店の奥、商談スペースのような場所に案内された俺はクラリスさんと向かい合って席に着いた。
ハーブティーを出されたので口を付けたが、このお店本当に女性しかいないな......。
給仕をしてくれた従業員も女性だった。もちろん、最初に応対してくれた従業員とは別人である。
それをクラリスさんに訊くと、自然とそうなってしまったのだと言う。
「女が店主だから、とかそういう差別的な理由ではないんですよね?」
「女王様をトップに戴く国ですから、そういった心配はありませんね。単純に扱っている商品の都合です」
その言葉を受け、少しどういう経過を辿ったのか想像してみる。
商会の資本となったのは言うまでもなく例の『鏡』なのだが、別に鏡は男女の区別なく利用する商品ということで間違いないと思う。
ただ、その利用頻度に関しては......。
男性で女性よりも鏡を長く多く見る機会があるという人は、かなり特殊なのではなかろうか?
それこそクラリス商会でも扱っている化粧等、平均すれば女性の方が鏡を見ている時間は圧倒的に長いはずだ。
「スタートは鏡に対する需要の差、ですか? 特に手鏡など顕著だったのでは」
「ええ。手鏡をご自分用に買っていかれる男性のお客様は、とても少ないですから」
「自然、女性客と女性従業員の方が増えていくと。その流れで需要のありそうな商品を増やした結果が、今のお店を形作っているということで――合っていますか?」
「ハインド様には隠し事が出来ませんね......ご想像の通りです。気が付いたら私、行商人じゃなくなっちゃってました」
なっちゃってましたって......確かに頭の上のネーム表示は『商人クラリス』に変化しているが。
ここまで名前の称号がころころ変わるNPCというのも、実に稀な存在だと思う。
変遷を思い出すと『道具屋』から始まり『行商人』、そして現在の『商人』だもんな。
服装に関しても村娘らしいサッパリしたものから旅装束、今は砂漠らしいゆったりとした上品な服装に変わっている。
「そういえば、おばあさまとの約束は良いんですか? 確か、行商人として各地を回って修行するご予定でしたよね?」
「お店がもう少し安定したら、みんなに任せて私は行商人に戻る予定です。でも、心配の種は尽きませんよねぇ......」
あ、人に任せてあっさり手放す気なのか。
何とも欲がないというか思い切りが良いというか。
権利関係次第とはいえ、少し勿体ないような?
「――あ! もちろん、ハインド様にはとても感謝しています! 直接御礼を言う機会も作れず、申し訳ございませんでした」
「いえいえ! お忙しいというのは噂で聞いていたので。俺の方から伺わなかったというのもありますから」
「闘技大会でのご活躍もお聞きしましたよ! 私も応援に行きたかったなぁ......そういえば帝国魔導士の方々って、ああいう時しか力を行使してくれないんですよね。魔法で都市間を移動出来たら便利なのに」
話があちこちに飛ぶが、クラリスさんとの会話はとても有益だ。
プレイヤー間では知り得ない情報がポンポン出てくる。
そして話題は一度戻って、商会の今後に関する意見をクラリスさんから求められた。
にそういうことを訊くのか......ううむ。
「......一度おばあさまに手紙をお出しになられてはいかがでしょうか」
「おばあちゃんに?」
「そもそもクラリスさんが行商人になったのは、見聞を広めるためと商人としての修行のためですよね? 行商人という肩書に拘る必要は無いのでは、と思う次第で」
「それですと、見聞を広めるという目的が果たせないのでは......?」
見聞を広めるには移動は必須、砂漠に居たのではそれが出来ないのだと彼女は主張する。
だが、そのために折角大きくした店を人に渡してしまうのはやはり勿体ないじゃないか。
「ならば他の国にも出しましょう、店を」
「え? それって、まさか......」
「支店を各国に作って回りましょう。その過程であちこちを回れば、おばあさまとの約束も充分に果たせるのではないかと」
上手くいかなかったら、その時こそ行商人に戻るしかないが。
負債だけはなるべく抱えないよう――と、これは釈迦に説法だな。
ともかく、もっと大きな商売に手を出してみては? と、俺はクラリスさんに意見してみた。
「おばあさまに現状をお知らせして、それからお決めになられるといいかと。最も身近で、最も頼りになる商売の先輩でしょうし。知恵を借りてしまいましょう」
「......考えてみます。大変有意義なご意見をありがとうございます。ハインド様」
考えてみる、とは言いつつも彼女の瞳は......。
俺の勘違いでなければ、既に希望と野望に燃えているのだった。
「これがお約束のエイシカ・クロスです」
クラリスさんから受け取ったのは、不思議な光沢を放つ赤い布である。
自分で用意する時間が足りないことに加えNPCならではという素材を求めた結果、俺は彼女に素材の調達をお願いすることに決めた。
エイシカクロスはエイシカ村という僻地の村で少数織られ、高額で取引きされている布だそうだ。
製法は部外秘、更には村の詳細な位置さえも不明と謎に包まれた商品。
これならば他のプレイヤーと素材が被ることはそうそうない......はずだ。
「美しい布ですね......入手に苦労なさったのでは?」
「正直に言いますと、かなり。この地域の商人としては、私は新顔も良いところですから。繋ぎをつけるためにハインド様にお渡しする予定だった鏡の報酬を、ほとんど使い切ることになってしまいました。本当に宜しかったのですか?」
「問題ないです。この布を見ていると、大金でも惜しくないような気がしてきますし」
「結果的に私達商会の販路も大幅に増えたので、こちらと致しましては万々歳ですけど......」
店内に置いてあった衣服関係は、その影響で品が充実しているのだそうだ。
鏡の俺に対する報酬は多額だったそうだが、必要経費だったと納得しておく。
使用した経費の詳細を説明しましょうか? とクラリスさんが律儀にも申し出てくれたが、胃が痛くなりそうなので固辞。
ゲームとはいえ、大金がじゃんじゃか出ていっている様を見るのは気分が良いものではない。
ここ最近、農地の買い付けでも大金を投じたばかりだというのに。
知らない方が良いこともあるということで、一つ。クラリスさんのことは信用しているし。
「ありがとうございました。また何か売り物になりそうなアイテムを作製出来たら、持ってきますよ」
「本当ですか!? ありがとうございます、ハインド様! ......早速、おばあちゃんに手紙を書いて送りますね?」
「それが良いと思います。では、また」
「はい! いつでもいらっしゃってください。お待ちしております!」
そら豆と白身魚を忘れずに購入し、日々糧となる食材に関しても抜かりはない。
ホームに戻って工房のドアに手を掛けると、中から姦しい話し声が聞こえてくる。
トビはログアウトして資料集めをしてくるというメールが入っていたので、中には居ないはずだ。
となると、この声は――。
「あ、先輩ちーっす」
「ハインド先輩、こんばんは!」
「お邪魔しています」
中に入ると、床に横になったシエスタちゃんがまず俺に気付いた。
続けて椅子に座ってテーブル上で作業中のリコリスちゃんとサイネリアちゃんが挨拶してくる。
ギルドホームの施設に関しては使っていいと事前に言ってあるので問題ないのだが、何で約一名は床で寝ているのか......。
「こんばんは。三人揃って、コンテスト用の作業かい?」
「そうなんですよ! 例によって半人前なので、三人で一品だけ出します! サイちゃん名義です!」
「リコ、事実だけどそんなに元気よく半人前宣言しないでよ......ハインド先輩も苦笑いだよ」
「ふぁー......あ、本格的に眠くなってきた......」
手元を見る限り、作っているのは『枕』だろうか?
テーブルは一つしかないので、少しだけ離れた位置にエイシカ・クロスを置いて自分の道具を取り出していく。
「おー、とっても綺麗な赤い生地ですね! ハインド先輩も、出品するのはお裁縫ですか?」
「まぁね。あ、リコリスちゃんそこほつれてるよ。縫い付け緩いんじゃない?」
「それとしっかりした厚手の生地を使ってるみたいだし、マチ針からいきなり本縫いしないでしつけ縫いをしてからの方が上手くいくよ。学校で習わなかった? サイネリアちゃん」
「そういえばやったような......ミシンがあれば楽なのですが、そうもいきませんよね。他にも何かおかしなところってあります?」
「え? うーん、そうだな......」
「誰がオカンだ!」
結局色々と口出ししてしまい、殆ど共同作業で綿をたっぷり入れた枕を完成させた。
この綿は貸した農地の一画で三人が育てたものだ。天然コットン100%である。
丁寧に縫ったことによって丈夫になり、シエスタちゃんが先に使っていた試作品よりも綿を多く入れたのでふっくらした仕上がりとなった。
「ところでシエスタちゃんは、作業に参加せずに何をしているのかな?」
「私は枕の感触を確認して横から口出しする役です。眠りのプロなので」
眠りのプロって何だろう......どうせ聞いても理解不能だろうから、訊かないけど。
In the inner side of the store, I sat down on the opposite side of Claris-san after she guided me to a place where it looked like negotiations were held.
I was served herbal tea so I brought it to my mouth, but this store is really full of women huh...
The employee that acted as a waitress was also a woman. Obviously, she was a different person from the one that greeted me as I entered the store.
When I asked Claris-san about it, she just replied that it naturally became like that on its own.
[There's no discriminatory reason like the owner being a woman right?] (Hind)
[There should be no worries in that regard since the one at the top of the country is the Queen. It's simply because of the products we are dealing with.] (Claris)
Hearing those words, I could sort of guess how things had progressed.
It goes without saying that the capital to set up this store came from the {Mirrors} , but I believe mirrors are articles that can be used by anyone regardless of gender.
It's just that, thinking about who would use them more frequently...
The number of males that would use a mirror far more often and for a longer period of time than women would be quite rare right?
For that reason, since the Claris' Company deals with cosmetics, on average, women will most likely spend far longer time using the mirrors.
[It's because of the difference in numbers in the genders of the people that wanted mirrors at the start? Particularly when it comes down to hand-mirrors.] (Hind)
[Yes. Since the number of male clients that wanted hand-mirrors were very low.] (Claris)
[So naturally, the number of female employees increased as the number of female clients increased. As a result, following that trend, the number of products to fit the clientele increased and that's how the shop turned out like this...am I right?] (Hind)
[Seems like I can't keep anything hidden from Hind-sama...it's just as you guessed. Before I noticed, I had already stopped being a peddler.] (Claris)
Suddenly stopped she says...it's true that the name displayed above her head had changed to {Merchant Claris} .
I believe that it's quite rare for a NPC to change its name so frequently like she does.
If I remember correctly, she started with {Second-hand Shop} , then it turned to {Peddler} , and now it's {Merchant} .
When it comes to clothes, she started with garments that made her look like a village girl, which then turned into travelling attire, and now she's wearing refined attire that fits a desert setting.
[Now that I think about it, is this going to be fine with the promise you made to grandma? If I remember correctly, you were supposed to go around the different countries as a peddler to gain experience, right?] (Hind)
[Once the store settles down and is more stable, I plan to leave everything to the employees and go back to being a peddler. However, you can't help but be worried right...] (Claris)
Ah, she plans to just leave the store to others, huh?
Should I say that she's not ambitious enough or that she has good resolution...
Even if I only handed her the rights to it, isn't this quite a waste?
[...Ah! Of course, I'm really grateful to Hind-sama! I'm really sorry that I have been unable to directly express my gratitude.] (Claris)
[No, no! I heard rumors that you were really busy, it's also my fault that I didn't visit myself.] (Hind)
[I heard about your accomplishments in the martial arts tournament! I wish I could have gone there to cheer for you...now that I think about it, the magic that those imperial mages used, could only be used during that time? Even though it would be quite convenient to be able to move between cities with magic.] (Claris)
The topics of our conversation were all over the place, however, talking with Claris-san proved to be quite beneficial.
Information that you couldn't get from other players just kept popping up.
We then returned to our main topic and Claris asked for my opinion regarding what she should do with the store now.
She's asking a player like me about that huh...let's see...
[...How about you try sending a letter to grandma?] (Hind)
[To grandma?] (Claris)
[To begin with, the reason that you became a peddler was to broaden your horizons and to gain training as a merchant right? I don't think there's a need to obsess over the title of peddler that much.] (Hind)
[If I do that, wouldn't I be unable to clear the objective of broadening my horizons...?] (Claris)
You need to move around in order to broaden your horizons, she claims that she'll be unable to do that if she stays in the desert.
However, in order to do that, isn't it quite a waste to just give this store to someone else after making it so big?
[In that case open another one in another country, a store that is.] (Hind)
[Eh? Do you mean that...] (Claris)
[Let's make a branch in each country and move between them. I believe if you do that and move between them, you'll be able to keep your promise with grandma.] (Hind)
If it doesn't go well, it's at that point where she should go back to being a peddler.
Doing her best to not get into any debts...whoops, this is turning into a sermon.
Anyway, how about trying to make her business even bigger? That's the opinion I tried to give to Claris-san.
[I think it'll be fine if you explain the current situation to grandma and then reach a decision. She's the senior most reliable and closest to you right? You can borrow some wisdom from her.] (Hind)
[...I'll think about it. I really appreciate Hind-sama giving me such a valuable opinion.] (Claris)
Her eyes when saying that she would think it over were...
Unless I'm misunderstanding something, they were already brimming with hope and ambition.
[This is the Eishika Cloth I promised you.] (Claris)
What I received from Claris-san was a red cloth that released a wonderful luster.
As a result of deciding to ask NPCs for the materials I couldn't gather myself, I decided to ask her to become the supplier of the materials I needed.
Eishika Cloth is a cloth that's weaved in low quantities in a remote village called Eishika Village. It's a very expensive piece of cloth.
The method to weave the cloth is unknown and even the whereabouts of the village are not known. It's an article that's shrouded in mystery.
With this, I don't think the materials I use will overlap with those of the other players...or at least it shouldn't.
[This cloth is really beautiful...it must have been hard to obtain it, right?] (Hind)
[If I were to be honest, quite. After all, when it comes to merchants in this region, I'm quite the newcomer after all. In order to make connections, I have spent pretty much all the remuneration I planned to give Hind-sama for the mirrors.] (Claris)
[That won't be a problem. Looking at this cloth, I don't feel like it was a waste to spend a big amount of money.] (Hind)
[As a result, the goods our company provides has increased too, so I believe it's something to be happy about but...] (Claris)
The clothes on display within the store seem to be because of the influence of these dealings.
The reward I would have been given for the mirrors should have been pretty high, but let's consider these necessary expenses.
"Should I explain the expenses in detail?", is what Claris-san honestly offered to do, but I firmly refused because I was sure my stomach would hurt from listening to it.
Even if it's a game, it is not nice to look at large amounts of money being spent over and over.
Even though lately, all we've been doing is spending a lot of money on agricultural land.
That's one of the reasons I think it's better if I don't know. I also trust Claris-san.
[Thank you very much. If I make another item that I think will sell, I'll bring it over.] (Hind)
[Really!? Thank you very much, Hind-sama! ...Should I write a letter to grandma and send it right now?] (Claris)
[I think that'll be fine. Well then, I'll see you another time.] (Hind)
[Yes! Come whenever you want. I'll be waiting!] (Claris)
Not forgetting to buy the broad beans or the fish, I also didn't overlook procuring our daily ingredients.
After returning home, I placed my hand on the door leading to the workshop. From within, the noisy voices of people talking could be heard.
Tobi sent me an email telling me that he would log out to research data, so he shouldn't be inside.
Which means that these voices...
[Ah, senpai, hi there.] (Siesta)
[Hind-senpai, good evening!] (Lycoris)
[Sorry for barging in.] (Cineraria)
Once I got inside, the first one to notice me was Siesta-chan, who was lying down on the bed.
After that, Lycoris-chan and Cineraria-chan, who were sitting down on chairs while working on something on top of the table greeted me.
They already told me that they were going to use the facilities in our Guild Home so there weren't any issues but...why is one of them sleeping on the bed...?
[Good evening. Are you three working on what you are going to present in the contest?] (Hind)
[That's right! Since we are quite inexperienced, we are only making one article! It was Sai-chan's idea!] (Lycoris)
[Lyco, even if it's the truth, don't go saying that we are inexperienced cheerfully...Hind-senpai is giving us a wry smile.] (Cineraria)
[Fuwah...ah, I'm genuinely getting sleepy...] (Siesta)
Looking at what they have on hand, are they making a {Pillow} ?
There's only one table, so I placed the Eishika Cloth a bit apart from them and started taking out my tools.
[Oh, that cloth has quite a lovely red color! Hind-senpai, are you also going to display something in the sewing category?] (Lycoris)
[Yup. Ah, Lycoris-chan, that part is getting frayed. Isn't your sewing a bit sloppy?] (Hind)
[Other than that, since it seems like you are using thick cloth, don't do the final stitching from the marking pin, it'll end up better if you do it after you finish the embroidery. Didn't they teach you that at school? Cineraria-chan.] (Hind)
[I think we might have done that...it would be easier if we had a sewing machine, but that won't be possible, right? Are there any other weird parts?] (Cineraria)
[Eh? Hmm, let's see...] (Hind)
[Who are you calling mother!?] (Hind)
As a result, I pointed out a lot of things and it ended up mostly being a group work with us putting in a lot of cotton and finishing the sewing.
This is cotton that the three of them planted in a plot of land we lent them. In other words, it's a hundred percent natural cotton.
It was carefully sewed so it was fine in that regard, and it was far fluffier than the prototype that Siesta-chan was using until a while ago.
[By the way, Siesta-chan, what are you doing by not helping with the work?] (Hind)
[My job is to make sure that the pillow feels good. I'm a pro at sleeping after all.] (Siesta)
What the heck is a pro at sleeping...? I probably wouldn't understand it even if I asked her so I won't.
VRMMO no Shien Shokunin ～Top Player no Shikakenin～
ＶＲＭＭＯの支援職人　～トッププレイヤーの仕掛人～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/vrmmo-no-shien-shokunin-%ef%bd%9etop-player-no-shikakenin%ef%bd%9e/
Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Harem Slice of Life
Adventurers Beautiful Female Lead Blacksmith Brother Complex Calm Protagonist Childhood Friends Clan Building Cooking Crafting Curious Protagonist Dense Protagonist Elemental Magic Fantasy Creatures Game Ranking System Gamers Hard-Working Protagonist Healers Level System Love Interest Falls in Love First Love Rivals Male Protagonist Misunderstandings MMORPG Ninjas Possessive Characters Priests Siblings Siblings Not Related by Blood Sword And Magic Virtual Reality Younger Love Interests Younger Sisters
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4014ds/
二階堂風都