guard of the fief."
"Wow. But you're so strong? Your forearms are so thick too. You're tall and your beard is cool too."
"Hahahahaha...."
A boy gazing at the soldier with sparkling eyes, full of innocent admiration, and the soldier scratching his head awkwardly at the boy's praise.
Yes.
Um... what should I call it? It was truly a heartwarming sight. It was the kind of sight that should naturally bring a pleased smile to one's lips.
'Wow.
That's too much.' 'This is really too much.' 'So that's what hypocrisy looks like.'
The workers who knew Patrick's true nature were all at a loss for words. Whether they were or not, Patrick was melting the stiff soldier with the unique innocence of a child.
"My dad told me to come here and sell some things."
"Ah, I see."
"Can I go in?"
To Patrick who asked while tilting his head, the soldier said with a fatherly smile.
"Yes. Of course. Please go inside."
"Wow. Thank you, soldier mister."
And just like that, Patrick melted the strict soldier, and the party was able to go inside. Passing smoothly through the outer castle wall, Patrick smirked and thought. 'It's not like it costs money to act innocent.'
Except for not being able to drink alcohol, he thought that the life of a child wasn't so bad. After entering the city, Chandler said to Patrick.
"Young master. I heard that you intend to open trade with a new merchant group on this occasion."
"That's right."
"Do you have a merchant group in mind?"
"Nope, don't have one."
When Patrick said he didn't have one so confidently, Chandler made a baffled expression. Then, Patrick shrugged his shoulders and said.
"What do I know? I'm only ten years old."
Only ten years old when it's convenient for him. But as the situation turned out this way, Chandler was in a bind.
"Young master, if you don't have a merchant group in mind beforehand, it will take a long time to sell the goods. The time it takes to show the goods to various merchant groups and negotiate the price will take at least a few months."
"Well, I guess so."
"Are you saying it doesn't matter even if it takes that long?"
"Of course not. I'm busy as hell, when do I have the time to just wait around?"
What?
What does he want to do? Chandler wore a sullen expression, and Patrick said with a grin.
"First of all, where is the place in this city where the most merchants frequent?"
"It would be the entrance to the city's market."
"Right. Then let's drive the carriage over there."
"Don't tell me you're thinking of setting up a spot and selling things there? Young master. If you engage in commerce within the castle walls without permission, you will have to pay a fine. In severe cases, you could even receive punishment."
"I know that much."
And Patrick said to Chandler with a smile.
"Let's just go. I have a plan."
Chandler couldn't figure out what Patrick was thinking. But for now, he had to do as he was told. After all, Patrick was the one in charge of this matter.
"Ooh, the scale is quite something."
Patrick was in awe looking at the market situated in the inner castle of Parmas. Groceries, clothing, daily necessities, and other miscellaneous goods... There was truly nothing that wasn't there.
'The fact that goods are abundant means there's a lot of money too. As expected, it was a good decision to come here.' To make money, you first had to go where a lot of money was moving.
And the thing to do after arriving at a place with a lot of money was... 'To stand out.' Patrick stealthily took out a small pebble from his hand and flicked it with his thumbnail without anyone noticing.
Then... Crack!
"Huh? Whoa, whoa, whoa!?"
"Uwaah! Block it!"
The workers driving the baggage cart were greatly flustered. Suddenly, the axle of one of the carriage's wheels broke, and the carriage tipped over to its side. It was a carriage already heavily loaded with luggage, and when that carriage fell, the tightly packed byproducts of monsters came crashing down.
The Troll's leather and the Owl Bear's hide. And even the most expensive full-body hide of a Saber Tiger was revealed.
Then...
"Hey, what are you all doing? Can't you do it properly?"
Patrick shouted angrily. At that, Chandler said in a fluster.
"I apologize, young master. The carriage wheel suddenly broke."
"What? Why would a perfectly fine wheel break?"
"Well, I'm not sure..."
"Damn it, we have to carry this all the way to the capital, what are we going to do if the carriage breaks already?"
"Yes. Th... Yes?"
For a moment, Chandler was bewildered.
The capital?
He hadn't heard anything about that. Wasn't their goal to dispose of all the monster byproducts here in the Parmas County? But leaving the bewildered Chandler aside, Patrick frowned and said.
"Damn it, of all things, the carriage carrying the most expensive full-body hide of the Saber Tiger had to fall over? What are we going to do about this?"
"Yes. That is..."
"This was a special order, you know. Where else can we get a full-body hide of a Saber Tiger without a single scratch on it? It's hard to get even if you try to buy it with money."
"Uh... yes. Uh... that is... yes."
Somehow, there was a sense of incongruity in what Patrick was saying. It seemed like he was getting angry, but the content of his anger was... what should I say? It was as if...
'Product promotion?'
In front of the dazed Chandler, Patrick scowled to himself and scratched his head roughly as he spoke.
"Damn it, what are we going to do if this gets a hole in it?"
"It's... It's a sturdy hide, so that won't happen."
"Hurry up and pick it up and sort it out. And what's the condition of the carriage?"
"The wheel axle is completely broken."
"Then this one's useless. We'll have to get a new carriage."
"Yes. Then I will try to find one as quickly as possible."
"What if we just get any old carriage and it falls over again?"
"Yes. That's..."
"Can't be helped. We have some leeway in our schedule, so take your time and find a sturdy and good carriage. Got it?"
"Yes, yes, I understand, young master."
"Looks like we'll have to stay in this city for a while. Tsk, it's troublesome to be held up like this."
Patrick tossed a money pouch to Chandler and said.
"Go find an inn where the party can stay. Alright?"
"Yes, I understand, young master."
And so, Patrick and his party got an inn in the inner castle of the Parmas County and stayed there. Just as originally planned. After they settled in at the inn, Chandler spoke.
"Did you do that on purpose?"
"Something like that."
"Did you perhaps also break the carriage, young master?"
"Something like that."
"Don't tell me, your plan was that if word spreads in a crowded place like that about us having valuable goods, merchants will come to buy the items on their own?"
"Something like that."
Watching Patrick reply listlessly while lying on the bed and yawning, Chandler shook his head back and forth.