Kays Translations

Chapter 42: Homecoming

The day finally came for Tauro to return to Saisi.

Several days had passed since his contract as a Reversi instructor ended.

Garfish had asked whether they could establish a Reversi production base in the royal capital, and the discussions had taken several days.

Tauro had wrestled with the proposal.

Establishing the original production base had created jobs in Saisi, and he didn’t want to threaten them.

As a compromise, they decided that the royal capital would handle part of the production of deluxe boards for wealthy customers. Its finest craftsmen would also produce copies of the limited-edition boards.

Demand for the limited editions was especially high in the capital.

There was a limit to how many Tauro could make alone, so he was willing to leave that portion to them.

Officially, however, the authority to decide belonged to the inventor, Mauve, and his backer, Branch Manager Leo. They therefore concluded the negotiations on the understanding that Tauro would discuss the matter with the two men later and persuade them.

To apologize for delaying Tauro’s return, the Garfish Trading Company also provided the carriage for the journey home.

“Even so, are you certain about this, Tauro?”

Garfish had been asking the same question repeatedly.

Tauro had, in fact, offered to sell him the magic-storage backpack at a steep discount.

He had first tried to give it to Mina, but she firmly refused something so valuable.

Now that Tauro possessed [Magic Storage] as an ability, he no longer needed the backpack.

He therefore decided to sell it to the Garfish Trading Company, which had supported him during his stay in the capital and handled Reversi sales.

Garfish had wanted that “Magic Storage (Large), Backpack Type” for some time, but its extraordinary price had kept him from buying it.

Then Tauro offered it to him at a sixty-percent discount.

To a merchant, selling a brand-new item for less than cost was unthinkable.

It was also a unique creation by a famous magic-tool craftsman. If Garfish resold it, the transaction could only produce a profit.

He had no intention of reselling it, of course, but the offer was so strange that Garfish himself proposed reducing the discount to thirty percent.

“I already told you that it’s fine. I hope you’ll continue to work well with both Mauve and me.”

“…Understood. Please continue to entrust Reversi sales to the Garfish Trading Company!”

Garfish answered with conviction.

“Thank you for everything.”

After Tauro said his farewells, the carriage set out.

The return party consisted of one carriage carrying the coachman, a company merchant, Tauro, Mina, and a three-person team of D+ rank adventurers from the royal capital.

There wasn’t a single item of merchandise in the cargo bed, so everyone could ride in the carriage.

Officially, the trip was meant to escort Tauro and Mina back to Saisi. In practice, putting all the cargo inside Tauro’s magic storage had simply allowed the company to cut costs.

At a rest station on the return journey, the group identified themselves as adventurers and heard troubling news from one of the garrison soldiers.

A bandit gang had apparently become active along the highway.

The bandits had already clashed with the stationed troops once, but they had handled the soldiers skillfully and escaped.

Could it be the same gang they encountered on the journey to the capital?

For now, Tauro could only remain vigilant on the way home.

According to the soldier, senior officials were discussing cooperation with the Adventurers’ Guild. Requests to scout and subjugate the bandits might be issued soon.

The Saisi branch might recruit adventurers for the operation as well.

Tauro wondered what he would do if such a quest appeared, but there was no point deciding before it existed, so he put the matter out of his mind.

Apart from that news, nothing happened to the party, and they completed the seven-day journey safely.

Familiar Saisi seemed livelier than it had a month earlier. After seeing the royal capital, however, it looked peaceful to Tauro.

The carriage stopped outside the trading company. Tauro unloaded the cargo from magic storage indoors and was about to go to the guild with Mina to report their return when Paulo stopped him.

Tauro, Paulo, and the merchant from headquarters became absorbed in a discussion outside the company about Tauro’s limited-edition Reversi boards.

Mina therefore went ahead to the guild alone.

“Tauro! Welcome home!”

A familiar voice called from behind him.

He turned and found Nei standing there, her familiar long brown hair and dark eyes accompanied by the uniform of a guild employee.

“Nei! It’s been a while!”

“How was the royal capital? Were you all right? Did the lessons with the nobles go well? Oh, did you buy that leather armor? It looks good on you. And…”

“Calm down, Nei. I’ll tell you everything when I get back to the guild.”

“All right. I’m glad you look well. See you later.”

With that, Nei entered the Yasuragi Inn for lunch.

Watching that familiar figure walk away, Tauro finally felt that he had truly come home.

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