TDADP chapter 220: Playing in the trees

  「That’s somehow! Please!」


  An old man with a fine moustache bows down. The old man’s arms were thick like a log and his body was so ugly that you couldn’t feel his age.

  「No matter how much you ask, I can’t make an additional loan」


  A male merchant man refuses without hesitation. There are several other merchants around, but surprisingly, this youngest man is probably the top. It is this young man who has been negotiating with the old man since the last time.

  「Everything else was turned down. If I was abandoned by the Bern company here, Wood Payne’s woodworking might be ruined by traditional woodworking techniques!」


  However, the old man continues to bow and ask without giving up. If he doesn’t get a loan here, it will be related to the survival of the village. Wood Payne is a village famous for woodworking. The furnitures made in Wood Payne are very popular items for merchants and aristocrats because of the good quality and abundant timber available from the surrounding forests and skilled craftsmen. The popularity is so high that not only the Udon Kingdom but also people from far away countries bother to purchase even the Berun Company. It was just the other day that a wood dragon appeared in the vicinity of Wood Payne, a thriving woodworking village. The damage caused by the wood dragon was enormous and the surrounding mountains and forest disappeared widely by the rampaging wood dragon. As a result, it has been necessary to cut down trees farther than before, and if they continue to cut trees at the same pace as before, it is possible that the speed of consumption will be higher than the recovery of the forests. It is a matter of life and death that the wood which is the material is not obtained from Wood Payne which gets food by the woodwork. After all, if there is no wood, it can’t be processed to make a product. In other words, income is lost during that time. Fortunately, there are now stocks of wood and processed products, so if they manage them, they can live with them for the time being.

  「That’s what I’ve said before. It will take time, but the trees lost by the wood dragon will surely be resurrected!」


  「Village mayor, when will that be the story?」


  「Th, That’s……」


  「You don’t know. With such speculation, I, who is in charge of the fifth head of the Berun Company, would I give a loan?」


  It was a ruthless declaration. If they are abandoned by the Berun Company here, Wood Payne´s reserve will eventually run out and the village dwellers may leave the village seeking employment. If so, what is waiting is a village where no one lives, that is, an abandoned village.

  「If……If that’s the case, why did you come to such a remote village far from the capital city?」


  Contrary to the village mayor, who insults and inquires, the man who was assigned to the fifth clerk of the Berun Company at a young age, without changing his expression, utters words that push the village head into further despair.

  「What I asked you today was to talk about the loan repayment」


  「What are you talking about? What do you know about the current situation of Wood Payne! Because of the damage caused by the wood dragon, the village is still confused by what to do in the future. In the meantime, rather than canceling the loan from the Berun Company, the village will be over if you offer a repayment」


  The village chief was all excited at once, but all the people of Berun Company turned their heads to the village chief.

  「That’s the problem. It has nothing to do with the Berun Company. It will be difficult to pay back the loan, but it will be difficult in three days」


  「Three days later!? Is there such a stupid story!!」


  「I am very serious. In the case of unforeseen circumstances in the contract, Berun Company´s equitable side of the bank offers to repay the loan and wrote that the date can be set」


  「When I filled out the contract, I was told that you would wait at least one year to pay back the loan even if there was an unforeseen situation!」


  「Well, that’s not written anywhere in the contract. I tell you, this contract was made by contract magic. You know what happens if you break a contract」


  Due to anger, the village chief could not suppress the trembling of his body.

  「Well, if you expand your business, Wood Payne will be richer and you’ve been begging for a loan!!」


  「I’m struggling to understand what I’m angry about. It’s not just that things have changed」


  「That’s right! That’s right! None of the firms will accept the loan. In such a case, you can’t say that you should repay the loan so far instead of receiving an additional loan from Berun Company. At this rate, the village will lose the traditional Wood Payne woodworking technique. If that’s the case, you guys will be in trouble, won’t you?」


  The village chief asks for it while rubbing his head against the table.

  「As I said earlier, it’s none of the things that Berun Company knows about. It’s not a roundabout way of saying it. To be clear, even if you can lend it to a woodcutter, you can’t lend it to a wooden player」


  「Our woodwork……traditional woodworking is a wood play!!」


  「Don’t be silly!! Let me tell you!!」


  「What is your attitude!? Remove the attitude you showed to the village chief!!」


  The men of the village who had been silently speaking behind the village chief to the words of the Beun Company have finally come to the fifth clerk of the Berun Company without being patient.

  「If you reach out to me, my escort wont keep silent」


  The fifth clerk of Berun Company said that to the village men’s collection in reverse. On the side, his escort are ready with their hands on their weapons to immediately act.

  「Turning the Berun Company to an enemy in this kingdom is synonymous with turning the country to an enemy. I wouldn’t recommend it」


  These words were a decisive hit. Wood Payne’s men could only sneak out and see off the people of the Berun Company who returned home.

  「As expected, Gurdem-sama. How to compensate for the damage of the wood dragon in this way」


  「The next term will be profitable to be said to be the closest to the chairman of Berun Company」


  In the carriage from Wood Payne to the capital, the Berun company people praised the skill of Gurdem-sama, the fifth clerk.

  「I’m sure, but I don’t think there are any major firms that could give a loan to Wood Payne」


  「Don’t worry, you’re safe! There’s no one in the Udon kingdom, such as a merchant who opposes the Berun Company」


  「With this, you can get all the timber and village, not just the woodworking technique of Wood Payne」


  「The furniture made from Wood Payne can be sold to aristocrats. Now the production is temporarily reduced due to the damage caused by the wood dragon, but over time, it will return to its original profit. Until then, pick up and sell the value of the product because of shortage」


  「Understood」
——

  「What should I do!」


  Wood Payne’s village chief hits his fist against the table. No one tried to cheer up the village chief, as the surrounding men could understand his feelings.

  「Is it possible to return the money borrowed from the Berun Company in three days?」


  「There’s no way. That’s why the village chief and we’re holding our heads up!」


  「I don’t even listen to a trading company or merchant I know」


  After the Berun Company had left, the village chief had spent several hours discussing how to repay the loan and how to get over this crisis, but nobody came up with a good idea.

  「Village head, there is a customer!」


  One of the village girls came in after opening the door.

  「Customer? Now is not the time……」


  「Tell him we want to meet! That child is amazing!」


  「Amazing? What――waiting? She went out without asking for a reply」


  The village girl rushes out of the room and immediately returns. And behind the village girl――


  「「「O, Ooo……」」」


  Voices are leaked from the village head and men.

  「Ho, can you really give us money!? No, can you really do it?」


  「Hohoo, I’ll give you a loan, but it’s Yuu-sama who gives you the money and we the Mago Company are only mediations」


  「This boy……」


  Mago knows that Yuu has a huge amount of money. That’s why there is enough money to buy this village easily. However, the villagers at Wood Payne are different. Even though the boy in front of them said that he would give them a loan, it wouldn’t seem ridiculous to be foolish or angry, but they hadn’t felt any anger from any of the men, including the village head.

  「How much do you need?」


  Yuu was expecting a little bit, but he gets swept away by the village chief who is so mature.

  「Eight, nine hundred million…… No, I need a billion Madoka」


  The amount of 1 billion Madoka was the amount that the village chief said conservatively. Actually, the loan received from the Berun Company was more than 1.5 billion Madoka including interest.

  「Hooho, a billion Madoka?」


  Mago looks out as if to confirm with Yuu and takes out a box from the item pouch. When twenty boxes are placed on the table, Mago opens the box lid. The box was filled with platinum and gold coins neatly.

  「Wow」


  「I have never seen such a big amount of money」


  「We´re in front of a customer. Why don’t you guys just be quiet?」


  When the village head rebukes, the men shut up.

  「One box contains 100 million Madoka」


  「Total……2 billion Madoka. But why is it 2 billion Madoka?」


  「The amount we looked at here was because Wood Payne had a debt of about 1.6 billion Madoka to the Berun Company. I would lend 2 billion Madoka with a margin. To begin with, you underestimated Berun Company too much. Speaking of returning money, I’ll blow them up, if they are saying something」


  「No way…… In the contract――」


  「None of the firms gave you a loan?」


  To Yuu’s words, the village chief strengthened his body as if he had grabbed his heart.

  「Berun Company is rooted in other firms and merchants so that they don’t respond to requests for loans from Wood Payne」


  「They!」


  「I can’t forgive them!」


  「I can’t believe it. Why……Berun Company is like that? Wood Payne has been in a friendly relationship with Berun Company until now」


  Apart from the angry men, the village chief still heard Yuu’s story with incredible thoughts.

  「Village chief, hold on! You’re not disappointed!」


  「That’s right! We were deceived by them. We don’t have to return the money!」


  「Hooho. If you do that, it’s what the Berun Company planned. Immediately, there will be people from the capital which belong to the Berun Company and the private troops of the finance minister. Children fall into slavery, men work until they die and don’t think the country will protect you?」


  To Mago´s words, the faces of the men who had blood on their heads turns pale while looking.

  「You are…… Why do you lend us money? If you do this, you will turn the Berun Company and the Finance Minister into your enemies」


  「Hooho, as the village chief says. I objected because it would not be a penny to do such a thing, but this Yuu-sama must do it.」


  「Mago, you don’t have to say anything extra」


  「Ho? I ’m sorry」


  「What is the purpose? There’s no way there’s such a convenient story. How much! What can Wood Payne offer you!!」


  「It’s wood」


  「.……Wood? Is wood a wood?」


  「That’s right. I can’t cut down trees for some reason. That’s why I want you to sell me the wood you can get at Wood Payne」


  「Is that all right? But around Wood Payne is by the wood dragon」


  「I know that. It’s not like you’re selling a lot of wood. From the wood that does not become for sale, it is good to flow the wood which had been wholesale to the Berun Company up to now here. Even the forests around Wood Payne will regain their original form over time」


  The village chief stood up and noticed Yuu’s hand.

  「Th, That’s right! The rich forest of Wood Payne is not dead! It will take time, but it will surely regain its original beauty!」


  「Then there is no problem」


  「Ah, this is a proposal I don’t want. Is it all right with wood? By the way, Wood Payne is a village where woodworking is prosperous. For example, if it’s a table like this, it’s wholesale to Berun Company is at 50,000 Madoka」


  「This table 50,000 Madoka? Haha」


  「You may think it’s expensive, but this table is a table made by our woodworkers from the finest Almagany! It should be worth the price」


  The village head blushes and protests whether Yuu’s dry laughter was received too high.

  「Hmm? Don’t get me wrong? Mago, how much would you sell this table to nobility?」


  「Hooho, an Armagany table. If it was also made by a wood craftsman from Wood Payne, I would sell it for at least 3 million Madoka」


  「3, 3 million!?」


  The village chief cannot hide his surprise to the amount presented by Mago. The same goes for the surrounding men and in their mouths, they say, 「3 Million」 and 「Was it sold for that amount?」.

  「There are lots of fare, labor costs, places to display from the sales route, but it’s a little too cheap to buy. My households´s Marifa, is a dark elf who is in love with Wood Payne´s furnitures and she is going to be furious when she knows this wholesale price」


  The strong tension of the village chief’s body loosens by the appearance of Yuu talking with a laughter. He’s been nervous ever since he had a discussion with Berun Company. There was no reason why the tension was lifted by seeing Yuu laughing innocently there.

  「Wait」


  Yuu stops the village chief who tries to sign the contract prepared by Mago.

  「Hooho. Yuu, do you have any problems?」


  「It’s not you. It’s the village chief. You’ve just been hurt by the Berun Company, but you don’t try to sign the contract without much confirmation」


  The village chief, beaten by Yuu, scratches his head as he looks at the surrounding men.

  「That’s what you said, you’re right, but I was going to sign the contract from the beginning. Perhaps no one in the village would object」


  Oppositely to Yuu who has a suspicious face, the women and children who were looking into the window were smiling, as they noticed the village head and the men.

  「Those in this village are woodworkers, lumberjacks and women working on trees. That’s why we can see the spirits thinly. When you come into this room, no, even now, I can see the spirits of the trees. Originally, unlike the four great spirits such as fire, water, light and darkness, the spirit of the trees which are said to be lucky if there are several times in the living such as seeing the figure is seen for a long time」


  Yuu scatters the light green light floating around him with his hands as if to get rid of it.

  「Ah, what are you doing to the wood spirits?」


  「Noisy」


  「Hooho. I’ll put my credible subordinates in this village, so don’t worry if the Berun Company comes to you」


  「Noisy. I wouldn’t have heard of that」


  Yuu glares at Mago with a grin and a smile.