kscans

Chapter 48 - Kidnapped (Twice This Week)

My negotiations for the Level 2 Healing Potions had fallen through, and just as I was about to head home, I got kidnapped again.

"I’ve been kidnapped twice this week."

"Hey, I can’t deny the first time, but you got in on your own this time."

Well, that’s true.

"Haaah… this is so boring. Harry, just head to some random shop. It’s my treat."

"I wanna eat ramen. Japanese ramen is good, right?"

I wouldn’t know anything about ramen from other countries.

"That’s fine. Go ahead and order extra garlic. I’ll just have the regular."

I’ve only had Kaede-chan’s onigiri today, so I can handle some ramen.

"Where’s a ramen shop?"

"They’re all over the place. Find one you want to go to yourself."

"Guess I’ll do that."

Harry started operating his smartphone while driving, an act that was practically challenging the police.

"Hey, are you two bored? Were you, by any chance, following me this whole time?" I asked Claire, who was sitting next to me.

"No, this time it was a coincidence. We had business at the headquarters, and just then, you happened to walk in. So we rushed back to get a taxi."

It didn’t have to be a taxi. You could have just called out to me normally.

"Whatever. What do you want?"

"You’re not directing any killing intent at us today?"

"You’re not even worth the effort."

I mean, I’ve already seen their status cards.

"I, is that so? How condescending."

"Relying on a gun at this distance… are you really a soldier?"

"Guns are good for intimidation."

"I see. That’s true."

It is scary. Especially in a country like this where guns are banned.

"Right? Anyway, it was just to check your reaction. We have no intention of attacking you."

What an unpleasant psychological test…

"Please don’t. So?"

You had business with me, right?

"May I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Who are you, really?"

"The Golden Witch, Eleanor Ocean. Nothing more, nothing less."

I’m a witch who can’t use magic. Besides, I told you that last time.

"What is that Item Bag? A thousand kilograms is absurd."

"It’s convenient, isn’t it? Though I rarely have a thousand kilograms of things to put in it, so it’s more than I need."

I said, patting the bag I was holding.

"That one’s a thousand kilograms too…?" Harry muttered, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

"Stay out of a girls’ conversation. You should act like a man and find us a ramen shop."

"Hey, I’m trying to decide between shio, shoyu, miso, and tonkotsu."

That’s almost all of them!

"Go with shoyu today. You can go on a tour of the other shops by yourself on another day. You’re free anyway, right?"

"Guess I’ll do that."

Harry went back to searching for a ramen shop.

"Hey, won’t you sell one to me?" Claire asked once Harry went quiet.

"I am selling them. Just participate in the auction."

"It looks like there’ll be more competition than I thought."

"Oh? That’s good to hear. Sounds like I’ll make a lot of money."

This is going to sell for a high price. I did it.

"I’m worried I won’t be able to win the bid."

"Well, if you don’t, I’ll put another one up next time. Save up your money until then."

"Next time… hey, do you have a two-thousand-kilogram one?"

"Two thousand? How greedy. I don’t have one."

Putting two thousand rubber bands in one? What a pain.

"What else are you planning to sell?"

What else… I really need to increase my number of recipes. Selling the same product all the time will lack impact.

"I haven’t decided."

"Isn’t it a drop item?"

"I haven’t decided what to have drop."

But the one dropping it will be Slime-kun.

"What was your business at the headquarters?"

"I was thinking of selling some potions."

"Potions? The Translation Potions from last time?"

"No, Healing Potions."

The moment I said Healing Potion, Claire’s demeanor changed.

"How did the negotiation go?"

"It was a non-starter. Some Diet member showed up and offered a ridiculously low price. On top of that, he threatened me… it was the worst."

"No wonder you’re in a bad mood."

I’m so pissed off.

"Maybe the auction is better after all…"

Satsuki-san said so too, maybe I should just go with that.

"Instead of doing that, you should sell them to me. I run a business on the side, you know."

A business? A side job for an adventurer? Well, I’m doing it too, so I guess that’s a thing.

"I’ve got Healing Potions, are you buying?"

"If I recall, the market price in Japan is about five hundred thousand Japanese yen?"

"You’re fine with Level 1?"

I should have about four hundred Level 1s in stock right now.

"Wait a minute! You have Level 2 and above!?" Claire asked in surprise.

"The negotiation was for Level 2."

"Let me ask. How much were you offered?"

"One million yen."

"What? For a Level 2 Healing Potion?" Claire was dumbfounded.

"That’s right."

"Are they idiots?" Claire scoffed.

"I think so. The difference probably goes right into that politician’s pocket, don’t you think?"

I wouldn’t know.

"That’s just awful. I would have spit on him."

How crude.

"I wouldn’t go that far, but he did threaten to arrest me, so I threatened him back and said I’d close the Gates, and then I left."

He was trying to act calm, but he was visibly flustered. He was sweating bullets. Serves him right.

"Eh? You can do that?"

"Of course not. I just made it up."

"Coming from you, it must have been incredibly effective."

"Right?"

I am the mysterious witch, after all. Some people in the world actually believe I’m from Frontier.

"So the deal fell through, huh…"

"Exactly. So? Are you buying?"

"How much?"

"Hmm, then let’s say five million yen."

That’s what Kaede-chan and Satsuki-san told me.

"That’s expensive. I’d pay that much for personal use, but I won’t make a profit if I’m reselling."

Well, maybe so.

"How much will you offer?"

"Three point two million yen."

Hmm, that’s fine, I guess.

"One more push. I’ll even throw in a hundred-kilogram Item Bag for you to carry them."

It would be a pain to transport them, after all.

"How many of those Level 2 Healing Potions are you willing to sell?"

"I only have a hundred on me right now."

"I’ll give you four million."

So the Healing Potions sell for four hundred million… At three point two million, it would have been three hundred twenty million. The difference is eighty million, but the Item Bag that would have sold for fifty-two million is now eighty million…

"Very well."

As long as they sell, I don’t care.

"I’m glad we could have a good negotiation."

Ah, from that reaction, she would have paid more. Oh well. My stock is practically infinite anyway.

"But wait, are you really planning to spend four hundred million when you’re also participating in the Item Bag auction?"

"…………Can we do this later? A formal contract after the auction."

Well, it’s not like I need the money right this second, so that’s fine.

"Alright."

"Also, if possible, I’d prefer if you didn’t sell them to anyone else."

"Why?"

"If you release thousands of them into the market, the value might plummet, you know? If that happens, I’ll go bankrupt."

Ah, so that could happen.

"Is it just for the Level 2 Healing Potions?"

"Yes. The others don’t matter."

"What about selling them personally? You know, like selling a few to a friend."

"That’s fine. I just mean don’t unload them in bulk to shops or the Guild… Say, do you even have any friends?"

………………………….

"I’m going to tell the Guild to bar you from participating in the auction."

"I’m sorry."

Tch! I have Kaede-chan!

"Is the talk over? Hey, Eleanor, is this place okay?"

Harry showed me his phone.

"How should I know? That place is fine. Let’s go."

How many ramen shops do you think there are in Tokyo?

"Hey, Harry, are we really going to a ramen shop with this group? When you come to Japan, shouldn’t it be sushi or tempura?" Claire seemed a bit reluctant.

"You can eat that stuff in America. Alex told me that if I ever came to Japan, I had to eat ramen. Said it would change my world."

Who the heck is Alex?

"Hmm, if Alex the gourmet says so, maybe it’s true."

A foodie who loves ramen? Is that guy okay?

While we were talking, the taxi stopped.

"Here we are. Good thing I memorized the geography."

I looked out the window and saw that there was indeed a ramen shop. But there was quite a long line of people.

"I hate waiting in line."

"Me too."

"Leave it to me. I’ll show you the foreigner’s special move."

Harry said that and got out of the car, so Claire and I exchanged glances and got out as well. Harry then headed for the back of the line.

"Hey, brother, I’ve got work to get to, and I don’t get many chances to come to Japan. But I really want to eat at this ramen shop. Would you mind letting me go ahead?"

Harry… That’s your special move…

"A disgrace to our country."

Claire was also exasperated.

"Ah, yes. Please, go ahead. Um, you’re Harry-san, right? Could I get a handshake?" the student-like boy in line asked Harry.

"Oh! You know who I am!" Harry exclaimed, putting an arm around the boy’s shoulders and shaking his hand.

"Of course!"

Then, the other people in line started to notice Harry.

"This is awful."

"Hey, Eleanor, shouldn’t we go somewhere else? I’d really prefer sushi or tempura after all."

Nice idea!

"Ah, hey! Claire, Eleanor! You guys can at least give them a handshake."

Don’t drag us into this! We were just about to leave!

But it was already too late. Everyone in line turned to look at us at once.

"That guy is the worst."

"Tell me about it."

At this point, we had no choice. Claire and I looked at each other with annoyed expressions and decided to go over to where Harry was.