Chapter 11. The Seventh Prince hires a talented merchant (inadvertently)

　One morning, sometime after the discovery of the mithril silver vein,

In my bedroom.

“It’s kind of noisy outside.”

　Laurie gets off my shoulder and sits down on the window frame.

　I walk up to it and look out the window.

　There were dozens of carriages parked outside the mansion.

“Whose carriages are those? There’s a lot of them.”

“Kuku…they’re here…! I’ve been waiting for this!”

“Ah, are you trying to be silly again…? 』

“Shut up. Those are the merchants I called for.”

“What? Merchants? What’re they doing here, in such a strange countryside? 』

“I tipped them off that mithril silver had been found in our territory, and the merchants flocked here to take advantage of the lucrative business.”

　Mithril is a precious ore.

It’s a valuable ore that can be used as a weapon or as a material for magic tools cause it conducts magic power well.

　Mithril silver, which produces such convenient items, is coveted by merchants.

“But Noah-sama, what’s the benefit of leaking this information to them? Your fiancée, Sarah, also has a trading company, so wouldn’t it be more profitable to entrust the Mithril to her? 』

“Ha-ha! That’s the point, Laurie-kun. My strategy this time is named [Let’s join hands with a villainous merchant and do evil] strategy!”

“You’re trying to be incompetent again….it will backfire anyway…”

“Come on! I’m going to find a merchant in the crowd who looks particularly dangerous, and I’m going to work with him! That’s how I’m going to damage my reputation.”

“Haah”

“What’s with the random, “haah?”

“No, nothing really. I know you’re going to team up with bad guys to do bad things, but will that really be enough to make Lista and the rest of the people disappointed in you, Noah-sama? 』

“That’s the point, you can’t be a half-hearted villain. I want to be part of the kind of evil that will make people lose their minds just by hearing about it. So, I have to carefully select the greatest villains.”

“Is there such a thing as a great villain?”

“Well, watch this. I’ve got a good eye.”

“I wonder what you see with your clouded eyes…?”

　　　　★

　The interview to find villainous merchants has begun.

　One by one, the merchants were called into the lord’s room.

“I’m going to start the interview. Hey, Sebastian, call the first one.”

“Very well, sir. Entry number one, [Choine-sama].”

　The man who came in was about 30 years old.

　He is well dressed and always smiling.

“It’s nice to meet you, Master Noah. I’m……”

“Yeah, go home.”

“What!? Why?”

“I don’t like your face. Get out of here. I don’t have time for this. Go home. You’re not good enough.”

　Choine gritted his teeth and turned to leave.

　As soon as the door is slammed shut, Sebastian mockingly says.

“Oh, Noah-sama, what foolish thing are you doing? That person was the guildmaster of the [Golden Crow Trading Company], a large trading company that is well known throughout the continent…”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.”

“How unfortunate, how could you let such a talented person go? You’re not capable of being lord after all!”

　Ah, this is good.

　If I just get rid of the merchants like this, it will lower my reputation.

　I’ll be like a stupid lord who got rid of talented merchants.

　Kuku…good, I can find bad merchants while damaging my reputation.

　The guy who came up with this strategy, maybe he’s…a genius?

“Yes, in a way, Noah-sama is a genius. In the reverse.”

“Shut up! All right, Sebastian, bring in as many people as you can! I’ll interview them all. I’ll see what I can find out……with my eyes!”

　After that, I continued to interview the merchants.

　I kept interviewing merchants like [Zenryo], [Yuai], [Hayward Daisuki], [Love and Peace], and so on.

　I kicked out one merchant after another as they came by.

“Noah-sama, you’re indeed a prince of incompetence, to turn away so many talented and famous merchants based on first impressions without a proper interview.”

“Seriously? As expected Sebastian, you have a good eye.”

“”Hahahahahaha!””

“These guys actually get along with each other, don’t they……? 』

　After a few hours of chasing the merchants away like that, the sun was setting.

It was getting dark when [he] arrived.

“The next one is the last one, Noah-sama. Just…..”

“What? What is it?”

“The next one is……a merchant, who has a shocking appearance, so I thought I’d give you a warning.”

“What do you mean by shocking look? Bring him in quickly.”

　Sebastian nods and calls the merchant into the room.

　Hm, until the end, no one could match my taste.

　I guess I raised the bar too high, huh?

　I’ll just have to compromise a little and call the merchants again later

　While I was thinking.

“Excuse me…”

“Hired……!”

　The moment he walked in.

　It hit me.

　This is exactly the kind of person I’ve been looking for!

“Huh…Noah-sama…I’m sorry but this person, he’s a human being but he looks like a goblin!”

“You idiot! It’s true that his skin is green, the exposed skin is bumpy with boils, his ears are pointy, and the appearance of the man……is exactly that of a goblin! I like that!”

“Eh?…what?”

“You’re hired! Please get along with us!”

　I looked again at the guy who had just walked in.

　He’s a little short in height.

　It’s hard to tell what gender he is. He’s wearing pants.

　But Laurie is right, he’s probably human, but his appearance is completely goblin.

　So to speak, a goblin merchant.

　I can tell.

He’s such a heinous looking thing.

　He must be a famous master of evil in the underworld!

“What’s your name?”

“Well, it’s [Sabrina]. [Sabrina Echigoya]…”

“Echigoya! That’s a nice name!”

　I don’t know why, but it sounds like the name of a villainous person!

　The name and looks are good…feels like a villain!

“I’ve been looking for someone like you! Very good! Especially with such a nice face!”

“Ugh…sniff…wow, yes …………”

“Oh, no, I can tell Noah-sama did it again.”

“This is the first time I’ve been told something…….like this”

　I don’t know why, but the goblin merchant began to shed tears.

　What’s wrong…?

　I wonder if merchants cry with joy when they find a new valuable thing!

　Oh yeah, Mithril silver is worth gold!

“Noah-sama…I’ll do my best for a pure-hearted and kind person like you…!”

“Oh, that’s right! I’m looking forward to it!”

“Yes, I’ll definitely do my best to meet your expectations!”

　Thus, I decided to team up with the goblin-looking merchant Sabrina Echigoya.

　Kuku…Okay, finally my incompetent move seems to work!

　　　　★

　Later. In my office.

“As expected, Noah-sama!”

“What’s the matter, Lista, why are you suddenly in a hurry?”

“It’s this morning’s paper! Look at this!”

　This morning’s paper that Lista had is spread out on the desk.

　Laurie and I look into it.

“It’s all about the merchants…! The dark merchants of the underworld were caught one after another….wow!”

“[Choine] [Zenryo] [Yuai] [Hayward Daisuki]…and more. These are all the guys Noah interviewed and turned away.”

“As expected, Noah-sama! You have protected us from the evil hands of unscrupulous merchants!”

　Lista’s eyes sparkle.

　It’s like the Milky Way.

　Well, it’s too dazzling…but my eyes are cloudy!

“Oh no, this is bad! If the villainous merchants were caught, that means the goblin merchant was caught too! My plan is doomed!”

“But, Noah-sama. Sabrina Echigoya’s name isn’t in the paper.”

“What?…certainly. I see…as expected, Echigoya is a big villain that couldn’t be caught by knights…Kukuku! Echigoya, you’re crazy.”

　And then.

“Oh, that’s right. Noah-sama. You have a visitor. It’s a very beautiful woman.”

“A beautiful guest? Hmmm…well, let her through.”

“Excuse me, Noah-sama! Oh, I wanted to see you!”

　What came in was an incredibly beautiful girl.

　She had long emerald green hair.

　She had pure white skin like virgin snow.

　Slender limbs and a well-groomed face.

“Who’re you?”

“Oh, I’m Sabrina, Noah-sama!”

“Seriously!? That goblin merchant became such a beautiful girl!? 』

　It’s no wonder Laurie is surprised. She’s 180 degrees different from the goblin-like merchant I saw at that time.

“It’s thanks to the skin cream Master Noah gave me as a token of friendship! Thanks to that, my cursed body completely healed and came back to normal! Thank you very much!”

“I see, you gave it to her on the way home as a skin-beautifying cream. But this is more like transformation.”

“Well, that’s right…so, you’re a woman?”

“What? No, I’m a man.”

　Hah!?

　What is this?

　This beautiful girl is…a man!?

“Well, with that goblin look, we couldn’t tell his gender. But…even though he looks like a beautiful girl, he’s a man.』

“Thanks to lord Noah, I have confidence in myself! I, the [Ginpo Ginou Shokai] President, [Sabrina Echigoya], will devote all my heart and soul to developing Noah’s territory!”

“Ginou…? Something…sounds familiar…”

“It’s the world’s top super famous and superexcellent commercial guild.』

　What!??

　Huh, a good guild!??

　Lista’s eyes sparkle

“As expected, Noah-sama! How amazing, to be able to see a talented merchant with true brilliance, regardless of how he looks!”

“You’re the first person who ever complimented me on my looks, and you even cured my skin disease……I can’t thank you enough! I’ll never forget it!”

　How could this be…I thought he was a big villain, but he’s a beautiful boy with excellent abilities…

　Why….is it like this…..

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